Kahe Sparkling Nectar Kiwifruit

The potential for these Kahe drinks was through the roof. An all-natural kiwi soda sounded like a dream come true. I've always wanted a bottle of straight kiwi juice, almost as much as I want a bottle of cantaloupe juice. I don't think either is destined to happen though.

They started this off right. They took some carbonated water and added a bunch of kiwi juice concentrate to it. I'm pretty sure they could have stopped right there and I would have loved this drink. Sure it wouldn't have been overly sweet, but it would have been enough for me and it would have tasted like fruit. Instead of quitting while they were ahead Kahe decided to add a low calorie sweetener, or two to be exact. I'm all for low cal drinks. I completely understand that this country has a severe sugar problem. I suffer from it myself. I also salute stevia for being one of the only "diet" sweeteners that I can really stand. The problem with it is that it can be overpowering if there's not much else to cover it up. Since this was just water and juice the stevia and xylitol completely took over the flavor of the drink. It tastes like it's 2 parts sweetener to every one-part juice. As a result the wonderful kiwi flavor becomes hidden and you have to search it out underneath the added sweetness and the drink drops in ratings.