Amy & Brian Non-GMO Coconut Water, Original, 17.5 Fl Oz (Pack of 12)

Please read my update at the end of this original review: I've been sampling various amazon-available coconut wataers since my previous beloved Zico went nasty (from concentrate, sour, sodium enhanced, yuck). I've had and enjoyed O.N.E. in the tetra pak and Nature Factor's organic in a can. I've had and not liked as much VitaCoco. Previously, I had tried supermarket brands like Goya and Conchita. I'm always willing to try coconut water, looking for good price and great taste. I decided to try Amy & Brian's cause I learned about them from googling "coconut water taste tests" due to wanting to see what others thought of the brands out there. One taste test comparison mentioned this one tasted most like the actual coconut that was used in the taste test for comparison. Another taste test gave A&B props, too. So, yeah, got my attention. This one is now my new fave. Second fave is Nature Factor's organic one. After that O.N.E. I can say this to coconu water lovers: those above are definitely worth trying to see if you enjoy them, too, before you decide on a permanent subscription. I'm gonna order some more A&B CW very soon (I have 2.5 cases of Nature Factor's, and about 4 tetras left of the O.N.E., and I will drink those. I have 35 bottles left of the Zico (new formula) and I may just water my gardenia and hibiscus bushes with those.) What makes this one a bit different than the good brands I've named: Big can: 17.5 ounces. If you're really thirsty, this one is welcome. (I often drink two 10 ounce cans of Nature Factor's brand during supper, so having one can do the trick is handy). Sweeter: Maybe it's where they get their coconuts from, but this brand has a delicious sweetness that is lacking on ONE, VitaCoco, Zico (old and new), and Harvest Bay. Nature Factor's is a bit sweeter than the previous, but Amy and Brian beats them all. I like sweet. :D Because another reviewer called it "unnaturally sweet", I emailed Amy & Brian via their website to ask if this is from concentrate or has sugar added or manipulated. I was told it's juice as it came from the coconuts, not from concentrate, no sugar added. So, I'm content. Some facts: 8 oz = 76 calories This is more than ounce per ounce for other brands, but this is probably explained by the sweetness (meaning more natural carbs). Worth noting for those who are on low-carb/carb-conscious diets. For the rest, it just means MORE FLAVOR. I wish Amy & Brian would put the potassium count on the label, though. This matters to a lot of us, including those who need to watch K intake due to drugs that spare potassium or folks who have high blood pressure and want to see how much K in their diet controls it. To the manufacturer: PLEASE add potassium to labeling under the sodium. Thanks. I love, love that amazon offers this on subcribe and save. Makes life easier. Thank you, Amazon, for this wonderful addition to your S&S coconut water offerings. Enjoy and be healthy! Update: I emailed Amy & Brian after I posted this review, and lo and behold, they will be adding Potassium and Magnesium to their labels. FYI, here are the counts: Potassium: whole can: 780, 8 oz serving: 360 Magnesium: whole can: 31.2, 8 oz servinng: 14.4 A&B is "flash pasteurized", which is the same pasteurization used for the tetra paks, as I understand it, so the nutrients should be comparable. They heat their at a lower temp than, say, Zico's, but for a bit longer. If you google "Crossfit Adventure" and this coconut water brand name, you'll see the article about the specifics: A&B heats their juice to 160-165 degrees for 15-20 seconds so that the nutrient content is undiminished. Also, the can is not BPA - it is Aqualure 900~19%. The other brand I liked the taste of, Nature Factor, does heat up their CW to a very high degree, so that one may be of concern nutrients-wise. Not A&B. They use Thai coconuts. :) Addendum: For carb watchers-- The carb count for A&B is roughly twice that of others. I used the brands I had at hand at home (and a calculator) to save you time making comparisons. The number stands for carbs per ounce: Amy & Brian: 2.375 Nature Factor Organic: 1.6 O.N.E.: 1.33 New Zico (from concentrate): 1.07 I think Old Zico was more like ONE in terms of carbs per ounce. I wonder if, since the selection of coconuts can give higher sodium (see new Zico's much higher sodium count), then can the selection also be targeted to have higher carbs/more sweetness? HTH UPDATE: WHOA! Talk about variety. I have to say that my second order of Amy & Brian's is not as nice-tasting as the first. My first batch was really delicious and natural tasting. The second order in the 10 oz cans tastes like candy-water. Seriously, it has an unnaturally sweet, unusual flavor. It's still not as offputting as the sour/cereal taste of the bottled Zico, but it's not something I'd recommend. So, a warning--you might get a great batch or a not so great one. But I thought you needed to know that flavor is not consistent (and it wasn't with original Zico, the one I used to drink the most, as coconuts will differ, coconut from coconut, therefore coconut water will have certain inconsistencies unless it's "jiggered" for consistency.) I hope, if you ordered, your batch is wonderful. But I am reconsidering my subscription, cause this variation is just a bit too disparate (a little change is fine, but from amazing to odd-sugary-candy-water will not do.) I have to amend my rating to three stars. Hope the update helps you in making a decision. Update July 12, 2010: Yes, I ordered two more cases of large cans of this brand in the pulp version, and it's fantastic. So, it seems the "badness" is limited (so far as I can tell) to the smaller cans. I'm editing the header of this review accordingly. Every single large can/case I've ordered has been delicious and refreshing and coconutty. The small cans are candy water and suck.So, AVOID THE SMALL cans until that problem is resolved. But I trust the taste of the large cans to have placed an order for 7 cases during this month's super sale of A&B. HTH.

Good flavor. Goes down easy. Highly recommend this.

