Sobe No Fear

I'm currently out of town in Las Vegas, but I definitely won't forget reviewing. This time around I thought I'd swing by a local market and pick up a basic energy drink, Sobe No Fear. I'm pretty sure it's different from the regular No Fear because Sobe has their logos on it and posssibly, it's their version of a No Fear. The can design is really cool, having a just black, red, and silver colors to it. I like it's black background with the silver outlined red flames. No Fear is pounded on to the can in what appears to be steel as well as the two lizard logo. Since it does say "Super Energy Supplement", I'm expecting a nice kick; I hope they live up to that phrase. I'm pretty eagar to crack this one open and determine the difference, but right now, I'm going to predict a flavor. I'll go with a regular No Fear flavor, with a twist of lemon-lime, or possibly a Monster clone. Sobe is a great company and I know they'll impress me with a great drink, why don't we find out now?

As the can is opened, I smell an intense guava aroma wafting through the air, similar to the regular No Fear, but having more of a zing to it. When I pour the liquid into a cheap plastic hotel cup, I see a wine red color with a brownish tint to it and some strong fizziness shortly following it. This taste is different... It seems like a mix between energy drinks I have tried, probably due to the multi-flavored guava. First, I tasted a strong guava with just a little bit of bitterness. Then, I taste a smooth apple and prune ensemble with a lot of all-the-sudden bitterness and barely any sweetness. The aftertaste is an unbearable bitter apple-guava and now I need to drink more, just to even out the bitterness. However, I believe that this drink isn't too bad because the type of bitterness shows the natural flavors in this drink, which is really enjoyable. The carbonation adds more to the flavor and makes up for the bitterness, I was wrong, it's not that carbonated. It's pretty gummy, kind of like that gumminess you get after eating some fruit, not bad, but a nuisance. Overall, it tastes like a better version of the Rockstar Juiced Guava, as well as many other guava energy drinks out there on the market.

As for ingredients, I see an unfortunate high fructose corn syrup, a cheap and common sweetener made from corn. Next, I see grape juice concentrate and ''fruit extract,'' meaning that the artificial flavors are no where to be found. Taurine comes in at a shocking number four, which is different than many other energy drinks. Per can, you get only a basic 2000mg of taurine, not bad, but I'm yet to find an energy with more. You get 260 calories per can as well as 66 g of sugar, way to high for my standards. It's another drink where the excess sugar kills the drink, although it's not really that sweet. Overall, this can of No Fear had a pretty nice flavor, the HFCS didn't do well, nor did the amount of sugar, bumping it down to just an alright drink. Maybe, you would appreciate the flavor more if you were into natural-tasting energy drinks, but to me, HFCS isn't that natural.

Taste: 7.4 - I would make some sweetener improvements, if I had the opportunity
Kick: 7.5 - The kick is standard, having only standard energy ingredients
Overall: 7.5 - An above average drink, I would buy it again, just to see how much better it would be the second time around

Reviewed by: Chan