What I Drink At Work

Monster Rehab Protean + Energy Review

2012-02-02T20:55:00.001-05:00

Nope, you are not reading this wrong, this Rehab is called Protean and contains 15g of protein. It may look/sound cheesy, but I think the name is pretty clever, especially the "tea" part which is highlighted in blue. Before I bought this, I had to make sure it wasn't just a re-branded Absolutely Zero, because it does have an almost identical label and color combination. I got this can from a 7-11 in Detroit for $3.

Taste

Whoa! The taste blew me a way as soon as the first drop hit my tongue. This Rehab tastes much, much better than I expected. The flavour starts off with a mellow, slightly tart blueberry note but quickly transitions to creamy, yogurt-like and finishes on an oddly floral tone (odd, but not in a bad way...at least not for me). The aftertaste is comparable to the aftertaste you get from eating blueberry yogurt and the sweetness level has been kept low. Also, underneath all the flavours lurks the drink's chalky character, which I assume is due to the new protein ingredients.

Please note that this drink is very dry! As soon as you swallow, your mouth will dry out almost instantly. Despite this, I really enjoyed this drink. I think the flavour is rather unique and worth checking out.

Energy

The usual Rehab energy blend is present here - 6,400 mg of active ingredients. I started to wake up and focus within 15 minutes of drinking half the can. In another 10, I was feeling energized and ready to go. The real kick came in another 10 minutes later and I felt great for the next 3-4 hours. As usual, no jitters or a crash were experienced.

Many reviewers/fans didn't like this Monster due to its floral/scented taste, but I sort of did since I enjoy eating yogurt.

Scores:
Cost - $3
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 16.8/20...unique flavour with the same, awesome Monster Rehab kick

Monster Rehab Rojo Tea + Energy Review

2012-01-31T20:20:00.001-05:00

This is one of the three new Monster Rehab flavours, only available in the US for now. I picked this up from a 7-11 in Detroit for $3.

Taste

I had no idea what Rojo tea meant, but after a sip, some thinking and actually reading the label, I found out it is a fancy way of saying this drink contains Rooibos tea. The tea character of this drink is easily noticed as it creates a sort of an earthy backdrop for the rest of the flavours. There is also cranberry juice, which cannot be noticed initially, but after getting used to the tea taste, its tartness emerges...and so does a bit of dryness. The finish is where the cranberry flavour is most predominant. The aftertaste is dry and a pleasant combination of cranberries and a bit of mild earthiness.

One complaint I have is the sweetness of this drink. It is a bit sweeter than I expected and it only gets worse as you keep on drinking. Add that to the dryness of the aftertaste, and at one point you will definitely want to grab some water.

Overall, this Monster Rehab is a pretty damn good energy drink, however, because of the sweetness, I would rather buy one of the other Rehabs.

Energy

As usual no caffeine content is given directly, only an energy blend of 6,400 mg. However, after a quick search, I found out the Rehab line contains about 170 mg of caffeine per 473 mL container. The effects of this drink are comparable to the other Rehabs - starts off with a focus boost which lasts about 20-30 minutes when the caffeine gets fully absorbed. As with the other Rehabs, I did not experience any jitters and when the energy fully kicked, it lasted for about 3 to 4 hours without a crash at the end.

If you like cranberry juice or cranberries, get this Monster Rehab. If you do not enjoy cranberries, I would recommend you try one of the other Rehabs.

Scores:
Cost - $3
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 16.5/20...another pretty damn good Monster drink

Powerade Fuel+ Mountain Blast Review

2012-01-19T21:40:00.002-05:00

OK, Powerade is a North American brand so I am not sure why this energy drink is not sold back home in Canada. I think it will fit perfectly with all the other Powerade products

Taste

I wasn't sure what to expect with a name like Mountain Blast but when I popped the tab open, I was greeted by the too familiar blue Powerade scent. That was a fantastic way to start the day because I love blue Powerade!

The taste is very similar too, though much sweeter. The sweetness is very candy-like, but it doesn't really build up as you keep drinking due to the thin, watery taste that comes right after the initial sweetness spike. This watery taste helps wash away the sweetness and also makes it easier to drink the entire can without getting a sickly mouth feel from having too much sugar. The carbonation also helps bring down the sweetness level a bit.

The aftertaste is a bit funny because it contains some sweetener notes as well as a bit of the blue Powerade taste and just a hint of the candy-sweetness.

Energy

There are 96 mg of caffeine in this 300 mL can. Because there isn't too much sugar in the drink, there are no ill effects such as jitters at the start. The energy comes in gradually and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to fully kick in. Once in full effect, the energy boost is fairly clean and you feel energized, but not over-energized. The kick lasts for about 2 hours and there isn't a crash at the end.

All in all, this is a pretty decent energy drink, but i think it could have been better if it was just a plain blue Powerade with some added liquid caffeine.

Scores:
Cost - 2 for $4 from 7-11
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 7/10

Overall - 15/20...pretty decent Powerade energy drink, but i think it could have been done better

Wicked Energy Drink Review

2012-01-18T22:14:00.002-05:00

Hands down, this can has an awesome label created by tattoo artist Kian Forreal. I got this from a nearby convenience store in Sydney for $4.

Taste

The drink smells like a Red Bull, but I was a bit surprised when it didn't taste quite like it. Sure, it started off like a crisper, drier Red Bull, but tart white grape flavors started to emerge as well as some mild berry notes. There is a sweet, candy-like undertone, which doesn't build up thanks to the overall sourness of the drink. Also, because of the sourness, the drink is very refreshing and has a nice crisp and almost clean finish. There are no unpleasant flavors in the taste or finish.

Overall, I really liked this drink. It reminds me of a combination between a Red Rain and some white grape juice.

Energy

There are only 155 mg of caffeine in the can, which is less than what I was expecting. After having a few Australian energy drinks, I am led to believe that there is a regulation limiting the amount of caffeine a drink can contain because I still haven't found anything over 160 mg.

The effects of the drink are fairly standard. There is quick sugar rush within 10 minutes of starting to drink with a bit of jitters. The rush woke me up nicely since I woke up feeling groggy due to my short, alcohol induced sleep. The caffeine kicked in about 30 minutes later and I felt great for about 3-4 hours touring the city. I didn't feel a crash at the end, but I did have coffee with lunch.

Scores:
Cost - $4
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16.5/20

Rip It Energy Fuel G-Force Review

2012-01-16T19:03:00.002-05:00

G also stands for grape. I got this Rip It from the only convenience store in the area that carries these drinks - Big Bear.

Taste

Grape is a pretty hard flavour to mess up, but somehow Rip It hasn't quite gotten it right. Sure, it starts off like a creamy grape soda, but the flavour is just not intense enough and tastes a lot more of sugar than grape. Next comes the odd finish with a bit of soapiness and a chemical undertone, which reminds me of the taste of cheap energy shots. The aftertaste is also a bit confusing until you get about half way through the can. At first there are almost no lingering grape notes to remind you what you just consumed (I am sure you can recall, but I want to taste it). There is just a sweet and creamy aftertaste with not much more. The grape flavour isn't even tart. I was a bit disappointed to be honest.

Energy

Rip It energy drinks usually have a lower caffeine content and this one is no different - 102 mg of caffeine in a 473 mL can. The effects are as expected - huge sugar rush shortly after consuming the drink followed by the caffeine hit about 30-40 minutes later. Don't forget about the jitters which come trailing behind the sugar rush.

The kick lasts just short of 2 hours and there is a mild crash at the end.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from Big Bear
Taste - 6/10
Energy - 7/10

Overall - 13/20...creamy, chemical grape flavour with a sugar rush and crash

Jones Whoopass Energy Drink Review

2012-01-12T06:17:00.002-05:00

Upon my return from Australia, I walked over to the nearest Hasty Market to see if anything new has come out during my trip. Well, lucky me! Jones' Whoopass is now for sale in Canada. How do I know that? There is both English and French on the can! For $3, taxes in, you can get a 473 mL can, or for $5 (taxes in) you can get 2. I have been looking forward to trying a Jones energy drink for a while now and now that I finally have found one, I am super excited.

Taste

Wow, the taste is pretty bad ass. It definitely has Jones' signature flavour touch. I was expecting a Red Bull clone, but as soon as I popped the tab open, a burst of grape notes hit my nose. The taste is a mix between a slightly creamy white grape, various berries (raspberries, some blueberries) and apple with a lot more flavours coming and going while you are sipping on the drink. The aftertaste is where this drink really shines - it is crisp with a lingering fruity taste without any of the sweetness. It is absolutely amazing and very refreshing. The only complaint I have is the dry mouth it left me with at the end.

This isn't something I was expecting from this drink, but I was absolutely blown away.

Energy

This thing not only tastes great, but it also contains 195 mg of caffeine (plus whatever else from the extracts). I felt the effects within 10 minutes and even though I didn't experience any jitters, the energy hit me like an avalanche. At one point I was feeling lazy on the couch on a Wednesday afternoon during my winter vacation, a moment later I was ready to leave the house and do things I have been postponing this holiday season. I felt focused, yet energized, and again - no jitters. This drink kept surprising me. I am so happy I can purchase this in Canada now.

Of course, like everything else, there comes an end at one point. I didn't feel the energy starting to leaving until about 3-4 hours later when it hit me all of the sudden. Yep, I felt the crash. I don't think that it was entirely due to the drink, though. It was evening time and I was out doing stuff all afternoon/evening after I consumed this energy drink. Had I consumed this first thing in the morning, I would have probably felt just fine, or just a little lazy at the end of the energy wave.

Still, this is an absolutely brilliant energy drink. Best one I had in months.

Scores:

Cost - $3 for 1 or $5 for 2 (promotion)

Taste - 9.5/10

Energy - 9/10

Overall - 18.5/20...one of the best energy drinks, if not the best energy drink you can buy in Ontario right now

Mother Extra Energy Big Shot Review

2011-12-28T10:39:00.002-05:00

Saw this little can and decided to have it on the go during one of our Melbourne tours. I am not quite sure what to call this - an energy drink or an energy shot. It is about half the size of an energy drink and about two times larger than an energy shot. The price doesn't help me decide either - $2.39 - right between that of a small energy drink and a regular shot.

Taste

I was expecting something unique, but what I was greeted by was the typical red bull aroma and taste. Unlike the regular Mother, this was a bit crisper and a lot like a Red Rain.

Energy

Here is where I got a bit disappointed. I know it says big shot, but this can contains only 48 mg of caffeine!!! This gave me a quick and short burst of energy and not much more. It barely lasted for 30-40 minutes...once it kicked in. Because of this, I will definitely call this an energy drink...or perhaps half of one.

For the price, I strongly recommend spending the extra $0.30 - $0.60 and getting a full size Mother energy drink. The only reason I can think of you should buy this Big Shot is if you are caffeine sensitive, and are still looking for a bit of a boost...and don't like the taste of Coke.

Scores
Cost - $2.39
Taste - 8.3/10
Energy - 3/10

Overall - 11.3/20...not quite the extra energy I was looking for

Mother Lemon Bite Energy Drink Review

2011-12-27T09:58:00.001-05:00

Here is another one of the Mother flavors.

Taste

The taste is pretty refreshing and not something I was expecting from this energy drink. The flavour is creamy and lemony with just enough of a bite towards the end from the carbonation and the sourness. The finish has a bit of a lemon candy sweetness to it, though it never builds up to an uncomfortably sweet level.

There are no cough syrup notes, or other undesired energy ingredient flavors and the drink is smooth enough to be quickly consumed.

Energy

The can has the same amount of caffeine as the regular flavour - 160 mg. The effects are also identical - quick burst of energy from the sugar, followed by a rush of energy from the caffeine lasting about 3 hours with a bit of jitters at the start and a bit of a crash at the end.

I enjoyed this much better than the regular one with its refreshing lemon flavour.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69 to $2.99
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16.5/20...refreshing lemony taste with a nice kick

Venom Killer Taipan Review

2011-12-26T08:06:00.000-05:00

Here is a drink I wanted to try for quite some time, but couldn't since these are not officially for sale in Canada. The convenience store I got this from had other flavours, but I decided to go with only one since I didn't have any room in my suitcase and I could only drink one at the time.

What I noticed when I opened the bottle was how thick the walls were. I tried squeezing the bottle, but it did not budge. Sure, you can crush the bottle, but it will not be that easy.

Taste

The label says this tastes like mango...and it does. The taste has an intense and creamy mango flavour with a very light lemon/lime undertone. The aftertaste has a candy-like sweetness to it and does build up a little as you make your way through the bottle. The lemon/lime note helps take the sweetness down a bit, but overall the mango flavour is very strong.

Energy

The energy blend contains 5,226 mg of active ingredients, 170 mg of which is caffeine making this energy drink comparable to other similar (473 mL) drinks. The sugar helped me start waking up within about 10 - 15 minutes of starting the drink. The real kick came a bit later and, for me, the energy came in all at once and made me a bit jittery. I expect the kick to be more gradual if you pace yourself and consume the bottle slowly over time.

So once the effects kicked in, I enjoyed about 3-4 hours of great energy. Unfortunately due to the high amount of sugar, I did went through a bit of a crash at the end, which happened to be during lunch. I had to have a cup of coffee (no sugar) to keep on going.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drink, especially the benefit of the screw top and the thick metal bottle.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 16.5/20...great taste, though pretty sweet, with an excellent kick

Ed Hardy Contest Winner

2011-12-21T02:10:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Ed Henkes for winning the Ed Hardy giveaway. We hope to have more of these in the year 2012.

Enjoy the caffeine Ed and thanks for playing.

Mother Energy Drink Review

2011-12-20T05:15:00.002-05:00

So this is the first official Australian energy drink review. Mother, from what I hear, is the most popular Australian energy drink since it is available in every 7-11, corner store and grocery story I set foot in.

Taste

As I sort of expected, this energy drink smells like a red bull clone. What does it taste like? Well, you guessed it, like a red bull clone...almost. It starts off like a well executed clone, but the taste quickly reveals creamier and softer notes, which quickly override the famous red bull taste, leaving only subtle reminders. I also feel like this is a much smoother drink that is also much easier to chug.

Energy

Though the slogan is "Mother of an Energy Drink" and there are statements such as "high caffeine content", there are only 160 mg of caffeine in this 500 mL can. That's about average for a drink in north America. In fact, you can easily get drinks with a lot more caffeine.The effects are exactly what I expected and are easily comparable to those of a large can of Red Bull or your standard Monster/Rockstar/Full Throttle (in fact, Mother is also owner and distributed by Coke) - quickly delivered sugar rush followed by a nice burst of energy lasting about 3 hours and ending with a bit of a crash. Oh, don't forget the jitters too. Luckily they are not too bad.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drink because I do love the taste of Red Bull and the extra twist on the flavour gave this energy drink a nice character. Coke, you can bring this to Canada and easily replace the Full Throttle line.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69 to $2.99
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16.4/20...great tasting, decent energy boost, available everywhere in Australia

Energy 2000 Grape Flavour Review

2011-11-30T08:08:00.001-05:00

I know, the name is ridiculous, but once you read the label you will find out why it was called Energy 2000 - it is packed with 2,000 mg of energy ingredients. I got this for only $0.99 from what looked like a bargain bin at Walgreen's.

Taste

The shot has a very decent grape smell reminding me of cheap grape juice. The taste is pretty decent at the start with a great, slightly sour, grape taste, but soon turns bitter from the ton of energy ingredients. The aftertaste is mostly composed of a sweetener taste and some bitterness with very little grape flavour and a nice citric twist. Not the greatest tasting energy shot, but it is also not the worst tasting one. For $0.99 you cannot go wrong.

Energy

The energy blend actually has 2,200 mg of active ingredients, caffeine being one of them, but there is no clear indication of exactly how much caffeine is in the shot. As expected there is a bit of a lag of about 10 - 15 minutes, but once the shot kicks in you will wake up even if you were falling asleep. From there on, the energy ramps up quickly and you will be over-energized in about 20 minutes for several hours.

Overall, this is a pretty decent shot for $0.99 which tastes and works the same as some more expensive energy shots.

Scores:
Cost - $0.99
Taste - 5.5/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 13/20...ok taste with a pretty decent kick

illy Cappuccino Review

2011-11-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

Here is the first of our international reviews/"on the road". I got this from a Walgreen's near my hotel for $2.19. The cappuccino wasn't the only illy iced coffee in the fridge, but this is what I felt like drinking at the time.

Taste

You would normally shake a beverage like this to mix the sediment at the bottom, but the top of the can clearly states not to. Remember this if you get a can.

Illy's cappuccino doesn't disappoint. Unlike other beverages that are packed with sugar, this one doesn't have as much which brings out the strong coffee taste. Milk has also been added in moderation making the beverage very coffee-centered. Mild cocoa notes add to the overall enjoyment, but are not strong enough to turn this into a mochaccino.

Overall, I really liked this, however, if you prefer the typical iced coffees that are packed with a ton of sugar and milk/cream, you may not enjoy this due to its strong coffee flavour.

Energy

I was surprised to find the caffeine content on the back - 81 mg. The energy hits you like a small cup of coffee - wakes you up within 10-15 minutes and it starts to gradually build up from there on until about the 40 minute mark when it peaks. The boost lasts for about as long as a can of Red Bull, but unlike a Red Bull, there is no crash at the end.

I loved this iced coffee and I cannot wait to try the other illy I saw. I just wished this came in a larger container with more caffeine.

Scores:
Cost - $2.19
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 15.5/20...excellent taste with a very decent energy kick

Marley's One Drop Mocha Review

2011-11-25T06:35:00.000-05:00

Here is another new item I found at the local Hasty Market - Marley's new Mocha drink.

Taste

The Mocha tastes almost the same as Marley's Coffee, only it starts off much sweeter with a touch more coffee flavour and a nice chocolate undertone. To be honest, I am not at all surprised, because when I think of mocha, I imagine a half coffee, half hot chocolate drink...or espresso and hot chocolate.

Not much else to say about this drink other than the coffee and chocolate flavours carry throughout and linger for some time in the aftertaste before the milky aftertaste starts to dominate. There are no foul notes or any unwanted flavours, such as bitterness from energy ingredients (the energy comes from coffee).

Energy

The effects are identical to those of the Coffee flavour - initial effects are noticeable within 10 to 15 minutes and the energy kicks in about 25-30 minutes later. The length of the effect is about an hour and a half because the drink is not trying to cram any additional caffeine from other energy ingredients so the energy comes all from the brewed coffee used as a base for the drink.

If you like sweeter iced coffees then get this. If you like them a bit less sweet, get the coffee flavour.

Scores:
Cost - $2.49 from the Hasty Market
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 15/20...I love the Marley products since they all taste great and work as intended

What I Drink At Work and Ed Hardy in collaboration bring you a huge Christmas give-away!

2011-11-23T19:57:00.001-05:00

Just in time for the Christmas holidays, What I Drink At Work and Ed Hardy are giving away enough caffeinated stuff to keep you and your friends awake for the entire winter break!

What do I get?

These awesome Ed Hardy caffeinated products, iPad cover and wireless mouse.

How do I get the free stuff?

Simple, just follow, mention/RT @WhatIDrink for a chance to enter the draw. A mention/RT gets you in the draw. Just to play fair, we are limiting this to only 1 entry per person.

How much time do I have?

What I Drink At Work is leaving Canada for a 3 week long work and fun related trip. The contest is now open and closes on December 20, 2011. The winner will be selected on the 21st.

Who can play?

Sorry folks, this is limited to US residents only!

How would I know if I had won?

The winner will be announced on the site on the 21st and contacted directly via Twitter.

Good luck and don't forget to check out the Ed Hardy energy reviews:

Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Energy Shot Review

2011-11-23T06:47:00.000-05:00

I have wanted to try Guayaki's products for a while, but due to the limits of my location (north of the US), I haven't been able to find/get any...until now. Thank the Nuthouse - a health store on Bloor that had a case of these displayed next to the cash register. Each shot retails for $3.49, which is not too bad considering the Red Bull shot retails for $3.29.

The first thing I noticed when I picked up the shot is its container. It is a glass container with a beautifully designed neck and opening. I love this glass container. I have been holding it for a few minutes now, just admiring it.

Taste

Though I absolutely love this glass container, it is a pain in the butt to consume this shot. The opening is not much wider than any other plastic 60 mL shot, but since the glass is so thick, the inner opening is much smaller and if you try to suck the contents out, your lips will seal the end of the shot container and nothing will come out. You just have to pour this in your mouth and hope you don't spill any on your clothes.

Once you manage to get the contents out, the taste is pretty unique and pretty damn awesome...at least if you like strong, earthy teas. The yerba mate taste is strong and hits you right away. The chocolate notes are also very noticeable and nicely compliment the bitterness of the tea. The raspberry flavour is there as well and adds a nice sour finishing touch to each sip.

The aftertaste is very nice blend of dark chocolate and tart raspberries with a very subtle earth hint of yerba mate. If you like yerba mate, you will love this shot. However, if you are not a fan of the tea, you will definitely not like this product.

Energy

The label does not list the amount of caffeine present in the shot, only the 2.2 gram proprietary blend of teas and extracts. A quick Internet search reveals that this amount is 140 mg and comes from the teas.

The shot is surprisingly fast acting. About 10 minutes after consuming the shot, I suddenly felt awake and focused. That's right! The initial effects were extremely sudden, but without the jitters. The boost was surprisingly clean and powerful and I felt excellent for the entire morning. There was no crash at the end!

I loved this shot.

Scores:
Cost - $3.49 from the Nuthouse
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 17/20...these guys know how to make an energy shot

Ed Hardy Coffee Rocks Review

2011-11-15T06:18:00.001-05:00

Last week I tried Ed Hardy's Chocolate Rocks and now I have a box of their Coffee Rocks sitting in front of me on my desk, shoving its "600 mg caffeine per box" in my face.

Taste

I know these are called Coffee Rocks, but don't expect coffee beans covered in chocolate. These are a lot like the Chocolate Rocks, only with an added coffee flavour. The coffee flavour is not bad, but it is not what I was expecting.

Each rock, or should I say piece, is about the same size as the Chocolate Rocks, which are about the same size as a chocolate covered coffee bean, and is coated in a semi-sweet chocolate glaze. The inside is just chocolate, which is very easy to chew so you can go through a bunch of these pieces in no time.

The coffee flavour is very espresso-like and not sweet at all. The semi-sweet chocolate helps take the bitterness down a notch, but the coffee flavour is still fairly strong. The bitterness comes from the coffee and not from the added caffeine. There is a slight hint of caffeine bitterness that starts to emerge if you consume most of the box, but it never gets to a point that it becomes obtrusive.

Overall, I enjoyed the Coffee Rocks, but I would much rather eat a box of the Chocolate Rocks.

Energy

The Coffee Rocks work almost exactly like the Chocolate Rocks since they are similar in many ways. As I sat at my desk I was popping these one after another so I didn't notice how many I ate in total, but it was about half a box. I started to become focused and feel the energy coming within about 10 minutes of eating the first piece. There were some jitters, as expected, but compared to other caffeinated products, they were easy to manage. The caffeine kicked in fully in another 20 minutes and I felt pretty damn good most of the morning, right until lunch. I didn't experience a sudden crash, but I felt the effects starting to wear off. The beauty of the resealable box is that I was able to eat a few more pieces to continue my energy high.

Scores:
Cost - $8.00 for a 3-pack from Ed Hardy
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 1/10 to 10/10

Overall - 9.8/20 to 18.8/20...depending on the number of pieces consumed

Ed Hardy Chocolate Rocks Review

2011-11-09T20:33:00.000-05:00

So in front of me is a box of Ed Hardy's highly caffeinated Chocolate Rocks. How caffeinated are they? Well if you turn the box over you will see that there are 600 mg of caffeine in the box and that each 5 pieces are equal to 1 cup of coffee. I counted 25 pieces so 5 coffees in total and each piece contains approximately 24 mg of caffeine.

Taste

Each of the pieces is a small almost black round ball. They are easy to chew so you can go through 5 or 10, or 15 in no time. The pieces taste like dark chocolate at first, but towards the end a sweeter taste comes in. I like this style of chocolate as the sweetness never builds up and I can eat a lot more of it.

The use of dark chocolate is also a great way of masking the caffeine bitterness and these chocolate rocks are a great proof. I was not able to detect any bitterness that I could associate with the caffeine. There is some bitterness, but it is characteristic of how dark chocolate tastes. The aftertaste is moderately clean with just a subtle dark chocolate hint.

Overall I really liked the taste of these rocks and I ate 10 at once the first time.

Energy

As mentioned, each piece contains approximately 24 mg of caffeine so I took about 240 mg in less than a minute. My mind started to wake up in about 10 minutes and in another 5 I felt a bit jittery. In another 5 the energy started to really kick in and it was pretty damn awesome. All in all, I was very energized until about lunchtime and at the end I did not experience a crash.

To be honest, I was surprised how much caffeine was stuffed in these little pieces and how well they worked.

Scores:
Cost - $8.00 for a 3-pack from Ed Hardy
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 1/10 to 10/10

Overall - 10.5/20 to 19.5/20...depending on the number of pieces consumed

Ed Hardy Energy Sticks Pomegranate Review

2011-11-07T18:41:00.001-05:00

Along with the Orange flavored energy sticks I received last week, I also got a few packs of the Pomegranate ones.

Taste

Tearing open one of these, I was hit with a strong blueberry aroma and not so much pomegranate. However, as soon as I poured this on my tongue, the sour pomegranate notes quickly appeared. I still detected some sweet blueberry notes, but only in the aftertaste.

Tasting a second packet, I concluded that the pomegranate flavour is there only while the powder is sitting on your tongue. As soon as it is swallows, a sweet blueberry taste, couple with a very sweetener-like note, appears and lingers for a very long time.

Two thing I noticed that differ from the orange flavour - one, the powder is a bit harder to dissolve on your tongue and it seems like it is composed of slightly larger granules, and two, I could barely detect any bitterness. There was just a tiny hint of it soon after swallowing the second packet, but as soon as that happened, the sweet blueberry aftertaste hit me and eliminated any traces of the caffeine bitterness.

Energy

Don't be surprised when I say that the pomegranate sticks work exactly the same way as the orange ones, because they do. Each packet contains 80 mg of caffeine, which are delivered to the system in pretty much the same way. The only thing that does affect the effects and their length is the number of packets consumed at once.

One packet - gradual kick with its peak effect comparable to a can of Red Bull but without a crash at the end.

Two and more packets - some jitters with a stronger kick lasting much longer with some minor negative effects at the very end (still not as bad as a sugary energy drink).

Scores:
Cost - $3.29 for a 3-pack from Ed Hardy
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 6/10 to 9/10

Overall - 15/20 to 18/20...depending on the number of packets consumed

Ed Hardy Energy Sticks Orange Review

2011-11-03T19:44:00.002-04:00

This week I received a package from Ed Hardy containing some of their caffeinated products. Luckily for me, included in the package were a bunch of their Energy Sticks, which really helped me out this morning when I felt too lazy to make coffee or get an energy drink. All I had to do was tear open one of the packets and pour its contents on my tongue.

Taste

To my surprise, the orange powder tasted really good. As soon as I opened the packet, a blend of orange and tangerine aromas hit my nose. As soon as I poured the powder on my tongue, I felt the sour kick of the citrus fruits, but none of the bitterness of the added caffeine. The amount contained in each packet is only 2.45 g, which is much more manageable than other tongue powders. This one dissolves quickly and doesn't clump up.

Once the powder absorbs some saliva, the orange flavour becomes much more intense and also helps you freshen up your breath. Once swallowed, there is a bit of bitterness that becomes noticeable, but it doesn't last that long and it is not that strong. Soon after the bitterness comes a dry combination of orange peel and artificial sweeteners, which may send some people to get some water. I know I had to when I had 2 packets in a row, but not when I had just one.

Energy

There are 3 packets in a pack and each packet contains 80 mg of caffeine, which is about the same as a Red Bull. The effects, however, are a bit different. I did not get that sudden rush that you get from drinking a Red Bull. The energy came in my more gradually and there were no jitters. I felt peppy and awake within about 15-20 minutes and that surprised me a bit because I only had about 4-5 hours of sleep. The energy lasted for about 2 hours and there wasn't a crash.

If you take 2 or all 3 at once, the effects will be a bit more different. There are some jitters and when the energy kicks in, it is much more noticeable and resembles the kick you might get from a full sized can of an energy drink packed with sugar.

Scores:
Cost - $3.29 for a 3-pack from Ed Hardy
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 6/10 to 9/10

Overall - 14.5/20 to 17.5/20...depending on the number of packets you consume at once

Crave Energy Drink Review

2011-11-02T13:54:00.002-04:00

OK, not so much an energy drink as much as an energy powder, but these are the words used to describe Crave on each package. It is true that when combined with water, this will results in an energy drink.

Taste

The instructions are simple - "just add to bottled water". Unfortunately we don't buy bottled water so the next best thing was to measure 500 mL and pour them in a pint glass. Adding the packet to the water results in a very odd looking green concoction which would be best suited for something to drink on March 17th.

The first couple of sips come with a bit of bitterness, but after that it almost goes completely away. Crave has a sweet melon taste combined with a subtle fruit punch note and a twist of lime towards the end of each sip. There is a bit of a soapy taste, but that comes and goes.

After a few sips the taste develops a slightly sour kick and a dry finish. The sweetener can be tasted, but compared to other drinks like this, it does not have a huge impact on the overall enjoyment.

The drink is very easy to drink since there is no carbonation (unless you add this to carbonated water) and quite enjoyable.

Energy

There are 80 mg of caffeine per serving and 2 servings per packet, thus, 160 mg of caffeine in the resulting energy drink. Since there is very little sugar, the effects are not instant, but they will show themselves within 15-20 minutes. Depending on how you drink the energy drink, the results can vary from a gradual and enjoyable boost, or a huge wave of energy.

I drank my first one slowly and started to wake up and feel energetic very gradually. There were no side effects, such as jitters, just a smooth energy boost, which lasts for about 3 to 4 hours and ends without a crash.

Overall, this is a pretty decent energy mix, though I could live without the soapy hints here and there.

Scores:
Cost - $2 per packet from Crave
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16/20...great tasting energy drink mix with a pretty decent boost

Rage Energy Drink Review

2011-10-18T19:41:00.002-04:00

I don't always go into Dollarama, but when I do, I make sure to check out their drinks section because you never know what they might have. Last time I was there I picked up this Rage energy drink for $1. The time before that I picked up Rage's Tropical Punch energy shot for $1.

Taste

You can sort of guess how this would taste just by looking at the can, and you will be almost right. Yes, it does smell and taste a lot like a Red Bull, but I would say that it also has some of the characters of Shark. It is sweeter and slightly less carbonated than a Red Bull, but it also has some fruitier notes.

I liked it and for $1, this is a pretty good reason to start going to Dollarama more often.

Energy

As expected, this can contains the standard 80 mg of caffeine and 1,000 mg of taurine, as well as a few other medicinal ingredients to get you going.

I started to feel the boost within 10 minutes thanks to the sugar. I felt a bit jittery, but not more than any other 250 mL energy drink with the same amount of sugar in it. The real caffeine boost didn't come for another 25-30 minutes and when it did, it lasted for just over an hour...very comparable to a certain other energy drink with two bulls on it.

Scores:
Cost - $1 from Dollarama
Taste - 8.3/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 14.3/20...tastes like a mix between a Red Bull and Shark, works like either one

Cheetah Power Surge Energy Drink with Blueberry Juice Review

2011-10-11T19:39:00.001-04:00

You may only be accustomed to seeing the red Cheetah Power Surge Energy Drinks on shelves, but get ready to see more of the blue one, which is conveniently pre-labelled for you with the $1.49 price tag. I got this from the local Hasty Market a long time ago, but just didn't get the chance to try it until now.

Taste

OK, off the bat, this one tastes much better than the previous one...and I was very generous with the previous one. The taste is sweet and berry-heavy. It is hard to tell that the drink is supposed to taste like blueberries since it is so berry generic, but at least it is very decent. Some of the more typical Cheetah flavours come soon after the initial berry taste subsides and the saltiness starts to nudge its way to the top.

A third of the way through the can, you will notice that the saltiness starting to build up in the aftertaste, which is not something one would expect from an energy drink that starts off on a sweet berry note. There is very little of the royal jelly flavour, which is a good thing and a huge improvement over the red Cheetah.

Overall, this drink is much better than the older red Cheetah, and the $1.49 price tag really helps it earn high points.

Energy

Yes, this drink is caffeine free, but the added extracts should give you a boost. About 15-20 minutes after starting to consume this drink, I started to pep up slightly. Unfortunately this was probably due to the 40 grams of sugar the can contained. Fortunately, however, there are jitters caused by this.

The real energy boost does not come for about 35-40 minutes and when it does, it is fairly uneventful. You feel more energized, but not enough to get up and run around in circles. The boost lasted for about an hour and then I was back to feeling a bit tired. Not too shabby for a drink that advertises itself as being "caffeine free". However, for $1.49, I will just go for the can of Red Rain.

Scores:
Cost - $1.49
Taste - 7.5/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 13.5/20...better tasting than the original one, but with the same energy boost

Marley's One Drop Coffee Review

2011-09-28T20:03:00.002-04:00

Going in a different direction, the latest Marley drink is an iced coffee drink with the "Wake up & Live!" slogan. I got this bottle at the local Hasty Market for $2.49...if I remember correctly.

Taste

It has been a while since I have reviewed, or even had, an iced coffee, but off the bat you can tell that this one tastes a bit differently from the Monster Javas or Rockstar's Roasted line up. The drink starts off velvety smooth and creamy with a bit of sweetness. Moments later the coffee taste kicks in and gives the drink a very nice kick. The finish is of coffee and just a tad bitter. Some milky hints do linger, but the aftertaste is primarily of coffee.

This may not sound much more different than other iced coffees, but there is something about the creaminess and the overall balance of the drink that I like very much.

Energy

Unlike the energy iced drinks, the focus of this one is not cramming caffeine in a can. The effects are not as obvious and the boost is not as strong. Since there is real coffee in this drink, as well as sugar, it does wake you up, but the effect is subtle and happens gradually over 10-15 minutes.

I felt a bit jittery at one point, but the jitters were not as bad. After 25-30 minutes you do start to feel the effects of the coffee and really become energized.

Overall the drink kept me energized and going for about an hour and a half and I there was no horrific crash at the end, just a bit of a slowdown, which was resolved by having a late and some water.

Scores:
Cost - $2.49 from the Hasty Market
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 15/20...great tasting iced coffee with a bit of a kick

Marley's Mellow Mood Relaxation Beverage Green Tea with Honey Review

2011-09-26T21:00:00.002-04:00

So here it is, the fourth and last of the available Marley's Mellow Mood drinks...at least at the local level. I picked this up at a Short Stop convenience store associated with a Shell gas station for $2.49, but I have also previously purchased it at a few Hasty Markets.

Taste

This is definitely my favorite flavour of the bunch. The green tea base makes for a very mellow and smooth beverage that not only quenches the thirst since it is so light, but it is extremely easy to drink. The honey adds some sweetness, which subtle and never really builds up. The honey is especially pronounced in the finish, overpowering the earthy tea notes. There are some additional flavours that take a backseat to the green tea and honey, such as citrus and chamomile.

This flavour fits the name Marley's Mellow Mood the most and I strongly recommend this one to everyone who wants to try Marley's line up.

Performance

This one works just like Marley's black tea and will chill you out completely. I had this bottle at the end of a long day with many cups of coffee, and it almost put me to sleep after mellowing me out within 20 minutes. I was really glad that it only almost put me to sleep, because I was able to spend some time reading news and catching up on things I missed while at work.

Great performance!

Scores:
Cost - $2.49 from Short Stop or Hasty Market
Taste - 9.9/10
Performance - 8.5/10

Overall - 18.4/20...love this taste and love the chill feel

NOS Sugar Free Energy Drink

2011-09-22T06:31:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it has taken NOS so long to bring this sugar free version across the border. It is finally available at 7-11, and other convenience stores, for $2.99. To promote this product, 7-11 are having their 2 for $4 sale on NOS products.

Taste

Well, this sugar free version definitely smells like the regular NOS - tropical fruits. The taste is very similar, but as expected, is laced with sweeteners. It is also a bit more carbonated and a touch crisper. Once you get half way through, though, the crispness starts to go away and is replaced by a dry tongue and a bit of a sugar build up...odd, I know. The sweetener finish is not as strong as some other drinks so once you are done with the drink there will be just a tiny bit of a sweetener aftertaste. That is a plus in my book.

I liked this sugar free version because it tastes almost like the regular version and has a minimal diet aftertaste.

Energy

The can contains 194 mg of caffeine, which is much less than the regular version that was reviewed a couple of years ago, but exactly as much as the regular NOS that is currently for sale.

The energy delivery is smooth and without much jitters. I started to wake up within 15 minutes of starting to consume this energy drink. Some mild jitters appear 5 minutes later, but go away quickly. The full effect kicks in another 20 minutes later and it is clean and very enjoyable. The energy lasted for 3 to 4 hours and there wasn't an unpleasant crash at the end. I just sort of coasted to a stop...well...OK, not a stop but a normal state.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 for a can, or 2 for $4 deal
Taste - 8.4/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 16.9/20...very nice sugar free version or an already great energy drink

Marley's Mellow Mood Relaxation Beverage Citrus Review

2011-08-25T18:53:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to score the last 2 of the 4 current flavours at a gas station. Check the Black Tea and Berry reviews to get up to speed.

Taste

Well, what can one expect from a citrus drink? It tastes like citrus with a slight salty twist and a bit of underlying candy sweetness. There is some lime at the end, but overall, nothing jumps out that makes this citrus flavour amazing. The drink is, of course, carbonated but not carbonated enough to make you constantly burp. I know this review is short, but there is not much else that can be said.

Performance

This drink works fast. I started to feel more relaxed and borderline sleepy within 15 minutes. The effect didn't get stronger with time, but kept me in a very enjoyable state of mind. I could have gone to sleep if I wanted to or I could have stayed up if I wanted to. The choice was mine, but the drink allowed me to choose. It didn't force me like some other anti-energy drinks to go to bed. I like Marley's Mellow Mood drinks and I like this one.

Scores:
Cost - $2.69 from Short Stop/Shell
Taste - 8.5/10
Performance - 8.5/10

Overall - 17/20...tastes like a citrus candy and works like a charm

Tapout Energy Papaya Green Tea Review

2011-08-18T06:32:00.000-04:00

Yep, this is the new Tapout, which I stumbled upon doing some grocery shopping at the local Foodland. Surprisingly they were selling these energy drinks for only $1.99 as opposed to $2.99 at 7-11.

Taste

The drink does taste like sweetened green tea, but the papaya flavour is very dull and gets lost behind the sweetness, carbonation and the citric kick, which gives the drink an overall citrus flavour rather than papaya. The only times the papaya is noticeable is at the start of each sip, right before the carbonation hits the tongue and bubbles start popping. The mild flavour makes a second appearance in the finish and this time there is no carbonation to chase it away.

The drink is as carbonated as any other energy drink and I think this is a huge mistake when you are dealing with tea as a base. I would have enjoyed this Tapout energy drink a lot more if it was non-carbonated and perhaps just a tad less sweet. Speaking of sweet, the sweetness from this drink builds up with each sip and is especially noticeable in the aftertaste.

Energy

As expected there are 200 mg of caffeine jammed in this can and the initial effects take about 10 minutes. I had a late night and a short sleep so when I got up this morning I was very tired. Soon after I took a few large gulps of this, I was awake and sort of focused without any of the standard jitters.

The rest of the drink creeps up on you and the full effect takes about an extra 20-30 minutes. When it kicks in, you are in for a solid 3 hour ride without the horrific crash at the end.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from Foodland
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 8.6/10

Overall - 16.6/20...I would have liked this much better if it was non-carbonated, but other than that it is another solid Tapout energy drink

FRS Citrus Pomegranate Energy Drink Review

2011-08-16T06:24:00.005-04:00

This is the third and last of the FRS flavours for sale at the local Hasty Market, which is the only place I have seen these drinks at in Ontario. Like the previous two we reviewed, Wild Berry and Orange, this one is also non carbonated and has only 25 calories.

Taste

Unsurprisingly this energy drink has similar mouth-feel and consistency as the other FRS drinks - dry and chalky. The taste starts off very earthy with clear green tea notes. The citrus flavour comes in soon after and is a mellow combination of lemon, a bit of lime and orange.

The pomegranate flavour is the last one to come but lasts well into the aftertaste. It is just a tad more sour than the citrus flavour, but not as sour as the real thing. The pomegranate taste is also what makes the finish sour and dry. The aftertaste is very pleasant and long lasting with a lot of pomegranate and some mild citrus notes. Overall this is not a bad tasting energy drink though the mouth-feel may not be enjoyed by some.

Energy

There are only 48 mg of caffeine in the drink, but the real energy boost comes from all of the additional ingredients. I felt awake and peppy within 15 minutes of consuming the drink. The boost was fairly clean and there were no ill side effects. There was even a brief focus period.

The full effect takes another 20-30 minutes but when it comes, it does a fantastic job. I was energized yet gathered for several hours and my productivity at work was at an all time high. Surprisingly the boost lasted for a total of almost 4 hours and I did not experience any negative effects at the end.

This is a fantastic energy drink.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.2/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 16.7/20...great tasting and great performing even with just 48 mg of caffeine

Rip It F Bomb Energy Drink Review

2011-08-15T06:25:00.000-04:00

Rip It energy drinks are quite rare around these parts of the continent (read: outside the US) so when I come across one I haven't tried my light up. And at $1.99 for a can, it definitely gives the rest of the energy drinks a fight.

Taste

Upon popping the tab open, some pink mist sprayed out and I got a whiff of the cans contents - typical fruit punch. My first sip confirmed this. Yes, this taste like your typical fruit punch with various kinds of berries and some cherries. The taste is borderline artificial and the only thing that saves it is its distinct cherry note. In the finish, a light cream soda note is noticeable, but doesn't really do anything for me as I am not a huge fan of either fruit punches or cream sodas.

I should also mention that the taste is sweet and the more you drink the more it builds up. You better like sugary drinks if you are going for this one.

Energy

Sadly there are only 102 mg of caffeine in this 473 mL container. I was expecting something a lot more potent along the lines of its mates - Sting-er Mo or Power. I understand that it may be hard to squeeze in so much caffeine without giving it an odd taste, but there is so much sugar in here that I am more than positive that the taste would have been masked well.

The energy kick comes in quick thanks to the sugar, but so do the jitters. The real effects don't appear until 30 or so minutes later when the jitters have sort of died down. The kick lasts about as long as a medium sized can of Red Bull - almost 2 hours. And what comes at the end? Yep, a crash courtesy of the sugar.

At $1.99 for a can, I would definitely pick another Rip It over this one, though I can see why someone would make a fruity energy drink. I am just not their target audience.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 6.8/10

Overall - 13.8/20...fruity, sweet, half the caffeine of other Rip It energy drinks

Inked Thunderbird Lemonade Energy Drink Review

2011-08-11T06:17:00.003-04:00

Here is the second new Inked - Thunderbird. I snatched this along with the new Chikara during 7-11's promotional deal of 2 for $4.

Taste

The label says this drink tastes like lemonade and it does. I was half expecting it to be non-carbonated and very similar to Rockstar's Recovery, but unfortunately it wasn't, it was very carbonated. The lemon taste is well done, except it is not as sour as I would have liked it, and it tastes a lot more like sweet lemon candy than a nice sour lemon drop. The candy-like taste is more prominent in the aftertaste, builds up with each sip and lingers for a while.

On a hot summer morning, or afternoon, this Inked energy drink is fairly refreshing and would be the one I probably pick over all the other Inked flavours.

Energy

The can contains 150 mg of caffeine, which is the Inked standard quantity. Like all the other Inked drinks, the effects of this one are apparent within minutes due to its sugar content. Jitters also come in within minutes and last for a while. The real caffeine kick does not come in for another 20-30 minutes, but when it does it lasts for about 2 - 2.5 hours and ends with a noticeable crash.

Scores:
Cost - 2 for $4
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 15.5/20...refreshing candy-like lemonade taste with a decent kick and a sugary crash

Inked Chikara Green Tea Energy Drink Review

2011-08-10T06:17:00.003-04:00

After a brief hiatus we are back with a review of one of Inked's new energy drinks - Chikara Green Tea. If you remember there is already a Chikara energy drink which we already tried some time ago. The previous Chikara is a blend of cranberry and raspberry while this new one is supposed to be green tea. Inked are having the same promotion, as almost always, of 2 for $4 so I picked up both new flavours while I was at it.

Taste

OK, I was mistaken, this Inked is not green tea, but it is green tea based. The same cranberry/raspberry combination of flavours is present, but slightly muted to make way for the lighter, cleaner green tea notes. The start is very earthy with a heavy green tea presence which is done quite well. Shortly after the tart cranberry flavour hits you, which is quickly followed by a sweet raspberry note. The sweetness builds up as you drink and does become a bit too much towards the end. But hey, that's good if you are a fan of sugar carbonated drinks. The aftertaste is heavy on the cranberry/raspberry taste and very, very light on the green tea.

Overall the drink has not changed much compared to the original Chikara and the green tea adds very little. If I were remaking this drink, I would have gone the way of Rockstar's Recovery and Monster's Rehab drinks and made this either a non-carbonated, or lightly carbonated, energy drink with just mild hints of cranberries and raspberries.

Energy

The energy is about the same as before, except this time it is reported on a "per can" basis rather than per 250 mLs. There are 150 mg of caffeine in the drink, which is sort of dead on average. Due to the sugar, the surge of energy is quick but so are the jitters, which are especially bad if you consume the entire can in one go. This is not "clean" energy that you get from a lot of new and non-main stream energy drinks (and some mainstream ones) but more of a brute energy if you have to do some hard labor.

The caffeine kicks in about 20-25 minutes after the initial sugary rush and the effects are good for about 2 - 2.5 hours, but of course the sugar does its trick at the end and kicks you pretty bad. Nothing a cold glass of water and a cup of strong tea couldn't fix.

Scores:
Cost - 2 for $4 from 7-11
Taste - 7.1/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 14.6/20...pretty average energy drink that fails to impress with its new flavour ingredient

Worx Energy Original Formula Review

2011-08-03T06:18:00.004-04:00

Recently I started to see these energy shots by the cash register at almost every gas station. At first, I didn't even think to try them as they seemed sort of unappealing, but after a while I decided to give them a shot.

Worx Energy comes in two varieties - Original Formula and Extra Strength. They each cost $2.99 and only differ in color.

Taste

The label doesn't say anywhere what this is supposed to taste like, which I think is a pretty good strategy.

The shot smells like sour berries and tastes like a berry/sour cherry combination. There is quite a bit of sourness which manages to cover the energy ingredients bitterness while consuming the shot. However, as soon as the sourness starts to fade away, some bitterness appears. This is especially noticeable in the aftertaste.

There is a bit of a slimy, soapy mouth-feel but that goes away shortly after you swallow the sip. Since this is a zero calorie shot, there is an artificial sweetener taste which comes in the aftertaste and lasts for a while but never gets too intense.

Overall this tasted a bit better than I expected thanks to the high level of sourness.

Energy

There are 200 mg of caffeine in this shot, which is much more than I expected because in my mind I was already comparing this to a 5-hour energy shot.

I got an instant jolt from just how sour this thing is, but the real effects don't start to show themselves until about 15-20 minutes in. At the 15 minute mark I felt starting to wake up. At the 20 minute mark I felt a torrent of energy without any of the jitters. Even though I was very energized, I also felt focused. I love energy shots which give me this feel even if it is for a short duration of time.

The caffeine kicked in about another 15-20 minutes later and it was good. I felt well energized but not jittery or hyper for a while and then just very focused on work. Overall the boost lasted for 3-4 hours and was clean. The end was without a crash so my afternoon went by pretty good as well.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 6.9/10
Energy - 8.8/10

Overall - 15.7/20...very sour with a very nice kick

Monster Rehab Review

2011-08-02T17:28:00.003-04:00

That's right, the semi-new Monster Rehab is in Canada! OK, at least in Ontario. Walking home from the nearest pub I walked into a Hasty Market to get something to drink and there it was nestled among all the other Monsters, Rockstars and Full Throttles. It didn't jump out at first because it does look a lot like Monster's Anti-gravity, but just a bit larger. Browsing I also noticed that Rockstar rebranded their pomegranate energy drink, but I didn't think buying a new can for the label was worth it

Taste

Holy crap is this delicious and refreshing. It is like a splash of cold water on a humid day...if you have been drinking a lot and your mouth is dry and you are dehydrated.

The taste reminds me a lot of the original Rockstar Recovery, except it is a bit sweeter and comes with a very faint Monster cough syrup candy-like tone which doesn't really pop out until well into the aftertaste. There is also a touch of honey which appears and disappears towards the finish.

The drink also differs as it seems like it is heavier on the lemonade which gives the drink a very refreshing, a touch sour, kick. The tea creates a very nice, mildly earthy base which offsets some of the sweetness and prevents some of the sugary build up.

Energy

Though the label doesn't explicitly state the amount of caffeine present in the can, the energy blend is 3,207.5 mg. I started to feel refreshed and energized almost instantly thanks to the refreshing lemon kick, but the real burst of energy didn't start to come until about 15-20 minutes after the first gulp.

The kick came in very gradually and because there is very little sugar, I did not experience any jitters or odd effects. As the caffeine was slowly being absorbed I also started to feel well hydrated and was no longer experiencing cotton mouth.

After another 20 minutes I was feeling excellent and ready to start enjoying my day off...by working from home. I felt so good I did a ton of work and stayed focused the entire time. The kick lasted for several hours and fortunately there was no crash at the end.

Overall this is a fantastic drink which gives Rockstar Recovery a run for it money.

Scores:
Cost - $3.49
Taste - 9.4/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 17.4/20...fantastic "new" energy drink from Monster. I cannot wait to try their next new product

Firestar Shotz Ice Mint Review

2011-07-28T19:05:00.003-04:00

Last but not least I tried Firestar's Ice Mint from their Shotz line. The difference between the Shotz and the Max line is the caffeine content. Max has twice the amount.
Taste

The taste was identical to the Max Ice Mint taste. It was intense and minty at the start and a bit more mellow once it went down. I don't think I can tell the difference between the Max and Shotz which means that Firestar was able to cram twice the caffeine in the Max Ice Mint without ruining the taste. Great job!

Energy

The initial kick came in quickly just from the intense mint taste, followed by a tiny jolt from the small amount of sugar. The caffeine kicked in a bit later and the rush was clean without any jitters.

The main difference between the Shotz Ice Mint and Max Ice Mint is the duration of the boost. As expected this one did not last as much as the Max Ice Mint, but it did give me a nice boost for about an hour and a half without the crash. Overall, not bad, but I would much rather go for the Max Ice Mint.

Scores:
Cost - unknown
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 6.2/10

Overall - 15.7/20...minty, tasty, but not as powerful as the Max line

FRS Wild Berry Energy Drink Review

2011-07-27T06:26:00.000-04:00

This is the second flavour of FRS I was able to find in Canada. I got it from the local Hasty Market for $2.99.

Taste

The energy drink has an odd red/pink/purple color and a consistency similar to that of a V8 juice blend. It has a chalky berry scent with a hint of carrots. Like the orange FRS, the mouthfeel is dry and a bit more watery with this one. The flavour consists of a blend of berries, apples, sweet carrots and some earthy tea notes. The tea and apple flavours open up in the aftertaste and create a very enjoyable finish.

One thing I didn't enjoy too much was the sweetener aftertaste. You cannot tell that this is a low calorie drink when you are drinking it, but come the aftertaste and the sweetener will hit you and won't stop for a long time. I think I will stick to the orange flavour for the time being.

Energy

Like the orange FRS, there are 45 mg of caffeine and the effects can be felt within minutes. I am, once again, amazed at how well this drink works. About 15 minutes after consuming half the can, I was feeling well energized and even a bit jittery which was odd since there are only 2 grams of sugar in the can.

Once the caffeine fully kicked in, I was well energize for a few hours - a lot longer than I expected given the small amount of caffeine. Another surprise from FRS.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 7.9/10

Overall - 14.9/20...sweetener taste is noticeable, but the drink works very well

Firestar Shotz Cola Review

2011-07-26T19:59:00.002-04:00

Next on my list of caffeinated stuff to try comes Firestar's Cola from their Shotz line. The difference between Shotz and Max is that Shotz contains half of the caffeine of Max for people who are more sensitive towards caffeine.

Taste

Like all the other Firestar powders, this one looks like an artificial sweetener, but what I noticed that was different was the lack of minty scent. This one has an unmistakable cola aroma.

The taste is also unmistakable, this is cola. It is sweet with a very mild acidic touch and a bang-on cola flavour. There is no bitterness nor is there too much sweetness. I was sort of expecting an artificial sweetener to hit me, but it never did and then I checked - there is only sugar and no artificial sweeteners.

The aftertaste is very cola-like with a touch of sweetness and some caramel. There is a brief moment of bitterness, but it is so weak that the tiny amount of sweetness easily masks it.

I love this flavour. It reminded me of eating cola gummies.

Energy

Though this packet has half the caffeine amount of the Max line, the initial effects are just as quick and good. I started to wake up and feel focused within 10-15 minutes of ingesting the powder, which could be the result of the small amount of sugar. Within another 20 minutes I was feeling great and very energized, though not as energized as when I had the Max packets.

With Shotz, the energy boost lasted for about an hour and a half and there was no crash at the end.

Scores:
Cost - unknown
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 6.2/10

Overall - 15.7/20...great tasting energy powder with a decent kick

Firestar Max Cherry Review

2011-07-25T17:17:00.002-04:00

Earlier this week I tried Firestar's Max Ice Mint and was quite impressed by its clean and refreshing taste and its performance. Today I am trying Firestar's second Max flavour release - Cherry, which was sent to me by the nice folks of Firestar.

Taste

The powder looks like a sweetener, but it definitely does not smell like one. In fact, it actually smells very minty. Hm, was the wrong powder put in this packet? No! You can taste the cherry as soon as you empty the packet on your tongue. It takes a second or two until your saliva penetrates the small powder pile and turns into something that is easy to swallow. An Intense mint note hits you moments after the cherry and tries to fully overpower it. Does it? In a way it does and in a way it doesn't. The cherry taste is still present, but mint is so powerful that it completely kills any potential bitterness from the active ingredients. It also refreshes your breath and has a long lasting effect. This whole time the cherry acts as a mild flavoring which is neither good nor bad. The whole taste combination reminds me of Fisherman's Friend Cherry flavored mint drops, which I used to get when I was little.

Unlike with the Ice Mint, I was able to detect a mild bitterness in the aftertaste about 5 minutes after swallowing the powder. Once the mint started letting up its intensity, some bitterness made its way through, but it did not result in an off-putting experience like with some other energy products.

Overall, the taste is almost as intense as Firestar's Ice Mint but with a nice Cherry twist.

Energy

Each packet has as much caffeine as 2 strong coffees which is more than enough to give you a nice jolt in the morning or whenever else you need it. This packet starter working within 15 minutes when I started to wake up and feel a lot more focused than when I got up 20 minutes earlier. I find that water helps me process these types of energy products faster so with the help of half of bottle of water I was really feeling the effects in another 15 minutes. But sure, this could be also due to the fact that the caffeine was starting to be absorbed.

Once fully absorbed, I felt very energized but luckily did not experience any jitters. The energy boost lasted for a few hours without a crash or another complication.

Scores:
Cost - unknown
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall -17.5/20...great minty flavour with a cherry twist

Firestar Ice Mint Max Review

2011-07-20T19:46:00.003-04:00

Last year I reviewed Firestar's Lemon Flavour energy booster and found it to lack the taste, but do well in the energy section. About a week ago I received a bunch of samples of Firestar's new products and I am glad they send those to me, because I had an insane work schedule and those things helped me out a lot.

I would like to start off the reviews with the Ice Mint...Max, of course.

Taste

Like the previous Firestar booster, this one is simply poured on your tongue and swallowed. At first, the powder is dry and feels incooperative, but with some saliva it turns into a mush and goes down easily.

The moment I ripped the Ice Mint Max package open, a whiff of mint hit me and drew me closer. The second the contents of the package hit my tongue, my mouth felt refreshed. Yes, this is minty. I was expecting the bitterness to hit at any moment, but it didn't, this Firestar stayed minty. Once I had the necessary saliva, the contents of the package went down my throat which suddenly became cold and very minty. I waited for the bitterness once again, but it did not come...again. What I got instead was a taste similar to Trident Spearmint gum - a short lasting intense mintiness followed by a mild, sweet minty flavour. Even though this is the equivalent of 2 strong coffees, there is no detectable level of bitterness.

Normally these types of stimulants taste like crap and work well, but this actually tasted great and I was quite surprised.

Energy

As mentioned, this package is similar to 2 strong coffees...and it is...sort of. I woke up very early after a long day of work and a long commute after only a few hours of sleep. The first thing I did was shower and the second grab the Ice Mint Max. I didn't feel anything at first, but after I got in my car and started driving I started to wake up. By the time I reached my destination, about 30 minutes after I took Firestar, I felt pretty normal despite my lack of sleep. Water seemed to amplify the effects and in another 15-20 minutes I was ready to do work.

I don't know if it is Firestar, or just me, but I felt energized for the first half of the day and I rarely feel so. On my way back from work I did start to get tired, but after a quick pit stop and a cold bottle of water I was feeling great.

Overall I really enjoyed Firestar's Ice Mint Max booster. They have worked hard on fixing the taste issues with this one and I am glad they did because this tastes and works great. Recommended!

Scores:
Cost - unknown
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 18/20...best powdered energy booster I have tried yet

FRS Orange Energy Drink Review

2011-07-12T09:19:00.000-04:00

FRS is not something very popular in Canada. In fact this is the first time I have ever seen an FRS energy drink here, which is why it was important to buy all the flavours. I found them at the local Hasty Market and each retails for the standard $2.99 for a can.

Taste

To my surprise this energy drink has the same color, look and consistency of real orange juice and is not like all other orange energy drinks. Unfortunately the similarity stops there. The liquid has a very dry mouthfeel and is comparable, in terms of taste, to a generic orange juice concentrate with some earthy tones from the energy ingredients. There is also a touch of roasted coffee, but only appears for brief moments before the orange flavour overpowers it. Soon after come the earthy notes which last well into the aftertaste.

The aftertaste is a nice combination of orange, earthy tea notes, apples and a touch of tart berries. The apples and berries do not appear until the aftertaste as the actual orange flavour is quite strong.

Overall, I wasn't very happy with the drink at first, but after a few sips I really got into it and drank the entire can relatively quickly. The dry mouthfeel did make me go to the sink and rinse my mouth with some water to hydrate it.

Energy

There are 48 mg of caffeine in the can and though that is not a lot, the drink work very well. I was very tired from staying up all night drinking (wasn't hungover) and only had 4-5 hours of sleep, but within 5 minutes of having a few large gulps, I felt awake and was able to easily focus on mental tasks I was performing.

More than half way through the can, I was feeling well energized and even a bit jittery. By the end of the can, I felt great and I honestly was not expecting to feel so. The boost lasted for a long time, much longer than I anticipated and there was no funny business at the end. Overall, quite impressed with this product.

Scores:

Cost - $2.99

Taste - 8/10

Energy - 7.9/10

Overall - 15.9/20...don't be fooled by the 48 mg of caffeine, this energy drink is pretty damn good

Power Play Energy Gum Sour Orange Review

2011-07-11T17:31:00.002-04:00

I know this doesn't look like an exciting package, but the only thing that matters is what is inside of it. Sure, I can design that myself, but perhaps the company has taken the 5150 Energy approach of saving money on the design and focusing on the product itself.

Taste

Energy gum in packages like this one is usually peppermint, spearmint of cinnamon flavored so when I saw that this was sour orange flavored, I was excited and looked forward to trying them.

Like the many other energy gums, these are about the size of a Mento and orange in color. They are tough and crumbly at first, but after they mix with some saliva a nice chewing piece of gum is formed.

For a sour orange the gum is only mildly sour and comparable to chewable vitamin C (orange flavored of course). The orange flavor comes out right away and is soon followed by a sweeter tangerine one. The combination is refreshing and a welcome change from all the minty/cinnamon energy gums.

As expected, there is a bitter tone from the energy ingredients which comes in moments after the saliva is absorbed and the initial orange taste becomes apparent. The bitterness is comparable to all other energy gums of similar sizes and lasts all the way until you spit out the gum. Except that with this one, the bitterness starts to overpower the orange flavour about 5 minutes into chewing the gum. Good thing the package recommends you chew the gum for only 5 minutes as the bitterness does become very strong.

Energy

Unlike similar energy gums, this one contains only 65 mg of energy ingredients per piece. For comparison others contain 100 mg of just caffeine. The energy ingredients here are taurine and caffeine so I assume a good chunk of that 65 mg is just caffeine.

One piece will wake you up in about 10 minutes while 2 pieces will give you a decent boost similar to that of a small can of Red Bull. I would recommend at least 3 pieces for a good kick with almost no jitters or other side effects.

The energy lasts for anywhere from about 40 minutes (for 1 piece) to over 2 hours (3 pieces). I am sure if you consume all 5 at once you will get a huge energy boost that will last for several hours. The 1 and 3 piece kicks don't result in a crash, but it would have been nicer if there was more of the caffeine.

Scores:
Cost - $2.95 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 5/10
Energy - 4/10 to 9/10

Overall - 9/20 to 14/20...depending on the number of pieces you consume

AriZona RX Stress Herbal Iced Tea Review

2011-07-05T07:20:00.000-04:00

Having tried AriZona's natural energy drink last week, I decided to try their relaxation drink this week. I got the bottle from the local Foodland for $1.

Taste

Tastes a lot like the original iced tea, both earthy and sweet, but it does have a slightly bitter finish at the start. After the initial bitterness, a nice, mellow chamomile aftertaste emerges and blends nicely with the rest of the tea flavours. Once you are a few sips deep, the sweetness masks the bitterness nicely. Having said that, the sweetness does build up, which is a bit of a disappointment because when I want to relax with a beverage, I don't want to be in a rush to get to a glass of water and then have to suffer through a bloated period as a result of having consumed a 591 mL beverage and some water on top of that.

Despite the sweetness build up, this is a great tasting AriZona drink with their signature iced tea flavour.

Performance

As expected, this isn't a drink as powerful as other purpose developed anti-energy drinks. Half way through the bottle and 20 minutes later, I started to calm down and experience effects similar to those of drinking a cup of chamomile tea. I was calm, feeling a bit lazy, but not sleepy. The rest of the bottle also didn't put me to sleep or make me sufficiently sleepy, but it did have a very nice calming effect. The one thing I did not like was the sheer volume of this thing - 591 mL before bed or any time you are trying to calm down will send you running for the nearest bathroom.

Scores:
Cost - $1 from Foodland
Taste - 9/10
Performance - 6.5/10

Overall - 15.5/20...great AriZona product that has a very nice calming effect

Plow On Energy Chewing Gum Review

2011-06-28T19:30:00.002-04:00

A few months ago I got a bunch of energy gums from ChemicalEvolution.com and already had the chance to review a few of them - Stay Alert.

Taste

A fresh minty scent hit me, as well as the realization that the gum looked like Stay Alert, when I tore open the package. The gum is hard and crumbly, but once it soaks up some saliva, it turns into something very chewing and large. Yes, each fully chewed piece is about the size of 2 regular pieces of gum.

Similar to Stay Alert, and many other energy gums, the minty flavour is released instantly, but soon follows the strong bitterness from the active ingredients. The bitterness is strongest at the start but after a few minutes it goes down to a more manageable level, though it never disappears completely. Like the bitterness, the minty flavour also goes down a notch after a few minutes of chewing. Though still there, I was focusing on the bitterness more so than the flavour itself. I really wish this was a bit mintier.

After a few minutes of chewing I spit out the gum and the minty flavour stayed with me for a while...but so did some of the bitterness.

Energy

Each piece has 100 mg of caffeine, just like Stay Alert. The way the gum works is very similar with the effects becoming apparent within 5 minutes. You feel awake and focused at first, and then comes the raw energy from the caffeine. There are no jitters and there isn't a crash an hour and a half to two hours later when the effect start to disappear.

Bottom line is this gum is very similar to Stay Alert in terms of package, look, taste and performance. Not bad, but nothing exciting or unique.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 7/10 to 10/10

Overall - 14/20 to 17/20...depending on the number of pieces you chew

Lucozade Energy Drink Orange Review

2011-06-27T18:29:00.000-04:00

This is the third and last flavour of Lucozade that can find in my area.

Taste

The taste is somewhat refreshing, but a little odd for an energy drink. The mouth-feel and taste are similar to orange flavoured effervescent vitamin tablets - very bubbly, a bit salty with an artificial orange peel note which stays with you for a long time. Like the original Lucozade, this one suffers from the dry mouth syndrome.

It is not bad tasting and not a bad first drink in the morning, but I can probably do better with plain orange juice and a few drops of a caffeine mixer like 5150 or Hijinks.

Energy

Caffeine is still one of the main ingredients, but it doesn't say how much is in the bottle. Regardless of the actual amount, this drink will give you a quick jolt in the morning, or when you need it, but will not quite maintain its performance once you feel awake.

I drank this bottle first thing in the morning after waking up groggy and within 20 minutes of consuming it I felt fully awake and focused, which was pretty much the extent of Lucozade's performance. I didn't feel like running around in circles or was over-energized for hours, but I just felt more awake than I was 20 minutes ago.

Not a bad boost when you need to feel awake, but not quite the energy drink.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from T&T
Taste - 7.5/10
Energy - 5.8/10

Overall - 13.3/20...tastes like orange peel and gives you a nice jolt when you need it

Hansen's Energy Pro Energy Drink Review

2011-06-23T06:23:00.000-04:00

This is one of those energy drinks that you see and hear a lot about online, but can't seem to find it in stores. At least this was my case until I came across a lonely can in an oddly shaped convenience store in Toronto.

I was very happy to have found this drink, but my happiness was cut short when I went home and thought about the "single-can" factor. Just as I thought, this drink had expired more than 2 years ago. Well, I guess I would just take a sip and go from there.

Taste

For a drink that is more than 2 years past its expiration date, it tasted pretty good. It was a bit flat, but the flavour was there. The taste was a combination of 95% mountain dew and 5% earthy tea. The drink has an initial candy-like sweetness from the mountain dew taste, but with the finish comes the earthy tone, which I assume is from the added ginkgo biloba. I wish this was not expired so that I could have drank the entire can since it tasted pretty damn good.

Energy

The can has 75 mg of caffeine, but since I promised myself not to consume something that expired more than 2 years ago. Having a caffeine content similar to that of a small can of Red Bull, I assume that the effects are similar, perhaps slightly better with all the extra ingredients.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 6/10 (estimated)

Overall - 14.5/20...tastes great and has almost as much caffeine as a can of Red Bull

AriZona Black Tea with Ginseng and Honey Review

2011-06-20T18:29:00.000-04:00

Don't be fooled by its look, this is an energy drink...supposedly. The back of the label calls this "The Original Energy Drink" and by that they mean this drink combination originated in ancient China as a natural energy booster. Regardless of whether or not it works, I like the new package and the fact that this still costs $1.

Taste

Well, it tastes like black tea that has been sweetened with honey and has a tiny bit of ginseng added to it. The flavour is earthy and there is very little sweetness at the start. The black tea is heavy and helps mute any signs of sweetness. The honey is noticeable, but it is in good proportions with the black tea. There is very little of the ginseng because it doesn't ruin the overall taste, but you can still tell that there is something in the aftertaste.

What I really liked about this AriZona is the balanced flavour that is not as sweet as their other beverages. The sweetness still builds up, but it never reaches high levels. If you like black tea and AriZona, then you should try this if you can find it.

Energy

The label doesn't say how much caffeine is in the drink, but I presume there very little since black tea is the only source of caffeine in the drink. Ginseng has no caffeine, but it is supposed to give you a natural energy boost. The sugar definitely gives you quick boost, but after 15-20 minutes I felt like I just had a good portion of a Red Bull. This is not bad, but having the drink 591 mL to get the same buzz as 3/4 of a Red Bull can be tiring.

On the plus side, the energy delivery is smooth and there are no jitters. The boost, as expected, doesn't last more than an hour, but it also does not come with a crash. I think that this may appeal to people who are not addicted to caffeine because the effects will be amplified without going to the extremes energy drinks may push them for.

Scores:
Cost - $1 from Foodland
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 5/10

Overall - 14/20...great tasting AriZona with a tiny natural energy boost

Méchante Sugar Free Energy Drink Review

2011-06-16T06:21:00.000-04:00

Having reviewed the regular Méchante, I just had to try the sugar free version.

Taste

The Red Bull-like scent quickly filled the air around the can once I pulled the tab. I should have expected that given the fact that the regular one tasted like a Red Bull and was produced by Cott. Unlike the regular one, this one has a drier taste and is more carbonated. The finish has a nice citric bite which gives it a crisp finish. I wish it also gave it a clean finish, but due to the added artificial sweetener, it doesn't. But don't be afraid, the sweetener aftertaste is mellow and does not last for too long.

Overall this isn't a bad sugar free drink, but I wish I had a sugar free Red Bull to try and compare it to.

Energy

Like the regular one, this one packs 150 mg of caffeine. The effects become obvious in 15 minutes, but the full energy kick does not come in until 20-25 minutes after that. Because this is a sugar free drink, there are no jitters and the kick is sort of smooth.

The boost lasts for a few hours and is surprisingly clean with no crash at the end. Yes, this is not a bad sugar free drink, but I have to compare it to the sugar free Red Bull. I have never actually had one!

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16.4/20...crisp finish, mellow sweetener taste and a decent kick

Stay Alert Cinnamon Energy Gum Review

2011-06-14T19:40:00.003-04:00

Unlike Stay Alert Arctic Mint there is no cool slogan on this package, just "caffeine supplement". Also for something cinnamon flavored, I was expecting the package to be fiery red or orange, not brown and beige.

Taste

The gum looks identical to the arctic mint one, except for the lack of a nub on side. The gum is large and white in color, just a little thicker than a Mento. I don't know if the gum sat for too long in my caffeine box, but it is very hard, almost like a hard candy. I had to let it sit in my mouth for a minute to soak up some saliva before I was able to start chewing it.

Cracking the gum releases a spicy cinnamon flavour that is just as intense as any strong cinnamon candy or gum. My tongue was on fire within seconds, but I rather enjoyed the flavour as it was much more intense than I originally expected.

Of course, like with many other energy gums, the bitter caffeine taste is present and can be tasted even through the fiery cinnamon. At first, it is easily overwhelmed by the cinnamon taste, but after a few minutes, the cinnamon weakens a bit while the bitterness becomes more prominent. The good thing is that if you follow the chewing instructions, you will spit out the gum after 5 minutes of chewing. This will eliminate the bitterness, but keep some of the cinnamon taste.

Energy

I think that 5 minutes are enough because I did start to get a buzz which manifested itself in the form of a focused mind. Shortly after comes the energy with just a bit of jitters. The kick lasts for well over an hour and it is fairly clean. There is no crash at the end and you still have 4 more pieces to chew.

Scores:
Cost - $2.50
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 7/10 to 10/10

Overall - 15/20 to 18/20...depending on the number of pieces you chew

Marley's Mellow Mood Relaxation Beverage Black Tea Review

2011-06-13T19:27:00.000-04:00

This weekend I was fortunate enough to find my favorite Marley's Mellow Mood drink, black tea, at a Hasty Market near where I was. Compared to the berry flavour I reviewed a few weeks ago, this is much better, but does cost an extra $1...partly due to the larger size.

Taste

The moment you pop open that top, the delicious and inviting aroma of peach and passion fruit engulfs you and brings your holding arm closer to your mouth which is already prepared to received the awesome goodness contained in that glass bottle. Though the aroma is peach heavy, the taste is passion fruit heavy with the peach coming in second in the finish. The passion fruit is intense and tangy and results in a very enjoyable initial experience. The black tea blends well with the peach and gives the drink a very mellow and smooth secondary flavour and finish. There is very little of the berry flavour, but who needs that when you have an awesome combination of passion fruit, peach and black tea.

Hands down, this is a very smooth and enjoyable drink before a nap, a deep sleep, or if you just want to relax. The one problem I have with drinking this before sleep is its 473 mL volume, which often times wakes me up in a couple of hours so that I can go and relieve myself.

Performance

Well, this is comparable to the berry flavour, except it is a bit stronger since there are an extra 100 mL. It does mellow you out, but it also creates a much stronger desire to sleep than the smaller, berry, container. If you are strong, you can fight through the urge, but if you want to give in, enjoy a pleasant sleep.

I would still pick this over the berry flavour simply because of its amazing taste.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from the Hasty Market
Taste - 9.8/10
Performance - 8.5/10

Overall - 18.3/20...one of the best relaxation beverages which mellows you out without making you want to fall asleep...too much

HyDrive Energy Extra Strength Black Cherry Review

2011-06-08T06:25:00.003-04:00

It is no secret that HyDrive are one of my favorite energy drink manufacturers, if not my favorite one. All of their energy drinks taste great and work, just look at my top 5 best tasting drinks. So when I received their new product, which has more caffeine than their previous energy drinks, I was in tears...tears of joy that is.

Taste

The taste is along the same lines as the other HyDrive energy drinks - an intense citric punch followed by the flavour. The black cherry taste is well defined for a drink with only 30 calories. In fact the taste rivals that of drinks with a ton of sugar.

Unfortunately, not all is peachy with this new drink. Unlike the rest of the HyDrive line-up, there is a noticeable hint of an artificial sweetener which follows the citric black cherry bite and lingers well into the finish. I presume the extra amount of caffeine created an off-putting bitterness, which the makers decided to counteract with some extra sweetness.

That said, this HyDrive still tastes better than most energy drinks out there.

Energy

I mentioned that the black cherry flavour has more caffeine than the rest of the HyDrive drinks, but how much more? Well, there are 195 mg of caffeine in the bottle. You next question might be - How does this compare to other energy drinks? Well, in order to answer that, the caffeine must be prorated:

The bottle is 458 mL and contains 195 mg of caffeine, so then if we convert it into an equivalent, 473 mL volume, we get 201.4 mg of caffeine.

Not a huge difference, but it does break the 200 mg mark, a feat not achieved by many mainstream energy drinks.

So how does it work? Well, like any other HyDrive, except that the effects are much more noticeable and last a bit longer. It took about 15 to 20 minutes for my mind to clear up and for me to start focusing. The effects were gradual, but a bit slower than I expected. Another 20 minutes later the caffeine hit and I felt very energized and like I could do a million things. As advertised, there are no jitters, even with the extra caffeine.

The energy boost lasted for about 3 to 4 hours and it was fantastic. I felt focused and on my feet the entire morning. The finish was, of course, without a crash.

Proprietary Blend:

Caffeine - 195 mg
Taurine - 50 mg
L-Arginine - 25 mg
L-Carnitine - 25 mg
Yerba Mate Leaf Extract - 25 mg

Ingredients: purified water, sucrose, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium citrate, caffeine, caramel color, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, monopotassium phosphate, sucralose, d-calcium pantothenate, niacinamide, taurine, l-arginine hydrochloride, l-carnitine, gum arabic, red #40, pyridoxine hydrochloride, glycerol ester of wood rosin, yerba mate, leaf extractive, folic acid, cyanocobalamin.

Scores:
Cost - not sure
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 8.4/10

Overall - 16.4/20...some sweetener taste, but still true to the HyDrive line up

Stay Alert Arctic Mint Energy Gum Review

2011-05-31T19:37:00.003-04:00

I love the slogan on this package - "Stay Alive If You Stay Alert". I also love the subtle ad in the upper left corner - available on amazon.com. I got this from KingofCaffeine and not from Amazon.

Taste

Each piece is blue and the size of a Mento with a small nipple on one side. After the first few bites, the piece crumbles like a semi-hard candy, but once those crumbs soak up some saliva, they stick together and form the chewing gum. I was a bit turned off by that at the beginning, but after about 30 seconds of chewing the crumbs, I had already forgotten about them. Though this is supposed to be arctic mint, I did not get the burst of mint I was expecting. Instead I got a sweet spearmint taste with a gentle bite at the back of my tongue. This is not bad, but I was expecting more of a bite.

Like with any other energy gum, the are some signs of active ingredients. After a minute or so of chewing, a light bitterness starts to develop, which slowly builds over the suggested 5 minute chewing time. If you exceed the 5 minutes, the bitterness continuous to build up and does get off putting. Stay within the 5 minutes and you should end up with a refreshing taste, with a very subtle hint of artificial sweeteners, and no sign of bitterness.

Energy

There are 100 mg of caffeine in each piece and five minutes is enough! I chewed a piece for 5 minutes and waited for the suggested 15 minutes to experience the kick. In less than 15 minutes, I started to wake up and feel energized. The effects are great- there are no jitters or a crash at the end, which comes about an hour and a half later. For the first few minutes I even felt focused on what o was doing, which is not something I was promised by the label.

Scores
Cost - $2.50
Taste - 8/10 for the first 5 minutes, 6.5/10 after
Energy - 7/0 to 10/10 depending on the number of pieces you chew

Overall - 13.5/20 to 18/20...depending on the number of pieces you chew and the length of time you chew them for

Firefly Chillout Blackcurrant and Cinnamon Review

2011-05-28T17:23:00.002-04:00

On the opposite end of the Firefly drinks I picked up on the weekend, there is the Chill Out flavour, which combines many of the ingredients you find in anti-energy drinks.

Taste

I love blackcurrants, especially in the form of juice. It is even better when there is 45% juice. The taste is tart with a nice minty-like hit at the start. There is also a very nice lemon taste which start to develop nicely towards the end of each sip and lasts well into the aftertaste. The cinnamon taste is weak, which I sort of like because it compliments the rest of the taste rather than dominating it.

Bottom line is, this blackcurrant juice did not disappoint, but this was more than just blackcurrant juice with its lemon, apple and cinnamon notes.

Performance

As mentioned, the active ingredients present in this drink are the same ingredients present in most anti-energy drinks so the drink does work. It kicks in around 15-20 minutes after drinking and the effects are good enough to almost put you to sleep. I say almost because unlike other anti-energy drinks, it is not as strong, but does still works fairly well.

I caution you not to drink this all at once if you are focusing on work as it will slow you down. However, it works great when you just want to relax.

Scores:
Cost - $3.49
Taste - 9.9/10
Performance - 8/10

Overall - 17.9/20...awesome

Shark Energy Drink Review

2011-05-27T18:43:00.002-04:00

Shark Energy Drink is one of those energy drinks you see a lot of online, but not in stores...at least not where I live or travel regularly. I found this one at a small convenience store near my hotel in Montreal for $2.09, which I thought was reasonable given its size and the ever increasing cost of the 250 mL Red Bull can. It also seemed like a very old can because there was a thick, black layer of dust I had to wipe off before drinking.

Taste

If it looks like a Red Bull, it is made in Thailand, then it is a Red Bull...clone. That is all.

But wait, it is not completely a clone. The taste has a berry tone, which starts off sweet and then amplifies the taste towards the end. Compared to a Red Bull, there is more candy-like sweetness, which builds up quickly and by the end of the can you are thinking you are consuming syrup. The aftertaste is a bit more pleasant with a some of the candy and berry tones.

If you like Red Bull, you will like this one. If you hate Red Bull, try another drink.

Energy

As expected, there are 80 mg of caffeine, but the effects of this drink are much faster and more powerful at the start than a normal Red Bull. I think it is because of all the sugar. I felt a spike in my energy levels within 10 minutes, a spike that was definitely due to the sugar. I could feel this at the back of my head and this is not something I experience too often. Surprisingly, the jitters lasted for moments and appeared around the time I felt the sugar rush to my brain.

The caffeine kicked in another 25-30 minutes later and energy boost was different. The overall effects of the drink were comparable to those of a can of Red Bull as they lasted just over an hour.

Scores:
Cost - $2.09
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 5.9/10

Overall - 14.7/20...Red Bull clone with a berry twist and a comparable kick

Lucozade Energy Drink Tropical Review

2011-05-26T20:48:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I had the original Lucozade to set up a baseline for comparison. I paid $1.99 for it and got it from a T&T supermarket.

Taste

Holy crap does this have a passion fruit aroma! Going in for a sip, its scent is overpowering, but the taste is not as strong. It is a blend of passion fruit, pineapple and little citrus. The taste, unlike the original, is very sweet, especially towards the end of each sip. The sweetness builds up over time and by the end of the bottle you feel like you are drinking syrup. This is something that was much better executed by the original Lucozade.

The drink is also very carbonated and made me feel a bit bloated when I had it early in the morning. The carbonation also kills some of the flavour, which is why I think the taste is not as strong as the aroma. The finish is also on the dry side so a combination between that and the high level of sweetness, results in me reaching for a glass of water. I liked it more than the regular Lucozade, but I just wish it was not as sweet and less carbonated.

Energy

Caffeine is one of the main ingredients of this drink, but sadly the label does not say how much is in it. I will assume it is as much as the original Lucozade since the ingredients are similar. I felt a bit more energized at first with this one due to the sugar. Once the sugar effects were gone, the caffeine did a similar job.

Bottom line is the only difference between this and the original Lucozade is the taste.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 5.8/10

Overall -13.8/20...like the original, only tastier

Syzmo Passion Review

2011-05-25T18:12:00.000-04:00

After trying Syzmo Original and liking it, I went back to the Hasty Market to look for another Syzmo flavour and got lucky. Cost of the can - $1.99.

Taste

Does this ever smell great? Like a medley of various berries. Unfortunately aromas are deceiving and the taste has many of the Syzmo Original earthy characteristics. I liked the earthy flavour, but when you are expecting a nice burst of berries, you feel a bit disappointed when there isn't one.

The base taste of Syzmo Passion is very similar to that of the original one, but what makes it different is its subtle berry hint. An even more subtle cherry note is present, but mostly in the aftertaste. The overall taste is a touch sweeter and the sweetness does build up, but it never reaches critical mass and makes you want to drink a bucket of water.

Energy
Like the original, there are 80 mg of caffeine and the effects are fast. I know you cannot absorb caffeine fast, but this drink has other active ingredients (other than sugar) which give you a very quick boost which lasts long enough for the caffeine to make its way around your body. The effects are nothing that makes you want to run around, but are enough to give you a nice jolt early in the morning. The caffeine kicks in later and provides a comfortable amount of energy, which unfortunately wears off in about 1.5 hours.

The overall effects of this drink last for about 2 hours with no side effects, such as jitters or a crash.

Scores: Cost - $1.99
Taste - 8.2/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 14.2/20...like the original, only a tad sweeter with subtle berry notes

Rage Shot Tropical Punch Review

2011-05-24T18:04:00.000-04:00

It has been months since I have reviewed an energy shot, roughly the same length of time this has been sitting on my desk. A quick look at the "best before" date at the start of this post revealed its lengthy shelf life of a good 3 years. Good, I am not poisoning myself today...at least not with this shot.

I found this energy shot at the oddest of places - Dollarama. You guessed it, I paid only $1 for this. I should start visiting Dollarama more often in search of caffeinated drinks.

Taste

The label says tropical, but the aroma tells a different story, a berry story. The taste tells a third story, a mixed one. A watery, sour berry note with a bit of pineapple emerges and is the dominant flavour. The second sip revealed a second set of sour, more tropical notes. They are very generic and I was having a difficult time pinpointing the exact ingredients present in the flavour.

Towards the end of each sip, a bitter, caffeine note starts to develop, which lasts well into the aftertaste. I was expecting this bitterness to come, but to my surprise, the shot's flavour delayed until the very last moment. Many similar energy shots start off bitter with a bit of flavour, but not this one. The bitterness is noticeable, but not that intrusive. In fact, if you take small sips of the shot, by the end of it, its sourness would have build up to a point where you can barely notice the bitterness.

Not bad for an energy shot I found at a dollar store.

Energy

There are 160 mg of caffeine, which is about the same amount as a 473 mL energy drink. Not bad for this little guy. The energy effects are noticeable within 10-15 minutes and kick in in their typical energy shot fashion - almost all at once. Minutes after I felt the initial effects, I was feeling wired and just ready to run around. The hyper caffeine effect wore off quickly, but I felt greatly energized for hours after that. This cheap shot surprised me quite a bit.

Scores:
Cost - $1 from Dollarama
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 15/20...fantastic energy shot for a dollar

FireFly Wake Up Review

2011-05-18T17:14:00.000-04:00

It has been a long time since I have had a FireFly for one big reasons - availability. This drink is not available in most stores and I have only been able to find it at boutique grocery stores health places. Well, last weekend I came across a large batch of these at the local LobLaws and I picked up a few flavors I have not yet tried.

I am trying the Wake Up beverage, which contains a whole bunch of botanical extracts that are supposed to give you a natural energy boost. Some of the extracts do contain caffeine, but I expect it to be present in small quantities.

Taste

So how does the peach and green tea flavour taste like? Well, it tastes amazing. I normally take a few sips when I first open a drink to see how the taste sits, but with this one, I actually had to stop myself from down it all in one go. I managed to stop at the two-thirds mark, with about one-third left, sit back and reflect on what my throat just had the opportunity of swallowing. The taste is very earthy with a heavy tea presence dominated by the yerba mate. The light green tea flavour is present, but it serves as something that rounds off the mate, making it smoother and easier to consume. The peach is mostly present in the aroma, but does make appearances here and there while you are drinking. It does come back in the aftertaste as a not-too-sweet reminder of the awesomeness you just enjoyed. There are a few additional flavors that also come and go and ultimately aid in making the entire experience more enjoyable. Sweet apple and slightly tart grapes come at the start of each sip and return again in the aftertaste.

This is a fantastic drink that sits perfectly in the mouth, it is neither sweet, nor sour and is an absolute joy to drink. Too bad it retails for $3.49.

Energy

As I mentioned already, there are botanical extracts which are supposed to give you a more natural energy boost so an actual caffeine content is not given anywhere on the label. However, some of the ingredients, that are used in many energy drinks, do contain small amounts of caffeine.

The energy comes within 15-20 minutes, but is it by no means something that can be compared to an energy drink. The experience is comparable to taking a pleasant walk when you are feeling tired and are having troubles focusing. The drink acts as more of a brain cleanser than something that will make you jump up and down or make you talk twice as fast as you normally do.

Scores:
Cost - $3.49 from LobLaws
Taste - 9.8/10
Energy - 6/10

Overall - 15.8/20...would be much higher if I didn't evaluate it as an energy drink

Marley's Mellow Mood Relaxation Beverage Berry Review

2011-05-18T05:56:00.001-04:00

Here is another interesting product to add to my growing anti-energy section. I find it as a bit of a surprise for someone to use Bob Marley's image for a drink, but on the other hand, a relaxation beverage fits his image perfectly. Well, I drink this to you Bob Marley.

Taste

For those who don't know, these drinks actually come in a variety of flavours. I have had the pleasure of trying a couple before writing this review and I can tell you for sure that the tea-based ones are excellent.

The berry one, on the other hand, is more like a soda and even though the label states that it is lightly carbonated, it is not. Not only does it drink like a soda, but it also tastes like one too - it is sweet and the berry flavour is strong, but not well defined. You know it tastes like berries, but it is hard to tell which ones. I was able to detect a bit of raspberries in the aftertaste, and some strawberries at the start, but it all just sort of blends while you are drinking it. Don't take this the wrong way, this does not taste bad, it is just not well defined.

In addition to the berry taste, the relaxation ingredients also have an effect. They give the beverage a bit of an earthy tone which I welcomed very much as it took the sugar edge off...just a little. They are not strong to the point of wrecking your enjoyment, but can definitely be tasted.

I thought the berry flavour was OK, but I much prefer the tea-based ones. I hope to find them again the near future and this time write a review.

Performance

I cracked open this can about a little less than 2 hours before my normal bed time and drank it, while reading some of my RSS feeds, over the course of half an hour. By the end of that half hour, I definitely started to feel something. I was a bit more relaxed and was able to focus on articles and actually read them thoroughly and not just skim them. This focused period was shorter than I wanted it to be and I fell victim to this drink's relaxation effects.

Less than an hour into this drink, I was starting to feel the desire to go to bed early and skip my evening reading time. It was hard, but I fought the urge and stayed up.

Bob Marley's Mellow Mood...you do a pretty good job at mellowing me out. Good job. Just one suggestion, add less sugar for two main reasons - to avoid a sugar rush before bed and to curb the sweetness a bit.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from the Hasty Market
Taste - 7/10
Performance - 7.5/10

Overall - 14.5/20...does what it promises, but it could do it with less sugar

Zombie Jerky Review

2011-05-16T18:55:00.002-04:00

I bought a pack of Zombie Jerky months ago, but never found the time or urge to try it until now. When it first arrived I was very excited, but when I saw the green ball of spice and coloring at the bottom of the pack, I was turned off and just put it aside. Over time the clump of green stuff started to separate and after continuous shakes over the weeks, it started to blend with the meat. It is now a Sunday evening, I am bored and the unopened pack is staring me in the face...it is go time.

I would normally do my review in two sections - Taste and Energy, but unlike the Perky Jerky, there is no caffeine in this here Zombie Jerky, just some meat and coloring in an awesome package. In fact, the package is so awesome that it tells you to discard the "flesh" 28 days after opening. I am not sure if this is a reference to the 28 Days Later or if the meat starts to develop a funky aroma/taste after 4 weeks of being opened, but I still find this awesome.

Underneath the green coloring emanates the aroma of smoked and spiced meat with some teriyaki. The green coloring does not stick to the meat very well, so whatever you pull out of the pack can be easily shaken off any green goop that has stuck to it. Under the green goop is plain looking jerky that is very tender and easy to chew. The teriyaki flavor is there, but compared to real jerky, it is mild and overpowered by the meat itself. Eating the green goop adds some sourness to the taste, which reminds me of eating steak with greens. Once you get past the gimmick factor, the jerky is not that great when compared to regular teriyaki jerky, or even Perky Jerky, and leaves a lot to be desired. On the other hand, it did taste much better than I originally expected. However, $5 is a fairly high price to pay for this. I could stomach it better if it was something along the lines of $3.

Overall, this is not as bad as I expected, but I wish the green coloring was done a bit more different and better

Scores:
Cost - $4.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 6.8/10

Overall - 6.8/10...I am judging this from beef jerky taste perspective

Méchante Energy Drink Review

2011-05-10T18:29:00.000-04:00

This energy drink is only sold by the Couche-Tard convenience store chain in Québec, which makes it extremely rare outside of the province. Once in Québec, the drink is available at every Couche-Tard store for $2.99. I sort of like the carbon fiber-like background with what looks like the head of a large cat.

Taste

You were probably already thinking, I know I was. This is a Red Bull clone! Its color, its aroma, its taste, everything is like a Red Bull. I only say "like" because Cott Beverages are the producer of this drink. These are the same guys who make Red Rain, Red Rave, Bone Chillin', etc. All of these drinks are Red Bull clones, except they are not as sweet and have a bit more citric acid giving them a nice bite and a crisp finish. Méchante is no different, all it is, is just a new container and sold exclusively in Québec. Personally, I like this crisper taste, but the bottom line is that this energy drink offers nothing new or interesting.

Energy

The good thing about this container is that there are 150 mg of caffeine, but if you were to do the math, this is exactly how much caffeine you will find in 473 mL of Red Bull:

473 mL/250 mL = 1.892
1.892 x 80 mg = 151.36 mg of caffeine

On the bright side, you do not have to open two cans of Red Bull, but just one can of Méchante, which costs about the same as a single Red Bull can.

The effects of this drink are the same as any other beverage made by Cott or the equivalent Red Bull. Bone Chillin' is the best energy drink to compare this to - it is the same size, same taste, and almost the same caffeine content.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16.4/20...there may not be anything new and interesting about this drink, but I still like its taste

Xyience Xenergy Fruit Punch Review

2011-05-09T16:27:00.000-04:00

I bought this new Xyience about a week ago and somehow completely forgot about it sitting in the fridge. This new energy drink is both a new flavour and comes in a limited edition can with Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy on it. It retails for $2.99 at 7-11 stores, which is about the average price everywhere else.

Taste

The fruit punch taste is pretty damn good for a sugar free drink. The berry taste is strong with tart cranberries leading at the front of the flavour. Raspberries and cherries are close seconds adding some more to the tartness. The citrus side of the punch comes in towards the finish with a very nice citric bite. The aftertaste is crisp, refreshing with a lot of remaining berry/citrus flavours and very little sweetener. The drink is less carbonated than usual making it very easy to drink fast with minimum stops for burps. The overall flavour is surprisingly strong and tasty for a sugar free energy drink and I have to say that this may very well become my "go to" drink. Too bad it is a limited run at this point. If Xyience are reading this, I ask them to turn this into a regular drink, because it is one of their best tasting ones, if not the best tasting.

Energy

The expected 200 mg of caffeine are present and in combination with the citric bite this drink has, the results reveal themselves almost right away. I was really tired at the beginning of this post, but after I had my first coupe of sips, I almost instantly woke up and my mind focused. This initial effect is definitely due to the sourness of the drink than the caffeine, but it worked surprisingly well on me. Soon after the effects disappear, but then every sip acts like a small jolt until the caffeine starts to be absorbed by the body. Then the energy really kicks in and stays. I experienced a fantastic energy boost for over 3 hours with no side effects - no jitters at the start and no crash at the end.

Xyience really took me by surprise with this energy drink. Bravo!

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 8.7/10

Overall - 17.6/20...my new favorite Xyience energy drink - it tastes great and works great. Give it a shot, especially if you are not a fan of sugar free drinks, because this will change your mind about some of them

Syzmo Original Organic Energy Drink Review

2011-05-04T06:22:00.004-04:00

Last weekend was my first time going to a Hasty Market and to my surprise I learned that they have a lot of energy drinks and various other soft drinks. I picked up a bunch I have never tried before and I will start the review process with the Syzmo Original, an energy drink made with blue agave.

Taste

The unexpected aroma of Monster hit me as soon as I opened and poured this drink. It looks a lot like it too - candy like, golden in color. The taste is barely similar, though. Syzmo has a very earthy taste that is just a bit sweet. But the sweetness is different, it is much more caramel-like thank straight up sugar sweetness. There is a good deal of yerba mate immediately following the initial earthy and sweet flavour, which is followed by a subtle coffee taste. Odd, as this drink does not look like something that is made with coffee. The aftertaste is a combination of yerba mate and light coffee notes with very mild candy-like sweetness, which is why I said this was only barely similar to Monster.

Overall, I strangely enjoyed Syzmo with its unexpected flavours, but I am not sure that many will. If you are a fan of yerba mate (the real deal), then you will enjoy this.

Energy

I am not completely sure how much caffeine is in this drink as the label says 80 mg of caffeine, but it also lists coffee berry extract, 130 mg, as an ingredient. Whatever it is, it is not as strong as a 473 mL energy drink, but it does offer more than a 250 mL one. Though there is sugar in the drink, you do not feel its effects as much as you would from a larger energy drink. Though there is a delay of about 15-20 minutes, the energy kick is gradual and there are no initial jitters. The caffeine starts to kick in around the 30-35 minute mark and this is when you start feeling great...for about the 1.5-2 hours its effects last.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99
Taste - 8.2/10
Energy - 5.9/10

Overall - 14.1/20...great earthy tones with the addition of blue agave syrup and an OK kick

Lucozade Energy Drink Review

2011-05-02T18:47:00.002-04:00

I have seen this many times online but have never had the chance to try one until today. I was at a T&T supermarket last night when I came across a bunch of Lucozade bottles for $1.99 each. I picked up all three flavors I found and am starting off with the Original to set a baseline.

Taste

Hmm, an energy drink made by a pharmaceutical company. Interesting. Upon unscrewing the cap I was greeted by an aroma that is a combination of a cheap orange drink, vitamins and something sour which reminds me of medicine. The taste is similar with a mild orange-tangerine-like flavour, a lot of carbonation and, to my surprise, very little sweetness. After a few large gulps, I started to notice a hint of pears which added a nice twist. The finish is very dry with a nice citric acid kick which cleanses your palette. But what does it cleanse it of? There is very little flavor and each time something close to orange touches your taste buds, the carbonation kills it.

The dryness of this drink really took me by surprise, but I think that those that don't like sugary drinks may find this enjoyable.

Energy

Caffeine is one of the primary ingredients of this energy drink, but nowhere on the label does it say how much of is present. A quick search online reveals that there are between 40 and 50 mg of caffeine, which for an energy drink of this size, is on the lower end.

The kick comes in with a bit of a delay since there is less sugar than comparable non-diet energy drinks, but it can be felt. I experienced a very brief, unexpected jittery moment, which was followed by a nice hour-long caffeine bump.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from T&T
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 5.8/10

Overall - 12.8/20...not bad, but not great

Base+ Energy Drink Review

2011-04-28T06:29:00.004-04:00

I found this energy drink at a Mac's convenience store in Montreal on the weekend for $2.99. This is my first Base energy drink and as it turns out, this particular one, is Base's strongest drink.

Taste

The drink comes with the all too familiar, and hated by many, Red Bull-like aroma. Unlike all those clones out there, the similarities stop at the aroma. I was pleasantly surprised to find the taste to be completely different. It starts off very bubbly with some cherries and cranberries and a lot of citric acid which gives it a nice bite and a crisp finish. There is a bit of that candy-like, Monster, flavour but it comes and goes as the citric acid easily overpowers it. The finish is dry and crisp and the aftertaste is fresh and mostly clean with only minor cranberry and candy notes.

Bottom line is that I liked it because of its sour nature and clean aftertaste.

Energy

Knowing that this is Base's strongest energy drink, I was expecting to see a caffeine content north of 200 mg, but unfortunately there only 151 mg, which seems pretty standard, if not slightly below the standard. The energy comes in almost instantly. I woke up a little groggy and opened this drink to try it. In less than a minute I was almost fully awakened and within 10 minutes I was experiencing some minor jitters. Perhaps the sourness gave my body the jolt it needed to wake up, or perhaps the sugar was absorbed very quickly.

The real energy did not starting coming in until around 25 - 30 minutes later once the jitters had died down a bit. The effects were similar to many of the other 473 mL energy drinks and lasted for over 3 hours and surprisingly I did not experience a crash. Base...not bad.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Taurine - 1,892 mg
Caffeine - 151 mg
Sodium - 130 mg
Inositol - 95 mg
Potassium Chloride - 64 mg
Vitamin C - 47 mg
Nicotinic Acid - 38 mg
D-Calcium Pantothenate - 9.5 mg
Vitamin B6 - 9.5 mg
Vitamin B12 - 9.5 mcg
Vitamin A - 946 IU
Vitamin E - 6 IU

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: carbonated water, glucose-fructose, dextrose, citric acid, natural and artificial flavours, colour, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, gum arabic, juice concentrate (cranberry, blackberry, aronia), ester gum.

If you are like me and actually read the ingredients and your attention was focused on "nicotinic acid", do not worry, that just means niacin...according to whoever edited the Wikipedia page.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.8/10
Energy - 7.8/10

Overall - 16.6/20...great taste with a great bite and a decent kick

Shock-A-Lots Coffee Bean Candy Review

2011-04-27T19:45:00.002-04:00

I kept referring to this as Shock-A-Lates because I thought it was something chocolatey. Oh yeah, I was wrong, but now I know.

Taste

Unlike all the other coffee bean candy I have tried, these look more like M&M's than anything else. They are small, round and yellow. Underneath the yellow coating is chocolate and underneath the chocolate is a coffee bean. If you are just popping those in your mouth without looking inside, you will never know there is a coffee bean. It is very soft and very easy to chew. The overall taste is actually pretty good and addicting. At first I thought I would never go through the entire bag, but after eating a few, I wanted to keep going. The chocolate is milky, the coffee flavor is great and on top of everything, there is a bit of a rum and vanilla taste. On the negative side, the sweetness does tend to build up so halfway through the bag you will want to drink something.

I recommend these to people who find chocolate covered coffee beans to be either too hard for their teeth, or too bitter.

Energy

The label says that 1 bag is equal to a cup of coffee, which means that there are between 80 to 100 mg of caffeine in the bag. I started to wake up after I ate 6-7 and stopped to go do something. By the end of the bag I was feeling pretty good, a lot like I just had a can of Red Bull but with none of the jitters. Unlike the can of Red Bull the kick last just a bit longer and there wasn't a crash at the end.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 6.8/10

Overall - 15.3/20...great tasting chocolate covered beans with a rummy twist

Dark Dog Energy Drink Review

2011-04-26T17:59:00.002-04:00

I recently went to Montreal and on the way there I stopped at every gas station and small convenience store I saw. When my trip was over, I came back home with 7 new energy drinks and 1 anti-energy drink. By no means are these "new" energy drinks new to many of you, but they are to me. I chose to try Dark Dog first, which advertises itself as a guarana-based energy drink without taurine.

Taste

Even before I opened the can, I was expecting the all too familiar Red Bull aroma to hit me...and it did. The taste is similar too, except that it is creamier and a bit less acidic. There is a bit more of the candy taste here which makes the finish sweeter.

Halfway through the can, the Red Bull taste started to die down a bit and to get replaced by the sweet, creamy candy-like taste which I started find better tasting.

Overall I enjoyed this drink and was pleasantly surprised by its Red Bull-clone to Red Bull-with-a-twist transition halfway through.

Energy

Unlike the 250 mL can of Red Bull, there are only 50 mg of caffeine in this one, all of which come from guarana. I felt a kick within minutes due to the sugar content, which was surprisingly not followed, or accompanied, by a dose of the jitters. The caffeine kicked in a bit later and for about an hour I felt greatly energized. I didn't experience a crash once the effects wore off, but I did wish there was more caffeine.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99
Taste - 8.7/10
Energy - 5.8/10

Overall - 14.5/20...great tasting, Red Bull-like with a twist energy drink but with only 50 mg of caffeine

Rockstar Pink Energy Drink Review

2011-04-19T18:26:00.000-04:00

I don't know if I am overlooking it, or if it is not supposed to be there, but I cannot find the actual name of the drink anywhere on the front of the can. I had to look really hard to locate the one, tiny, little word that refers to it as Pink on the back of the label, next to the ingredients list. The name aside, this is the pinkest, and second most girly energy drink I have had the pleasure of holding and consuming...and be seen with. It also comes with a straw attached to its side, and that, I thought, was pretty awesome.

Taste

Hmm, the taste is kind of odd, but rather enjoyable. The carbonation is as excessive as the 2X energy drink on and that robs you from the initial taste. Once the bubbles settle a combination of berries and citrus flavours emerge. The citrus flavour becomes especially strong in the finish and develops in the aftertaste. It is a very typical lemon-lime mix, similar to sprite or 7Up. The berries give it a bit of sweetness, which at first is nice, but in the aftertaste it becomes apparent that it is mostly from the artificial sweetener, whose typical diet-taste becomes very apparent. The finish is crisp, a tad dry and sort of refreshing thanks to the lemon-lime combo. Overall, this is another decent sugar free energy drink that is obviously made to appeal to women.

Also, the straw might be a nice touch, but it really slows your drinking. I say, toss it aside and chug this like you would any other energy drink, you caffeine junkie!

Energy

Unlike the awesomely caffeinated 2X I had a few days ago, this one packs a modest 120 mg of caffeine. It is not bad, but it is the same amount found in a comparable Red Bull can. The one main difference, obviously, is the lack of sugar in this one, which makes the energy kick in with no jitters. I felt starting to wake up about 20 minutes after consuming this, but it really wasn't for another 15 - 20 minutes that I felt energized. The boost lasted for less than two hours, which measures anywhere between a single, small Red Bull can and a regular Rockstar. Unlike either one, you will probably not experience a crash with this one.

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 7/10

Overall - 15/20...different and cool, but I would rather have something with more caffeine like 2X

CaffeMallows Caffeinated Mashmallows Review

2011-04-18T18:14:00.002-04:00

I have been eating a lot of marshmallows lately, so when I was shopping for caffeinated goodies on chemical evolution.com, I simply had to get some caffeinated marshmallows. I ordered the variety pack, which includes 3 different kinds of coffee-flavored marshmallows.

The variety pack comes in a very nice, very simple, plastic box with 3, rather large, individually wrapped marshmallows. Another nice touch is the large slit, each of the individual packages come with, which makes opening them very easy.

Taste

Mocca - a large, brown square resembling a brownie. The marshmallow is spongy and a little sticky. It has a strong coffee and dark chocolate aroma The taste is similar, though the coffee is a lot stronger than the chocolate. There are bits of chocolate in the marshmallow, which bump the overall enjoyment up a notch. There is some bitterness, but it all comes from the coffee and chocolate. There is none from artificial sources, which is always a good thing. Overall, this is a fantastic tasting treat.

Java - similarly large brown square minus the cocoa chunks. This one is just as spongy though not nearly as sticky as the Mocca one. The taste is very bold with a lot of espresso and just a hint of vanilla. Some cinnamon comes towards the end, but is overpowered by the espresso and vanilla notes. Overall the texture was a bit spongier and a tad weird, but it was another great tasting marshmallow.

Coffee - a different shade of brown and a bit smaller than the others. This one is a bit firmer and has a milder coffee taste with the same vanilla blast and cinnamon finish. The taste at the start was a bit off, but once your saliva penetrates the marshmallow, its delicious coffee juices start to flow. Also tastes great.

Energy

Though the package does not state the actual caffeine content, I reckon it is similar to that of a small coffee, because this is what I experienced after eating one. The effects kick in within 10 minutes and there is very little jitters. The caffeine kicks in fully within 30 or so minutes and it works great.

Though I was skeptical at first, these marshmallows really proved themselves. They tasted great and worked rather well. A definite recommendation.

Scores:
Cost - $5.99 for a 3 pack from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - Mocca - 9/10, Java - 8.8/10, Coffee - 8.6/10
Energy - 7.5/10

Overall - 16.1/20 to 16.5/20...depending on the flavor

Rockstar 2X Energy Review

2011-04-13T18:27:00.000-04:00

Here is another US-only (as of the time of this post) energy drink I received from a reader. This one came out not too long ago in the States and who knows, it might makes its way across the border at some time in the future. Unlike all other Rockstar cans, this one is a tall and slim one with only 355 mL of the liquid energy...but twice as much caffeine.

Taste

The pretty black top with bright yellow/green tab pops open to reveal the familiar Rockstar aroma, only a bit sweeter. The taste is similar too for the exception of the fact that this is a low carb drink and the results of that are noticeable in the finish and aftertaste. The intense carbonation overpowers most of the taste, but you can still taste a very faint and dull original Rockstar underneath it all. The extra carbonation manages to give the finish some crispness and help you generate some powerful and loud burps. The finish is where things get a bit weird - it is very dry and until you get some saliva going or have some water, your mouth will stay dry. There are traces of artificial sweeteners but unlike many diet drinks, this one tastes better. There is also a candy-like aftertaste which I really enjoyed. There are no traces of the additional energy ingredients which is something I was expecting so well done Rockstar.

Overall the flavour is a bit dull, the carbonation is a bit too much, but I found the aftertaste to be very enjoyable for a low carb drink.

Energy

There are 250 mg of caffeine in this 355 mL can, which is a pretty solid content. But is it really twice as much caffeine? Lets do the math:

Single can of Rockstar is 473 mL and contains about 160 mg of caffeine. This results in 0.338 mg/mL
The tall can has 0.704 mg/mL

I am no mathlete, but 2 x 0.338 = 0.676...What a bunch of liars. You should have called this drink Rockstar 2.08X. But seriously, if aren't able to read through the sarcasm, this does contains twice as much caffeine per mL basis.

So all this additional caffeine and low sugar kick in fairly quickly with very little of the jitters. I felt surprisingly awake and overly energized in about 15 - 20 minutes. If Rockstar had left the same amount of sugar in this drink then the jitters may have been a bit more, but good job for balancing the sugar/caffeine portion of the drink. The 250 mg of caffeine kicked in all of the sudden about 20 minutes later and I felt great for hours. It had been a while since I felt this good. I did not experience a sudden crash at the end, though I did started to feel a bit tired, part of it could have been due to the post lunch downs.

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 7/10
Energy - 9.5/10

Overall - 16.5/20...though not the greatest tasting Rockstar, this one definitely has a solid kick

Monster Java Kona Blend Review

2011-04-07T18:25:00.000-04:00

A reader recently sent me a few American energy drinks which you cannot get in Canada...at least not as of this moment. One of these is the Kona Blend from the Monster Java family. Though you can find most of them here, there are a couple that still haven't made it across the border.

Taste

I had no idea what to expect from a drink called Kona so I had a quick read through some of the text on the can. It turns out that Kona is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and some of the best coffee beans in the world come from there. So what this Kona Blend is, is an energy drink with some Kona beans in it. Does it taste any better than the other Monster Javas? Well, it is hard to say since I haven't had one in a while, but the drink itself tastes great. There is a creamy coffee taste with hints of vanilla and enough sugar to make it easy to drink yet not too sweet. The finish is mostly creamy and sweet and the coffee flavours mellow out for a while, but do make a comeback after a few minutes. In the long run cream and sugar dominate the aftertaste. I really enjoyed drinking this energy drink, but compared to all the other Monster Java drinks, it just doesn't stand out. There is no obvious twist to it like in the case of Monster Java Irish Blend.

