V8 Energy Drinks in Canada - Round 2

V8 recently released another round of energy drinks and I was lucky enough to score a few. For the first round of their Canadian releases, check out my post from 2016.

Orange Pineapple

I actually reviewed the US version of this a few years ago. This one is a little different and not in a good way. The US one had an amazing, intense aroma with a ton of fruits and vegetables, while this one has a more subdued one that reminds me more of a cheap soft drink than a fruit-packed beverage.

The flavor is a little different too. The tea and artificial sweetener (rebiana, a stevia leaf extract) are much more pronounced to the point where the sweetener is pretty much the aftertaste. The orange flavor is subtle to light while the pineapple barely comes through.

Not as big of a fan of this one as I was of the US version. I used to buy it and drink it by the 6-pack.

Taste - 6.5/10

Raspberry Grape

The aroma on this one is amazing, but the flavor is very sweetener and green tea heavy which almost completely decimates any berry and grape flavors. I say almost, because there is still a light raspberry undertone at the start and a subtle grape note towards the finish that lingers in the aftertaste...and that's it.

I think this will be better sold as a rebranded V8 Green Tea flavored beverage.

Taste - 5/10

Energy

These V8s performed like all other V8 energy drinks so I will recycle some old text to describe these - the effects if these 80 mg cans are not as intense as a can of Red Bull since there are only 10 grams of sugar, but you still get a brief sugar rush within 10-15 minutes. I did not experience any jitters and even felt focused for a bit. When the caffeine kicked, it gave me about 1.5 hours of energy which slowly went away without any drama.

Energy - 6/10

Overall - 11/20 to 12.5/20...not the greatest batch of new energy drinks

Marley Mellow Mood Peach Raspberry Black Tea Relaxation Drink

Marley Mellow Mood is at it again. Just a few weeks ago Marley Beverage released a slew of relaxation drinks and coffee beverages in 7-11 stores in Canada...and I am positive in the US as well. Like the previous Mellow Moods, these ones are tea based, but just contain different flavors.

Taste

The peach raspberry Mellow Mood has a fantastic peach aroma with just a hint of berries and sweet black tea at the back. The tea is very sweet at the start with a blast of peach, but immediately after comes a moderate tart raspberry hit that takes the sweetness down a notch and takes you to the sweet black tea finish. There is a very interesting candy-like sweet peach peak where the flavors meet which adds a unique twist.

The aftertaste is tart and dry at first but some of the sweetness returns and balances it nicely allowing for a lingering fruity note without any downsides.

Performance

I don't know if the blend is different, but I thought the effects were quicker just not as intense as the first one I had many years ago. It took me around 15 minutes to go through half the can and I was already feeling the effects. My eyelids were getting heavy and I was having a bit of trouble focusing on some words. Definitely felt like taking a break from reading and just chilling on the couch or in bed.

After another 20 minutes I was pretty chill and just ready to sleep. The sleep was good, but because of the 450 mL of liquid I had to consume had me waking up in the middle of the night to use the washroom. I wonder if there could be a Marley Mellow Mood relaxation shot.

Scores:
Cost - $3.19
Taste - 9/10
Performance - 8/10

Overall - 17/20...damn delicious and works well

Natural Warrior Tea Review

Teas are giving coffee a run for its money these days. Natural Warrior is the latest offering of high octane teas that pack a punch and thanks to the good folks over there, I got to sample the most caffeinated ones.

Guayusa

When I heard the name Guayusa, I automatically assumed that this is a type of green tea that comes from the same bush as all others, just picked at the right time for maximum caffeine concentration.

I was wrong. Guayusa actually comes from a tree from the Amazon Rainforest. Both species and location were completely off. Can't say that I feel very proud, but I learned something.

This tea needs to be brewed for 5 to 6 minutes and makes a brown-ish tea that looks a lot like a cup of black tea. The Guayusa has a surprisingly mellow flavor that doesn't quite hit you until just before the finish. At times the flavor reminded me of that of a Pu-erh tea with its musky and earthy tones...except turned down a notch. The finish was surprisingly dry and clean which made me want to finish my cup of tea. But with the tea done, I had to grab a bit of water.

Very interesting and enjoyable flavor. Completely different from what I was expecting and it is safe to say that I was very pleasantly surprised.

Yerba Mate

The Yerba Mate is recommended to be brewed between 5 and 10 minutes depending on your strength preference. I went for the middle and timed 7 minutes. After 7 minutes I had a green-ish looking tea that quickly started to oxidize with the leaves removed. By the time I sat down with it, it was brown.

The Mate has an earthier and more intense aroma and flavor. I wish I had more tea to see how the brewing times would affect the flavor, but I can tell you that at 7 minutes, you get a pretty strong flavor. It is hard to describe Mate if you haven't had it and the descriptors that I often use sound disgusting, but in reality, Mate is delicious. So when I say that this has wet moss/ground and damp cellar flavor, I really mean that it has a very intense earthy notes. Don't be revolted. This is just the type of tea.

Surprisingly, the Mate is not bitter at all. It is much mellower than many other Mates I have had in the past. The earthy tones sneak around the back of your mouth and turn slightly acidic, giving you a dry and semi-clean finish. Some traces of the earthiness can be noted in the aftertaste, but overall, it is quite clean.

Energy

The Guayusa has the highest caffeine content of the Natural Warrior teas with about 80 mg per cup. The Yerba Mate is a close second with a concentration of 50 to 78 mg per cup. Of course this is if you follow the recommended brewing technique. If you want to, you can use more loose leaf tea for more caffeine. I increased the Yerba Mate concentration just a bit to make it similar to the Guayusa for an easier comparison of the effects.

The effects of both are felt within 10 minutes. As I was sitting in front of the computer at 6:00 am on Monday morning, I started to slowly feel a very familiar caffeine buzz slowly picking up pace through my body. The buzz at first is strong and almost gives you jitters. But after a few moments, it disappears and your mind focuses on the task at hand. I was writing for work and I felt very focused and calm for about 20-30 minutes. There were no jitters or any other ill side effects that were affecting me. I was just in the zone for that brief time period.

After the period of focus, the caffeine was fully absorbed and the focus started to be replaced by a a very energetic physical feel. I was ready to present, talk and get stuff done at work at that point.

The effects of both teas lasted for just over an hour after that, giving you almost 2 hours of focus and energy per cup. I felt no ill side effects, like a crash, at the end of the hour.

Overall, Natural Warrior teas taste and perform great! I love the earthy flavor and the focused effects. If you are seeking a coffee replacement, these may be the teas for you.

Scores:
Cost - $25 for 60 grams
Taste - 9.5/10 (same score for both)
Energy - 6.5/10 to 10/10 depending on concentration

Overall - 16/20 to 19.5/20...earthy, bold, with a great kick

GoodDrink Classic Bottled Tea

This collection of GoodDrink's Classic Bottled Teas is another one I received from the kind folks at Pacific Bottleworks.

Iced Tea with Lemon

Aaah, the classic. Why not start with it to set a baseline?

GoodDrink's Iced Tea opens up with a bold and rich tea aroma with a lemony twist. The taste starts off on a earthy black tea note, but the lemon quickly comes and adds a complimentary note without stealing focus. The lemon gives the tea some bite around the jawline and depth. Its presence intensifies a little right before the finish, helping give the tea a slightly tart, dry, and moderately clean end with medium aftertaste.

Super refreshing iced tea that is not too sweet. The focus is on the tea and the lemon acts as an enjoyable complimentary flavor. Unlike other iced teas that use sugar and acidity to cover up the weak tea flavor, this one allows the bold earthy flavors to come through to show off the quality.

Taste - 9.5/10

White Tea with Blueberry

I love the gentle nature of white tea. When I used to drink more tea, I was buying white tea that looked like twigs, but had the most incredible light, yet creamy and earthy flavor. It was great.

GoodDrink's White Tea has a similar light earthy aroma with a very subtle blueberry note. The taste is absolutely amazing. It tastes like the best thing ever when you are really thirsty. At the start you get a very lightly blueberry note, followed by the light and earthy white tea flavor. A few moments later the two flavors become a bit more intense and blend very well to create a flavorful, yet very light combination. The finish is semi-dry and relatively clean with only subtle traces of blueberries in the aftertaste.

This is a fantastic bottled tea!

Taste - 10/10

Green Tea with Lemon and Honey

This one is an eastern twist on a western classic but GoodDrink have done very good job at finding the right balance between all the ingredients.

The aroma is dominated by intense lemon and honey and there are just faint traces of the green tea. The taste is milder with lemon being the dominant flavor all throughout. The green tea adds a round softness to the lemon making the overall taste very enjoyable. Honey comes in at the end and lingers well into the aftertaste. Despite being sweetened with both honey and cane sugar, the sweetness level never builds up in this tea.

Taste - 9.2/10

Peach Tea with Apple

I was expecting this to smell and taste like a sweet peach juice, but it actually has a very well built earthy tea aroma with complimentary peach notes with traces of apples. You get a burst of light sweetness with a bit of tartness at the start of each sip. Ripe peach flavor follows closely, along with light and earthy black tea making up the base. Sweet apple notes poke here and there but don't truly emerge on their own until the finish and linger well into the aftertaste. A very light sweetness builds up with each sip, but the tart start keeps under control.

Taste - 9.3/10

Mango Tea with Hibiscus and Vanilla

This is a rather interesting one. Vanilla is an ingredient I have seen in soda drinks as well as some loose leaf teas, but never in an iced tea. The added vanilla gives this mango tea an interesting, ice cream-like aroma. The taste is similarly altered - creamy vanilla at the start, followed by a well done mango flavor, followed by a hibiscus finish. The flavors move in order and each one is easily distinguishable, but they also create a harmonious overall flavor and give the beverage a rounded and enjoyable finish.

The vanilla does make this drink seem a little sweet, but surprisingly there is about half as much sugar in the entire bottle than there is in a can of Coke.

Taste - 9/10

Guayaki Yerba Mate Cran Pom

Here is another Guayaki Yerba Mate I haven't been able to track down, courtesy of the good people at Pacific Bottleworks. Thanks to these guys Guayaki's products are now available at a lore more places in the GTA.

Taste

The aroma is very similar to that of the Revel Berry, except there is a bit more of a sour undertone. The taste is very different, though. It starts off with a strong and tart cranberry note which quickly transitions to pomegranate and then back to cranberry near the finish, which is dry and almost completely clean. Some light cranberry and lemon notes linger at the back of the tongue, but for most parts, the finish and aftertaste are clean. The tartness hides most of the earthy yerba mate flavors, but some still come up here and there. 

This flavor drinks more like a regular fruity energy drink than a tea-based one, which I think will appeal to a wider audience that wouldn't normally enjoy the taste of yerba mate. I found myself liking it more than I thought I would with its hidden earthy tea flavors.

Energy

Surprisingly there are only 80 mg of caffeine in this can. The reason why I found it surprising is because I was expecting 120 mg in a 355 mL can which would make sense proportionally when compared to the other 473 mL cans of Guayaki. 

In any case, you still get a fantastic kick out of this can. I noticed the initial effects within 15 minutes of consuming the first half of the can. I started to perk up and concentrate more on the tasks at hand. I felt like a cloud has been lifted off my brain. There were no jitters, just focus which lasted for about 20-30 minutes. After that I felt a bit more physically energized and was ready to do some laps. The kick lasted for almost 2 hours before me feeling pretty normal...as in not wanting to run around.

Great kick, I just wish it kept the proportionality of its larger counterparts. 

Scores:

Cost - unsure

Taste - 9.5/10

Energy - 6.8/10

Overall - 16.3/20...amazing taste but wish it had just a tiny bit more caffeine

Guayaki Yerba Mate Revel Berry Energy Drink Review

After years of searching for this Guayaki flavor, I finally got a can. My good friends at Pacific Bottleworks hooked me up with it and I want to thank them very much.

Taste

True to its label, this mate has a strong mixed berry aroma with notes of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and maybe even a little bit of cranberries? There is also an earthen, musky undertone that tells you that what you are about to drink contains tea.

The taste is different, though. The yerba mate is predominant at the start while the berries are there to compliment the main character, jumping out here and there. Some tartness quickly builds up halfway through each sip and the berries take over for a brief moment right before the finish. The finish is dry and mostly earthy with some lingering berry notes.

If you don't like earthy tones or yerba mate, this may not be for you. I liked it, though. I am a fan of yerba mate and do have a gourd at home that I use from time to time.

Energy

Like all the other Guayaki drinks, this can contains 150 mg of naturally occurring caffeine. The effects jitter-free and semi-quick. I felt pepped up, yet focused within 10-15 minutes for about 20 minutes. Then I was still somewhat focused, but also had enough energy to run around if I wanted to.

The effects last for a few hours and there is no crash at the end. This is another great Guayaki product. Love these guys and I am very happy that they are a little more easy to find now in Toronto.

Scores:
Cost - unsure, but I would guess between $3 and $4
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 8.4/10

Overall - 17.4/20...earthy with hints of berries and a very nice kick

Guayaki Yerba Mate Classic Gold

Guayaki's Yerba Mate Classic Gold is an energy drink I have been after for years. I have seen and tried all the flavored ones (Mint, Lemon, Berry), but for some reason none of the stores around me sold the Classic Gold...until now. I found a can of this at Essence of Life in Kensington Market for the very reasonable price of $2.29.

Taste

Sweet cola and lemon aromas permeate through the narrow can opening that I cannot resist. The flavor is moderately citrusy at first with notes of cola, which intensify within moments. Earthy yerba mate notes come in after the cola and dominate the palate well into the finish. Some ginger also appears in the aftertaste and gives the sides of your mouth a tingle.

The sweetness is well balanced, the flavors follow one another and though the yerba mate character is present, there are other flavors that offer a nice balance and make this drink appealing to a wider audience.

Energy

There are 120 mg of caffeine in the can. The effects can be felt within 5-10 minutes with the start of a slow and gentle focus period. I felt starting to feel awake and within another 5 minutes I was awake and very focused without any jitters or negative side effects.

The energy boost lasted for about 2-3 hours and it never felt too much like other sugary energy drinks. The end was without negative side effects like a crash. Great kick.

Scores:
Cost - $2.29
Taste - 9/10
Energy - 7/10

Overall - 16/20...great balance of flavors, very focused kick without the jitters

Rise Kombucha Rose & Schizandra

What the heck is Schizandra? According to Wikipedia, the word schizandra, or schisandra, stands for "five-flavor berry" and is a vine native to Northern China and Russian Far East. OK...that sorta fits the kombucha theme...I guess.

The aroma is far from inviting with a sharp fermented rose/schizandra/tea (I assume that's what that is) note. The flavor is equally sharp at first with a strong sour fermented tea start followed by a strong, flowery rose finish tarnished by the fermented tea. Once you have a few sips, the rose flavor is accentuated and you get more of the berry tones near the finish. The aftertaste becomes a bit funky at first, but fairly clean and refreshing after 30 seconds or so.

This flavor is definitely way more funky than the Hibiscus Rise I had a few months ago, but does reward you a little if you can get past the aroma and the first few mouthfuls.

Taste - 6.5/10...suck it up the first few mouthfuls to be rewarded with a pleasant rose flavor

Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea Lemonade

Guys, I found the Lemonade! The missing piece to my Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea reviews puzzle. I bought this one from a WalMart somewhere in Maryland when I was down there a couple of months ago. I think I paid $0.99 for it.

This iced tea looks like an iced tea (color and all), but pours like a sparkling beverage (duh). Once the carbonation dies down you get a helping of freshly brewed tea aromas with a sweet lemon undertone.

The flavor starts off on a typical Lipton brewed tea base, but a medium-sour lemon comes in slow at first and then fast to take over. Initially the lemon is subtle, but it very quickly builds up a sour spike before giving way to the sweetened finish.

The finish is sweet at first, but the earthy tea notes help keep the sweetness from building up. Some lemon is also present adding some depth.

I love this lemonade. It is refreshing, has just the right amount of sweetness and the lemon/tea combo is a great one. Will definitely buy again from the US.

Scores:
Cost - $0.99
Taste - 9.5/10

Rise Kombucha Hibiscus and Rose Hips

Love, love, love the look and feel of this bottle. I don't love the price, though - $3.89.

The Rise Kombucha is quite carbonated, which caught me off guard. Its aroma is quite typical for a Kombucha but does have some unique rosehip and hibiscus notes.

The flavor is on the sour end with a trail of tart hibiscus and slightly more sweet Rosehips. Though there are only 14 grams of sugar in the entire bottle, the tea seems perfectly sweetened. Thanks to this there is just enough candy sweetness from the raw cane juice to give the tea depth. The aftertaste is long with hibiscus and a lingering, very distant note of rosehips. The nasty Kombucha flavor that I am normally not a fan of is kept to a minimum so I really enjoyed this tea.

Taste - 8.2/10

Blu-Dot Protein Tea Orange Pineapple Green Tea

Wow, what a long name - Blue-Dot Protein Tea Orange Pineapple Green Tea...you see the redundancy in the name there?

Well, the Blue-Dot tea is available at many places around our neck of the woods (Toronto) and I got mine from the local Loblaws for $2.99. Being a protein tea, the bottle contains 12 grams of protein and 6 grams of fibre.

This Blue-Dot has an amazing orange aroma with just a bit of tangerine. The flavor is on the lighter end of the spectrum at the start of each sip, but after the initial tongue hit, the flavors emerge. Orange is predominant and the pineapple doesn't come until well into the finish. The green tea? Well, that can be felt at the back of the tongue in between sips...so yeah, not very strong but there. Unfortunately, because this is a sugar-free beverage, the artificial sweetener (stevia) is way too heavy for my liking and I think it ends up taking this down a few notches. The added protein tends to dry out the aftertaste which I found counter-productive to the whole "orange-refreshing" image this bottle seems to broadcast. It also adds a soy-heavy note, which like the "stevia", I do not like.

I found this to be refreshing while drinking, but once you stop and let the artificial sweetener creep up, it knocks the beverage down a bit.

Taste - 6/10

Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea

Got a few of these new Lipton Sparking Iced Teas from Buffalo when I went down there for the weekend a few weeks ago. I kept seeing these in gas stations and grocery stores around the city so I will go ahead and assume that they are available everywhere. Each one will set you back $1 and yes, there is a bit of caffeine in each can...but nowhere near enough to classify these as energy drinks. There are only 2 flavors out so far.

Raspberry

The aroma is a blend of subtle, earthy black tea and light, sweet raspberry notes. The taste is damn good. It starts off with a very well executed raspberry flavor, followed by sweetened black tea with some very subtle earthy notes. The sweetness adds a candy-like character to the tea flavor and does tend to build up ever so slightly. The aftertaste is sticky with a hint of iron from the black tea and just a very light hint of raspberries.

At the start of the can, I thought I could finish the entire can and have another one, but about 2/3's of the way through, the sweet aftertaste got to me. Though there are only 18 grams of sugar in the can, it just felt a bit too much. Maybe most people are OK with 18 grams, but I think 10 or 12 would have been perfect for me. Other than the sweetness build up, I cannot find any other flaws.

Taste - 9.1/10...if it was just a bit less sweet

Peach

The aroma of this one is quite the opposite of the raspberry one - the peach is the dominant note while the sweet black tea takes a backseat. The taste is very similar with the peach flavor, which is pretty darn well done, the dominant one of the two. The sweet, earthy black tea flavor is present but subdued by the peach for most of the time. In the aftertaste it comes out a bit more and lingers for a long time.

Like with the raspberry, the peach flavor suffers from a sticky sweet finish that will make the consumption of multiple cans a difficult task. The same 18 grams of sugar are present, but they need to be reduced just a tiny bit.

Taste - 8/10...again, if it was just a touch less sweet

Energy?

Since black tea is used as the base for these teas, there is a bit of caffeine in each can - 14 mg. To achieve the same effects as a small can of Red Bull, you would have to consume almost 6 cans of the Lipton Sparkling Iced Tea. The effects can be assumed to be negligible if you are used to a cup of coffee in the morning.

Zest Tea Energy Blends Review

Just a few days ago I got a package from Zest Tea with a variety of tea flavors as shown in the photo. Zest Tea makes and sells a variety of loose leaf tea blends in biodegradable pyramid bags. Wait, wait, wait...why am I reviewing tea on this blog? Because the teas from Zes Ttea ARE PACKED WITH CAFFEINE! Each bag of tea contains 150 to 155 mg of caffeine which is about the same as a can of Monster, or 2 Red Bulls, or more than a cop of coffee.

I know what your first question will be - "How is this possible? Tea doesn't have that much caffeine." Well, good question and I asked myself the same thing when I first got the teas. You see, Zest Tea adds caffeine to each of the tea blends for that extra boost...that's how. Simple, right?

