Howling Monkey Cola

After being on vacation for almost a week, I decided it's time for a review. Jeff got a six-pack of Howling Monkey Cola and tossed one over my way to review. Sure enough, it's another cola energy drink, what a surprise. I was really excited to review my first cola energy drink, despite the fact that every cola energy drink I've tried never wowed me. I found the can design particularly odd having a picture of a howling monkey and a red background lined with a circus-like pattern. What caught my eye the most out of the whole can was the words at the top of can "25% more caffeine." I think I'm in for a pretty nice kick, so let's open up the can and find out.

When opening the can to reveal a potent, subtle Pepsi-Cola aroma, I actually was pretty excited. Out of the can, Howling Monkey gave a usual dark cola color, without that cola fizziness. I wasn't expecting what I got from Howling Monkey. Instead of a lame cola flavor, I found a sweet Pepsi taste with some organic green tea mixed in. I'm finding myself taking in large amounts of this great cola energy drink, although I should be savoring it. The aftertaste differed from the rest of the drink, having a metallic taste, like tasting blood. I'd bet it's from the quinine, a rare ingredient in energy drinks. I glanced over at the ingredients list to find phosphoric acid in the mix, rather than citric acid. It's a bit more carbonated than that of a Monster, and there's more acidity due to the phosphoric acid, but it didn't stop me from gulping it down. I wasn't too surprised to see HFCS as well, but you'd be happy to know that it's no gummy at all. It would be a good idea to go ahead and pick up one of these, instead of a heavily carbonated and gummy soda.

The Howling Monkey has some pretty basic ingredients: Carbonated water high fructose corn syrup, phosphoric acid, caramel color, quinine, caffeine, taurine, and some other common ingredients. This cola energy drink tries really hard to be a soda because of it's phosphoric acid and caramel color content. Per can, you get only 180 calories and only 23g of sugar, pretty below average for an energy drink. It does not say how much caffeine is in it, but I can tell you that it has 1735mg of energy blend per can (Ginseng, guarana, quinine, green tea, etc.). For such a sweet energy drink, I was really relieved to see barely any sugar. I came back and touched up this review only because I thought I should mention the massive kick this Howling Monkey generously gave. I'm pretty sure one can of Howling Monkey had a decent amount of caffeine until a couple of guys over at Howling Monkey decided to boost up the caffeine, which was a great idea. You obviously cannot miss out on this energy drink.

Taste: 8.7 - A refreshingly different type of tasty cola
Kick: 8.3 - Howling Monkey did a great job on creating an awesome kick
Overall: 8.5 - If you happen to come across this energy drink, I advise you purchase it

Reviewed by: Chan

Activ Water Power

Well, a trip to Big! Lots pays off again, with the discovery of the Activ Water. I don't remember seeing any other varieties of the Activ Water over there, so I suppose I was lucky to find the Power. Power can always be assumed to mean that an drink is supposed to provide energy, I think. I just about had my fill with drinks that were too sweet, which is why I reached for this. Most canned drinks I had contained around 27-29g of sugar, which is a whole lot when paired with sucralose and the fact that the drinks warmed up. This energy water, thankfully, is going to be like a breath of fresh air with 6g of sugar per 8oz. There are 20oz total, meaning 15g only. This is going to be very refreshing with a small amount of sweetness and probably a light and sour kiwi strawberry flavor. Oh, wait a minute. The sweetener is something I've never heard of before. It's called Erythritol, and it turns out that it's a sugar alcohol that comes naturally from fruits and that is 60-70% as sweet as sugar. It has no side effects and is virtually calorie-free. Sounds like a miracle artificial sweetener, but I'll have to taste it first. The aftertaste may possibly make me wish for plain old sugar.

Well, to be expected, there's little flavor. It's vague with hardly any strawberry and kiwi. Rolling it around on my tongue, I like the sour and unusual sweetness that isn't strong at all. During the same time I tasted that, I tasted just a small saltiness coming from the electrolytes. Good thing they're in here, because opposite of most energy drinks, this one is going to have a hydrating effect, instead of dehydrating. This would be way more refreshing cold, like Gatorade is, so I'm going to chill it.

...chilled, this thing is not much better. Still, it's like plain water with electrolytes and mild kiwi/strawberry with hardly any sourness. It's not even as sweet as a Vitamin Water. If you think a Vitamin Water isn't sweet enough, you won't enjoy the sweetness of the Activ Water. Still, it is very refreshing.

The Activ Water's kick can barely be called a kick. I realized soon after drinking it that there are no energy ingredients, actually. The only thing inside that could yield any energy would be Vitamin B12. Other vitamins inside may be healthy, but they won't necessarily give you energy. Those vitamins are C, D3, K1, Calcium and Magnesium. I can't say much about the kick except that this stuff really does hydrate you. I didn't feel thirsty for the rest of the day after I drank it. Please excuse the short review, but I don't find much to say about this drink. There's really nothing powerful about this drink and a Gatorade would probably hyrdrate you just as well if not better.

Taste: 5 - Lame almost flavorless kiwi-water
Kick: 3 - No kick, mostly hydration
Overall: 3 - Just a drink...

Reviewed by: Jeff

Joker Mad Energy

I was in shock when I found the Joker. You wouldn't even believe where or how I found it as well. Well, for starters, I was at Big! Lots just stocking up on some of my favorite drinks when I reached my arm way back behind the energy drinks and pulled out something, something 16 ounces and black... In awe, I stood staring at the Joker for 15 seconds, no reaction whatsoever. I managed to pull out two, one being for Jeff, and then what do you know, only .60 cents a can. I've heard so many great things about Joker and I wanted to review it as fast as I can. After being chilled overnight, I pull it out of the refrigerator and shudder glancing at the evil can design. It's basically a Joker, perhaps even a medieval Jester, just staring at you, in front of a black background. Joker has a font on the can that is supposed to look fun, as if you're at a carnival, or a circus. If I hadn't heard of Joker, I wouldn't be so excited to try it, and think that it would just be another Monster/Red Bull clone, but I know it's supposed to taste like Root Beer. What an odd energy drink flavor! Okay, well I'm just about ready to open this one up.

I quickly opened up the can to expose a Red Bull clone apple-raspberry taste. My hopes then went down. Just as I expected, an amber color pours straight out of the can of Joker. I'm actually really impressed with Joker, because instead of making a plain Red Bull clone, Joker went with a rich apple-citrus flavor, fading away with a wild berry and slight sarsaparilla. Joker is one energy drink an untrained taste wouldn't know the difference between it and a Monster, but Jeff and I, on the other hand, taste a crisp, sharp, sweet flavor; most likely due to the sucrose and glucose. That just goes to show that the sweetener can make or break a winning energy drink. That's why I believe that Joker makes the Best Taste List, because you can't beat it's crisp, natural flavor. Just like a Monster, Joker has really no aftertaste, but leaves you with a tasty root beer kind of flavor. It's also just about as carbonated as Monster, having a really small amount, as well as no apparent gumminess. Overall, Joker passed the test, in terms of taste, aftertaste, carbonation, and gumminess. Joker obviously made the Best Taste List, now let's see how well the kick is.

The Joker Mad Energy has the same exact ingredients as a Monster, in fact, it's canned at the same place as Monster. It's got carbonated water, sucrose, glucose, citric acid, natural flavors, taurine, sodium citrate, color added, ginseng, caffeine, sorbic acid, riboflavin, and maltodextrin. Per can, you get only 220 calories, slightly more than Monster, but still pretty low. Theres 27g of sugar per serving, which is 54g per can. An average amount of 2,000mg is what you get from taurine, and 5,000mg of energy blend, same as a Monster. I guess this drink is almost exactly the same as a Monster, but a slightly different taste, being sweeter and richer. I would definitely stock up on these Jokers if you see them, because it's one of the best Monster-like energy drinks around. However, unless you're an avid energy drink fan, you may think it has the same taste as a regular Monster, and I know I will probably get comments on this review such as: "Why is this on your Best Taste List?" or "It just tastes like a Monster, nothing special." But trust me, get into energy drinks, and you'll love Joker for sure.

