Archer Farms Wild Berry

Ah, just as I thought I was finished reviewing Archer Farms drinks, Target's line of energy drinks, in other words, I find a whole new row of perhaps 5 or 6 new Archer Farms. These are just a bit different than that of the original three, being in a 12 ounce can, new blends, and just a tad more expensive. Now, I do recall getting 16 ounce Archer Farms for about 89 cents per can, but the mark-up on these 12 ounce cans substantial, being $1.79 per can. I can be pretty sure these are more expensive because, what really isn't expensive right now? Oh well, if the price is around reasonable, I'm likely to pick it up and review it, so that's what I did with this one, and a few others. I wanted to review Wild Berry first because Wild Berry is such a mysterious flavor, as if it's tough to actually make a good one. From past experiences with Wild Berry, I've found them to taste all different, and some being gummy, others not. Wild Berry really is a vague term to name an energy drink; wild berry could basically mean any or all berries out there, for which there are many types. When berry comes to one's head, usually they think of raspberries, blueberries, cherries, etc., when really those are a form of modified berries, which the fruit is formed from other parts of the flower. A true berry is a type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp, which include the tomato, grape, lychee, loquat, lucuma, plantain, avocado, persimmon, eggplant, guava, uchuva (ground cherry), and chili pepper. Hm, wild berry, well I think I get what Archer Farms means.

Opening up the can, I find a wild berry scent that's a bit plain and could be described as hard cherry, blueberry, raspberry, and a bit of blackberry. When it pours out of the can I see a shocking and questionable key lime/lime green color, which I see is more common nowadays, being that wild berry is a mixture of colors. Well, unlike what my nose picked up, I taste it and I'm decently surprised to find a berry flavor that Archer Farms did a darn good job on. It can be described as a very sweet blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, light notes of cherry, and just a bit of boysenberry, but with a certain brightness, as in, all the flavors are brought out and all attack the taste buds. Seeing this and basing on previous experiences, I'm nearly positive it does not contain high fructose corn syrup, and as I check, I'm right, it's sugar or sucrose. Tasting more of it, I grin as I find an aftertaste that's mostly burnt berry, as if it did have high fructose corn syrup. As if the aftertaste wasn't enough, it's extremely gummy, which leaves me wondering what triggers this gumminess: the sweetener, or the flavor? For the most part, Wild Berry energy drinks tend to be pretty gummy, and sucrose doesn't tend to bring gumminess, so I'm going to leave it at wild berry to blame. On a lighter note, the gumminess is mild and nicely done. Topping it off, I'll conclude the upfront taste was a tasty, irresistible mixture of modified berries until the burnt aftertaste comes in and sort of ruins most of the prominent flavors.

As for ingredients, Archer Farms really doesn't differ, between, say, a Monster. Looking at the nutrition and ingredients, it seems to copy everything about a Monster, calories, main ingredients, and energy ingredients. Here's the ingredients list, to start off: water (carbonated), sugar (sucrose), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), citric acid, sodium benzoate,potassium sorbate, ginseng, caffeine, niacin, natural flavors, guarana, calcium phosphate, taurine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, Sucralose, cyanocobalamin, and caramel color. Once again, seeing sucrose is always cool in an energy drink. Vitamin C, ginseng, caffeine, guarana are all good as well, especially as high as it is on the list. Of course, it wouldn't be a new energy drink if it didn't have Sucralose in it, but I guess it's okay if it doesn't make too much of a difference in the taste. Per 12 ounce can, you get an average 150 calories and a low 36g of sugar. I always like seeing a low sweetened energy drink with the perfect amount if sweetness. Energy ingredients are undisclosed, but that's all right, perhaps it's average if it gave me a nice boost. It lasted about a good 2 hours with mostly energy, not really focus. So, concluding the review, I'll say I was impressed and kicked off the start of a new line of Archer Farms drinks real well.

Taste: 8.4 - Nice, smooth wild berry flavor with a tasy zing and a snap to finish it off
Kick: 7 - Not bad for a 12 ounce can, also suggesting the energy ingredients are average
Overall: 8 - I can't wait to crack open a few more of these new drinks and review them...

