Herbs of Life kombucha review
Here we will give a hands-on, taste-tested review of Herbs of Life kombucha. We’ll look into the benefits, ingredients, nutrition and flavour of this organic kombucha.
For this review we have taste-tested the lemon myrtle version.
Herbs of Life kombucha is available in some health food stores in Australia. It is made in the Blue Mountains.
Ingredients of Herbs of Life kombucha
Herbs of Life kombucha is a ‘real ingredient’ kombucha. This means that the lemon myrtle flavour comes from real lemon myrtle. This is in contrast to a lot of widely available kombuchas in Australia which largely rely on natural flavourings and sweeteners for taste (eg Remedy or Lo Bros).
The specific ingredients as listed on the bottle are: kombucha culture SCOBY, pure Blue Mountains spring water, single origin fair trade green tea, lemon myrtle and raw cane sugar.
This kombucha is certified organic and contains nothing at all concerning.
Herbs of Life kombucha is low in calories, especially compared to other real-ingredient kombucha. It has 4.8 calories per 100ml, whereas Buchi kombucha has 13 calories and Good Brew kombucha has 6.5 calories - which are two other high quality kombucha.
Benefits of Herbs of Life kombucha
This kombucha comes with various health benefits.
Live cultures
This kombucha has an impressive array of live cultures including bacteria from the genera Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, and the yeasts Pichia fermentans and Mycoderma. It’s likely that the Lactobacillus strains and potentially the Pediococcus strains are probiotic - which means they have been proven to give health benefits.
In terms of the actual amount of microbes, they don’t give a specific colony forming unit count per 100ml, but just say there are ‘1 billion organisms’.
Learn more about the benefits of probiotics.
Postbiotics
In very simple terms, postbiotics are essentially beneficial things microorganisms produce during fermentation. These include healthy short-chain fatty acids which nourish our gut lining and may help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.
Green tea
Green tea contains polyphenols which are strong antioxidants.
Studies have shown green tea may also:
increase the amount of calories you burn
improve cholesterol levels
help control blood sugar levels
Read more about the evidence-based benefits of green tea and kombucha.
Lemon myrtle
There are a lot of claims about the health benefits of lemon myrtle. Some of which need more research though.
But I think it’s fair to say that lemon myrtle is a strong antioxidant which helps your body fight off harmful free radicals and reduces inflammation.
Appearance
It has a clear, pale yellow appearance.
Carbonation
The first thing you notice is that there is no, or extremely little, carbonation. This is in contrast to most other kombucha - which are often over-carbonated in my opinion.
Personally, I don’t mind the lack of carbonation and it reminds me of my homemade kombucha which can be similarly low in carbonation.
Flavour
It has a classic traditional kombucha aroma of crisp green apple and some vinegary and earthy notes. To me this aroma tells me that this is a properly made authentic kombucha.
The taste is subtle with lemon and apple characteristics coming through most. Think of it as an authentic natural kombucha taste with some extra herbally lemoniness.
It has a moderate acidity and finishes quite dry but not overly so.
In summary, the flavour is excellent. Unlike some other supermarket kombucha which slap you in the face with huge amounts of natural flavourings and sweetness which make the product seem artificial, this kombucha has a more natural, balanced and subtle taste.
Cost of Herbs of Life kombucha
We bought a 330ml bottle for $6.60 from a health food store in Melbourne. That is quite expensive, however that could be a reflection of the store’s pricing more so than that of the kombucha company.
Summary
4.75 stars out of 5.
An organic, authentic kombucha with lots of microbial diversity and a great taste.
Pros
organic
uses real ingredients
lots of different strains of live cultures
contains antioxidants
lovely authentic taste
low in calories, especially for a real-ingredient kombucha
Cons
expensive
Your reviewer
This article was reviewed by Travis, the founder of this website, long-time gut enthusiast and passionate kombucha maker!
Related articles
