Bonnie: The best tasting orange juice? The fresh-squeezed glassful I’ve sipped while sitting outside in a Florida orange grove. Second best? This new 100 percent Valencia orange juice. It’s sweeter and less acidic than Tropicana’s Pure Premium (which to date had been the gold standard of supermarket chilled juices.)
To be honest, at first I was skeptical — and confused — when the varieties of Tropicana Pure arrived at my doorstep. Skeptical about how this new Valencia juice could be described as the most premium Tropicana had ever offered, as I had thought that Tropicana Pure Premium was just that.
And confused about the name. Pure? Pure Premium? Pure Valencia? Huh?
I think I’ve finally deciphered and can explain it to you. Well, sort of. The new juice product we’ve selected as this week’s Featured Bite is Tropicana Pure Valencia, with 100 percent of its juice from Valencia oranges; the line is Tropicana Pure.
And that line includes Raspberry Açaí, Pomegranate Blueberry, Indian River Grapefruit and Peach Papaya Mango. Although these, too, are 100 percent “pure” juice, you won’t find me raving about the blends, as I prefer eponymous juices, not ones with other added flavors. Their grapefruit is good, but too tart for me!
And while we’re talking grapefruit juice, let me add a Health Note from WebMD: “limit fresh grapefruit consumption while taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, as it can interfere with the liver’s ability to metabolize these medications.” If you’re a grapefruit juice lover, discuss this with your health professional.
Back to Valencia.
To describe the Valencia’s uniqueness, Tropicana spokesperson Karen May explained, “Like wine that exclusively uses one variety of grapes from a single vineyard, Tropicana Pure Valencia is crafted from the juice of only a single variety of oranges – Valencia oranges – and select groves, from the top 3 percent of Tropicana’s harvest.
“Tropicana Pure Premium is blended from three main orange varietals—the Valencia, Hamlin and Pineapple oranges”
Me? From here forward, I’ll stick to this new sweet and flavorful 100 percent Valencia juice.
And for a refreshing midday beverage, I’ll mix a third Valencia juice and two-thirds fresh seltzer — for a yummy orange spritzer.
Bryan: You might ask, what is there really to say about orange juice at this point? The beverage has become such a staple of morning routines that we rarely discuss its various qualities these days. Americans drink it in all forms, but mostly from concentrate and rarely with any thought, aside from price. I was among this group of ‘sale’ buyers until I recently took my first sip of Tropicana Pure Valencia and was completely surprised. Tropicana is a household name when it comes to OJ, but this juice did not taste generic or mass-made. It had style. It was something very different. The bottle and design are a new look, reflecting the feel of a gourmet selection. I’ve often been disappointed by big names trying to seem like small, boutique brands, but this product truly delivers that quality. As a great addition, the crescent-shaped sides of the new bottle allow for easy grabbing to drink directly from the fridge (men rejoice). The ‘pure’ line is fresh (not from concentrate), but pasteurized to add longevity. The juice tastes fresh-squeezed and delivers 100 percent of your daily vitamin C; What more are you really asking for from a morning beverage? (Shh, coffee drinkers; take your morning fix elsewhere. Coffee is for dessert.)
We aren’t all health fanatics (myself included), but there are certain things that we can do to keep ourselves healthier. Add some pure juice to your routine to replace those morning sodas, sweet teas or energy drinks. You’ll find you feel better. Really.
Eric: The commodity FCOJ (Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice)…The first thing that came to mind when I was thinking about “orange juice” was the movie “Trading Places” where Billy Ray & Winthorpe’s cornered the FCOJ market. It is curious to me that my first thought was a movie reference, and not the usual childhood memories of the Frankenstein creation we members of the general public have disgracefully accepted as “juice.” Because of this potential “boycott,” many consumers are turning to the coffees, teas and cheaper, better tasting drink substitutes. I am one of these consumers. For years I have avoided all types of juice, and although I love the taste of freshly squeezed juice (particularly OJ), the average price of fresh juice is significantly higher than that of the frozen concentrates of this world.
For all of you realists out there, I don’t consider myself a lazy person. But most of the time I don’t have the desire at 7 a.m. to squeeze fresh juice (usually a much cheaper method) and end-up every once in awhile purchasing a 3-euro ($4.75) 16-oz bottle on my morning walk. I admit I was a skeptic and a bit of cynic when taking my first sip of Tropicana’s Pure Valencia (and the awe-inspiring, newly redesigned bottle didn’t affect my judgment). I wanted taste, and it’s exactly what I got…truthfully, I was shocked and couldn’t believe what I was tasting. After years of fearing bottled juices, I was actually enjoying a mass-produced one.
Still looking for the orange juice. Where can I find it.
Shirley Phillips
My local store in Mesa (Basha’s) today finally had a supply of Tropicana Pure Valencia, but only the variety without pulp.
My husband and I are absolutely hooked on Simply Valencia; we love and buy LOTS of it! Suddenly we can’t find it anywhere in our area, Bellevue, WA (we shop at QFC, but have tried countless other stores to no avail). What’s happened? Please help us in locating your local supplier, sooner would be much better than later! Thanks for any assistance you can offer us; we’re getting to be pretty needy for this superb orange juice.
The sweet most refresing orange juice I’ve ever encountered. Suddenly No one in Portland any longer carries the product. Where can I find this wonderful product.??
We discontinued the Tropicana PURE line as of late 2009; however, it is still on-shelf at a handful of retailers as the supply dwindles down. We appreciate your loyalty as you, our consumer, are at the heart of everything we do and we’re always working to meet changing needs with our product portfolio. We’re looking forward to continuing our rich history of bringing innovation to the chilled juice aisle. In fact, we just launched Tropicana Juicy Rewards – an exciting new initiative that gives consumers more from their juice by offering 20,000 ways to save on fun, healthy activities. More detail is available at http://www.Tropicana.com.
Please bring it back. I can’t find any other OJ that we like!
Why did you discontinue the best o.j. around. It doesn’t make sense.
Shirley Phillips
I love the Valencia oj. But now I cannot find it.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Tropicana spokesman notified me that the product had been diswcontinued for unspecified reasons.
I just loved this juice and they took it away!! They did the same thing to the grape juice they used to have, but I’ve seen the grape juice come back but in little 12 oz bottles only.
I have been trying out all the different OJ since this one was disscontinued and have found that Growers Pride Country Style is pretty close!
I just got the bad *!$&!^#@^%$ news, after finishing my last bottle, I tried every market in a 25 mile radius nothing! This is the BEST orange juice I have ever tasted. What the hell can they be thinking. I never liked their products prior to Valencia, and this is most likely the reason! gotta maximize those profits to cover those vacation homes and multimillion dollar salaries and to hell with us peons
I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE TROPICANA PURE VALENCIA ORANGE JUICE WITHOUT PULP IS THE BEST IN THE MARKET, ALTHOUGH A LIITLE EXPENSIVE COMPARED WITH THE OTHER ONES. I USED TO BUY IT AT PUBLIX IN FT. LAUDERDALE @4.49, BUT THEY DISCONTINUE IT.. WHERE CAN I GET IT ??? THANK YOU …J.E.DIAZ
You can’t…..
It doesn’t matter how good it is, or how well you like it, if you can’t buy it anywhere!
I used to drink the raspberry acai juice. I loved the product and miss it very much. Can you [Tropicana] bring it back. I have not found a product that comes close to the quality. I am tired of quality products loosing out to the cheap, mass produced, junk filled products every time. I want to eat healthy, wholesome, and nutritional products.
The Pure Valencia juice, (according to the Tropicana website) has been discontinued “due to declining sales.” Yes, the product still appears on the main site under “Products” – but just try the site’s “Store Locator” where the message of discontinuance comes up. Great marketing ploy, huh?
I love the lip service thed Tropicana rep uses in the message above about “the consumer being at their heart.” Ha! Guess I’ll find another brand. Bye, bye, Trop!
Please bring it back- it was the only OJ I have ever found that I liked….. please!
this is the best Orange juice i have ever tasted as well, but I can’t find it in the stores anymore. I have looked for it many stores and gone! is this happening all over, and where can I get it, if it is still available? help!!
Margo, sorry to be the bearer of bad news – but Tropicana posted (#55 above) that this wonderful just had been discontinued.
Please bring back Tropicana Pure Valenica with Pulp. I used to buy three bottles (54 fl.oz.) every week. There isn’t another fruit drink (not from concentrate)that’s as good…and I’ve tried them all. I have your regular Tropicana, but I like the Valenica the best. Please bring back the Pure Valencia.
I was told by the local supermarket chain (Wegman’s) that the Pure Valencia had been discontinued by Tropicana. I found that hard to believe since it was the best OJ that I had ever had. Why would the chain make that statement? More importantly, where can I find it in the Canandaigua, NY area?
Thank you,
Norm Smith
Norm – check out comment #55 above Tropicana posted that this wonderful has been discontinued. I’m as bummed as you!
I’m not interested in your rewards…the reward I would be interested in, is the reward of having my TROPICANA PURE VALENCIA orange juice back. PLEASE….PLEASE…PLEASE I need my TROPICANA PURE VALENCIA back. I’m not the only one, so listen to what the consumers are telling you. It can’t be replaced by anything other than it self.
You can add my name to the list of people that want Tropicana to bring back VALENCIA ORANGE JUICE in the plastic jug. I went to a local farm in Acton,Ma. and they had plenty of Valencia orange juice for sale from Florida! I think the higher management at Tropicana should hire a new merchandising manager that is aware of consumers likes and concentrate on hiring a knowledgeable person and bring backi Valencia orange juice in the plastic jug by popular demand……remember Classic Coke and the fiasco when they tried New Coke!!
This reminds me of the huge, stupid mistake Tropicana made when they tried to change the OJ carton and jug designs. A huge drop in sales resulted as the new design made the product look so generic and unappealing that people simply didn’t buy it. Realizing their mistake, Tropicana quickly abandoned the new design and retreated to the old. Maybe that’s how we convince them they made a mistake – stop buying their orange juice altogether. Their Pure Valencia – to my experience – was never actually marketed in my area. I stumbled on it by accident. If they were smart – and actions thus far haven’t proven they are – they would “reintroduce” this product with great fanfare and a strong marketing campaign. I’ve seen Trop ads for their standard juice, but never for the premium line. Thus I now buy competitor’s products until this is brought back (if ever).
I can’t tell you how disappointed I am to find out that Tropicana discontinued the Pure Valencia prodiuct but from the other postings that I have read from all over the country and even places outside the country, I am not alone. It makes it all that much more frustrating when it was such an accepted and purchased item. I’m still waiting to hear from Tropicana as to the reason for this blunder but I have a feeling that I will never hear.
I am going to shop around and try other OJ manufacturers until I find the best that I can find in my area and forget about Tropicana products if this is the only way to make my voice heard.
I would like to add on my thoughts on the marketing of Tropicana Valencia orange juice in the platic jug and its disappearance from all the stores in Ma. and throughout the country.The mistake mentioned with the introduction of New Coke vs. Classic Coke for a disaster with the public,the same can be said when Kraft foods changed their time tested formula with Catalina salad dressing and the demand of the public brought back the original taste and formula! I hope the head honchos at Tropicana orange juice will be wise and listened to the people!!
It’s sweeter and less acidic…That is what they stated and that is why I liked it so much. Other then using organic products, this was the best OJ that did not upset my stomach. I am very sad to read that it is off the shelf now. I, like the previous person said… would buy at least 3 bottles a week. My family would drink it up consistently. How long was this item actually on the market? As soon as I saw this product, I was buying it every week! All the other Tropicana OJ does not come close to the great taste of Simply Valencia. Please bring SIMPLY VALENCIA BACK!!! I will not buy your other products like the gentlemen previously said…this is my way of pouting.
Sorry…PURE VALENCIA! Simply was just my thought of how “simply delicious it is.
OK…just read post #55 and went to it. Well, I don’t CARE about the rewards and the savings that Tropicana will give me. I’m not going to spend my hard earn money and drink something that I don’t like. Tropicana management(s) …there has to be someone in the company that agrees with us.
It must of been full of sugar for all of us to have been addicted to it so much!! Haha
We appreciate everyone’s passion and loyalty for PURE and wish there had been more people who loved it as much as you all did. Unfortunately, we had to discontinue it. We’ll keep Bonnie and all of you posted as we continue
working to find ways to meet the needs of consumers like you who have such passion for the products we make.
[…] Visit link: Tropicana Pure Valencia | Bite of the Best […]
ourmarket is not carrying your juice
where ca we get it now
we live in la quinta, ca 92253
we have a ralphs, vons, stater bros, and jensens markets plus trader joe.
Help we like valencia ora ge juice,
Still waiting for my Valencia Tropicana. I have resorted to buying the valencia orange and am now squeezing my own…however, I like the convenience of the ready made.
I have been buying Minute Maid (Chlorestrol HealthWise) and its real good!!!
I’m so sad to learn that it is discontinued. If only they would consider packagaing it in their normal containers along with all the other varieties, it would be a good seller… the stores always seemed to place the former line away from the other juice products and with the increased cost, made it less attractive to buy even though we all know it was the best tasting OJ ever.
Tropicana Pure was the best and they killed it? Shame on you Tropicana! Anyone have a bottle? I’ll give you my kidney for it.
We gave up trying to locate Tropicana Valencia Juice.
We followed a sugestion here and purchase the oranges and produce our own juice. It is gtrat.
It’s been along time and still no results from Tropicana bringing back our beloved Pure Valencia. Is all lost? Please listen to the consumers. They are the ones that are paying your salaries. Don’t we have a say? Than again, we do, but it falls on deaf ears.VERY disappointed with management.
I have been searching for Valencia oj since I left Maine last yr. and Moved to Delaware. I’m so frustrated w/ not finding it and thought that I could order it thru your web site. But to my dismay…have realized that you no longer make it. What a disapointment. I do not buy any of your other products as Valencia was and still is my favorite. I can’t even find Valencia oranges to squeeze myself. Your company needs to open their minds and ears and listen to their customers.
I was using this product to make fabulous margaritas and now I can not find it in the stores in my area. Is it still available and if so, where can I get it?
Sorry to share with you that sadly it has been discontinued.
I have been moving so in the process have not had time to comment on your orange juice. I am not a fan of Tropicana Orange Juice. Don’t know why, just never have. I tried your valencia and it was undoubtedly the best orange juice I have ever tasted. Welll not quite. I think Cracker Barrell’s the best but this far surpassed anything on the market. I do not understand why it did not make it. Hope you try again.
I am very disappointed that Pure Valencia has been discontinued. I think if it had been marketed right, more people would have bought it. I know that it went very fast at my grocery store. It was always hard to get the kind that I wanted because it was already gone.
MY MARKET (RALPHS) DOES NOT CARRY VALENCIA ANYMORE
WHERE IN LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA CAN I PURCHASE VALENCIA
SEND ME AN EMAIL
Michael, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Tropicana ceased making Pure Valencia as they reported in February (see comment #55)
Well, If you live in Texas, the best alternative I’ve found is HEB’s Valencia orange juice, not the same, but the next best. I have tried Florida’s natural and is a good third, but I haven’t found at least down here in south texas the one mentioned farmer’s grove.
Where (what stores) can I purchase Tropicana’s Valencia Pure Orange Juice.
It was sold at our Commissary at Camp Pendleton, CA last year – but not anymore.