Ayala's Lemongrass Mint Vanilla

Aroma: This product has a light herbal scent reminiscent of nice minty chamomile tea.

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. The lemongrass really shines in this one, followed by minty overtones and a light vanilla finale. The potency of the lemon flavor is nice and refreshing. The herbal intricacies easily rival any tea or other unsweetened drink. And yes, the herbs taste real. It's refreshing in a world where "grape drink flavor" and the flavor of actual grapes are two concepts that are completely separate and foreign from each other.

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, extracts from vanilla beans, lemongrass, and spearmint leaves

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. It's simple, yet I still don't feel as though I could whip one of these up at home for a sixteenth of the price. (See MetroMint). I am quite impressed with the company's efforts to be green as well, which earns them extra points. I don't hesitate to give this product a full five stars.

Rating: 5/5 stars.

-Danithius

***Review Rebuttal!***
When Sir Danithius first told me about this, I was skeptical about the flavor. Thankfully, I was wrong. Although I couldn't detect the vanilla, that very well may be due to an oncoming cold. Besides that, it tastes great, clean water with the aroma and taste of pleasant herbs. I dig it.

-WiseGuise