Ayala's Cinnamon Orange Peel

Aroma: When you inhale deeply you can smell the orange peel mixed with some floral scent I can't quite put my finger on. Maybe the honey plays into this mystery scent as well, although there isn't even enough to make a gram of sugar.

Taste: Firstly, (I've noticed this with all the flavors), the water itself tastes pure and has no trace of that bottled water or mineral water taste that I have come to despise. As noted in the aroma section, there is more at play in this drink than just cinnamon and orange peel. It has a sweet, flowery flavor with that in fact largely overshadows the other ingredients. It is a fine flavor, but personally I would prefer a stronger, spicier cinnamon-orange kick.

Price: $2.00/bottle when purchased in a case of 12 - available through their online store. At first I thought this a bit pricey, but then I realized it includes free shipping, which can be a bear when shipping heavy beverages.

Ingredients: purified water, honey, extracts of orange peels and flowers, extracts of cinnamon bark, natural herbal flavor

Other Comments: It's almost creepy how well these guys matched our drink submission requirements and our overall mission. They're a small independent company that hasn't yet been gobbled up by one of the big boys (as far as I can tell). They're locally distributed in New York City and Philadelphia markets, but they are available nationwide through their website. They have a hard-core distaste for high fructose corn syrup and anything artificial. They have a passion for healthy living. And they make some of the most interesting natural drink flavors that I've ever seen. (I'm a chef, so I got all giddy when I read about their different herb and spice-based flavors). The herb selections aren't all arbitrary, either. They have an outline of all the herbs on the label which tells you about their individual benefits.
Ayala is the name of the woman who created these drinks, and not surprisingly she is a cook and a doctor (a pediatrician, to be exact). Evidently she was looking for an alternative to sugar-laden and artificially flavored beverages. A clip from their site: "Americans are getting heavier—in fact, two-thirds of us are overweight or obese. We simply consume many more calories than we need, and a significant amount of those extra calories comes from sugar and high fructose corn syrup." Boom! Short and sweet.

Overall: Here again Ayala's has succeeded in making a tasty drink with no sweeteners, fillers, or artificial crap. As noted on the other Ayala's reviews, I am quite impressed with the company's efforts to be green, which along with their focus on health earns them extra points.
However, with this particular flavor I was expecting a more spot-on cinnamon orange taste. It's a fine flavor as it is, but I would consider renaming it so people won't be surprised. And for this reason I am docking off .5 points from an otherwise five-star product.

Rating: 4.5/5 stars.

-Danithius