Vitamin Water Energy Drinks Review

It is official, Glaceau released a line of Vitamin Water energy drinks which come in 340 mL containers and in 3 different flavors. For now the release is limited to the US and to certain retailers and luckily I just happened to be in the US the week these were released. I got 6 cans for $12 thanks to Target's 2 for $4 promotion.

Orange Mango

Hazy, light orange in color with a veeeeeery weak aroma mango-like/tropical fruit aroma. The taste is bolder and sweeter than the non-carbonated waters with the orange at the start and the mango coming in behind and finishing it off. The flavors seem natural at first when you are drinking, but once you finish, a very generic, fruity flavor sets in the aftertaste alongside artificial sweetener. The artificial sweetener is very sweet and dominant at first but after 20-30 seconds it dies down a bit and you get more of the orange which at this -point tastes like the orange in a super generic carbonated orange soda drink. The mango is also present in the aftertaste but it is far less noticeable.

Overall, not too impressed with this one, but it does feel very refreshing first thing in the morning.

Taste - 7/10

Strawberry Lime

This one threw me off completely. The can is green, but the contents are red. Sure, it is strawberry AND lime flavored, but my brain associates color with the first listed ingredient - strawberry, so I expected the can to be red.

Anyways, once I got past this color issue and took a sip I enjoyed it quite a bit. The strawberry flavor is the dominant one with lime being a close to distant second. The strawberry taste tastes real but because there is artificial sweetener, the overall flavor feels cheapened a little. The lime doesn't also taste that real, but it is those few bursts of fresh strawberries that save this flavor for me. If it wasn't for the strawberry, I wouldn't even consider trying this one again.

This one is better than the Orange Mango, but overall not by much. If there was no artificial sweetener and no lime, I think that this will be a winner.

Taste - 8/10

Berry Punch

The taste is on the watery side, but at least what you taste seems real. Individual fruits seem unrecognizable at first, but after a few sips notes of blueberries and blackberries start to emerge here and there. Aside from the few notes, the blend is faceless but it just works well. Sweetness starts to build up mid way through the can and is especially noticeable in the aftertaste.

As with the other flavors, the artificial sweetener here is dominant in the aftertaste but there are some subtle hints of berries that remind you what you just consumed.

This Vitamin Water energy drink starts off great, but half way through the can turns into a sugary, watery mess making it very hard to distinguish individual berry notes. I was so impressed with it at first, but as I kept drinking it got worse and worse. I am not saying that this is a horrible tasting energy drink, but what I am saying is that it is disappointing.

Taste - 6.8/10

Energy

There are 80 mg of caffeine in the can and since there are 13 grams of sugar, you get a very mild sugar rush which I believe many may not even notice, especially if you are used to sugary drinks. I felt like I could get some jitters and though I didn't with any of the drinks, I felt like I was on the verge.

The effects kick in within 10-15 minutes and build up over the next 10-15. The actual caffeine high lasts for about 1.5-2 hours and there is no crash at the end. Overall, the delivery is fairly clean which makes up for some of the taste.

Scores:
Cost - 2 for $4 at Target and probably other retailers
Energy - 6.5/10

Overall - 13.3/20 to 14.5/20...average and not recommended for those who do not like Vitamin Water