Taste: 9.2 - A sweet, crisp multi-flavor taste that will not bore you
Kick: 8.5 - With 5,000mg of energy blend, you're in for an average kick
Overall: 9 - This one passed, for sure

Reviewed by: Chan

BooKoo Bite

This is my first time really getting into the carbonated BooKoos, and tonight, the one I'm reviewing is the Bite. Just like every one of our other 20 or so energy drinks we've got in our fridges, I got this for 60 cents at Big! Lots. From what I've heard, the Bite is the sourest of the BooKoos. I'm not exactly sure what to expect. The green of the can suggests possibly a lemon-lime or citrus flavor, but I've never associated lime with sourness in most energy drinks. This might be the first sour lime I've tried. I'm a little worried about the sweetness level I'm going to get. There are 29g of sugar plus sucralose, which is gonig to bump up the sweetness even more. I might consider this to be as sweet as Sunkist.

When I opened the top, I was not at all disappointed. The smell was not lime, but it was familiar. I then realised it smelled just like my favorite energy drink, Monster, but with more cinnamon, like it had been left exposed to air. The smell is zesty cinnamon over pungent grape. I find it irresistible and it's going by extremely fast. The color deviates from the average energy drink amber with a darker ale tint. The carbonation is more than average but isn't so bothersome because it is very fine. Halfway through or so, I finally felt the "bite" at the back of my mouth in the form of citric acid or another tangy component of the drink. Chugging this thing warm makes me think it's too sweet and a little too gummy, so you have to make sure you chill this really well. I know that what makes this extra sweet could be the sucralose, but thankfully, BooKoo has masked the artificial aftertaste incredibly well, giving me no hint of the usual nasty Splenda aftertaste. Overall, the Bite is similar to Monster Lo-Carb, yet with more cinnamon and tasty grape.

On kick, BooKoo does a great job, but it looks weaker than most energy drinks. The only energy ingredients listed in the Supplement Facts include B Vitamins, Pantothenic Acid, Taurine, and Panax Ginseng. Oddly enough, BooKoo lists some other energy ingredients in the "Other Ingredients" section. After Natural and Artificial Flavors, BooKoo adds Glucuronolactone, Caffeine, Inositol and L-Carnitine. Seeing those ingredients in the regular list tells me they're not as abundant as in other drinks. The combination of sweeteners used is odd in this drink as well. I haven't seen too many drinks with HFCS, glucose, and sucralose together. The HFCS is dull, but the glucose and sucralose brighten and liven up the flavor. Sucralose might be what made this drink too sweet along with the slightly high 29g of sugar.

Taste: 8.5 - Good cinnamon/grape chilled, too sweet warm
Kick: 7 - Does all right
Overall: 8 - Almost a go-to energy drink

Reviewed by: Jeff

BooKoo Wild Berry

Boy, was I ecstatic when I got the BooKoo Wild Berry. I've heard so many good things from this drink and I knew that when I found it, I was sure to be in for something good. This is the second of our many BooKoo (Carbonated) energy drink reviews to come, so check in daily with the website and possibly our Best Taste, Best Kick, and Worst Taste lists. BooKoo, I believe, is one of the best energy drink companies around, in terms of a boost and taste. I also admire BooKoo's can design, having a black background, with purple flames encompassing the word BooKoo, which is filled in with blue and outlined in purple. 'Wild Berry' is stretched in white font above BooKoo and 'Energy' is stretched under BooKoo. I apologize for making this paragraph short, but I'm too excited and must open up the can. Here it goes.

I dramatically opened the can to reveal an aromatic flowery wild berry scent, consisting of a somewhat artificial raspberry, blueberry, strawberry, and a bit of pear and apple. I was surprised to see a dark pink color, almost purple as it mellowly flew out of the dark-colored can. I must say, this is one energy drink unlike many others I've tried and reviewed, here on Canned Reviews. Instead of having an energy drink that monotonously flows into the mouth, BooKoo Wild Berry wrestles your tongue to the ground and has an in-your-face strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and apple flavor. After almost half way through the can, I noticed some tasty sourness to go along with the smooth berry flavor. I'm really upset to say that the aftertaste is what separates this drink from the drinks on the Best Taste List. The aftertaste seems to be that of a dull, crude berry syrup, most likely due to the HFCS amount in this drink. When I first took a sip of this BooKoo, the first thing that popped to my head was a strawberry and grape soda, put together, except less carbonation. But speaking of carbonated, BooKoo is just a bit more carbonated than a Red Bull, Rockstar, or Monster, which isn't too much of a nuisance. I haven't had a drink with gumminess for awhile now, so maybe it's just me, but I think there's some gumminess. Overall, I knew I was in for an awesome tasting drink, but BooKoo Wild Berry just missed the Best Taste List.

I was a bit shocked when I glanced at the ingredients list to find almost nothing! It has carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, citric acid, sodium citrate, potassium benzoate, natural flavor, caffeine, glucuronolactone, inositol, red 40 and blue 1. That's basically all the ingredients, pretty simple. Per can, you get only about an average 220 calories, and only about 54g of carbs, that's not too bad for such a sweet drink. The amount of caffeine is undisclosed in this BooKoo, but the taurine count is 2,000mg, just about average. BooKoo's motto is Live Big, and trust me, with BooKoo, everyone is happy; you can't beat the taste. For.60 cents, you'd better stock up on these beasts at Big Lots, whether you like it or not, try out every flavor, you won't regret it. For once in my reviewing times here on Canned Reviews I predicted the level of greatness I was expect from this BooKoo. I wasn't expecting a whole lot from BooKoo, but I was expecting fine drink that would for sure impress me. All in all, do NOT miss out on this BooKoo Wild Berry, it's smooth berry taste will perform an awesome show in your mouth.

Taste: 8.8 - A great wild berry taste, most likely the best I've ever had
Kick: 9 - The kick is a mix between focus and jitteriness, but mostly jitteriness
Overall: 8.9 - I would definitely buy it again, although there could be some improvements made

Reviewed by: Chan

Jetset Original

A trip to a local BevMo really payed off because there, you'll find the whole Jetset collection, as well as many other interesting energy drinks. Along with the Bawls Guarana, I got the Jetset original, then hurried home with eagerness. This Jetset has a trippy bulls eye type red background with the words Jetset energy original vertically across the odd 10.5 ounce can. I got this drink wondering if it's 8 ounces or 12 ounces, I was very confused until a scan around the can revealed a 10.5 ounce label. I noticed some clocks at the top of the can,showing the time of places around the world, such as San Francisco, Rome, Chicago, New York, Rio, Las Vegas, London, Tokyo, and Miami. I'm not too sure what to expect in this drink, possibly a basic apple raspberry, with some tartness. Just for kicks, I'll tell you that Jetset's motto is "Mile High Energy" so I may be getting a boost that'll send me a 'mile high'. I'm afraid this paragraph is a bit short, but oh well, it's fine.

I open the can quickly to get a usual apple raspberry aroma, and now I feel a bit disappointed because I would think Jetset would break away from that mainstream flavor and mix it up. I pour it into my glass cup only to notice a deep amber color, much deeper than a Monster. Because it's a mixer I'll excuse it's light Red Bull-like taste. Jetset Original's got a sweet apple-raspberry flavor, like Monster but a whole lot sweeter. It fades away in the mouth really quickly, but leaves with an addicting milky fruit taste. I can tell you that if you buy Jetset original, buy two because it goes really fast. I'm reminiscing the flavor to be that of the Hype and the Hype MFP, because it's got that light apple taste with a sweet vanilla aftertaste. Although it's not surprisingly carbonated, I recommend you do not chug this drink because it's flavor is really smooth and mild. Jetset does give a nasty gummy taste that lingers, but it doesn't get in the way too much. Overall, Jetset really isn't one to get if your in need of a tasty energy drink, but if you want a great mixer, Jetset's line of energy mixers are for you.

As for ingredients, Jetset has carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup (That's why it had a slightly dull taste), glucose, taurine, caffeine, natural and artificial flavors, guarana, ginseng, B vitamins, caramel color, and riboflavin, I'm pretty sure more people would like this drink better if it was sweetened with sucrose and glucose, like a Monster, or Red Bull. Per 10.5 ounce can, you get a decent 105 calories, and only 25g of sugar. You can really taste a lot of sweetness in this drink but then there's only 25g of sugar, how odd. Jetset gives only 1000mg of taurine, but a flaming 120mg of caffeine. So, if this drink were in a 16 ounce can, it would have around 180-200mg, pretty awesome kick! Jetset original really didn't impress me as much as I thought it wold, but it had a decent taste by itself. If you find one of these, I say you should mix it with another beverage, such as Gatorade, or fruit juice, if you're not an alcohol fan. Overall, it tasted like a lamer version of the Hype, but an improved version of the Red Bull, or Rockstar. Unless you're gonna mix the Jetset, don't buy it.

Taste: 7.1 - It got boring towards the end of the drink... now I see why its only 10.5 ounces
Kick: 7 - A standard energy drink kick, nothing that would send you a mile high
Overall: 7 - Jetset didn't amaze me like I thought it would

Reviewed by: Chan

Jolt Blue

After breakfast burritos in the morning, I'm feeling like a pick-me-up that can really get me going. I'm hoping the Jolt Blue is just the right choice. The flavor I'm guessing is going to be blue raspberry, which should be very invigorating along with the huge amount of caffeine in here. Jolt's can design is pretty sweet, giving you a sensation of energy and power. I especially like the fierce lightning going through the top section and the vertical JOLT. I need the energy today to hike and do some work around the campsite.

Good thing I chilled this all yesterday and overnight in the cooler. Popping it open, the only thing I smell at first is faint tartness and nothing else. As the liquid falls into this here styrofoam cup, I'm a little bit surprised by the color, which is blue, but lighter than I expected. It's closer to blue cotton candy than blue raspberry candy, looking like pure cerulean or #3faedc inside a white cup. On the back of the can, Blue 1 is listed in the ingredients, giving it that sky blue. On taste, this drink really performs. One sip of it and you're hooked on that tangy, fruity berry flavor. The tang comes at the end, from Citric Acid and the fine carbonation, which stings a little, but works very well. Then, the aftertaste is like fruity raspberry bubble gum. The sweetness is crisp, but not too crisp because this drink utilizes Sugar and HFCS, together. What I notice near the end of the can is that there is gumminess, but it's very mild and goes away very easily. I'm very surprised because I was thinking a drink with 32g of sugar would be very gummy. Good job on a fruity raspberry drink by Jolt.

Ingredients like Jolt's are not what I'm used to seeing. I mentioned how Jolt uses Sugar and HFCS already. After water and the sweeteners, there's Citric Acid that gave the drink its tartness and then Sodium Benzoate that is said to preserve the drink. Sodium Citrate also sounds like something sour and next are Natural and Artificial Flavors. Finally, the energy ingredients begin to appear, starting with Caffeine. Then, I see and odd ingredient I've seen a few times before. I'm not sure, but maybe Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin has something to do with the lack of gumminess in the drink. It sounds like a waxy substance and I do notice a sort of waxy something surrounding my teeth. The rest of the list goes like this: Blue 1, Taurine, Guarana, Ginseng, and Vitamin B Complex. It's kind of sad to see that the coloring comes before the majority of energy ingredients. That tells you right there that the Jolt is weak on all the energy ingredients we're used to seeing except Caffeine. That's not so great because many people already have a Caffeine tolerance and would'nt feel the kick they would get from the other energy ingredients. Also, another thing that worries me is the sugar content. 32g is quite a lot of sugar for one serving of energy drink. Compare 32g to Monster's 27 and Amp's 29. I think it's too much and that Jolt didn't have to dump in so much sugar. They could've done other things like reduced the carbonation and used pure sugar, not HFCS. On taste, this thing excels, but it drives me away with its ingredients.

Taste: 8.5 - Addictingly fruity blue raspberry
Kick: 7.5 - Caffeine-strong, weak in all other areas
Overall: 7.5 - Tasty, but the ingredients scare me a bit

Reviewed by: Jeff

YJ Stinger Chronic Cola

Back at Big Lots! I found all of the Stinger energy drinks. They come in 8.4oz cans in flavors like Punch, Lime, and Raspberry, and sport a fierce hornet on the cover. They looked good to me, so I got a few. Out here, where it's 100 degrees, you crave something chilled and refreshing, so I took this baby out of the cooler and decided to give it a try. I recently learned how Cola is made and what's in it, and I'm becoming a bit more critical of every Cola I try. I learned that, contrary to what you may think, the Kola nut, which Cola is named after, contributes to very little to none of the Cola taste. It's actually very bitter, not something you want to drink. Cola flavoring is made up of stuff like vanilla, cinnamon, lime and orange oil. It shocked me to know that it was so easy to make and I'm looking forward to spotting these extracts in the Chronic Cola.

Pop goes the can and immediately I am taken by surprise. This is some unique cola, all right. The smell is very strong which allows me to spot every little flavor individually. First, I smell a little lime peel, which reminds me quite a lot of Pepsi Cola, the way it's got that bit of citrus flavor. In the background linger a smooth vanilla and a muted cinnamon, without the bite you usually attribute to cinnamon. Tasting it, it's very much the same, but the bitterness of the lime is subdued and it's much more delectable. If you didn't know it was cola, you might be a little puzzled about the taste. No, the first sip and smell don't make you immediately think "Cola!" Rather, you've got to delve deeper. On the rocks, it's even better, getting rid of more of that lime and making it seem more robust. The carbonation and sweetness are also toned down on the rocks, turning it into the most refreshing cola I've had in a long time. If you try this, you've got to have it warm and on ice. I realize after the can is empty that this is one of those rare drinks that says "Lightly Carbonated" and actually is. With no gumminess, this drink's got some great flavor to offer if you're up for trying something new.

Out in devastating heat like this, it's so hot, you don't feel like moving a muscle. Well, with the Stinger, I'm up and about regardless of the temperature. The energy ingredients are pretty strong as Caffeine comes in at number 4, right after water, HFCS, and Citric Acid. Taurine is next, followed by Ascorbic Acid and A mess of B Vitamins. Then, Yerba Mate, which had to contribute to the earthiness and herbalness of the drink. Toward the end reside Guarana and Ginseng, which tells you they're there in very small amounts. What gives colas their brown color, if you didn't know, is the caramel color, which comes next. Overall, the ingredients list doesn't look bad, and it's very nice in comparison to regular sodas. There's much less aggravating acidity because of the lack of phosphoric acid, which I've come to dislike. Per serving, which here is 8.4oz, there are 32 grams of sugar, which sounds like a lot, but if you figure out how much is in 8oz - a standard serving for an energy drink - you get close to 30 and a half grams. Still quite a lot of sugar, but look at Shasta Cola. It's that large amount of sugar that makes it still very tasty on ice. A minuscule amount of 20g, close to what's in Coca Cola will make the drink taste terribly diluted over ice, which I definitely don't like. Stinger did a good job creating a tasty and unique cola that provides a superb kick. I would definitely buy this again.

Taste: 8.5 - Unique, complex cola
Kick: 7.5 - Energy ingredients are solid and kick was great
Overall: 8.5 - Good if you're up to trying something new

Reviewed by: Jeff

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha

What better thing to do on a scorching-hot day over here than to review an iced coffee? I was so relieved to pull one of these out of the refrigerator after putting it off for a few weeks. It's a fairly new energy drink, coming out mid to late June in most places, but over here it came out early June. Starbuck's released the energy drinks in three new flavors: Vanilla, Mocha, and Coffee, but some said they were a fail due to the amount of Splenda in the drink. I have only had the Vanilla, and I thought it had a mediocre flavor, tasting real artificial, but the kick made up for its lack of flavor. If you want to head over and get one of these for yourself, prepare to pay a bit extra because Starbuck's is one company that charges quite a bit for their drinks. This can has a smooth coffee-brown background, looking as if it's mixed with chocolate, hence the Mocha favor I'm reviewing. I'm going to cut this paragraph a bit short because the can is warming up and my ice is melting...

I open up the can, and to my delight, I smell a fresh-brewed coffee aroma with some chocolate blended in. This Starbuck's energy drink comes out of the can a light brown color, similar to all the other coffee energy drinks out on the market. If Jeff, as well as many other people are telling the truth, I should take a drink and be upset. For starters, this drink is noticeably thicker in the mouth than your average Java Monster. I next notice a somewhat weak Mocha flavor that is supposed to resemble a chocolaty coffee taste, but fails. It goes down really smoothly with no aftertaste, except that of a minor fake sugar taste. I do think this drink is much better than what energy drink fans claimed it to be like, but I think it's just missing essential coffee flavors that remind us of what coffee's all about. After a few more sips, I notice more of a less sweet flavor that draws you away from that artificial primary sweet flavor. Obviously, it's not carbonated, so we can skip this part. I was surprised to find a decent amount of gumminess after downing most of what's supposed to be a coffee flavor. In my mind, it tasted better than Rockstar's Mocha energy drink, but didn't compete with Monster's Mean Bean and Big Black drinks.

As for ingredients, this non-carbonated drink's got Starbucks brand premium roasted coffee, reduced fat milk (Semi-sweetener), skim milk, 'sugar', maltodextrin (Semi-sweetener), dextrose, taurine, natural flavor, cellulose gel, ginseng, L-carnitine, Vitamin C, guarana, sucralose, vitamin B, and caramel color (Gives it that smooth light brown color). Per can, you get an average 200 calories, which isn't bad at all, considering its pretty sweet and only 26g of sugar. The sugar amount is less than half of what an average (Monster, Rockstar, Amp) energy drink is, I could live with that. In terms of energy, you get 2000mg of maltodextrin, 1800mg of taurine, 325mg of ginseng, and 90mg of guarana. You may be thinking where in this paragraph I mentioned how much caffeine is in this drink, I'll tell you, even though it's not listed, we know it to be around 150mg, which isn't bad. With this 15oz coffee, packing 150-something milligrams of caffeine and Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, and B Vitamins, you get an explosion that'll keep you wired two and a half hours. Okay, so it was just an average coffee energy drink, but still I really enjoyed every sip. Go out and try one for youself, you may like it, you may not.

Taste: 8.2 - Once again, any coffee energy drink is to my liking, but I'd have to speak not only for myself, but as well as the consumers willing to purchase it
Kick: 9.2 - A great, long-lasting kick
Overall: 8.6 - Although it'll cost you roughly $2.60, it might be worth it

Reviewed by: Chan

Vitamin Water Power-C

I finally was able to get my hands on one of these Vitamin Waters. Everywhere I go, I see these and just never bother to pick one up and review. Perhaps they were too expensive. Finally, I went over to this new store called Fresh and Easy and decided to get one, and for one dollar, why not? Vitamin Water came out with two of their drinks that have energy drink ingredients in them, the Power-C (Taurine) and the Energy (Guarana). Jeff reviewed the Energy so I decided it was fair I reviewed the last and final Glaceau drink, here on Canned Reviews, unless they come out with another one. This drink has no apparent bottle design, just half red and half white, along with some paragraphs and the word Vitamin Water stenciled vertically across the bottle. Some last minute details show me a clear twist off cap and the word dragonfruit, revealing the flavor. Okay, here it goes...

I twist off the cap to hear crackling sounds and smell a rather light berry aroma. This see-through bottle shows a rosy red-purple color, with no fizziness, because it's not carbonated. The taste surprised me with a diluted dragonfruit taste, that frankly tastes like a sports drink, you know, just bland. I guess the flavor is due to all the vitamins and the amount of sugar, which is only about 30g. This Vitamin Water is trying to say in a paragraph on the bottle "Hey, this drink has a light flavor because the people who use this, use it while exercising." In that case I'll let Vitamin Water go, free of charge only because its got a light, addicting flavor for a reason. It's aftertaste seems to be that of a sports drink, you know, that nasty burnt fruit taste. Luckily, it's not as overpowering as a sports drink. There's no carbonation because it's meant for exercising, so you don't have that burning sensation on your tongue while exercising, that would be pretty unpleasant. For a 20 ounce drink I was surprised to have no gumminess at all, even after drinking all of it. Overall, I thought this drink had a nice, smooth dragonfruit+berry taste that anybody would enjoy, but perhaps it didn't have enough flavor and was too diluted for avid energy drink drinkers, like Jeff and I.

As for ingredients, Vitamin Water Power-C has vapor distilled, deionized, and/or reverse osmosis water and is sweetened with cane sugar and crystalline fructose. I've been researching crystalline fructose and you know what it really is? High fructose corn syrup. It's trying to hide but energy drink companies only know so little about it. It's also got some dragonfruit extract, vegetable juice, natural flavor, electrolytes (magnesium lactate), taurine, B vitamins, monopotassium phosphate, calcium lactate, and ascorbic acid. Per bottle, you get 125 calories, which isn't bad at all for a 20 ounce bottle, as well as only about 30-32g of sugar. I know I'm not feeling a kick right now, so I check out how much taurine there really is and only see 25mg. That's nothing! Caffeine also helps to jolt you up, but yet there's none in this drink, so it may be awhile, if anything, to get a kick. All in all, you won't find this drink cheap everywhere, so if you see it for like 2-3 dollars, just drop it, there's nothing really special in this drink enough to wow you, but in my case, one dollar is just fine.

Taste: 6.8 - It had a slightly above average taste... nothing too tasty about it
Kick: 5 - Vitamin Water exaggerated a bit when they said 'Power'
Overall: 6.5 - I really wouldn't buy it again, too many other good beverages out there

Reviewed by: Chan

Jolt Cola

Today I took a trip to Big Lots! and was greeted happily by a wall of energy drinks. They had half an aisle devoted to just random energy drinks. There are for sure going to be a lot of reviews coming soon. The first of my reviews will be the Jolt Cola, which I had always wanted to try. I am sort of crazy about colas and can't wait to try Red Bull Cola. This is my first cola energy drink, and I can't wait to try it. I'm expecting a better version of Coke or Pepsi, being less carbonated and with more cola flavor. Oh, and the thing with Jolt is they pack a huge amount of caffeine into one can. There are 220mg of Caffeine in this bad boy, way more than almost any drink. Along with caffeine, there exist Guarana, Taurine, Ginseng, and Vitamin Bs. I am extremely eager to open this and compare this to the leading colas.

Chandler also impersonated Spawn of Uamenti as I opened the can. The color was definitely close to the color of Coke and Pepsi, being that dark brown caramel color, but it's a little darker and less saturated than regular cola. The smell is very succulent cola, reminding me of the Monster Assault I had recently. Everything about the drink is positive until I taste it. It disappoints me like a soda. The carbonation hits first and distracts your from the cola, which seems as if it is barely there. The carbonation never really leaves your mouth, until you swallow, which is very unfulfilling. Then, the aftertaste is also unpleasant, being sour and bitter, probably coming from the phosphoric acid. I never have liked phosphoric acid; it just hurts going down your throat and eats away at your teeth. I also hate the huge amount of carbonation that they dump in there. It isn't much better than a regular soda, and that makes me sad. The only thing making it better than a Coke is the fact that there are 220 earth-shattering milligrams of caffeine, which I'm feeling right now.

Although the taste was just about average for a soda, below average for an energy drink, the kick is really intense. The whole night, I was incredibly wired and full of energy. These guys at Jolt aren't messing around. Along with a massive 220mg of Caffeine, there is Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, and Vitamin B Complex. I checked to see what the sweetener was and wasn't very surprised to see that it is HFCS. Of course, it's what contributed to the drink's dull taste. Per serving, there are 27g of sugar, which is equal to a Monster, but the carbonation tones it down and made it a whole lot less satisfying than a Monster. The taste of the drink was mediocre, but if you're looking for a serious kick, you want a Jolt.


Taste: 6 - Mediocre cola, just like the rest
Kick: 9 - Awesome caffeine boost
Overall: 7 - Good for the boost, and if you're into colas

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rip It Chic Sin A Man

I get a call from Jeff today telling me he had gotten over 30 energy drinks for 60 cents at Big Lots! I was in disbelief until I actually saw for myself the galore of various energy drinks, some being unknown to me. It was a tough decision, but I had to choose the Rip It Chic only because I've been so curious about this drink ever since I heard about it. Anyway, expect a lot of great reviews coming in the next couple of months, such as: BooKoo Bite, BooKoo Citrus, BooKoo Punch, Hooah!, WWE Energy + Citrus, Jones, and many, many more. Rip It Chic has a code word "Sin A Man" meaning this may have an odd cinnamon flavor. I haven't heard of an energy drink that has a cinnamon flavor until I heard of the Rip It Chic Sin A Man. I couldn't help glancing over at the ingredients list to see that grapefruit juice from concentrate is number two on the list, but I scroll down and see nothing that has to do with cinnamon. Well, I'm too confused, so I'll just open it up and find out.

As Jeff impersonates Spawn of Uamenti, I open it up quickly to get a herby grapefruit aroma, with a hint of cinnamon. Rip It Chic Sin A Man comes out of the can a very light pink color, perhaps very feminine. Because I know this drink is meant for girls and is sugar free, you can obviously guess that it's one light drink, too light for a guy. It's got a light herby lemon taste, just like the FRS Lemon-Lime and it fades away with a pleasant grapefruit taste. I don't know, but I think that there could be just a hint of cinnamon after a few seconds in the mouth, but not nearly enough for untrained taste bud to catch. It's a smooth drink, but I just think it's not for avid energy drink fans only because taste isn't worth however much your going to pay for it, unless it's .60 cents. Out of all the sugar free energy drinks, this one actually has no -and I mean no- aftertaste whatsoever. This Rip It Chic is really sweet on carbonation having very, very light carbonation and, surprisingly, gumminess. Overall, I liked this drink, but I just wish it had more flavor because I know Rip It, and they make mean drinks.

Ingredients wise, Rip It Chic has carbonated water and grapefruit juice from concentrate. The grapefruit juice plays a nice part in giving it a smooth, enjoyable flavor. It's also got citric acid, sodium citrate, benzoate, gum acacia, sucralose, potassium sorbate, natural and artificial flavors, maltodextrin, salt, calcium disodium, acesulfame, brominated vegetable oil, and citrus pectin. Rip It, as you know, is known for its wild ingredients that frankly aren't too healthy for you. However, Rip It totally owns at making an awesome drink, in terms of taste and an intense kick! Per can, you only get an explosive 5 calories per 12 ounces of a light feminine energy drink and absolutely no sugar but you do get that artificial Splenda and maltodextrin. Rip It Chic Sin A Man really gave me a buzz lasting quite a few hours, most likely because it has a whopping 150mg of caffeine, a bit more than a 16 ounce Monster! This Rip It has a basic 1,500mg of taurine, meaning that if it were in a 16 ounce can, it would have 2,000mg. Overall, this drink was a bit light, but really pleasant and perks you up pretty decently.


Taste: 8 - I thought it had a real nice, smooth taste to it
Kick: 9 - Wow, what a kick!
Overall: 8.3 - I think I'm going to start stocking up on these Rip It Chics

Reviewed by: Chan

Ed Hardy Sugar Free

Ah, Ed Hardy, the godfather of tattoo. Boy, it's been awhile since I've tried one of Ed Hardy's energy drinks. I've tried most of them and yet, I wasn't very pleased at all because they had a real lame taste. If they want to make an energy drink that people will want to try, the people at Ed Hardy need to give their energy drinks more flavor and a better kick. Out of all their different colored cans, I think that this color, black, looks best with their trademark fierce tattooed striking tiger. When I found this drink, I was confused because I thought it was a new 'regular' Ed Hardy, but then I looked at the bottom right-hand corner and saw "NO SUGAR ADDED." Pretty cool. I'm on a run of low carb/sugar free drinks right now because that's mainly what I've been finding, so be sure to check them out in a few days or so. Okay, well I'll cut this one short and just review...

I open up the can to get a surprisingly sweet apple, subtle blueberry and blue raspberry aroma, which swept me off my feet. I guess I figured out what you can relate the smell to: those Granny Smith apples. Out of the can, Ed Hardy Sugar Free reveals an expected light Monster-type amber color, with some golden brown hue. I was a bit upset when I tasted a bland apple-berry flavor, that fades away almost instantly after touching the tongue. My strategy with sugar free drinks is taking a mouthful, letting it sit on the tongue for awhile, then swallow, that way you get a thorough taste. That's what I'm doing for this one. I can definitely taste some tartness, which, unlike other energy drinks, takes over the main flavor, being somewhat different than your usual sugar free drink. Ed Hardy is pretty cool on the aftertaste, having none, especially being that it's sugar free. Just like what it says on the side of the can, Ed Hardy promises light carbonation, and that's what you get. The fellas at Ed Hardy also did an excellent job ridding the gumminess of this energy drink. Overall, it's not bad for a sugar free drink, just a bit lighter than your average cup of tea.

Let's talk ingredients. Ed Hardy obviously puts no glucose, sucrose nor HFCS, but sucralose, which is... to be exact, number nine on the list. Number three belongs to natural and artificial flavors, not common to have artificial flavors in an energy drink. Caramel color gives Ed Hardy Sugar Free its smooth amber color and taurine gives you that extra boost in your kick. Other than that, I just see standard ingredients: vitamin B-12, citric acid, riboflavin, caffeine, ascorbic acid, etc. Per can, you get a mighty 10 calories, about half that of a low carb Monster. Following that, you get no sugar (No brainer), but for some reason, 2 carbs...? Oh well, that's pretty good though. Now that I've dug deeper in this can, I can start to taste the Splenda as well as the artificial flavors, although it doesn't bug me thus far. Once again, I'm a bit disappointed Ed Hardy continues to make a light-tasting energy drink that doesn't compare to your big brand energy drinks on the shelves. For a bit more calories and a lot more taste, I recommend you head over and grab a Lo-Carb Monster. You won't regret it.

Taste: 6.7 - I... I had a problem with its light taste...
Kick: 7.3 - Just like last time, gives a somewhat solid boost for less than an hour
Overall: 7 - This drink is lucky to be alive out on the brutal market of energy drinks

Reviewed by: Chan

Jetset Ginger Ale

They seem to have everything at BevMo. It's a local market that sells all sorts of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. While we were there, we picked up a couple Jetsets, which we had heard were fantastic. I chose the ginger ale just because I wanted something with some flavor. What makes this line of drinks special is that they are meant for mixing with alcohol, which would explain the odd flavors such as tonic and club soda. The can design look a lot sleeker and nicer than most energy drinks, which improves the image of the drink. I haven't had ginger ale in an extremely long time and I'm very eager to try it out. To quickly gauge the kind of sweetness I'm going to face before I open it, I'm looking at the back of the can. In 10.5oz, there are 26g of sugar and it's in the form of -what a surprise- HFCS. I should expect it to be light and dull. I'll find out in a moment.

Just as I had suspected, it tastes of strong ginger and light sweetness. But it isn't as dull as I had expected it to be. It's relatively crisp and bright, even though it does use HFCS. The best part in drinking it is the beginning of the sip, when it's at its crispest and sourest. A very nice, spicy and cinnamony ginger takes front and center, and then fades away to reveal lots of fizz and some bothersome gumminess. Then, it becomes a bit too fizzy over your tongue, feeling a little uncomfortable. However the taste is so irresistible, in my mind, that none of the discomfort gets between me and the flavor. It's probably less fizzy and gummy when mixed with alcohol, but I know the dangers and I'm not taking that risk, even though the fizziness and gumminess combined are now becoming quite unbearable and the taste is getting old fast. I don't know whether to recommend this for its taste or not. There's most likely a better ginger ale out there.

On kick, Jetset really performs. I felt a pretty good, gradual kick that made me more alert and energetic. Judging by the ingredients, this Jetset is pretty strong. There are 120mg of Caffeine, which isn't bad at all for a 10.5oz can. There are also a whole bunch of energy ingredients, listed right on the side of the can. Per can, there are 1000mg of Taurine, 50mg of Inositol, 25mg Ginseng, 50mg Glucuronolactone, and 25mg of Guarana. This can holds 105 calories, which is about normal, and packs 26g of sugar, which seems like less when you drink it. If you're into energy drink mixers, this is perhaps for you.

