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
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