What is the point of a cold-pressed juice? I always thought they were supposed to be “natural” and kept cold at all times to lock in the nutrients, which is a big selling point for the stuff. But apparently now shelf-stable cold-pressed juice is a thing, requiring no refrigeration (until opened), and with a crazy 2-year shelf life. Isn’t it great when massive corporations get their hands on new fads and essentially destroy them?

While we’re on the topic: Where’s the grassy flavor to let you know that you’re drinking something that’s supposed to be healthy? Where’s the floating bits of green stuff that’s supposed to make it look like you’re drinking something natural and minimally processed? Where’s the $5+ price tag for an individual bottle to really drive home the point that this is good for you? This drink is missing all of those things, instead offering up a beverage that looks…well…like juice. And for a price that’s slightly above the typical juice options from Aldi, but still well below a typical example of cold-pressed anything.

And juice is also exactly what this tastes like, for better or worse. The raspberry certainly steals the show, with a strong hit of raspberry flavor blasting your tastebuds before ending in a tart finish that was almost strong enough to make me pucker. Outside of the raspberry (which is provided in “puree” form), there’s also pomegranate and cherry juices stepping in, presumably to add a more “liquid” base; I couldn’t really detect the other two specifically within the taste. In other words, if you like raspberries, it will be great for you…not so much if you don’t.

In the end, though, I’m honestly wondering what the point of this even is. It tastes nothing like the “ultra-healthy, fresh-pressed, expires-in-20-minutes” kind of cold-pressed juice that even Aldi themselves have carried before. Instead, this just seems like a normal bottle of 100% juice, with an upcharge just because the term “cold pressed” appears somewhere on the label. At $1.99 per 11.2 oz bottle, it’s pretty expensive compared to many of Aldi’s other juice offerings, and doesn’t really seem to provide much more than a standard juice, either. It’s good, and I’d get it again when a “portable” juice is required (i.e. for lunches, or just to take on the go) but it won’t replace any of the juices I currently get, that’s for sure.

Overall: 6/10. It’s a cold-pressed juice according to the label…but with none of the actual trademarks of such a juice: It’s shelf stable for two years, has no weird bits of anything floating in it, and retails for just $1.99 (per 11.2 oz. bottle). While the taste is good, consisting of a strong and tart raspberry flavor, I just don’t get what makes this different from other juices that Aldi carries; it certainly doesn’t taste or seem like a “cold-pressed” juice in any other capacity, essentially coming off as a typical raspberry juice, but for an exaggerated price. It’s good, but not necessarily for what it is.