Trader Joe's Calamansi Cooler

The pros: Trader Joe's Calamansi Cooler is new and perhaps a bit unfamiliar. If you enjoy citrus that is a bit tart, then this might be for you. For only 8% juice, this has 210% of your required vitamin C for the day.

The cons: It's a flavor that might take some adjustment. Not a lot of juice. Mostly water and sugar.

The verdict: One of the thing I love most about Trader Joe's is the store's ability to share products that I probably would not have seen or had otherwise. The Calamansi Cooler is no different. I had never previously heard or tasted anything calamansi. After doing a bit of research, this is a fruit that is common in the Philippines and Malaysia. In fact, this product is made in the Philippines.

Priced at $2.99 for a four pack you don't have much to lose. Out of the can, the juice is roughly the color of lemonade. The description on the can (and bottom of the box) describes it as "a little sweet, a little tart" and "tastes like a lemonade-limeade hybrid." I don't disagree much with this except I felt like it had a sour orange taste to all the other citrus flavors present here.

I struggled with my first couple sips. Mostly because my American palate did not know what to make of it. My tastebuds really wanted to categorize this product as lemon or lime or orange. However, after the first I found this to be tart but in a good way. Now, this is more tart than a standard lemon or limeade so be warned. But not in a bad way that made it unpalatable. It just might take your taste buds some adjustment. Or if you wouldn't appreciate a tart lemonade, you should skip over this.

Overall, this is an item that is good for the open minded or for those who like sweet and tart. I don't think this is a flavor that everyone is going to love. As for me, I could take it or leave it. My taste buds prefer drinking sweet over tart.

A can of Trader Joe's Calamansi Cooler: