Monster Muscle Energy Shake Banana

For an energy drink, banana would be a bold choice for a flavor and one that you don't see just on its own. It is usually strawberry and banana, or banana and pineapple, or a medley of tropical fruits with banana playing one of the supporting roles. However, it is a popular and fitting flavor for a protein shake and would fit in with the rest of the Monster Muscle drinks, which already include Strawberry, Vanilla, Chocolate and Coffee.

Taste

I felt a little uneasy pouring the contents of this can into a glass. The liquid is thick and creamy and mostly beige with a light yellow tint. It is like a colored light cream. On the plus side, the banana aroma is very well done and permeates through the air as quickly as the drink comes out of the can.

Being a shake, this Monster Muscle has a thick mouth-feel since the first ingredient is milk. The taste starts off sweet with a heavy dose of vanilla, but quickly dissipates, making way for a banana cream pie-like flavor. The banana flavor lingers for a veeery long time, giving the aftertaste a bottom level creaminess. The vanilla comes back in the aftertaste, as does a very subtle rum-like note.

Despite the low sugar content of 16 grams per can, some sweetness build up is present and the milk ingredients do tend to give the drink a very dry aftertaste. The combination of the two requires some water consumption at the end to cleanse the palate.

I still liked it, though. The "pie"-like flavor was a treat first thing in the morning.

Energy

There are 160 mg of caffeine in this 443 mL can. The concentration is a little higher than other Monster energy drinks, but the total amount consumed is about the same. There are also 25 grams of protein.

The effects were very quick for me. I felt more awake within 5 minutes of starting the drink and within another 10, I was feeling a tiny bit jittery. Despite the low sugar presence, I still felt jittery for a few minutes. Maybe it was from the sudden rush of energy I felt since I consumed a large portion of this beverage at once.

The main kick build up was steady and reached its peak in another 10 minutes. Physically, I felt very energetic, but for the first little while, I also experienced mental clarity and focus. It was an odd mix I haven't experienced in a while.

The kick lasted for almost 4 hours and ended with a very mild crash that I corrected with a couple of glasses of water.

Scores:
Cost - $3.19
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 8.2/10

Overall - 17.1/20...banana is a good choice for a protein shake