Reviewed by: Chan

Monster Heavy Metal

Yes, I'm ready for another review and I believe it's time; it's time to review the Heavy Metal. I know it's been a while since our last Monster and I know I've promised you this review long ago so I'm just going to go for it. I'm feeling good tonight and I don't want this quality drink to go to waste. I'm sure I don't have to go into detail with this drink because I'm confident most of you, our loyal readers, already know of the legendary status of the Heavy Metal. For all this time, the Heavy Metal has been lacking from our extensive catalog of reviews, and we thought we owed it to you to publish our take. For those of you who don't know what it is, I can pretty much give you the answer with one word: 32oz.

The first thing I smell is heavenly sweetness and some zing like rum. I like it a lot so far and it smells like quite a quality drink. The smell is tough to explain, but I know for a fact that it is Daiquiri, a drink with lime, sugar, and rum although some may argue this is in fact apple-flavored and I won't argue with them, because I've never been 100% able to figure out most of Monster's flavors. Of course, there isn't any rum in this drink, or I wouldn't be drinking it, but Monster has done a beautiful job of getting that genuine rum taste in here without any alcohol. When I smell this again, I notice the rum takes center stage and off in the background is mild lime with few of the sharp qualities usually associated with lime. Giving this drink a small sip, I taste that same rum coupled with subtle lime and some very good tartness that meets your tongue and works wonderfully. This is a great drink, not only because of its wonderfully original flavor, but also what enhances it is pure sugar as a sweetener, not HFCS. HFCS, had it been used, would've undoubtedly killed this drink, like many other great drinks that could have been. At first, this drink may taste a bit odd because it's something you don't find in energy drink often, but soon, you may warm up to the drink and find it's incredibly tasty. At least, that's what happened to me. I can't say anything bad about this drink, really, which is good, because you don't want to get tired of something in such a large can. I think Monster knew if they were going to make a unique 32oz energy drink, it had to be something irresistible and quality. I'm this far into the review already, and I haven't mentioned the color or even seen it yet. Pouring this out into a glass, there's a delightful bright green like the green Jolly Ranchers, and it definitely gives this drink a good image. Drinking from the cup, I realize there is quite a bit of very fine carbonation that gives this drink some nice texture and is helpful for keeping the drink from getting old. As for gumminess, it pleases me to find only a tiny amount of gumminess so that there's nothing to get in your way of this monster Monster. So far, I haven't had one thing to say against the drink, but a bit more than halfway through I have my first complaint. Yes, this is a great drink, and some may say never have too much good stuff, but soon enough, you've got to face the facts. Having more than half the can of this means so much sugar and water that you're likely to have a stomachache. Right now, it's mild, but if I continue to drink this at such a high rate, who knows how much worse it'll get. The solution to this may be simply drinking this more slowly, but in that case, the energy will seem like less of a jolt and more of a gradual high. If you're stuck with this stomachache you may obtain from this particular drink, one of two things are likely to happen: you'll either be in so much discomfort that all your energy is wasted while you can't help but sit with your terrible stomachache, or you'll be too wired to care. Right now, I'm leaning toward the second possiblity, which I'm happy about. I'm going to see soon how this drink fares when I'm spending my energy.

After performing the most vigorous exercise I could manage for a few minutes, I still have the notoriously great amount of energy given by a Monster and the urge to just run like hell into an open field, just that urge to run. That's a good thing and something I like about the Monster kick; it's more than just an amazing kick, it's a lot like a high; it improves your mood greatly and it does so to a greater degree with exercise. That's what I like about this drink, as the kick is even greater since it's like having two 16oz Monsters. However, as I mentioned earlier, that large amount also causes a stomachache which I'm plagued with at the moment and I wish would pass. For the time being, I'm going to list off all of Monster Heavy Metal's energy ingredients.

In the drink, there is Taurine (4000mg per can), Panax Ginseng (800mg), Monster's unique Energy Blend, consisting of Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Guarana, Glucose, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, Maltodextrin (10,000mg). Looking at these numbers, it's simply incredible, the amount of energy ingredients in one can, however, it's also a bit alarming. With 10,000mg of the Energy Blend, Caffeine being a key component in this blend, I'm curious how much Caffeine there is. I know for fact that per 16oz can of Monster there are around 160mg. That means per Heavy Metal, or BFC, as the 32oz cans are also called, there are a whopping 320mg of Caffeine, a significantly hefty dose. Having one of these, no doubt, is going to have you wired. Considering this, you should probably make sure to avoid intense aerobic exercise to avoid heart palpitations, which are never good.

