Java Monster Russian
Cost: $2 for 15oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, Caffeine, L-Carnatine, Glucuronolactone, A,C & B Vitamins
Rating: 5.89 out of 10
Calories: 100 per serving (2 servings per can)

OK I like white russians, I really do in fact one of my favorite adult beverages if I had to say. This well, is not really as good as a real white Russian. So yeah it doesn't have a coffee taste very much, it definitely has the cream taste but some weird creme in a can doesn't quite taste right. So yeah I think if your old enough to make your own, I recommend a real white Russian. The cream just needs to be fresh and not from a can and it might taste better. Anyways it was a really interesting attempt at an energy drink, but not really working out in reality. I have to give some mad credit to Monster for trying some very creative drinks. I hope they try some new crazy fruit drinks cause I was always a fan. I did have some friends that are real coffee fans and they all thought the drink tasted fruit and just gross in general. So yeah I think this one gets fairly bad marks all around. If you like frapacinos maybe this will interest you but the other flavors are better in my opinion.

website: Java Monster Energy

Pro Player - Endurance Formula
Cost: $2 for 16oz
Active ingredients: Green tea extract, Choline, folic Acid, Acetyl L Carnatine, Taurine, Ginko Biloba, caffeine, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 8.13 out of 10
Calories: 120 per serving (2 servings per can)

After drinking both pro player party and regular pro player, I don't think there is any difference. So why is there a different rating for the drinks, well I just didn't like it as much this time. It was pretty good and does have a better taste than many of the drinks with green tea extract, but I just really like so many other energy drinks flavor better. This does has a pretty long lasting burst of energy, which is nice. It also has a good taste, but nothing that much about the average. I also just like party better because I have way more fun partying in Vegas than I do playing poker there... So yeah pro player can go after both sides of Vegas and you can clearly see the side I am on... The crazy night clubs, dancing, drinking, and amazing dinners, shows, and constant stream of pretty people... That is my kind of Vegas, or at least it used to be I haven't been there in awhile, I just don't feel much need to go back lately... Oh well no worries. So if you like the gambling part of Vegas you can give Pro Player a try and kick it with this energy drink.

website: Pro Player

Michelatos Mixed Beer (not at all energy) Drink
Cost: $?
Active ingredients: Dried Apricot, Salt, Beer, Booze
Rating: 1.3 out of 10
Calories: Only Spanish Speaking Gods know

Alright, I know this isn't an energy drink. I am aware it doesn't even come close. In fact since it just has beer and no energy related ingredients it is probably just a depressant and anti energy drink, but I HAD TO REVIEW IT! So what the heck is this? To tell you the truth after drinking it, I am still shocked it exists, let alone is popular.

So my girlfriend and I decided to hit up Mexico for a little bit while she was on spring break. We went to San Felipe, and while out buying drinks and snacks, we noticed this cup with ingredients and instructions on how to make your mixed Michelatos beer drink. We decided we had to try it out, cause when in Rome, apparently drink any nasty fluid they give you. So we made the drink before walking to the beach. It has a ton of spicy tomato salt, you add ice, and add beer. To be complete it also has a dried salted fruit (apricot I think). Stir it all up and you have a blood red nasty beverage to drink. Why? who knows? We drank about half of it and it became so salty we just couldn't bring ourselves to finish it. We threw it out and decided no real Mexicans could possible drink this crap... We were wrong, over the next couple days we saw tons of locals drinking these weird beer mixtures. Apparently it was actually really popular around there. This weird beer mix blew my mind.

So I will provide my special fake recipe to make this on your own in case you can't find the mix kit.

1. Eat half a can of diced tomatoes
2. get out a bunch of salt and measure 1/4 a cup of salt
3. vomit tomatoes into bowl and drain the tomato vomit juice into the salt mixture
4. Find a piece of dried fruit (preferable from between your couch cushions)
5. Add to a tall 24 oz class and fill the glass with ice
6. Pick your favorite light beer to destroy pour into class leaving some room
7. add dried fruit and tomato vomit flavored salt
8. Stir

Now you can enjoy the horrible and salty flavor of this mistake of a beverage anywhere, anytime! Haha, we did have a blast in Mexico though and get some sweet margaritas as well as strawberry Pina Colada served in a pineapple. Rock on for adventures in traveling.

5 Hour Energy Decaf Citrus Flavor
Cost: $? 2 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, L-Tyrosine, Malic Acid, L-Phenylalanine, N-Acetyl, Choline, B6, B12
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 4

Wow who would have thought of a decaffinated energy drink? I guess we have seen the completely caffeine free energy drinks. So this drink has half the caffeine of a cup of decaf coffee. Does it give you energy? Yeah some, it got me going pretty well after lunch. It has no sugar and it doesn't even taste horrible. It doesn't really taste good either, but it just doesn't taste horrible. It is kind of a salty sweet taste to it. I am not a huge fan of the drink or the taste, but I had to give them some extra points for cleverness. The decaffinated energy drink just kept cracking me up, it also seemed that it might actually appeal to some people who just don't like caffeine or are really sensative to it, but still would like a little boost. So if you fit into one of those caffeine categories give this decaf energy drink a shot.

This company just better hope no one ever puts out a product called 6 hour energy. It is one whole extra hour of energy!

website: 5 hour energy decaf

Pro Player - Party Energy
Cost: $2 for 16oz
Active ingredients: Green tea extract, Choline, folic Acid, Acetyl L Carnatine, Taurine, Ginko Biloba, caffeine, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 9 out of 10
Calories: 120 per serving (2 servings per can)

I have yet to review this version of Pro Player energy drink. I actually don't think I ever reviewed the original pro player. I know another reviewer on this site did a write up, pro player energy drink review. I don't kjnow what has changed or what is different with this version. It seems based on the design and the slogan, "100% pure party" that this energy drink is going for the clubing and bar scene, which energy drinks certainly are big players. As many people that like to say not to mix energy drinks and booze (some drinks even contain warnings not to), it is clearly a popular drink when out on the town. Pro player has a pretty nice flavor for an energy drink and would mix well I am sure. It has a lighter and fruiter taste than redbull. It has about the same sugar per serving as redbull (29g).

This lightly carbinated fruity beverage has a pretty good energy kick to it, it will keep you going for awhile, and tastesw better than many of the drinks that contain green tea extract, which I like, but often gives drinks a bitter taste. If your looking for something that packs more than just caffeine and taurine and has a longer lasting effect, this might be the energy drink for you. I am not quite sure what partying has to do with poker, but I guess long as your in vegas you might as well enjoy the clubs after you gamble the day away

website: Pro Player Energy

Bump Energy Drink
Cost: $? for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: B3,B6,B12,B5, Valerian Root Extract, Rose Hips Extract, Melatonin
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 110 x 2

Haha hilarious, the anti energy drink. I know there has been some other chill products as well, but not that many. The weirdest being the Tiger Balance pills that would pump you up or chill you out. Anyways, I really needed some sleep, it had been a rough week. So I drank down my Anti-Energy Drank beverage and played some video games. I started to get tired, I started to yawn. I went to bed about 45 minutes or more after having the drink and fell into a deep wonderful relaxing sleep. So hell yeah for the antiness of the anti energy drink. I sound pretty happy and enthusiastic right?

Well then why stop at giving it an 8, well cause the drink tastes like purple. Yes PURPLE! Seriously one dude made a stupid flavor which was a horrible fake grape flavor and here decades later people still make shit that tastes like that fake ass grape purple flavor. I won't even call it grape cause that is insulting to grapes. It tastes like water down dymatap, and it taste medicine just because it reminds me of that flavor. I hate the pruple flavor and all that is stands for. If you have an energy drink and want me to review it, I warn you that if it is colored purple and tastes anything like the crappy purple popsicles I will tear it up! So next time you need to collapse and rest seriously give the horrible and weirdly named Anti-Energy Drank a drink, because this stuff works!

website: Anti-Energy Drank

Bump Energy Drink
Cost: $? for 10.5 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, b6,b12, Acetyl L-Carnitine, L-Arginine, Green Tea Extract, Inositol, Glucuronolactone
Rating: 3 out of 10
Calories: 240

This beverage is supposed to taste like pomegranate, but I think this energy drink tastes like battery acid. It tastes highly acidic to me, and tastes really salty and dark (for lack of a better) word. The taste of energy drinks is completely subjective this can be proved by me thinking this is one of the worst tasting drinks while another reviewer is considering adding Bump energy drink to thier top 10 best tasting energy drinks. Part of this might be that I don't really like Pomegranate, but I really think this just sucks.

Some people talk about the cans and the design, so I will mention that I really do like the name, but I don't really like the design. The attempted speed bump looking lines, just don't look that cool to me. I do like the hard yellow on black colors of the design if that helps any.

Well OK maybe it tastes like crap, but does it pump you up? Yes, yes it does! This drink will hit with about the power of 2 redbulls. They did cram a bunch of energy into their can I will give them that. There is also a ton of sugar (53g) which is an insane amount in a 10 oz can. With allt he sugar I would expect it to taste good, but damn I was run. Each sip of this drink leaves my mouth angry and wanting something to wash the taste away. Bad Bump, bad taste in my mouth. I imagine if I am ever killed by posion that the posion would taste like Bump. So yeah it has energy but I still just flat out am not a fan of the flavor. This drink has been bumped off my list of of beverages to allow in my life.

Web site: Bump Energy Drink

Ginseng Plus (The I am not sure it is an energy drink review)
Cost: $? for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: 2,000mg Red Ginseng
Rating: 6.8 out of 10
Calories: 50

So I never really know if I should consider the Ginseng drinks energy drinks or just some herbal beverage. I guess many beleive Ginseng promotes all sorts of healthy things and gives energy. So here I am reviewing a Ginseng drink. As far of energy it is not loaded with caffeine so lower the energy expectations. This doesn't give you a jolt like the Rebull's we have come to know and love. It isn't full of sugar (only 13g) so it doesn't make you crash either, it is just a tasty healthy way to get a slight boost, which isn't really a bad thing. I love the taste a orange creme soda flavor. I enjoy the light smooth taste, and the light carbonation. I don't think I would be downing these every day but it is a nice refreshing change of pace from the all to often sugar overloaded drinks we have in the energy drink business. If your a bit of a health nut looking for a light energy buzz, this might be the kind of drink you would enjoy, if you are looking for a hard core caffeine buzz, don't waste your time.

website: Ginseng Plus

QuickStrike (QuickStrik3) Energy Drink
Cost: $? for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, Ginkgo Biloba, caffeine, b2,b3,b5,b6,b12 Acetyl L-Carnitine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 110 x 2

This energy drink is marketed to hardcore games. I guess that makes sense since a ton of gamers drink energy drinks to stay up all night playing games. The thing is a ton of the game competitions are already sponsored by energy drink, many already have an unofficial gaming energy drink that is mentally associated for people. The primary flavor of the drink is citrus, holding a slightly less sweet Orange Crush flavor. It probably has just as much sugar as crush (28g), but tastes slightly less sweet due to the energy ingredients which are bitter so more sugar is added to cover their taste. Anyways the drink is pretty tasty since I like crush. QuickStrik3 energy drink has a Matrix like can, and gives off a decent amount of energy but it falls in the pretty normal energy specs, being the equivalent to any of the average power energy drinks you have likely already tried. Since so many Orange soda flavored energy drinks have already come and gone on the market I am surprised to see another trying that with out much new or interesting. The drink isn’t bad, but it is just boring.

Web site: QuickStrike Energy Drink

Java Monster - Loca Moca Energy Drink
Cost: $2.50 16oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, Caffeine, L-Carnatine, Glucuronolactone, A,C & B Vitamins
Rating: 7.9 out of 10
Calories: 100 per serving (x2 servings)

He's back? What Dan "energy" Man dropping in to lay out a review. In this case for Java Monster Loca Moca energy drinking, or as they say Coffee + Energy. So what the hell is this coffee doing in my energy drink? We looks like we are appealing at the starbucks and frappacino crowd. By the tastes of it they are doing a pretty good job too. Sadly I guess all the energy drink companies are hoping on the premium coffee bandwagon, those office drones sure like to buy coffee products every day so I guess it makes sense. I was hoping the energy + Juice fad would stick around long enough for some really crazy juice drinks.

So I am not a huge coffee fan, but my girlfriend has been slowly getting me more into it. Also, lets be honest this is more sugar and cream than coffee. It is actually pretty light one the sugar compared to many energy drinks but it still tastes closer to some sort of chocolate milk than coffee which is great because that is just the way I like it. So if you like to play in the adult coffee world once in awhile this is a good tasting chocolaty version of coffee. If you really like the true redbull, rockstars, and other ultra energy sodas I doubt this will really appeal to your tastes. I just can't really see some extreme sport kid gulping down a can of coffee + energy before riding a half pipe on his snow board, but what do I know I guess coffee energy drinks are here to stay.

Web site: Monster

Arizona Caution Low Carb Energy Drink
Cost: $.99 for 8.3 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, guarana, caffeine, and panax ginseng, milk thistle
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Calories: 10

We found it curious that Arizona hangs onto the "Low Carb" moniker since the Atkins diet has been dead/on life support for the past few years. It may make more sense to change the text to feature "Sugar Free". However, Arizona knows a thing or two about marketing beverages, so we'll move on to the review.

The flavor of this energy drink is very nice, due in part by the fruit juice it contains. The label indicates the drink contains only 3% fruit juice, but it tastes like alot more than 3%. We did not experience any artificial sweetener aftertaste that can be so prevalent in a low carb drink. Overall, we liked what we tasted.

The 8.3 oz. can is rather uninspired in its approach. In other words, it ain't that interesting. Arizona stays with just a few colors on the can-primarily black and white with a little gold, green and red thrown in for good measure. Arizona has embraced the concept of value pricing (i.e. $.99) and unfortunately, the packaging reflects this concept as well.

The energy bump is modest. After consuming the entire can, we felt a moderate rise in energy, nothing too overwhelming.

Web site: Arizona

Rockstar Roasted Latte Energy Drink
Cost: $2.69 for 15 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, guarana, ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, milk thistle
Rating: 9 out of 10
Calories: 280

We had to hold ourselves off of reviewing all of the Rockstar Roasted energy drinks at one time (what kind out review site would we be if we bunch them all together?!). After having let some time pass since the previous review, we agreed it high time to try the latte beverage. Damn, is it good. The Rockstar Roasted beverages are sure to give Monster's coffee/energy hybrids a run for their money.

The 15 oz. can is classic Rockstar, complete with the Rockstar "star" logo, company logo, and text describing the beverage.

We fell in love with the taste of this energy drink from sip number one. The coffee taste is prevalent but not overpowering. The milk and sweet flavors typically associated with a latte provide a nice compliment to the coffee. Rockstar Roasted latte is not carbonated, making it different from Rockstar's other energy drinks but consistent with their Roasted line.

The boost in energy was above average. We were not sent into an energy fit nor were we disappointed. We found the energy provided quite pleasant.

Our only reservation is that Rockstar Roasted latte boasts 280 calories per 15 oz. can. This may not be an issue for those 18-30 years old, but for some of us, this may be too many calories for one drink.

Web site: Rockstar

Mini Thin Rush Energy Shot
Cost: $2.99 for 2 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, eleuthero root
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: N/A

We are seeing increased introductions of the energy shots hitting the market. We recently saw a report that indicated more and more people are embracing energy drinks/shots over their tried and true coffee....great news for all of you current brand owners or those seeking to join the energy drink/shots segment. Mini Thin Rush is marketed as a sugar free, low carb, instant energy shot offering 6 hour energy. Lets find out if Mini Thin Rush is all its cracked up to be.

The 2 oz. plastic bottle comes wrapped in an attractive sleeve label which also serves as a tamper evident seal. The front of the package is crowded with images of those pursuing an active lifestyle...tennis and basketball players, cyclists, and divers.

The liquid itself is pink in color which is the first time we have seen an energy shot choose pink as their color of choice. We found the flavor to be close to a fruit punch, but with a definite artificial sweetener aftertaste. Overall, the flavor did not linger too long in our mouths.

As for the energy rush, yes we did feel it. The energy buzz rose gradually versus hitting us all at one time, but we did feel it. We are on hour two of the proposed 6 hour energy boost and we still feel it.

Web site: Mini Thin Rush

Wired Diet Berry Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 5 out of 10
Calories: 10

Just when you think you've tasted some truly horrible energy drinks, a new one comes along. Yes, dear readers, Wired diet berry energy drink is one of those drinks.

The 16 oz. can is similar in scope and design as Wired's other energy drinks featuring Wired's trademark racing flames and company logo against a white background. Nothing too outrageous or creative here.

Wired diet berry starts out quite pleasant and flavorful. However, the taste quickly moves on to a strong medicine/artificial sweetener flavor that seems to coat one's mouth and linger for a long time. Not at all what we wanted to experience in an energy drink. We wondered aloud how this energy drink made it out of the formulation lab.

The energy kick is pronounced, primarily due to the beverage coming in a 16 oz. can.

Web site: Wired

Cuba Orange Passionfruit Herbal Energy Drink
Cost: $1.69 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, yerba mate, panax ginseng, green tea
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 100

It is winter across the U.S. and our thoughts often wander to sunny, sandy locales where the days are hot and the nights hotter. We hoped a can of Cuba's orange passionfruit herbal energy drink would, at least temporarily, transport us to a place of palm trees and energy.

The 12 oz. can is attractively adorned with oranges, the company logo, and an image of the island of Cuba. We liked the understated approach Cuba takes on their can.

When we opened the can, we were greeted by an enticing aroma of oranges, pears, and passionfruit. The flavor matched that of the aroma and was nicely sweetened to boot. The fruity flavors would create a refreshing drink to be sipped at poolside or on the beach either by itself or mixed with rum or vodka.

We experienced a slight boost in energy; nothing too dramatic or too weak. We also did not experience any jitters, either.

Web site: Cuba

Exclamation Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, guarana, panax ginseng
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 180

For those of you old enough to remember, 7UP marketed itself at one time as the "uncola". This was at a time when Coca-Cola and Pepsi were at their zenith's and 7UP need to draw a distinction between cola-oriented soft drinks and 7UP's lemon-lime soft drink. If 7UP was the "uncola", Exclamation should be the "unenergy" drink. What?!, you say? Read on...

Yes, Exclamation energy drink contains energy-enhancing ingredients (caffeine, taurine, ginseng, guarana) and makes no mistake about being an energy drink. However, this beverage does not taste like a typical energy drink...it offers a carbonated, sweet, pear-like flavor which we found appealing. Exclamation also contains a fair amount of vitamins C, B6/B12, niacin, folic acid and biotin.

You are not hit over the head with Exclamation's energy claims because, well, the only one that exists is their subtle tagline-"Exclamation needs no explanation". In fact, the 12 oz. can features a lone exclamation point as their logo against an orange and yellow background. The drinks name appears on the back of the can.

We liked the energy boost we received from Exclamation. Okay, this was very much like an energy drink. We give Exclamation credit for not trying to be like everyone else.

Web site: Exclamation

Hydrive X Triple Berry Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 15.5 oz.
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine, green tea, ginkgo biloba
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 30

Hydrive recently released their "X" line of energy drinks. Hydrive was one of the first (if not the first) companies to market themselves as using spring water in their energy drinks. We saw several flavors of the "X" line available and picked up the triple berry for our review.

The package is attractive beginning with the actual beverage providing the purple/red background (due to the transparent plastic bottle). We have liked this approach in the past because it tells us the beverage has nothing to hide...its all there for your eyes to see. Hydrive places its logo, with a shining sun, in the center of the bottle and touts the 6 powerful antioxidants provided in the beverage. The only minus we spied regarding the package was that the words "Better Energy" was placed near the top of the bottle, but the text was too subtle, we saw it almost by accident.

The flavor can be best described as berry sugar free Kool-Aid. Strange, we used this same flavor description regarding another energy drink within the last two weeks. Perhaps this is yet another trend...tapping into the tastes of yesteryear. We would've liked to have tasted more berry flavor. With a name like triple berry, we expected more. We did see ingredients for the health conscious: EGCG, ginkgo biloba, apple polyphenols, grape seed extract, selenium and zinc.

We discovered the energy bump as middle of the road. We knew we drank an energy drink by the rise in energy. However, the energy offered was moderate. We did not feel any jitters nor crash.

Web site: Hydrive X

Mamajuana Energy Drink
Cost: $3.99 for 2 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 20

First, Mamajuana has our vote as the most intriguing name for an energy drink in 2008. According to the Mamajuana website, Mama Juana is a drink that hails from the Dominican Republic and is created by soaking rum, red wine and honey with tree bark and herbs. Many natives view Mama Juana as an aphrodisiac increasing everything from sexual drive, desire and the male libido. Lets find out how Mamajuana fares.

Mamajuana is available in a 2 oz. brown plastic bottle. The thought that first ran through out collective minds was-how many good thinks come dressed in a brown plastic bottle? The company logo, featuring a palm tree, beach and sun had a Carribean influence to it.

The flavor of Mamajuana was rather intense with what reminded us of dark berries and cherries. We found the drink to be quite sweet as well. Although this beverage is non-alcoholic, we understand why native Dominicans are drawn to it.

The burst of energy we experienced was just that...a burst of energy. The energy rose gradually and lasted quite awhile. None of us experience a sugar crash...true to Mamajuana's claims. As for the sexual enhancement...check back with us later.

Web site: Mamajuana

Shark Sugar Free Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 8.4 oz.
Active ingredients: Natural caffeine, taurine, guarana
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 10

The Shark sugar free energy drink can states its been "Energizing The Planet Since 1965" which must make Shark one of the original energy drinks. Think about that for a moment...Shark has been around for 42 years...quite an accomplishment. With all of that experience under their belt, we wondered if that translated to a successful sugar free energy drink. In our opinions, it does.

The 8.4 oz. slim can is similar to its brother/sister regular energy drink placing the shark logo front and center, surrounding the logo with simple text and nutritional information against a silver background. We like that Shark does not attempt to overpower the consumer with lots of claims/boasts/threats.

We instantly enjoyed the taste of Shark sugar free. It does taste similar to Red Bull's sugar free energy drink, yet is slightly sweeter and has no artificial sweetener aftertaste. We also found the flavor as pleasant and not too strong.

Shark sugar free's energy boost was very nice. We did not feel like we were hit over the head with an onslaught of jitters, just a smooth rise in energy and no crash.

Web site: Shark

Zizzazz Cherry Lime Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 0.25 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, ginseng, green tea
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 20

Zizzazz is targeting the growing niche of convenient, enjoy-it-anywhere-you-are powders that can be either added to water/another beverage or eaten straight. Zizzazz also brings together low calories with a proprietary vitamin blend, delivering the benefits of health and wellness to the energy powder. Zizzazz also contained something called rhodiola rosea extract, an ingredient we've never heard of before seeing it in Zizzazz.

The package is quite basic (how much can do with a packet that measures approximately 1" wide by 5" high?) featuring the Zizzazz logo, what appears to be fireworks, and nutritional information.

We found the flavor to be one of the better powdered energy drinks we've reviewed. We tried the cherry lime drink and tasted quite a bit of cherry and little to no lime. We expected an artificial sweetener aftertaste, but it never presented itself. The cherry lime beverage is quite sweet and reminded us of the Kool-Aid we made for ourselves when our Mom's were not looking. Overall, a tasty treat.

The energy bump left a little to be desired. Yes, felt a slight buzz that lasted for a couple of hours, but nothing too dramatic. True to their claims, we did not experience a crash later, either.

Web site: Zizzazz

OC Energy Insane Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 2 oz.
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine, guarana, panax ginseng
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 40

OC Energy's Insane energy drink is yet another entry into the energy "shot" category. Many energy drink marketers are extending their core brands by introducing what appears to be concentrated versions of their energy drinks in compact and convenient 2 oz. containers. Lets find out how OC Energy's Insane fares.

The 2 oz. plastic bottle features both an interesting label and shape. The label is very colorful with brown/yellow/gold/red tones in the background and three silhouette's of fit individuals. The bottle shape was consistent with OC's other beverages which clearly separates it from the multitude of other energy shots joining store shelves every day.

We found the taste of OC's energy shot to be most similar to cranberry cough syrup. We did not detect a strong medicine aftertaste, however, cranberry cough syrup it was.

The energy supplied by this drink was significant and swift. It seemed like only after a few minutes we were more energized than before we had taken our first few sips. The burst of energy we experienced did not come with jitters or a subsequent crash...not bad for 2 oz. of energy drink.

Web site: OC Energy

Jetset Diet Original Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 10.5 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, guarana, ginseng
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
Calories: 4

We have seen or heard about Jetset for quite some time, but had not had the occasion to sample it. Finally, we decided to give Jetset a try.

Jetset's can is both simple and attractive with their logo set vertically against circular patterns of white and silver. The coolest part of the can was an arrangement of clocks near the top of the can showing the time for cities around the world...Dubai, Paris, Miami, Tokyo and Ibiza were a few listed. We liked the fact that Jetset chose to go this route to create the imagery of travel and on-the-go-energy. It would have been far easier (and cliched) to choose an airplane on the package.

The taste of Jetset diet original can best be described as a watered-down sugar-free Red Bull. This is not to say we did not like the flavor provided, we did. The taste was light with no diet aftertaste. We see Jetset's diet original appealing primarily to women. We would bet this energy drink would mix well with alcohol, too.

For a 10.5 oz. energy drink, the energy kick impressed us. We initially saw Jetset as more of a lifestyle beverage, but if you are looking for a pronounced energy boost, you will like what you experience here.

Web site: Jetset

Marquis Platinum Vitality Energy Drink
Cost: $3.99 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, natural caffeine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 45

Over the past few days, we wondered aloud what was going to be the next niche to be explored by an energy drink. Ironically, Marquis Platinum vitality drink put our musings to rest (at least temporarily...we will continue to tirelessly be on the watch for the latest and greatest energy drinks!). We came to discover Marquis Platinum as attempting to address a few niches, in fact, with one energy drink.

We viewed the package of Marquis Platinum as attracting the lifestyle niche. The 12 oz. can provides a luxurious appeal by combining black and silver striping as a background with a royalty-inspired logo and additional text. We imagined this beverage in exclusive clubs and bars...it would fit right in next to high-end vodkas, rums, tequilas, etc.

The contents of the can appear to be targeting another niche, that of the health and wellness crowd. Marquis Platinum provides copious amounts of antioxidants and value-added ingredients such as green tea, EGCG, aloe leaf, COQ10, pine bark, and others. The taste of the drink is difficult to pinpoint...perhaps a very lightly carbonated, slightly sweet watermelon with an earthy aftertaste. This is not the best energy drink we've tasted...but with all of the healthy ingredients included, we took it into consideration.

We felt a slight boost in energy. On a scale of 1 to 10 we'd give it a 5...not too much...just enough to know we've recently drunk an energy drink. Thankfully we did not experience a sugar crash several hours later.

Web site: Marquis Platinum

Recoil Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 8.4 oz.
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine, ginseng
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 5

Recoil came to us and is marketed as "an integral part of the Samantha Lyle Fitness Plan." We were unfamiliar with Samantha Lyle and, according to her website, she lost a bunch of weight and provides a program that allows you to continue to enjoy eating while losing/maintaining weight.

The 8.4 oz. can is wrapped in a label that features the company logo, four gold military stars and the sexy legs of a woman dressed in camouflage, military boots, holding a rifle. We did not get the connection between the military-esque imagery and Samantha Lyle, but it was cool all the same.

We found the flavor to be similar to many low-calorie/sugar-free energy drinks. However, the sweetness quotient was higher in Recoil with little to no aftertaste. Both were a nice surprise.

The jump in energy was quite pronounced. The women in our group were impressed with the boost in energy they felt coming from 8.4 oz. of energy drink. Even the men in our group commented on the blast of energy they received.

Web site: Recoil

Cuba Pomegranate Cranberry Herbal Energy Drink
Cost: $1.69 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, yerba mate, panax ginseng, green tea
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 100

Cuba herbal energy drink positions itself as a lightly carbonated fruit juice with ginseng and green tea. We were curious if Cuba could be both healthy and tasty (a rather challenging task). The quick answer is yes...and here is what we found:

We were drawn to the clean and simple approach Cuba herbal energy drink took regarding their package...images of pomegranates with the company logo in the center of the 12 oz. sleek can plus a subtle image of the island of Cuba. Nothing too complicated or busy.

We found what was in the can clean and simple as well with cranberry being the first flavor to hit our palate, slight carbonation and pomegranate being the second and third. The fruit flavors were quite juicy and pleasant. Since Cuba sweetens their beverage with fruit juice and nothing else, we did not experience any artificial notes.

The energy bump was moderate. We did not feel the typical sugar crash which was a welcome change. We experimented with Cuba by mixing it with vodka and rum and it held its own quite nicely. (The woman in our group enjoyed these alcohol combinations very much and contemplated more research over the next weekend.)

Web site: Cuba

1in3 Trinity Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 8.4 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, ginseng, ginkgo biloba
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Calories: 10

According to the literature that accompanied 1in3 Trinity energy drink, the brand is positioned to appeal to core energy drink consumers as well as the Hispanic and faith-inspired/Christian population. As energy drink marketers attempt to find new ways to separate their beverages from the many energy drinks that enter the market on an almost daily basis, it was only a matter of time before a faith-based energy drink hit store shelves.

1in3 Trinity's packaging is directs and lacks frills...the company name and logo are placed in the center of the 8.4 oz. can surrounded by words such as "goodness", "joy" and "patience" against a dark blue-green background. We found the gothic-tinged imagery basic yet interesting.

The jump in energy was average in comparison to other energy drinks. We did experience a slight crash several hours after consuming the drink.

The overall taste of 1in3 Trinity was disappointing. The beverage started out fruity and sweet, but the flavor did not stand up for very long. We also sensed a bit of a medicine aftertaste. The drink provided several ingredients (pomegranate, grapeskin extract) that pointed to health benefits. Unfortunately, we did not taste the pomegranate which may have added a more sustained fruity appeal.

Web site: 1in3 Trinity

Amplifire Spiced Energy Drink
Cost: $3.99 for 2 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 68

How many times have you tried a spiced energy drink? None? We hadn't either. When we first saw Amplifire spiced energy drink, we simply had to drink it, right then and there. Here is what we experienced.

The aroma is a rather pleasant fruity/rose essence, something we had not expected. The flavor was pleasantly unique as well-we tasted pepper, ginger, orange and cranberry. Again, not what we had expected. We also experienced a bit of a nice tingling sensation after drinking the beverage, probably from the pepper.

We reviewed the ingredient panel and were impressed (and curious) about what we saw: aronia berry, organic agave, ginger, rose, ylang ylang (?), neroli (?), geranium, frankincense, tulsi (??), rosemary, to name a few. These are not all of the ingredients in the drink, just a few that stood out to us. Amplifire positions itself as a natural energy source, providing antioxidants and organic plant concentrates. Not too bad for a 2 oz. shot.

The small, compact package features the Amplifire logo, complete with a flame image and leaves to complete its earthy ingredient approach.

We did not receive much of an energy boost compared to other energy drinks. We felt a slight rise in energy, but if you are looking for a solid rush before that big presentation or workout, you may want to look elsewhere.

Amplifire spiced energy drink will not appeal to everyone...but if you like what you've read here, you are certain to enjoy the beverage we drank today.

Web site: Amplifire

bHIP Energy Drink
Cost: Unavailable for 9.3 gram packet
Active ingredients: Guarana, green tea, ginseng
Rating: 5 out of 10
Calories: 24

bHIP energy drink is another entrant into the energy-drink-in-powered-form category. We understand the appeal of what bHIP and others bring to consumers...energy in a compact, convenient format that can be mixed with water (or juice, tea, etc.) and enjoyed on the go. bHIP brings both some upside and downside to their product.

The packet offers very little in the way of graphic appeal-what seems to be a splash of water plus their logo and tagline (try it...feel it...share it) against a white background on one side and nutritional information on the other.

bHIP includes a broad range and potent mix of ingredients. Under the potency column bHIP offers big doses of vitamin C, niacin, vitamins B6 & 12, and folic acid. The broad range column includes an amino acid blend, maca root, quebracho, white willow bark, acai, stevia, and aloe vera. After mixing all of these (and several other ingredients as well) together, you have one bad-tasting energy drink. The beverage begins with a slight berry flavor with a strong sweetness. However, the sweetness turns quickly to a mildly bitter and medicine taste. Unfortunately, the bitter and medicine notes lingered in our mouths for awhile and took several gulps of water to dilute.

We found bHIP to pack a big energy punch. The directions on the packet indicate mixing half of the packet contents in water for a moderate boost; the entire packet for maximum energy. We only mixed half of the powder in water for this review and were impressed with the jump in energy...imagine using the full packet. We did not experience any jitters or crash, either.