Energy

For some odd reason there is no caffeine content on the American label. The caffeine is given as part of a 5,000 mg energy blend (per can) which also contains guarana and a few other ingredients. A quick Internet search reveals that the can contains around 160 mg of caffeine, which seems odd since the Canadian Java's contain between 175 mg and 190 mg. The difference is probably not that noticeable, but on paper the numbers are higher.

The kick is very similar to all the other Javas with a quick sugar rush with a side of jitters followed by a gradual caffeine kick. The drink starts to have an effect within 15 to 20 minutes with a healthy knee shake. I thought the jitters were a bit more than what I have had recently, but then I remembered that all the energy drinks I have consumed lately have been sugar free. The kick lasts for a couple of hours but was nothing overly impressive. Sure, it was great, but it left me wanting more.

Scores:
Cost - not sure
Taste - 8.2/10
Energy - 7.8/10

Overall - 16/20...tastes great and works well, but just doesn't stand out with anything unique

Monster Import Light Energy Drink Review

2011-04-05T18:27:00.000-04:00

This is the second newly introduced Canadian Monster, the light version of the recently introduced Monster Import. The two newly introduced Monster light drinks are perfectly suited for comparison since one is a new sugar free version of the regular Monster and the other a light version of the regular European Monster, also know as Import. Which one would be better? Well, here is my opinion.

Taste

Monster Import Light comes in the same large, 550 mL can as the Monster Import, but unlike it, its label is a gigantic sticker and the text is blue. The aroma is similar - a sweeter North American Monster. The taste? Well, damn, it is the same - a sweet Monster with less of the cough syrup taste and very little signs of it being a light drink. I say very little, because there are almost no signs at all at first. It took me a few sips before I started to noticed traces of the artificial sweetener in the aftertaste. Overall, this surprised me as much as the Absolutely Zero did. Great sugar free alternative to Monster Import.

I have to say that both Absolutely Zero and Import Light are great tasting sugar free alternatives, which offer almost the same taste. The question is which regular Monster do you prefer? If you like the North American one, then you might enjoy Absolutely Zero. If you are a fan of the sweeter Monster Import, then Import Light is the alternative for you.

Energy

Larger can = more liquid, and more liquid = more caffeine....or does it? Nope, this sugar free alternative has the same problem as does Absolutely Zero - the caffeine content has been reduced. There are 160 mg of caffeine, which is pretty good, but much less than the regular Import.

Absolutely Zero had about 24 mg of caffeine less than its sugar-full sibling, while Import Light has 73 mg of caffeine less! That is almost 1 can of Red Bull less than the regular drink, and that is a significant amount of caffeine.

Of course that didn't stop me from drinking it and getting a good kick. I didn't experience too much of the jitters I felt drinking the regular Import and the energy kick was gradual and very solid for about two and a half hours without much of a problem at the end.

But hold on, this article is not over yet! The first thing you would notice when you pick up an object would be its texture and whether or not it is painful to hold it. Well, the first thing I noticed about this can, and also held off on was its shrink wrapping. I grabbed a knife and cut a piece large enough I can grab and peel the wrapping off. And here is what was underneath:

Well, OK, there was nothing unusual, like a whole another drink, but there was something very interesting. Underneath the plastic sleeve was the actual American label. This made me think - why don't more American energy drink manufacturers take this approach? Make a label and a can for the American market and simply create a plastic sleeve for the Canadian market with our labeling requirements? I am sure it will be cheaper and quicker. If one of you knows something more about this, send me an e-mail or leave a comment.

Scores:
Cost - $3.29
Taste - 7.9/10
Energy - 7.9/10

Overall - 15.8/20...another fairly decent Monster energy drink

KickButt Amped Energy Ballz Cherry Review

2011-04-04T18:47:00.003-04:00

KickButt amped energy ballz are back to the site and in cherry flavor. I got a pack of these for only $1.75 from ChemicalEvolution.com.

Taste

Well unlike the cappuccino balls, these are bright red in color and look like gigantic cherries with a tough exterior. The inside has the same texture and is also very chewy. There is a nice cherry taste that is not too artificial. Unfortunately underneath the cherry goodness lies a bitter undertone. On the bright side, the taste lasts all the way until the end, but so does some of the bitterness. The aftertaste is a mix of cherry, some bitterness and just a touch of artificial sweetener. The cappuccino balls did a much better job at hiding the bitterness from the caffeine and I recommend them over the cherry ones.

Energy

The caffeine content is the same as the cappuccino ones at 40 mg per ball for a total of 80 mg for the pack. The kick is similar to the cappuccino balls, which is comparable to a can of Red Bull.

Scores:
Cost - $1.75 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 6.5/10
Energy - 4/10 to 6/10

Overall - 10.5/20 to 12.5/20...depending on the number of balls you ingest

Monster Energy Absolutely Zero Review

2011-04-04T18:27:00.003-04:00

Monster Canada is responding to the newly imported Rockstar Recovery energy drinks (Grape and Orange) by importing a couple of their own. I was able to only find the Absolutely Zero, but I am on the lookout for Monster Import Light, both, sugar free energy drinks.

Personally, I like the design of the label, it is much better than the current Lo-Cal one, which I have not yet reviewed but planning on doing so in the near future.

Taste

Moments after I cracked the can open, the familiar Monster sweet, syrupy scent made its way to my nose. Upon a proper inspection, I verified that this indeed smells just like the regular Monster. What surprised me was that this tastes just like it too. Wait a minute. This is supposed to be sugar-free. Where is the diet taste? Well, there isn't one and this is absolutely shocking. I believe that Monster have found a way to eliminate the sugar and carbs without eliminating taste. I kept on drinking to see if there will be some artificial sweetener in the finish...and there is, but it is barely noticeable compared to, even, the recent Rockstar Recovery drinks. You have to drink quite a bit before you start to notice the sweetener.

OK, OK, in addition to the subtle sweetener finish, there is one other notable difference between this and the real deal - this is much crisper. The regular Monster felt like drinking syrup, but this has a very crisp finish that doesn't make me want to reach for a glass of water. I am not a huge fan of the original Monster, nor is a sugar-free energy drink my first choice, but this really surprised me. Now my goal is to get the regular sugar-free Monster and compare the two.

Energy

There are 136 mg of caffeine, which surprised me a bit since most of the other Monsters are between 160 mg and 200 mg. Not a huge deal, but needs to be pointed out. This drink kicks in in about 20 minutes and unlike the sugar drinks, there are no noticeable jitters. The caffeine kick was gradual and I was fully awake and energized in another 15-20 minutes. Even with 136 mg of caffeine, the effects lasted for about 2 hours and there wasn't much of a crash at the end. All in all, this was a pretty good sugar free energy drink, even if it almost tasted like the original Monster.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Taurine - 2,000 mg
Ginseng - 400 mg
Caffeine - 136 mg
Vitamin B3 - 40 mg
D-Glucuronolactone - 10 mg
Guarana - 10 mg
Inositol - 10 mg
Vitamin B6 - 4 mg
Vitamin B2 - 3.4 mg
Vitamin B12 - 12 mcg

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: carbonated water, citric acid, erythritol, naturally sources flavours, sodium citrate, grape skin extract, sorbic acid, sucralose, benzoic acid, acesulfame potassium, sodium chloride, maltodextrin

Scores:
Cost - $3.29
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 7.4/10

Overall - 15.4/20...excellent sugar free Monster drink

Barium Energy Powder Review

2011-03-29T19:00:00.002-04:00

So this is the fourth and last energy powder from Harcos Labs that I have. What a shame, I should have bought some more because they are quite tough and portable.

Taste

The powder is dark grey/purple in color and has a cherry coke-like aroma. The taste is pretty awesome and packs a serious sour kick, which I completely love. This is the one thing that has been missing from the other energy powders, and this one has a ton of it. Sweet black cherry notes are noticeable underneath all the sourness, which carry through to the finish. The finish by far the best one of the bunch. It is very refreshing from the sourness and just a touch sweet and flavorful from the cherry notes. There is no artificial sweetener aftertaste, mostly because it has been well masked by the sourness.

It seems like the taste got better with each energy powder that I tried, because this is my favorite one with its high level of sourness, and a well done flavor base.

Energy

Like the other ones, there are 90 mg of caffeine in this one and the effects are similar. The sourness does give it a slight edge, because I was quickly woken up it.

Ingredients: sugar, dextrose, caffeine, malic acid, artificial flavors & colors

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 9.5/10Energy - 6.9/10

Overall - 16.4/20...best one of the bunch. You have to try this one

Rockstar Recovery Energy Drink Orange Review

2011-03-24T18:21:00.000-04:00

I have high expectations for this one following yesterday's review of Recovery Grape. I am already impressed with can design...though I should rather say the color choice, as the can design is about the same. The orange jumps out and does not look like a cheap like other orange flavoured beverages.

Taste

Just opening the can fills the space in front of my nose with a pleasant orange aroma that might just wake you up early in the morning. The taste, though...it is not bad, nor is it as good as I expected it to be. I was expecting something along the lines of HyDrive's Vitamin Formula, or even something like an orange Gatorade. Instead I got an above average orange taste with very little of complimentary flavours like tangerine. There is some citric acid, which adds a bit of sourness to the taste and gives the aftertaste a refreshing character. The aftertaste, like other Recovery flavours, is affected by the artificial sweetener.

The problem, I believe, is that it is easy to make an orange flavoured drink, but it is very hard to make a great tasting orange flavoured drink. I have had a great number of orange drinks, both caffeinated and non-caffeinated, and only a handful come close to the taste of the real thing.

Don't get me wrong, this tastes great and its non-carbonated nature makes it a great morning drink that will wake you up with its caffeine and orange taste, but I wanted more. If there was more of a tangerine flavour and just a touch more citric acid, this drink will be excellent.

Energy

The can contains the standard 160 mg of caffeine and the drink works in a manner similar to the grape Recovery drink I had yesterday.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 8.4/10
Energy - 7.9/10

Overall - 16.3/20...great, but could have been awesome with a little more work

Rockstar Recovery Energy Drink Grape Review

2011-03-22T18:10:00.000-04:00

Canada may not yet have the latest Rockstar Pink and 2X, but we sure did get the new Recovery flavours. I picked up the Grape and Orange flavours on the weekend and the only thing left to do is find the time to sit down and review them.

Taste

You may already know that, but Rockstar Recovery are non-carbonated energy drinks. I like non-carbonated beverages because I am able to consume them quickly without having to pause to burp. The grape flavour is no different. It is non-carbonated and very, very easy to drink. Even though there are only 20 calories in the can, the grape flavour is very strong from the finish until very late into the aftertaste. The flavour reminds me of grape gum drops both in taste and aftertaste. It is mildly sweet, though the sweetness does start to build up halfway through the can. Halfway through you also start to experience a build up of citric acid which has a positive sour effect on the immediate aftertaste. The aftertaste develops an artificial sweetener taste, but it is well balanced with the flavour and the addition of real sugar.

There is no bitterness or cough syrup taste! Energy drink manufacturers have gotten much better at developing a great taste and hiding the active ingredients.

Energy

You guessed it, there are 160 mg of caffeine, a level of caffeine that is becoming a standard among Rockstar energy drinks. The effects are similar to the original Rockstar Recovery, which surprisingly came out almost exactly a year ago. I cannot believe it has been this long!

The caffeine kick is gradual and a bit slower than non-diet energy drinks due to the lack of sugar. But on the positive side there are no jitters. I started to awake within 15 minutes and I felt much, much better than I did before drinking this. I had a decent amount of sleep but I woke up in a zombie-like state. In another 10 minutes, I felt fantastic. The effects lasted almost 3 hours and there was no crash at the end. I wish there was more caffeine though.

Overall, I love this new Rockstar Recovery Grape flavour. It is easy to drink, tastes great and has a fantastic kick.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Taurine - 2,000 mg
Caffeine - 160 mg
Sodium - 78 mg
Panax Ginseng - 100 mg
Prickly Pear Fruit Extract - 50 mg
Milk Thistle - 40 mg
Niacinamide - 20 mg
Pantothenic Acid - 20 mg
Potassium - 14 mg
Vitamin B6 - 4 mg
Vitamin B12 - 30 mcg

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: water, citric acid, orange juice concentrate, sugar, natural orange flavour, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, magnesium lactate, gum arabic, calcium lactate, glycerol ester of wood rosin, beta-Apo-8' carotenal.

Scores:
Cost - $2.99
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 7.9/10

Overall - 16.9/20...Rockstar keeps upping the ante with their new drinks. I really liked this one

Plutonium Energy Powder Review

2011-03-21T20:37:00.003-04:00

It is plutonium and it is green. I thought this will be green apple, but surprise, surprise, it is pear. There aren't many pear flavoured products so I am a bit excited to try this one.

Taste

Does this measure up to last weeks strawberry surprise? Hell yea it does. After a second or two, the powder in my mouth was moist enough for me to taste it and what a taste It was. Sour pears attacked my taste buds and instantly woke me up. Wow, this has the sour kick I so much wanted from the strawberry powder. The taste is so intense that it reminded me of those sour candies you can get at 7-11 - sourz and nuclear waste. Unfortunately, the initial sour kick is just that- initial. I wasn't able to taste he sourness as much in the following mouthfuls of powder. The pear taste is well done, but it picks up only near the end, right before you swallow the moistened powder. Following the pear taste is bitterness from the caffeine, which is fairly strong at first, but dies down within a minute to leave a refreshing pear Aftertaste. Overall, I would rank this on par with he strawberry powder because the additional sourness is canceled out by the caffeine bitterness in the finish.

Energy

This performs the same way the strawberry one does because it packs he same sour kick, which will instantly wake you up. The 90 mg of caffeine also help, but they kick in later.
Ingredients: sugar, dextrose, caffeine, malic acid, artificial flavors and colors

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 9.3/10
Energy - 6.9/10

Overall - 16.2/20...I love this energy powder, I might even start eating pears

KickButt Amped Energy Balls Cappuccino Review

2011-03-18T06:34:00.002-04:00

KickButt energy balls resemble chocolate covered jawbreakers both in shape and size. There are two balls in each packet, but you can also get them in a tube. To be honest, they are a little too big for me to consider putting them in my bag to get a kick when I need one. I fear that they might be crushed under the weight of my laptop or notebook if things get shuffled.

Taste

Unlike jawbreakers, you can bite into these with very little effort. Sure, they look tough, but once you crack the chocolate layer, you are biting into the doughy, cappuccino flavored inside. Yes, the inside is doughy/chewy, which is kind of nice, but what is even nicer is the taste. I was expecting something bitter with a lot of chemicals and artificial flavorings, but what I got instead was a pleasant dark chocolate layer with a very cappuccino-like filling. The coffee taste is mild and well balanced with other ingredients which give KickButt the taste of steamed milk you get with real cappuccinos. I was expecting bitterness to kick in from the active ingredients, but then I looked at the ingredients and realized the caffeine comes from coffee. The aftertaste is just as enjoyable, though some soy notes do emerge. The immediate aftertaste is a blend of coffee and chocolate, but after some time, milk also comes into play for the real cappuccino aftertaste experience. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the cappuccino KickButt energy balls and look forward to trying their other flavors.

Energy

Each ball contains 40 mg of caffeine which means that each packet packs 80 mg, the equivalent of a can of Red Bull (funny how the unit measure is a can of Red Bull...I use it because it is the energy drink most people have had and can relate to). The effects are similar to those of black coffee - no immediate kick, since there is no sugar (there is some in the energy balls), but once the caffeine makes into your system, you feel stimulated. The effects of the energy balls are quite good. There are no jitters, and the kick is clean - I was able to focus at first without feeling anxious to do something physical. The end was without a crash or another negative side effect. I am quite pleased with these.

Overall, these energy balls were a pleasant surprise, though I am still a bit uncertain about their size.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 for a 2-pack from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 4/10 to 6/10

Overall - 12.9/20 to 14.9/20...depending on how many of these balls you eat

Be Happy Chocolate Cherry Review

2011-03-15T17:43:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail asking me if I would like to try a new shot that creates a positive mood and helps reduce stress and anxiety. What a silly question, of course I wanted to try such a product. After waiting patiently...yeah right, I looked forward to checking the mail every day...I received a brown box containing a 2-pack just a day ago.

The 2-pack is very similar to the one Slimquick's shots come in, but I soon learned the similarities stopped there. Unlike Slimquick, each of the Be Happy bottles have large caps with large mouth openings so that it is easy to consume. I like that very much.

Normally beverages that are supposed to work this way bring me down to a very calm state which sometimes borders drowsiness. Knowing that I decided to try one of these shots near the end of the work day just in case had this effect.

Taste

I know the effects are more interesting, but the taste comes way before the effects kick in. Before opening the cap, I gave the shot a good shake to get rid of any sediments. Upon opening the cap I was greeted by an off-putting sight - brown, muddy foam. Fortunately for the shot, the foam receded quickly and revealed the brown colored liquid inside, which looked a lot like a chocolate health shake. The shot smelled like exactly what the label said it would - chocolate cherry, heavy on the cherry. Not only does the shot look like a chocolate shake, but it tastes a lot like one with a healthy sour cherry kick in the finish. Unlike a shake, the mouthfeel is a bit thin. The chocolate flavour seems a bit watery at first, but builds up towards the end and finishes on a mild note. The cherry taste takes some more time to build up, but it lasts a lot longer in the aftertaste than the chocolate does. The aftertaste does become bitter, which was a bit of a surprise. I normally associate bitter aftertastes with caffeine and there is no caffeine in this shot. The bitterness, though, has a very similar bitter tone and fortunately does not last for too long. When it does start to die down, it starts to remind me of the bitter taste you get from biting into an apple seed.

Performance

Now comes the interesting part. I will cut straight to the chase - does it work? Well, it kind of does and normally I am a bit skeptical of these things. So how does it work? Well, it performs similarly to anti-energy drinks, except it doesn't make you as drowsy.

I started to experience the effects within 15 minutes which made me feel more calm and helped me focus on my tasks and you know how hard that is sometimes near the end of the work day. I didn't experience any drowsy effects and the focus lasted for almost an hour, after which I was left feeling very calm. The calmness did last a long time, longer than other shots that do promote calmness - about 3 hours. I never felt drowsy, which was a huge plus for me. I, honestly, thought I would have to take a nap soon after consuming the shot.

I have to be honest for a moment, though. The focus aside, I achieve the same calming effect by drinking loose-leaf chamomile tea. It is true that the Be Happy shot lasted a lot longer than a cup of chamomile tea, but 2 to 3 cups will do just fine. You also hydrate yourself, which is always good for you.

Overall, the Be Happy shot does work the way it says it does, though you may need to take more than 1 bottle per day to stay relaxed.

Propriatery Mood Complex (600 mg): chocamine, L-theanine, GABA

Other Ingredients: purified water, evaporated cane juice, malix acid, sodium citrate, pextin, xanthan gum, gum arabic, ester gum and natural flavours

Scores:
Cost - don't know
Taste - 6.9/10
Performance - 8.7/10

Overall - 15.6/20...tastes OK, but works the way it promises

Strontium Energy Powder Strawberry Review

2011-03-14T19:55:00.003-04:00

Last week I tried the Uranium Energy Powder, which surprised me with its yellowcake taste. This week I am trying the Strontium powder, which is red and tastes like strawberry...no surprises here.

Taste

The Strontium powder has a mild strawberry taste, but wow, it has a very strong taste. The moment the powder hits your tongue nothing happens. I was expecting a burst of flavor or sweetness, but I got nothing. For a moment it felt like I was eating tasteless powder. But hold on, once your saliva coats the powder, a sour strawberry flavour starts to develop. Give it a moment and it will build up. Give it another moment and sourness will overpower your senses. Once you swallow the powder, the strawberry taste stays for a while, but so does the caffeine bitterness, which starts to develop shortly after the sourness dies. The strawberry aftertaste does its best to keep the bitterness down, but it cannot completely subdue it. I bet that if a bit of citric acid was added to this, the bitterness may have been reduced or even eliminated.

The powder reminds me of eating wild strawberries, those tiny strawberries you can find in forests which have an incredibly powerful taste for their small size. I love them, but they are very hard to get. This is why I love the Strontium energy powder, though there is one thing that brings down its score - the bitter caffeine aftertaste.

Energy

The vial contains the same amount of caffeine as the Uranium energy powder - 90 mg. To me, it seems that the Strontium powder worked faster and better, but part of the kick could have been from the sourness.

Ingredients: sugar, dextrose, caffeine, malic acid, artificial flavors & colors

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 9.2/10
Energy - 6.9/10

Overall - 16.1/20...awesome taste wild strawberry taste with a pretty decent kick

HyDrive Orange Burst Energy Chews Review

2011-03-10T07:02:00.003-05:00

I love HyDrive products! I love some of them so much that they are on my top 5 list. Unfortunately they are not sold in Canada, which is why it has taken me this long to review their energy chews. I got this pack from ChemicalEvolution.com for $1.89, regular $2.49.

Taste

Each chew starts off orangey, though the flavor is a bit dull. After a couple of chews, some additional flavors start to become apparent, flavors that seem to be coming from the energy ingredients. Not to worry, they are not bitter, but different. Once those flavors go away, the orange taste comes back even stronger. By this time the chew is almost gone. The strong orange finish lingers for a long time, giving you a refreshed aftertaste. The orange burst aftertaste morphs after a while into what can only be described as the aftertaste you get from biting into orange peel laced with artificial sweetener. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of.

Energy

Each couple of chews contain 80 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of a small can of Red Bull. Given the fairly decent taste, I would say that this is a pretty good deal. The label instructs you to not just take 2 chews, but also follow them up with a single chew after an hour and another one an hour after that. This way, you will extend your energy period because everyone knows that a can of Red Bull is only good for about an hour...unless you are super sensitive to caffeine.

