Guayaki Yerba Mate Organic Energy Shot Review

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