Product Review - Aloic™

One of the advantages of running a food blog is that from time to time you get requests for product reviews. I recently received samples of Aloic Organic Aloe Vera Drink. It is a certified organic, non-GMO drink which is essentially 95% Aloe Vera. 

Aloe is best known to beach bums ;) for its soothing cooling properties as it is believed to be an excellent remedy for sun burns as well as for minor burns incurred in the kitchen. It doesn't heal but has a cooling effect on the wound which helps soothe. What most people don't realize however is that Aloe has been used in traditional, herbal and alternative medicines (such as Ayurveda) across the world. It is also used widely in cosmetics and recently, in health drinks. As for any herbal product, there are claims of health-imparting properties as well as claims from naysayers that contradict the health claims. Aloe extracts have been told to be anti-microbial and anti-fungal in nature. These posts present some Facts and Benefits of Aloe.

Aloic™.... Organic Aloe Vera drink with pulp ..

Product Information: Distributed in the US by Epicurex LLC, it is a product of Korea (www.aloic.com). 

Nutritional Information: 60 calories per 8 oz serving. 

Each serving also provides 23 mg of Sodium and 11 g of total carbohydrates (all from sugars) and contains zero grams of fat and protein. The bottle indicates that it contains pulp but the nutritional information did not include dietary fiber content, so my assumption is that it is minimal. 

Ingredients: Water, Organic Aloe Vera Gel and Powder, Organic Cane Sugar and Natural Grape Flavor.

Serving Suggestion: Serve Chilled, Shake well before serving. Refrigerate after opening.

Taste/Flavor/Texture/Aroma Assessment: It had a mildly sweet, grape flavor. Given that it had 11 g of sugar I was expecting it to be sweeter, but was pleasantly surprised.  We had it really nicely chilled and it was quite refreshing. Transparent to slightly translucent in appearance, the aloe pulp was visible when the glass was held against a light source (see picture on right). When sipping it the pulp was quite apparent but the texture was only slightly pulpy, similar to low-pulp orange juice. The aroma was similar to grape juice or any grape-flavored drink/food. 

Overall Assessment: My husband and 17-year old (who is extremely skeptical of my plant-based diet and healthy eating habits) were pleasantly surprised. All 3 of us shared the bottle and although he was hesitant at first, once he tasted it, my step-son asked if he could have the entire second bottle all to himself. I'd say that's a success story right there.  

The Proof is in the Pudding: Would I buy it if I saw it in the store? I think the answer would be a Yes! I typically do not drink anything except water and the very occasional glass of wine. However, when we're on the road, I have been known to buy a drink at a gas station (often a flavored product like Vitamin Water). So yes, if I were to see this in a store, and I was looking for a drink, I'd definitely buy it again. 

Availability: From what I could find on the internet, Aloic is available in stores only in Florida (which is where Epicurex is located). It is available online via Amazon and has pretty great reviews online as well. Enjoy!