From Beverage Brands. A fruit flavoured stablemate to Original Vodka Iron Brew. The two will be backed by a £9m budget including TV ads. Abv: 5.5% Price: £1.15-£1.19 TARGET CONSUMER Gemma Snook, 18, is a horticultural student in Alton, Hampshire I like the shape of the bottle and have to admit the colour makes it stand out. And it is possible to see the colour of the liquid, unlike with other prepacked spirits. I could understand people going for it because of the colour. But I think the labelling is a bit underwhelming. It smells like one of those children's ice pops or Panda Pops, and comes across as a little artificial. The colour is offputting in a chemical way, and there is a nasty bitter aftertaste. I can't taste the vodka ­ I want to! ­ and I don't like the fruit flavours. Describing them as just that is a real turnoff. If I wanted a blue drink I would buy a cocktail. It looks like windscreen wash. So, all in all, I don't think this is very original and it's not exciting enough. Rating out of 25 ­ 12 Sally Easton Master of Wine and wine buyer for Berry Brothers and Rudd The packaging is striking with minimalist labelling. Blue is an uncommon colour for food or drink. The colour would appear to be the prime motivation for purchase, as the only indication as to the type of flavour is the vodka being blended with mixed fruits. As blue drinks go, the colour is an attractive hue and the nose suggests liquorice and cough mixture. The palate is lightly sparkling, sweet but not cloying, with flavours of Liquorice Allsorts, aniseed and traditional cough mixture, a strange but integrated combination. The drink is well balanced with a very smooth texture and a good length to the finish. Rating out of 25 ­ 23 Graham Shearsby Board creative director, graphics, at Design Bridge Another classic five minute wonder ­ blue vodka indeed! Or is this mouthwash that also gets you plastered? I am afraid this has all the traits of a new product development project that has hastily been put into production without any real care or passion. Sadly, in our computer generated design age, this happens too often. This lacks any real idea, personality or crafting ­ it's just blue. This is the premium packaged spirit equivalent of the pop scene at the moment ­ Steps in blue ­ and is just disposable pap. I am not having a mid-life crisis, just pleading for some real innovation and passion. Rating out of 25 ­ 5 Steve Mayes Category controller at Landmark It looks like mouthwash and tastes like screenwash, but it'll sell. WKD Blue will be a fast moving addition to the alcopop market. No doubt there will be WKD Pink and Green before too long. WKD is a proven winner in its orange iron brew format. It's one of the better performers and, given the same level of support, Blue should be as successful. However the margins and elements of the commercial package could be improved. So Blue is worth listing, selling, and taking profit from, but certainly not drinking. Rating out of 25 ­ 22 Total score out of 100 ­ 62 {{DRINKS }}

Topics