V8 Energy Drinks in Canada

Finally V8 (actually Campbell Soup Company) answered my years of prayers and brought some of their energy drinks north of the border. As of late summer/early fall you are able to officially purchase V8 Peach Mango and Pomegranate Blueberry energy drinks for $2.49 each. Ouch! My complaint now is - why are they $2.49 in Canada when a 6-pack costs $5.99 in the US? But one step at a time.

Peach Mango

The last time I had Peach Mango was in 2012 and I gave it a glowing review saying it was one of the best energy drinks I ever had, etc. The Canadian version is a little different. The peach is still well defined and comes through at the start, and the mango is still mellow and helps round off the finish, but there is a lot more of the green tea and stevia throughout each sip. The US version also has green tea and stevia, but my recollection is that they are a little more subtle.

The slight differences take down the overall enjoy-ability a notch, but this V8 is still a decent tasting energy drink.

Taste - 7.8/10

Pomegranate Blueberry

I have never been tempted to get this one in the US before because of its generic flavor combo, but when in Canada, totally different story.

This red, cranberry-like juice smells just like a POM combo juice. The pomegranate is mild and comes through clearly right from the start, but is closely followed by equally strong notes of stevia. The blueberry portion rounds off the end and lingers into the finish giving your mouth a mellow candy-like feel. Green tea notes come out near the end and are not as pronounced as with the Peach Mango drink.

Overall, the stevia and green tea are better hidden here because of the lightly tart nature of the pomegranate.

Taste - 9/10

Energy

Like its brethren south of the border, the Canadian cans contain 80 mg of caffeine each. The effects are not as intense as a can of Red Bull since there are only 11 grams of sugar, but you still get a brief sugar rush within 10-15 minutes. I did not experience any jitters and even felt focused for a bit. When the caffeine kicked, it gave me about 1.5 hours of energy which slowly went away without any drama.

Scores:
Cost - $2.49 per can
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 13.8/20 to 15/20