Next thing I wondered about is if and how the added caffeine affected the taste of the tea. Caffeine in its pure form is very bitter so adding it to a drink gives it a bitter undertone. Many of the earlier energy shots suffered from this problem as it was hard to counteract the bitterness in such a small container. But with tea, you can add sugar, dilute the cup, add lemons, etc. So even if there is bitterness, you can balance it out. OK, enough of this, lets drink!

Taste

Earl Grey Black

Zest Tea's Early Grey Black is a blend of South Indian orange flower pekoe black tea, bergamot flavor and caffeine. The loose leaves are very aromatic and do smell like a fine English tea. The steeped tea also has the same fragrant aroma without any odd tones that don't belong.

The flavor? Well...delicious...No, really. I buy a lot of loose leaf earl grey tea and drink at least 2 cups of it every day at work and if you were to put Zest Tea next to a good blend of earl grey, you will not be able to tell which one packs the insane amount of caffeine....at first. Zest Tea does have one tell, which is the slightly dry finish which is an effect of the caffeine.

Other than the slight dry mouth, there are no bitter tones, there are no odd notes, there isn't really anything out of the ordinary and the tea itself is very good. It is way better than the pre-packaged tea you can get at the grocery store. I really, really liked this blend.

Taste - 9.7/10

Blue Lady Black

This tea is a blend of South Indian flower orange pekoe black tea, cornflower petals, hibiscus, orange, lemon, passion fruit and caffeine. The passion fruit, orange and lemon give it an incredible aroma. The moment I opened the bag, the air around me was almost instantly filled with strong fruity notes. It was fantastic

The brewed tea retains some of the fruity aromas, but the hibiscus comes out on top and is more predominant. The flavor of the steeped tea is a little bit different with the pekoe forming the dominant base and the hibiscus/orange combo forming the next most detectable layer. The orange flavor seems to be stackable because after a few sips, it starts to become the dominant flavor right before the finish.

The fruits give the tea a very, very nice finish and you are left with lingering passion fruit, lemon and orange notes. The caffeine gives it the dry mouth feel, but combined with the fruitiness, you are left with a very clean and focused aftertaste. The combination of aroma, taste and finish make this incredibly enjoyable...but I still prefer the simplicity of the Earl Grey.

Taste - 9.5/10

Pomegranate Mojito Green

The Pomegranate Mojito tea is a blend of Young Hyson Chinese tea, peppermint, pomegranate and lime flavor and caffeine. This gives the brewed tea a minty aroma with an earthy undertone. The flavor is very similar and starts off on the earthy side, but quickly transitions to a more minty and refreshing side.

At first the mint and lime notes are subtle, but after a few sips, they become strong and the dominant flavors in the finish and aftertaste. This creates a very pleasant and refreshing aftertaste which combined with the dry mouth effects from the caffeine gives the sensation of freshly brushed teeth.

Though the pomegranate is one of the main flavors, I found that it was a bit too subtle for me and didn't come out until well in the aftertaste when the earthiness and mint have subsided a bit. I frankly don't mind this since I do enjoy the earthy, mint and lime note on their own. However, those expecting a strong pomegranate flavor will be a bit disappointed.

Taste - 9.2/10

Apple Cinnamon Black

The Apple Cinnamon Black tea is a blend of South Indian flower orange pekoe black tea, cinnamon chips, apple pieces, cinnamon flavor, apple flavor and caffeine. The apple aroma is very strong from the moment you open the tin of tea to the moment you finish the tea. The cinnamon is also present and gives the tea a spicy depth and also makes you think about apple pie a bit.

The taste is a little bit different as it starts off with orange pekoe and ends on the apple/cinnamon blend, which lingers well into the aftertaste. The apple is the more dominant of the two, however, the cinnamon is the one that lingers the longest.

I loved the aroma of this tea, however, I thought that the flavor could have been stronger to really make you want to get out of the house and find an apple/cinnamon turnover or an apple pie.

Taste - 8.5/10

Energy

The delicious flavors are one thing, but since this is a caffeine blog, I have to be extra critical of the energy effects.

