“While the drink could be polarizing, I was moderately impressed with the diverse offering”
Read Matt’s full review
Appearance
A drink brand named Sambazon that puts “Amazon Energy” in large font on the front of its can really wants to make sure that the consumer is aware of the amazon connection. Not to mention “Jungle Love” written above the logo. All of it is a lot but shouldn’t detract from the unique graphics and fonts across the can. The logo blends well with the associated graphic behind it and both stand out against the black background. It’s a striking design in a package that is comfortable to hold.
Taste
This may be the best tasting organic or health-focused product that I’ve tried so far. Then I checked the label and realized it has 29g of added sugars so not quite as healthy as the marketing team would have you believe. Also it explains why the drink tastes so good. The drink is 6% juice which results in a fruit juice-like flavor. It vaguely reminds me of the Cran-Grape juice from Ocean Spray. Overall, it’s pretty tasty, especially if you prefer to drink juice. It won’t be right for everyone, but I could see it being a hit for the right crowd.
Kick
Caffeine numbers are difficult to come by for this beverage. The label describes its energy blend as ‘organic caffeine naturally found in Yerba Mate, Green Tea, and Guarana’. Sambazon also equates its caffeine content to 2.5 shots of espresso. 2.5 shots of espresso would roughly equate to 160mg of caffeine depending on the shot. It’s an unusual measurement to list on the can, especially when considering that there is no caffeine content listed. I checked their website as well and found no details. Odd.
Overall
Sambazon wants you to feel the energy of the Amazon. Whether or not that actually means something to you, their beverage offers a couple of features that would appeal to specific consumers. It’s an interesting mix as it is organic, vegan, and gluten free, but also contains 29g of added sugars. That might turn away some of the health conscious market. Unsurprisingly the sugars work wonders as this is the best tasting drink I’ve had that is organic and/or targeting the health conscious. For those who don’t want to consume that much sugar, Sambazon’s website lists a similar, low calorie flavor. Aside from the sugar content, the juice-like flavor could resonate with certain crowds, but might turn others off. While the drink could be polarizing, I was moderately impressed with the diverse offering.