Web site: bHIP

Burn Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, arginine, glucuronolactone, panax ginseng, guarana, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 260

Burn energy drink has alot going on. First, their tagline (Chill it. Shake it. Drink it like you stole it.) made us stop and chuckle. We liked the simplicity and the image the tagline created in our heads...consumers drinking Burn like they stole it. Second, the ingredients in Burn-arginine, Endurlac and more had us curious. Anyway, on to the review.

The 16 oz. can is attractive with a combination of light yellow and orange in the background with a darker orange Burn logo (and of course, the tagline). Burn devotes quite a bit of space to the nutrition panel and well it should; Burn puts many energy-producing ingredients in their beverages (some we've heard of before, others that are new to us). We were curious about arginine and glucuronolactone specifically. Click on each of these links to learn more.

We found the flavor of Burn to be sweet, tart and citrusy at the same time. Overall the taste was pleasant as was the amount of carbonation...not too much and not too little, just right.

The energy kick was impressive. After consuming the entire can we felt a strong and gradual increase in energy. The bump in energy remained with us for several hours and did not let us down with a crash. We observed on the can that Burn proclaims at 199mg of total caffeine per can, thats more than Monster and Rockstar. We could tell.

Web site: Burn

Rockstar Roasted Mocha Energy Drink
Cost: $2.69 for 15 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, guarana
Rating: 9 out of 10
Calories: 200

We have made mention in past reviews that we are big fans of the original energy drink, coffee, as well as the energy drinks Rockstar has created. It was with great anticipation we popped the top of the Rockstar Roasted Mocha energy drink for this review. Ladies and gentleman....Rockstar has another winner.

The package is unmistakably Rockstar, complete with the familiar star logo, gold-colored text against a dark brown background. Rockstar tends to use up every inch of the can with logos, graphics and nutritional information, yet it does not seem crowded.

The taste is a delightful combination of coffee/vanilla/caramel. We found the coffee flavor pleasant versus too weak or too overpowering. As with other coffee/energy beverages, there is no carbonation in this drink.

The boost of energy we received after drinking all 15 ozs. was very nice as well. The rush was rather gradual and did not leave us feeling jittery...simply energized.

Monster introduced three flavors of coffee combined with energy in 2007 and after trying Rockstar's drink, we wonder who may be next?

Web site: Rockstar

Max Velocity Energy Drink
Cost: $2.09 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 120

Retailers from Circle K and 7 Eleven to Aldi have jumped on the energy drink bandwagon by introducing their own brands of beverages. Albertsons is no exception since stocking the Max Velocity line of energy drinks on their store shelves. Being the ever-curious creatures that we are, a question burned in our collective brains...could a retailer out-maneuver their branded counterparts? Lets find out.

The package is rather plain (even dull) featuring their logo and a charging cheetah against a brown background. The 16 oz. can provides a great deal of real estate that goes to waste. (Why not include at least a few "tastes great", "more energy", etc.?)

The energy kick was not all that great. We figured if we drank 16 oz. of energy drink, we are going to get 16 oz. of energy buzz. Not the case here.

The taste was average as well. It starts out sweet and citrusy with a pineapple/strawberry combo to boot, but quickly vanished from our tongues. The carbonation was just so-so, too.

We agreed the Monsters/Red Bulls/Rockstars of the world have little to worry about.

Web site: Max Velocity

Shark Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 8.4 oz.
Active ingredients: Natural caffeine, taurine, guarana
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 140

Shark energy drink is a product we have seen and tasted at a variety of industry trade events over the past several years. According to the literature that accompanied the drink, Shark energy drink has been in existence since 1965, making it one of the original energy drinks. The fact that its been around for such a long time, coupled with our curiosity surrounding the brand, we were quite enthusiastic when we popped the can top for our first sips.

The taste that greeted us was delicious. We tasted pleasant citrus and more interesting to us, a sweet juicy strawberry flavor. The men in our group liked the flavor overall, the women loved it. All of us agreed this energy drink would stand up well paired with alcohol. (We each saved a can for later tonight or for the next available weekend.) The carbonation quotient was firmly in the middle...not too much or too little. One ingredient in Shark energy drink that caught our eye was the inclusion of choline bitartrate which is touted to support liver function.

The package is attractive and does not attempt to confuse. In other words, the straightforward 8.4 oz. can delivers the Shark logo, a modest amount of promotional text, nutritional information against a silver background.

We found the energy boost to be gradual and pronounced. The energy kick lasted for several hours and did not result in any sort of crash.

Overall, we enjoyed what we saw and tasted in Shark energy drink. We also noticed that Shark offers a sugar free energy drink (no surprise). We will be reviewing that beverage in the coming weeks.

Web site: Shark

Mad Croc Energy Drink - Energy With A Wild Bite
Cost: $1.89 for 8.4 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine and caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 120

Mad Croc energy drink may be one of the better energy drinks to take a similar approach as Red Bull in several ways yet separate itself at the same time in others. We will explain what we mean.

Mad Croc comes is an 8.4 oz. can similar to Red Bull. The main differences are the usage of a solid black background to draw attention to the company's logo featuring a red crocodile complete with its mouth wide open, teeth flashing.

We found the taste of Mad Croc quite good with a sweeter flavor than many other energy drinks. Mad Croc does taste similar to Red Bull and offers approximately the same amount of carbonation and no aftertaste.

The energy jump we received from Mad Croc seemed slightly stronger than what we would typically feel from drinking a Red Bull. We also did not experience a "crash" in energy several hours afterward. We have seen Mad Croc priced anywhere from $1.50-$2.00 per can. If you like a tasty energy drink that delivers a good boost of energy at a moderate price, Mad Croc may be your beverage.

Web site: Mad Croc

Arizona Caution Energy Drink
Cost: $.99 for 8.3 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, guarana, caffeine, and panax ginseng
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 120

We have been longtime fans of the ready-to-drink teas Arizona has been producing for years. We have especially been drawn to the creative and attractive packaging used with the Arizona products. We saw the Arizona Caution energy drink in a local convenience store and decided to give it a test.

We found what was in the can much more interesting than what was on the can. Arizona Caution energy drink is a lightly (very lightly) carbonated beverage that contains 10% juice (pear, apple, peach, mango). We were surprised to learn after repeated sips that this drink contains only 10% juice...it tastes as if has much more juice content since the fruit flavor is so full. This beverage has a sweeter profile than most other energy drinks. We would imagine Arizona Caution energy drink would mix well with vodka/rum for a tropical alcoholic energy drink combo.

The energy kick was simply so-so. We felt a slight boost of energy shortly after drinking the beverage, but it was not what we would have expected. (It is an energy drink after all.)

The packaging of the drink is middle of the road, too. The can has two themes that jumped out at us: yellow and black graphics that reminded us of roadblock signs as well as a medical cross with the letters Rx in the center. Perhaps we had higher expectations of the packaging of this product; it just did not appeal to us like so many other Arizona beverages have in the past.

Web site: Arizona

Hi Ball Sparkling Orange Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 10 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine, ginseng and taurine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 10

Hi Ball Sparkling Orange energy drink came across our desks over the weekend which seemed like the perfect time to taste this drink...both by itself and mixed with our favorite alcoholic beverages.

When drunk straight out of the bottle, we noticed the orange flavor was very faint, almost to the point of where the aroma of orange was stronger than the flavor of orange. We then mixed the energy drink with both rum and vodka and found that the carbonation was the the most prominent component Hi Ball brought to the drinks. We were surprised by the lightness in orange flavor based on the fact that the other Hi Ball energy drinks we've reviewed provided a noticeable fruit flavor. We suggest Hi Ball try to match the flavor formulation of their orange drink more closely with their grapefruit, lemon lime and wild berry energy drinks.

The packaging is consistent with the Hi Ball line of energy drinks: clean, simple with a retro aura.

The energy boost, too, is in line with the Hi Ball family of energy drinks. We felt a steady and growing rush of energy shortly after drinking the beverage which lasted for a few hours and did not leave us with that let down or "crashed" feeling.

Web site: Hi Ball

Crave Energy Drink
Cost: $.75 per serving
Active ingredients: Taurine, guarana, caffeine, vitamin C
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 9 per serving

We have been inundated with requests to review Crave energy drink. Crave energy drink is being promoted and sold through the multi-level business model, similar to how A.C.T. and Verve have been marketed. Independent distributors have sent samples to us to give Crave a try. We think you will like what you see and taste.

Crave is packaged in a .18 oz packet and comes in powdered form. We found this convenient since we could easily take Crave wherever we go and enjoy it when and where we want. We were also intrigued by the choice of packaging since the "green" movement has been a hot topic and Crave will appeal to those looking to keep their waste to a minimum.

According to the label, each packet is designed to provide two servings. We following this advice and found the powder mixed fairly well in a glass of cold water. (We saw a few clumps in the glass, but they were easily dispersed with a few stirs.) The drink has a green color and a slight citrus/floral aroma. The taste is pleasant and sweet, quite a bit sweeter than many other energy drinks. We saw from the ingredient panel that Crave contains stevia, a sweetener which has been in the news recently based on the fact that Cargill and Coca-Cola have enter into an agreement to produce and market a stevia-derived ingredient.

We found the energy kick to be quite strong initially and was sustained over several hours. We did not experience the typical energy crash, either. We must admit we were surprised at how much of a punch such a small package could deliver. We learn something new every day...

Web site: Crave

Wired Berry Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 200

Wired (based on our unofficial, unscientific research) provides one of the more expansive and innovative line-up of energy drinks by a beverage company. From 8.4 oz. cans of extreme energy drinks to 16 ozs. of sports isotonics to 24 ozs. of triple caffeine energy drinks, Wired has attempted to satisfy many wide and varied consumer needs. We give them credit for that. Unfortunately, in their desire to satisfy the wishes of energy drink consumers they sometimes miss the all-too-important flavor mark.

Wired Berry energy drink should be renamed "Red Bull with a little grape flavoring" energy drink. Prior to tasting the beverage we discussed our expectations based on what was described on the package. Our minds were filled with ideas of juicy, sweet berries, perhaps some tartness, and a smooth finish. Instead we tasted grape with strong citrus flavors and a slight bitterness we typically associate with a diet energy drink. The bad news is that Wired Berry is not a diet energy drink.

The energy kick left something to be desired as well. We were braced for an energy rush after consuming the 16 ozs., but all we felt was a moderate jump in energy. We are happy to report an energy crash did not follow several hours after drinking Wired Berry. Finally some good news.

Web site: Wired

Caribou Coffee Iced Coffee Plus Espresso
Cost: $1.99 for 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 100

We have been interested in the many ready-to-drink coffees that have entered the market. Starbucks Frappucino has been around for awhile plus both Monster and Rockstar have introduced their own versions. Caribou Coffee Iced Coffee Plus Espresso is not positioned to compete as a typical energy drink, however, it does contain the original energy component of coffee (caffeine) which told us to look at the beverage.

We were disappointed in the taste overall. We were looking forward to a rich and creamy flavor profile and were instead were treated to a rather flat and uninspired drink. We do understand the difficulty of how to market this product...is it a high-calorie indulgent treat, an energy pick-me-up, a coffee beverage to be enjoyed daily? We were impressed with the fact that sugar is used which comes through with a genuine sweetness that is lacking in many beverages today.

The package is attractive and utilizes an aluminum bottle-can with recloseable cap. Graphics are kept to a minimum with only the company logo, descriptive text, nutritional information and coffee bean images shown.

We felt very little in the way of an energy jolt. Since this drink contains espresso, we expected to receive quite a jump in energy, but this was not the case.

Web site: Caribou Coffee

Amp Sugar Free Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine, taurine, panax ginseng
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 10

Okay, raise your hand if you like 16 oz. of an energy drink that tastes similar to a Mountain Dew, provides a big jolt of energy, and contains only 10 calories. If your hand is still up, we found a drink for you.

The aroma once you open the can is all Mountain Dew. (We must admit, we like both the regular and sugar free versions of the flagship Mountain Dew sodas) We knew immediately we were drinking a beverage that had its base firmly set around Mountain Dew's unique flavor. The familiar citrus/lime taste was quite present. We also experienced more carbonation than in many other energy drinks, which we found refreshing. We did not taste any bitter or medicine aftertaste frequently associated with sugar free energy drinks.

The can was decorated in simple, yet attractive graphics. The Mountain Dew logo is included on the can, but not in an overpowering way. We did find it curious that the beverage is identified on its label as a "Low Calorie Energy Supplement".

The energy kick we received was great. We purposely drank the energy drink at mid-afternoon (when we typically need a little pick-me-up) and got the energy we were looking for. After several hours we did not feel any crash, either.

We were impressed overall with Amp Sugar Free; the gurus at Pepsi did their homework on this one.

Web site: Amp Sugar Free

The Beast Zero Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 8.3 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Calories: 10

We usually review the regular or fully sweetened version of an energy drink first and follow it up later with a review of the sugar-free beverage. We figured with it being the start of a new year, we would veer from the norm and try The Beast's Zero energy drink first. We hope their regular version is better than the sugar-free drink.

The Beast Zero's package is attractive with its red and black background, prominent logo and the large word "Zero" clearly announcing this is a zero carb/sugar-free energy drink. The Beast's label also communicates it is "Made in Austria" and offered nutrition facts in both English and Spanish which we found a bit odd.

We found the flavor of the drink to be rather plain and flat. The taste contained hints of many other energy drinks, but was not full at all...it started out with promise and fell short. We did not, however, detect a medicine aftertaste as can be associated with sugar-free beverages.

We did not experience a significant rush of energy; the boost in energy was simply average.

It was difficult for us to understand the positioning of The Beast Zero as well. Was it a drink designed to appeal to young adults, those pursuing an active lifestyle, people that engage in the club scene, or simply individuals tired of Red Bull? We had no idea.

Web site: The Beast

Hi Ball Sparkling Grapefruit Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 10 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine, ginseng and taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 10

Hi Ball extends their favorable streak with the sparkling grapefruit energy drink. We have reviewed two of the supporting flavors in the Hi Ball family of drinks (lemon lime and wild berry) lately and have enjoyed much of what we have seen/tasted.

The packaging and labeling of Hi Ball sparkling grapefruit is consistent with their other beverages-clean, simple, and with a retro appeal. The color of the label appears more of what you would expect to be associated with a peach-flavored beverage over a grapefruit drink. That will be an issue if and when Hi Ball looks to create a peach drink.

The flavor is pure grapefruit. It is not overpowering...it is subtle yet unmistakably grapefruit. The carbonation, too, is moderate which would provide just the right amount of sparkle if you decided to use this beverage as a mixer with alcohol.

For a 10 oz. drink, Hi Ball sparkling grapefruit delivers a fair amount of energy. We would put this drink up against several other 16 oz. energy drinks and believe it would outperform.

Web site: Hi Ball

Inked Maori Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine and caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 180

We observed Inked Maori energy drink, the second (as far as we know...there may be more) beverage under the Inked energy umbrella at a 7-Eleven. We were rather impressed with the Inked Chikara energy drink and curious if the second iteration would hold up as well. Unfortunately, it does not.

We did find the graphics presented on the can unique and engaging. Inked Maori
is, just like its Chikara sibling, marketed to appeal to those involved or simply interested in the popular tattoo culture. Inked Maori borrows several consistent themes (colors associated with sunrise/sunset, tattoo-influenced text) introduced by the Chikara brand. Again, we were confused as to why the label featured both English and Spanish languages (doesn't the tattoo culture appeal to a wide array of consumers, not simply those that understand English and Spanish?)

We were most disappointed by the taste contained in this beverage....it tastes like a watered-down Red Bull. We expected Inked Maori to have its own unique flavor to be paired up with its unique marketing position.

We were also disappointed by the energy boost that was not delivered. Sure, shortly after we drank this beverage, we felt a moderate buzz, but not in keeping with what we buy energy drinks for...energy.

Web site: Inked

All City Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, panax ginseng, inositol, guarana
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 200

All City energy drink keeps Arizona's rich tradition of packaging innovation alive and well. If only what was contained in the package matched up with what was on the outside of the can, Arizona may have a winner. We guess consumers may give this drink a first try, but not be drawn back based on flavor.

The can is adorned with a great glossy label designed by Vincent "Fact One" Ficarra, delivering graffiti-influenced images of an urban environment. The label explains that the name "All City" refers to a term used to describe New York street artists who have made their mark in all five boroughs. The label also indicates the can is part of a limited edition series which was appealing to us. Many different beverages have taken the limited edition route to create interest and its refreshing to see an energy drink do the same.

The taste leaves something to be desired. Staying with Arizona's familiar formula of beginning with a tea base and adding other flavors, the beverage comes across as mildly fruity and not much more. We expected more green tea/fruit flavor, but the drink came across as rather thin. We gave Arizona credit for creating an energy drink with no carbonation...but a bolder flavor would've been great.

The energy charge we received was rather strong. We usually do not equate the Arizona brand with energy, however this beverage did give us a big jump that lasted quite awhile with no crash.

Web site: Arizona

Rockstar Punched Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Caffeine, guarana, ginseng, ginkgo and taurine
Rating: 9 out of 10
Calories: 260

We were quite excited when Rockstar Punched arrived on our desks recently. We have enjoyed Rockstar's products in the past and were curious if Rockstar could keep their streak going. The simple answer is a strong yes.

The package does not stray from the Rockstar formula which in our opinion works. The star logo and trademark company name are featured prominently. We liked the fact that energy + punch was clearly spelled out indicating what made this drink different from other available energy drinks. No guessing here.

The taste of Rockstar Punched can best be described as wow. A pleasing sweet tropical punch flavor is the main experience to hit your palate. We did not taste any bitter or medicine aftertaste which added to our enjoyment of this drink. Although this beverage is carbonated, the effervescence is light.

We found the energy bump to be in line with the other Rockstar beverages...not overwhelming and not wimpy.

Our only drawback would be on the calorie count. Rockstar Punched contains 260 calories per
16 oz. This is not a big deal if you are young and active, but may be a concern for those sitting behind a desk and watching their waistlines.

Web site: Rockstar

Hi Ball Wild Berry Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 10 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine, ginseng and taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 10

We have been invited to an inordinately high number of parties within the last several weeks. The cocktail reception talk eventually turns to "what drinks should I be enjoying?" Our answers vary depending on who's asking, designated driver or not, and several other variables. We believe we have an answer in Hi Ball wild berry energy drink.

Not only do we like the classically simply packaging, but we also like how versatile this drink can be. The wild berry flavor is quite tasty and true to form. This energy drink is a good option for the party participant who wants to enjoy lively conversation without the sugar or calories. Hi Ball wild berry also mixes well with alcohol. If you are a vodka or rum fan, you will find Hi Ball is a flavorful substitute to plain seltzer water plus adds a solid energy punch.

Web site: Hi Ball

Wired Passion Fruit with Calcium Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Green tea, caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 20

Wired created a fair amount of confusion with this beverage. How, you ask? Wired passion fruit with calcium is obviously targeting women with the ingredients and flavors they've chosen yet adopted a masculine approach with its packaging.

The beverage tastes quite nice with, you guessed it, a generous amount of passion fruit flavor. With all of the healthy ingredients included (green tea, calcium, vitamin D, aloe vera, and B vitamins) we were curious if any off-notes would be present...they are not. We did detect an artificial sweetener aftertaste which was unfortunate.

The graphics are similar to the other Wired beverages we've reviewed, but with a slight feminine tone. The familiar racing-influenced flames are now replaced with thinner, pink imagery against a black background. We would have expected a lighter background in order to better appeal to women. In addition, we would have liked to see the product packaged in a 8.4 or 12 oz. sleek can versus a 16 oz. can. The can does a good job of clearly point out that a portion of the proceeds from the purchase of the beverage will help to find a cure for breast cancer.

The energy rush provided by Wired passion fruit with calcium is one of the stronger by an energy drink targeting women. This is not a beverage for the average soccer mom unless the soccer mom wants to jog to the soccer game and play forward as well.

Web site: Wired

Caribou Coffee Regular Iced Coffee
Cost: $1.99 for 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 120

We are well aware of the fact that this is not technically an energy drink. However, we love coffee, and coffee delivers energy, so we decided to give this beverage a try. The drink is produced as a result of a partnership between Caribou Coffee and Coca-Cola.

The best component of this product is the packaging. It incorporates an attractive aluminum bottle/can which also features a resealable cap. We like the bottle/can for two reasons-1. it looks unique versus an ordinary aluminum can and 2. when chilled, it seems to keep the drink colder than other package types. (This may be an illusion, but we are sticking with it.) The graphic imagery shows off the Caribou Coffee logo (a running caribou) and coffee beans.

The taste is not what we expected. We were looking forward to a creamy (not so much), sweet (so-so), and strong coffee (average) decadent treat. We figured since Caribou Coffee has built its business on coffee, that coffee would be a solid flavor in this drink, but it is not.

We did not feel too much of an energy blast after drinking this beverage. We wondered aloud if this drink had as much of a lift as drinking a cup of coffee...we doubted it.

Web site: Caribou Coffee

Sol Mate' Lemon Lime Energy Drink - Just Energy, No Jitters
Cost: $2.00 for 10 oz
Active ingredients: Mate' extract, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 90

Sol Mate's other energy drink takes their original flavor (see our recent review) and adds lemon lime. The good news is that Sol Mate' stays true to form with their great clear glass bottle, simple graphics and organic ingredients (mate' extract, cane sugar, lime juice, caramel color, and lemon oil). We especially like the fact that Sol Mate' is sweetened with organic cane sugar since it provides a pleasant sweetness with no aftertaste. The lemon lime beverage does not stray too far from the original product, which we saw as the downside. Sol Mate' has a solid opportunity to create a divide between the two products by amping up the lemon lime flavor. We tasted very little, if any, lemon lime flavoring in this drink. Perhaps we were expecting too much, but when a label clearly states "lemon lime", thats what we want. The overall flavor presentation is clean, crisp and refreshing.

The energy kick is slight to moderate with no crash afterward.

Web site: Sol Mate'

Hi Ball Lemon Lime Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 10 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine, ginseng and taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 10

Hi Ball arrived at our local chain grocery store in the newly expanded natural and organic beverage aisle. We were not familiar with the brand...even more reason to give the drink a try. We were glad we did.

For no other reason than it was the first one we picked up, we examined the sparkling lemon lime beverage. The package has a retro look and feel from its clear glass bottle to its simple green dot logo. Yes, it does come in a glass bottle, giving it a completely different approach to many of the other energy drinks on the shelf. We liked the fact that the clear bottle stated that it had nothing to hide. The words sugar free, taurine, guarana, ginseng and B-vitamins stood out clearly as well.

The taste was quite unique. The best way we can describe it would be a sparkling, very light lime flavored seltzer water. It not at all what we expected, yet tasty all the same. This drink will not likely appeal to teens and young adults, but more to mature audiences.

The energy we received from the beverage was bigger than we have experienced from energy drinks in larger packages. This is not an energy drink that will deliver the one-two punch many of us have grown to enjoy, but if you are looking for a more upscale energy drink, Hi Ball has you written all over it.

Web site: Hi Ball

Inked Chikara Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Caffeine and taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 180

We went to our local 7-Eleven to check out what was new in the beverage vault and came across a new energy drink, Inked. The more we investigated, we found this to be 7-Eleven's latest private label energy drink. Based on what we observed and tasted, we think they have a winner.

Inked is packaged in the 12 oz. sleek can which has gained in popularity among beverage marketers. The graphics are attractive and eye-catching using tattoo-influenced images and mellow orange/yellow/black colors to create the appearance of a setting or rising sun. One component that had us scratching our heads was the fact that the entire label is bi-lingual, featuring English and Spanish, yet contained the word "Chikara", which is the Japanese word for power, capability, influence.

The flavor reminded us of Squirt (anyone remember Squirt...a soft drink that tasted like a sweetened carbonated grapefruit) which we like very much.

The energy kick was average. You will not be bouncing off the walls with jittery energy after consuming Inked, however you will feel an energy bump.

Inked stands up solidly on its own and would do well as a mixer with alcohol.

Web site: Inked

Nitro2Go II - Liquified Intensity - Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine and caffeine
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 40

We were optimistic before reviewing Nitro2Go II that it would be better than their Firepower Extreme energy drink. Unfortunately, our optimism was not rewarded.

The flavor of the drink is tangy citrus and very sweet, much sweeter than most other energy drinks we've tasted. Immediately after the sweet profile, we experienced a sharp, bitter/metallic bite. The aftertaste is quite unappealing and lingers for what seems to be a long time.

We found the can rather curious. One side featured the requisite visual "energy" effects emanating from behind the logo. However, the other side of the can showed a slightly different, vertical logo. We were not certain why the separate approaches, yet there they were. The fact that this energy drink is Made in the USA is prominently featured as are the directions "Recycle Or Die".... weird.

We were not impressed with the rise in energy, if any at all, that came with this beverage. We were hoping that the boost in energy would compensate for the bad taste, but we've been disappointed before.

Web site: Nitro2Go

Full Throttle Blue Demon Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Ginseng, taurine, guarana and caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 220

Recently we've seen energy drink marketers try their hands at exploring new niches from motorcycle chopper fanatics to the tattoo wearing/applying community. Full Throttle Blue Demon energy drink is obviously attempting to appeal to another hotly sought-after consumer, the Hispanic population, with this beverage.

The 16 oz. can features a blue background supporting the Full Throttle logo. Full Throttle goes a step further in trying to attract the Hispanic consumer by placing text both in both English and Spanish on the can. An example are the words "Blue Agave Flavor" followed by "Sabor Agave Azul" around the top of the can. The English/Spanish combination does not stop there...it extends on to the nutrition facts and ingredients as well.

We were curious about the blue agave flavoring since we have viewed it used in other drinks and have generally liked what it brought to the party. Unfortunately, the taste delivered in this drink was quite average. We experienced a sweet, floral and fruity beginning that left us wanting more. The flavor seemed to scatter almost immediately after it hit our tongues. We did taste what seemed to be a pronounced apple note, but that, too, disappeared almost as quickly as it appeared.

The energy bump we expected was less than the other Full Throttle energy drinks we've reviewed, which is not saying much.

Web site: Coca-Cola

Mad Croc Sugar Free Energy Drink - Energy With A Wild Bite
Cost: $1.89 for 8.4 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine and caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 5

Mad Croc Sugar Free caught our attention at a local grocery store recently. We have spied Mad Croc at convenience stores in the past, but not at the big chain grocery stores. Regardless, we gave Mad Croc Sugar Free a look and a taste and here's what we found:

The package is the segment-standard 8.4 oz. can. Mad Croc features its brand icon (a fierce-looking red crocodile complete with its mouth wide open, large teeth flashing) prominently. The rest of the graphics are typical images of activity and energy...nothing too risky.

If you have tasted a Red Bull and added more sweetness, then you have experienced Mad Croc Sugar Free. The flavors and aroma of this energy drink are very similar to Red Bull, but with an increased sweetness. We were surprised since many sugar free energy drinks tend to lean toward less flavorful counterparts to their "regular" brethren.

We did like the increased buzz we received shortly after consuming the energy drink. The added kick did not last too long, just about where we wanted and expected it to last.

Web site: Mad Croc

Del Monte Mango Passionfruit Bloom Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 10.5 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana and white tea
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 100

We received many responses to our recent reviews on the CranRaspberry and Wild Berry Bloom beverages, so we decided to give the Mango Passionfruit drink a try. If you like a sweet, fruity-tasting beverage, light on the carbonation, this is for you.

As we began this review, we asked ourselves-"what exactly is passionfruit?" Sure, we had a passing knowledge of what it is (a tropical fruit you eat while on vacation lying on a beach somewhere), but no one could identify what the fruit looks like nor what benefits, if any, it is supposed to provide. Ultimately, we did not let this detract from our enjoyment of the energy drink.

The package is clean and simply, adorned with an orange exclamation point and subtle text of the health benefits (supports bone strength, natural caffeine, antioxidants, etc.) contained in the can.

The women in our review group especially liked the sweeter, true fruit taste than did the men in our group. None of us detected any off-notes, simply fresh fruit. We did not have any vodka or rum nearby, but agreed this energy drink would pair well with either with added ice.

We felt a little energy lift, not much. Mango Passionfruit may serve as a nice morning/mid-afternoon treat, but don't count on it to carry you through a late night study session.

Web site: Del Monte

Wired Low Carb Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 10

The fascination with a low carb diet has been dead/on life support for some time now primarily because many of the products tasted bad or lacked taste altogether. Wired Low Carb Energy Drink is not one of these beverages.

The can's packaging is adorned with Wired's signature racing flame graphics. The racing flames on this package are more subtle than other Wired beverages simply because the racing flames are silver against a white background which does not provide a visual "pop". The words "sugar free" and "low carb are quite obvious, though.

The flavor of this energy drink was quite flavorful and sweet. Yes, it provided familiar flavors which you would expect in an energy drink, but the sweetness was smooth and pleasant. We did not taste any bitter off-notes.

We experienced a light boost in energy shortly after drinking this energy drinkthat lasted for several hours. If you are looking to pull an all-nighter or party 'til dawn, there are other beverages that will deliver the needed power.

Speaking of partying 'til dawn, the pleasingly sweet taste of this beverage would pair well with clear alcohols and be a nice change of pace to what you are currently drinking.

Web site: Wired

Hype MFP Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, ginseng
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Calories: 100

We've seen this story played out before-an energy drink that looks and tastes like so many other energy drinks on the market today. Unfortunately, Hype MFP is one of these drinks. One element that had us scratching our heads was "What does MFP stand for?"

Hype MFP packaging is obviously trying to appeal to the young, male consumer with its silver and black graphics. Hype MFP did not go out on a limb with any part of its package; it played it safe which is not the way to attract new consumers to try your brand versus their list of favorites. By the way, MFP is never explained anywhere on the can.

The beverage did give us a big boost of energy, its most redeeming quality. However, that's what you purchase energy drinks for, right?

The drink provides a strong citrus aroma which is pleasant. The flavor is undifferentiated from the many energy drinks on the market today...slightly tart, a little sweet with a combined lemon/lime/grapefruit profile and a tinge of medicine taste.

Hype MFP would probably mix well with clear spirits. Hopefully, the spirit mixer will mask the taste of this energy drink.

Web site: Hype MFP

Evviga Berry Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 12 oz
Active ingredients: Green tea, caffeine
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 5

The beverages guru's at Nestle and Coca-Cola should know better than to join forces on a product such as Enviga Berry. Yes, we know its not technically an energy drink, but with a fair amount of caffeine content, we do not see this beverage as much of a stretch.

We liked the sleek, 12 oz can and colorful, animated graphics. The package communicated ideas of activity, vitality, and energy.

The taste of Enviga Berry is a different story...it should be called Enviga Mystery Berry. Why? Because we have never tasted a berry even close to what this drink offers. The beverage has a slight aroma of raspberries. However, the flavor is of some unidentifiable fruit with a little bit of medicine thrown in. We did experience the green tea, but it tended to lend more bitterness on our tongues. The carbonation adds to the sensation of fruit, but not enough to cover the off-flavors.

The caffeine in Enviga Berry gave us a slight bump in energy. We are curious if Enviga Berry does indeed burn the 60-100 calories (if you consume three cans per day) it claims. We will not be drinking three cans this product per day anytime soon.

Web site: Enviga

Xtazy Energy 8 Hour Shot
Cost: $2.00 for 2 oz
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 0

A recent entry into the energy shot (a fast-growing sub segment of energy drinks) market, Xtazy Energy's 8 Hour Energy Shot provides a big boost of energy, a good cranberry taste, in a compact and colorful 2 oz. bottle. Did we also mention its sugar-free?

The bottle's packaging features Xtazy Energy's contemporary "X" logo on a black background. The 2 oz plastic container screamed "portable convenience" which appealed to us in a big way. Although it had a resealable screw cap, we clearly understood this energy shot was meant for single-serve consumption.

We immediately liked the pleasant cranberry aroma which reminded us of a classic cranberry cocktail. The flavor started out with a solid and sweet cranberry taste. We did taste a slight medicine flavor at the end; it wasn't too strong, but it was there. The beverage is not carbonated, which makes it easier for drinking as, well, a shot.

Xtazy Energy places the text "guarana-based energy shot" prominently on the package. Guarana is said to have a more sustained energy delivery than simple caffeine. We would have to agree after consuming this shot. We liked the initial kick we received and it went on well into our day.

Web site: Xtazy Energy 8 Hour Shot

Sol Mate' Original Energy Drink - Just Energy, No Jitters
Cost: $2.00 for 10 oz
Active ingredients: Mate' extract, caffeine
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Calories: 90

We were familiar with the ingredient mate' on account of its being marketed more frequently in the U.S. recently due to health benefits, primarily as a loose bagged tea or a ready-to-drink tea. Sol Mate' is the first energy drink we've seen containing mate' (and organic mate' to boot), so naturally, we were intrigued. Overall, we liked Sol Mate'. This beverage is not setting itself up as an in-your-face type of energy drink. The tagline spells it out clearly-just energy, no jitters. Rather, Sol Mate' has a clean, we-have-nothing-to-hide approach.