Taste: 7 - Okay, but it gets old, and there are probably better ginger ales out there
Kick: 8.5 - You'll love the kick
Overall: 7.5 - Great mixer, I suppose, but not the best alone

Reviewed by: Jeff

Bawls Guarana

Wow, I found the Bawls Guarana energy drink. I was surprised to see a galore of energy drinks at a local BevMo, including the Bawls. I've heard from relatives and friends that Bawls was a pretty awesome energy drink, in terms of taste and kick, so you can tell I'm pretty excited to check it out. Odd enough, Bawls looks like a miniature sized 20 ounce bottle of Sobe or some soda and has a dark, dark blue color, so I have no clue what color to expect from Bawls. In fact, Bawls is so small, its only a measly 10 ounce bottle, with a (Hopefully) twist of cap. It has a simple bottle design, the word Bawls in all capital letters and Guarana under it. I guess I'll expect a Coca Cola-like taste, with some citrus, possibly. Obviously, the bottle reveals nothing to me, in terms of even guessing what the color or taste is, so I'll have to wait just a few more minutes. On second thought... I think I'll just cut this paragraph short and get to the review.

I was expecting a lot of trouble opening it, but actually it took less time than a can does... Well, anyway, I opened it up to get a mild 7up aroma, but with a somewhat odd secondary scent. Bawls comes out an unexpected clear color, with the visible gas bubbles rising, just like 7up, or Sprite. I was very pleased to get a mild carbonated water taste, with some noticeable naturally sweetened orange-lime flavor. I forgot to mention that Bawls was created by a college graduate who wanted an alternative energy substance, rather than coffee. Man, it's so light on the palette, I could seriously drink it all day long, and have no problem with it, besides the fact that I might get a bit messed up from the caffeine. It has no aftertaste and fades away extremely fast, which leaves you wanting more and more. Bawls is pretty cool on carbonation, having just about under moderate and goes really fast. If you have a light energy drink, you can probably guess that it has pretty little gumminess, which is entirely true with Bawls. Overall, Bawls is going to be the new craze because I believe everyone will enjoy because its awesome light taste. I'll tell you, if you get Bawls Guarana, you need to get two because they do go fast.

Bawls has some pretty standard ingredients. Let's talk. It's got carbonated water, corn syrup (Less sugar), natural guarana extract, artificial citric acid, sodium benzoate, artificial flavors and caramel color and caffeine. It's got way fewer ingredients than your average Monster and Red Bull, having no vitamins, ginseng, sucrose and glucose, and taurine. Bawls is one energy drink that's way out there. One that maybe I would try again, but it's just not worth the kind of money you pay for it. It's just like what I thought, a bit dull, but pretty mild and somewhat addicting. Per bottle, you get only 120 calories, 32g of sugar (Not bad, but good be better due to its lack of flavor), and the caffeine amount... undisclosed. I tried researching the caffeine amount, like Jeff suggested, but found no results. I'll guess it's above average, probably around 100 or so. Overall, I'm not going to give Bawls a bad rationg only because an energy drink this light is a rarity and frankly, I enjoyed every ounce of it.

Taste: 7.7 - I had trouble deciding whether or not to give it this high of a rating...
Kick: 9.5 - This kick really ranks up there, I'll say
Overall: 8 - Okay, if it weren't for the kick, this drink is a skipper

Reviewed by: Chan

CRUNK Citrus

Oh, CRUNK!!!, what a company. I've really enjoyed their drinks and am really excited to dig into their newest flavor. Jeff and I were unanimous in deciding who to review this one; we decided to do a double review. Our last double review was the Monster Java Chai Hai, so it's been awhile as you know. Okay, here our both of our reviews:

CRUNK!!! is Lil' John's take on energy drinks; I mean, who hasn't made their own line of energy drinks nowadays. If you haven't noticed already, this CRUNK!!! is made in a 16 ounce can, rather than a measly 8 ounce can. I felt some monster kick in the ounce can, so I can already imagine what this one's going to be like. CRUNK!!! Citrus has a bright yellow background with some green and black dots surrounding the word CRUNK!!! slapped across the can. Citrus is placed in smaller font above that, which gets me thinking why it isn't below the can and in larger font. Perhaps they don't want to mess with the logo. CRUNK!!!'s motto is "Get CRUNK!!!," and I'll tell you, based on the CRUNK!!!s I tried earlier, I'm ready to get CRUNK!!!! I know this energy drink contains some weird ingredients that I'm eager to try, but then again, who knows what I'll get? Okay, okay, I'm done rambling here, let's get down to the review.

I couldn't control myself opening it, it cracked open and I nearly crumpled the can with my eagerness. Anyway, when I did, I got an herby CRUNK!!! aroma with some lemonade type smell. Out of the can, CRUNK!!! gave a pale lemonade color, which is some yellow and white mixed with a lot of fizzinesss. My first thought on this drink "Oh wow, this one definitely is going on the Best Taste List." I was very surprised to find a mild Sprite-like taste, with some more lemon presence, sort of like a stronger Sierra Mist. But then again, it does have some energy drink qualities, such as sourness (Not usually found in sodas), herbiness (Which gives it a rich taste), and not as carbonated. It has no aftertaste, which allows for easier consuming and enjoying. Oh, man this taste is completely and utterly amazing, you just have to get this. Also, I believe people who don't enjoy energy drinks (Trust me, I know quite a few) will love this drink. CRUNK!!! Citrus is moderately carbonated, just about as much as a Monster, or Rockstar. One thing about this drink is the amount of gumminess, pretty bad. Overall, I really really enjoyed this drink, the best one in probably 30 reviews or so.

Okay, let's check out the ingredients. A glance at the back of the can reveals two lists of ingredients. The first one being proprietary blend, or energy ingredients. In this one I see caffeine, inositol, green tea, damiana (?), licorice root, guarana seed, L-Tyrosine, Horny Goat Weed, Ginkgo Biloba, Grape seed, skull cap (Mushroom), white willow, ashwaganda, and milk thistle. The next set of ingredients are labelled "Other Ingredients." Fine. Don't recognize the ingredients properly, CRUNK!!!. I kid. There's some carbonated water and HFCS; hmm, I thought it was pretty nice for a dull sweetener, although it would have been that much better with sucrose and glucose. Besides some natural flavors and vitamins E and B, this drink has no special qualities to it, in terms of basic energy drink ingredients. Although I was pretty satisfied with the variety of energy ingredients, I thought they could have made better use with the sweetener. Overall, this is just another addition to our Best Taste Lise and another one you MUST try, no matter the circumstances.

Taste: 9.3 - An awesome tasting drink; I thought it could have used a better sweetener, due to the gumminess and the slight dullness
Kick: 9.6 - The ginkgo and caffeine played a HUGE part in hitting a grand slam in your body
Overall: 9.4 - CRUNK!!! makes no mistakes when it comes to making a great energy drink

Reviewed by: Chan

I enjoyed the regular CRUNK!!!, with its herbal qualities and subtle and smooth pomegranate flavors. Now, I'm pretty psyched to try the totally new citrus variety. I haven't seen a new flavor come out since I found out about CRUNK!!! so this is a really cool experience for me, getting to test a new flavor. The name says Citrus, but I think the colors on the can hint to a possible lemon-lime flavor. I'm predicting a fresh lemon and lime taste, hopefully as good or better than Sprite. What will make it better, undoubtedly, will be the kick, and the added bonus of a boost in libido, which the drink promises. I can't wait to open it, so I'm going to end the paragraph now.

Chandler and I just had to open the can in our dramatic can-opening ritual. The first thing I did was take a sniff. I couldn't help but notice the similarity in aroma to the FRS Lime. What I mean by that is there's the lime, and then lots of herbs and b vitamins. The taste, however, is much more enjoyable. First, you are met with a the taste of b vitamins and then a very, very nice, fresh, and delightfully sour lemon-lime. The herbs linger in the background, giving the drink a bit of a rich taste. I've been enjoying it so much that I forgot to pour it out of the can! To be expected, the color is a pale, cloudy translucent color, like lemonade, or lemon pulp. Getting toward the end of the can, the flavor only gets more irresistible with the taste of good 'ol sugar. Actually, the sweetener is HFCS, but Crunk somehow doesn't let the dullness come through. I'd say this is definitely worth the Best Taste list. Through the duration of the whole can, virtually no gumminess has held me back, and the carbonation is very subtle and pleasant, not painful like a soda.