Anyway, moving right along, for vitamins, Monster has 400% of the recommended daily values of Vitamin B2, B3, B6, and B12. It also has a bit of sodium, 4g of Protein, which is interesting, and 22g of sugar per serving. This is something that alarms, me; 22g is damn good for one serving, because it's not very much at all, but when you find yourself having four servings, you end up taking in 88g of sugar - something you don't want to do often. Also, because there's more sugar in here than a regular Monster, this means - yep, you got it - a worse crash. Yes, it's not scientifically proven, but it's very well known that taking in large amounts of sugar more often than not causes a bad crash, resulting in lethargy, tiredness, fatigue and sometimes irritability. Yet another reason to drink this slowly. In fact, I believe I'm beginning to feel it already, though I really wish I weren't.

The rest of the ingredients are as follows: Carbonated Water, Sucrose, Glucose, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Benzoate, Sucralose, Maltodextrin, Yellow 5, Blue 1. What interests me about this is that I don't see an emulsifier to hold the drink together, which tells me some other attribute must keep this drink from tasting gummy. I have yet to find out what it is but I know now that emulsifiers like Ester of Wood Rosin and BVO are not the solution for gumminess. What else amazes me is that Monster gets away with pure sugar, not HFCS and still doesn't taste gummy at all. Maybe Chan is right; maybe HFCS really is the source of gumminess. I'll have to keep thinking about it, but for the time being, I've got a rating to give this behemoth. Overall, I like this drink and the sick power it possesses, but sooner or later, we have to face facts that this really isn't the healthiest drink out there. It's probably one of the worst for you, considering it's massive size, though I still enjoy one from time to time and encourage you to.

Taste: 9.6 - Monster is brilliant at formulating quality, great-tasting drinks
Kick: 9.5 - Monster's kicks can be said to be more than a boost; it's like a high
Overall: 9.6 - An insane quality drink, but I have to say, it's a once-in-a-while thing, or you're putting yourself at risk.

Reviewed by: Jeff

YJ Stinger Pounding Punch

After waking up early, I want to rid myself of my morning grogginess and a great way to do that is having an energy drink. Out of my small inventory of drinks, I decided to try out the YJ Stinger Pounding Punch, a drink I have long waited to review because better drinks always came first. But this morning, I chose this drink because of the things I've heard aobut it. Taurine Rules mentions that it tastes like cough syrup, which I'm interested in, because that likely means some extemely artificial flavors like artificial grape or cherry. I couldn't tell you why, but reviewing an energy drink with these familiar flavors. I don't want to waste any more time; I want to tear in.

Boy, it's been a while since I've popped open a small 8oz can. This thing feels tiny in the palm of my hand. When I take a whiff, it's another one of those familiar childhood scents, like a frutier, kiddie version of Hawaiian Punch. The tropical flavors in the punch, whatever they may be, are prominent and give this drink a delightful zing. So far, I'm quite pleased. Smelling once more, I may pick up some guava, but I doubt it since I don't expect YJ Stinger to incorporate guava into any of their drinks. Unlike many reviews I have read, I don't believe this tastes like cough syrup, but it is very familiar and I can't put my finger on it. I guess it's just one of the many distinct yet common flavors floating around in many budget drinks. After a few more sniffs and sips I finally have the flavor worked out; this drink tastes like and smells like artificial grape and strawberry, like the kind of strawberry you taste in strawberry mousse and the kind of grape in grape soda supporting it. In my opinion, this really isn't bad, and when I sip, the light carbonation creates a tingling sensation that works quite well. As I pour this out at the last minute, the color reveals itself as a pink/red, just like the color on the can. Halfway through the can, I feel very little gumminess which is a good thing, meaning this drink is very thin. And, yes, it's true that when you sip, you taste a small amount of vitamins in the drink, though, in my mind, it only complements the flavor. I'm going to be thoroughly enjoying this for the time it lasts.

