Review: Truly's New Hard Seltzer Is Better Than White Claw

Truly Hard Seltzer had a hot girl summer. The adult beverage brand revamped every recipe in its portfolio in a quick three months and, in the least dramatic way possible, every single one is leaps and bounds better than before. The Truly team stopped by our office with old and new versions of wild berry, blueberry and acai, black cherry, watermelon and kiwi, and mango. Long story short: We're obsessed with them all.

These 20 States Consume the Most Alcohol in America

The editors who performed this taste test were a healthy mix of people who enjoyed the old Truly recipe and others who much preferred other brands. Our panel unanimously declared that the redesign is not only better than the former recipe, but also, dare we say, better than the competition, including market leader White Claw.

As we were sampling the old and new versions of Truly side by side, we noticed that the former tasted more like a vodka soda, while the new one tastes like smooth, juicy semi-sparkling water. The bubbles are softer and the liquid has a better mouthfeel. The aroma is incredibly fragrant (it made our conference room smell like fruit snacks). It tastes less like alcohol and more like the fruit flavor it was meant to mimic. This is the most drinkable (and chuggable) spiked seltzer we have ever had.

"The cherry tastes more natural, the blueberry went from tasting like nothing to tasting like the actual fruit and the mixed berry has a nice strawberry flavor," one editor, a longtime Truly fan, said. "I also think the new watermelon and kiwi flavor is a refreshing spa water-like option. I wouldn't be surprised if that caught on quickly."

"Big fan! The improvements in black cherry and mango are huge," another said. "Old black cherry tasted like cough medicine. Old mango tasted like candy and now it tastes like carbonated mango juice. Delicious."

"The alcoholic taste and fizzy-ness was toned down a lot in the new version," another said. "It had a very clear, crisp taste (much like regular seltzer water), but the smell of it was super intense and I love that."

The craziest part about this whole ordeal? The nutritional content didn't change. Truly is still gluten free with just 100 calories, 2 grams of carbs and 1 gram of sugar. The alcohol by volume didn't change either. It's still 5%.

For the record, this is a totally honest review and we aren't being compensated for singing the praises of this drink. It's that good. We are all going to buy it and drink it at the pregame this weekend. If you want to try it too, but need to know what's best, black cherry is supreme, but mixed berry, mango, and kiwi and watermelon were favorites too.

Also notably important: The can design didn't change much, but you can tell the old and current recipes apart by looking for the "NEW!" labeling on the updated packaging.

Truly currently has 12 flavors in total including wild berry, blueberry and acai, raspberry lime, black cherry, lime, grapefruit, orange, lemon, passion fruit, watermelon and kiwi, pineapple, and mango. The brand also offers a flavorless version on tap in bars and restaurants for mixologists to toy around with cocktail combinations.

Each flavor is part of one of three variety packs (mixed berry, citrus and tropical), and the following kinds are currently available in six-packs: wild berry, pineapple, black cherry, blueberry and acai, lime, and grapefruit. A watermelon and kiwi six-pack will launch in January 2020.

Anyway, sorry to all the Claw Daddies if this review caused any emotional distress, but we think once you try it yourself you can move past the grief into happiness. If you're going out this weekend, look for the new and improved Truly recipe at the 150 best bars in America.