It'll be lots of fun going over the ingredients list. Since this drink is designed to enhance your libido, there are some funky ingredients and herbs in here. There are two ingredients lists, which isn't very commonly seen. 194mg total of Caffeine are present, then Inositol, and Green tea. The next ingredient is an odd one: Damiana, which I know is an aphrodisiac. The following ingredients include licorice, guarana, L-tyrosine, horny goat weed, N Acetyl L-Cytesine, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, grape seed extract, skull cap, white willow, ashwaganda, and milk thistle. It's a very exotic list of ingredients, which contribute to a boost in libido. In the whole can, there are 526mg of the proprietary energy blend. In the regular ingredients list, there is HFCS, natural flavors and a bunch of vitamins. Overall, the ingredients seem pretty strong, with all the regular energy ingredients and some neat ones you don't regularly see. With the great taste and the awesome kick this drink offers, you can't afford not to try it.

Taste: 8.7 - A great lemon-lime flavor that anyone could love.
Kick: 8.5 - With more than the regular amount of energy ingredients, this packs a serious punch
Overall: 9 - You can't afford not to try this one

Reviewed by: Jeff

Pure Fuel

Also while cruising Lassen's, I met the Pure Fuel, which this time, isn't advertised as organic. It is, however "performance support" with zero calories, zero fat, zero carbs, and zero sugar. Uh oh, you know when a drink says sugar-free or zero sugar that it's going to have some funky artificial sweetener. I checked the ingredients list to see what it was and I find dreaded sucralose, also known as Splenda. I've always disliked Splenda for its bitterness and metallic flavor. I don't know if there's some way to mask the flavor of sucralose like there is for acesulfame k, but I hope there is. Anyway, the can looks pretty good with red bubbly stripes at the top and bottom above a black background. The bold lettering and simple design seems to signify that it's meant solely for kick.

The first time I smelled it wasn't bad. It smells like slightly artificial, yet very luscious lemon-orange without the bite. The color is very nice as well, being highly saturated gold and very clear and shiny like glass. In contrast to the smell, the taste is much less distinct. I can't really distinguish the lemon and orange anymore, and it just tastes weird with the sucralose. I can tell because the sucralose gives the drink more of a sour, bitter taste, which mimics sugary sweetness, but really isn't. It works with the ascorbic acid and carbonation to drive the taste even further from sweet. I'm deeply saddened because I know this would be a really, really great drink if it were not for the sucralose, making it taste not sweet at all. And the gumminess doesn't help. I had no idea sucralose contributed to a gummy mouth, but it totally does, and it's insanely hard to remove it. The carbonation is just right, being fine and bubbly, but not painful. I can easily finish the can, but I'm just really sad that there's no sugar in here.

I can say that was a nice, solid, kick. It does pretty well against all the common energy drinks, like Monster and Amp. I wonder what ingredients were the cause, and so I read the Supplement Facts. There are your usual vitamins such as C, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, and B12, and they're all in 100% DV amounts, which is a very good thing. I know that just by drinking this can, I get my full supply of those five or six nutrients. Actually, it lists 60mg of C, which, to me, is very little. I usually go for about 1000mg, so I'm not sure what's going on with the daily values... As for the energy ingredients, There's actually less than I was expecting: only 365mg of a proprietary energy blend, consisting of Guarana, Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, Eleutherococcus Senticoscus, Green tea, and Ginkgo Biloba. Now, hold on a second. I have to figure out what that Eleutherococcus Senticoscus is. A quick check online lets me know that it's a plant that is similar to ginseng which used to be called Siberian Ginseng. It's no longer legal to call it Siberian Ginseng in the US because it is actually not part of the Panax species. It is mildly anti-inflammatory, is an antioxidant, and has similar effects to Chinese Ginseng, but is cheaper. Good to know. Overall, on kick, the Pure Fuel performs quite well, but mostly due to the Ginkgo, which provided some great focus.

Taste: 6 - The Splenda, once again, ruins the taste
Kick: 7.6 - Good with the Ginkgo
Overall: 7 - Not a bad one to try

Reviewed by: Jeff

Steaz Berry

I never thought a health store like Lassen's would have energy drinks, but, as it turns out, they do. I found three varieties there, two Steaz drinks and one called Pure Fuel, which I should review soon. I chose to review this today because I had a hunch this would be the tastiest of the three that I have. I mean, who doesn't love berry? I don't have a problem with it. The thing that sets this drink apart from all the rest is the fact that it is organic. I'm not sure exactly what something has to be to classify as organic, but I do know that it usually means better quality and more nutrients. The major energy ingredients listed on the front of the can include green tea, yerba mate, acai, and guarana, which are not very common in energy drinks. I like the use of yerba mate because I used to drink it all the time and I know it's pretty healthy. I can't explain the green color, as this is a berry drink, but it doesn't really matter. Let's see how an organic drink fares against the norm.

This is my first time opening an organic energy drink, and it smells extra herbal. The base is berry like Red Bull, and on top of that is the chocolaty acai. The color it comes out as is close to, but cloudier and lighter than the regular amber-gold. The smell comes close to smelling like alcohol, due to the combination of the acai, yerba mate, and green tea. Taking the first sip, I don't immediately think berry, but more apple and pear. It's rather luscious yet also light and goes along well with the earthiness of the teas and the fine, tingly carbonation. When I think about it, I feel rather elegant and sophisticated drinking it. It tastes pretty good and now, I notice just a little berry, but the color tricks your mind into thinking it's apple. It's very refreshing, even with the earthy tea flavor. I'm easily able to down this really quickly, but I'm drinking it slowly, in order to savor the rich chocolatiness of the acai and the smooth, light apple-berry. The sweetener, I can tell just from taste is sugar, or as they put it here, organic evaporated cane juice, which I suppose is even better. I know it is sugar because it's much crisper and brighter than HFCS. Overall on taste, this drink is a solid pass, curing my energy drink cravings just fine.

Now, because this is organic, I'm curious to see just what in this drink will provide the energy. It turns out to be guarana solely, along with vitamin C. That's somewhat of a surprise, considering most energy drinks will have 4 to 7 energy ingredients or so. Perhaps the acai, yerba mate, and green tea (all of which are organic, mind you) also provide some kick. Just about everything listed in the ingredients has the word "organic" in it, except for a few things, which is good. The sugar content is also not bad, being 23g. This is low in comparison to Monster's 27, Amp's 29, and Vitamin Energy's 25. Truthfully, I think it's just the right amount. Drinks loaded with sugar tend to get really old really quick. That's never a good thing, and it didn't happen with the Steaz. After feeling the kick for about 30 minutes, I don't feel an absolute rush of energy, but it's a great pick-me-up, for sure, and very refreshing. I can't wait to try the other flavors.

Taste: 7.7 - Refreshing and sophisticated
Kick: 7.5 - Pick-me-up, not a turbo charge
Overall: 8 - Hey, it's organic!

Reviewed by: Jeff

Venom Mojave Rattler Low Carb

Wow, what an odd drink. As I was on my routine grocery run at Albertson's, I ran into the Venom energy drinks. Of course I couldn't resist because it's so eye catching and has a real cool can design. Instead having your usual 8 or 16 ounce can, Venom went with a bottle shaped can, like beer except not as long of a neck. It also has a twist-off cap and is painted more glossy, as if there were a wrapper over the bottle. Perhaps it's a different type of paint used. Venom Low Carb has part of a black snake's face showing a gleaming purple eye with a dagger shaped pupil. Behind that is a plain and simple background with the word "Venom" using the V and part of the M shaped to make fangs. A last minute glance at the bottom of the can reveals that Venom is a whopping 16.9 fluid ounces, about the size of a bottle of water. I'm so eager to open this one up, so excuse this short paragraph...