The package is the first interesting piece to the drink. It comes to you in a substantial glass bottle, something you do not see every day in energy drinks. The labels are simple and appear to be hand painted (although they are not).

The taste reminded us initially of a green tea/ginger ale/honey combo with a little carbonation. The flavor will most likely appeal to sophisticated (older) consumers versus younger consumers.

We experienced a slight energy lift that lasted for several hours. Nothing too crazy. About the same as drinking a cup of coffee.

We saw that Sol Mate' offers a lemon-lime flavored drink. We would suggest other flavors for development along the lines of orange, peach, cranberry and raspberry.

Web site: Sol Mate'

XO Vanilla Energy Drink - Xtreme Energy for Xtreme People
Cost: $1.99 for 180 ml
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 110

The eye featured prominently on the package of the XO vanilla energy drink was staring at us all day; how could we refuse a sip or two? We were in the mood for a sweet treat and our sweet tooth was satisfied with this beverage.

As with all of the other flavors we have tried from XO, this drink was non-carbonated, adding to the experience. The vanilla flavor is rich and creamy, similar to a scoop of Ben & Jerry's original vanilla ice cream. Good vanilla flavor is hard to come by and we were rather impressed by how this beverage was able to deliver such a good vanilla infusion in an energy drink. We did not have any vodka or rum nearby, but we agree that XO vanilla would make a nice cocktail. You could also have lots of fun experimenting with unique takes off of traditional drinks-rum, cola and XO vanilla, vodka, cola and XO vanilla, XO vanilla pina colada, you get the picture.

The energy boost was in-line with XO's other beverages; a solid, sustained lift over several hours with no crash.

Web site: XO Vanilla Energy Drink

Nitro2Go Firepower Extreme Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, ginseng, guarana, caffeine
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 110

We recently saw Nitro2Go's Firepower Extreme energy drink in the store and thought we would give it a try. We also saw two other products offered by Nitro2Go, High Octane energy drink and Lite energy drink, and hope they are better than their big, powerful appearing brother.

The package is somewhat interesting with its use of flames against a black background. However, the words "Firepower" and "Extreme" are quite overpowering. We got the intent, it just seemed to overcompensate, thats all. We also found it odd that on one side of the can we saw a message of "Please Recycle" and on another side we read "Recycle Or Die" over a skull and crossbones. Regardless, we understood we should recycle. We also observed the words "Made in the USA", a growing trend we've seen on other energy drinks. (see our review of Liquid Lightning)

We found Firepower Extreme's taste to be that of raspberry's and caramel which started out strong but finished weak. The carbonation was higher than most other energy drinks, which we felt was a positive.

The energy blast we expected did not arrive. With a name like Firepower Extreme we imagined a solid, sustained jolt, but it never came.

Web site: Nitro2Go

XO Grape Energy Drink - Xtreme Energy for Xtreme People
Cost: $1.99 for 180 ml
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 110

The next batter up is XO Energy Drink's grape-flavored beverage. So far, XO Energy has had a good track record with us and the grape version does not let the team down.

The packaging stays in sync with the rest of the product line-up, so we will go straight to the important stuff...how it tastes and how much energy we received.

First, the energy is quite good. We did not experience any crash after drinking any of the other products and the grape flavor did not allow us to crash, either. The energy was sustained over a long period of time, too.

Second, the taste was very nice. The drink starts out juicy and jammy, but not too sweet or overpowering. We did not experience any harsh aftertaste which we all know can ruin the entire experience. If you are in the mood for an energy drink that tastes like a non-carbonated Grape Nehi you are going to like this beverage.

Web site: XO Grape Energy Drink

XO Original Energy Drink - Xtreme Energy for Xtreme People
Cost: $1.99 for 180 ml
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 110

After tasting XO Energy's peach flavor, we were quite curious about the original flavor and if it could carry the solid flavor offering of the peach energy drink. So many times with other products we've tasted, several of the products launched by an energy drink company are quite good, but others are less than stellar. XO Energy's original flavor picks up where peach left off.

The packaging on the original flavor is very similar to the peach flavor, save for a few color variations.

Yes, the theme of a good-tasting non-carbonated energy drink (that tastes like a non-carbonated Red Bull) runs through the original product. Again, we believe you will enjoy this XO Energy event.

Web site: XO Original Energy Drink

XO Peach Energy Drink - Xtreme Energy for Xtreme People
Cost: $1.99 for 180 ml
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 110

How many times have you-1. enjoyed a peach-flavored energy drink, 2. enjoyed a non-carbonated peach-flavored energy drink, and 3. enjoyed a non-carbonated peach-flavored energy drink that the makers told you to drink at room temperature? We have and were impressed with XO Energy Drinks' peach flavored beverage.

The first think you notice about the package is a giant eye staring back at you. That, and the fact the beverage comes in a recloseable PET (beverage-speak for plastic) bottle which you do not see every day.

We were pleasantly surprised by the aroma of the beverage as we opened the cap. It was what you would expect...sweet peach. The flavor is very good as well. We can best describe it as a smooth peach candy. We were quite amazed XO was not carbonated, but they pulled it off. The energy boost was present, too, yet not overpowering.

We believe you will find XO an interesting energy drink experience.

Web site: XO Peach Energy Drink

Roaring Lion Energy Drink - Fly Twice as HIIIGH
Cost: $1.99 for 12 oz.
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, glucose, B vitamins
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 119

Roaring Lion recently introduced their energy drink in a 12 oz. can. Roaring Lion has been around for awhile and we were curious how the product came across in its new format. We'd have to say its pretty good.

The package is the popular 12 oz. sleek can. The graphics play up the drinks brand imagery nicely, complete with claw marks, and yes, a roaring lion. With the exception of a few lines of text (Original Formula, With Taurine, Fly Twice as HIIIGH) a blue background and nutritional information, thats basically it.

Roaring Lion does not have a very complicated ingredient list. What it does offer, though, is substantial. The nutrition label clearly points out generous amounts of niacin, vitamins B6 and 12, and pantothenic acid. Curiously, caffeine content is not indicated. The caffeine rush is above average, which is why we were surprised it was not called out. The taste started out sweet with lemon flavors and finished sour. We imagined Roaring Lion would mix well with most clear spirits and probably make one mean cosmo.

Web site: Roaring Lion

Four Premium Malt Beverage Energy Drink
Cost: $3.00 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Guarana, taurine, caffeine, wormwood oil
Rating: 5 out of 10
Alcohol content: 6%

Its almost the weekend, so we thought we may kick it off right and try Four. Four falls into the segment of the energy drink category that combines alcohol in the form of a malt beverage with energy ingredients.

When we opened the can, we caught an instant aroma of strawberry and raspberry. Once the beverage was poured, it too, had a strawberry hue to it. We were not certain what to expect, so a strawberry color fits just as well as any other color. The flavor was strong and syrupy. We could not taste the alcohol, which is probably a big part of the appeal with these types of drinks. We did like the fact that the full flavor did not last too long in our mouths. The amount of carbonation actually started out bold, but seemed to weaken the longer it was in the glass.

The packaging is basic in its approach. The words "Alcoholic Beverage" appear in small letters in a ring at the top of the can. We were also not sure what the ingredient wormwood oil is or is supposed to do...if anyone knows, let us know. The fact that the beverage offered 6% alcohol by volume was in large print, apparently in an attempt to alert consumers that this indeed was a beverage that contained alcohol.

Web site: Four

Game Juice Energy Drink -Juice Up Your Game with Impact
Cost: $2.00 for 16.9 oz.
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 224

It was inevitable that an energy drink was specifically created for the very large and growing-by-the-day video game enthusiasts. It is here, and its name is Game Juice. There are two very cool things about Game Juice. First, the taste. The drink is lightly carbonated and has a very nice tangy, lime/citrus flavor. Game Juice is sweetened with real sugar, so is has a genuine sweetness with no aftertaste. We also liked the fact that the flavor was not too powerful or watered-down. Second, the design of the bottle. From a distance, it looks like many other plastic bottles. However, when you pick it up, you see that the bottom of the bottle has been designed to resemble a game controller. Yes, you heard it, a game controller. It must've taken a long time to develop, but in our opinion, it was worth it. An innovation like this will place Game Juice in the "why didn't we think of this" category.

Game Juice also offers a big energy jump. We tried Game Juice during our usual mid-afternoon energy drop and this beverage picked us right back up.

Web site: Game Juice

Del Monte Wild Berry Bloom Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 10.5 oz.
Active ingredients: Fruit juices, B vitamins, caffeine (white tea and guarana)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 100

Offering a full serving of fruit, calcium, rich in antioxidants and caffeine (via white tea extract and guarana), how can a girl go wrong? The female reviewers on our team liked the Cran Raspberry Bloom we reviewed earlier this month so much, they felt compelled to try the Wild Berry. The Wild Berry does not disappoint.

Borrowing from its sister-package, the graphics are basic and safe, full of plenty of health benefits: supports bones, promotes healthy skin, CoQ10, etc. The taste is exactly what you would want with an expectation of wild berry-juicy, tangy and sweet. Bloom Wild Berry did not have a tremendous energy kick...just a slight lift, perfect for a mid-afternoon bump prior to that afternoon meeting or workout.

Wild Berry Bloom will go great over the rocks or straight-up with your favorite clear alcohol. We even mixed it with a light beer. Yes, it sounds strange but it tasted good.

Web site: Del Monte

Fixx Maximum Strength Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 20 oz
Active ingredients: Green tea, caffeine, taurine, B vitamins
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 0

Fixx Maximum Strength Energy Drink first comes at you as a sports drink/energy drink hybrid, but don't be fooled...its all energy. This beverage gives you a solid shot of energy straight to the solar plexus (aka-the middle of your chest). We had only drunk half of the 20 oz. bottle and knew this was going to be a bumpy ride. With all this extra energy, we decided to go for an extended jog. We felt a steady stream of energy throughout the workout that did not let up. Fixx does not have any carbonation which lends itself well to a pre/post workout beverage. The flavor of the drink reminds us of a fruit punch with a hint of walnuts. (yes, walnuts; its the best way we can describe it!)

The packaging is basic in its approach with a solid blue background, a black and white-lettered logo, a red "X" and text drawing attention to "Liquid Adrenaline". The plastic bottle would fit well anywhere an active life is sought. Did we mention it has zero calories?

Web site: Fixx Maximum Strength Energy Drink

Wired Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Inositol, caffeine, taurine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 200

If you are a guy and you like energy drinks for guys, then you are going to enjoy Wired Energy Drink. This no disrespect to women or that a woman won't enjoy this beverage. However, this drink comes across strong. Wired is available in a 16 oz. can and is labeled with solid black graphics in the background and what can be described as hot-rod flames. The imagery fits because this drink packs quite a big energy kick. We drank one can and shortly afterward felt the energy start to build. As the day went on, the buzz kept us going. We are happy to report that there was no crash, either.

Wired Energy Drink looked similar to a beer when poured, head and all. The drink has a very juicy beginning to it and ended up citrusy-sour. With all this flavor going on, vodka and rum would be solid mixers.

Web site: Wired Energy Drink

Full Throttle Mother Energy Drink
Cost: $2.39 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Acai, ginseng, caffeine
Rating: 5 out of 10
Calories: 230

Full Throttle Mother is another extension of the Full Throttle energy drink franchise and it misses the mark. (In football terms, wide and to the right.) Full Throttle ("Nature is One BAD" is listed in small print) Mother has difficulty being edgy and cool while also trying to be healthy. The can is presented in a green (get it, green) background with the bold statement it is energy from natural sources. The rest of the package is clearly all Full Throttle. We would describe the taste as honey/papaya/pink grapefruit which starts out strong but finishes flat. The look, too, is of a lightly carbonated pink grapefruit. The overall flavor was not pleasing. The aroma started out as pear but turned almost astringent. We waited for the caffeine kick, but it never came.

We give Coca-Cola credit for attempting to tap into the healthy energy drink segment with Full Throttle Mother, but unfortunately, it does not match up.

Web site: Full Throttle Mother Energy Drink

Pimpjuice Extra Strength Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 8 oz
Active ingredients: Guarana, caffeine, taurine, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and 12
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 130

In a world dominated by carbonated energy drinks, Pimpjuice Extra Strength energy drink goes the non-carbonated route while living up to its claim of "extra strength" (and then some). The beverage rolls out of its can and hits the glass with a funky green color reminding us of green apples. Although we didn't have a blacklight similar to those used in bars and clubs, we can't help but think this energy drink would look fantastic. The flavor is not close to an energy drink at all but more like a sweet/mildly sour apple. We did not have any alcohol handy, but all agree Pimpjuice Extra Strength would stand up against any players. The buzz we felt was solid and lasted a good long time. Better yet, no crash was experienced either. We were also pleasantly surprised to see that lots of vitamins (vitamin C, vitamins B6 and 12 to name a few) were included.

Web site: Pimpjuice Extra Strength Energy Drink

Havoc Energy Drink - Disrupt The Ordinary
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine, B vitamins, inositol
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 220

We expected Havoc energy drink to have aggressive, busy graphics, a big jolt of energy or a creative reason-for-being but did not experience any of these. Havoc has adopted basic imagery for its packaging choosing primarily red and gray text against a black background. The aroma of the beverage was strong berry. However, the berry did not translate into the flavor. We detected some honey and citrus, but neither made a statement. The kick we were waiting for did not arrive in a big way. It was present, but not huge.

Havoc does contain vitamins and additional nutrients. However, we were not sure where Havoc could play best...lifestyle beverage, mixer with your favorite alcohol, an alternative to coffee? We did see that Havoc was very low in sodium content.

Web site: Havoc Energy Drink

Mozart Chocolate Energy Drink – An Amazing Symphony of Flavors
Cost: $2.39 for 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: Chocolate, Green Tea, Ginseng, B-Complex Vitamins
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 140

Stating it is the "World's First Chocolate Energy Drink", Mozart had some big shoes to fill with a strong set of expectations from the very beginning. Mozart did not let us down. We were very intrigued as we opened the can and were treated to a strong yet pleasant smell of rich chocolate. The beverage itself is a dark amber color as one would imagine. The drink starts out with a satisfying chocolate flavor and ends up with some citrus notes. Several of the women that sampled Mozart Energy Drink were very impressed with its chocolate flavor and even poured the drink over vanilla ice cream for a unique energy treat. We all tried a vodka/Mozart-tini and enjoyed this experience as well. (More ideas to come-Bailey's and Mozart?) Mozart also positions itself as an indulgent pre and post workout beverage containing ingredients such as aloe, ginkgo, and CoQ-10. I liked the energy buzz I received from Mozart and see this drinks as a very solid mid-afternoon indulgence. Since Coca-Cola recently discontinued its Coke Blak, we can see where Mozart could fill the luxury afternoon beverage hole.

Web site: Mozart Energy Drink

Skin Lite - Energy Drink – It’s a life style
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 5

Skin Lite is another entry into the "lifestyle" approach of marketing energy drinks. The labeling and supporting information on this beverage suggest it is a beverage for the fashion-forward, urban, under, say, 30 year-old consumer. The graphics on the can are unconventional and confusing since they feature four different styles of text. The beverage itself tastes good-not great and not bad. What I liked most about Skin Lite is the caffeine jump I got. The boost lasted quite awhile, too. Skin Lite would do well to stand up as a mixer with a variety of spirits. Women will like Skin Lite since it boasts only 5 calories.

Web site: Skin Lite

Liquid Lightning Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for an 8.4 oz. can
Active ingredients: Vitamin C, caffeine, taurine
Rating: 7.0 out of 10
Calories: 105

I liked several components of Liquid Lightning. First, the 8.4 oz. can has dark, yet simple graphics. Of course, with a name like Liquid Lightning, you must have at least a few images of lightning strikes and Liquid Lightning does not disappoint. Also included on the label is an American flag stating this energy drink is "Made in the USA". A little patriotism can go a long way. Second, the flavor of the beverage reminds me of a pineapple/lemon/lime soda. I say soda because Liquid Lightning has the carbonation content closer to a soft drink than many other energy drinks I've sampled. Third, I like the way Liquid Lightning stands up to vodka. It could also be good with a light rum. Last, I enjoyed the energy boost I received from this energy drink. It didn't make me want to dance for a few hours, but it did deliver a nice bump in energy.

Web site: Liquid Lightning

Verve Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for an 8.0 oz. can
Active ingredients: Taurine, mangosteen, many vitamins and minerals, caffeine
Rating: 7.0 out of 10
Calories: 72

Verve is a recent entry into the health and wellness sub-segment of energy drinks. The can is reminiscent of many other 8 oz. beverages in size and package type. However, the graphics are colorful (orange, black, gray, white) and contemporary. The best way to describe the aroma is bubble-gum. Once poured into a glass, the drink has an appearance similar to that of lightly carbonated carrot juice. The flavor is nice, exotic and fruity. Shortly after drinking Verve, I felt a modest bump in energy-not too much and not too little. If you are a label reader (like me) you will be very impressed with the generous amount of vitamins, minerals and other good-for-you ingredients present in Verve. I view Verve as appealing to the active adult searching for a healthful boost of energy and supplements (perhaps those that do not like to swallow tablets or capsules).

Web site: Verve

Del Monte Cran Raspberry Bloom Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 for 10.5 oz.
Active ingredients: Fruit juices, B-complex vitamins, caffeine
Rating: 8.0 out of 10
Calories: 100

My attention was first grabbed by the simple, yet pleasing graphics on the 10.5 oz. can. The text on the can points to the health benefits (antioxidants, promotes healthy skin, full serving of fruit) and is punctuated by an exclamation point with the words "Bloom Energy". I enjoyed a subtle essence of both cranberry and raspberry when I opened the can. The drink is lightly carbonated and offers a nice balance of both raspberry and cranberry flavors as well as other berry notes. The berry flavors were not overpowering which can often be the case. Bloom energy drink is clearly trying to appeal to the female, health-conscious consumer. Bloom energy drink would mix very well with clear alcohol beverages as well.

Web site: Del Monte

Whey UP Protein Energy Drink Tropical Citrus
Cost: $2.00 for 16 oz.
Active ingredients: Whey protein isolate, B-complex vitamins, caffeine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 90

The Wild Berry drink was reviewed in April 2007 and I enjoyed the Tropical Citrus as much, if not more. The label is typical of sports-themed beverages with orange and black imagery. The flavor is in the tangerine/lemon/pineapple family and starts out quite pleasing. The aroma and flavor are not too strong which is what I like when I'm exercising. A key ingredient is whey protein isolate (for those of you that know what whey protein isolate is). I drank half of the bottle before I worked out and felt a slight caffeine buzz shortly afterward. Halfway through the workout I drank the rest of the bottle and felt energized as if I still had fuel left in the tank. A workout partner of mine also tried Whey UP (she is a former college volleyball player and consumes many more beverages while active than I) and she commented Whey UP was one of the better beverages she has enjoyed while exercising. Whey UP will appeal to serious athletes, weekend warriors and those consumers concerned with health and wellness.

Web site: Whey UP

Jolt Cola – The Original Energy Drink
Cost: $2.50 for 24oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Calories: 300

Jolt was created in 1985 as a refreshing alternative to coffee, a.k.a. The Espresso of Colas. Included on every can and bottle was the slogan “Twice the Caffeine.”

I tried the cola today and thought it was ok, not great, not bad either. I am rating in the energy drink reviews because it really was the first beverage out there with enough caffeine to be considered an energy drink (72mg per serving). It was also one of the first new age beverages.

The energy levels are OK and the taste is OK not as good as real Coca-Cola but OK! Did I mention that I thought it was OK?

Jolt cola mixes well with any alcoholic beverage that mixes well with Coke.

Web site: Jolt

Rock Star – Energy Guava
Cost: $2 for 16oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Guarana, Ginko, Caffeine, Milk Thistle, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 180

Another tasty addition to the Rock Star energy drink family. Not unlike all of their other products this one delivers on taste. I have really grown to love the Rock Star brand. When it first came out I was an avid Red Bull fan, actually I still am and over all I prefer Red Bull as a brand, but I prefer Rock Star as a drink.

This energy drink has a good flavor, true to its label, it does taste like guava energy drink. The kick is good, not quiet as strong as the regular Rock Star energy drinks, but good! That is the main reason I didn’t give it higher marks, I love the kick I get out of energy drinks and this one is a little mild for me.

A good mixer with almost any drink that goes well with fruit, champagne and guava energy drink perhaps, now there’s a thought.

Web site: Rock Star

G - Pure Energy Drink
Cost: $2 for 6.8oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins, Green Tea Extract,
Rating: 3 out of 10
Calories: o

Brought to you by the makers of Voss water, the very expensive water mostly enjoyed by image conscious people who don’t mind over paying for water. G-Pure Energy is really not a great energy drink at all. This orange blossom energy drink taste very medicinal and it’s also super small, only 6.8oz per bottle. I believe it’s the least value for money of them all as far as oz’s go.

It does have quite a decent kick, considering how small it is, but nothing compared to Rock Star or Red Bull. It got me going pretty fast but my energy was gone about an hour later? I really have to say that compared to my favorites this drink doesn't have much going for it at all. It does have a really pretty bottle and that's about it.

G-Pure energy drink probably mixes well with some alcoholic drinks, I’m not sure which ones and I don’t plan on finding out. If I were you Voss I’d stick to selling over priced water!

Web site: G - Pure

Xyience – Energy Drink – Big apple
Cost: $2 for 16oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins, Inositol, Ginseng, L-Carnitine
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 0

Xyience was started by the founders of EAS a mega supplement company. They have pumped millions of dollars into extreme sports especially the UFC a great new sport that has emerged over the last 15 years to trump the boxing world.

Now I wasn’t really sure if they were going to make a great transition to this new category but based on the energy drink I just had they sure have. The taste was excellent (I don’t really like apple flavored drinks but this one was great). The kick was undeniable; I am really pumped up from this energy drink (Although I have had two others today). So overall I am really satisfied with this purchase. Again I don’t like apple products so I’m not sure I would by this flavor again but I do endorse the brand overall, well done Xyience.

This would make a killer Appletini with an energy drink kick!

Web site: Xyience

Million – Play harder - Play Longer
Cost: $2.50 for 12oz
Active ingredients: Cysteine, EGCG, Fumaric Acid, Glutamine, Milk Thistle
Rating: 5 out of 10
Calories: 65

Million is found mostly in Las Vegas as far as I can tell (that’s the only place I can find it). It has a huge gold dollar sign right on the front of the can so that makes sense. The reasons that I included it in the energy drink review section of our site are two fold. Firstly it looks like and energy drink (12oz Sleek can made by Rexam the same people who make the Red Bull cans) and it claims “Play Harder, Play Longer" implying energy, so I figured that it qualifies.

The product tastes average and gave me an average amount of energy. It might be a good mixer with alcohol, though its main claim is that it is a hangover suppressant, I’m not sure if you should drink it with alcohol or after, I assume after.

Next time you are in Vegas and you have a hangover get one and see for yourself. Please write us with your results?

Web site: Million

Cintron Sugar Free Citrus Mango Liquid Energy
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 8.12 out of 10
Calories: 0 x 2

As I am slowly parting ways with the duties here on the site, I will still come by once in awhile to make a guest post when ever a energy drink happens to come my way that I haven't yet reviewed. So with that thought I just wanted to share my thoughts on this flavor of Cintron sugar free. I really liked the original Cintron citrus mango and guess what I like this one even better, because I really don't need the calories, but sometimes I need the energy. This drink has a decent kick and has a great taste just like the original version, but with no freaking calories, and I like that a lot. So if you want something that has the citrus orange flavor, but doesn't taste just like another orange crush knock off I really recommend trying this flavor out, either the original or the sugar free version, it just has a really nice unique citrus taste, different from most other citrus energy drinks.

I think the can is kinda boring and lam, but whatever some people get all into the packaging as you can see by a recent news report, apparently a study found that in the energy drink market stylized cans and marketing sold better than discounted or sale items. I find that odd because I am usually looking for the best bang for my buck. I guess if you got the money burn through it, so what I am saying is that Cintron should possibly look at their can designs. I also really like places with four packs on energy drinks, the nice Monster 4 packs are a great example of this. So take some time rework that stuff and then just start getting samples of this flavor out, because it is on dang tasty energy drink.

website: Cintron Sugar Free Citrus Mango Liquid Energy

Enviga Green Tea Energy Drink
Cost: $1.50 for 12oz
Active ingredients: Calcium lactate, Concentrated Green tea
Rating: 4 out of 10
Calories: 5

Enviga is not a real energy drink, it has the appearance of an energy drink (Same look and can). It sounds like and energy drink, but it’s not really an energy drink.

A product which was the brain child of the worlds biggest food company Nestle and the world largest soft drink company Coca-Cola, really falls short of the mark for me. The taste, although slightly improved from the first version of this product still isn’t nearly as good as most energy drinks.

As far as ingredients are concerned this product claims to burn calories, which is widely disputed by its critics, but even if it burns what it claims its still an insignificant amount. Not enough calorie burning to warrant the price or the taste sacrifice in my opinion. It does have quiet a decent amount of caffeine, about the same as a cup of coffee and that’s all it has going for it.

You might find some interesting drink mixes for this one, with enough alcohol you could block out the taste.

Web site: Enviga

Java Monster - Mean Bean Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, Caffeine, L-Carnatine, Glucuronolactone, A,C & B Vitamins
Rating: 7.8 out of 10
Calories: 100 per serving

The best tasting of all of the energy drinks by far, Monster’s new Mean Bean Coffee Energy is even better than Starbucks Frappuccino for taste. It is a smooth blend of delicious coffee that tastes like it just came straight from a fresh brewed pot of coffee.

The calories are OK not terribly high but definitly not a diet product. The can itself is also a masterpiece beautiful natural texture with gold embossed lettering. Hansen’s product development team must have been working over time for this one.

The only real down side of this energy drink and the reason it didn’t score higher in my estimation is that it has a reasonably low caffeine content (half as much as coffee per ounce) and because of that I don’t consider it to be a true energy drink.

It would mix really well with a shot of Baileys Irish Cream.

If you don’t feel like a full throttle (no pun intended) energy drink experience and just want a kicked back all round good beverage with a little kick to it this is the perfect drink for you.

Web site: Monster

Red Bull Sugar Free Energy Drink
Cost: $2 for 8.4 oz - $3 for 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, taurine, B Vitamins, inositol
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Calories: 10 per 8.4 oz

Red Bull is surely the king of energy drinks and will always be, who can deny the impact that this drink has had on the beverage industry. Red Bull single handedly created the fastest growing category in beverage. For that reason I have to be somewhat objective about this because this product obviously gets a ten out of ten for its success and execution and that could lead to a review that is based on size of brand and not quality. For instance there are a lot more Chryslers sold every year than Ferraris but we all know which the better car is.

For taste I would have to say I prefer some other products (Rock Star, Go Girl, Archers Farm) but for energy this is amongst the best. It works every time without fail, I drink a Red Bull and I get wings, just as they promise. I also feel really cool when I have a Red Bull in my hand (Like wearing Nike or Oakley).

This little champion of a drink is now available in 12oz cans for $3. It’s about time they made them bigger 8oz’s was just too small. The only problem I have with Red Bull is the price it just costs so much, if it cost the same as a Monster or a Rock Star I would drink it all the time.

Red Bull mixes great with vodka and it also goes with just about anything else with alcohol in it.

Long live the king of energy drinks.

Web site: Red Bull

Starbucks –doubleshot LIGHT
Cost: $2 for 6.5oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine (Coffee)
Rating: 4 out of 10
Calories: 70

Although this Starbucks product really tastes good, it’s far too small and really doesn’t give you anywhere near the energy that most energy drinks do. If they made it about four times the size it would probably be much better. If you are looking for energy drink that delivers a kick this is not it.

If I were rating it as a beverage I would give it an 8 for taste and a 2 for size but as far as energy goes it completely misses the mark. I love Starbucks but I really think they should have used stronger coffee if they wanted to be in the energy drink category. This is more of a Frappuccino than an energy drink.

On a positive note it has 25% less fat than the original and also has 45% less calories. A good example of beverage marketing by Starbucks.

Web site: Double Shot

Monster Lo-Carb
Cost: 2.29 16oz
Active ingredients: Guarana, Caffeine, Ginseng, B Vitamins, L-Carnitine
Rating: 5 out of 10
Calories: 10

Definitely not my favorite energy drink, I tried it today for the first time and it didn’t really do it for my taste buds. It has kind of a candy taste to it, not something that I would drink a whole can of unless I really needed the energy. Speaking of energy, it does have a good kick to it, I feel really pumped right now but not as pumped as I feel after a Rock Star.
I don’t think this would mix well with any alcohol, unless it was mainly alcohol and not much of this energy drink. There are not many calories which is a trend right now, if that’s what you are into, so that’s a plus for some.
As with all the other Monster Energy Drinks the packaging is really cool. I like the blues they use and the fonts, it all fits together really nicely. Pity about the taste, oh well you can’t get it right every time. Look out for my review on Monsters new range of coffee energy drinks, now that’s a whole different story!

Web site: Monster Energy Drink

Rock Star Juiced Pomegranate Energy Drink - 50% Juice/100% Energy
Cost: $2.49 16 oz
Active ingredients: Guarana, Ginseng, B vitamins, Milk Thistle, Caffeine, Inositol, Ginko Biloba, Taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 230 per can

Considering that it's 3am and I'm still going strong this energy drink must have quite a kick. Actually it has 80mg/8oz serving but I'm up all the same. This energy drink from has a good pomegranate flavor with a huge amount of sweetness. Good in a fruit punch with a combination of vodka, tequila etc. Over all, of the energy juices that I've tasted, this one is about pretty good, not as good as some of my favorites but way better than the way energy drinks used to taste. If you are looking for a little more of a natural product this one is worth a shot.

Web site: Rock Star Energy Drink

Archer Farms Sugar Free Energy Drink
Cost: 1.49 16oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Inositol B vitamins, caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10
Calories: 10 per can

Archer Farms is a Target private label product (You know the big chain that has all those great deals) so I got it for a decent price. That said it tastes pretty good and if I didn’t know it was from Target I would have guessed it was just another cool energy drink. It has a mild grapefruit flavor and is pretty smooth going down, it was a crazy hot day today, so pretty much everything went down well. It would be a good mixer with gin (Instead of tonic) and also with tequila. The energy level is not as strong as some of the others but I definitely felt it. Over all a good buy, not my favorite but good value all the same.

Web site: Archers Farms

Monster M-80 Energy Drink - Energy Juice
Cost: $2 16oz
Active ingredients: Inositol, L-Carnitine, Guarana, Caffeine, C & B Vitamins
Rating: 8.7 out of 10
Calories: 90 per serving

So it’s first thing in the morning and I'm out of Rock Star! I grab a can of Monster M-80 from my girlfriend's stash and I open it up. Mmmmm smells great, so I take a small sip (Just in case, you never know with energy drinks) and to my surprise my taste buds explode with flavor. A really great tasting smooth energy drink, a little on the sweet side for me but over all really good.

The energy comes on fast and is surprisingly strong so it gets the thumbs up for that. I am quite sure that it would make an excellent energy fruit punch with a bunch of tequila. Another great product from Hansens

Web site: Monster M-80

Kabbalah Energy Drink - Source of Power
Cost: 1.99c 16oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 8.5 out of 10
Calories: 116 per serving

Kabbalah energy drink has been one of my favorites for a long time, I dont know how it slipped through my review web, but I have been drinking it for years! This smooth citrus blend is loaded with energy and flavor. It’s a little hard to find in some areas but worth ordering online if you are an energy drink fanatic like me. I know its good with my favorite vodka and I'm sure its good with most other spirits as well. Keep on rocking Kabbalah energy!

Web site: Kabbalah Energy Drink

Burn Sugar Free Energy Drink - Look Good, Feel Good
Cost: 1.99c 16oz
Active ingredients: Ginseng, Green Tea Extract, Vitamin A & E, Guarana
Rating: 7.5 out of 10
Calories: 20 per can

Tastes really good, nice flavor, clean and crisp. For a sugar free product it was really good. I think this one would go great with a little Vodka. Some of the extra ingredients include green tea extract, ginseng and guarana which are all really great natural energy drink enhancers. This energy drink works fast and works well I would have to give it the thumbs up.

Web site: Burn

Wild Buzz Energy Drink - Feel The Power
Cost: 99c 12oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Glucoronolactone, B vitamins, caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 180 per can

A really good tasting energy drink with a lot of kick. Citrus/berry flavor makes this energy drink go down well. I like the price, only 99c for the can I bought! From what I can tell it’s mainly sold at dollar stores across the country (that’s why is such a good price). In all other ways it really is just your typical energy drink. I like it and would recommend it for value if for no other reason.

This is another product from Power Brands the makers of Go Girl, Kabbalah, Fuel, Pro Player and other great energy drinks.

Web site: Wild Buzz

Pro Player - Endurance Formula
Cost: $2 for 16oz
Active ingredients: Green tea extract, Choline, folic Acid, Acetyl L Carnatine, Taurine, Ginko Biloba, caffeine, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 9 out of 10
Calories: 120 per serving (2 servings per can)

Wow, a surprisingly great tasting energy drink with tons of new ingredients that I don’t see in many other drinks. Ginkgo Balboa for your memory, Acetyl L Carnatine for clarity and loaded with energy, 100mg of caffeine per serving to be exact! I really like this one a lot and would highly recommend it. It’s is endorsed by my poker hero Phil Helmuth 11 times World Series of Poker champion. I could go on and on about this one but you need to try it to see what I’m talking about.

Web site: Pro Player - Endurance Formula

Ex Slim Energy The lighter Energy Drink
Cost: $2 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: Kombucha, Guarana, Ginseng, B3, B5, B6
Rating: 5.8 out of 10
Calories: 10

This drink is made with Kombucha, which explains why I don't like the drink much, Kombucha Wonder Drink was the first drink to ever get a -1 on my review site. Now this drink isn't nearly as gross as the "wonder drink", but I still don't like the flavor, this one is hide a little more behind a citrus tea flavor. Anyways if you like Kombucha and trust me some people do, then you would probably enjoy this drink and it is definitely a low calorie drink that will give you a boost of energy. For me this drink doesn't offer a huge, boost there are certainly many other drinks that offer a larger boost than this, and I like the flavor of many of the other drinks much more. So yeah EX will get another chance as I have another flavor from there brand to give a try. So I would skip on this one unless you like really funny flavored teas, or for some reason are out on a mission to try ever energy drink that has been made, hmm who would do that? haha

Web site: Ex Slim Energy The lighter Energy Drink

XS Black Cherry Cola Blast
Cost: 1.50 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, Ginseng, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 7.2 out of 10
Calories: 8

Well another one of the health conscious energy drinks. Another one of the XS Energy flavors, what is amazing is how freaking tasty this one is. I have had some issues with XS IBO's trying to take over the message boards and sell their products here, so I didn't review them for awhile. That said I have to review the product as it stands, and this product stands well. This tastes as good as any cherry Coke or cherry Pepsi to me but with only 8 calories, which is awesome. So if you have always been a fan of cherry soda, I think you will be thrilled with this drink. It pumps you up and gives you an edge, but it isn't over the top. The best part is that with out the sugar there is no real big crash later. So you get the boost with out feeling all tired in a few hours. Out of the XS drinks I have had I think this would have to be my favorite, I heard there is like 4 other flavors I have yet to review so hopefully we can get some reviews up for those soon as well. Anyways I highly recommend giving this drink a shot, possibly a shot of Captain Morgan's!

Web site: XS energy drinks

VitaminEnergy Tropical Citrus Energy Drink
Cost: Approx $2.00, 16 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, C, Taurine, Caffeine (150mg), Bioenergy Ribose
Calories: 100 x2
Rating: 7.68 out of 10

From the company that brought you vitamin water, comes an energy drink that is pretty awesome. This isn't really a healthy fruit energy drink with < 1% juice, 100 calories and 25 g of sugar, OK so I guess they aren't really going for the healthy energy drink market. Just based on the company and the advertising I had assumed that, once you get over that and realize how good the drink is you forgive them pretty quickly.

Seriously I like VitaminEnergy, this is the last flavor they currently have released. This is Vitamin Energy Tropical Citrus, which ends up as #2, my favorite of the 3 was vitaminwater dragonfruit with my least favorite being vitaminenergy fruit punch. Don't get me wrong all three were good, but if I had to rank them, it would definitely be in that order.

I like the crisp, smooth, and lightly carbonated twist that vitamin energy gives their energy drinks. This drink tastes exactly like the name like pineapple juice blended with lemon-lime flavor, very refreshing and crisp. The can also while very simple, ipod clean, and kind of boring looking is one of the funniest energy drink cans I have ever read. Know how tons of energy drinks have the warning not for pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine? This drink has that and "recommended for people who have children, those trying to get pregnant or people in search of natural energy." The can also includes such genius as,

Evolution is a good thing, right? just think, if you didn't change, you'd still be rocking your calculator watch, sporting your fifth grade mullet, and using expressions like "gag me with a spoon."

I haven't had as many pineapple flavored energy drinks, it seem there have been a few more recently but I won't complain about the growing trend. So this is a nice tropical tasting drink, if you want something that doesn't taste as syrupy as some of the other drinks, then this drink might be of interest to you, if your not a tropical or pineapple fan I guess you can skip this one. Gives you a good buzz, but nothing that is out of the ordinary for energy drinks, and doesn't have to bad of an energy crash.

website: VitaminEnergy

SoBe Dragon
Cost: Approx $2.00, 20 oz
Active ingredients: C, Guarana, Ginseng, Ginkgo
Calories: 110 x2.5
Rating: 6.9 out of 10

SoBe dragon has a nice snappy taste, it has the sweet fruit flavor with almost a tiny spicy bit. I like it, guess most dragon fruits I just taste the fruit flavor this one has a nice little grab that I am having a real hard describing, but I enjoy. Anyways This SoBe drink is another drink half way between energy drink and standard beverage. It has Guarana which will give you a bit of a kick, but it doesn't have a whole ton of anything else. So it is a weak energy drink in terms of power and energy, but it sure as hell packs a great taste.

Some people aren't always looking for the strongest and most powerful energy drink out there, if your looking for a little boost, but your looking for more unique flavors this drink might interest you. Yeah sometimes I get bored of all the drinks that taste the same, this drink is refreshing with a kick, a non carbonated beverage that doesn't take the most common citrus route. So I have to give it pretty high points just for being a unique flavor that I truly enjoy. I did have to take some points off for the over all calorie count of 275, I just don't want that many calories in a single beverage. Anyways if they get a flavor like this in the low cal SoBe lean I almost guarantee I would be a huge fan!

website: SoBe Dragon

Boa Energy Drink
Cost: Approx $?, 16 oz
Active ingredients: B1,B2,B3,B5,B6,B12, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng, Guarana, Taurine, Caffeine, Ginko Biloba, Milk Thistle seed,
Calories: 100 x 2
Rating: 7.2 out of 10

Boa Bebida Energetica rocking out the spanish/latino market. This local Denver drink is trying to appeal to the latino energy drinkers out there. Does it have a chance to knock them away from the mighty monster? It is pretty good this drink has Agave, and is made with no High fructose Corn syrup which is nice. This lime flavored energy drink was pretty good and gives you energy for sure, pumping you up more than a can of red bull easily. So if I seem to be talking it up, why only a 7.2 (which is well above average), well the flavor. To me this agave lime drink tasted mostly like a bitter Mountain Dew. I used to really like Mountain Dew and this drink was close but with a weird bitter after taste and that kind of turned me off to the drink a bit.

So outside of the aftertaste I liked this drink and had to give it a shout out because its from Denver, and I got to give my locals a little bit of joy. This drink has launched around here with a primarily Spanish ad campaign which is interesting because this is perhaps the 3rd drink I have reviewed that seems to be targeting primarily Spanish drinkers, the first drink I saw go that route was Tampico Mas Bravo Energy, so I guess perhaps that market hasn't exploded as much yet, but people are predicting that it will? Best of luck Boa, you certainly don't constrict energy...

website: Boa Energy Drink

Potencia Energy Drink
Cost: Approx $?, 16 oz
Active ingredients: C, Carnitine, Ginseng, Guarana, Taurine, Caffeine, Ginko
Calories: 110 x 2
Rating: 5.6 out of 10

This drink is made by a woman from Honduras who is taking on the large energy drink market. I have to say cheer to her for that, but I say your going to want to stick to marketing this at the Spanish market as I don't think it is a taste we are used to. This drink is mostly be offered in Spanish countries like Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico and many more. I think it could do very well places like that, because in Brazil this is probably a flavor people grew up with, I know for sure everyone digs this flavor in Honduras since I was there recently and they were selling this juice pretty much everywhere I went. The flavor is Tamarind, which We just don't have in this country and I have to describe the flavor as dirty prune juice. Possibly prune juice with tobacco spit. So while I give this drink a low score for taste, it will pump you up.

One more time I want to mention even though I give this drink a low score I think it could be very successful in markets where this is a common flavor. I mean anyone who isn't from Australia that has tasted Vegemite, knows how bad that stuff is, but over there every family eats it. So in countries where kids have grown up drinking Tamarind I am sure they would enjoy this energy drink. So rock on Potencia bebida de energia!

The company has some other flavors but I have only been able to get my hands on Tamarind.

website: Potencia Energy Drink

SoBe Lean Energy citrus
Cost: Approx $2.00, 20 oz
Active ingredients: C, Carnitine, Citrimax, Guarana, Taurine, Caffeine
Calories: 5 x2.5
Rating: 7.6 out of 10

Alright a nice clean low cal energy drink that is non carbonated and still gives you a bit of a boost. I must say I am a fan. Once in awhile I get sick of the sodas and carbonation and I want something smooth with out all the bubbles. That is probably why I have been reviewing so many flavored waters lately. So here is a nice non carbonated beverage that is full of flavor. It does use fake sugar (Splenda which is the best fake sugar), but it keeps the calories low and doesn't have to strong of a sweet taste. I dig it.

The SoBe lean line is a little all over the place some are energy drinks like this one and many others are just drinks, which I will review in the normal drink reviews section. This drink has a nice light citrus flavor, kind of the way lemonade tastes, but with oranges instead of lemons. I know that is a weird way to describe it, but yeah like a lemonade with orange and you should have a great idea of what this drink tastes like.

As for the energy, this drink does give you some energy and get you pumped up a bit, but it isn't anything crazy. So if you want a little boost and don't want the sugar high and sugar crash, this would be an excellent choice for you. I feel like I should go sit in the sun and enjoy my nice refreshing SoBe orangaide!

website: SoBe Lean Energy

SoBe Lean diet cranberry grapefruit
Cost: Approx $2.00, 20 oz
Active ingredients: C, Carnitine, Citrimax
Calories: 5 x2.5
Rating: 6.23 out of 10

Yeah this will probably be one of my lowest reviews for Sobe Glass. The issue is that I don't really like cranberries nor do I like grapefruit, so when you combine them together I just have images of how much I hate ocean spray for ruining so many fruit juices by mixing them with cranberries. Who wants cran-apple, that is gross.

Admittedly this is my roommate's girlfriends favorite drink, she loves the stuff. I just get scared when looking at the flavors involved. Since she likes this drink so much I am giving it a higher score than I normally would. I mean seriously Why do people like these flavors?

I would also say this isn't much of an energy drink it has some "herbal content", but I would just say this is more of a refreshing lo cal drink if your bored of water and want something that will be go for you, this isn't a bad way to go. So yeah if your looking for a healthy alternative to all the sugar padded drinks and you want more of a healthy vitamin drink this isn't a bad choice, if your looking for a real energy drink look else where.

website: SoBe Lean diet cranberry grapefruit

Orange Tangerine Jeff Gordon 24 Energy
Cost: Approx $2.00, 16 oz
Active ingredients: B6, B12, C, Taurine, Caffeine, Yerba Mate, Panax Ginseng, Guarana, L-Carnitine
Calories: 100 x2
Rating: 9.2 out of 10

It's like a SoBe No Fear, but with better flavor and Yerba Mate. Seriously I have always been a fan of No Fear and this stuff has all the kick and more. It has a better citrus taste that is actually unique and doesn't just taste like an orange crush knock off, and it has Yerba Mate, which I am a big fan of. Anyways this tasty beverage is a limited edition so if you want to give it a shot you better pick it up sometime soon.

I really don't understand paying some celebrity millions to make a product that will only be on the market for a few months. It seems like a lot of work is going into a good drink that will all be thrown away in the end. Maybe pepsi will just release this drink with another name after the contract with Jeff Gordan is up. I don't even like Nascar or Jeff Gordan, but at least I like the drink so good work there. Anyways, if you like nascar you probably would think the can is cool, it has the big 24 and some fire on the can.

So if you can look past all the crazy hype you will find a solid energy drink that could stand perfectly fine on its own, so grab a can and get some energy.

website: Orange Tangerine Jeff Gordon 24 Energy

1st Step for Energy Citrus Burst
Cost: Approx ?
Active ingredients: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, and 71 Vitamins and Minerals
Calories: 8
Rating: 5.96 out of 10

Have you ever wished your energy drink was more like motor oil? Well then 1st step for energy is for you, it comes out of what can only be described as a motor oil bottle, and as for energy I feel like it is taking the preventative strategy. If you have all the vitamins and minerals you need you will feel like you have the energy you need? It doesn't give me energy at all. What it does give me is a burst full of carrot juice that has had a few one a day vitamins blended down into the drink. I guess the flavor is citrus cranberry, but I don't really taste either of those, I pretty much taste ground up vitamins.

So what all does this "energy drink" have in it for energy? Well B vitamins, and then a whole bunch of metals, minerals, and other stuff... Also I thought you needed a prescription and a mental disorder to be taking Lithium, but I must have been mistaken, because this drink clearly has Lithium on the ingredients label, my guess is that it has such a small amount that it doesn't matter, but that is boring. So I say that daddy needs his medicine and now every day that I don't get my Lithium I keep hearing a pink elephant tell me that the government is out to get me and that I need to start a heavy medal band to survive. Ha heavy metal like all the metals contained in this drink zinc, magnesium, iron, and more.

So yeah I would say just take a vitamin over this drink, it is rather scary and funny. It doesn't taste horrible, but I wouldn't expect it to give you energy either. So here is a look at the crazy bottle and my friend Dave bravely downing a shot of energy oil.

website: 1st Step for Energy

VitaminEnergy Fruit Punch Energy Drink
Cost: Approx $2.00, 16 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, C, Taurine, Caffeine (150mg), Bioenergy Ribose
Calories: 100 x2
Rating: 7.45 out of 10

From the company that brought you vitamin water, comes an energy drink that is pretty awesome. This isn't really a healthy fruit energy drink with < 1% juice, 100 calories and 25 g of sugar, OK so I guess they aren't really going for the healthy energy drink market. Just based on the company and the advertising I had assumed that, once you get over that and realize how amazingly delicious the drink is you forgive them pretty quickly for one little fault.

Seriously I like VitaminEnergy, this is the second flavor I have reviewed and I have been impressed both times. The fruit punch isn't as good as the dragon fruit, but it is still really tasty and an above average energy drink. I like the crisp, smooth, and lightly carbonated twist that vitamin energy gives this drink. The can also while very simple, ipod clean, and kind of boring looking is one of the funniest energy drink cans I have ever read. Know how tons of energy drinks have the warning not for pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine? This drink has that and "recommended for people who have children, those trying to get pregnant or people in search of natural energy." The can also includes such genius as,

Evolution is a good thing, right? just think, if you didn't change, you'd still be rocking your calculator watch, sporting your fifth grade mullet, and using expressions like "gag me with a spoon."

How can you not like a drink that has jokes like that on the can, and more (buy some to see), it cracks me up. So if you like a light fruit punch flavored drink with a crisp clean and lightly carbonated taste, you might just love this drink. This drink doesn't pump you up as much as Redbull or some other energy drinks, but it comes damn close and it is delicious.

website: VitaminEnergy

vitaminenergy (dragonfruit 9)
Cost: ?? 16 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine, Bioenergy Ribose
Rating: 8 out of 10
Calories: 100 x 2

UPDATE: Guest review by Ben this drink accidentally got reviewed twice to check out the original review of vitaminenergy dragonfruit. Sorry for the confusion.

From the makers fruitwater, smartwater, and vitaminwater comes vitaminenergy and I have to say the dragonfruit flavor is a tasty drink. It's got a very good fruit flavor that isn't too syrupy or sweet. Plus, dragons are hardcore. Well, at least the European ones. They were always eating people and breathing fire. The eastern ones always came off as a little wussy to me. But the did make for awesome looking parade costumes, so what do I know?

Anyway, this drink tastes pretty great and gives you some good energy to boot. I'm not entirely sure what the difference between "caffeine" and "natural caffeine " is, but this drink supposedly has the natural variety. I'm no chemist, but isn't it all the same atoms arranged in the same configuration?

I also have to give credit to Glaceau for making a can that's not only cool-looking but also actually fun to read. The can has 3+ paragraphs of text on it, but it's actually pretty funny, so you'll find yourself reading it aloud to your friends as you chug this drink down. In case you don't have a can handy, here's what it says:

evolution is a good thing right? just think if you didn't change, you'd still be rocking your calculator watch, sporting your fifth grade mullet, and using expressions like "gag me with a spoon."

the inside in natural. the outside is aluminum.

website: Glaceau

Cintron Energy Enhancer Tropical Azul
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 7.27 out of 10
Calories: 110 x 2

The final Cintron review and this one is blue, blue I tell you. I like blue, it reminds me of cloudless summer skies. It tastes a lot like blue smarties, you remember those little sugar candies. Anyways it has a citrus pineapple flavor, I had a real hard time pinning down the flavors but it is a tropical punch flavor that I enjoy. It you have always like blue tropical punches there is no reason to think you wouldn't enjoy this one. It gives you a good boost of energy and doesn't have any bad aftertaste or medicine flavor. I have been impressed with all three Cintron flavors, and I would highly recommend checking them out, it is an exciting start for a new brand of energy drink. I still don't understand why they are all energy enhancers, but if they like their funny marketing terms that is alright with me. Like most double sized drinks it has a bit to much sugar and way to many calories if your drinking the whole thing. Anyone else out there had this drink yet? What are you thoughts, I sure as hell know it is better than Chi energy, which a friend of mine almost threw up after tasting..

website: Cintron Energy Enhancer Tropical Azul

Chi Energy Drink
Cost: $? 8 oz
Active ingredients: Seaweed protein extract
Rating: -1 out of 10
Calories: 116

Chi an energy drink that tastes like fish vomit. Seriously this drink just makes you think WTF! Chi claims to be for Men and Women, I after tasting the drink claim it is for no one. Chi is powered by Seaweed protein extract, which I first read as Chi Powered by sewage, which must have been an omen for what I was about to taste. This drink has no caffeine, no carbonation, and no reason to ever enter your mouth. It claims to have a citrus flavor flavor, which I can't taste through the horrible fish vomit flavor. Seriously this drink starts off tart and salty and then has a long lasting aftertaste of pure bitter terrible flavor.

This drink could not have actually been tasted before they started making can after can of it. There is no way someone could enjoy this flavor. I think health nut with far to much money thought hey how about a seaweed based energy drink with no caffeine, that would be awesome. Then ordered 20,000 cans and this shit showed up. After one sip I can't imagine anyone ever wanting to taste this drink again. I don't honestly think I can finish the can. OK I had one more sip screw this I am done I am going to go drink some raw sewage to rinse the horrible taste out of my mouth. This drink makes me want to die, please never drink it or purchase goods from stores that carry this beverage.

website: Chi Energy Drink

Cintron Energy Enhancer Pineapple Passion
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 6.54 out of 10
Calories: 110 x 2

Guest Review by my college buddy Dominic Filosa:
Ever have that powdered candy out of a plastic pineapple as a kid? Cintron Pineapple Passion tastes just like it. While the drink was good it had a processed candy aftertaste that, at least for me, was better than the bitter aftertaste most energy drinks leave in your mouth. Overall, it was a good drink. Good enough to drink again.

Dan's thoughts:
Occasionally in my life I have run across pineapple soda, which has a nice sweet pineapple taste. I think this energy drink tastes just like a pineapple soda. So if you like fruit flavored soda's like crush and what not you would probably enjoy the taste of this drink. As for the energy not bad it will pump you up and fill you with sugar for sure, again nothing crazy in the energy department but on par with most of the energy drinks out there. If you want to know more about the Cintron line here is another review I wrote, Cintron Citrus Mango Energy Drink.

website: Cintron Energy Enhancer Pineapple Passion

Essn Energy Pomegranate LimeFlower
Cost: $2 12 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, Guarana, Yerba Mate, Green Tea
Rating: 6.47
Calories: 150

This energy drink from Essn, is a very lightly carbonated and slightly sweetened organic green tea. If you like lightly sweetened lime green tea you will love this stuff, it taste just like that, but don't think it is a weak barely there caffeine this drink provides one heck of a kick for a tea. That is why I guess they are advertising it to the energy drink market and crowd. I was impressed with the drink, but still found it to bitter and and earthy for my tastes. I give it the lower rating not for lack of energy or anything, but personally I am not a huge tea fan, and this is distinctly a tea flavored drink, if you have been looking for a tea with a serious kick, this certainly could be the best energy drink on the market for you. So I say give this drink a shot if you like the natural healthy thing or teas, or skip it if your into the high sugar crazy Monster like energy drinks. This drink isn't going for the 15 year old skate boarders, but I think it could easily find its market among the older star bucks crowds.

website: Essn Energy Pomegranate LimeFlower

Cintron Energy Enhancer Citrus Mango
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: B6, B12, Ginseng, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 7.77 out of 10
Calories: 110 x 2

This drink just makes me want to yell out, "Taste it, ugh!" Why no real particular reason, I guess because my favorite part of the drink is the unique and delicious citrus mango flavor. This energy enhancer, whatever that means, energy drink has a real good flavor with a nice balance of carbonation and energy. Seriously it is pretty delicious. The energy is nothing big or new just about the redbull strength a little stronger and with the double size you get two of them. So la de freakin da, but I guess I haven't been concerned with pushing the energy envelope so much as finding great new tastes and flavors, and this drink does have that. I know your thinking there are a ton of orange and citrus energy drinks on the market but their citrus mango bring a whole new flavor and feel. So overall I liked the drink I would pick it up occasionally when I saw it in the store when I was in the mood for a fruit beverage, and this stuff would taste amazing when mixed. Seriously give a group of giddy girls this drink with some vodka and the giggling will go on all night long, it is a great fruity drink, and who doesn't like mango. I actually and going to invent the newest energy drink mix right here right now, take one can of Cintron Citrus Mango put it in a blender with a bunch of ice, add 3 shots of tequila, blend for the most delicious Energy Mango Margarita ever. I wouldn't recommend making liquid nitrogen margaritas, only because you need some physics majors around, but then it would be even cooler. Anyways this goes into my try it and buy it category so get out there and find yourself some Cintron.

website: Cintron Energy Enhancer Citrus Mango

M fuel Energy Drink
Cost: $2 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 7.55 out of 10
Calories: 120

A new energy drink launched recently called M Fuel, and it has the classic energy drink colors red, blue, and silver. The can takes a minimalist approach to design and looks crisp and sharp, which is a pretty good way of describing the flavor as well, crisp. The drink definitely pumps you up, it feels basically like the same boost of a redbull perhaps a slightly more energy. It has a very similar taste to a redbull as well but with a slightly crisper flavor and a little less of the medicine aftertaste. I will have to say this is basically a redbull clone, but a little better than the cheap redbull knock offs, it feels like they took that taste and tried to clean it up a bit.

If you have always been a fan of the original king of energy drinks, you will surely enjoy this drink as well. I know if your in Florida you might as well grab this over redbull and support your local energy drink, otherwise I would always grab this if it was cheaper than the bull as it is a quality replacement. If you need some energy you can fill up on some Mmmmmm Fuel energy and you won't be disappointed.

website: M fuel Energy Drink

Blow Energy Drink Mix
Cost: $2.50 16 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, Taurine, Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Kola Nut
Rating: 7.85 out of 10
Calories: 0

Let the law suits begin. The drug inspired energy drinks was first ignited by Liquid Blow followed by the crazy Cocaine Energy Drink, and now the grand daddy of inappropriateness blow, which can be found at ILoveBlow.com. It cracks me up and you know these people are going to get sued, but they might be able to pull a Cocaine and turn millions of profit before going back and renaming their product.

So after getting over the fact that it is called blow and comes in a little crack vile full of white powder, how does it work and how does it taste? Honestly damn good, I was knock my socks off surprised, I always hated the taste of Cocaine and just said it was marketing craziness with a crappy product, but this is a good product that could hold its own with a normal name. Seriously it has no calories, no sugar, great citrus taste, and has 2000mg Taurine and 240mg caffeine, making it far stronger than a Redbull. After all that you still have an endless stream of hilarious jokes about drugs. I was just happy I could get my hands on a sample before this product is sued out of existence. So if you want to try it I recommend trying to find some fast. You can mix it with any favorite drink I just did water to actually get a taste of the products true flavor, and I was pleasantly surprised.

So a friend decided he had to have some fun with this, "pure uncut energy!" He wanted to snort a bit, yes it isn't real cocaine, yes it is a horribly bad idea (that the bottle warns people not to do, which we notice after he snorted a little bit). So yeah he didn't snort down a whole vile or anything which would likely cause a bloody nose and a horrible burning sensation, but he did enough and had a burning runny nose the rest of the night. So below you can see a picture of his reaction right after doing a line of energy drink, and the amazing sue our ass off packaging that accompanies blow. I love the no holds bar world of the energy drink business, but this is seriously commercialism with out any shame, and well yeah capitalism because money will be made.

"It was like snorting a pixie stick that had been somehow flavored with sprite. It burned like hell, made my nose run, and made me sneeze for about an hour. I've made better decisions" -Blow Snorter

website: Blow Energy Drink Mix

OC Energy Kik-it Energy Drink
Cost: $2 10.14 oz
Active ingredients: B12, Ginseng, Taurine, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Calories: 90 x 1.3

The original OC energy drink kik it review, I will start with who in the hell has 1.3 servings in a bottle, if your seriously packaging 1.3 just be honest your not expecting users to split the bottle or throw .3 servings out, just call it one freaking serving and be done with it. Who would have thought, well for all you California dudes and skinny blond chicks you have a drink of your own, to bad it I describe its taste as blue koolaid that had a cigarette put out in the drink, and the non diet version has a ton of sugar trying to cover up that taste. OK not really that bad, but the non carbonated fruit beverage definitely leaves a bitterish caffeine aftertaste in your mouth. I end up giving it a 5.5 because I am not going to lie this drink will give you a bunch of energy it does pack a powerful punch. Unfortunately to get that energy kick you have to taste the drink, which sucks. I don't hate it but it was bad enough to put the drink in the barely above average drink ratings. If you don't like carbonated energy drinks or your looking for something pretty powerful give this drink a shot, but otherwise I guess you can skip it over. OC Energy does come in a pretty oddly shaped bottle, that will stand out and has some hot skinny silhouettes of the kind of sexy beach bums you would hope to be hanging out with. I know I was born in CA, but I guess I have been away to long, because this drink just doesn't connect right with me, all you CA people let me know your thoughts. Perhaps I am not cool enough to get the whole OC experience, but I think they should have spent a little more time working on the flavor and perhaps s tiny bit less on the "Image."

website: OC Energy Kik-it Energy Drink

RockStar Zero Carb Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Guarana, Ginko, Caffeine, Milk Thistle, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 9 out of 10

I know Rockstar I have owed you this review for a long time. This is really the zero carb no sugar energy drink king across many college campuses. This drink I have had quite a few times and started to like it a long time ago, I just kept forgetting to review it for some reason. Then I got a ton of emails asking me to review the zero carb as many people liked it better than the original Rockstar. Everyone said it gave you more energy and pumped you up even more. I have had more email about rockstar from readers than almost any other drink, I said this with my first Rockstar review and it continues to be true years later. Talking to friends across the country this seems to be the drink that almost everyone is moving to. It is easy to see why also, it taste very similar to Redbull although a little different, but it pumps you up as much if not more than Redbull an that is basically with just half a can. I mean this is twice the size for the same cost. It doesn't have a really bad fake sugar taste, it mixes well. If you don't like Redbull's flavor, your not likely to like this one either. It still has a bit of the medicine energy drink taste that bothers some people. I am starting to look for alternative flavors, because of the boredom I am getting having some many drinks that taste very similar, but that is where Rockstar juiced kicks in, which has brought some really tasty flavors to the energy drink world. So rock on Rockstar the current king of the energy drink world it appears. While Monster might have a slight lead over Rockstar I am not exactly sure why, perhaps it is because of the slightly adult url, perhaps it is marketing, who knows, but I do know that Rockstar has been one of the most creative and best energy drink companies out on the market for a long time and has a pretty huge following.

Website: RockStar zero carb

HC Hot Cocoa
Cost: Approx $?, 6-8 oz
Active ingredients: L Carnitine, B6, B12
Calories: 130
Rating: 6.85 out of 10

I love hot chocolate so I was really excited about getting to review a hot chocolate energy drink.The problem is it really isn't much of an energy drink. I mean it is pretty damn tasty hot cocoa, but where is the energy? I was expecting cocoa that was slightly bitter with an increased level of caffeine, I just ended up getting a nice good cup of hot chocolate. No real caffeine, no real energy, just good tasting warm liquid chocolate. I can't really complain, but if your going to call yourself an energy product and market yourself along with energy drinks pack some extra caffeine, guarana, or yerba mate in the blend. Don't go crazy and don't ruin the cocoa, but you better give me something if your an energy drink. Anyways the rating which is pretty high reflects the taste of the cocoa, which is far better than hot chocolate from start bucks and most other coffee shops, but it would have done extremely well if I really felt a boost of energy in any real way. Mmm so HC make me a hot chocolate with some real energy pack me in some kick so I can go skiing all winter long.

website: HC Hot Cocoa

Taurus Energy Drink
(The bottle is in German so I am not sure of the info below)
Cost: 1 euros (approx $1.5) 100 ml
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B2, B6
Rating: 6.05 out of 10
Calories: 50?

This German energy drink is a pretty much a clone of redbull entry into the energy drink market. It tastes exactly like redbull. It still has the medicine flavor, it doesn't pump you up more or less. I am bored of all the copycat energy drinks and this is another one to add to the growing list of copycat energy drinks

If your in Germany I bet you can find this drink pretty easily and you might as well give your home country energy drink a shot, right? Now my last little bit I have to rip them up for the name, seriously can we get off the stupid bull being the energy drink animal. Go for something else, hell go with cheetah there freaking fast. Just anything but the bull seriously I would rather see lazy frog energy drink than another blue bull energy drink. If your going to come to this market at least come with something new not an old played out vision.

Web site: Taurus Energy Drink

Function Alternative Energy Drink Tangerine Yuzu
Cost: Approx $2.00, 16.9 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B6, B12, C, Taurine, Caffeine, Yerba Mate, Catuaba, Muira Pauma, Epimedium, Guarana
Calories: 60 x2
Rating: 5.65 out of 10

This healthy alternative energy drink tastes like bitter tea. If you like yerba mate, I would suggest going loose leaf or getting some of the other yerba mate teas and energy drinks available over this one. This sort of tastes like a slightly lemon sweetened tea, I guess claiming to be Tangerine Yuzu flavored. I just wasn't a big fan of this drink, I didn't find it very tasty, it did give me some energy but nothing really out of the ordinary, I didn't have a bad sugar crash from it which was nice, but I did have to drink some water to rise the after taste out of my mouth. Then after getting paste its bittery tea like flavor lets get into the ingredients what in the hell are Catuaba, Muira Pauma, or Epimedium? I could look it up but honestly I am scared to even know more about this stuff. If your into the whole monk like healthy lifestyle living perhaps you will be down for this otherwise there are much simpler and better tasting natural energy drinks out there and bunch of good options that have yerba mate, so all-natural function energy, I am sorry, but I am not really a fan.

website: Function Alternative Energy

Triple FX Energy Drink
Cost: Approx $2.0, makes 8-10 oz
Active ingredients: B1,B2,B6, B12, C, Taurine, Caffeine, Choline, L-Phenylaline, L-Tyrosine,Glycine, GABA, NanoCluster Blend
Calories: 35
Rating: 5.25 out of 10

This is TANG but with caffeine. I guess I could pretty much end the review there, it doesn't taste bad, it tastes just like TANG. If you like TANG but always wished it had caffeine in it, well you would love Triple FX. If you don't like powdered drinks you wouldn't like this one. I kind of like TANG a tasty powderish orangish beverage. Now this seems to have a ton of crazy ingredients in it which is mildly disturbing since it didn't pump me up much more than say a Mountain Dew. I guess I have to give them credit for coming up with some new stuff and claiming it will boost your energy, this energy drink is made with NanoCluster Blend, NanoClusters of what? Who knows, who cares Nano technology is hot and trust me you want it in your energy drinks, because Nano rules. If I learned anything from Michael Crichton, it is that Nano bots want to kill us all. So yeah I don't know what Nanotechnology is in the energy drink, but it didn't make me feel any different. For awhile I found powdered energy drinks kind of fun and amusing, but now I am just like put it in a can, all powdered drinks never mix that well, always seem flat or lacking in flavor, and don't seem to pump you up as much as the pre mixed and pre canned alternatives. Interesting try Triple FX and seriously TANG lovers everywhere are celebrating the new TANG energy drink, but I just don't thin you will find that many converts from the ranks of energy drinkers out there.

website: Triple FX

VitaminEnergy Dragonfruit Energy Drink
Cost: Approx $2.50, 16 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B5, B6, B12, C, Taurine, Caffeine
Calories: 100 x2
Rating: 7.65 out of 10

From the company that brought you vitamin water, which I never really liked, always preferring Gatorade. Comes an energy drink that does remarkable well for its first entry into the market, this drink while sorta healthyish confuses me. A healthy fruit energy drink with < 1% juice, 100 calories and 25 g of sugar, OK so I guess they aren't really going for the healthy energy drink market. Just based on the company and the advertising I had assumed that, once you get over that fact and realize how amazingly delicious the drink is you forgive them pretty quickly for one little fault.

Seriously I like dragon fruit, I like it even better with the crisp, smooth, and lightly carbonated twist that vitamin energy gives this drink. The can also while very simple, ipod clean, and kind of boring looking is one of the funniest energy drink cans I have ever read. Know how tons of energy drinks have the warning not for pregnant women or people sensitive to caffeine? This drink has that and "recommended for people who have children, those trying to get pregnant or people in search of natural energy." The can also includes such genius as,

Evolution is a good thing, right? just think, if you didn't change, you'd still be rocking your calculator watch, sporting your fifth grade mullet, and using expressions like "gag me with a spoon."

How can you not like a drink that has jokes like that on the can, and more (buy some to see), it cracks me up. So if you like a light fruit berry (dragon fruit) flavored drink with a crisp clean and lightly carbonated taste, you might just love this drink. This drink doesn't pump you up as much as Redbull or some other energy drinks, but it comes damn close and it is delicious.

website: VitaminEnergy

Isomers Berry Blast Energy Drink Mix
Cost: Approx $1.50, makes 6 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, ATP
Calories: 10
Rating: 6.02 out of 10

Compared to Isomers R3 I liked this drink a lot. This drink still isn't great even in the realm of just powdered drinks. It isn't that bad either, it has a nice berry taste, that is a little bit mediciny, in fact it tastes like a berry Flintstones vitamin. I never really minded Flintstones vitamins as a kid, so that tells you a little about the drinks taste, which while good, how often would you want to eat like 20 vitamins over say skittles? Not very often or likely is it. So while I think they did a pretty good job and this drink pumps me up a bit more than their R3 drink, I still there is room for improvement. I guess like in my other review I am going to claim Isomers energy drinks are like energy drinks for old people, I guess I should take my energy vitamin with my prune juice this morning.

website: Isomers Berry Blast Energy Drink

OC Energy Oxygenated Water
Cost: $1.5 16.9 oz
Active ingredients: Water, Oxygen
Rating: 6.5 out of 10
Calories: 0

So I am confused I was going to review this in my non energy drink reviews section, but I decided that it is from an energy drink company, and claims to "awaken the senses." This is not an energy drink, by no stretch of imagination would anyone claim this pumps them up and decreases the desire to sleep the same way an energy drink does. So as an energy drink I say this sucks, but as a beverage it is kinda fun. Why kind of fun did you get a sweet buzz from the oxygenated water did I get more energy? No! So why should be care about bottled water? Well because bottled water is a huge rip off and I feel a little less ripped off by this product. Seriously if I am going to have to pay this much for water give me something, and OC water does. It gives you a pretty sweet bottle with a pull up cap, which doesn't leak (that is huge a ton of water bottles and gatorade's like these leak). Then on top of that they go ahead and oxygenate the water, which I don't believe it really helps you in anyway, but hey at least I am getting something for my money. I feel like most bottle water tastes like it came out of a garden hose and was packaged. So with this I get a cool looking and functional water bottle, and extra oxygen which may or may not do anything, with other bottled water I often get a crappy bottle and hose water. This water tasted crisp, clean, and clear so yippie for water, which by the oz is starting to cost more than gasoline.

website: OC Energy Oxygenated Water

Maxxx Energy Drink
Cost: $2 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: B6, Taurine, Caffeine, Guarana
Rating: 5 out of 10
Calories: 127

Another energy drink from Honduras, unfortunately it is just another knock off. This tastes like a little more bitter version of Redbull. Seriously it is such a knock off that I really have nothing more to say about it, it doesn't taste quite as good basically costs the same, so why bother with it. This energy drink is made in Vienna Austria, and you can find this drink in Costa Rica, Columbia, Panama, Peru, and Honduras. This drink also seems a little thicker than slimier than Redbull, if this is the kind of taste you like, you might as well just buy a redbull and you will be better off.

website: Maxxx Energy Drink

OC Energy Kik-it Diet Energy Drink
Cost: $2 10.14 oz
Active ingredients: B12, Ginseng, Taurine, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng
Rating: 6 out of 10
Calories: 0

I thought the OC was a TV show that got old before the end of the first season? Apparently it is an energy drink as well. Crazy who would have thought, well for all you California dudes and skinny blond chicks you have a drink of your own, to bad it I describe its taste as blue koolaid that had a cigarette put out in the drink. OK not really that bad, but the non carbonated fruit beverage definitely leaves a bitterish caffeine aftertaste in your mouth. I end up giving it a 6 because I am not going to lie this drink will give you a bunch of energy it does pack a powerful punch. Unfortunately to get that energy kick you have to taste the drink, which I don't like to much. I don't hate it but it was bad enough to put the drink in the barely above average drink ratings. If you don't like carbonated energy drinks or your looking for something pretty powerful give this drink a shot, but otherwise I guess you can skip it over. OC Energy does come in a pretty oddly shaped bottle, that will stand out and has some hot skinny silhouettes of the kind of sexy beach bums you would hope to be hanging out with. I know I was born in CA, but I guess I have been away to long, because this drink just doesn't connect right with me, all you CA people let me know your thoughts, I am more excited to try the OC energy water than another non diet version of this drink.

website: OC Energy Kik-it Diet Energy Drink

Bawls Guarana Cherry
Cost: $1.75-$2 16 oz
Calories: 90 calories per serving x 2 servings
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 8 out of 10

From the famous Bawls brand comes a new flavor - Cherry. Bawls has been well-known as the fuel of all kinds of late-night adventures, including LAN parties and other geeky pastimes, due to it's very high amount of caffeine.

Bawls is a bit different from the standard energy drink in that it doesn't contain any other energy ingredients - just lots of caffeine, so you can expect a decent rush/crash like you might from lots of coffee, etc.

The flavor of Bawls Cherry is good - its very similar to the taste of a Cherry Sprite or Cherry 7-UP. There is a very slight caffeine aftertaste, but it's hard to detect unless you are looking for it.

The drink comes in a big 16 oz. can and it's a decent deal for the price. Overall this drink keeps it simple - simple flavor, simple ingredients - but definitely delivers.

website: Bawls

Mega Watt Energy Drink
Cost: $1.5 20 oz
Active ingredients: B6, B12, Ginseng, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 2.2 out of 10

This horrible energy drink tastes like crush one a day vitamins, roots, cough syrup, and a ton of sugar were all placed in a blender and then mixed with soda water. I seriously grimace across my face after every sip of this horribly disgusting energy drink. This drink makes me and baby Jesus want to cry, I feel sorry for anyone who has ever had to taste this beverage. Another friend didn't hate it as much as I did, but still said they could never imagine drinking a whole bottle, saying it was to syrupy, with a sour patch kids after taste. I kind of like sour patch kids but this is gross mixed with the sour patch kids, but he was right about the weird sour after taste. So only if you really like sour flavors sticking around for minutes after you taste something would you possibly want to try this drink. Anyways it is made in Florida by Fountain Distributions so it seems so I would say you should probably run in fear from any product made by this company. I am wondering from tasting this drink if they accidentally packaged up the waste water and shipped that out. I didn't get a bunch of energy after drinking some of this drink, probably because it made me feel more sick than anything else... Really do you need to hear any more than that? Just don't get this drink, unless you want to pull a prank on someone.

website: Mega Watt

Burn Energy drink
Cost: $1.5 310 ml
Active ingredients: Guarana, Taurine, Caffeine
Rating: 5.89 out of 10

This Burn energy drink is a product of the Coca Cola company, hecho en Mexico (made in Mexcio). I haven't had this int he states, but my girlfriend found a can while in Honduras, being the loving girlfriend that she is she grabbed me a can. Anyways this energy drink isn't really that great, it tastes like lightly carbonated fruit punch kool aide, with far to much sugar. It has a decent kick to it, but nothing that really makes is stand out in comparison to other energy drinks on the market. I just like being able to find a non local energy drink in Honduras that I have never had before, crazy that it was made by Coke though. The drink comes out of the can as red as can be I am sure there is enough dye in this drink to dye your hair or anything else this may get on. Anyways if your across the border you might want to keep a look out to try this drink out just because you can. It can be found in Mexico and all across central America. If you like really sweet fruit punch I guess it would be perfect for you other wise just try it for the hell of something different and to bring home a can covered in Spanish. Since learning Spanish is one of my current goals and actually relatively high on that list, I guess having a can and reading all the ingredients in Spanish can't hurt right?

website: none

Isomers R3 Energy drink
Cost: Approx $1.50, makes 6 oz
Active ingredients: Rhodiola rosea root, Cordyceps, Eleuthero root, astraglus root, Elerberry, Tyrosine, ATP
Calories: 10
Rating: 4.85 out of 10

The main thing I am thinking as I drink this powdered energy drink concoction, is what in the hell are any of these ingredients? Seriously, I have no clue what almost all of them are. It has three kinds of root extract, and even more other weird extracts. I listed them as active ingredients because the box seemed to indicate that did something, but I have no clue if they give you energy or not. I guess after drinking this a few times I feel a little boost of energy perhaps something in line with a weak cup of tea, definitely nothing close to the caffeine jolt you can get from many of the other energy drinks on the market. So if your looking for the healthy non caffeine way to get a little bit of energy this might work for you, but I am not really a crazy health nut so all the "Adaptogenic Herbs" really don't do it for me. It says this is a natural stress reducer, OK I guess I am calm and aware? I don't know this just doesn't really feel energy drink to me. As for the taste a weird berry flavor with a powdery, bitter, muddy, and creamy aftertaste. It doesn't taste to bad, but it tastes fairly odd. It is a noticeable distinct flavor. If your into the healthy stuff that will make you live fore ever give it a shot if your looking for a big rush look elsewhere because R3 is like energy drinks for old people.

website: R3 Energy drink

Sugar Free Crunk Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 16 oz
Active ingredients: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Caffeine, Green Tea, Damiana, L-Carnitine, Guarana, L-Tyrosite, Horny Goat Weed, Ginseng, Ginko Biloba, Milk Thistle, Skull Cap, White Willow, Ashwaganda
Calories: 5 x 2 servings
Rating: 4 out of 10

I was at a wedding last year that was very beautiful, refined, and classy. The best part was that after such a nice wedding, we all went to the reception, got drunk, and danced to the dirtiest rap songs all night. I'll never forget screaming "Skeet, skeet, skeet" while old people looked at us in horror and disbelief.

So I have a soft spot for Lil Jon. And admittedly, this drink is freaking crazy - just look at all the ingredients! It's got just about everything you could want in a energy drink - it definitely gets you going and makes you bounce around from the windows to the walls.

The only thing it doesn't have is a good taste. This stuff is gross. The can advertises that the drink "CONTAINS REAL POMEGRANATE JUICE," but it tastes like a weird combo of watered down Gatorade + old apple juice with a heavy helping of gross fake sweetener taste.

The weird thing is that the after taste is a lot better than the initial taste, and sort of leaves me wanting more, so I keep getting tricked into taking another sip. But every time I take a new sip, that initial flavor is really nasty.

I'm sure if you can finish a can or mix it with something else, this drink would keep you going for a night of skeet, skeet, skeet or whatever you have planned, but you can find a lot better sugar free drinks than this one.

website: Crunk energy drink

EQ Energy Drink Tablet
Cost: Approx $1.50, 1 tablet
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Glucoronolactone, Ginko Biloba
Calories: 5
Rating: 5.65 out of 10

There have been quite a few energy powders, tablets, and fizzes this one stand out in the fact that it has a very similar taste to Redbull. Ok well a flat Redbull with no carbonation, when you first drink it the fizzyness will trick you a little bit to think it has carbonation but that doesn't last long. It has a tiny bit lighter bite, but it still really has the Redbull flavor. If you have always wanted Redbull with no carbonation, well here it is the EQ energy tablet. At 5 calories I am pretty impressed with the taste, the problem for me is I don't like a flat Redbull, I also don't get as pumped up by this drink. I will say this is one of the better tablet/powders but still almost all of those just don't taste/work as well as the canned energy drinks. So if you need a really quick on the go Redbull with no carbonation this might be perfect for you. Otherwise I would just stick with the bull or some of the other canned energy drink favorites you may have.

website: EQ Energy Drink Tablet

OSO Energy Drink Sugar Free
Cost: Approx $1.99, 8.3 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, Glucuronolactone
Calories: 8
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

The name says it all here: this is just a the sugar-free version of OSO. Same clear liquid look and still similar ingredients and taste to Red Bull (in this case, similar to Sugar Free Red Bull). The taste is still stars clean and crisp, has a light berry flavor, only now there is a slightly unpleasant aftertaste that is pretty common of drinks with aspertame.

I will say the can is really cool looking, just like with regular OSO. It makes me feel like it's the future. I am willing to bet that in the distant future people will drink OSO because it will look pretty sweet sitting inside their flying car or when served by their robot butler. You can also check out the review for the original OSO Energy Drink if you want.

website: OSO Energy Drink

HalfTime Energy Drink
Cost: $2, 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, B5, B6, B12, Guarana, Ginseng
Calories: 110
Rating: 7.1 out of 10

This is a berry fruity (they claim a fruit punch flavor, but I taste berry fruit punch) energy drink that has umpire stripes up and down the can. The giant H on the front of the can reminds me of MC Hammer ("Can't Touch this") Although I don't know why. So how does halftime stack up? Not to bad it has a good taste that isn't to sweet even though it somehow has 28g of sugar. It has a different taste than redbull and lasts longer with the added Guarana, so it will give you a pretty good kick of energy and not drop you in a ditch as bad. I don't find anything super unique about this drink and it uses High Fructose corn syrup, which I am not a huge fan of. So if you really like redbull but want a less medicine and more berry flavor, this would bet he perfect drink. If you want more or less energy than a red bull this isn't for you as it is about on perfect par of red bulls energy levels. It is overall above average and a good energy drink, but still leaves something to be desired. A really nice first entry into the market and I look forward to any other flavors Halftime has the time to introduce.

website: HalfTime Energy Drink

OSO Energy
Cost: Approx $1.99, 8.3 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Caffeine, Glucuronolactone
Calories: 120
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

OSO energy seems to be going for the "too cool for Red Bull" crowd - it's got a cool name and can, but basically seems to be a slight variation on the Red Bull experience.

OSO has a good flavor - light, fruity, with a clean finish and no aftertaste. It's similar to Red Bull, but I'd say slightly better, since it tastes less mediciney. Another cool thing is that the drink is actually clear, unlike some other energy drinks like Red Bull that look more or less like carbonated urine. OSO is so clear, you can fool your friends into thinking you're just drinking Sprite. But their minds will be blown when you get a rush of energy.

As far as ingredients, it's pretty similar to Red Bull, so expect the same amount of energy out of it. It'll definitely pump you up, but nothing too extraordinary here.

All in all, OSO is like Crystal Red Bull: clear, similar taste, but a little fancier. If you're happy with Red Bull, I see no reason to pay more for a very similar drink. But if you're looking for something a little different and smoother, it might be worth giving OSO a try.

website: OSO Energy Drink

ACT Energy Drink Can
Cost: ?? 12 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B6, B12, Guarana, Green Tea, Panax Ginsing, L-arginine, Taurine, L-carnitine, tyrosine, Maca root
Calories: 24
Rating: 5.25 out of 10

Alright ACT energy drink is another drink built on the make a ton of random people sell the product and hawk it to their friends Idea. The problem is some of the drinks using this method are at least kinda decent drinks, so I have to take the time to review them. ACT energy powder was probably the worst powdered drink I have had, so when they came out with a can premixed version I should try it. One of my biggest complaints with the powder was that it didn't mix in well and left a bunch of clumps in the drink. In this sense the ACT energy can is a big improvement. The problem is the flavor is the same, I wonder if they just mix up a bunch of water with the powder and can it, there is still a very powdery medicine taste to this drink. Anyways this is a berry flavor, but it has a weird bitter and bad after taste as well. Sorry act sellers, because I know you will tear me up and be all pissed about the low review, but really have most of you taken the time to taste this product and some of the other energy drinks on the market? Others are good refreshing and leave now aftertaste. This drink leaves an aftertaste that I have to best describe as a while after you have vomited and before you have brushed your teeth. So get a new flavor, a new taste, or try again and I will give ACT another should I would love to like this product because with so many distributors out there wanting to hand out samples I could get an endless free supply, but right now I can barely drink this drink when it is free let alone pay for it. I think giving a 5.25 is being very nice, I just had to say it was a little better than the powder which I gave a 5, best of luck to everyone hit me up when there is a new product from M2c Global to try that I might like.

website: ACT Energy

Taurus Berry Energy Drink
(The bottle is in German so I am not sure of the info below)
Cost: 1 euros (approx $1.5) 100 ml
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B2, B6
Rating: 6.65 out of 10
Calories: 50?

This German Berry energy drink is a pretty tasty entry into the energy drink market. It has a very strong raspberry taste. It is very lightly carbonated and has a nice sweet edge, but isn't overly sweet or syrupy. It is nicely refreshing leaving my thirst quenched which is nice. I just got done playing some basketball (where I got destroyed), and this drink has been a nice pick me up so I have been pleased. I also like the raspberry flavor, which hasn't been played out as much as many of the other energy drink flavors. So if you can find Taurus energy drink in the states I would recommend giving it a try, especially if you don't like the really sweet soda like energy drinks. This is almost like a strong likely carbonated Gatorade kind of flavor, or at least that is the vibe. I am getting from the drink. If your in Germany I bet you can find this drink pretty easily and you might as well give your home country energy drink a shot, right? Now my last little bit I have to rip them up for the name, seriously can we get off the stupid bull being the energy drink animal. Go for something else, hell go with cheetah there freaking fast. Just anything but the bull seriously I would rather see lazy frog energy drink than another blue bull energy drink. If your going to come to this market at least come with something new not an old played out vision.

Web site: Taurus Berry Energy Drink

DareDevil Lighter Fluid Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B5, B6, B12, Taurine, Ginko, Milk Thistle
10 x 2 Calories
Rating: 4.0 out of 10

Editor's Note: Since Dan Hated the original, Dare Devil Energy Drink, so much he had another friend write the review for lighter fluid, unfortunately for dare devil, he didn't like it much better. Sorry I tried to be fair.

Well, I have to give this drink props: Lighter Fluid is an awesome name for a low-cal drink. It's pretty difficult to make a lo-cal version sound badass, but this drink pulls it off.

Other than image and branding, I can't say too much for this drink. It doesn't have a lot of flavor as soon as it hits your tongue, but then a weird fruit/medicine taste washes over you. It has hints of citrus, but reminds me more of a grapish medicine than anything else. I wasn't expecting the drink to be very sweet since it is low-cal, but still, the flavor isn't too good at all.

Worst of all, the drink leaves a cheap-sugar-free-candy aftertaste along with a somewhat numbing sensation in my mouth that stays around for a good couple of minute after I have a swig.

Daredevils risk life and limb to give themselves and the crowd some cheap thrills. If you're not up to jumping a motorcycle over ten flaming schoolbuses, you can always be a daredevil by braving this drink.

website: Daredevil Energy

Xtreme Shock Fruit Punch
Cost: $? 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, L-Cartine, Endosine, L-Tyrosine
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

This fruit punch drink also didn't do it for me. I am sorry but this company does a horrible job flavoring their drinks. This is some sort of cherry medicine flavor. So if you love cherry flavored medicine this drink is for you. If you don't like that flavor this drink doesn't have much to offer. Medium energy, bad taste, bad mix ability... The only thing this offers is that it doesn't give you a sugar rush and sugar crash, and it is low calories. I guess having crappy flavor isn't worth that to me... so extreme shock your extremely disappointing.

UPDATE: Accidentally deleted this reposted with comments

website: Xtreme Shock

Iced'Spresso American Vanilla
Cost: $? 9.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 3.79 out of 10

I haven't reviewed this product for awhile because I actually liked the moca mudslide, and couldn't bring myself to tear the other flavors up so badly after giving one product a good review. So now it is time to tear up the bad products from this company and trust me American Vanilla as they call it because for some reason they write French Vanilla and then X out the French and write American. I am assuming this is because of some idiot at the company that things we should be calling things freedom fries and freedom toast instead of French toast. That is the stupidest most petty crap in the world your running a company so grow up. Anyways in this version of the iced coffee drinks, you get something that tastes like sour soy milk that has gone a little sour. Then you get a big blast of fake sugar after taste, I am not sure if they just forgot to test this flavor before letting it out to the public or what. I mean the other drink was great because the chocolate covered up pretty much everything. It covered the weird tastes of the milk like product they use, it also covered the after taste. In this version almost all you can taste is the fake sugar and milky like substance (It does have real milk but they must have had to put in a bunch of stuff with it). Seriously not a good call. Anyways if you like vanilla the flavor can barely be found. If you really like espresso's or vanilla ones I guess you can try this, but honestly I wouldn't even recommend trying this drink. It makes me sad that someone has paid money to taste this crap somewhere. Sorry guys, but I held off for awhile because I liked the mudslide...

website: Iced'Spresso American Vanilla

180 Energy Drink Orange sugar free
Cost: $2.00 8.2 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, B6, B12
Rating: 6.8 out of 10
Calories: 5

Alright my last review of all the new 180 energy drinks to hit the market. Luckily I like this one more than the lemon lime one I recently reviewed. This one is rated up along the lines of the other great new 180 flavors 180 Red and 180 blue. So this isn't quite as good as the blue or red, but it is pretty tasty for a low calorie drink. I was pretty impressed with the flavor, it is definitely a light flavor, but it reminds me of an orange dreamsicle. In fact the main reason this drink gets a good review is how strongly I associate the dreamsicle flavor in my head, good memories of that popsicle when I was a kid. So if you remember and liked the orange dreamsicle I think you will probably like this drink as well. It doesn't have as high level of energy as some of the more common drinks on the market (monster or rockstar), but it is better than an average soda like a coke a cola. Anyways if you want a lighter weaker energy drink that can still provide you with a little lift or boost this drink might be for you.

Web site: 180 Energy Drink Orange sugar free

180 Energy Drink X-3 Lemon Lime
Cost: $2.00 8.2 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, B6, B12
Rating: 4.8 out of 10
Calories: 10 (3 carbs)

Well the good reviews for 180 couldn't last forever. After giving great reviews to both 180 Red and 180 blue. I am sorry to say I was sadly disappointed with this drink. This drink tastes like 7-up, but someone only put in 1/4 of the flavor. It is basically carbonated water with a hint of lemon lime bitterness. Seriously, this just made me sad, I was pretty pumped to try it and it let me down. So besides the almost non existent flavor, this drink doesn't give you nearly the energy of the others, why probably because it doesn't have Guarana in it. Guarana seems to be in almost every other energy drink so why skip out on this one? I don't know but it shows. So if your a huge fan of 180 I guess give it a try as it is the low carb and lo cal healthy version, but if your just looking for a good new energy drink I don't think you will find this to hit the spot. This version of 180 tastes sort of like a vodka tonic except it doesn't have any booze in it. Crazy I know. Anyways if you always thought sprite 7up and others were way to sweet and you wanted a very subtle lemon lime I guess I might have just found the perfect drink for you. More caffeine than the other soda options with 1/4 the flavor. Really that is about all I have to say about the energy drink, I think it describes it well. Not much energy not much flavor... peace I'm out of here.

Web site: 180 Energy X-3 Lemon Lime

...Lost Prefect 10 lo-cal, Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 16 oz
Active Ingredients: Glucose, Taurine, Caffeine, Inositol, B6, B12, Guarana, Ginseng, L-Carnitine
Rating: 8.34
Calories: 10 x 2

Lost I feel lost in a happy and energized state. Perhaps it is because I have been in such a good mood. Perhaps it is because I had a good night's sleep. Perhaps it is because I have been super productive. Whatever the cause, today I was lost in a happy blur of the lost energy drink. I have been energize and pumped all day with no jitters, no fuzzy confused sugar high, just great. So the lo-cal version of Lost Perfect 10, doesn't quite get a 10, but is is getting one of the highest ratings that I have given out in awhile. Seriously this is good stuff, I like the local version because it doesn't taste to sweet, so many drink now taste like they pour 2x the sugar you need in the drink. Lost is sweet don't get me wrong, but isn't syrupy sweet. It is just pure deliciousness. It comes with a crazy black and blue can covered in artwork of someone who might be on a bit to much caffeine. It has a it has a unique fruity taste that I can't put my finger on, but it tastes damn good, especially for only having 10 calories. If your looking for one of the best lo-cal energy drinks out there this is pretty high on my list. If you just want to try some different energy drink flavors, I highly recommend giving this one a shot. This will pump you up, not give you the jitters or a sugar high, and the next thing you know you will just be ready to take on the world. Seriously this never dropped off either, I just kept going and I never had the big crash that I get sometimes... So right now I say, "I'm in love with Lost."

website: lost energy drink

Amino Vital Pro Sports Supplement
Cost: $2.00 20 oz
Active ingredients: 3,600mg of Amino Acids per bottle
Rating: 4.25 out of 10
Calories: 35 x 2.5

This drink is really more of a Gatorade sports drink. I probably wouldn't review this drink, but it makes such energy drink like claims. "Heighten Energy, Sustain Focus, and Recover Faster" These sound like many of the claims made by energy drink companies. It also claims "Amino Vial for greater Fitness and higher performance." So after reading all the claims I decided I owe it to you the loyal energy drink readers to check it out. So it isn't an energy drink, which is why is gets the low score. It just doesn't pump you up and keep you awake, and you know what that is fine, it does what a sports drink needs to, keeps you hydrated and full of amino acids that you sweat out quickly. This is a great drink if your going for long runs, cardio work out, doing anything that will make you sweat all day. So there it works just fine, but it doesn't heighten energy, it just lets you push the energy level you have longer. So if your looking for a good sports drink this might do ok, but if you want an energy drink this has no caffeine, no B vitamins, no taurine, and none of the other common energy drink ingredients. So onwards with the taste, not very good kind of a watered down fruit punch flavored sports drink, less flavor, more water, more salty taste. So if you like salty fruit punch you might like the flavor. If you really like sports drinks it might be worth checking out and work better for you than others, but if you want an energy drink steer clear, because this is not an energy drink.

Web site: Amino Vital Pro

180 Blue with Acai energy drink
Cost: $2.00 8.2 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, B6, B12
Rating: 7.947 out of 10
Calories: 120

I guess this is the brother of 180 Red. I liked 180 blue energy drink even better than the red. I liked both pretty well though giving them both above average scores. This is a blueberry energy drink which is fairly unique, i liked the taste and found it to be pretty different than my expected blue cotton candy flavor. The blueberry taste definitely comes through with this drink. Continuing the energy drink with weird fruit phase, this drink includes the acai berry, which I am sure makes you live forever or something. What ever this magic fruit does at least it is tasty. I really like the weird fruits in energy drinks as much as I make fun of it, because they are all delicious. Who knows if all health stuff is true or what benefits if any the berry gives. So lets move on, we have an energy drink with caffeine, guarana, B vitamins and a tasty flavor. The drink brinks a unique blueberry flavor with it a very light carbonation, it is pretty packed with sugar which is probably my biggest complaint it seems most energy drinks are a little sweeter and syrupy than I would like. It pumps you up but nothing crazy wild consider this to be about as powerful as a good cup of coffee, nothing to really write home about in the energy department. So if your looking to try something new and a little different I recommend giving this drink a shot, you might just flip a 180 over it. So this is the second pretty positive review I have for this newest round of 180 drinks we will have to see if they can keep it up as I review another new flavor soon.

Web site: 180 Blue Energy

Hiro Energy Drink Sudden Inpact
Active ingredients: Taurine, B6, B12, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, Inositol
cost: $2.00 8.33 oz
Rating: 6.78 out of 10
calories 10

A very distinctive and different flavor that I have a incredibly hard time describing. It seems to have a muddy smell and flavor, I guess if you really like the natural flavors, this might appeal to you. It almost has a creamy citrus with a spicy tint to the taste, interesting to say the least. I definitely had not ever tasted anything quite like it. That being said it is supposed to be great because of the Noni fruit juice, "The only energy drink made with genuine Noni from Tahiti." I guess all the energy drink companies are jumping on the find the really weird new obscure health nut fruit and make it into the energy drink hence tapping multiple markets. You know it is probably not a bad plan, just don't put to much into all the weird fruits claims. In fact several companies have been sued for making medical claims about Noni juice that couldn't be backed up. It seems there are lots of testimonials but not much in the way of science to prove or disprove most of the arguments. Anyways, I am not here to judge the medicinal properties of this drink, I would rather just get into the energy drink part. In that side, it is damn unique in taste, something as I said above I can barely describe, so if your looking for something new, you really might dig this flavor. For energy not bad not great, I would put it pretty close to a standard can of red bull. There is stronger stuff on the market, but your not always looking for something more powerful are you? Anyways Hiro with a cool can, a taste you haven't had, and some weird fruit that is supposed to be amazing... I say Hiro is worth a shot, I think many might not like the taste, but some will really love it and find their new favor beverage.

Website: Hiro energy drink

Jolt Cola
Cost: $2.00 23.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 5.5 out of 10
Buy it now at ThinkGeek.com

Apparently this is the tag line, "The original formula you've come to love untampered with." The problem is I always thought it was syrupy and kind of gross. It just seems think gross and dated. Some don't even call it an energy drink, some call it the original energy drink. It is a cola like Coke or Pepsi but with a lot more caffeine. So if you really always just loved a coca cola in your hand when you were a kid, Jolt might be the closest you get in the energy drink world. For me this drink is just high in sugar, bad in taste, and can't compete with the newer energy drinks in terms of flavor or energy. Does it pump you up, I guess more than a coke, but less than most energy drinks on the market. They boast, "Natural Caffeine", even if that is your thing the natural and healthy market? This has way to much sugar to be healthy, and their are far better all natural energy drinks on the market. I guess I like the fact that I remember the good old days when it was just Jolt. The problem is it isn't those good old days now and I have a bunch of other options. I don't have to have a gross syrup just to get my caffeine in me. So sorry Jolt I do miss you, I remember you, but I have moved on don't take it personally I just don't need you anymore. Jolt cola, just like every other cola, but with more caffeine and a thick oil like consistency!

More Jolt reviews:
Jolt Red
Jolt Blue

Website: Jolt Cola

Ace Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B5, B6, B12, Taurine
110 x2 Calories
Rating: 6.67 out of 10

This energy drink is tasty, and has a damn hot army chick on the front of the can. This is another good entry from Ace, but it seems most people I have talked to like the Ace Energy Juice or the Ace Lo Cal drink better. Honestly I like the other one's so much better that I just give this an average review, good, but nothing outstanding. It has a good flavor, good amount of energy, and a pretty cool can. It has many good qualities, but like so many other drinks it just doesn't have that special something to make it stand out in my mind. If your looking to try something new, with the large cool cans at the same price as everything else, you might as well give it a shot, you might like it a lot better than other drinks on the market. It has the standard energy drink smell, it isn't to sweet which is a nice plus, but come on and bring out a bit more of a daring product. While it is a good product it isn't exactly what I would call and ace up your sleeve, haha I kill me... Anyways, overall the whole Ace Energy drink line is a solid set of products, so I find it funny that their flagship product is actually me least favorite of the group. Perhaps that speaks well of how good of job they did on the lo cal version, because I just see no reason to take the extra calories to drink this drink if you know what I mean...

website: Ace Energy Drink

Arizonia Green Tea Energy Drink Low Carb
Active ingredients: Taurine, B6, B12, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, Milk Thistle, Inositol, Glucuronolactone
cost: $2.00 16 oz
Rating: 7.2 out of 10
calories 10

This taste pretty the same as the sugar filled one, they did a good job with the fake sugar, it doesn't ruin the drink it doesn't leave a bad after taste. They taste pretty much the same, which means... I am just posting the same review for the rest...

