Zico Variety Pack, 33.8 Fluid Ounce (Pack of 6)

Firstly, I'm a coconut nut.My favorite tea is an oolong I buy from a tea shop with real shredded coconut in it. Even if I'm on a diet (which I always am) I CANNOT turn away from a coconut icebar. And if a convenience store has a kind of "Coconut water" -- a Thai product that has water, sugar, coconut juice and bits of coconut. But the purest form is good, old-fashioned REAL 100 percent coconut water -- just like the kind I had as a tiny kid while my parents took me on vacation in Miami Beach. Right out of the coconut.Zico is one of the VERY best brands. It is (like most but not all coconut waters on the market) from Thailand. At 45 calories per 8 ounce serving its far less fattening that most juices (and certainly sodas). They add not one bit of sugar and no preservatives. I particularly love this product when served cold. They note that it has as much potassium as a small banana, but I feel have much more a peel (sorry, you can tell I'm a fulltime comic ventriloquist, can't you?). Quite honestly? There's only one energy drink I drink...if I do at all..when on the road. Otherwise, I look for coconut water, and this pure kind, not the sugar enhanced kind. This pack also contains a bottle of Zico's chocolate flavored coconut water. That has 70 calories per serving and some "natural flavors" and other ingredients, none bad, but it isn't as pure.And the verdict on the chocolate coconut water? GREAT. It is indeed chocolate flavored coconut water: you get that special flavor of real coconut water that isn't enhanced with ingredients to make you think it's the more commercial flavor of coconut. Yet, you get nice, rich, not too sweet chocolate flavor. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED -- and given what many stores now charge per bottle it's a great savings. But then, I'm BIASED when it comes to coconut!!!!

Having drunk coconut water from freshly opened coconuts on islands in the Pacific, this is the real thing. It has a mild coconut taste. It is a tasty alternative to bottled water but much more expensive. The thing to keep in mind is that even refrigerated the directions tell you to use up the package in 3 days.I use coconut milk in curries and Thai/Indonesian cooking. It is on the shelf of the Asian market that I shop at from competitors. I would not use this water in cooking or even in a mixed drink due to its subtle flavor. This is pretty much limited to drinking straight if you are going for the taste.The chocolate flavor is very flavorful. It seems like a watered down version of chocolate milk. Its delightful but expensive compared to making or buying chocolate milk. So its only real justification is if you want coconut water but don't like the raw taste.Probably the highest recommendation would come from its health benefits or its uniqueness to wow your friends. Since there are other less expensive alternatives, this is a niche market product. I enjoyed the product because of the pleasant memories of my time in the islands.

Zico coconut water is most likely the closest thing to cracking open a coconut and drinking it which I have had my times while on vacation. The taste is identical. Zico's water is 100% coconut which is not from concentrate with no sugar added. It is naturally fat, gluten and cholesterol free. I like to drink it straight either at room temperature or chilled while my wife likes to mix it into a bunch of different fruit smoothies. They say to serve it cold. If this is your first time having coconut water I suggest you have it cold. My first time trying it years ago I had it warm and told my wife that it tasted like dirty water. I am glad that the taste grew on me. Now it is one of my favorite drinks. I know a lot of people like to cook with it but my wife and I just use coconut water in simple things like added with smoothies and in cereal (I like to mix 50% 1% Milk with 50% coconut water). I have also used it in pre-workout drink mixes. I would use the powder mix and use 50% water and 50% coconut water. I do this sometimes because coconut water is a great supporter of hydration. It has five natural electrolytes with tons of potassium.Nutrition FactsServing size: 8 fl oz (240 mL)Serving Per Container: about 4Amount/ServingCalories 45Total Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 65mgPotassium 470mgTotal Carb 11gSugars 9gProtein 0gCalcium 4% Daily ValuePhosphorus 2% Daily ValueMagnesium 4% Daily Value

Unsweetened and natural, this six pack of quart sized tetra packs of coconut water included 5 natural and one chocolate flavor container. The water is not as coconutty as others out there, but has no added sweeteners or any pulp to speak of. I generally do not drink this stuff straight, but the flavor is not that strong or off-putting when it is cold. It is great for cooking with or for smoothies to get the benefits from, compared to alternatives. I also use it for cooking jasmine rice and this doesn't thicken and get as sticky as other brands either. It is just like they tapped a coconut. For my usage, I would rather have it in half size containers (500ml/17oz) just to keep it fresher, but it keeps longer than a few days in the fridge if capped and cold. Didn't really care for the chocolate all that much. Would have rather had a tropical flavor instead. Tastes like good quality stuff, and not heavily processed.

I couldn't tolerate the flavor of the coconut water regardless of how well chilled it was! It tastes like soapy dish water to me (not that I've ever drunk dish water); but it definitely tasted like soap. I tried it chilled, over ice cubes, over crushed ice, and each time I had to force myself to swallow the oddly-flavored concoction. Finally, I decided to mix it about half and half with cranberry juice, which is tart and sweet enough to mask the soapy flavor of the coconut water. I do like coconut in general, but in this form, it isn't palatable. I do like the fact that it supplies a generous amount of potassium, but having to add a sugary juice to it to make it palatable adds calories that I don't need or want. I will probably finish one carton, because I hate to waste anything and will donate the others to the local food bank.