Glaceau Vitamin Energy Dragonfruit

Well, here is my last review of the month of March. This time, I had planned on trying the Ace Juiced, but before I got to it, I found this, the Vitamin Energy. It seems to be by the makers of Vitamin Water, so I expect quality. The little blurb on the back of the drink about the future and your teen years is pretty interesting and keeps me thinking this just has to be good. Even the simple can design and color scheme just has me wanting to try it. It looks like a Tylenol pill, but I'm not worried. It's not meant to cure a headache, but rather to give me some serious energy.

I don't remember ever tasting dragonfruit before, and I'm interested. The color out of the can is a rosy-pink, I guess the color of dragonfruit. I take a sip and think, "Wow!" This is unlike any fruit I've had before. It's tough to describe, but I'll say it is a little like sweet apple and some peach with sourness mixed in. In the background, I sense some tea-like taste. It is very light, with just enough flavor and not too much to be overpowering. The carbonation, also, as always, takes away from the sweetness, making it seem about as sweet as a Gatorade. I was a little sad because I thought I'd get an irresistibly exotic and savory drink, but I guess there was not so much emphasis put on flavor. The second time around, however, you'll think this is simply an amazing drink. I am really hoping for a big boost now.

I skimmed the ingredients list and found the standard energy ingredients taurine and caffiene. Wait, not just caffiene, natural caffiene. And, guess what, this drink isn't sweetened by HFCS, glucose, sucrose, surcalose, aspartame, saccharin, or anything. It's instead sweetened with crystalline fructose. With thisLovely, but I think it's more of a "vitality" drink new term, I had to stop and run a search. To my dismay, I learned that crystalline fructose is actually simply crystallized corn syrup. Basically, it's like HFCS in its dry form. It doesn't help the taste at all, and makes it duller than I bet it could be. To continue, there's the normal 2000mg of taurine in the whole can and "Bioenergy Ribose(TM)" Note the trademark. I remembered Ribose from Science class in 7th grade that Ribose is part of your DNA, and to put simply what Lovely, but I think it's more of a "vitality" drinkit's for, it's essential to the body. Overall, the ingredients are pretty standard, except the Ribose, which I think is a nice addition. I actually feel really good right now, and I think I can say it's because of the Ribose. If you are simply looking for a pick me up that's not sugary and that won't make you crash, pick this one up

* Oh, no, now I find strawberry to be in the mix. And maybe some melon. I'll just have to recognize this as dragonfruit.

** That's right, the back of the can did say that it wouldn't give you a crash. That could be the reason for so little sugar.

Taste: 7.5 - Refreshing exotic taste that takes some getting used to, but is quite good
Kick: 7.5 - I don't get an amazing kick, but I feel overall quite good
Overall: 7.5 - Lovely, but I think it's more of a "vitality" drink

Reviewed by: Jeff