A lightly carbonated green tea energy drink that tastes exactly like its description. If you like lightly sweetened lightly carbonated green tea, but you want more energy and caffeine than tea normally gives you. This is the perfect drink for you. This is just like Arizona Green tea but perhaps a slight little more bitter bite on the taste (slightly noticeable), but very pleasant. For what you get it seems slightly high on calories (100 x2) I actually prefer the light version because it tastes basically the same and has significantly less calories. It has a decent amount of energy ingredients added into the tea to make sure those used to the Redbull effect will find what they are looking for. It has the same amount of Taurine and Caffeine as the bull, but also adds in Ginseng, Guarana, Milk Thistle, and B vitamins for good measure. I am a fan of green tea, I find is thirst quenching and refreshing, so being able to get a bit more of a boost from a can of it is quite nice. A Energy Tea good way to perk yourself up on a slow morning. While Arizona might never make it huge into the energy market this is certainly a welcome addition that will make many tea drinkers (and there are a lot of them) happy.

Website: Arizonia Green Tea Energy Drink

180 Red with Goji energy drink
Cost: $2.00 8.2 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, B6, B12
Rating: 7.787 out of 10
Calories: 130

This has a different taste a little bit of a spice weird aftertaste, but a really delicious mix overall. Honestly, I have to give them some credit I like this drink. Goji is the newest thing to hit the health food market, the amazing super food as they call it is tasty.The Goji fruit which I had honestly never heard of until I started sipping down on this drink apparently does everything from making you look young to pushing your libido as the it has the nickname, "fruit Viagra". Who knows if all that is true or what benefits if any the berry gives. So lets move on, we have an energy drink with caffeine, guarana, B vitamins and a tasty flavor. No magic fruit promises need to be kept, I like it. The drink brinks a very unique flavor with it a very light carbonation, it is pretty packed with sugar which is probably my biggest complaint I am sure that doesn't bother my younger audience at all, but those watching calories it might. It pumps you up but nothing crazy wild consider this to be about as powerful as a good cup of coffee, nothing to really write home about in the energy department. So if your looking to try something new and really different I highly recommend giving this drink a shot, you might just flip over it.

Web site: 180 Red Energy

Whey Up protein energy drink
Cost: $2.00 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, B6, B12, Taurine
Rating: 7.3 out of 10
Calories: 90

WheyUp a new kind of energy drink, a protein energy drink. Honestly I think this is pretty clever. You read about and hear about tons of people drinking energy drinks before going to the gym to work out. It helps pump them up, it pushes them to work out longer, harder, and to lift more. What is another common thing people hitting the gym try to load up on before a work out? Protein, so that is the simple idea that lead to someone coming up with WheyUp, lets make an energy drink that is also a protein drink (22g Whey Protein). I was worried about the taste before trying the drink, I was pretty pleasantly surprised Whey up is a tasty berry flavored drink, you can definitely taste the protein, which takes a little getting used to. Basically the protein adds a creamy almost milkshake flavor, I ended up thinking the drink tasted and reminded me a lot of a berry milkshake, which is a pretty tasty thing. It has a bit of an aftertaste that I think is related to the whey protein in the drink, the after taste was a little bit of a cardboard flavor, but it was pretty mild. So this drink doesn't get me running around crazy wild like some energy drinks, but it definitely keep me up, it didn't make me feel jittery. I drank one and then worked out and I did push myself a bit more during that work out. So if your already doing protein shakes and drinking energy drinks you might find this is the perfect combination for you. If I was working out more often and really trying to grow muscle I would be interested in drinking this before hitting the gyms, but I am mostly just working out a bit to stay healthy and I haven't been pumping iron trying to grow my muscles, I more run trying to just burn some calories and get my heart rate up, trying to drop 5 more pounds. This drink is definitely different, it is something new to the market which I like. It takes a risk, it isn't a copy cat it taste different and is going for a more select market than the other drinks, and I think in that market this drink might find a happy home.

Website: Whey UP

Zipfizz liquid shot
Cost: $2 4 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B6, B12, L-Arginine, Taurine, Green Tea leaf
30 Calories
Rating: 6.645 out of 10

This Zipfizz does not sit as well with me as the Zipfizz berry energy drink. This is a fruit punch flavor with a bit of a medicine consistency and after taste. Over all a good flavor, it seems a bit to thick for my liking. If you like Kool aide it is very much fruit punch Kool aide but with a thicker consistency. I liked the berry powder better to be honest, which surprises me because many times the powders don't work out well or don't match up to the premixed drinks. It does seem to pack a pretty good kick I can definitely feel it but I am surprised at how jittery the drink is making me feel. I am kind of bouncing around in my chair and having a hard time focusing right now. That isn't a good thing, I found my self sort of scatterbrains and not thinking straight with a bit of a head ache for almost an hour. I think it might be due to the huge B12 intake (41,667%), I felt better when I would get up and walk around or do some jumping jacks, but I just couldn't sit still. So the taste was OK, but left something to be desired, I mean it isn't a flavor I would love to try, it just is worth it if your looking for an energy boost, unlike some energy drink which I truly enjoy drinking. I guess I just feel if you want this kind of pick me up and like fruit punch flavors this premixed version falls short on something better covered by many other drinks on the market. One advantage the standard Zipfizz has is that you can pocket it and mix it with water any where any time. It is light and easy to pack so keeping some in your backpack makes a lot more sense than trying to fit a 4 pack of Monster in there all the time. So Zipfizz if you going to focus on the powdered drinks stick to what your better at.

website: ZipFizz

Jolt Blue
Cost: $2.00 23.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 5.25 out of 10
Buy it now at ThinkGeek.com

Jolt Cola, I remember it like it was something cool and hardcore back in high school. My how the mighty have fallen. Jolt you were one of the first high caffeine drinks back with original jolt cola. The times have changed though other drinks pack more of a punch with other ingredients and more caffeine in them as well. So I guess your behind on the times. Jolt red is really just a cherry coke, and jolt blue is a blueberry cola. I guess I will give some points for creativity here as there aren't many blueberry colas around. I mean It kind of tastes like if you left a blueberry blow pop in a coke for awhile. My biggest problem with jolt besides the lack of getting a kick from it, is that it is far to sweet. I mean this is a sugar laced cotton candy sweet drink. It kind of tastes like syrup, not something I am a fan of. When I was much younger I liked all the sugar I could handle so if your young this is a sugary drink you will probably love. If you have grown up at all you probably won't find the taste very satisfying. Anyways, Jolt time to try something a bit new, try adding in some Guarana and Yerba Mate, then cut down on the sugar, and get some more natural flavors in there. There is nothing natural about the flavor of a blue raspberry blow pop. The coolest thing about Jolt cola's are the cans, seriously very cool keep the can, they reminding of some sort of weird oil can. I know they could be used as a weapon or to permanently seal in toxic waste and I like that. These are big solid cool looking cans. Yippie I had something good to say about Jolt, come on Jolt we used to love you, return to glory with a proper energy drink product. I look forward to a new product and a new idea from you. This blue cola left me feeling gross and dirty, why did you do me like that Jolt, why?

Website: Jolt Cola

B.W. Cooper's Bazza High Energy Raspberry Tea
Cost: $2 16.9 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Guarana, Yerba Mate, B Vitamins
Rating: 5.35 out of 10

I liked many of the other high energy teas better than this one. It does have Yerba Mate, which is cool, but I guess it just didn't taste that great to me. It wasn't horrible and it is going for the healthier angle, perhaps I just need more sugar in my tea. So if you like the healthier energy drinks and are looking for a 0 calorie raspberry flavor, this might be perfect for you. I am giving it a bit above a 5, because I guess I consider it a step above average, but it really just wasn't my cup of tea... Ha, I love fitting in a stupid joke or two that plays of the name or slogan of a drink. This one it seems their slogan is "Watch out for that Lion!" The idea being explained that B.W. Cooper grew up surrounded by lions and baboons in the scary forest... Sweet a world traveler who makes an energy drink, sounds fun. I guess he might just be a bit to much of a health nut for me though lets get some sugar in this energy tea and I might be more interested... It doesn't need a lot, just a little bit of happy sweetness.

website: Bazza High Energy Tea

Tampico Energy Citrus
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, B6, B12
Rating: 7.35 out of 10

Seriously if you had to guess what a Tampico energy drink would taste like, I am pretty sure you would guess exactly this. It has a strong tasty orange flavor, it is a bit to sweet, and it doesn't taste very natural. Now has Tampico not tasting natural ever stopped anyone from drinking it? No! I drank Tampico with vodka frequently through out college, because I was broke and it was tasty and cheap. My guess is you will start to find this 16 0z drink a bit cheaper than some of the energy drinks on the market, if they could get down to $1.50 that would be a pretty sweet spot. This drink doesn't really have a medicine taste which is good, it really tastes like a slightly carbonated Tampico with a bit of a kick to it. This drink didn't get me going crazy but it certainly kept me going to get my stuff done today. I was running around town, programming, and working out today and I never really got tired, I was just ready to go. So if you have ever been a fan of Tampico, there is a good change you will like Tampico Energy, or if you just want some nostalgia of drinking Tampico after a soccer game (someone's parents always had some Tampico), well this might just hit the spot. Ah I miss youth soccer, good times, and many I had energy back then I probably would have run marathons if I had energy drinks at that age... Tampico energy drink is as they say, "El Mas Bravo!" Not that I actually know what that means... Someone translate for me...

website: Tampico Energy Citrus

Amp Energy Overdrive
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, B6, B12
Rating: 7.65 out of 10

Amp energy overdrive, by the looks and tastes of it Mountain Dew red alert just made it to th energy drink game. It pretty much tastes like it's cousin red alert, but has more caffeine. That works. So it is effective to get caffeine in you, it tastes pretty good like a mountain dew should. So yeah I don't give it the highest review because it is a little bit boring. I mean we have had the cherry version of most soda's for a long time, and this is super sweet. So this just doesn't bring anything new my way, yeah it is still good, yeah it doesn't taste like medicine. No it doesn't have an after taste. So if your a big fan of the amp brand or you always really liked red alert, you will like Amp overdrive. If your not a fan of the cherry flavored drinks, you might want to just stick with something else. If you never liked mountain dew this might not be your think. It is a solid offering, but I guess I have to hand it to coke for being a little more creative with their recent full throttle flavors, than Pepsi with a new version of red alert with more caffeine. Oh well another solid offering in the energy drink world that you will be able to find almost anywhere. So give it a shot.

website: Amp Energy Overdrive

DareDevil Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B5, B6, B12, Taurine, Ginko, Milk Thistle
110 x2 Calories
Rating: 3.46 out of 10

Dare Devil, as an energy drink, about as bad as the movie. My mother always said don't say anything if you don't have something nice to say. Well I have something nice to say about Dare Devil energy drink, it does print the amount of caffeine in the drink on the can. Now that we have that out of the way, lets get to warning potential consumers about this energy beverage if you can call it that. While I do like the comic book character Dare Devil, who is a bad ass and kicks some serious tail even though he is blind, hell yeah for over coming adversary. This drink doesn't pack that spirit unless the adversary it is trying to over come is its horrible flavor. This drink as described by me and a friend tastes like Cough medicine (particularly grape Dymatap) and urine. It has been describe as if warm dog urine was mixed in with Dymatap, I am not kidding I told my friend I would have to put that in my review because it perfectly sums up why you would not want to try this drink. If you have a particular fondness of Dymatap, happy childhood memories, I would recommend you running out to try this drink, other wise I would steer clear. Anywhere that sells this has to have some other options for you to try. I will also give them credit for the slogan, live on the edge, because it is very likely you will want to jump off that edge an die after having a few sips of this drink. That is my warning, that is my review, I can't think of anyone who would willingly choose this product over almost any of the other energy drinks on the market. Please keep the name and use some of your investment money to try again.

website: DareDevil Energy Drink

Ace Lo-Cal Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B5, B6, B12, Taurine
10 x2 Calories
Rating: 7.06 out of 10

This Lo-cal energy drink is tasty, and has a damn hot cow girl on the front of the can. She is very cowboy cheer leader like, nice. This is another good entry from Ace, I like the Juice drink better but this one is still slightly better than average. It has a good flavor, good amount of energy, and a pretty cool can. It has many good qualities, but like so many other drinks it just doesn't have that special something to make it stand out in my mind. If your looking to try something new, with the large cool cans at the same price as everything else, you might as well give it a shot, you might like it a lot better than other drinks on the market. It has the standard energy drink smell, it doesn't have a bad after taste so they did a good job converting this to a lo cal drink, it isn't to sweet which is a nice plus, but come on and bring out a bit more of a daring product. While it is a good product it isn't exactly what I would call and ace up your sleeve, haha I kill me... Perhaps one of the other flavors will put a bit more of a spark in my head.

website: Ace Energy Drink

Ace Energy + Juice
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B5, B6, B12, Taurine
110 x2 Calories
Rating: 7.23 out of 10

This energy drink tries to be part of the energy juice drinks, but when you start slapping juice all over the front of the can, you should probably contain a decent amount of juice in the drink. Rotating the can to the ingredients, you quickly see it only contains 10% juice. So that is my biggest complaint, besides that it is pretty damn tasty, it has a real pear pineapple fizzy flavor that just immediately fills your whole mouth after each sip. That is a good thing, you can't say it is just another orange flavored juice drink either, this actually has, Pear, Apple, Pineapple, Passion fruit, and Mango juice. I actually think calling it an energy juice and putting it in an orange can that hints at orange flavor is a mistake, because one of the best things about this drink is it's unique fruity flavor, that I haven't really run into before. Speaking of the can the whole line of Ace energy drinks have some pretty sweet cans, going with the theme of the old fighter planes, each can has a different stylized pin up girl woman on the front of the can. The juice one actually has my favorite lady, the nurse, or in my mind the naughty nurse. I think it is a pretty cool theme and everyone I have show a collection of cans to likes picking out their favorite women (even my female friends). So this drink gives a pretty good boost and it definitely won't lead you down the wrong path if your looking for trying a new energy drink, just don't really consider it one of the new energy juices, because with only 10% it is a juice flavor, but by no means a juice.

website: Ace Energy Drink

Nuclear Waste Antidote Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B6, B12, Taurine, Yerba Mate
5 Calories
Rating: 7.25 out of 10

Wow Yerba Mate is everywhere now, I dig that. Anyways this drinks claims to give no jitters and no crash. I will say I don't crash bad from this drink, then again with Yerba Mate and Guarana in it I don't think you should (most other beverages with this combination I find that I don't crash). I still get a bit of the jitters and hyper feeling that some get from caffeine, I don't get it bad, but it is hard to say if it is any better or worse than with other energy drinks. I will have to let my readers test the No Jitters claim and leave comments below. So over all it is a pretty good drink, low calorie, not to sweet, no crash, and a decent flavor. I guess it just didn't stand out to me it is just a lightly carbonated and lightly orange flavored beverage. There are a ton of orange flavored drinks on the market, this one has a tiny after taste as well, nothing to bad but noticeable. So I guess the rest of what would make this drink relies on the claimed no crash no jitters better for you than other energy drinks claim. Since I don't crash of many of the other similar energy drinks on the market with the same ingredients I don't find that claim that interesting. The jitters I don't always get either so I have a hard time evaluating that. I drank a couple cans of this one each morning for a few days to see if I could feel or notice a change, and it just wasn't there for me. Not a bad product, but with the packed market nothing to really grab a hold of you either. A company with a good heart through as, a small portion of all profits on this drink go to groups to raise awareness of nuclear issues, got to love companies with a social conscience.

website: Nuclear Waste Antidote

SoBe Essential Energy Orange
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, Yerba Mate, B6, B12
Rating: 7.96 out of 10

You like orange crush? Great you will like SoBe Essential Orange. Wait so if it tastes like orange crush whats up with the high rating, there are a bunch of orange flavored energy drinks on the market? Well basically a couple things. I have become a huge fan of Yerba Mate and this is one of the larger companies that are starting to incorporate that into their drinks. Also I am a big fan of the energy drink juice hybrids, while this drink doesn't quite fall in that category, it does have 30% juice in there (Orange, Grape, Pear) which taste great. So with the Guarana and Yerba Mate in this drink you have a drink that gives a good boost of energy, but also lasts a long time with almost no crash. That is a big plus in my book. Some of the energy drinks just keep upping the caffeine content but that can make you feel like crap, stomach issues, and has you crash hard with a caffeine addiction head ache the next day. I like the route SoBe is going with this Essentials line, I hope they add some additional flavors. So a pretty big boost, again my biggest complaint it that by the end I am a bit sweetened out, these are sweet beverages. Anyways essentially these drinks are both pretty high on my list so if you like Orange or Berry I highly recommend picking one up and giving it a shot instead of your standard energy drink, variety man its the spice of life.

website: SoBe Essential Energy

Zipfizz Berry
Cost: $2 .4 oz (makes 16 oz)
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, B6, B12, L-Arginine, Taurine, Green Tea leaf
5 Calories
Rating: 7.745 out of 10

This might actually be my favorite powdered energy drink now, the berry flavor is delicious. Supremely delicious especially considering it is a powdered drink. Now you do need to make sure to use enough water and really stir it up because otherwise the bottom of your cup will be way to sweet and salty and taste something like blueberry sweat. Anyways this makes a tasty lunch time drink and gives you about the lift as a cup of coffee. The crazy thing is it has 41,667% of your daily dose of B12, which just seems insane. I read the label like 30 times to make sure that is right. I mean I have seen 2000% 4500%, but 41,667% of the dosage, wow, simply wow. Anyways this has a great berry flavor, low calories and is uniquely flavored. People I know that like Emergency C, liked this better and it does pack in many of the same vitamins so I figure they might work comparably well for the whole immunity thing as well. Anyways if your looking for an energy drink rocket to send you flying high this won't do it, but if you just want a little pep in your step with a low calorie snack, give it a go.

website: ZipFizz

SoBe Essential Energy Berry Pomegranate
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, Yerba Mate, B6, B12
Rating: 8.56 out of 10

This drink is delicious, my one complaint would be it is a bit to sweet. Honestly after about 3/4 of the can I was like man I need some water or something to thin this out with. Besides that it was great. I love the unique berry flavor they got. It is odd that they put Pomegranate on the can as the flavor because I think the grape and other berries dominate the taste and you barely notice the Pomegranate. It does seem Pomegranate is a fad of sorts right now so that is probably why it is part of the name. It is a full sugar 120 calorie beverage so I would like to see the diet version on this drink. Anyways as an energy drink goes it is not the most powerful out there, but I really don't think that is the best direction for this drink industry anyways. So this has a little less caffeine and other items than many of the more popular energy drinks, but it does have Yerba Mate which I have been saying should be a big rising star in the best energy drinks this year. I mean i was exhausted from a day of skiing when I had this drink and it perked me up, better yet it lasted because I was out all night. I stayed up partying with friends and just didn't get tired for a long time. So this stuff works and you don't crash after a can which I attribute to the Yerba and Guarana, so if you want a little less intense rush but a longer lasting energy this drink will not let you down. I do really love the berry flavor to... tone down the sugar and this would probably end up in my top 5. Either way it is just another on the list of impressive SoBe Products.

website: SoBe Essential Energy

Turn Left Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B6, B12
Rating: 6.04 out of 10

This seems to be a little weaker than a red bull, and with a similar taste... Really nothing special. It has a slightly saltier flavor, and since I am in a bad mood I will describe it as, if you were to make Redbull but instead of water you used sea water you would get Turn Left. So they cut back a tiny amount on a few of the energy products, they didn't do anything innovative with the flavor, and now I just find my self bored writing the 40th review saying this is just a Redbull knock off plane and simple. Yes it still has the medicine like taste that many people hate, yes it has a lot of sugar, yes it will work and pump you up if it is all you can find. Yes it is twice the size of the original Redbull so you can buy it to save money. No it isn't anything special or note worthy. So here is the full review, salty Redbull in a yellow can is Turn Left.

website: Turn Left Energy Drink

RadioActive Energy
Cost: $2 6.6 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, L-carnitine, Ginko, Milk Thistle, Ginseng, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 8.05 out of 10

It has a bunch of vitamins even packing in some vitamin C. Gives you a pretty good kick quickly. For some reason it glows in the dark which I have decided is actually really cool, the glowing can amazes friends easily. I have no idea what Eleutherocococcus Senticosus is, wait just looked it up just Siberian Ginseng you bastards you tricked me I thought it was new... hehe Anyways it has a orange taste that is a tiny bit sweet and tart much like sour patch kids or other candies I fondly remember. So if you can find this I recommend it it gives out some energy that lasts pretty long and strong and the sour sweet taste is at least fun and different. It has a great taste and many of my co workers we putting this in their list as a favorite. It isn't to carbonated just enough to give it a nice little fizz. I think it is hilarious that the can glows in the dark. I guess the claim is that this is the first can that glows in the dark, interesting, it would definitely make it stand out at a party, bar, or a club. They should get some girls going out and giving it out at bars that could be pretty cool and would draw some attention to the glowing cans walking around the room (it does look pretty cool in the dark). This room packs about as much of the ingredients as you can into a single serving so it has a kick, and you have been warned. If you liked the no carb you will like this version as well it tastes slightly better, but for 150 calories towards me being fat... So I like the no carb version slightly better, if that isn't an issue to you, then this is a fantastically good tasting and working drink.

website: Radio Active Energy

Bing Energy Drink
Active ingredients: Taurine, B2, B6, B12, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, Ginko Biloba, Beta - glucan, Acai berry, Flax seed
cost: $2.00 12 oz
Rating: 7.02 out of 10

An energy drink made with real Bing cherry juice. What is a Bing cherry? I have no idea, so I guess that doesn’t matter. Basically this is a pretty good energy drink, but it doesn’t stand out to me. If you like cherry 7-Up, Cherry Sprite, or grenadine you will probably like the taste of this lightly carbonated black cherry flavored drink. I guess the black cherry flavor is a little more unique than I am giving it credit for. Anyways I like that this only have 10g of sugar and 40 calories. It also has more Caffeine (120mg) than Redbull, the same amount of Taurine, while adding in a bunch of the newer ingredients like Guarana. Also I have to give a big shout to Bing as it is another local Denver Energy drink. Got to give some love to your community right? Anyways, it is kind of lame to advertise on the front of your can “With Real Black Bing Cherry Juice”, only to turn the can around and see 5% Cherry Juice. The mix over all does give a good and satisfying cherry flavor, but I wouldn’t call this a juice in the same way Kronik Entourage is an energy drink. Like I said this is an above average energy drink that will certainly appeal to the cherry lovers, the people looking for a bit more than Redbull, or those who want a lot of energy on little calories.

Bing energy drink

Arizonia Green Tea Energy Drink
Active ingredients: Taurine, B6, B12, Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, Milk Thistle, Inositol, Glucuronolactone
cost: $2.00 16 oz
Rating: 7 out of 10

A lightly carbonated green tea energy drink that tastes exactly like its description. If you like lightly sweetened lightly carbonated green tea, but you want more energy and caffeine than tea normally gives you. This is the perfect drink for you. This is just like Arizona Green tea but perhaps a slight little more bitter bite on the taste (slightly noticeable), but very pleasant. For what you get it seems slightly high on calories (100 x2) I actually prefer the light version because it tastes basically the same and has significantly less calories. It has a decent amount of energy ingredients added into the tea to make sure those used to the Redbull effect will find what they are looking for. It has the same amount of Taurine and Caffeine as the bull, but also adds in Ginseng, Guarana, Milk Thistle, and B vitamins for good measure. I am a fan of green tea, I find is thirst quenching and refreshing, so being able to get a bit more of a boost from a can of it is quite nice. A Energy Tea good way to perk yourself up on a slow morning. While Arizona might never make it huge into the energy market this is certainly a welcome addition that will make many tea drinkers (and there are a lot of them) happy.

Website: Arizonia Green Tea Energy Drink

Inko's White Tea Energy
Cost: $2 15.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng
Calories: 80
Rating: 7.23 out of 10

This "Jitter-Free All Natural Adult Energy Drink" is not bad despite bizarre marketing speak. I know what they are going for with the Jitter Free labeling since it is one of the largest complains I hear about energy drinks frequently. That people get rally jittery and can't focus or think straight. I don't have that issue often, but sometimes I definitely get a little jittery like I need to get up and do something, which doesn't work out so well if your trying to stay up and study, work, or get something done. Anyways, I will have to give them a thumbs up on the jitter free part of this product, while it certainly doesn't pack the heat as some of the other energy drinks on the market, it does give you a nice jump that has a long ride and a slow easy down. I don't get the big crash that I get with some of the sugar pumped drinks, I think the addition of Guarana, is always a big help with the crash aspect as well. Anyways this is a very light simple tasting tea, it doesn't have quite the bitterness that many green teas have. This drink is a very light non carbonated refreshing drink that tastes like a light lemonade. I know some people are always looking for more drinks that skip the carbonation, and this one fits that bill. So if you like a lemon taste without carbonation, this drink might be a good match, but if you want that crazy wild buzz you get from some energy drinks this isn't quite the product for you. It seems carbonation helps to have the effects hit you faster and stronger, and while this is a good long ride, it doesn't have quite the peaks and valleys as the other products on the market.

Website: Inko's White Tea Energy

Hydrive Pomegranate Cost: $2 11.2 oz Active ingredients: Caffeine , Taurine, B6, B12, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine Calories: 25 Rating: 6.5 out of 10

This is a lighter energy drink, trying to build momentum by being the first energy drink made with natural spring water. Much like the other flavors of Hydrive I give a pretty positive review. This was probably my least favorite of all three, because I don't really like Pomegranates in general. Other people who gave it a tasted liked it pretty well. It doesn't have a super strong taste and it doesn't taste too sweet, these low calorie drinks feel like a nice little healthy treat. I am actually quite a fan of the brand in general. So if you like Pomegranate and your looking for something a little simpler and healthier than your average energy drink these might be just right for you. Obviously don't expect any of the crazy rush that your get from a Redbull or other energy packed drinks, but it is stronger than a cup of tea. So this is another good flavor and alternative if you weren't such a fan of the other Hydrive flavors, but were a fan of the drink as a concept. No excuse me as I go pound down some lunch.

Website: Hydrive Energy

BlackHole Energy
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine , Taurine, B6, B12, Coenzyme Q10
Calories: 110 x2
Rating: 6 out of 10

Well The most interesting thing about this drink is that it has calcium. Besides that this is a pretty average citrus energy drink. Nothing really stood out about it. It was kind of a creamer orange than some others on the market. It gave decent energy and picked you up pretty quick, but it wasn't particularly stunning. With citrus being in the top 3 most common flavors you have to do something special to really grab or hold my attention anymore and this just didn't seem to bring anything new to the table. I know that is getting harder to do, but this drink just made me feel like I have had it time and time again. So it is ok, if you like citrus drinks you might want to give it a shot because it might strike you as something special. If citrus isn't your favorite anyways it isn't worth a try, It isn't a bad drink so if this is all you can find it is a decent choice, just don't expect a whole lot from it. Kind of a depressing review isn't it, my bad, I don't mean to slam the drink, I am just bored of the same old thing.

website: none

HyDrive Acai Berry Energy Drink Cost: $2 11.2 oz Active ingredients: Caffeine , Taurine, B6, B12, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine Calories: 25 Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Another cool light refreshing taste from Hydrive, energy drink, spring water. Liquid whatever you want to call it this refreshing drink leaves you feeling crisp smooth and clear. While obviously not even targeting the same market as Redbull and other energy drinks, this clean healthy 25 calorie drink good. This flavor did seem to taste a little more medicine like than the other flavors that I tried, but they still came out well over all. Enough boost to give me a little kick, but not a ton, nothing that would keep me up late at night. This is a good little drink to get you over the hump after lunch or provide a little morning burst to get you thinking straight, but this wouldn't touch any hard core energy drink person. I guess the happy healthy people need their drinks as well, not packed down with sugar, carbs, or anything else this is just a lightly flavored water with a little bit of a caffeine kick. So I must admit while this wouldn't be my energy drink of choice for all occasions I am a fan of Hydrive when I need to get some energy while re hydrating.

Website: Hydrive Energy

Damzl Energy Fuel
Cost: $2 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, B6, B12
Rating: 7.25 out of 10

This drink for girl, sorry for women, tastes like sprite with grenadine, which is better know as a Shirley Temple. Anyways this drink is not for dudes, it is a high octane energy drink for women. I guess I shouldn't really review it, as it is quite possible just drinking one can will make me grow ovaries! Seriously though I get some energy drinks like this and Go Girl being marketed to women, but do they really believe girls can't drink or handle a regular energy drink? I mean come on there are flavors just like this already out there. Do most women refuse to drink energy drinks because the can isn't pink? Every energy drink is sexually neutral, a drink and flavor doesn't favor one sex over another. Why do we always have to break it down to sexes, races, and other differentiators. Yes people are different, no better and no worse, but we don't have to make everything different for them, some things are perfectly OK for everyone. So Go Girl empower yourself, by drinking whatever energy drink tastes good to you, ride the bull, monster or Damzl, but don't do it because something was marketed at you. This cherry sprite flavored drink has a little less energy than other drinks, but stays low calorie without a bad taste. If you like cherry drinks you might like this drink and it might be worth giving a shot, even if your a dude, so while I like the drink fine, I am tired of marketing departments getting in the way of life. Rise up women you are no Damzl in distress you can do what you damn well please, and you can drink any energy drink. Anyways that is just my two cents and my short little rant.

website: Damzl Fuel

RadioActive Energy No Carb
Cost: $2 6.6 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Ginseng, L-carnitine, Ginko, Milk Thistle, Eleutherocococcus Senticosus, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 8.25 out of 10

This is a pretty tasty zero calorie drink, no sugar, but doesn't have a horrible fake sugar taste. It has a bunch of vitamins even packing in some vitamin C. Gives you a pretty good kick quickly. For some reason it glows in the dark which is kind of scary, but cool I guess. I have no idea what Eleutherocococcus Senticosus, (wait just looked it up just Siberian Ginseng you bastards you tricked me I thought it was new) is, but I guess that is a new piece of the energy drink puzzle. Anyways it has a orange taste that is a tiny bit sweet and tart much like sour patch kids or other candies I fondly remember. So if you can find this i recommend it it gives out some energy that lasts pretty long and strong and the sour sweet taste is at least fun and different. I will soon review the sugar packed version, but I am sure it will do well also. Anyways I like the taste but i guess there is a bit of an aftertaste it isn't to carbonated just enough to give it a nice little fizz. I think it is hilarious that the can glows in the dark. I guess the claim is that this is the first can that glows in the dark, interesting, it would definitely make it stand out at a party, bar, or a club. They should get some girls going out and giving it out at bars that could be pretty cool and would draw some attention to the glowing cans walking around the room (it does look pretty cool in the dark). This room packs about as much of the ingredients as you can into a single serving so it has a kick, and you have been warned.

website: Radio Active Energy

Nexcite Herbal Supplement
Cost: $2 6.6 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Damiana, Schizandra, Mate, Guarana, Ginseng
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

This was a pretty interesting drink. I don't think it has the power and energy of some of the other energy drinks we have come to know and love, but it is damn tasty. It has a peach, raspberry, lemon, and passion fruit flavor (the peach and passion fruit were the strongest to me). That is a flavor and mix of juices you don't hear often. It is also marketed as a romantic drink, herbal supplement to get the juices flowing for men and women. It says it is from Sweden with love. I will say it has caffeine and all the ingredients of the energy drinks, and I will say it is mighty tasty. I won't really claim it will make you any more impressive in bed, but hey if it works for you go for it. This was a lightly carbonated sweet drink with a low 80 calories (compared with the 180 in some energy drinks), overall I enjoyed the drink quite a lot. I found it unique in flavor, packaging and it has some ingredients you don't see else where. I would recommend giving this a shot if you find it for no other reason than it is fun and it gives you and your lady a good reason to disappear off to the bedroom.

website: Nexcite

Iced'Spresso Mocha Mudslide
Cost: $? 9.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 7 out of 10

I might not be a nut about coffee but I do like chocolate. This light drink sweetened by Splenda was my favorite of the Iced Spresso flavors. The Mocha Mudslide has some serious chocolate flavor, the Splenda hides in there nicely leaving a good tasting low calorie drink. Now this drink doesn't have the full kick of an energy drink, and really one wouldn't expect it to. I normally kind of shy away from doing coffee reviews but I am sure there is some overlap in energy drinkers and coffee drinkers and a sweet chocolate drink probably fits in with many of my readers. So while coffee isn't my cup of tea (HA), I did enjoy this drink. It definitely wouldn't be my drink every day, but for a quick kick in the morning or the afternoon lullaby that hits me so hard and so often. This can do the trick. Now I will say the really calorie intensive Starbucks frappuccinos are a little tastier, but with half the calories of its more expensive brother I am still a happy caffeine / chocolate addict. So watch out Starbucks, because my buck doesn't stop with you, in fact I spend it else where.

website: Iced'Spresso Mocha Mudslide

Upshot Energy Shot Fruit
Cost: $1.5 2.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Kola nut, Green Tea
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

This drink tastes like the most bitter part of any energy drink, if you took only the most bitter parts and combined them, this is what you would get. Admittedly the drink recommends mixing with fruit juice, but man this stuff taste horrible. I do like that they are honest about how much caffeine is in this tiny power packed drink, 200 mg. So yeah this drink does pack a punch in a tiny package, but I don't think it is quite worth the price you pay by tasting the bitter putrid liquid. If you do need a tiny package to carry around that can instantly add 200mg of caffeine to any drink of your choice this drink will do that job, and it will do it well. I think them labeling this fruit flavored must be some sort of joke as I don't think they made any attempt to hide the horrible taste. Straight oz for energy, this drink is a powerful force, but I do enjoy my drinks so I will stick with something I can enjoy. Some hate all energy drinks, but think they work well, if this is you, then you can shoot this down even faster for a horribly tasting kick of energy.
website: Upshot

Kronik Grind
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: B6,B12, Taurine, Glucosamine, Ginseng, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, Milk Thistle, Ginko Biloba
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Kronik Grind is another new flavor from the Kronik, it is a grape flavor heavily carbonated drink. I enjoyed the flavor and it packed a good kick... I am a fan of the stuff Kronik is putting out. My girlfriend wasn't as much as a fan saying it kind of tasted like a grape Flintstone's vitamin. I didn't notice the medicine like taste, but I always loved the Flintstone's vitamins as a kid, so that really didn't sound to bad to me either. I dig grape, you know I think now that we see all the real fruit orange juice energy drinks, it is time for a partially real lightly carbonated grape juice energy drink, perhaps Kronik can give that a shot. Anyways, this drink also had a slight berry hint mixed in with grape flavor, I dig the name, but I wish they would just describe a bit about the flavor on the can, before opening this up I had no idea what to expect. It could have been cranberry for all I knew and I hate that flavor, so if I just saw it in a gas station I would be hesitant to pick it up with out knowing anything about the flavor... So if you dig grape or the Flintstones, give this Kronik grind a shot.

website: Kronik Grind

Cocaine Energy Drink Cost: 2.00 8.4 oz Active ingredients: Caffeine (280mg), L-Carnitine, Guarana, Taurine, B6, B12, C Calories: 70 Rating: 5 out of 10

I am finally taking the time to review Cocaine I have had it a couple times, and it is a hell of a strong drink. This controversial drink that offends many while being pure marketing inappropriateness genius, came out of no where to be one of the most talked about fastest growing energy drinks around. Look at the picture our dog is sniffing the Cocaine... haha had to do it. So if it packs such a punch, has low calories and gets some vitamin C in you do I only give the drink a 5? Heartburn, this drink burns I mean I feel the lining on my stomach melting away after I drink this stuff, it is like heart burn in a can. This drink tastes like red hots mixed with acid, if you have ever tasted Hot Damn you know exactly what Cocaine tastes like. I do enjoy the interesting debates that come up of whether it is right or wrong to be selling this drink. If it is bad to have it named after drugs and all that, but I can't handle all of the burning. If they could cool this drink down I would say it performs damn solid as an energy drink, packing 280 mg of caffeine which is just a tiny bit less than getting the largest coffee Starbucks sells, but the sickening burning feeling just isn't worth the boost of energy of this drink. So if you want a pure energy burst this drink might be just what your looking for but be warned it burns and your not falling asleep anytime soon after one of these. This drink burns hot, hot like a lava lamp! So remember kids don't do drugs, just buy products promoting that drugs are cool, because then you will be cool too... (If you can't sense the sarcasm you just need some help with your humor, don't send me any anger emails about drugs and kids.)