Since this is tea and there is no sugar (OK, I am sure there is a very tiny natural amount) I did not expect a quick jittery boost and did not get one. The effects were a bit delayed, but they started to show themselves after 1/3 of a cup and 20 minutes later.

I started to feel more alert and focused and this lasted for about 20 minutes when the caffeine started to really kick in. I was surprised how energetic I felt at first because I was drinking tea, but then I remembered that there are 150 mg of caffeine in the cup I was holding.

Once the caffeine had fully kicked in, the effects were very similar to a strong cup of coffee or a large can of energy drink, minus most of the jitters. Sure, there was still some jitters from the quantity of caffeine that was coursing through my veins, but it felt more under control. Once the jitters subsided, I felt great - I was energized and still semi-focused. These effects lasted for about 3-4 hours and there was no crash at the end. However, I was a bit sad that I didn't have any of this tea with me at work. Maybe next time I will remember to bring some.

The green tea has slightly less caffeine at around 140 mg per cup, however the effects are very similar once the caffeine has been fully absorbed. One thing I liked better about the green tea were the initial effects - there is less of the jitters.

Overall Impressions

I loved the entire line of Zest Tea Energy Blends. The teas all felt premium, tasted great and had an impressive and unexpected kick that gives energy drinks and coffee a run for their money. My favorite of the bunch was definitely the Earl Grey with the Blue Lady coming in a close second. If you like tea, but also need that caffeine kick in the morning, I strongly recommend you try Zest Tea.

Scores:
Cost - $14.95 for a tin of 20
Energy - 8.7/10

Overall - from 17.2/20 to 18.4/20

P.S. Since I don't have any loose leaf tea on this blog to compare Zestea against, the scoring was done against normal tea blends.

Rockstar Recovery Tea Lemonade Energy Drink Review

First time I walked by this can I thought "Cool, Rockstar Recovery got a new label." Well, good thing I gave it a second look and thought about it for a second. Nope, this isn't a new Recovery label, it is a new Recovery drink.

So what makes this a new product? Three little letters - T-E-A. Yeah, they added tea to the original Rockstar Recovery. You can easily see the difference once you pour it into a glass - the energy drink looks like an iced tea than a lemonade.

"Wait a minute" - is what you are thinking - "wasn't there another energy drink with tea?" Well, yes, you are correct, in fact, there are many energy drinks with tea, AMP being one of the first ones. Monster actually released a bunch of tea-based energy drinks not too long ago...so yeah, It was about time for Rockstar to join the club.

Taste

The drink tastes a lot like a mix between Monster's original Rehab and Rockstar's original Recovery with more sweetener than there should have been. The lemonade is sour and up front giving you a quick burst of sour-based energy, while the earthy tea appears moments after the initial lemon flavour and propels itself to the front row within another few brief moments. The aftertaste is refreshing with more of the earthy tea tones and a bit too much of sweetener.

Overall, refreshing and great tasting, but I think the heavy sweetener taste brings it down a few notches.

Energy

HELLO ENERGY!!!!! The latest Rockstar product - Punched Blue Raspberry, had a disappointing flavour, but it brought back the high levels of caffeine that were missing from the market in the past couple of years. Rockstar has done the same thing with this Recovery - 240 mg of caffeine in the can. Take that original Recovery. I now no longer wonder why there was so much sweetener - probably to mask the caffeine.

So yeah, there is a lot of caffeine and the kick can be felt immediately due to the sourness at first and the mild jitters after (OK, not so much of a kick, but it does get you ready for what it is about to come). Give it 30 mins or so and you will be flying. I felt super energized for about 4 hours and did experience a bit of a crash at the end, but hey, 240 mg!!!!

Scores:
Cost - $3 from a gas station somewhere in Michigan
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 9/10

Overall - 17/20...heavy on the sweetener, but then again, it does pack a serious kick that needs some masking

Monster Rehab Tea and Pink Lemonade Review

I got this can from a Meijer in Michigan For $1.96 when I was across the border for some cheap energy drink and booze shopping not too long ago. As of the time of this review, this Monster is not yet available in Canada.

Taste

Is it pink? Yes!

Does it taste like pink lemonade? Yes

Well, that was the easiest review ever. OK, OK, here are more words - this Monster is non-carbonated like all the other Rehabs and starts with a very mellow, tea-like flavour, but nanoseconds later a tart berry note hits your tongue and starts to intensify ending on a very sour lemony flavour.

