Review of 'Bolthouse' Vanilla Chai Tea

Bolthouse -- Vanilla Chai Tea (vegan)
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Summary: this is a very sweet, richly spicy, protein-rich beverage. The chai flavour is very strong and did I got nutmeg and cinnamon flavours, which you just can't beat at this time of the year. The consistency was thick, smooth, and creamy. While I really enjoyed this products, there are too many downsides preventing me from buying it again. One is the high calorie count, another is the high added sugar count, and finally, the reputation of the brand is not very impressive.

Where to buy: Fortinos, Sobeys, Rabba Fine Food, Longos, Metro, Costco, Walmart Supercenter

Ingredients: soymilk from concentrate (water, soymilk concentrate), cane sugar, soy protein isolate, green tea (water, green tea), natural flavour, calcium (tricalcium phosphate), carrageenan.

Gluten-free and dairy-free.

Note: Canadian ingredients and nutrition will differ from the US ones listed on the website.

Nutritional Profile
Serving size: 1 cup
Calories: 180
Total fat: 3g
     Saturated: 0mg
     Trans: 0mg
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 80mg
Potassium: 150mg
Total Carbohydrate: 27g
     Dietary fibre: 1g
     Sugars: 26g
Protein: 9g
Vitamin C: 100%
Calcium: 30%
Iron: 15%

I liked that the ingredient list is short, however I'm almost certain that the soy ingredients used are not GMO-free, since the company is not a supporter of the GMO Project and did not provide information on the ingredients on the website.

The nutritional profile is not too great because it's super high in calories and in sugars. I do like that it's low in sodium and fat and thrilled at the 9g of protein and 30% calcium. I added it to my protein shakes for a boost of flavour and protein. Ah what a shame...great flavour in this tea.

Other 'Cafe Drinks' flavours:

• Green Tea Soy Latte (vegan)
• Mocha Cappuccino 
• Vanilla Latte
• Hazelnut Latte
• Holiday Nog

Brand:

• Sustainable farming practices: largest agri-solar farm in N. America, pivot irrigation to save water, reclamation initiatives, etc.
• Committed to the Spray Safe Program when using pesticides
• Committed to Cleaner Distribution to reduce CO2 emissions, to recycle, etc.
• 2012: bought by Campbells (Campbells is opposed to GMO labelling)
• No MSG
• All bottles are BPA-free
• 2012: voluntary recall of carrot chips due to salmonella exposure