I, however, did not need so much energy and decided to just do the 2 chews test and see how I felt. Well, I felt great. I had just woken up from a nap feeling woozy. I popped two of these guys, chewed them for 15-20 seconds and swallowed. Within 10 minutes, my wooziness started to go away and within another five I was feeling pretty good. The chews had a very nice calming and focusing effect, though part of which may have come from the fact that I had just woken up from a nap. I experienced a very short period of jitters which also put an end to my calm/focused phase. As expected, the 2 chews lasted for about an hour after which I did not experience a crash.

Overall, I was expecting a bit more from HyDrive in terms of taste, but compared to some other energy chews, they have done OK.

Ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, calcium citrate, natural flavors, palm oil, soy lecithin, carnauba wax, magnesium citrate, citric acid, ascorbic acid, corn starch, caffeine, glycerin, taurine, sodium chloride, mono & diglycerides, potassium phosphate, niacin amide, panthenol, sucralose, citrus bioflavonoids, FD&C yellow 6, pyridoxine hydrochloride, cyanocobalamin.

Scores:
Cost - $1.89 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 7.9/10
Energy - 5/10 to 8.5/10

Overall - 12.9/20 to 16.4/20...depending on the number of chews you take at once

Uranium Energy Powder Yellowcake Flavour Review

2011-03-07T18:12:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the well stocked ChemicalEvolution.com I was finally able to obtain some of Harcos Labs energy powders. I will start off my series of reviews with the Uranium powder, said to have a yellowcake flavor.

First off, the packaging is absolutely fantastic. The test tube is made of thick plastic which seems like it can withstand a nuclear explosion. It feels great holding the tube. It is also small enough and sturdy enough that you can toss it in your bag and take it out when you need some energy. The resealable cap is also a plus.

Taste

I am not a huge fan of pixie sticks and even as a kid I never liked eating Tang crystals, though they were sour and sweet. So this is a bit of challenge for two reasons - one, I already mentioned, and two, there is just so much of this in the tube. Good thing I don't say no to challenges.

When I first held the tube and looked at the package and what was inside, I was half expecting this to taste like lemon and thought that the yellowcake flavor was a joke given the real meaning of yellowcake. But the moment the yellow powder hit my tongue, I was shocked. This DID taste like cake. The flavor was so real, it felt like I was eating a piece of cake. Do you know that yellow part of regular cakes? The one there are several layers of and they are all covered in icing? Yes, that's what it tastes like, but with a bit more vanilla.

Of course being an energy powder, there is some caffeine bitterness which is mostly noticed in the finish. While battling with the lump of powder in your mouth, the artificial sweetener can be tasted. The sweetener is also present in the finish, but not as much as the bitterness from the caffeine is. The sweetener/caffeine blend does last for a while in the finish, but at least you also have some of the vanilla taste from the cake.

Overall, the flavor was a pleasant surprise, but the bitterness did have an impact on the overall enjoyment.

Energy

I like products that tell you how much caffeine is in them. I like products even more when they do so in big red letters. There are 90 mg of caffeine in this tube and that's a pretty decent amount given the size of the container. I ate/swallowed the powder in a few goes and waited for the effects. Didn't take long. Within 15 minutes I felt becoming calmer and focused on what I was doing. I felt even more awake than I already was, but all this didn't last for too long because I got the jitters. They weren't anything serious, but I felt a tremble in my leg and then the shake. Fortunately this lasted for a few minutes and then I was back to being focused...a little less than at first, but still felt focused on my work.

The energy lasted for about an hour, while the focus lasted for about 15-20 minutes. There was no crash at the end, just the lack of feeling awesome. Now, I cannot wait to try the other flavors that are sitting on my desk.

Ingredients: sugar, dextrose, caffeine, malic acid, artificial flavors & colors, FD&C yellow #5, #6, blue #1, red #3, #40.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 6.8/10

Overall - 15.3/20...surprising taste, decent energy, great packaging

Warp Micro Hyper Charged Mints Lemon-Lime Green Tea Review

2011-03-02T06:33:00.003-05:00

This will be a short one because as it turns out, I have already reviewed these. I bought a tin of their larger variety a few months ago - Warp Green T Lemon Lime Energy Mints.

The micro mints are, obviously, much smaller, about a third to half the size of the Green T ones. Also, unlike the larger Green T's, the micro mints come in a very compact, very easy to carry container. The thing I like about this container is the way it opens. When I first got it, I twisted and pulled, but could not get the lid off. Then I noticed, it slides open to one side. The lid is a slider, much like a slider phone. Yep, the tin is really cool.

Another very important difference is the energy kick. Since these are micro mints, they do contain much less caffeine and you will need many more to enjoy the same effects as the larger Green T's. I, however, prefer the smaller tin size. I found myself putting the tin in my front pockets without it creating a bulge and drawing attention to my crotch area. It works great in dress pants too, assuming there is nothing else in those pockets of yours.

Scores:
Cost - $1.49 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 0.5/10 to 9/10

Overall - 9.5/20 to 18/20...if you eat the entire tin

Mad-Croc Energy Chews Orange Lemon Strawberry Review

2011-02-28T19:44:00.002-05:00

Early this week I received a shipment of caffeinated goodies, which I ordered from chemicalevolution.com. One of the items I ordered were the Mad-Croc chews, which I was really looking forward to trying after the success of their energy gums.

Originally, I was expecting the chews to taste like a mix of orange, lemon and strawberry, but when I opened the package, I realized that these are the individual flavors and there are 4 of the strawberry, 4 of the orange and only 2 of the lemon chews. I guess I had some chewing to be done.

Taste

Each of the chews comes in a size and wrapper not unlike that of Star-Burst. The only difference is how soft each of the chews is. When I grabbed one to pull it out, my fingers managed to leave two nice dimples. As I was unwrapping it, I also noticed how sticky it is. Due to the stickiness, unwrapping each one proves to be a challenge.

Lemon - a burst of lemon the moment you eat it. The taste gets more and more intense as you suck/chew on it and there is a bit of a citric bite at the end. Surprisingly, there is no bitterness while chewing/sucking on the chew. There is a bit of it, however, in the aftertaste. But don't worry, it is so subtle, it is barely noticeable.

Strawberry - a very dull initial taste, which gets better. Along with the improved strawberry taste comes a bit of bitterness, which is not very subtle. The aftertaste has a bit more bitterness than the lemon. Overall, not bad, but not as good as the lemon chew.

Orange - dull start, but a burst of orange flavor comes seconds after you eat it. Refreshing and the citrus taste managed to subdue any and all bitter notes. Some subtle ones appear in the finish, but will not ruin the experience.

Overall, these chews are absolutely fantastic. They taste so much better than all of the other ones I have had the pleasure, or displeasure, to try. The lemon and orange ones are very refreshing and tasty.

Energy

Though there is no clear indication of the amount of caffeine, the back of the pack states that each pack is equal to an 8 oz energy drink, which I can only assume means that each chew contains only 8 mg of caffeine. OK, that would explain the subtle bitterness and the great taste. When I first took the pack out of its shipping box, I merely glanced over it and thought that the back said that each chew is equal to an energy drink. "Awesome", I thought to myself.

Well, seeing how there are only 8 mg of caffeine, the effects are obviously, subtle...if you take one. Each one results in a bump similar to a deep yawn that gets some extra oxygen into your bloodstreams. But unlike the yawn, it does take a few minutes to feel the effects. Take 3 or more and then you can start feeling something. Take the entire pack and the effects are similar to that of a Red Bull, though last for just a bit longer and have a build up of bitterness in the back of your throat. Eating the entire pack also requires a lot of chewing, which did leave my mouth tired at the end. I would rather just drink a can of Red Bull.

Ingredients: corn syrup, sugar, water, palm oil, citric acid, gelatin, honey, mono- and diglycerides with BHT and citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, caffeine, egg whites, arabic gum, tapioca dextrin, calcium silicate, niacin amide, d-calcium pantothenate, FD&C red no 40, taurine, cyanocobalamin, FD&C yellow #6, pyrodixine hydrochloride, FD&C yellow #5, riboflavin.

Scores:
Cost - $2.00 from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 9.5/10 for the lemon, 8/10 for the strawberry and 9.5/10 for the orange
Energy - 1/10 to 6/10

Overall - 9/20 to 15.5/20...great overall taste, but very little caffeine in each chew

Rock Hard Adrenaline RX Berry Blast Energy Shot Review

2011-02-23T18:20:00.002-05:00

I found this odd looking energy shot in the health section of the local Shoppers Drug Mart for $2.99. This is not something I have heard of, or seen, before. In fact, the shot was not with all the other energy shots that are usually found in the health section, it was hidden among many protein bars and vitamin formulas.

Taste

Before I even opened the shot, my mind already knew how this shot would taste. It was wrong. I expected it to have an artificial berry scent, coupled with soapy notes, but what I got instead was a very pleasant sweet berry aroma with some sour raspberries popping out. The taste was also a surprise. Once again, I was expecting something horrendous, given the 220 mg of caffeine stuffed in this thing, but the taste is actually good to bearable. I say this because it starts off sweet with sour raspberries, but quickly turns bitter, laced with artificial sweeteners. The finish is sour with some sweeteners, but at least not much of the bitterness. The bitterness does, however, return in the aftertaste but fortunately does not linger for too long.

If you were to drink this shot in only two gulps, chances are you will not experience the bitterness as much until the finish. I tried taking a large gulp to finish the shot and what I got was a ton of sour raspberries, which acted very refreshing, and little bitterness once I downed it.

Overall, this is not a bad tasting energy shot, but it is definitely not the best tasting one. For 220 mg of caffeine, the taste is more than adequate.

Energy

As I mentioned, there are 220 mg of caffeine stuffed into this 60 mL shot. The energy works fairly quickly and within 10 minutes you will be awake with a shaky knee. Unlike many of the new energy shots, there is no calming period, just a rush of energy. I can see now why this was located in an aisle with workout products and supplements.

Give the shot another 5 minutes and you will want to get up and do pushups, run around in circles, or whatever else you like to do when you are over caffeinated.

But...Does it last for 8 hours? Not for me, but perhaps it will for those that do not consume a lot of caffeine. I experienced a very nice energy boost for about 3 to 4 hours without much of a crash at the end.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Vitamin B12 - 500 mcg
Vitamin B6 - 40 mg
Niacin - 20 mg
Folate - 400 mcg
Pantothenic Acid - 10 mg
N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine - 260 mg
Taurine - 355 mg
Glucuronolactone - 250 mg
Caffeine - 220 mg

Non-Medicinal Ingredients: purified water, malic acid, natural flavors (berry), sucrose, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from Shoppers Drug Mart
Taste - 5.5/10
Energy - 8.7/10

Overall - 14.2/20...great energy shot for working out

Kombucha Wonder Drink Green Tea & Lemon Review

2011-02-17T06:25:00.004-05:00

I usually drink one of two things early in the morning - an energy drink or a cup of tea. I do drink coffee, and a lot of it, but not until a couple of hours after I get up. So what better time to try something that claims to be a "wonder drink" that is also tea?

Taste

Though there were several flavours, I decided to go with the green tea. The drink is pale straw in color and pours with some carbonation. The aroma is extremely disguising, it smells like vinegar with a subtle lemon twist. I checked the date and it is good for another year. The can itself was not damaged in any way, so this must be the way the drink smells.

Once I got over the aroma, I took a sip. The taste is much better. It starts off with a pleasant lemon flavour that is just a bit sweet. It then transitions to an earthy flavour that is a little bitter with a lemon twist and a very subtle green tea note, which appears for a split second and then it is gone. The finish is a combination of the earthy and lemon flavours...and this is where the vinegar strikes again. Take a sip, wait for 1-2 seconds and enjoy that vinegar taste. The good news is that it doesn't last for too long, but you still have to endure it. But wait, there is more. If you wait another 15-20 seconds, you can taste the yeast. As I kept drinking, I kept discovering new and more disgusting notes in the finish. This was a horrible start of my day thanks to the vinegar and yeast.

Obviously, I did not enjoy drinking this. It was a struggle, but I did it anyways just to see what the effects would be. The last few sips were the worst since the flavours and the aftertaste were building up. At one point I wanted to throw up.

Energy

After having struggled through half the can, I noticed that I was a bit more awake and starting to gain focus. I don't know if it is a placebo effect or this actually works. It took about 10 minutes to start experiencing an improved state. This state kept improving with every sip I and it only took several minutes for the drink to kick in. But like many poorly caffeineated products, this state did not last for more than 30-40 minutes.

Overall, it was a nice experiment to try one of these health drinks I got from the health/vegan store, but the taste was absolutely horrendous. I will stick to my regular tea and energy drinks for now.

Ingredients: filtered water, organic brewed green tea, organic kombucha, organic cane juice, organic lemon extract, carbonation.

Oh, the kombucha is filtered water, organic cane juice, organic oolong tea, yeast and bacteria cultures. Enjoy

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 from the local health/vegan store
Taste - 1/10
Energy - 4/10

Overall - 5/20...worst tasting drink I have had for breakfast

Beaver Buzz Stripped Sugar Free Berry Review

2011-02-16T06:16:00.001-05:00

Though this one is just called "Berry", I assume it is a sugar free version of Beaver Buzz's Saskatoon Berry, which at a glance also only bears the word "Berry". If you look closer, though, Saskatoon appears above Beaver Buzz.

Taste

Pouring the drink I got a waft of the aroma, which reminded me of Juicy Fruit, but upon closer inspection, the aroma appeared to be a bit soapy with a sharp berry scent...where did the Juicy Fruit come from? Sipping the drink, I noticed a few things. First, this is very, very carbonated, which made drinking it first thing in the morning a challenge for my system. Secondly, it is very crisp. My mouth was feeling clean and fresh after each sip, but also very dry.

Much like the Stripped Citrus, the taste is duller in comparison to the regular flavour, but at least the sugar free taste has been downplayed. It does become more apparent in the aftertaste though, especially a few minutes after you finish the drink. The berry flavour is there and it is not bad. It is sour and feels very refreshing. That, in combination with the crispness, makes this a very refreshing sugar free drink, which would work well on a hot summer day...and not very well on a cold winter morning. Unlike some sugar free energy drinks, there is just the right amount of sweetener and there is no sweetness build up. There are also no bitter notes from the energy ingredients.

Overall, I have to say that this tastes as good as the original drink for one reason - it does not have a cough syrup undertone. That is a huge plus in my book.

Energy

As expected, the can contains 200 mg of caffeine, which though may seem like 12 mg more than what you are getting from the regular drink, you would have to consume an extra 118 mL of liquid. The drink performers similarly to the Stripped Citrus I had a couple of days ago and rather going over the same lines, you can read all about it here, or the summary sentence below.

Initial effects appear within 20 minutes, caffeine kicks in 20 minutes later with minor jitters. The energy is great and lasts for about 4 hours after which comes a crash.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Taurine - 2074 mg
Panax Ginseng Root Extract - 425 mg
Caffeine - 200 mg
Niacin - 40 mg
D-Glucuronolactone - 10 mg
Guarana Seed Extract - 10 mg
Inositol - 10 mg
Vitamin B6 - 4 mg
Vitamin B2 - 3 mg
Vitamin B12 - 12 mcg

Non-medicinal Ingredients: carbonated water, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, citric acid, natural flavours, colour, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from 7/11
Taste - 7.8/10
Energy - 8.4/10

Overall - 16.2/20...another great sugar free drink from Beaver Buzz

Beaver Buzz Stripped Sugar Free Citrus Energy Drink Review

2011-02-10T18:18:00.001-05:00

I love Beaver Buzz. I especially love their Citrus energy drink. It became a staple during my last year of university. It was cheap and available everywhere around campus. Unfortunately, soon after, the Beaver Buzz energy drinks disappeared and I had to switch to alternatives. Now, they are back at one of the stores that used to sell them. In addition to some of the regular flavours, two new ones appeared, both from the Stripped line, which is the Beaver Buzz sugar free line. Since Citrus is my favorite, I just had to start with that one.

Taste

I poured the drink into the nearest cup and brought it close to my nose for an inspection. It smells great. It has a sweet tropical aroma with some citrus. The taste is...well...sort of weird. Lets get one thing out of the way before I go into the flavour. The drink does not taste like a sugar free drink nor does it taste like a regular one. It is somewhere in the middle. You notice the sweeteners, and they remind you of their presence in the aftertaste, but overall, the taste is not as sugar free as other drinks. I was actually impressed with this.

Now, back to the flavour. It is sort of dull compared to the regular Beaver Buzz Citrus. The same tropical flavours are present but they come out tasting like candy and not the real deal. The citrus is also present, but this time it can be noticed in the finish as well as in the aftertaste. Reading this, it sounds like the sugar free version of Citrus has all the flavours the regular has, well it does. Except that they have all been turned down a notch.

Overall, the taste is great for a sugar free energy drink, but compared to the regular Beaver Buzz Citrus, it loses in the taste department.

Energy

The can contains 200 mg of caffeine, which is fantastic. The regular Beaver Buzz Citrus comes in 355 mL tall, skinny cans and contains 188 mg of caffeine, which yields a caffeine ratio of 0.5296 mg/mL. The sugar free one comes in a 473 mL can, for a ratio of 0.4228 mg/mL. Don't be fooled. Though you are getting an extra 12 mg of caffeine with the sugar free Citrus, you will have to consume an extra 118 mL of liquid. I would go for the regular, skinny can.

Anyways, this drink works, though it does not have the same kick as the regular one. Since there is no sugar, the effects take a few extra minutes to kick in and I started to feel awake within 20 minutes. There were no jitters and I gradually went from feeling sleepy to fully awake. It took another 15-20 minutes to start feeling the full effect of the caffeine, and that made me a bit jittery and itchy to get up and run around. The energy was great though. But like all great things, there is an end...though it came hours after I consumed the beverage. Surprisingly the kick carried all the way to lunch, which was was about 4-5 hours after I drank the Beaver Buzz. The only other thing I had to drink in that period was a cup of weak green tea. Unfortunately, at the end of this great kick came the crash. I felt like it was midnight, I needed a bed. What I got instead was a cup of coffee, which helped me get through the rest of the day.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Taurine - 2029 mg
Panax Ginseng Root Extract - 425 mg
Caffeine - 200 mg
Niacin - 40 mg
D-Glucuronolactone - 10 mg
Guarana Seed Extract - 10 mg
Inositol - 10 mg
Vitamin B6 - 4 mg
Vitamin B2 - 3 mg
Vitamin B12 - 12 mcg
Vitamin A - 350 IU

Non-medicinal Ingredients: carbonated water, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, citric acid, natural flavours, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from 7/11
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 8.4/10

Overall - 16.4/20...a great tasting sugar free alternative to the regular Beaver Buzz, though I would still go for the original

Mana Energy Potion Review

2011-02-08T06:18:00.003-05:00

Having tried and reviewed the Health and Love Energy potions, I had to go on with the Mana one.

Taste

Before opening this, I had no idea what it would taste like. After opening it and smelling it, I had no idea why this never came to mind - blue jello/cotton candy. Yes, the aroma is sweet with a nice sour punch. The taste is pretty enjoyable. It is very sour at first, but once you start to swallow, the sweetness kicks in. The sourness returns in the finish and helps it become refreshing. I cannot really pinpoint the exact flavour, but as mentioned, it has sweet notes of cotton candy and blue jello. It reminds me a little of blue raspberry juices that have a ton of citric acid added to them, the ones you think its raspberry, but you are not too sure. The flavours do their job and mask any bitterness the energy ingredients might have, because I was not able to detect anything off putting in the taste or the aftertaste. The bottom line is that this shot has a very unique taste and I like it.

Energy

Out of the three potions, this one has 2 grams of energy ingredients, almost double that of the Love potion. Out of the 2 g of energy ingredients, 160 mg are caffeine, which is on par with the Health potion. The energy delivery is similar, but there is the added bonus of the sourness. Sour tasting drinks and foods give me a small jolt, which acts immediately but has a short duration. Well, in this case, it helped enough for the energy ingredients to start kicking in. I was starting to feel awake and becoming more focused within 10 minutes of drinking the Mana potion.

Unfortunately, when the energy ingredients started to kick in more, I started to lose my focus. Yep, that lasted a good 5 minutes, before something was telling to get up and do laps around the room...and that was before the caffeine had started to kick in. In another 15-20 minutes, I was experiencing the shaky knee again and this time I really wanted to get up and do something physical to use up burst of energy. Like the Health potion, the energy you get from the Mana potion would be better used on physical activities. Personally, I do not like to play games when I have a lot of energy, but some people might.

The kick from the mana potion lasts a bit longer in my opinion and performs better than the other two. I had a great buzz for 3 to 4 hours, though there was a crash around lunch hour. I had a bit of coffee and I was back to feeling just great.

Energy Potion (2 g): Glucuronolactone, Malic Acid, DL-Phenylalanine, L-Taurine, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Caffeine

Enzyme Blend (400 mcg): Amylase, Lactase, Cellulase, Lipase, Protease

Other Ingredients: purified water, glycerin, natural flavours, citric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, Ethyl ..... (cannot read the second word as the label is warped), FD&C blue 1

Scores:
Cost - $20 for 3 Health and 2 Mana Potions from HarcosLabs
Taste - 8.2/10
Energy - 8.1/10

Overall - 16.2/20...taste better than the Health potion, has the same amount of caffeine and a slightly better kick

Health Energy Potion Review

2011-02-07T18:23:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I reviewed the Love Energy Potion, made by Harcos Labs. Well, the story doesn't end there. When the good folks from Harcos contacted me to try their new product, I asked if I could also receive some Health and Mana Energy Potions since I was having troubles buying them online from sources like ThinkGeek. Every time I put in an order, they would not be available. Well, they were nice enough to send me a couple of potions to try and here is the review of the Health Energy Potion.

Taste

Since I tried the Love Energy Potion first, I would be somewhat inclined to compare the other two products to it...which would make scoring for the other two difficult since Love had an excellent taste. Starting with the Health potion, I detected some salami notes in the aroma...OK, I am somewhat joking, but the apple and cinnamon notes do give off a strange salami aroma. The taste is surprisingly well done. Just like the aroma, it is a sour combination of apple and cinnamon. The sourness tends to stick to the apple flavour while the cinnamon adds little to the taste, but a lot to the finish and the aftertaste. The mouth-feel is fairly thick and reminds me a little of the Blood Energy Potion I tried a few months ago.

The taste is very unique and very well done for an energy shot, considering that there are 160 mg of caffeine crammed into this tiny bottle!!! With this much caffeine, it is surprising that there are no bitter notes in the taste, finish and aftertaste. I do like the taste of the Love Potion better, but compared to other energy shots on the market, this one is pretty damn tasty.

Energy

Yes, 160 mg of caffeine in 50 mL!!! I have had energy shots with more caffeine, but when the taste is that good, this deserves to be pointed out. Compared to Love Potion's energy delivery, this one is much more intense and wakes you up within 15 minutes. I experienced a shaky knee without a calm and focused period, but damn, this was intense. I am not saying this because I got a free Health Potion, this is actually pretty strong.

Another 10 minutes later and I was experiencing most of the caffeine effects. I was ready to get up and run around. Unlike the Love Potion, this provides you with a lot of raw energy and will be better suited for those doing physical activities...including WoW. I have been bored to death (OK, sleep) multiple times waiting for my flight to reach its destination, going through my achievements, thinking what I should focus on next.

The energy lasted much longer than the Love Potion and it was pretty damn good. It was clean, and there was no sudden crash at the end, though I did start to get tired. Overall, this is a very solid energy shot with a ton of caffeine and easy to swallow.

Energy Potion (1.58 g): Glucuronolactone, L-Taurine, DL-Phenylalanine, N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine, Caffeine, Ginseng Extract, Elderberry Juice Concentrate

Other Ingredients: purified water, vegetable glycerin, citric acid, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, sucralose, natural flavors, FD&C red 40

Scores:
Cost - $20 for 3 Health and 2 Mana Potions from HarcosLabs
Taste - 7.8/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 15.8/20...raw, awesome energy that tastes like apple pie

Love Energy Potion Review

2011-02-03T06:16:00.006-05:00

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, manufacturers are trying to appeal to romantics everywhere. This is no different with caffeine junkies, we still have hearts pumping blood...somewhere. So out comes the Love Energy Potion, made by the same guys who brought you Blood Energy Potion, Zombie Blood Energy Potion, and Health and Mana Energy Potions.

The makers of this new energy product contacted me and shortly, a bunch of samples appeared on my doorstep...during the Snowpocalypse. The lone brown box, sitting in front of my door, was blocked by the piles of snow.

Taste

Cracking open the tiny potion bottle, releases an inviting berry scent, which surprised me very much. Energy shots are usually very concentrated and do not offer much in terms of taste. The taste is also very surprising with a lot of berry flavours attacking the taste buds. Hints of lemon/lime appear and give the potion a nice sour kick, which is not too weak and not too strong. It finishes on a sweet strawberry note with lemon/lime traces. The aftertaste lingers for a while, but don't worry, it is very pleasant and somewhat refreshing from the citrus hints. There are no noticeable bitter tones from the energy ingredients, which is always a huge plus. Great taste overall.

Energy

The energy blend is 1.05 g, which sounds like a lot, but the actual caffeine content is around 90 mg. That is enough caffeine to give you a nice jolt, just a tad more than what you can find in a small can of Red Bull. Where this shot differs from Red Bull is the energy delivery. The 1.05 g of energy ingredients helps the caffeine reach your system in a very gradual way, eliminating most of the shakes along the way. I started to feel calm within 15 - 20 minutes and started to focus on my work more. The caffeine started to kick in another 15 minutes later and the energy was clean. I felt awake and energized, but did not want to run around in circles. The kick lasted for almost 2 hours and there wasn't a crash at the end. The good thing was how well the potion performed for the 2 hours. I was focused and felt great for almost the entire 2 hours.

If I have to write a conclusion here, it would be that this is great for those who need energy in an office environment.

Love Potion Blend (1.05 g): taurine, glucuronolactone, malic acid, n-acetyl l-tyrosine, caffeine, l-arginine, hydrochloride, maca extract, ashwagandha extract, american ginseng extract, damiana extract, horny goat weed extract

Other Ingredients: filtered water, organic evaporated cane sugar, natural flavors, citric acid, sucralose, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, xantan gum, FD&C red #40

Scores:
Cost - $3.99 from ThinkGeek or a 6 pack for $20 from HarcosLabs
Taste - 8.4/10
Energy - 6.9/10

Overall - 15.3/20...one of the better tasting energy shots, which comes also comes with a nice kick

Venga Energize Review

2011-01-27T06:16:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I went to the local gormet grocery store in the hopes of finding some unique and awesome caffeineated and non-caffeineated drinks. I came across a display of Venga products, one of which I already tried and reviewed last year - Venga Brainstorm. I laughed when I saw one of their products carry the "Energize" title so I decided to pick it up and demolish its energizing credibility. The joke is on me though. When I went home, I had a second look and found out that this product actually contains taurine, caffeine and a bunch of other ingredients that are found in regular energy drinks. That got me excited.

Taste

Venga Energize is said to have red apple, sea buckthorn, dragonfruit and mate tea, almost all of which I have tried on their own, except for the sea buckthorn. The aroma is not strong, but apples and mate are easily noticeable. The taste is right up my alley with the mate flavours overwhelming pretty much everything else. If you are not a fan of mate, you will not like this, but if you are, you should definitely try this.

The mate flavour is earthy and slightly bitter, but sweet notes from the red apple help offset the bitterness level. To me dragonfruit doesn't taste like anything when it is firm, but when you let it ripen a little, it starts to turn sweet. There are very faint hints of ripe dragonfruit in the drink, and mostly in the finish once the mate/red apple flavours have settled. Since I have never had sea buckthorn on its own, I clearly don't know what I am supposed to be looking for. If it is sweet and taste like berries, then there might be a little bit of it in the aroma, because it does have a berry-like undertone. The sweetness and earthy bitterness balance nicely and neither build up.

There is no bitterness from the active ingredients, just the earthy tones from the mate. That might be due to its size - 532 mL is a lot of liquid to dilute some medicinal ingredients in. Overall, this is a great tea based drink, which has enough caffeine to give you a nice jolt.

Energy

There are 114 mg of caffeine in the drink, which is the equivalent of a medium sized can of Red Bull, or slightly less than a tall can of Hype. The energy comes in relatively fast and it is clean. I started to feel something within 15 minutes and did not experience any negative side effects, such as jitters. When I started to experience the effects, I felt calm, wide awake and focused on what I was doing. The caffeine kicked in fully around the 30-40 minute mark and I was completely energized and ready to be productive. Unlike many of the sweet and carbonated energy drinks, the energy was focused and useful for mental work as well as physical work. The boost lasted for almost 2 hours and was very good and clean. At the end, there was no crash or anything horrible, the energy just stopped being there.

Scores:
Cost - $2.59
Taste - 8.6/10
Energy - 6.8/10

Overall - 15.4/20...great tea flavour with fruity notes and a decent performance for such a drink

Rockstar Iced Mint Energy Gum Review

2011-01-20T10:21:00.003-05:00

I know that this product has been out for months, if not a year, but it just arrived to the Canadian market and, of course, I got myself a pack from a Canadian Tire gas station.

The energy gum resembles many other caffeinated chewing gum products - there are 10 large pieces and each 2 pieces contain a Red Bull-like amount of caffeine, or simply, 80 mg. Size-wise, the large pieces are just thicker than regular gum...maybe 50% thicker.

Taste

The gum tastes surprisingly good for a caffeinated one. After a couple of chews, the intense mint flavours are released and within seconds your mouth feels completely refreshed. Iced Mint is really icy. I absolutely loved the first several minutes of this gum as the intense minty taste lasted for that long. After that, the sweetness starts to come in. At first it is slow, but after another minute or so of chewing, it comes right out.

Just like any other energy gum, there is a problem with the taste, and that problem is, of course, a mild bitterness. But don't worry, this is one of the few energy gums that this bitterness is masked fairly well and only really appears after an extended period of chewing. When I say "really", I mean that there is still some mild bitterness in the beginning, but it comes and goes really fast due to the sweetness. And when the sweetness starts to wear off and the bitterness starts to appear more frequently and to linger, it is very mild.

Overall, I am very surprised with how this energy gum turned out. I have to say that Rockstar have come a long way since their first energy drink, which to be honest, was not a huge fan of, and something that I should finally review on this site.

Energy

As mentioned, each 2 pieces contain 80 mg of caffeine, which is the equivalent of a can of Red Bull...a small one. The energy delivery is very smooth and there are no jitters. It took me about 10 - 15 minute to realize that I feel awake, alert and focused on what I was doing. This clean energy lasted for about 40 minutes and then I was no longer focused or alert, but still had energy, which could have been better used on physical tasks. Once again, this gum is pretty great.

Medicinal Ingredients per 2 pieces:

Caffeine - 80 mg
Taurine - 75 mg
Inositol - 25 mg
Niacinamide - 20 mg
Pantothenic acid - 10 mg
Vitamin B6 - 2 mg
Riboflavin - 0.5 mg
Vitamin B12 - 6 mcg

Non-medicinal ingredients: maltitol, sorbitol, gum base, maltitol syrup, peppermint oil, menthol, decolourized oleoresin capsicum, mint flavour, carnauba wax, titanium dioxide, gum arabic, glycerin, sucralose, aspartame, soy lecithin, confectioners glaze, acesulfame potassium

Scores:

Cost - $2.69

Taste - 10/10 at first, then 9/10 and finally 7/10

Energy - from 4/10 to 10/10 if you take the entire pack

Overall - 12.6/20 to 18.6/20...depending on how many you take

ZizZazz Cherry Lime Explosive Energy Mix Review

2011-01-18T06:44:00.001-05:00

I got another ZizZazz flavour recently and this time, I will not be using water. That's right, I decided to dissolve the powder in about 12 oz of pomegranate-blueberry juice since I was getting a bit tired of the bland, mostly artificial taste of these mixes (OK, there was one that was OK).

Taste

First off, the juice is a real juice and is very tangy from the pomegranate and not very sweet at all. I have tried other energy concoctions with this particular juice, and it always overpowers what I am dissolving in it. This time, though, ZizZazz can be noticed. The first thing that hit me was how sweet the taste has become. It wasn't a real sweetness, it was the artificial sweetener which also gave the mix a diet-like aftertaste. The lime part of ZizZazz cannot be tasted, but the cherry is very pronounced in both the taste and the aftertaste. Overall, drinking the energy mix like this seems to be more enjoyable, but to me, it just seems to ruin a great glass of juice with its diet-like sweetness.

Energy

Same as always, this packet contains 200 mg of caffeine and you can feel the effects of the mix in about 10-15 minutes, which seems to be just a little bit quicker than dissolving the powder in plain water. The natural sugars in the juice do have an effect on the delivery speed. The energy comes smoothly without jitters and in another 20 or so minutes, I was feeling great. The boost lasted for about 3 hours and I actually put it to a good use since I went curling. Like all other ZizZazz powders, I did not experience a crash at the end.

Scores:
Cost - $2.00 per packet from KingofCaffeine.com
Taste - 5.9/10 on its own, 7.9/10 as part of this juice...the juice itself is at least a 9/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 14.4/20 to 16.4/20...liked it better in the juice, on its own it would have tasted worse

Warp cinnamon energy mints review

2011-01-11T06:33:00.000-05:00

First off, I am not a huge fan of cinnamon, but I just had to try these since I have already tried two of the other Warp flavors. Although this flavor comes in the same style tin, which I love, I am having a hard time opening it. I think that during handling, the tin was damaged and the first time I tried opening it, the metal twist dug into the tin, scraped the paint off and put a groove in. That is one big flaw with the tin.

Taste

Since these are cinnamon mints, you get two burns - one from the mint and one from the cinnamon. As much as I don't like cinnamon, I actually enjoyed biting into each mint to taste experience the two burns. The cinnamon flavor is a lot more intense than the mint, but the combination of the two is done fairly well. In fact, I liked chewing these so much, that I just kept popping two or three at a time. Surprisingly, this turned out to be my favorite Warp flavor so far.

Energy

The cinnamon mints have as much caffeine as the other Warp mints and perform at about the same level. You can read about the performance here.

Ingredients: sugar, dextrose, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, green tea, malic acid, calcium stearate, ginseng, guarana, fd & c yellow 5, blue 1

Scores
Cost - $3.00 from KingofCaffeine.com
Taste - 9.2/10
Energy - 1/10 to 10/10

Overall - 10.2/20 to 19.2/20...depending on the number of mints you take

Hardcore Energize Bullet Orange Mayhem Review

2011-01-07T06:19:00.005-05:00

I stopped by 7-11 last night in search of new and exciting energy drinks only to find that the same old stuff are there. I did see a bunch of Hardcore Energize Bullet shots laying around so I decided to pick one up since so far I have reviewed only one of the flavours - Black Rush. I paid $2.99 for this shot, but I remember these being $3.49 at the very same 7-11.

After going over some of the writing on the label, I saw the use of "Liquid Energy Drink" as a description of what this thing is. Weird, does that mean it is not an energy shot, but rather a very tiny energy drink? After all, it is only 85 mL. I better call it both a big size energy shot and a pocket energy drink.

Taste

I was not very impressed with the aroma that hit me upon opening the bullet. It was a sharp, chemically enhanced scent vaguely reminiscent of orange crush. The taste wasn't as bad, but the chemical orange flavour had a lot influence. The shot/drink starts off very watery, but quickly a bitter note comes in followed by a mildly acidic one, which brings some of that orange flavour. The finish is diet-like with mild orange tones. Following the orange finish, a bitter and a sour note seem to trade places every 10 seconds for a couple of minutes. The first sip took care of about 1/3 of the bullet and numbed most of my tongue. The rest went down easy, but numbed my tongue even further. Overall, this has a passable taste and the bitterness is at a very decent level considering that there are 300 mg of caffeine stuffed in 85 mL.

Energy

As mentioned, there are 300 mg of caffeine in the shot and the "works in five minutes" statement is somewhat true. Just over 5 minutes after my first large gulp, I felt a huge jolt. I was a bit tired and groggy, but all of the sudden I felt awake...physically, not quite awake mentally. The energy delivery goes through an initial calming and focusing period, which lasted about 15-20 minutes for me and then came in the caffeine, which made me wish I was doing something physical so that I can use its potential.

Unfortunately the potential did not last very long, which surprised me since there were 300 mg of caffeine. I was jittery for a while at first, but within 2 hours everything was gone. I was feeling OK and there was no crash, but I was not energized. I was a bit disappointed since I remember the last one I tried performed very well.

Medicinal Ingredients:

Caffeine - 300 mg
L-Tyrosine - 200 mg
Glucuronolactone - 200 mg
Panax Ginseng - 20 mg
Magnesium Gluconate - 1.2 mg
Vitamin B6 - 10 mg
Vitamin B1 - 5 mg
Policosinol - 4 mg
Rhodiola Rosea - 0.5 mg
Folic Acid - 0.2 mg
Vitamin B12 - 0.003 mg

Non-medicinal ingredients: deionized water, malic acid, natural & artificial flavours, sodium bicarbonate, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, FD&C yellow #5, FD&C red #40, FD&C yellow #6

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from 7-11
Taste - 6/10
Energy - 8/10

Overall - 14/20...not as good as Black Rush in my opinion, but still does a pretty decent job

Lotte Black Black Energy Gum Review

2011-01-01T14:58:00.003-05:00

Like with many other caffeinated mints and gum, I try to use the products for a few days or weeks to see how they work and then I sit down and write a review. Black Black is no exception...well...it kind of is since the weeks turned into months, which turned into almost a year. I recently re-discovered my pack of Black Black with a couple of sticks of gum sitting behind my monitor. I thought that since it is January 1st and I am somewhat sober, I should write a review and scratch one product off my list. So here it is.

Taste

Upon unwrapping a stick of Black Black, one can easily see why the gum has such a name. Each stick is dark purple/brown in color and resembles a lighter version of tapioca pearls you find in bubble teas. The gum is very minty and reminds me a lot of Fisherman's Friend Original mints...which are extra minty. The strong minty taste lasts for a a few minutes and gives you very refreshing feel and really opens up your nostrils for a few minutes of clean breathing. Following the intense initial mint taste, a less intense one comes and stays for some time. Overall, I really like the gum because it is well balanced and is neither too sweet, nor too bitter, though a subtle hint appears after 30 or so minutes of chewing.

Energy

Since the packaging is in Japanese, and no numbers are present, other than what appears to be an address, I cannot say how much caffeine is in each stick. A quick search shows that there might be 5 mg of caffeine per stick, which is very, very low. I don't know if it is a placebo effect, but I thought there are more than 5 mg of caffeine per stick...not a lot more though. There is barely a caffeine-related buzz, but there is sure is one from the intense mint taste, which lasts for approximately 20-30 minutes. Bottom line is I wouldn't chew this for the caffeine, but more for the intensely refreshing taste.

Scores:
Cost - $2.50 for a pack from KingofCaffeine
Taste - 10/10
Energy - 1/10 to 5/10...depending on the number of pieces you chew

Overall - 11/20 to 15/20...excellent minty taste with a barely noticeable buzz

Mad-Croc Spiked Spearmint Energy Gum Review

2010-12-31T17:35:00.004-05:00

Following the review of Mad-Croc's Power Peppermint Energy Gum, I started to compile some notes on their other offering - Spiked Spearmint. The most obvious difference between the two is, obviously, the type of mint used in the gum.

Taste

The Spiked Spearmint gum pieces are the same soft jumbo pieces as the Power Peppermint with the only difference being the color. Power Peppermint pieces are blue while the Spiked Spearmint ones are green...pretty straight forward, isn't it? Peppermint is usually associated with the color blue and spearmint with the color green. Another big difference between the two pieces is that the Spiked Spearmint pieces do have the typical gum glazing which cracks, and disappears, after a few chews. As you continue to chew, more differences become apparent. For example, the spearmint pieces resemble regular spearmint gum with a mild minty taste and a well balanced sweetness level. More intense minty flavours appear after a few minutes of chewing, but their intensity is also comparable to that of regular spearmint gum.

There is some bitterness from the energy ingredients, but compared to that of the Spiked Spearmint, it is more subtle and doesn't appear for a while. Overall, I prefer the spearmint flavour over the peppermint one.

Energy

Once again, no caffeine content is given on the pack, but it is stated that 2 pieces equal an 8 oz energy drink. The energy effects are identical to those of the Power Peppermint, so it is kind of pointless to describe everything again in detail so - eating one piece will result in the effects showing in about 15 minutes with the boost lasting for about 40 minutes.

Ingredients: sorbitol, gum base, malitol syrup, carnauba wax, natural and artificial flavors, caffeine, xylitol, niacinamide, titanium dioxide, glycerin, soy lecithin, calcium pantothenate, sucralose, taurine, maltodextrin, resinous glaze, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, blue #1 and yellow #5, calcium silicate, cyanocobalamin, BHT

Scores:

Cost -$2.00 from KingofCaffeine

Taste - 9/10

Energy - 4/10 to 10/10

Overall - 13/20 to 19/20...pretty decent tasting energy gum with a nice kick

Mad-Croc Energy Gum Power Peppermint Review

2010-12-30T11:04:00.000-05:00

I have been using Mad-Croc's Energy Gum for a few weeks now, but never got the chance to review it until today. I will start off with the Power Peppermint flavour.

The first thing you will notice about the gum is how big the pieces are. They length and width-wise they are not much bigger than regular gum, but they are almost twice as thick. The company advertises this on their packages, but you can easily miss it. Just look in the upper right corner. See? "Jumbo Pieces"

Taste

The gum is very soft and doesn't have a hard glazing that cracks after the first chew. Though it is soft, it keeps that soft consistency throughout and doesn't turn into a mush like a lot of other energy gums. The Power Peppermint tastes like...well...peppermint. The taste is not very intense, but it still packs a small peppery punch. This may appeal to those that find spearmint a bit too mild. Each piece starts off a bit salty, but the sweetness quickly comes in and mixes with the peppermint flavour. A very subtle energy ingredients taste appears after 5 minutes of chewing, but it is nothing that ruins the overall experience. The bitterness of the energy ingredients gets amplified over time, but it never reaches intolerable levels. The peppermint taste lasts for quite some time, but as the bitterness starts to get more noticeable, the flavour starts to fade. If it wasn't for the energy taste, you could swear that this is just a regular peppermint gum. Overall, I have been quite pleased with the product for the past several weeks and now I am even more pleased that I found the time to sit down and review it.

Energy

An actual caffeine content is not given, but the back of the package states that 2 pieces of gum are equivalent to an 8 oz energy drink. Simple math tells that this is around 40 mg of caffeine per piece of gum. Not great, but each piece certainly packs a punch, and when you have 10 pieces per pack, you can easily get super energized.

I usually take only 1 piece of gum in the afternoon after lunch for a mild kick and to freshen up. The energy kicks in around 10-15 minutes after I start chewing it and lasts for about 40 minutes. There is no crash at the end, but you certainly don't feel as energized any more.

Ingredients: sorbitol, gum base, malitol, natural and artificial flavors, caffeine, xylitol, niacinamide, titanium dioxide, glycerin, soy lecithin, calcium pantothenate, sucralose, taurine, maltodextrin, refined glaze, carnauba wax, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, blue #1 lake, calcium silicate, cyanocobalamin

Wow, that's a lot of ingredients!

Scores:

Cost -$2.00 from KingofCaffeine

Taste - 8/10

Energy - 4/10 to 10/10

Overall - 12/20 to 18/20...pretty decent tasting energy gum with a nice kick

New Design

2010-12-30T07:04:00.004-05:00

Due to several critiques and suggestions I have received over the past month, the blog will be undergoing some design/layout changes over the next few weeks. Do not be surprised if things have changed next time you come back. Also, check out the new rating system.

If you have any suggestions or templates for me to consider, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail.

Have a Happy New Year!