Yesterday I reviewed one of the new Rockstar energy drinks - Energy Cola - and liked it. Today I am trying their other new drink - Rockstar Recovery. This is supposed t be a non-carbonated lemonade with electrolytes, in a way similar to Gatorade and Powerade. The can says that the drink has only 20 calories which leads me to believe that the taste might be of artificial sweeteners. The designers of the can have outdone themselves once more, or at least I think they have. The contrast between the yellow label, black top and red tab is excellent.
The background is subtle, but one can clearly see that it's just the word "Rockstar". Another excellent design.
After opening the can I was not hit by a strong lemon as expected. Instead the aroma is subtle and you really have to stick your nose in there to get a whiff. The taste is stronger though. It really tastes like lemonade and you can barely taste the artificial sweeteners with the bite this drink has. The taste starts off mellow, but as the drink makes its way through your tongue, it intensifies and becomes very sour at the end, almost as sour as drinking lemon juice. The aftertaste is refreshing and the artificial sweetener makes a brief appearance which does not, in any way, ruin the experience of the drink. This is a truly amazing drink. It reminds me of the Guru Full On Lemonade, only a little more sour. The one thing the taste lacks is the taste of medicinal ingredients, which automatically makes this one of the better tasting energy drinks I have had...if not one of the best. The can goes down smoothly since it is not carbonated and not too sweet. Excellent drink, which I will buy many times in the future.
To my surprise, the drink contains the standard 160 mg of caffeine and no guarana. It contains many other unique ingredients which I haven't seen in other energy drinks. Check out the list below. The energy boost I got from this was also unique. The caffeine did not kick in right away, but once it started to, the effect was gradual and I did not experience any jitters. The escalation in my energy levels took about 15 minutes after which I was fully awake and energized. Unlike with the other new Rockstar energy drink, I did not experience a brief focus period. The energy boost lasted for a very long time and I did not experience a crash or anything bad. At roughly 3 hours of elevated energy levels, the boost was longer than the one I got from the Energy Cola.
The two new Rockstar drinks, especially Rockstar Recovery, have deviated from the standard Rockstar drinks, and their medicinal tastes, to bring a unique and fantastic experience. The Energy Cola is nothing new, but it is a great execution of a caffeinated cola beverage. Recovery is even better with its refreshing taste, low calories and great energy kick. I am pleased to find that mainstream energy drink producers are trying something different in order to compete with the more unique, and great energy drinks. Great start.
Medicinal Ingredients:
- Taurine - 2,000 mg
- Caffeine - 160 mg
- Sodium - 111 mg
- Panax Ginseng - 100 mg
- Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear fruit extract) - 50 mg
- Silybum marianum - 40 mg
- Niacinamide - 20 mg
- Pantothenic acid - 20 mg
- Potassium - 14 mg
- Vitamin B6 - 4 mg
- Vitamin B12 - 30 mcg
Scores:
Cost - $2.99 CAD for a 473 mL can
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 7.9/10
Overall - 16.7/20...excellent taste, decent energy kick, one of the best energy drinks I have had. Strongly recommended
I thought this one tasted pretty good.
ReplyDeleteGood review, except mine reads 80mg of caffeine :~(
ReplyDeleteit also reads, "two servings" ...
ReplyDeleteThere is also a grape recovery now, and a lot of convenience stores in my area (northeast Florida) are selling these drinks at 2 for $3.00. This drink has completely replaced my morning coffee.
ReplyDelete