Customer Reviews

ZICO Pure Premium Coconut Water, Natural, 14-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 12)

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(17)
1 star:		(66)

 

 

I really like Zico in the tetra pak. When I tried the bottled formula, I didn't realize that the formula was any different...I just thought it was a new bottle. My reaction to every sip was that it tasted and smelled very plastic-y. It seemed that sitting in the plastic bottle was imparting a plastic flavor to the drink. I couldn't even finish the drink and immediately wrote a letter to Zico asking for the Tetra Pak back! I then did a little research and realize that this is the new flavor of this formula using a new variety of coconut and from concentrate. I really don't like this new flavor at all. I will not be buying this product in the bottle again.

I've been drinking coconut water for years and I've tried them all ONE, Vita Coco, Naked, etc.. Zico was my favorite until this recent change where they added a new ingredient called "natural flavor". It use to be be pure coco water but the new ingredient change the taste for me. This was one of the highest reviewed coco waters on Amazon before this change...what a pity...
I'm dropping Zico from my auto-ship and going back to something that doesn't have artificial "natural flavor" added to what should be pure coco water.

Note: Please carefully review the NEGATIVE reviews before purchasing, as a Zico sales manager and probably others have been affecting the ratings/reviews/comments here due to original Zico drinkers posting critical reviews about this inferior new product that's nowhere near as good as original Zico. Be forewarned.

~I've been drinking Zico for a couple years, getting my fix via amazon subscription. I and my sisters loved this stuff so much, I used to regularly order my shipments EARLY, and multiple cases at that.

Well, that's it. They have officially lost me as a customer. After waiting impatiently for them to be back in stock in the natural (I hate the flavored ones), I just got the three cases I ordered.

Oh, my goodness. I have three cases of this horror! I can't drink this!

I don't know why they had to mess with a successful and deliciously refreshing beverage. I grew up drinking fresh coconut water (my family hails from the Caribbean), so I am well accustomed to the natural and subtle yumminess of coconut water. A chilled Zico used to be as close as I could get to the treat that is sipping from a straw right out of the chilled coconut that's had it's top sliced open for you on the spot (and it gets harder to find that in Metro Miami, but you still can).

Now, it's not fit to drink. It smells funny. It tastes strange. The best I can describe it is that it reminds me of a watered-down version of the remainder-milk at the bottom of a bowl of Corn Pops when I was a kid--less sweet, more watery, but like that, with a chemically edge and a stale smell.

How messed up is this?

I can't believe someone gave this bottled version 5 stars! That's crazy. The OLD Zico deserved 5 stars. Not this. I hope those yoga places stop carrying it and tell Zico to bring back the fresh stuff. This sucks. I guess I better start mixing up these 35 bottles of zombie Zico with pomegranate juice or Acai Splash or something to cover up the taste and still benefit from the electrolytes. Hm. I suspect there will be an upswing in sales for O.N.E. and VitaCoco and other brands in the old packaging. I've tried both of those (still have some ONE in the fridge from my order while I waited for Zico). Both were inferior to Old Zico. Both are preferable to New Zico.

And someone please hand the president of Zico a bottle of this and ask hm if he REALLY thinks this is the taste of the stuff that made so many rabid fans, like I USED TO BE: past tense.

Hey, Mr. Zico CEO, give me back my money!!!! You sold me rubbish!

Okay, I ranted and got that off my chest. I do think having a recyclable bottle is great. The bottle feels good in the hand and makes it easy to add flavorings for those who prefer that. Easier to carry around. And I strongly suspect that those who are new to coconut water won't realize this has declined in flavor, so it's possible it can sell huge among the new initiates to the health benefits of coconut water.

But I still miss old Zico.

Note: I'm updating cause I found if I let the bottle sit with the cap off or pour out into a glass, the funny smell dissipates and it's more drinkable. HTH.

Update: Found a great replacement. Ordered Organic coconut water from amazon, brand Nature Factor. It's lovely. Lovely! So, at least I've found a happy replacement. Worth a try for those on the lookout for another tasty coconut water now that Zico sucks. Addendum: Found out that this brand uses very high heat to pasteurize and it may be nutrient compromised. If you mostly care about flavor, this one is great. If you are concerned about high heat, prolonged pasteurization, skip this one. HTH.

2nd Update: I received a reply to an email I sent to Zico via their website. I was told that new Zico in the bottle tastes "just like" young Thai coconut water. That it's different from Brazilian c.w. and so takes getting used to. Hm. Well, I've had unprocessed/raw young Thai coconut water. I don't recall it making me wanna spit it out. :) Just sayin'.