I love this brand of coconut water! Not only does it taste better than others, but it's also the best value with 24 cans at $28-$30 a pack. I buy these almost every 2-3 weeks. They are great for parties or just natural hydration. Everyone always ask me where I get these from and I give them the link to Amazon. God Bless Amy and Brian for bringing this coconut water brand to life. I pray that you'll stay in business forever. Your coco water is a common staple in my house like Coke and Dr. Pepper. Very refreshing and hydrates fast after a workout or any type of physical activity. It hits the spot, but you may want to only drink a can when you need to rehydrate. This way the pack lasts longer. I'll definitely buy more. You have a fan for life as long as you don't mess with the formula.

Doesn't really taste like coconut - It may be no use to write this description for folks who do not like coconut flavor, as I'm sure they won't likely be shopping for anything with "coconut" in the title, but there you have it - doesn't really taste like coconut. Fact is, Amy & Brian Natural Coconut Juice Pulp Free has exceedingly little flavor at all, and what flavor there is rides down your throat as a vaguely fresh fruit/fresh vegetation flavor, decidedly not sweet, not tart - just mild, easy to gulp refreshment. As to the promised effects - yes, this will hydrate you quite quickly, restore a sense of energy, and make it easier to face work outdoors in the heat. More importantly, no crash like sugary sweet drinks. It also has staved off leg cramps for me - just as well as, if not better than scarfing down bananas - take a note of the potassium content on this one. As to other brands, you've got the ones with sugar, or even worse, HFC. They of course taste sweeter, and usually have coconut bits in them. Shop ethnic groceries and enjoy, but do note the sugar. As to the more readily available non-sugared ones (Zico, O.N.E., etc) I just think Amy & Brian taste a bit better as Amy & Brian does not have the funny aftertaste that I've detected in those cardboard carton brands. (problem with the packaging??) To sum up - a hot weather staple in our house. Beats gatorade every time.

Im picky when it comes to my coconut waters and I must say I love the taste of these ones and also the cans are really strong witch is nice Incase dropped or anything through transit and for a good price to ..... Can't beat it I'll be buying this item again for sure!!

There is no such thing as coconut juice. When a coconut is opened, inside one finds a liquid, that liquid is called coconut water. When coconut water is mixed with the meat of the coconut the result is coconut milk; there is no such thing as coconut juice. That said, I like this coconut juice. We have a box of Amy & Brian's Coconut Juice delivered by Amazon monthly ala their monthly delivery service wherein money is saved for using the service (assuming a box is ordered every month anyway). So before ordering Amy & Brian's Coconut Juice by the box I did some research. I found that this coconut juice is one of the few on the market that does not add sugar. By taste tests I found that this coconut juice seems to be of the highest quality available (afaik). The ingredient list is simple: "Young coconut juice". Some coconut juices have a watery taste, yet Amy & Brian's has a body to it you can taste, it can be described as a sort of caramelized, natural body. I like it chilled, my step-brother likes it warm. My Mom has expressed many times how refreshing it is. I like the 10 ounce size of the can. We have had a case of this product delivered monthly for about 6 months now.

The first box was great so ordered another one. The Amazon bubble wrap covered the whole thing just like the first time. So far so good. When I removed the wrap, I found 10 dented cans out of 12! Some worse than the other. I am not unreasonable. If is was like 1-3 dented can, I would have said what the heck but 10 out of 12? These damages are happening somewhere between the factory and the Amazon warehouse because the the bubble wrap protection for this could protect a delicate croissant from transit damage. I gotta start looking for somewhere else to buy if this problem can't be corrected. I really do like the product itself. I even finished 1 of the 2 good cans while wiring this. Update 5/16/12 I came back from work and I was so glad to find replacement coconut juice till I opened them up. Honestly I was expecting around 2-4 slightly crushed cans. Talk about being wrong. All 12 were crushed and 6 of them were pretty beat up. Almost as if they picked out one of the the worse one since this was replacement box. I am trying to figure out whether I am being unlucky and getting the messed up boxes 2 times in a row or this is how it is and I just got lucky the first time. Either way very disappointed. As of this point, if I had to rate the juice by itself I would give 4.5 stars, the quality control 1 star. Honestly who would buy these regularly if all the cans were dented even if it had good flavor? On the plus side Amazon CS gets 5 stars.

Since becoming pregnant, I've really had a hard time staying hydrated enough! My skin & hair is dry, my lips split, it's been awful so, when a friend suggested I try drinking coconut water, I was all for it! I ran to the grocery store & grabbed one of every brand/flavor & while it took some getting used to (I don't know if I was expecting it to be a pina colada or what!), none of them tasted terrible & I did notice a difference in my hydration after just a couple of days. After doing some more reading, I learned that the general opinion is that Thai coconuts are sweeter and so, when I found a case of Thai coconut water at a really good price at Cash & Carry, I scooped it up, even though the ingredients weren't listed on the case & I'd have to wait til I opened it. Well, there was definitely added sugar & it gave the beverage a cloying, sickly-sweet flavor, almost as if it was spoiled. PLUS, it had a very tinny aftertaste. All in all, a waste. I was very leery of trying canned coconut water again, figuring I'd have to stick to the super-expensive boxed brands at the grocery store but, after reading all the positive reviews for Amy & Brian's, I figured it was worth a shot. UPS just dropped it off and, since the can was very cold from being in the delivery truck, I cracked one open right away. DELICIOUS! It is very clean & light tasting with no chemical or tinny taste. Fabulous product and I'm definitely going to up my subscribe & save quantity! -Sarah