Web site: Cocaine Energy Drink

Hydrive Casaba Lime Energy Drink Cost: $2 11.2 oz Active ingredients: Caffeine , Taurine, B6, B12, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine Calories: 25 Rating: 7.25 out of 10

This is a lighter energy drink, trying to build momentum by being the first energy drink made with natural spring water. I guess with the Hydrive name they are hoping to hydrate you to power and energy. The drinks come in attractive bottles in a variety of flavors. Since there is no carbonation in these drinks I definitely feel like I got re hydrated while drinking one. This flavor Dragonfruit, taste nice I don't actually really know what Dragonfruit tastes like, but I can best describe this drink to have a mildly tart mandarin flavor with a slight sweet cherry after taste. I really enjoyed the refreshing crisp flavor, light, and refreshing flavor. It left a cool calming sensation on my throat after I finished each sip. I definitely liked this flavor far more than the lime flavor from Hydrive. So if you want a lightly flavored crisp water with a bit of energy boost, the Hydrive line of products, with the verity of flavors your bound to find something you like. The downside is that they don't pack a huge energy punch, while you do notice a slight energy boast, which is smooth without a big drop off, it isn't something that will really keep you going if your sleepy. I mean if I was very tired this drink wouldn't really have a big effect on that. In fact I kind of want to take a nap right now just thinking about how little energy it gave me... hehe Anyways these are a welcome different kind of product on the market.

Website: Hydrive Energy

Syzmo Energy Drink Cost: $2 8.4 oz Active ingredients: Caffeine, B2, B3,B6, B12, CoEnzyme Q10, Guarana, Yerba Mate, Green Tea Calories: 25 Rating: 7.75 out of 10

This is one of the new growing flavors that energy drinks are using blue Agave, I have seen three energy drinks now that have this flavor, the largest of which is Fully Throttle, but I must say I enjoy Syzmo. I like the clean, crisp, refreshing burst of flavor with each sip. It is lightly carbonated and has a unique taste that isn't to sweet but does have a slightly fruit punch like flavor that reminds me of my childhood mixed with blue agave. Does Syzmo pack a punch? Yeah pretty decent, it isn't trying to be one of the most powerful pack the highest level of caffeine into the drink, but it gives a good level of energy. It doesn't crash bad which lets you down nicely. I do think the can is pretty lame, but honestly packaging isn't as important to me as getting a good flavor and a good buzz. So Syzmo is alright with me, not the most energy and not the fastest to bring it to you but it is long lasting with a good unique taste, definitely worth a shot if your sick of all the energy drinks that taste the same, at the very least Syzmo doesn't taste like a normal energy drink.

Website: Syzmo Energy

Hydrive Casaba Lime Energy Drink Cost: $2 11.2 oz Active ingredients: Caffeine , Taurine, B6, B12, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine Calories: 25 Rating: 5 out of 10

This is a lighter energy drink, trying to build momentum by being the first energy drink made with natural spring water. I guess with the Hydrive name they are hoping to hydrate you to power and energy. The drinks come in attractive bottles in a variety of flavors. This flavor casaba lime just didn't jive with me well. I guess I will hold out some hope for the other flavors, they have some that sound pretty exciting, so I am not giving up hope yet. This is a light low calorie refreshing drink, but it just had a weird lime taste that I didn't particularly enjoy. It doesn't pump you up need as much as most energy drinks, but it does keep you aware. This would be a good drink to stay up studying or getting some work done, the drink doesn't make you all jittery like many of the other drinks it has a calm awareness about it, that went quite well with my work day. So if they can get a flavor that makes me want to savor every last drop they might be on to something, until then I guess I would say not a bad light energy drink attempt, but try again. So if your going out partying or planning to be up all night this drink isn't for you but if you need a boost to hit the books or focus on something this might just be the kind of energy you had in mind.

Website: Hydrive Energy

Hansen's Joker Mad Energy
Cost: 2.00 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Ginseng, Guarana, Taurine, B6, B12, C
Calories: 110 X2
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

This has a similar taste to Monster Assault, but isn't quite as good, it is also a bit too sweet, but has a little more of the cough syrup flavor which many of the more medicine flavor drinks turn people off. I also didn't get as much energy from this drink, it just seemed to be lacking a bit in terms of the energy. A strange dark berry flavor soda, with a little spice, and leaves just a little aftertaste of cough syrup. If you like berry flavored beverages give this a shot, otherwise I would just say this drink isn't anything special worth mentioning. This is another product from Hansen's which seems to be hit or miss with many of their drinks, they definitely have some I enjoy, while others aren't done very well and seemed rushed to the market. Anyways maybe I will try this drink again when I have a cold and see if it helps, but outside of that I will not joke with the joker, you would have to be mad to really like this product. I do like Monster Assault which I claim is similar to this drink but also better in every way.

Web site: Joker Med Energy Drink

Airforce Nutrisoda Energize Mandarin Mint
Cost: 2.00 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine(50mg), Ginseng, Guarana, L-Carnitine, L-Tyrosine, Taurine, B6, B12
Calories: 10
Rating: 7 out of 10

Airforce has a lot of different drinks on the market, they aren't all energy drinks, but still close enough to fit in with this site. If one was to be called an energy drink the Energize flavor would have to be it. While not really packing as much of a punch as most other energy drinks, it does give you a little boost with a really nice refreshing taste. It only has 50mg of caffeine, while most other energy drinks have around 100mg. So don't expect this drink to knock your socks off, but if your looking for a light and refreshing drink with a nice orange taste and just a hint of mint, this is definitely worth checking out. I enjoy it as a after lunch or late afternoon pick me up. As I said before the mandarin mint flavor is quite refreshing and the fake sugar taste doesn't follow this drinks taste which leaves you happy until the last sip. So if your looking for a lighter energy drink on the healthy side, check out some of the various products from Airforce.

Web site: Airforce Nutrisoda Energize

Bawls Sugar Free
Cost: $1.50 10 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine (120mg), Guarana
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
But it now at ThinkGeek.com

Let me say I like regular Bawls pretty well, it has good reviews on this site, but sugar free bawls is nasty. I mean if your going to make a sugar free drink do it with good fake sugar, also perhaps adjust other ingredients as necessary, bawls sugar free was made with no thought to how much worse it tastes in comparison. It still has the mild orange flavor over a cream soda taste, but now it has a horrible aftertaste which just ruins the whole experience. The after taste left me reaching for a glass of water to have a sip to wash the aftertaste out, after every sip of this sugar free energy drink, I just didn't enjoy it. So Bawls while I like your unique flavor and you give a good burst of energy, I am sorry your sugar free version sucks and you need to try again. If you want sugar free there are many other tasty versions out there, this is just not one of them, skip this drink and do yourself a favor.

Website: Bawls Energy Drink

Enviga Peach Energy Drink
Cost: $? 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Green Tea Extract
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Enviga is the first drink from Nestea and Coca cola, which is after studies claiming to actually help you burn calories. This might not exactly be an energy drink but with 100mg of Caffeine, it definitely fits in with other energy drinks, which range from 80mg to 280mg of caffeine per serving. This is about the same as an average cup of coffee which contains 80-140 milligrams. So does this drink help you to burn calories as the can claims? "The cans per day of Enviga have been shown to increase calorie burning by 60-100 calories in a healthy normal weight 18-35 year olds." I don't know I guess you would have to drink three cans a day for a month or so, a challenge I might have to take on just to give this a real test. Well as an energy drink, it seems weaker than most, but has a fairly pleasant peach taste, with only 5 calories it has a pretty good flavor. I think the biggest problem is the slightly pungent aftertaste, it tastes a bit like sweat, others didn't notice this after taste, which can probably better be described by saying if you just clumped up all the little hairs on the outside of a peach and put those in your mouth you would have this bitter odd flavor, luckily the aftertaste doesn't last long and the peach green tea flavor is far more noticeable. I don't think this will hit well with the young kids running around and staying up all night, but if your looking for a afternoon burst of energy after lunch and you want a low calorie tasty drink, I guess it might be worth giving this drink a shot, especially if you already like tea.

website: Enviga

Kronik Entourage Energy Juice
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: B6,B12, Taurine, Glucosamine, Ginseng, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, Milk Thistle, Ginko Biloba
Rating: 8.25 out of 10

Kronik Entourage brings another fruit juice based energy drink to the market. This area is growing so fast you can barely be an energy drink company with out a juice drink on the market. I know why, they are delicious, they are a wonder mix of juice with vitamin C, and energy to get your day going. This kind of tastes a bit like grapefruit at first but much sweeter, after checking the ingredients you see that it has grape juice and pear juice, which then I noticed are definitely in the taste, it is lightly carbonated to about perfection. This is a sweet juice to get me going in the morning with a crisp refreshing taste, that would make great mimosas, to bad I can't make one of those this morning because I have things to do people to see, but the burst of energy this drink gives will guarantee I can take it all in stride. So Kronik, while you might not be one of the big boy energy drink companies yet your consistent growing line of quality products has definitely set you on your way and it quickly putting you in my most watched companies. I look forward to trying out whatever you come up with next, and I say if you can find Kronik it is definitely worth adding to your list as a must try energy drink.

website: Kronik Entourage

Go Girl Sugar Free Energy Drink
Cost: $2.00 for 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B6, B12, Garcinia, Gambogia Extract
Rating: 9.5 out of 10

This is a damn good tasting energy drink for having no sugar/no calories while managing to have a good taste and pack quite a punch. It has a light berry flavor, which reminds us of 7Up plus berry, in fact they taste incredibly similar, which is quite nice. That is the biggest thing that stands out here-that this drink with no calories still tastes great. We will have to say the can does directly appeal to girls and women with its pink on pink on silver graphics. We do like that the company tries for moral responsibility; a potion of the proceeds is donated to fight breast cancer-it is always good to support a cause. So the 150 mg of caffeine definitely will get you rocketing up, but it kicks in slower, because there is no sugar to jump start the feeling, but we don't think you will be falling asleep anytime soon after having one of these drinks. So gather all the ladies and pour them some Go Girl and you can keep the women partying all night long. It would work pretty well as a mixer also.

website: Go Girl

Liquid Blow Power Pop
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Sugar cane, Caffeine, Guarana
Rating: 8 out of 10

Well it comes on sweet, but the really sweet taste doesn't stick around to long so you don't get the overly sweet feeling that many other energy drinks have. I best describe the taste as gummy bears, I had to think about it for awhile, but if you remember putting a bunch of gummy bears of different flavors into your mouth that is what liquid blow tastes like. It says it is a citrus berry flavored pop, which would make sense with my description given most gummy bears come in citrus and berry flavors. So I guess it has a unique taste, I have heard other energy drinks described as liquid pixie sticks or liquid jolly ranches, but never as gummy bears, it does stick in the sweet candy themed flavor though. As for the power this pop packs, it does hit you with a healthy dose of energy, it quickly gets you going, it does however crash pretty hard when it does wear off so beware the fall back down to earth when your caffeine buzz comes to an end. So if you want something simple and your not looking for vitamins or any of that other stuff, just pop a can of this and you will get a big caffeine fix for the day. This soda pop, pops man!

(Note: I apologize to Liquid Blow who sent me samples months ago, which apparently got lost shipping or was lost in my package room, so I am happy to finally get a review up for this product. It was definitely worth a try.)

website: Liquid Blow

HiBall Energy Orange Soda
Cost: $1.50 10 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, B6, B12
Rating: 3 out of 10

This taste like nothing but soda water. I guess it sort of a horrible orange flavor. In fact it tastes much like orange vodka, which if it was a mixed drink and gave you a buzz might be OK, but this just tastes like crap. Seriously this is just thickened club soda, I doubt anyone that made this drink actually tasted it. It doesn't pump me up near as much as most other drinks out there, about the only good thing I can say is that there is only 10 calories in the drink. Yeah guess what it has no sugar, so what it has no flavor or taste, or at least no taste worth ever experiencing. This doesn't pump you up, it doesn't taste good, it doesn't do anything so, I say write it off as one of the many worthless energy drinks out there, grab yourself something else and walk past this clear water looking energy drink, because with hi ball is nothing to get excited about.

website: Hi*ball Energy Orange Soda

Metro Mint Spearmint water (Not an energy drink)
Active ingredients: H 2 the O
cost: $1.50 16.9 oz
Rating: 6 out of 10

I know this isn't an energy drink, but I had to review it, because it was such and odd and unique drink that I came across. I have done this only a few other times, so please don't blast me for being off topic. Anyways, this is just flavored water, and it sure taste like mint. I mean you whole mouth fills with a cool feeling, it is like you were chewing 10 sticks of spearmint gum all at once, OK maybe not that strong, but this has some serious spearmint in it. I was interested to say the least, over all I can't say if I really liked it, I mean it might not be as refreshing as water, I wouldn't want to chug a bottle down or anything, but if your just looking for some water to sip on for taste and to stay hydrated, this isn't a bad choice, it is something new and different so if your bored of trying to drink 8 glasses of water every day, you could give this drink a shot to mix it up some. It is purified, and refreshing by the sip with a cooling relaxing effect, it can let you just close your eyes and fade into the cooling sensation for a moment, so I say if nothing else this drink is worth trying, because who knows this might just hit the spot and make you want to drink more water every day.

Website: MetroMint

Who's Your Daddy Green Tea Energy Drink Citrus
Cost: 2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, B6, B12
Rating: 8 out of 10

Who's your Daddy is back again with a new flavor, this time they are taking a shot at Green Tea, it seems all the new energy drinks are either Teas or Juices? Oh well I guess I can't complain because I like each of these groups for different reasons. I mean I like all the good stuff in tea for your body, I like that it is more natural and has been around as a form of an energy drink for hundreds of years, and now is just getting the extra kick to catch it up with the times. I like the juices, because I have always enjoyed a good glass of juice most mornings. Anyways, many of the teas get overloaded with sugar when they make their way to the energy drink companies, that would be my biggest complaint against Who's your Daddy Green Tea as well, but I must say it is a refreshing a delicious flavor. Anyways as far as the tea's on the market go this is up there as a good option, I will leave the same 8 score that I gave to the original Who's your Daddy energy drink. So if you dig the tea thing, but want to get more of a kick you can't go wrong with 800mg of Taurine, 100mg of caffeine, and all the B vitamins we have come to love. Well done my... Daddy, daddy why don't you ever call anymore, daddy why don't you love me.

website: Who's your Daddy Green Tea Energy Drink

Archer Farms Energy Drink Tropical Fruit
Active ingredients: Taurine, B6, B12, Caffeine
cost: $1.50 16 oz
Rating: 4.25 out of 10

Archer Farms energy drink, well Target is making an attempted at that energy drink market. On pretty much all accounts they come up short, this is the kind of drink that was created by a bunch of rich fat people that have never had an energy drink in their life and really don't understand why this fad is around, they just know they want to be a part of the profit from it. Well Die young in a fire Archer Farms energy drink you’re not a bad orangish flavored soda pop, but charging the premium that energy drinks do, you provide little to no more energy than a can of orange crush. This is mostly a big can of High Fructose Corn Syrup. I mean it is just a sweet sugar water drink. Anyways don't waste your money this isn't an energy drink, it doesn't have a unique flavor, it doesn't have anything impressive about it. The best thing I can say about this so called energy drink is that it doesn't taste like crap, but then again most sodas fall into that category, so what I am really saying is you bore me Archer Farms, and you bore me Target, try again.

Website: Archer Farms Energy Drink

Guayaki Yerba Mate Empower Mint Organic Energy Drink
Active ingredients: Yerba Mate
cost: $2.16 16 oz
Rating: 6.25 out of 10

This is a hippy happy organic energy drink, and it isn't to bad. It is powered by Yerba Mate, which has appeared in other drinks, but in a pretty limited form and amount. This drink is a tea that has been drank in Paraguay for thousands of years. It is basically their coffee, to me it tastes like a more earthy and a little more bitter than green tea. This was the mint flavor, which isn't as good as their Raspberry flavor. I guess the mint gives a bit of taste of a menthol cigarette. A friend of mine who used to chew said this drink tasted like drinking the spit of a mint chew. He couldn't handle more than three sips. Now I don't expect many to have such a bad reaction, I would say the original and the Raspberry flavor, were favored by everyone. So if you like the idea of a different and little more powerful tea, I would really recommend trying out some of the Yerba Mate, but I wouldn't go for the mint flavor as it turned more than one person off of the drink. I liked the taste pretty well, although it still had a pretty strong earthy flavor I would have probably added a packet of sugar if I had one around. Anyways this energy tea as I feel it should be called is pretty good, packed with 24 vitamins, 15 amino acids, and antioxidants i guess I just feel kind of healthy drinking it. Does it have the power and energy that other energy drinks bring to the table? No, it doesn't have the kick that red bull or others pack, but it does have a highly useful difference it has a very calming energy and awareness. This is a drink to stay up late and work, or to stay up and study, it seems to not mess up the clarity and focus in your brain which a lot of other energy drinks do, you know the jittery feelings that accompany to much caffeine. This drink keeps you focused and ready to think. So I would highly recommend Yerba Mate, for studying, reading, writing, and that sort of thing. Anyways, this would be worth a shot if you want something that is entirely different out there on the energy market, just wait till I review the loose leaf Yerba Mate, I like the loose leaf better than any of the bottled flavors, it is just like loose leaf tea, but I think it packs way more of a punch than most teas I have ever had.

Website: Guayaki Yerba Mate

FRS lemon lime Antioxidant Energy Drink
Cost: $18 128 oz (less than a dollar for every 8 oz)
Active ingredients: B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Green Tea, Caffeine, Quercetin, Catechins
Rating: 6.00 out of 10

This drink has a pretty good creamy lime flavor, but like other FRS drinks has some fiber or cardboard like after taste. This drink was a little more bitter than the other flavors, I think I like the berry flavor of FRS the best. I think the orange and berry flavors work really well for a breakfast addition, a healthy way to start your day, but I can't see myself waking up and wanting a lime flavored drink. I like the pre mixed bottles way more than the large concentrate that you mix yourself, so I really recommend finding the pre mixed bottles if you want to try this. Now this isn't a pump you up and run around dancing and drinking kind of energy drink, this is a start your morning healthy with a nice pick me up kind of drink, and for that purpose it is well suited. I just which they could do something to make it a tiny smoother with less of a fiber like aftertaste, if they could get that aftertaste out of the drink. This would also be a great pick me up before a morning exam in college. I guess it works just as well as the other FRS drinks, but like i said I really see this as a morning drink, and I just can see the lemon lime flavor in the morning, so this gets a lower score than the other flavors, but if lemon lime is a flavor you really like i guess give this one a shot.

website: FRS lemon lime energy

Xtra Sharp Fruit
Active ingredients: Ginseng, Guarana, Milk Thistle, Ginko Biloba
cost: $? oz
Rating: 1 out of 10

Xtra sharp is xtra shitty. I have nothing that I can really say about this product. I had a couple friends try it with me, and I am still apologizing to them. My friends are still angry for ever having this in their mouths or in their bodies. I don't think this comes close to being an energy drink, nor would I ever claim anyone should use it "When you need an Edge." Seriously this doesn't pump you up, in fact it made most of use feel kind of sick. You know how you get med head after you take cold medicine, you feel groggy with a fog in your head. Yeah that is how this made us feel. The taste can be kindly described as cough syrup mixed with poison, or cruelly described as having a deathly ill monkey shitting into your mouth. A friend quickly choked it down then gagging ran for another drink to get the taste out of his mouth. This is the kind of product you wonder if the company that makes it ever even tried or tasted. This isn't really supposed to be an energy drink I know, it is supposed to be a daily energy tonic that helps your overall sense of well being, well hell no, this made me want to puke and then punch someone. If you see them passing out free samples I recommend that you stand there and lecture the people passing it out, explaining that they are spreading hate and pure evil in a little plastic cup. In fact the taste of this drink could have started the civil war. I feel bad writing any more, I was told if you have nothing nice to say to say nothing at all, but not letting my readers know how bad this product tasted and made me feel would just be cruel and unusual punishment.

Website: Xtra Sharp

Hooah! Soldier Fuel Punch Tropical
Active ingredients: sugar???
cost: $? 12 oz
Rating: 3.469 out of 10

Hooah claims to be made by the U.S. Military, "formulated by the military researchers to improve mental and physical performance." Yeah the problem I have with that is it has no caffeine, it is just sugar and carbs, which I guess might be good on a long hike, but it isn't exactly a pump you up and wake you up, this is like a Gatorade fruit punch. It just doesn't have any energy ingredients in the drink, it is a bunch of different sugars and carbs absorbed as sugars like, Maltodextrin, which "Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as rapidly as glucose." Yeah so this might be good if your going on a run or trying to rehydrate after getting a hang over, but don't expect any more of a energy punch than you would get from Hi C. I love my friends in the military and I am familiar with the Hooah yell, but this drink doesn't contain anywhere near the spirit these men and woman have, it takes the name on as a likely marketing gimmick. I will say they do donate some money by supporting research on safety, diet, and military quality of life, which is a good thing. So I can't completely knock this company, they have their hearts in the right place, but unfortunately they can take pack much of a tropical punch as this drink leaves you flat lined.

Website: Hooah Energy Drink

Guayaki Yerba Mate Respberry Revolution Organic Energy Drink
Active ingredients: Yerba Mate
cost: $2.16 16 oz
Rating: 7.25 out of 10

This is a hippy happy organic energy drink, and it isn't to bad. It is powered by Yerba Mate, which has appeared in other drinks, but in a pretty limited form and amount. This drink is a tea that has been drank in Paraguay for thousands of years. It is basically their coffee, to me it tastes like a more earthy and a little more bitter than green tea. This was the raspberry flavor, which has a little more sweetener in the drink (organic sweetener cane sugar), and has a nice fruity flavor. I liked the taste pretty well, although it still had a pretty strong earthy flavor I would have probably added a packet of sugar if I had one around. Anyways this energy tea as I feel it should be called is pretty good, packed with 24 vitamins, 15 amino acids, and antioxidants i guess I just feel kind of healthy drinking it. Does it have the power and energy that other energy drinks bring to the table? No, it doesn't have the kick that red bull or others pack, but it does have a highly useful difference it has a very calming energy and awareness. This is a drink to stay up late and work, or to stay up and study, it seems to not mess up the clarity and focus in your brain which a lot of other energy drinks do, you know the jittery feelings that accompany to much caffeine. This drink keeps you focused and ready to think. So I would highly recommend Yerba Mate, for studying, reading, writing, and that sort of thing. Anyways, this would be worth a shot if you want something that is entirely different out there on the energy market, just wait till I review the loose leaf Yerba Mate, I have it is pretty weird stuff.

Website: Guayaki Yerba Mate

Amazon Mist Iced Guarana
Active ingredients: Acacia, Guarana
cost: $2 16 oz
Rating: 7 out of 10

This drink is pretty tasty, 98 calories pretty low sugar (25g). It is like a very light tea, with a berry fruit flavor. It was like a very refreshing fruit drink. Anyways, since it doesn't have a bunch of caffeine and sugar it doesn't boost you up as much, but it also doesn't have such a drop off. It isn't carbonated, it doesn't taste at all like other energy drinks. If you like a bit of kick, but want something more natural, and with a lighter over all taste, I think this berry drink would be worth giving a shot. So keep an eye out for this unique drink, that might be a bit more of a health drink than most of the drinks we see and review here, but it is still a decent energy drink worth mentioning.

website: none

FRS Lemon Lime Antioxidant Energy Chews
B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Quercetin, Catechins, Caffeine
cost: $? 30 chews
Rating: 1 out of 10

Imagine if you had dehydrated Gatorade, then you smashed it up into a little cube, that is what these chews are. They look and sort of taste like little bullion cubes. I mean they are very bitter and tart, like biting straight into a lemon. I don't get the point of these. I bet my dog wouldn't even eat these, OK maybe she would, but she eats frozen dog poop. They give you a bit of energy, but there is a bunch of better ways to get some energy, two chews is about the same as 1/3 a cup of coffee... Hmmm I guess I would just rather have about any energy drink instead of eating these weird chews. Sorry FRS, this is just not a good product stick to the drinks, or try this again, this just isn't a good first attempt. Did any of you try eating your own product? Did you taste it? It tastes like a salt lick for dear.

website: FRS Antioxidant energy chews

V&V Citrus premium energy beverage
Cost: $? 12 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B6, B12, Caffeine, Ginko Biloba, Ginseng, Guarana, Taurine
Rating: 8 out of 10

I liked this drink quite a bit, it was a tasty addition to the energy drink market. It is a lightly carbonated lemonade, which reminds me of Gorilla Juice, which I have always liked. This isn't as energy packed as other drinks. It wont give you the jittery feeling, but it does give you a good little kick if your trying to wake up. So if you don't like the taste of the more common energy drinks this might be what your looking for. It is refreshing and just like a nice light lemonade, although it does have a surprising amount of sugar in a bottle (38g). It doesn't taste super sugary or syrupy, which is nice. Anyways I was pretty impressed with the first attempt from V&V, I like that they aren't going the same route as so many other companies and just making another soda clone with extra caffeine. Hopefully they will continue trying out some other unique flavors, and maybe get a light version with a little less sugar out. If you like lemonade and you need a quick boost this is definitely worth giving a shot.

website: V&V Citrus

FRS Wild Berry Antioxidant Energy Drink
Cost: $18 128 oz (less than a dollar for every 8 oz)
Active ingredients: B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, Green Tea, Caffeine, Quercetin, Catechins
Rating: 7 out of 10

This drink has a pretty good creamy berry flavor, but like other FRS drinks has some fiber or cardboard like after taste. I like the pre mixed bottles way more than the large concentrate that you mix yourself, it just doesn't fully blend together as well. I think I like the berry flavor a little more than the orange, I actually considered freezing some as I thought it would make a very interesting Popsicle, but I guess I was to lazy to try that out. Now this isn't a pump you up and run around dancing and drinking kind of energy drink, this is a start your morning healthy with a nice pick me up kind of drink, and for that purpose it is well suited. I just which they could do something to make it a tiny smoother with less of a fiber like aftertaste, if they could get that aftertaste out of the drink, I would probably give it a even better recommendation as a morning start. This is the new formula since they had last sent me a batch to review and I think there was a good effort towards progress, but then again I didn't have the berry flavor last time, even so, I think the drink is a more solid performer than it previously was. So if your looking for a morning berry drink this would accompany a yogurt or a bagel really well. This would also be a great pick me up before a morning exam in college. So I guess I must say this is a pretty good product, and I will be drinking the rest of them every couple mornings, until my supplies run out.

website: FRS Berry energy

Redline Energy Drink
Cost: $2 8 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Evoburn (pure Evodiamine), N-acetyle-L-tryptophan, Yerba Mate, Green Tea, 5-htp, Vinpocetine, Yohimbine HCL, Carmine Red, Liquid Red
Rating: 0 out of 10

UPDATE: I don't endorse mixing diet drugs into energy drinks, it is sending people to the hospital read the comments on this product. Read about kids going to the hospital for similar Diet Energy Drinks.

Wow, this drink is some serious stuff. I mean about half the bottle is the warning label, and it is serious, this drink is INSANE. It says that you should not drink it unless you are over 18, which I would say is a good warning. This is the first drink that was to much for me. The bottle says warning potent, but I have had every energy drink I could find without a problem. This Redline, made me feel like I was tweaking out hard core, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. I seriously mean I wasn't enjoying the quick happy buzz that you get from most energy drinks. This was a scary my body is going out of control hot and cold sweats, tweaked out. I had the drink at two in the afternoon and I couldn't sleep until 4 am in the morning. This drink was way to strong, and if I would have paid attention the bottle says the first time to only drink half the bottle which is one serving, but I did not, and I suffered. This is a diet drink and I don't know what diet ingredients are in this but, I felt nauseous and couldn't eat for hours. In fact I felt like I was going to throw up most of the night. I highly don't recommend having a whole bottle, I highly don't recommend that children have this drink. If you have had a ton of energy drinks and work out drinks maybe you need that final ultimate kick, this drink might give it to you. On the other hand it might kill you. Please only drink half the bottle the first time you try it. I really believe this drink will eventually get taken off the market, whatever is in it, can't be healthy for everyone. I mean the warnings are already very clear that this drink can hurt people. I will probably never drink another one in my life, because I felt horrible after a couple hours, and I didn't feel normal again until the next day. Anyways, this may be the most powerful energy drink on the market, but it may also be to much. Most energy drinks contain little more than coffee lots of caffeine, with a little bit of vitamins and amino acids. This drink has diet drugs in it, that will effect you in other ways. So why did I give it a 7, well, I can't say it doesn't work, because it does. For some people this might be a great new and wonderful drink it packs a hell of a punch. I think for most people this will be to much, and not the best choice. So there you have my review of Redline, perhaps the strongest and scariest energy drink on the market.