I twist off the cap excitedly and get a cool, refreshing Lo-Carb Monster aroma. Nice. Out of the bottle, I see a predicted golden amber color with very little fizziness to go along with it. This Venom really surprised me, I had never expected a sweet taste. Instead of am expected Low Carb energy drink taste, Venom decided to punch you with a sweet red apple and mixed berry taste. Unlike Monster, this drink is more sweet than sour and most likely contains more sucralose than it. It fades away with a duller apple and some (possibly) bell pepper, which gets me thinking, "Venom could have added a bell pepper taste because the theme is 'Mojave Rattler' and the Mojave is in the desert." The aftertaste is similar to the regular taste, except I can taste the presence of more pepper lingering and little apple. The carbonation is moderate, leaving a slight tingle on the tongue and just a bit going down. For a low carb drink, I was surprised to find quite a bit of gumminess, just enough to bug you. Overall, I was very pleased that Venom broke apart from the mainstream energy drink companies and put a distinct low carb flavor out on the market.

Ingredients come next. This beast has carbonated water, glucose (Phew! Nice to get away from that HFCS), taurine, natural and artificial flavors, ginseng, guarana, caffeine, caramel color, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, riboflavin, and cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B-12). I had expected sucralose to be high up in the ingredients, but I'm happy to announce that it's not. Per can, you get a bit more calories than average low carb energy drink, containing 50. Well, how low really is the carb count in this bottle? I'll tell you it's only 8g per can and only 6g of sugar. The energy blend is a whopping 6,000mg per can, a true energy drink is this one here. Although 160mg of caffeine doesn't seem a lot in an energy drink, I can tell you right now, I am energized. If you want an energy drink that'll just knock you on the ground, you go anywhere you can and pick up one of these, you won't be sorry. It's a fairly new product and I've been seeing them everywhere, you can't miss it. Even though they say you can't judge a book by its cover, I think you can with Venom, one of the most extreme can designs I have come across.

Taste: 8.7 - Oh, what an amazing taste for a low carb drink
Kick: 8.5 - It's sure to get you jittery
Overall: 8.6 - I can easily say that this one was a pass

Reviewed by: Chan

Arizona Diet Green Tea Energy

Well, here I am with a somewhat popular tea making company's version of a diet energy drink. Way back when Canned Reviews first started, I found the Arizona Green Tea Energy drink, which I really loved, so I believe this one won't be bad. A diet energy drink obviously has no real sugar, but it does have sucralose, or in other words a fake sugar called Splenda as well as acesulfame potassium. As for this drink, I see "Sweetened With Splenda" at the bottom of the can which tells me what kind of sweetness I'll be getting. Arizona Diet has the same can design as the original, a Chinese village, some trees, and the trademark bold Arizona logo going vertically across the can, except the whole can is red. I've been excited about many sugar free energy drinks out there, but then have turned out disappointed and upset about it due to its lack of taste and such. Ok, well here goes nothing.

I open the can to reveal a similar green tea scent to the regular Arizona Green Tea Energy drink. So far so good. Out of the can, I see a translucent pale amber color, just like if you were to put caramel color into a Monster or Rockstar. Well Jeff didn't really enjoy this drink, and I'm about to experience it first-hand, so bottoms up! Well, it is lacking some needed taste, but it isn't as bad as many described it to be. It first hits the tongue with an odd sour citrus taste, most likely due to the fake sugar in the drink. Later on, the tastes buds pick up a mild and quite frankly weak green tea taste. It has no aftertaste because it's a sugar free drink but the sourness still lingers and forces you to crinkle your face in disgust. Jeff absolutely does not like this drink but I don't think it's terrible. It really could use some improvements, but still. I enjoy its extremely light carbonation, just like most tea energy drinks should be. I also enjoyed its amount of gumminess, which is obviously none. Towards the end of the can, this drink tends to get really bland and quite nasty. Even though I found this at the dollar store and most likely nowhere else it can be found, it's not worth the dollar.

As for the ingredients, Arizona Green Tea Diet premium brewed green tea as well as 'sugar' and taurine. Having taurine coming in at number three means a good boost right? Well I'm not sure, I'll have to wait it out. Only because I don't feel like listing all the basic energy drink ingredients, I'll just tell you that there's nothing real special in this drink except milk thistle and sucralose. Arizona Green Tea is for sure my favorite tea company, but I'm just a bit disappointed because I thought that Arizona could handle a sugar free drink. I'm still somewhat confused about why I could taste such a strong artificial citrus taste that ruined the whole drink. Perhaps it was the Splenda, or some green tea that was affected in some way. Per can, you get about 20 calories, the same amount as the Monster Lo-Carb (Which you're better off getting) and, oh, my bad, 6g of sugar. Well, it's close tho sugar free anyway. A usual 2,000mg of taurine is what you get in terms of energy. Caffiene is an average 160mg as well as guarana, ginseng, inositol, and milk thistle. Overall, where you find this drink, you're most likely to see the regular Arizona Energy, get that one.

Taste: 6 - A borderline drink, nearly making the Worst Taste List
Kick: 7 - Barely any effects thus far
Overall: 6.5 - I had predicted it to taste this disappointing

Reviewed by: Chan

Xyience Xenergy Big Apple

I've been scoring lately on the amount of good energy drink findings. I was lucky to stop into a gas station called Terrible's to find a galore of unknown energy drinks. Unfortunately, I only got one, which is the Xyience Xenergy Big Apple, a sugar free and calorie free drink. I've heard of the energy drink company Xyience before because I heard they are one of the best sugar free energy drinks on the market, so I feel pretty thrilled to review it. Xyience released its new can design which consists of two circles of green shades with two chinese symbols. Really have no clue what they mean, but whatever. Oh, and did I mention Xyience is the official energy drink of the UFC? Well, it is. Anyway, I'm interested in Xyience's logo, an odd bar code. Perhaps it's some sort of code that when you translate it into English, it spells out 'Xyience.' Okay, well I'm gonna start this one off by opening up the can...

I open the can to get a Jolly Rancher-like green apple aroma, with some sourness. Out of can, Xenergy Big Apple reveals an almost clear color, with a slight green tint and little fizziness to go along with it. The first thing I notice about this drinks taste is how mild and artificial it is. I wasn't expecting a mild green apple taste, with a hint of Chinese spices that burns the tongue slightly. It fades away with some quite noticeable sucralose and a lot of carbonation. I believe this drink would be a lot better and more pleasant if it weren't so artificial tasting because I know Xyience packs a pretty nice flavor on the palette aside from the sucralose. It has no aftertaste, besides a bit of mild burning on the tongue, but your throat gets pretty backed up due to the amount of gumminess found in the Big Apple. Sadly, for a sugar free energy drink, I found almost as much gumminess as an Amp, and we all know how bad an Amp's gumminess is. I also mentioned earlier that I noticed quite a bit of carbonation, but nothing compared to the taste and gumminess. Overall, I was a bit disappointed in Xyience, I thought I was in for a real treat when I found it.

As for ingredients, I see filtered carbonated water and then citric acid. Usually, a type of sugar comes after carbonated water, but this is an exception because it's 'sugar free'. Following that, taurine is seen coming at number three and then natural flavors. Xyience's other ingredients read as following: caffeine, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, D-calcium, pantothenate, guarana, ginseng, spinach (Woah!) extract, sucralose (There's your problem), L-carnitine, inositol, niacinamide and acesulfame potassium. Sucralose is perfectly fine in an energy drink, but sugar free energy drink makers have to be real careful on how much they put in because that is their only sweetener in a drink and too much can lead to a terrible drink. This one, didn't seem to be made with much care, in terms of being sweetened, otherwise, I really would have enjoyed its mild green apple flavor. Per can, you don't get any calories or sugar. I know, it is pretty uncommon to see no calories in an energy drink, but Xyience went there and did it. I don't think this one is worth buying, but it definitely isn't terrible.

Taste: 7 - I'll give it to Xyience just this time because green apple is a rarity
Kick: 8 - My eyes are pretty wide right now
Overall: 7.5 - An average drink, nothing special

Reviewed by: Chan