Normally, I only buy Tropicana 100% juice (the carton with the photo of an orange with a straw sticking out of it), but when I saw this new “Trop50″ on sale for $2, I figured I’d give it a try. 50% less sugar and calories than regular orange juice sounded intriguing. And as usual, whenever I see a sale, I get too excited and forget to read the side panel.

Well, after having tried it, I can say it’s really bad. It’s thinner than normal juice and just doesn’t taste right. After reading the ingredients, I find out that the first ingredient is “filtered water.” Then orange juice, and PureVia, a sweetener made from stevia extracts. This product achieves its 50% reduction in sugar and calories by being diluted with water, then having a sweetener added to it. So, I was tricked by clever marketing again.

PureVia’s got a weird aftertaste that lingers for several minutes. It’s hard to describe, but to me, it’s got that bad aspartame quality. I’m never buying Trop50 again. It’s really awful tasting.