Warning: don't drink this without reading the warning, DON'T drink this if your under 18, this drink is full of to many diet drugs.

website: Redline

Xyience xenergy cran|razz
Cost: $??? 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, Inositol, L-Carine, B6, B12
Rating: 6.9996 out of 10

On all my cranberry flavored drink reviews I have to give the warning that I hate cranberry. I hate it in all other cranberry energy drinks. It is gross, and Ocean Spray is spreading the word of the devil with ever product it sells to the unsuspecting public. That said many people really like cranberry and it's umm... unique taste. So This drink also had some raspberry flavor, so I guess it wasn't as bad as other cranberry drinks. It is a zero calorie drink, and you can taste the artificial sweeteners, it also for a zero calorie drink is amazingly syrup like which I don't like. I did like this better than the clear drink from Xyience, and considering I don't like cranberry, that is pretty impressive. I think this company has some potential and I see they have many other drinks and flavors soon to be released so I am excited about that. This drink did have a kick, but like the clear, it was kind of a tweaked out energy rush which isn't really my thing. It makes it hard to concentrate. Anyways, if you like cranberry give this a shot, if you like some of the more tweaked out energy buzz give it a shot, if not this drink isn't going to be for you.

website: Xyience xenergy clear

Xyience xenergy clear
Cost: $??? 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, Inositol, L-Carine, B6, B12
Rating: 6.056 out of 10

This is a new 0 calorie drink, that has a sprite like taste. Not very special or innovative, I will say that it did give me a pretty big kick, or I just drank to much of it a little later at night. I was up pretty late and couldn't sleep after having a Xyience Clear. It doesn't have sugar so you can taste that fake sweetener aftertaste, it is surprisingly syrup like considering it is a 0 calorie drink. It didn't have a bad taste, but being a generic sprite that doesn't taste quite as good just doesn't seem that impressive, so I give it an overall average score. I mean it just seemed pretty average to me, it did surprisingly give me and my friend a bit of a tweaked out energy surge after we drank it, not just the normal awake and alert feeling I have come to be used to from caffeine, this was a tweaked out, confused, energy surge. I don't quite like how it made me feel, but I will say whatever feeling it was I don't get it with most energy drinks, so if your looking to stay up and freak out on an energy drink something in this drink might do it for you, Xyience not bad for a first attempt, but hit the drawing board and give us a flavor worth running out and giving a shot, there are so many sprite knock offs in the energy drink market I don't see much reason people should give this drink a taste... A bit above average, but has potential.

website: Xyience xenergy clear

Hansen's Energade Orange
Cost: $2.00 23.5 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, Taurine, B6, B12
Rating: 7 out of 10

Alright this is just like orange Gatorade, but with caffeine and Taurine. So if you want something that isn't carbonated, and a little more refreshing for drinking after a run, then this drink would probably be a good call for you. It doesn't give you quite the energy that other drinks do, and it doesn't kick in as quickly but this is an interesting drink targeting a bit of a different audience than many of the energy drinks out there. I think the 24 oz is a bit much stopping at 16 or whatever is probably fine, but I guess they want an even bigger can. Anyways don't expect an orange soda, this is definitely in the Gatorade or vitamin water category with a more water like fluid and less syrup like drink. It also has less sugar than many energy drinks per serving, which is nice. I like the taste pretty well, but when it comes to Gatorade I have always been a lemon lime kind of guy so I will have to try their other flavor sometime soon. Not a bad offering for Hansen, which seems to be introducing more types of drinks and flavors than anyone else out there, but as you watch their stock price rise, I guess they are doing well with their expansions.

website: Hansen's Energade Orange

Frappio Energy Beverage
Cost: $2.15 15 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Ashwangandha
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

This is a coffee drink, a espresso latte drink. It is similar to a frappuccino from Starbucks. It has a similar taste. It might not be quite as good, but it is close, and you get more of it, which is always nice. It doesn't give you as much as a kick as many of the other energy drinks, but if coffee is your thing, this has additional caffeine added, so it will have a little more of a kick than a frappuccino or a regular cup of Joe. I found this at 7-11, but my guess is that it isn't the easiest drink to find right now. I think with the competition from Starbucks this drink doesn't have that good of chance on the market, but hey you can always give it a shot. This is coffee with a lot of cream, sugar, and extra caffeine.

website: Espresso Latte Frappio

Rally Energy Effervescent
Cost: $??? 8 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B6, Phenylalanine
Rating: 6.13 out of 10

Out of the alka seltzer like products I have had this one is up there. I mean it actually gives about the same taste as redbull. It doesn't seem to pack quite the same punch, but it doesn't have any sugar (1g), compared to the 27g in redbull to give almost the same taste is quite an achievement. I guess I was pretty damn impressed by the flavor, but it seems all of the energy fizzes, powders, and effervescent they can't quite get as much energy in the drink. That being said this did seem to keep me focus and going for awhile, with out a crash of any sort. So if your looking to study, work, or really focus this is definitely and option. It is far better for that sort of focus than any of these super packed energy drinks that kids are buying up left and right like BooKoo energy drink. I like that it is easily packed away in a bag, I will keep a couple in my work bag, in case I get the mid day drowsiness.

website: Rally Energy Effervescent

Ginseng Rush Sparkling Energy Soda
Cost: $1.99 12 oz
Active ingredients: Ginseng
Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Ginseng Rush is a very different kind of energy drink. It doesn't have any caffeine. It uses only Ginseng to give you a little power boast. Now I don't think Ginseng really packs much of a punch, but it does taste pretty darn good. Have any of you ever had IBC root beer? It tastes a lot like IBC root beer, which is pretty tasty. I haven't had an IBC for a long time this drink made me realize I kind of miss root beer. Anyways this drink isn't exactly an energy drink, but it isn't a bad drink, give it a shot if you like root beer. So what are my readers thoughts on just Ginseng?

website: Ginseng Rush

Jelly Belly Sport Beans Orange (Energizing jelly beans)
Cost: $??? 1 oz
Active ingredients: 120 mg of Electrolytes vitamins C & E
Rating: 6 out of 10

OK this isn't a energy drink, but when i seem something claiming to be in the energy market I have to give it a shot. These Jelly beans are claiming to be energizing jelly beans. Now I bet this is more of a Gatorade kind of sports drink. It has some electrolytes and vitamins. Yep just have this and a glass of water and you have yourself Gatorade. Now that isn't really a bad thing and they are tasty so if jelly beans are you thing you should definitely check these out. On the other hand they aren't really in the same market as energy drinks. So now you know, not really an energy drink, but not bad tasting and goes good with a work out or a run. They are a little more tart than regular jelly beans, but not by much, and I must say they are unique never seen anything quite like it so, that is a fun and good thing. I say welcome to the market Jelly Belly keep up the amusing work.

website: Jelly Belly Energizing jelly beans

Full Throttle Fury energy drink
Cost: $1.99 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, Carnitine, Guarana, B6, B12
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

I hate to say it, but I do like the taste of this energy drink. I really don't like coca cola as a company. So I wish I could say this was a crappy drink, but it has a good and unique taste. It doesn't have quite as much energy as many other drinks, but if you want a OK kick for a decent price you might want to give this unique drink a taste. It has a light taste of crush or another orange soda, but is different enough to be unique. I do like the juice blends more than fury, but I will give some credit where it is due, this is a over all pretty good drink, I definitely wouldn't turn one down, when offered. So Coke, while you might have a horrible greed when it comes to business, you can once in awhile make a tasty beverage.

website: Full Throttle Energy Drink

SoBe Supeman Super Power Energy Drink
Cost: $1.99 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Creatine, Arginine, Ginsing, Guarana, Caffeine, B6, B12, L-Carnitine, Yerba Mate
Rating: 7 out of 10

This has all the power of the other SoBe No Fear drinks, but it has a new flavor. One that kinda sucks. It has some sort of weird grape taste, not one you would really want to have. It just taste like a very watered down grape juice with a ton of sugar and dirt added to it. So really this is just not the best job SoBe has done in regards to the flavor of a drink. I really would prefer many of the other tastes over this one. If your a huge superman fan, buy it just to support superman and more movies to be made. If you really like nasty grape flavored soda's give it a shot, if you like strong energy drinks with a good taste, I would try someone else entirely or give a different SoBe flavor a shot, it packs the same punch as any of the other SoBe No fear cans, with all the same ingredients, but it also packs a horrible grape taste the will leave you wanting to kick someone in the face just so you aren't thinking of the horrible grape flavor in your mouth. Perhaps I just kind of want to kick someone, but it still needs a better flavor.

website: SoBe Superman Super Power

Mona Vie Active energy drinks
Cost: $??? 750 ml
Active ingredients: Acai fruit ???
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

This isn't really an energy drink, they sent it to me to review and it just isn't they kind of drink I normally review. I give it a low review based solely on the fact that this isn't really an Energy Drink. This is really a health antioxidant, free radical drink. It is meant to promote good health, it gives a good source of fruits as it has over 15 fruits in the drink. The idea is that about a shot of this fruit mixture in the morning and night will lead to healthier and happier living. It doesn't taste bad it has a strong fruity flavor. It overall can't really hurt, but isn't really quite my cup of tea (or can of energy as it may be). So if you want a healthy way to get some fruit in you, and some antioxidants, than this might be a good and simple choice to add to your daily diet. Sitting at only 20 calories, it won't really add a problem there, so if you believe in the power of fruit, this is a mix that has a bit of everything, but I give it a low review because let's be very clear this is NOT and energy drink.

UPDATE: After having similar products from other companies that were Horrible, I will have to say if the healthy vitamins and minerals in a little shot in the morning, this is by far the best I have had so I update the rating to reflect that.

website: Mona Vie

Reload Energy Drink
Cost: $??? 330 ml
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Ginseng, Echinacea, Ginkgo Biloba, Guarana
Rating: 7.25 out of 10

This is an OK energy drink. It doesn't taste to bad, it isn't to think, it doesn't taste medicine like. It overall doesn't give you much energy though. It is really smooth and refreshing. It reminds me of the flavor of red snow cones. It brought back some childhood memories as I sipped away on the drink. It isn't really syrupy like the snow cone mix is though, the flavor is blended in well. It just doesn't pack much of a punch, if you want something to give you a bit of a boost for a work out or a run this might be OK, but this wont wake you up if your trying to stay up studying or working on some project. So if you really miss the childhood snow cone fruit punch or cherry flavor this drink might be worth a shot, but I doubt I will be drinking it to often. I guess this packs a better punch than when I originally reviewed it. I had another reload and it hit me better this time, I guess sometimes when your body is really shut down no drink can do it, but this does have more caffeine than many of the other energy drinks and the Guarana does leave the effect lasting longer and with less of a sharp drop off at the end.

UPDATE: After having another reload a different day and getting a bit more of a kick out of it, I updated my review with a slightly better score. Who says nothing ever gets a second chance. I originally gave this a 5.75, because it didn't pump me up a ton.

website: Reload

Rockstar Juiced
Cost: $1.99 16.0 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine, Ginseng, L-Carnitine, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Milk thistle, Ginkgo
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

OK I know this has been around for awhile, but I didn't find it for a bit. Anyways out of all the juice energy drinks I like this the least, now admittedly it is still better than a ton of other energy drinks. I mean I REALLY like these energy juice drinks, I think they were a great idea. So i just think this doesn't taste as good, it has more calories than some of the others, it also has more sugar. You would think it tastes better because it has more sugar, but it doesn't. This was one of more sour juice energy drinks that I had. Anyways if you haven't had any of the juice energy drinks definitely give it a shot. If you have had the others there really isn't any reason to try this one, both Monster Khaos and ...Lost Five-o juice are better in my opinion. So I would just rather have those energy juices a little more than Monster. If your a huge Rockstar fan you might want to give it a shot, maybe they are more in touch with your sense of taste, but while I will take the juice, I will pass on the Rockstar version to take a more lost approach.

website: Rockstar Juiced

Lost Five-O
Cost: $1.99 16.0 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine, Ginseng, L-Carnitine, B6, B12
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Wow I guess now every drink company has energy juice. Rumba, Monster Khaos, Rockstar Juiced, and Lost Five-O... Anyways I like this new energy juice craze, I like it a lot. This is one of my favorites, I think it and monster Khaos are my favorites of the new juices, with Rockstar being my least favorite. Anyways this one is really good, it has low calories, low sugar, a big kick, and it tastes great. I mean I love it baby. It mixes really well also, so if that is your think, great screwdrivers, or tequila sunrises for you. Anyways this makes for a great all around drink. There isn't really anything I have bad to say about it. Down right delicious, mmmm I wish I had another can right now, but sadly I don't so I shall go cry away my pain while dreaming of the next energy juice to come knock my socks off.

website: ...Lost Five-O

Mountain Dew MDX sugar free
Cost: $1.99 14.0 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine, Ginseng
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Well if you like Mountain Dew, but always wanted a little more of a kick from Taurine and Guarana added into the mix. So I always liked the taste of mountain dew, and I like the taste of MDX even the sugar free version. It pumps you up pretty good, the Guarana takes away some of the bad come down and sleepiness that comes from a big caffeine high. Good job Mountain Dew it was a simple idea to take mountain dew to the next step, but it was still a great idea. So regular MDX might be the best lemon lime flavored energy drink right now? I can't decide for sure, oh well now I am just thinking about girls in thigh high nylons and cute skirts, so I should probably go.

website: MDX sugar free

Vault Energy Drink
Cost: $1.20 67.6 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine
Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Ok this drink needs to be looked at more as a soda, where it would probably score reasonably well, a good alternative to Mountain Dew. As energy drink, which it is being advertised as, it just fails. I guess if you just want a ton of sugar and caffeine, buying a 2 liter of Surge (opps I am sorry I mean Vault, this is seriously the SAME drink as Surge), it isn't a bad buy. This drink has to much sugar for me, and doesn't offer anything all the special or not worthy, it might taste a little smoother than Mountain Dew, but they are basically the same kind of flavor. So if you are a Mountain Dew fan, you can give this a shot and see if you like it even better, if you really want the kick of an energy drink, this will fall short with no B vitamins and no Taurine. So I guess I am not that impressed, by the re release of Surge, but I can't complain to have a Mountain Dew at places that only serve Coke products. Yippie for Soda pretending to be an Energy Drink.

website: Vault Soda

KaBoom Orange Buzzz time-released Energy
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Guarana, Green Tea, Caffeine, B2, B3, B6, B12
Rating: 5 out of 10

This is some kinda of organic fruit based energy drink. It is supposed to slowly fill you with energy and vitamins. It is all natural and naturally not that good. It was mostly made with orange juice, but with so many odd other flavors it somehow comes out tasting like thicker orange juice mixed with vitamin powder. As for energy, it might give you a good source of healthy vitamins, but it doesn't pump you up. I drank this while at a meeting, and still was having a hard time staying fully focused. It just doesn't have enough bang for the buck. If you mostly want a healthy fruit juice mix, this might be for you, the green tea probably gives a decent amount of caffeine, but nothing compared to what you might be used to from many of the other energy drinks I have reviewed. KaBoom does have some other flavors, so if you like the organic juice with a little caffeine zing you can give those others a shot, but to me this drink failed at being an energy drink and failed at being orange juice. So I just don't know exactly where this drink would fit in for me.

website: KaBoom Orange Buzzz

Chaser 5 hour Energy
Cost: $? 2 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, L-Tyrosine, Malic Acid, L-Phenylalanine, N-Acetyl, Caffeine, B6, B12
Rating: 6.75 out of 10

Well it doesn't taste very good, but with a compact bottle and big energy claims, you would have to expect that with no real water or calories it is just all the energy ingredients mixed together. It does go down quickly while cold, I wish they had a wide mouth bottle so you could chug the nasty flavor down a bit quicker, but oh well. As for energy it does pack a punch. I drank this drink early in the day and still couldn't get to sleep until way late. I mean I was still running hard well past the 5 hour mark, perhaps it should be called 8 hour energy. So if you want a big kick, in a little portable bottle with a nasty taste this stuff works. It really does. I wouldn't really use this all the time, but with hardly any calories (15), and no sugar it gives you a big pump up with no crash it just keeps you feeling awake and aware with out crashing you back down hard later. So I say this is great for studying, long car trips, or days at the office that you just can't wake up. This little drink had a big surprise for me, it work as claimed if not better.

website: Chaser 5 hour energy

SoBe No Fear
Cost: $1.99 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, Creatine, Arginine, Ginsing, Guarana, Caffeine, B6, B12
Rating: 9 out of 10

I really couldnt tell a big difference between Sobe No Fear and Sobe No Fear Gold, with that said I still really liked the drink. I liked it as much as I liked the first Sobe product, if you can tell a big difference let me know, other wise I will just say grab either or, they are both quality tasty citrus products, and my favorite energy drink from Sobe. Below is my original Sobe No Fear review because all the same statements hold true.

SoBe’s No Fear was a nice little find for me. Not only is it one of the large 16 oz drinks, but it also happens to be one of the best tasting in my book. Having the mandarin, citrusy taste of Adrenaline Rush, No Fear also contains a large flavorful blast of a cherry juice like flavor (though according to the website it’s passion fruit). Where Monster Energy Drink is a great on a hot day, No Fear makes a perfect breakfast/early morning type drink that really wakes me up on my drive into work. With just a hint or grapefruit it has a nice little bite that is rounded off very well by the sweeter flavors it contains. Although there is a mild after taste it is neither overpowering or offensive like many other drinks. One of the interesting points of No Fear is that it contains Creatine…which to many athletes is a nice plus as Creatine is a great supplement for building muscle. No Fear quickly became my main drink for any type of pre athletic activity for this simple reason, and the big energy boost you get from it definitely doesn’t hurt….which brings me to the most important point….the energy boost….Yeah…wow. Kind of like popping 4 caffeine pills and a vicadin (soccer has taught me much through painkillers.) After downing a No Fear you definitely feel the effects…lots of energy, but at the same time you feel relaxed and comfortable….none of the nervous energy that you get from some of the other drinks out there, this one is done right. No Fear is DEFINITLY worth a try.

website: Sobe No Fear Gold

EX Extreme Energy Adrenalin Fuel
Cost: $2 8.3 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, B6, Kombucha, Guarana, Ginseng
Rating: 7.7 out of 10

This drink has Kumbucha like a tea I reviewed, Kombucha Wonder Drink, which got the worst review I have ever given. This drink is just the oppisite, it is refreshing, a light taste, a nice pick me up, with a strangly addicting flavor, it is almost hard to put down the can. I guess not all Kombucha is bad, whatever it may be. Anyways this has a much lighter not super sweet flavor, but has no bitterness or medicine like taste either. I mean I really enjoyed the taste of the beverage. I didn't give the drink a higher score, because it doesn't pump you up as much as many of the high powered drinks on the market, but it definately pumped me up, and it didn't leave me with a bad crash at the end of the day, which is a good thing. So great taste, no crash, less filling, looks like a pretty good pick to shake it up once in awhile and definately goes on my list for good afternoon drinks to wake you up after that lunch time sleepiness sets in. So if you can find the Kombucha Adrenalin Fuel, I definately recommend giving it a shot.

website: Extreme Energy Adrenalin Fuel

Von Dutch Energy Drink
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12
Rating: 7.8 out of 10

This energy drink is a prefect knock off of redbull. It taste great, has all of the energy, but nothing really new. You do get twice as much for the price, but besides that, there is nothing new to see here. I guess that isn't really a bad thing since I do like redbull, and there are tons of bad knock offs out there. I guess I just look for something new when it comes to another energy drink out on the market no a days. So yeah if you need a big boost, or can't find one of your new favorite drinks, this is a reliable high quality product, that will make any redbull fan happy.

website: Von Dutch

Mouth of the South High Energy Drink (Wrestling All Stars)
Cost: $? 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine(88mg), Taurine, B6, B12
Rating: 4.8 out of 10

This drink is just not very good, I guess it pumps you up a bit, but it is just a really bad knock off. It kind of tastes like someone mixed a redbull with salt water. It is just kinda gross. I am sure it pumps you up as well as many of the 16 oz drinks that have just Caffeine and Taurine, but this just sucks a little worse than all the other knock offs. Anyways, I would really try to find something else to drink, some other energy drink to try. I kinda want to kick people in the face for making a drink like this. It uses pro wrestlers to try to sell a shitty energy drink knock off. Seriously, this is crap the more I write about this very salty gross drink the more angry I get that it is produced. Don't buy this product and if you see a store selling it tell them to pull it off the shelves. There is just nothing else to say.

website: Mouth of the South High Energy Drink

Iron Energy Orange Energy Drink
Cost: $? 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine (1000mg), Caffeine (50mg), B2, B3, B6, B12, Ginseng
Rating: 8.1 out of 10

A Orange Crush like energy drink, it straight up tastes like orange crush. I like orange crush so I dig it. It doesn't taste like medicine, and gives some good energy. So why only an 8.1, it sounds pretty good. It is pretty good, but some of the other bigger drinks pack a bigger punch with more Caffeine and Guarana which this drink doesn't have. Also, there are a lot of other orange drinks on the market that are very similar, some with more real juice in them as well. This drink isn't as high in sugar as others so I like that as well. Overall this is a really refreshing and smooth orange drink. I get annoyed that it says it is made with real juice, because it only contains 3% juice, come on your not made with juice unless your at least breaking 15-25%. Other than that this is a strong product and worth a shot in my book. Sometimes if you don't want quite the Caffeine of other double cans and want a lighter and more refreshing drink, I think Iron Energy serves it up well.

website: Iron Energy

Iron Energy Lemon-Lime Energy Drink
Cost: $? 16 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine (1000mg), Caffeine (50mg), B2, B3, B6, B12, Ginseng
Rating: 8.2 out of 10

Another Lemon-Lime drink, but this one has a kind of Popsicle or dreamsicle like creaminess to it. I dig that little bit of cream soda flavor mixed in. It doesn't taste like medicine, and gives some good energy. So why only an 8.2, it sounds pretty good. It is pretty good, but some of the other bigger drinks pack a bigger punch with more Caffeine and Guarana which this drink doesn't have. This drink isn't as high in sugar as others so I like that as well. Overall this is a really refreshing and smooth lemon-lime drink. It has a little more lime flavor than others which I also enjoy. I get annoyed that it says it is made with real juice, because it only contains 3% juice, come on your not made with juice unless your at least breaking 15-25%. Other than that this is a strong product and worth a shot in my book. Sometimes if you don't want quite the Caffeine of other double cans and want a lighter and more refreshing drink, I think Iron Energy serves it up well.

website: Iron Energy

Samurai Energy Original Green Tea
Cost: $? 20 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine(88mg), Taurine, B5, B6, B12, Guarana
Rating: 7.0 out of 10

The second Samurai Energy Green tea I have reviewed. I like this one as well, but I like the Raspberry Green Tea, better than I like the original flavor. I think that the fruit flavor adds to the drink. anyways I don't have much to say about this drink, if your a tea lover, but always wanted a little more of a kick they couldn't make a better drink for you. This drink is great for the coffee replacement or a cold drink instead of hot, low calories, low sugar, good taste their is a lot to like with little I don't enjoy. I am not a huge tea drinker, but i would have this once in awhile. I wouldn't say this is the best option for going out partying, but this is great for studying or on the job. So give it a shot.

website: Samurai Energy Green Tea

Go Fast Light
Cost: $? 8.4 oz
Active ingredients: Taurine, caffeine, B3, B6, B12, Ginseng, Ginko Biloba, Guarana, milk thistle herb
Rating: 8.72 out of 10

Go fast light might be a little light on taste, but it still packs the same big punch. Just like the original Go fast, this drink has everything that is in redbull and more. In my opinion Go Fast has less of the medicine taste that many energy drinks have. So out of the light energy drinks this one might top my list. It goes down really smooth, with no real aftertaste. I guess I feel like this is coming out too much like an advertisement. What can I say I like really like, Go Fast. Anyways, this has a similar taste as the original, but not quite as sweet. So if you like the original Go Fast, you would probably like the light version of it. It clocks in at 20 calories, while that is a touch more than some other lights it is still far less than any of the originals. So if you want the big buzz, but not the big gut check out Go Fast light, for your calorie conscious energy drink needs.

website: Go Fast Light

Samurai Energy Raspberry Green Tea
Cost: $? 20 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine(88mg), Taurine, B5, B6, B12, Guarana
Rating: 7.5 out of 10

A energy Tea? Yes, apparently after trying most soda flavors a company decided why not just add some more energy to a drink many people already like. I think that is pretty smart, some people like Tea more than coffee but don't get the kick out of it that you get from coffee or energy drinks. So this is a caffeined up, taurine containing, and energize tea. Overall, I liked the taste it was a refreshing light raspberry flavor that I thought was smooth. If you really like sodas the other drinks might be better for you, but if you don't like carbonation very much but still want a bit of a jolt this could be right for you. I also like that this drink doesn't pack a ton of sugar, so you don't crash from it later, that combine with guarana guarantee a smooth long lasting effect. I would say that means this drink is better for studying, work, and other activities when you are looking to stay focused. A ton of sugar seems to hinder the ability to stay focused. So I give a thumbs up to the drink overall, why just a 7.5? I guess I am just not a huge Tea fan, I like sodas a bit more, teas aren't mixers, and I tend to have energy drinks for partying more than anything else. If i was studying or working though this would quickly move closer to the top of my list, much like Gorilla Juice has for just a pick me up. Nice entry to the market keep it up.

website: Samurai Energy Green Tea

Rip It Energy Fuel Lime Wrecker
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, inositol, Taurine, B6, B12, Guarana
Rating: 8.13 out of 10

Alright I was correct after trying my last Rip It flavor i knew it was a good product but just a taste I hated. So now with their lime flavored drink I can give them a positive review. This pumps you up well has more caffeine thane some other drinks, and a good flavor. It almost taste like key lime pie, it has a creamy flavor along with the lime which I think it nice and unique. So imagine lime soda mixed with a little cream soda and you probably have the right taste in your head. So I would definitely recommend trying this drink if you can find it. I know Rip It has some other flavors and a powder as well, but I haven't been able to get my hands on them to review yet. So let me know your thoughts of rip it, because so far they have been highly effective, mixable, and unique flavors (even if i hated one of the flavors it was certainly original). Rock on Rip It and let me give you a excited welcoming to the energy drink scene you unlike some other companies are a welcome addition.

website: Rip It

Rip It Atomic Pom Energy Fuel
Cost: $2 16 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, inositol, Taurine, B6, B12, Guarana
Rating: 5 out of 10

This rating is not very fair. I will be the first to say when I review things that are flavors I dont really like I give them lower ratings than is really fair. I do this frequently to cranberry drinks and I try to mention it. This drink is made from pomegranate. I have never liked a drink made from Pom. Now that I have said that I will say they give a good boost and have more caffeine than many of the other energy drinks. It has some Guarana so that is good too, usually these drinks do give you as bad of a crash later. I hated the taste to me this was prune juice with a little bit of sugar added and carbonated. Seriously I think this should be Rip It Grandma edition for the old granny that needs her prunes but parties all night. Gross I dont think I will ever drink this again. I am excited about trying rip its other flavors. So I will give Rip It another chance soon but for now this drink was seriously gross... I might just go in the bathroom and gag myself so I can Rip It all back out and into the toliet because I dont even like the thought of this taste being in my stomach. I am going to go brush my teeth now. Sorry to rip on you Rip It, but Damn.

If you like pomegranate, this is your new favorite energy drink.

website: Rip It

Xtreme Shock Grape
Cost: $? 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, L-Cartine, Endosine, L-Tyrosine, Taurine
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

OK this is xtreme Shock grape, which is Dynatap with caffeine. This was the last of the Xtreme shock flavors, and I didnt really like any of them. A friend of mine claimed he had a burning sensation on his lips after he drank this, I didn't experience that, but I didn't like the drink really. It just isn't that strong and doesn't taste good. It is low on calories but so are rice cakes and those suck as well. So unless you really liked Dynatap as a kid I would really avoid this drink, and look elsewhere for your energy boost. Yucky...

website: Xtreme Shock

Jet Up Action Fuel
Cost: $? 12 oz
Active ingredients: B2,B3,B5,B6,B12, Caffeine, Taurine
Rating: 5.5 out of 10

This is just another average redbull copy. This has more Taurine than redbull, but some other drinks have done that. This just has a lot of sugar and salt, and more taurine than redbull. Honestly i think this drink has too salty of a taste, they should have cut back on the 300mg of sodium, which leads to 12% of your sodium for the day. Crazy salty flavor when you drink this. Apparently this is also a local Colorado drink, which is pretty sweet, but I just can't say they did anything special or unique to make them stand out of the pack. It gives a decent boost, tastes OK, and mixes alright... Like I said it is just another red bull clone but a little saltier, so unless this is cheaper for you I don't see any reason to give this a shot stick with something you like, unless you love salt in which case this salt lick of a drink might be perfect for you.

website: Jet Up (Has No Website... Dom I would have linked it otherwise sorry for the confusion.)

Xtazy Energy Sugar Free
Cost: $? 10.5 oz
Active ingredients: B2,B3,B5,B6,B12, Ginko Biloba, Ginseng, Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine, Milk Thistle, L-Carnitine
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Xtazy had some other drinks that my biggest complain was they were too sweet and had to much sugar. Well here comes Xtazy Sugar free with a refreshing pineapple taste. It has zero calories a great taste and a good boost. Overall I haven't seen many other pineapple flavored drinks either. I would honestly say this is one of the best sugar free energy drinks I have had. I also enjoy pineapple. This makes a great mixers, a good energy drink with lots of vitamins, caffeine, and Taurine. I mean tons of companies are releasing orange flavored drinks, and this is at least a different flavor. It doesn't taste like medicine, which is always nice. I don't think it really tastes to much like the fake sugar stuff either, so overall This was a great drink and I would say give it a shot if you can find it. This is now my favorite of the Xtazy bunch.

website: Xtazy Energy Drink

Tab Energy
Cost: $? 10.5 oz
Active ingredients: B3, B6, B12, Ginseng, Caffeine, Guarana, Taurine
Rating: 7 out of 10

I must admit this is a pretty good entry into the market I wasn't a fan of Coca Cola's Full Throttle attempt at the energy drink market, but I do like Tab. I guess they are marketing Tab at women, but don't let that fool you guys out their. This is a good tasting drink with only 5 calories and no sugar. With that you would expect it to taste bad, but it doesn't it tastes like delicious candy. I will still say coke is putting a little less of the expensive energy ingredients than competitors, but overall this is still a really good drink for those not wanting to take down a ton of calories and sugars. This drink packs 785 mg of Taurine instead of the 1000 mg found on average, but it still does the job and pumps you up. A nice added bonus is this drink doesn't have the horrible sugar crash hat comes along with many of the other drinks. Tab has sweet kinda cotton candy like flavor, but not too super sweet to turn me off from it. It is a pink color and a pink can so men that think their can makes them macho might not like this drink, but if your looking for a solid and healthy energy drink then Tab might just be the right drink for you.

website: Tab Energy Drink

Emergen-C Cranberry
Cost: $? 6 oz
Active ingredients:B1, B2, B3, B6,B12
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

OK to be fair the low rating is mostly because this just isn't an energy drink. Someone wanted me to review it so here it is. I don't really like cranberry I have said this before and I meet the taste once again. If i am just looking for a vitamin, I normally just go for an adult chewable that tastes as much like a Flintstones vitamin as I can find. Now if you want to just drink your vitamins this is what this drink it. I guess it is mostly sold for those that believe lots of vitamin C can help you to fight off a cold or not get sick in the first place, which there is still debate about but little research to back it up. This drink has 1000% of the normal dose of vitamin C, which may help you. As it is it can't hurt you there has been some benefits shown from vitamin C and any extra that your body gets you just pee out. So for a quick way to get your vitamins before or after a run or a job this isn't a bad way, it dissolves well, has a light taste, low carbs, and replenishes your lost salts. If your looking for an energy boost that the energy drinks and caffeine give you this drink isn't what your looking for. That is a good enough description and perfectly honest to the fact that this makes a GOOD SPORTS drink, but not a good energy drink.

website: Emergen-C Cranberry

Xtreme Shock Mandarin Orange
Cost: $? 12 oz
Active ingredients: Caffeine, Ginseng, Ginko Biloba, B6, B12, Quercetin
Rating: 4.5 out of 10

Yeah this was just not very good. It seems like they get the flavorings for their drinks from the same company that most medicine companies get their flavorings from. It is low in calories and did seem to pump me up pretty well, i actually had problems sleeping after i drank it, way later. It was also a smoother pump up so i recommend this energy drink for studying, or when you don't want a sugar crash. So yeah if they made this again with a better flavoring i might even pump up the score, but for now i just didn't like the odd medicine taste, but oh well some of you might like it.

website: Xtreme Shock