3rd Update: Saw a couple online taste tests that gave props to Amy & Brian, also available here on amazon, so will be trying that, too, now that I'm coconut water peregrinating. Might be worth a shot to google up coconut water taste tests and see what might suit you if you aren't anti-can. ADDENDUM: Tried it, loved the first batch in the 17.5 oz cans. I emailed the company and it's just CW (not from concentrate) and it's FLASH Pasteurized, so the nutrient count should be comparable to other coconut waters in the tetra paks (though A&B will likely show a higher carb/calorie count due to its sweetness). If you're carb-counting, you may wanna compare. If your main concern is "natural" and tasty-sweet, then consider Amy & Brian's. Really nice. Warning: Ordered a second batch in the 10 oz cans, and it tasted odd. Candy-sweet, like candy that melted in water. So, I can no longer recommend this brand due to flavor inconsistencies on that scale. Pity, as my first order was AMAZING. boohoo


4th Update: Old Zico from Brazilian coconuts will be back in September. If you liked old Zico, WAIT, don't buy this one. Also, in a letter from the Zico Sales Director to a reviewer here (see discussion for details), the Zico rep said they'd increased sodium in this bottled Asian CW Zico to "optimize" hydration benefits. So, it's not just that it's from concentrate, it's "optimized" to make it saltier. By optimized, I don't mean they ADDED sodium, but used a mix of coconuts to "optimize." (Note: I know this cause the sales manager of Zico, Sherif P. Bates, replied to a discussion with a clarification, and this comment was posted under his own review post here. See discussion of comments under "Todd O'Connor". ) I don't know about y'all, but part of the reason why I like CW is that it's great to keep highish blood pressure normal due to its high Potassium. I do not need--and most Americans don't need--more sodium in their beverages or food. Maybe elite athletes sweating up a storm do, but not the rest of us who just exercise moderately (or not at all). So, there you go: New Zico. More sodium, less flavor.

Note about reviews: Do check the reviewer's profile. If a reviewer is five-star (or four-star, even) raving about this product and has only reviews for Zico products and has no verified amazon purchase, find a grain of salt to toy with. That's no guarantee, naturally, but sometimes is a clue to...well, you can guess. (Note: See comments under the review by "Todd O'Connor" and under Alio "Alio"s review for an explanation of how I learned about ONE fake review and Alio "Alio" confirming the fake identity.)

Every person I try to pawn one of these drinks off on has one sip and the rest is thrown away.

I bought a 12 pack of each flavor two months ago... still have 10 left in each pack.

The coconut water from concentrate in New Zico is bad for me. It gave me and my girlfriend heart burn.

Natural coconut water is better than concentrate.

I was fooled into getting this as BJ's because it was cheaper then the boxes, and there is a reason! It's not pure and it tastes like crap. It has a lot less Potassium in the 14 ounce bottom (569) compared to 700+ in the boxes that are 3 ounces smaller! Stick with the boxes, trust me!

I used to have an Amazon subscription for Zico when it came in the cartons and wasn't made from concentrate. When Zico made the change, I decided to try one of their new bottles from a local store before starting a new subscription. I'm glad that I did because Zico now takes on par with the worst coconut waters I've ever had. It's not the worst, but it's down there with them. The difference is huge. It tastes slightly rotten now or you could imagine some of the coconut husk was accidentally added to the concentrate. I won't be getting Zico anymore.

I tried several other brands to replace the old Zico but was disappointed in them all. I did finally find a replacement for Zico with Naked 100% Naked Coconut Water, 11.2-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 12). It's as good as the old Zico was if not better.

This doesn't taste anything like the old Tetra pack ZICO. It's now made from concentrate, which is not displayed prominently in Amazon description. DON'T BUY THIS NEW ZECO.

I used to love the old Zico when it went straight from the coconut into the container. Now that it's made from concentrate it tastes weak and spoiled. This will be my last box of ever of Zico. I'll be going back to O.N.E. or Vita Coco.

I recently purchased one of these from my local supermarket. I thought the flavor of the box version of zico was ok so I figured they just redesigned their package...Boy was I wrong!
I took a sip and as fast as the liquid entered my mouth, it also left the other way! Yuck! It tastes like really sugary old coconuts. I then looked at the ingredients and see "premium coconut water from concentrate, natural flavors."
I just don't get it: Why would they go from using fresh coconut water in their box version to concentrated coconut water in this not very environmental friendly plastic bottle--and charge more for it!? Am I missing something?
The taste is horrible and I really wish they would go back to their original formulation. There are enough pure coconut water products like vita coco, one, on the market, so why settle for something from concentrate, pay more for it, and hurt the planet with more plastic?

Was so excited when I saw Zico had 14 oz containers of coconut water. This is not the original formulation. It is disgusting. It is like it has been boiled down into a concentrate and then water added. It tastes terrible & odd and has WAY too much packaging than the original style. Not thirst quenching at all.... makes me nauseous. Buy the brand "One".

Stay away from this product. Total waste of money.