As for kick, I can't say this has a great effect. Just like the other YJ Stingers, there's very little kick, and even only a bit of alertness. Based on the kick, I can't recommend this to anyone, really. In any case, here are the ingredients: Carbonated Water, HFCS, Citric Acid, Caffeine, Taurine, Ascorbic Acid, B Vitamin Stack (Pantothenic Acid, Niacin, Pyrodoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Yerba Mate, Guarana, Ginseng, Red 40, Natural and Artificial FLavors, Potassium Sorbate.

It's not a spectacular ingredients list, however I hadn't expected to see Yerba Mate in this. No matter, this ingredients list looks typical of a cheap energy drink, lots of sugar, energy ingredients in small amounts. What else is unspectacular is the amount of sugar: 32g per serving, which I find to be over-the-top, however, you'll find that many drinks are highly sweetened such as this. Per serving there are 130 calories. Overall, I like this drink for it's familiar flavor, but I know that this could be the reason many others dislike it, and the boost is truly lame and nearly unnoticable. I'm not quite sure what to say, but most people probably won't like this.

Taste: 6.7 - Very familiar fruit taste you may remember as a kid
Kick: 4.2 - Nearly unnoticable kick, comparable to a Sprite
Overall: 5 - Not quite an energy drink

Reviewed by: Jeff

Who's Your Daddy Cranberry Pineapple

Oh, man! I've been craving a Who's Your Daddy for so long, especially after Jeff posted that great Citrus Who's Your Daddy. I'm pretty sure Who's Your Daddy is a pretty quality energy drink, after trying a Citrus quite awhile ago. I'm not too familiar with this unique energy drink company, and seeing another flavor at another Big! Lots surprised me, and I obviously grab a few cans to review and to enjoy. After scouring the can, I find the primary flavors are going to be Cranberry and Pineapple; this really excites me, finding two great fruits in one odd combination. When Who's Your Daddy thought of this flavor, I'm sure they felt like geniuses because, honestly, who doesn't like cranberry and pineapple? In common, both of these fruit flavors have similar tartness to it, equal amounts of sweetness, and a tropical zing that to top it off. Although I have not heard of this ensemble, there may be a reason or two why they may not have been together all along. Perhaps, the flavors don't taste well when mixed together, or maybe the tartness is just too much to handle. Seeing only 29g of sugar per serving, cannot say sweetness will be an issue. Well, let's try it out.

Opening up the can, I find an aromatic scent of flowery and strong cranberry, with some sweetness from a few notes of pineapple in the background of it all. This scent really reminds me of an energy drink I had reviewed back in the early stages of Canned Reviews, although I cannot determine which drink it was, sadly. Oh well, when it comes to me, I'll post it. Pouring it out of the can and into a glass, the color shocked me a bit, being dark red, like a cranberry. I may have been expecting a yellow because maybe the can is yellow, but oh well, energy drink companies like to do that all the time. When I took the sip, a sneer on my face occurred almost instantly, being just totally unexpectant. Unlike the smell, I can find a weak and tart cranberry, in front of a wall of artificial flavoring, which most likely tastes similar to pineapple. Taking a few more sips to try and get the feel of this drink, I find more of a flowery ginger note in the background, but it becomes more prominent as you take larger sips, more often. I know the cause of this dull, artificial flavor, of course, nothing better than, high fructose corn syrup. For some reason, I thought I had sucorse and glucose heading my way, but due to the extreme dullness, I could now suspect HFCS is in here. If I were to relate this to one energy drink, I would say it tastes most like the Mojo, if you were to add cranberry and replace the sweetener with HFCS. Who's Your Daddy Cran-Pine has an aftertaste similar to that if you were to drink cranberry juice, raspy dryness in the back of your throat. Finding very little gumminess isn't too surprising, as I said there isn't too much sugar in a whole can of this. Looking at this drink from a different point of view, I may want to say that this would be your kind of drink if you were just getting into energy drinks and want something sweet, and slightly in depth.