Though there are only 10 calories per serving (2 servings), the sweeteners can be barely tasted and only far into the aftertaste. The sourness of the drink help mask the sweetener while drinking and the lingering lemon notes help a lot in the aftertaste.

This may be my favorite Monster Rehab yet. I cannot wait for this to be available in Canada.

Energy

There are 161 mg of caffeine in the can which is just about your average caffeine content in a comparable energy drink. The initial energy hits you within 10 minutes and it feels like you are waking up and your mind is starting to focus. The build up to the caffeine kick is gradual and I didn't experience any jitters. The caffeine kick lasted for a few hours and I did experience a bit of a down hit towards the end, but that was fixed with a strong cup of tea.

Scores:
Cost - $1.96 from Meijer
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 8.1/10

Overall - 17.6/20...as mentioned, possibly my favorite Monster Rehab yet (unless you are reading this review at a later date when a new and better one is available, then that one is my favorite one)

Guayaki Yerba Mate Lemon Elation Energy Drink Review

I have only seen one place that sells this energy drink in Ontario and that is the Highland Farms in Mississauga. A can will set you back $2.99 before taxes.

Taste

Well, the label says it all - this tastes like yerba mate brewed with lemons. The start has a mild sour taste with a lot of lemon flavour and a subtle earthy note. Quickly the places switch and the earthy tones move to the forefront while the lemon ones take a backseat until about the finish. The finish is where, once again, the lemon dominates. The earthy notes quickly disappear leaving you with a lingering fresh taste of lemons.

I like this Guayaki flavour too. The lemon notes seem real and the drink is very refreshing.

Energy

Like the previous Guayaki I had, Enlighten Mint, this can contains 150 mg of naturally occurring caffeine. Thanks to the sourness of the drink, the kick I got out of this was much quicker than the mint one, but once I got past the initial burst, the rest was very comparable. 

In about 10-15 minutes I started to feel calm and focused and within another 20-25 minutes I felt energized, but not jittery and over-energized like with some of the sugary energy drinks. The effects lasted for a few hours and there was no crash at the end.

Once again, I am very satisfied with a Guayaki product. I cannot wait to try another flavour.

Also, here is a shot of the ingredients label. I think I will be snapping photos of these from now on for those interested. Beats typing everything out.

Scores:

Cost - $2.99

Taste - 9.5/10

Energy - 8.1/10

Overall - 17.6/20...refreshing and tasty with a very nice kick

Guayaki Yerba Mate Enlighten Mint Energy Drink Review

After years of waiting and searching I finally found a place that sells these in Canada - Highland Farms in Mississauga. Now I know what you are thinking - why didn't you order them online? Do you know how expensive it is to ship full sized energy drinks across the border? Quite a bit expensive and I have done it on a few occasions with other energy drinks.

Taste

As soon as you pop the tab open, you are hit by a strong wave of mint and honey that quickly fills the air around the drink. The strong mint aroma jolted my brain from semi-awake to fully-awake.The drink is absolutely fantastic. 

Like the aroma, there is a strong mint note at the start. Some honey comes right after with earthy tea notes underneath. The finish is dry and lemony with layers of yerba mate, mint and honey. 

Energy

There are 150 mg of naturally occurring caffeine in the can, which is a lot more than I expected from such a drink. The effects are a bit delayed when compared to a sugary energy drink (not that this doesn't have sugar - 28 g per can), but once you first feel the effects, the boost just comes in a huge wave. It took about 20 minutes for me to feel anything after the initial burst of mint aroma that jolted my mind awake.

There are no jitters and I felt very focused for a good 15-20 minutes. Once the caffeine was fully absorbed, I was ready to get out of the house and run my errands. I felt great for hours and when I didn't experience a crash at the end.

This is one fine drink in my book. I cannot wait to try the other flavours I found.

Scores:

Cost - $2.99

Taste - 9.5/10

Energy - 8/10

Overall - 17.5/20...delicious tea energy drink with a non-jittery energy boost

AriZona Black Tea with Ginseng and Honey Review

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

FireFly Wake Up Review

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

Kombucha Wonder Drink Green Tea & Lemon Review

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