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I use coconut water in quite a few things, like my coconut water tonic, my green drinks, and smoothies. But, I have always wondered what each brand tastes like since, unfortunately, fresh coconut water is just not a feasible option for me. There are many brands on the market, not all of which are sold in any one location. So, I decided to do a taste test on as many brands as I could get my hands on.
Some of the samples I purchased – others were kindly provided by the brand. I will note that in my reviews as well. So, let’s get started!
Taste Nirvana
Product #1
Name: Real Coconut Water
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Very clean and fresh, especially if it is super cold. Slightly sweet, but not as sweet as other brands. No funky aftertaste. I could tell a slight difference in the flavor between the glass and the can. I prefer the glass bottle version of their product.
Ingredients: Natural coconut water from young, green coconuts (not from concentrate)
Container: Glass and BPA-free can
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand – Nakorn Pathom province
Sample provided by: Taste Nirvana
Product #2
Name: Real Coconut Water with Pulp
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Same flavor profile as above – very clean and fresh, especially if it is super cold. Slightly sweet, but not as sweet as other brands. No funky aftertaste. I like the little chunks of pulp in there – it adds a level of texture to your beverage!
Ingredients: Natural coconut water, Coconut pulp (not from concentrate)
Container: Glass and BPA-free can
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand – Nakorn Pathom province
Sample provided by: Taste Nirvana
Product #3
Name: Real Coco Aloe
Taste/Flavor/Notes: I couldn’t tell much difference in the flavor of the aloe version, except that it had a slightly milky/nutty flavor. Hard to describe, but it wasn’t off-putting at all. There were little strands of aloe in there, so there was some texture. Overall it, was fresh tasting and slightly sweeter than the plain coconut water.
Ingredients: Natural coconut water, Aloe Vera, Fiber (not from concentrate)
Container: Glass
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand – Nakorn Pathom province
Sample provided by: Taste Nirvana
Zico
Name: Zico Natural
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Typical coconut water flavor – really sweet and sort of “thick”. Had the usual coconut water aftertaste that is hard for people to like sometimes. I’m unsure what the natural flavors are.
Ingredients: 100% pure coconut water from concentrate, natural flavors
Container: HDPE Plastic bottles and tetra packs
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Me
Blue Monkey
Name: Pure Coconut Water
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Very clear coconut water. Had a sweet, slightly nutty flavor to it. Sweeter than Zico, making it one of the sweetest brands I tried. Tastes best very, very cold. Has the typical coconut water aftertaste.
Ingredients: 100% pure coconut water
Container: 17.6oz BPA-free metal can
Region Coconuts are from: SE Asia – Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand
Sample provided by: Me
Amy and Brian
Product #1
Name: Coconut Juice
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Sweet, but not overly. Had the typical coconut water flavor. I don’t know what it is, but I felt like I could taste a metallic taste from the can, but I think that might be all in my head!
Ingredients: Young coconut juice
Container: BPA-free metal can (large cans (17.5oz) are steel, small cans (10oz) are aluminum)
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand
Sample provided by: Amy and Brian
Product #2
Name: Coconut Juice With Pulp
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Same flavor profile as their regular coconut water, but it had a ton of pulp in it. Much more than Taste Nirvana. I like the pulp.
Ingredients: Young coconut juice and young coconut pulp
Container: BPA-free metal can (large cans (17.5oz) are steel, small cans (10oz) are aluminum)
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand
Sample provided by: Amy and Brian
Product #3
Name: Coconut Juice With Lime
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Very citrusy and refreshing. I tried it when it was super cold and there was no aftertaste. Very good.
Ingredients: Young coconut juice and lime juice
Container: BPA-free metal can (large cans (17.5oz) are steel, small cans (10oz) are aluminum)
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand
Sample provided by: Amy and Brian
Vita Coco
Product #1
Name: 100% Pure Coconut Water
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Very mild and not overly sweet, which I liked. Has a clean flavor.
Ingredients: Coconut water, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
Container: 17oz BPA-free Tetra Pak
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Vita Coco
Product #2
Name: Coconut Water – Peach & Mango
Taste/Flavor/Notes: I’ve never tried flavored coconut water before, so this brand was my first. The peach mango flavor had a nice flavor – more peachy than mango-y 🙂 I wouldn’t drink these often, if at all, just because of the added sugar, but what I tasted was good.
Ingredients: Coconut water, Mango Puree, Peach Puree, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
Container: 17oz BPA-free Tetra Pak
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Vita Coco
Product #3
Name: Coconut Water – Tangerine
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Least fave of the flavored kinds. To me, it tasted a little bland.
Ingredients: Coconut water, Tangerine Puree, Vitamin C
Container: 17oz BPA-free Tetra Pak
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Vita Coco
Product #4
Name: Coconut Water – Pineapple
Taste/Flavor/Notes: This one had a vibrant pineapple flavor. My hubby would love this one. This one was my favorite of the flavored coconut waters.
Ingredients: Coconut water, Pineapple Puree, Coconut Puree, Vitamin C
Container: 17oz BPA-free Tetra Pak
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Vita Coco
Naked Juice
Name: Coconut Water
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Slightly odd flavor in comparison to the other brands. Not every sweet with a touch of a bitter aftertaste. Definitely one of the most “plain” brands I’ve tried.
Ingredients: 100% coconut water
Container: BPA-free Tetra Pak
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Me
O.N.E.
Name: Coconut Water
Taste/Flavor/Notes: Not as sweet as some of the other brands, but not as mild as Naked Juice. No bitter aftertaste, but still has the same coconut water flavor.
Ingredients: 100% coconut water
Container: BPA-free Tetra Pak
Region Coconuts are from: Brazil
Sample provided by: Me
Goya Foods
Name: Unsweetened Coconut Water
Taste/Flavor/Notes: I did not do a taste test on this product, because when I received the can, I was disappointed to see that there were additional ingredients other than young coconut water.
Ingredients: Young coconut water (98%), water, citric acid, potassium metabisulphite (as a preservative). Allergy warnings: Contains sulphurdioxide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfur_dioxide)
Container: Metal can
Region Coconuts are from: Thailand
Sample provided by: Goya
Regarding the coconut water, I was so surprised at how different each brand tastes. It all comes down to your personal preference. What is your favorite brand of coconut water?
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Other Products – I received samples from a new brand, Greater Than, of their coconut water based sports drinks. I am not a fan of sports drinks, like Gatorade, etc., because of the chemicals and other junk that’s in them. My husband regularly works out and he and his friends drink the occasional sports drink during or after workouts, so he helped me taste test these. He liked the taste a lot and I have to say they taste a lot better than what I remember Gatorade tasting.
Greater Than – http://drinkgt.com
Flavors: Lemon-Lime, Tropical, and Orange
Taste/Flavor/Notes: The Lemon-Lime flavor smelled like a Sprite when I first opened it. It has a mild lemon-lime flavor and a little less sweet than the other flavors. The Tropical flavor smelled just like Kool-Aid when I opened the lid. It has a fruit punch taste that is sweet and slightly salty. The Orange flavor was vibrantly orange when the lid came off. Same sweet/salty flavor. Hubby loved all three flavors. His fave was the Tropical. All in all, if you’re going to drink a sports drink, I would choose this one over Gatorade or Powerade.
Ingredients: Water, coconut water (from concentrate), beet sugar, glucose, natural flavors, lactic acid, salt, malic acid, vegetable juice (for color in Tropical), Ascorbic Acid and Beta Carotene (in Orange) pectin, stevia.
Container: 20oz plastic bottles
Region Coconuts are from: Unknown
Sample provided by: Greater Than
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Do you know one good brand in glass container ?
Thanks
Hi Martin – I use Mason jars for pretty much everything.
DO ALL OF THESE COCONUT JUICE PRODUCTS HAVE ADDED SUGAR FOR SWEETNESS.? THANK YOU,
Jay F.
Hi Jay – In my review of each brand, I listed all of the ingredients that you could find in each variety I reviewed. I left no ingredients off. Most of them were 100% coconut water. The flavored Vita Coco ones had fruit juice added. The Greater Than sports drinks had beet sugar added. But, those don’t really count as coconut water IMO. I don’t like products with additional ingredients and added sugar, but I did choose to review the Greater Than and Vita Coco products because they were kind enough to send me a bunch of samples to try.
Try Harmless Harvest, leaves the rest of these brands in the dust WRT flavor and purity.
Never heard of that brand! Thanks for the recommendation! 🙂
Ooops! I take that back. I HAVE heard of that brand. I tried one from Whole Foods awhile back and it was delish! Probably the best tasting coconut water I’ve had, short of fresh from a coconut itself! 🙂
Hi Jay – I responded to this last week, but for some reason, it must have not saved. In my review, you’ll notice that I list the ingredients for each brand. Most of them are just pure coconut water with nothing extra added.
Hi Martin – Sorry for the late response. I had initially responded to this 2 months ago, but for some reason, it didn’t save the reply. If you’re looking for glass containers, Taste Nirvana is your best bet.
Wow, which country did you source all of your coconut waters from? We have reviewed many in Australia but don’t have have half the brands you have listed.
I’m in the US, so these are all brands that are available here. I reached out to the popular brands on the markets here and they all sent me samples to review. Hope that helps.
Vita Coco has a lawsuit pending for lying about the “benefits” of their products:
http://vitacocosettlement.com/docs/VTA_Class_Action_Complaint.PDF
Thanks for the review! I hope to do one too when I get my hands on more brands. But you left out the yummiest one! I haven’t tried all the brands you reviewed, but a bunch of them, Nervana being the most recent that I keep at 2nd place, and C20 is by far number one from ones I’ve tried, also all natural, sweet, from young Thai coconuts. And yes super cold they’re 10 times better! I put mine in the freezer for 40 minutes and it forms the lightest slush that melts very shortly after…so heavenly:)
Hi Anita — Never heard of the C20 brand. They must not carry it in my area, as I’ve never seen it at any of the stores here. Glad you stopped by! 🙂
Have you heard of C2O brand? Like you, I have tried and rated (though only in my mind) many many brands of coconut water, but after stumbling upon C2O in a small market in our area yesterday, I may never go back to trying others! It is delightfully sweet with a smooth flavor and little aftertaste that I notice. I’ve had several other brands with that odd “sweat-like” taste (akin to that of Gatorade), but this is just plain yum! If you ever find it, it is definitely worth trying! Thanks for documenting all of your findings in other brands. This forum is very helpful for someone trying to find a product to fit their personal preferences.
I have had a couple people mention it before and I don’t think I’ve tried that one. I will have to look for it at my health food store! 🙂
second vote for C2O! Amy & Brian’s is just as good too. Blue Monkey is tasty also. I’ve found that the ones that use Thai coconuts are always sweeter and more flavorful than others from Brazil or elsewhere. More flavor makes me think that there are more nutrients, just like how organic produce is always sweeter and tastier than conventional. Has to do with soil nutrient depletion. Also, coconut water is isotonic and is almost chemically identical to blood plasma. In fact, back in WWI, coconut water was used as IV fluid straight from the green coconut! To me that says something. Love it!
Thanks for stopping by! What’s not to love when it comes to coconuts? 🙂
I’ve been trying different coconut waters for the past few years and stumbled on your reviews! Recently I started my own blog. Please have a look. I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who thought Zico had a “thick” taste to it, lol.
Hi Linnie – Thanks for stopping by! I’m sure there are a lot more brands of coconut water out there now, than when I did my review. Just looking at your recent post, shows many that I’ve never heard of. Have fun! 🙂
C2O and Amy & Brian are definitely my favorites. Something about that tall metal can!
Thanks for stopping by Corey! I did finally find the C2O and I think it’s the most delicious! I love the Amy & Brian with pulp. Tasty! 🙂
The last batch of Vita Coco’s coconut water i bought from Costco actually came from from Sri Lanka and not Brazil. It says Brazil on the side of the box but if you look at the small print and the source it actually says Sri Lanka.
Hi Van – They must have changed it since I did this review two years ago. Thanks for the update!
has anyone tried Exotic Superfoods…also have been reading that Thai coconuts have the better water than Brazil, Indonesia, Phillipines etc….anyone else comment on this?
I have not heard of that brand. I have also not heard that about the Thai coconuts having better water, but it’s been a couple of years since I have done any research on the topic! Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica,
Thanks for the review. I noticed you tried and liked C2O, it is my favorite. Since C2O only comes in cans, what have you found regarding its BPA content. Or how might I go about learning the BPA of C2O cans?
TIA
JC
You know, I was almost positive that I had emailed them to ask that specific question, but I must not have. I typically am cautious about BPA, so I am wondering why I didn’t include it. I looked at their site and they don’t have much on there. The best way to find out would be to just email them directly and ask. Hope that helps!
Hi Jessica,
If you want to try the best tasting coconut water try Harmless Harvest’s 100% Raw Coconut Water, its also the only raw and organic ready to drink coconut water on the market. The coconuts come from Thailand and the bottle they use is PET1 BPA Free (Post Consumer Plastic). Just one sip and you will be hooked. Besides for the taste, this company is truly amazing in how its run and all that it does!
I have tried that brand before and I agree. It is delicious! It was not on the market at the time I did this review. I rarely drink coconut water anymore, but if I ever get a craving, HH is the one I go for! Cheers! 🙂
Would be nice if in the review you listed the name & Brand. If you call stores to see if they have it if you don’t have the brand name most will say yes we have coconut water. Always give the BRAND name!
Richard – I do list the brand and then name of each product I reviewed. For example:
Taste Nirvana – http://www.tastenirvana.com (this would be the brand and website)
Product #1 Name: Real Coconut Water (this would be the specific product name)
I did this for each item in the review. Not sure why you’re confused.
The reason Healthy Harvest tasts so much better (without the bitter aftertaste) is that it has never been heated. It is cold pressed to kill bad bacteria instead of heated. As far as I can tell, it is the only coconut water on the market processed this way.
Hi Jodi – For a long time, it was, but I just saw two new brands at Whole Foods recently that are raw. I can’t remember the names. I expect there will be even more brands that pop up like that. The taste is FAR superior!