As for ingredients, Who's Your Daddy seems to have the same ingredients as any other basic high fructose corn syrup filled energy drink would have. I'll try to list as many of these ingredients as I can: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, sodium citrate, taurine, caffeine, potassium sorbate, ascorbic acid, inositol, pantothenic acid, niacin, zinc sulfate, red 40, caramel color, yellow 5, yellow 6, ester gum, and Vitamin B. Of course, to all you energy drink experts, you know HFCs really can kill a drink, as it does with this one. I like seeing caramel color, although I know it plays a very little amount in giving this drink a caramel-like color. Per can, you get 220 calories and about 58g of sugar. This is about the same amount of nutrition as an average energy drink, although most HFCS filled energy drinks contain a higher amount of sugar for some reason. In one can, you get some nice energy ingredients, like 1600mg of taurine and 200mg of caffeine. Wow, although there's not as much taurine as usual, there's a rowdy 200mg of caffeine, which almost alwas results in an insane kick. Coming back sooner, I find myself pretty jitteriness with this caffeine, and I can't find much use for it, but to walk around. All in all, if you're already familiar with many energy drinks, this is just nothing special for you to want, but if you're just starting to get to know energy drinks, why not give it a shot? Jeff has a word for these types of average '7' rated energy drinks, 'Slammers', simply because they're a great one to slam down and enjoy a kick, taste totally aside.

Taste: 7 - Although I, myself, and a few other experts don't feel so great about this one, I may think beginners can enjoy it
Kick: 8.6 - Totally great and long-lasting kick
Overall: 7.6 - I wonder when Who's Your Daddy can impress us pending energy drink fans...

Reviewed by: Chan

Talon Sugar Free

For a while, now, I've been craving a quality energy drink, and since I had this, I decided to bust it out. Talon is not a name I'm familiar with, but Chan was very pleased with the regular Talon. My hope is that this one is just as good and that Talon can handle the sweetener properly. I'm taking a look in the ingredients and what's good to see is Acesulfame Potassium in conjunction with Sucralose, instead of Splenda alone. Right now, I wonder what this might taste like. My first guess is a take on that crisp Monster flavor found in many energy drinks, and since Chan liked the regular so much, I'm willing to bet this one will be almost as good. What else gives me a hint that this may be a quality drink is the really nice can design with a tribal bird of prey in yellow and some really nice tribal graphics over a black background. A nice can design often means a good drink. However, not always.

I took a whiff and my first thought was, "Wow." I haven't smelled something this crisp and fruity in a long time. The smell, described to the best of my ability, is sweet, non-bitter grapefruit with possibly a bit of tangerine that balances the flavor out a bit. The flavor is similar, however there is a little more grapefruit and some orange and possibly some lemon-lime. Midway through the sip, it's quite similar to a lemon-lime drink such as 7Up or Sprite. A bit of the way through a sip at the beginning, lots of sourness and a little bitterness from the grapefruit gives a pleasant tingle and then settles. As I pour this stuff out, it's got a cloudy bright yellow hue with no hints of gold or amber. As for the sweetener supporting these flavors, it does an okay job and doesn't taste very artificial at all, yet it does taste like this drink is diluted with water, similar to common sports drinks, like Gatorade. And what's also puzzling is the fact that though this tastes a bit diluted and it has no natural sweeteners whatsoever, only during the first few sips does gumminess appear. Yes, during the first part of this beverage, your mouth is filled with gumminess seeming to come from nowhere. What's good is after about half a can, once the drink has lost its carbonation, it's much smoother with less sourness and imparts much less gumminess, if any at all. Overall, this is a very good quality drink, I'd say for something sugar-free and I'd slam one down anytime.

Now, after drinking this it's only natural that I take a look at the ingredients and Nutrition Facts. A quick glance reveals this drink has quite a hefty offering of energy ingredients: Taurine (2000mg), Glucuronolactone (200mg), Panax Ginseng (200mg) Guarana (100mg), Caffeine (174mg per can), and Inositol (60mg). As for vitamins, Talon Sugar Free has a bit of a limited selection, including only Vitamins B6, B12, and Pantothenic Acid (B5). This decent range of energy ingredients provides a hefty kick with a bit of alertness, though I've noticed a strange trend. With every energy drink I've had recently, the kick has been somewhat sub-par, yet the day after, I have great alertness and energy. Others I know have also reported this and I'm hoping to investigate this phenomenon, but in the meantime I will only mention that the morning after consuming the Talon Sugar Free, I had no trouble whatsoever waking up or staying awake. I might be able to conclude through experimentation, that having an energy drink the night before could possibly affect your energy levels later.

Anyway, moving on, the rest of this drink's ingredients are as follows: Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate, Acesulfame Potassium ("Ace-K"), Modified Food Starch, Sucralose, Acacia Gum, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin (an emulsifier), Brominated Vegetable Oil, and coloring. What I gather from that list of ingredients is that there are many emulsifiers and thickeners used in this beverage, which I don't see the need for, but Talon must have found necessary. Overall, we have to keep in mind that energy drinks affect everyone in distinctly different ways, and thus I can't tell you how your body will react to this drink, or any drink for that matter. However, I can tell you that this drink, based on the energy ingredients held within, is one of the stronger drinks, near a Monster.

Taste: 8.6 - Very nice grapefruit/lemon-lime, excellent execution with the artificial sweeteners
Kick: 8.2 - A nice jolt
Overall: 8.4 - A good drink to slam down anytime, in my mind

Reviewed by: Jeff

Red Devil

When I check out Big Lots!, I've got to see what's new. This time, I saw Red Devil and had to pick up a can to review. At first sight, this doesn't seem very significant, but taking a closer look, I see this drink claiming to be the best tasting energy drink in the world. I find that a stretch, and I won't truly believe in it until I get a good taste of this. What I find interesting about this drink is that it's imported from Holland, which might mean authenticity. Holland, I believe, is in Northern Europe, North of Austria, which I've heard is sort of where energy drinks really took off. What else makes this drink very special is that I'm even holding it in my hands. Prior to 2007, Red Devil has not been available in the United States, however it has been extremely popular in many European countries and Russia. I'm not sure what I should expect from a drink imported from Holland, but I am hoping for quality.

Popping this can open, I'm not excited to smell a lame apple cider with a tiny burnt taste like HFCS in the Vitamin Water Power-C. Tasting this, then, it tastes the same with a little less burnt taste and more apple/green apple, much like apple cider. This being the second time around I've had it, the nasty burnt taste from the last one is lessened significantly and with a small tinge of cherry that fades and reappears. This time, it is actually pretty tasty, however some gumminess is also making its way through. I decided to pour this out into a glass of ice and I was pleasantly surprised with a wonderful orange/burnt sienna color like pumpkin pie and reminding me of October. The most prominent color is that orange, and there are highlights of yellow shining through; the color really is wonderful. Getting deeper into the taste, it's mostly glorious natural apple, but I can taste some pretty natural black cherry as well with that natural bitterness. This, however, is when it's hot. When cold, that horrid burnt HFCS flavor is back, the sweetness is absent and the already subtle flavor is nearly non-existant. However, when hot, this drink is very gummy and eats away at your teeth's enamel. Overall, this drink actually has a decent taste, but I don't appreciate the small nasty burnt taste at all.

On kick, Red Devil performs decently, mostly offering a bit of alertness and some mild energy. However, this is nothing compared to the incredible kick of a stronger drink, like Monster. I can't list all the ingredients for this review, since I seem to have unfortunately lost the can, however, I can assure you the level of sugar per 8oz was above 30. Also, this drink has Taurine, Caffeine, Vitamins B12, B6, B6, B5, B2 and Vitamin C for energy ingredients. I can't say how much of each, however, since Red Devil's website does not specify. I can only say this kick was mediocre and although I don't really enjoy these, I will have to look for another. 

Taste: 6.8 - A bit bland, yet interesting apple/cherry with a slight burnt HFCS taste
Kick: 6 - An average kick, nothing special
Overall: 6.5 - Due for a re-review, once again

Reviewed by: Jeff

Ex Pure Energy

I'm pretty sure there are drinks out there I need that are literally walking distance from where I am sitting typing this up right now. Going to my every-day local grocery store and seeing some Ex freshly stocked on the shelves really surprised me. So, obviously, I needed to grab a can or two and review it instantly, and I got them. I've definitely heard of Ex Pure Energy before, and I thought I never would find it, but I did and I'm extremely excited to crack this compact can open. I know that Ex Pure Energy is canned and made in the UK, so I think that's pretty neat to finally review a genuine foreign energy drink. Another oddity on this can is the design; it's a multi-colored man with his mouth wide open, showing white teeth and a red tongue. His face and hair seem to have colors all over him like red, orange, silver, yellow, and black, but it looks mostly splotches and abstract. I see their motto at the bottom of the can "The Natural Alternative" which obviously means it's got natural sweeteners and flavors. In fact, on the back of the can, there's a phrase saying, "No artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, or preservatives." Awesome.

I know my expectations are a bit high for Ex, but I strongly believe in a good flavor, I'm going to find out now. As I open up the can, I get an indicated scent of simple Red Bull with a whole lot of sweet sugar and a side scent of lemon-lime and grapefruit. Pouring it out of the can, I see a color that looks most like just any average Red Bull, golden-caramel-yellow-orange. Before I take I'm going to be a plain and boring Red Bull Clone, just nothing special, this disappoints me. But, on the other hand, Kombucha has a distinct flavor, so maybe it'll be better quality. Taking a sip, I'm extremely satisfied, and surprised, of the flavor I found. It's mostly an overly sweet red apple and grape combination, which is what Kombucha tastes most like, but it seems to be saturated with too much sugar. Behind the sweet Kombucha flavor is a nice, smooth Red Bull flavor that compliments the slight sour prominent flavor. It has a gentle aftertaste of just pure sucrose with some light fruitiness the finish it off. Drinking only 8 ounces seems to be enough, as it makes me feel sugared-out after about 6 ounces. Taking the first few sips made me instantly think that this one is going in the books for the best taste, but I couldn't imagine me wanting another can, after topping this one off. On carbonation, it's light on the tongue and pretty pleasant. Gumminess is not an issue for Ex as there's not a trace of it, because it's got no artificial sweeteners, nor HFCS, just 'natural beet sugar'. Overall, I'd say you would enjoy Ex only for the 8 ounces in comes in, otherwise, it's just too sweet to drink again, in larger quantities.

In one 8 ounce can, I'm pleased to see only necessary energy and flavoring ingredients, and having very little ingredients in all. It's full list reads as following: carbonated water, natural beet sugar, natural flavor, citric acid, guarana, Kombucha, caffeine, and Vitamins B & C. Well, you may have notice the odd sweetener 'natural beet sugar, and it's actually some pretty good stuff. Basically, beet sugar comes from a vegetable called the sugar beet, which contains high concentrations of sucrose and is grown commercially for sugar. Another ingredient you may find odd or confusing is Kombucha. Kombucha is surprisingly an energy ingredient containing organic acids, probiotics, and enzymes and helps your body find its natural balance, which promotes overall health. Per can, you get 140 calories, and an insane 35g of sugar. Now, remember it's 8 ounces, but say it was 16, you'd get 70g of sugar and 280 calories, perhaps a new energy drink record for Canned Reviews. Coming back a few hours later, I'll determine the kick was sub-par. Well, being that it's only 8 ounces and has a mere 80mg of caffeine, I can't say the kick was all that great. All in all, Ex Pure Energy was about average, the kick being lame, tasting sweet throughout the can, and good only for a few ounces.

Taste: 7.6 - It's awesome upon the first few sips, but as you top it off, it's just too sweet
Kick: 7 - A lame kick, although it's only 8 ounces and has just 80mg of caffeine.
Overall: 7.3 - I'd advise you get one of these and experiment it; again, it's only 8 ounces

Reviewed by: Chan

Xyience Xenergy Cran Razz

Previous experiences with Xyience have been a roller coaster ride. Being that most of the Xyiences are reviewed, I can conclude that you will not really know if you like it until you crack it open for yourself. What I'm trying to get out to you is, you have to select certain Xyience drinks because, really, some are terrible and some are amazing. My last encounter with Xyience was the Blu Pom, and I thought it ranked up there with the best sugar free energy drinks. Prior to that, however, I've tried the Big Apple, and the Pink Lemon, which were just plain disappointing. It may be because I love the Blu Pom, but something told me to review this one right now and it was the first drink to pop into my head. So, digging through my pile of energy drinks, I found the Cran Razz and immediately pulled it out with great hope. Xyience Xenergy appears to be a Japanese/Chinese energy drink company, being that there are Asian symbols on the can, but what really makes me laugh is that it's the official energy drink of the UFC. Xyience makes their logo stand out in an odd way because it's some sort of bar code, but it looks pretty neat to me. Okay, well that just about concludes the intro, let's taste it out.

Tearing open the tab and hearing a loud 'Pop' indicates it's time to go in for a scent. As I do, I find a nice blend of genuine cranberry, with a blast of wild berry, reminding me generally of the BooKoo Wild Berry Zero Carb. Pouring it into the glass, I was a bit unexpected of the color, being a dark and fluorescent purple hue, although I had thought it would be light red because of the berry combination. After swigging the drink from the glass, I can't say much positive thoughts of it as it tastes like a bland artificial cranberry-raspberry mixture. I'm trying the oh-so-helpful method of swishing it around in my mouth to see if I can find any real flavor, and I do. If you were to do this, you'd taste a more in depth sweet cranberry-raspberry flavor, with a nice, sour bite to it. It took me quite awhile to find out what this drink tastes most like...once I've figured it out, I feel pretty good. It tastes almost exactly like the Crunk Sugar Free, without the herbs and technical details to go along. Curious to find more flavor, I drink half the can to find that now, I am adjusted to the flavor and it appears to be more up front and a whole lot better. Numerous times have I had drinks like this, they start off either bland or nasty, but as you progress through the drink, you find it tastes pretty darn good. I would say that's the case with this Xyience energy drink. It's aftertaste is light on the tongue, being some artificial sugar and a bit of sweet, fruity flavor. On gumminess and carbonation, both of them are light, nothing too serious but pure enjoyment. Overall, this has to be the first Xyience that was in between great, and in between not-so-great. It has the flavor it needs and the potential to be ranked up there with the sugar free gods, just not enough of it.

Xyience packs some nice and decent ingredients in one can, most of them being relevant, and others not necessary. Here's the complete list of all the ingredients in a can of Xyience Xenergy: filtered carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, natural flavors, fruit and vegetable juice for color, gulucuronolactone, caffeine, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, D-Calcium pantothenate, guarana, Sucralose, ginseng, L-Carnitine, inositol, niacin, acesulfame potassium, pyridoxine hydrochloride, and cyanocobalamine. I just said how some ingredients weren't necessary, some in particular are Sucralose and fruit and vegetable juices. I'd like to see a sugar free drink sweetened with just good ol' acesulfame potassium, none of that artificial junk. No energy drink company but Xyience puts fruit and vegetable juice in their drinks, which really doesn't make a difference compared to all the other colors I've seen. In one 16 ounce can, you don't get any calories, nor do you get any sugar, but you get 30mg of potassium. The proprietary blend in a whole can (caffeine, guarana, ginseng, etc.) is 2,680mg, which is pretty weak, compared to a Monster. I can't argue with that because Xyience packs their drinks to give off a nice, long-lasting kick, that's just plain great. All in all, I wouldn't say Cran Razz is their worst drink, but it's definitely not as great as the Blu Pom. In fact, as a side note, if I were feeling kinda mellow, this is definitely a drink I would go for.

Taste: 7.4 - Nice, smooth, sour cranberry and raspberry flavor, I would most recommend this if you're just getting into energy drinks yourself
Kick: 8.2 - Once again, a great Xyience-brand kick always follows
Overall: 7.7 - My quest to try all the mysterious Xyiences moves on...

Reviewed by: Chan

Snickers Charged

This site is called Canned Reviews, but when you find an energy food, you've just got to have it. Snickers, without my knowledge, has apparently released Snickers Charged, a perfect fusion of two great things: candy and energy drinks. Now, I can get my daily dose of candy and my daily energy boost all at once! For the Snickers Charged, Snickers comes out with a sweet rapper with a silver background and a red ribbon striped across the wrapper and the word CHARGED heroically printed within the ribbon. At the end of the red stripe, there's a fierce rhino that gives a nice impression of power and strength. Down below the CHARGED, it mentions: With Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins, Milk Chocolate, Peanuts, Caramel, Nougat. