Master of Wine and wine director of Hatch Mansfield When I agreed to join this tasting panel, I did not dream I would be subjected to tasting such a revolting drink. I'm afraid my judgement has been slightly influenced by my wholehearted disapproval of such drinks, but even so it has little to commend it. The taste is of mixed fruit juice. It is not too sweet or fizzy and doubtless will be enjoyed in some volume by the young girls at whom it is targeted and who will not be able to cope with the consequences of the alcohol, which is very well hidden. Why not drink the real thing without the alcohol? Three early-20s women in my office all thought it was disgusting! Rating out of 25 ­ 3 Gary McCall Managing director of Poulter Partners The twisted neck gives the bottle a distinctive look and conveys a best drunk from the bottle message. The labelling is bland, however the colourful Reef branding is strong and will work well in a lit fridge, perhaps less so on a standard shelf. One of the common problems when producing an exotic mixture is that the product often looks insipid and Red Berry and Kiwi falls into that category. The range will look very impactful with the vivid liquid, supported by the colour coded descriptors and caps, combining to form a wall of noise. The display, the branding and the odd few million in support will ensure it is purchased. Rating out of 25 ­ 18 Carol Du Cann Senior buyer (beers, wines and spirits) at Alldays Whatever the flavour, the new Reef had to be red, in order to update and balance the portfolio. It looks attractive and smells fruity ­ the main component is orange juice and this dominates the flavour and texture. It tastes pleasant enough and anyone whose palate has the sophistication of a three-year-old, will probably like it. However, I like my soft drinks to taste like soft' drinks and be able to taste the alcohol in hard liquor. Innovation is the key to this sector, which despite the efforts of the multiples to take value out of it, we can still make money. So this drink will probably do ok. Rating out of 25 ­ 15 Total score out of 100 ­ 54 {{DRINKS }}

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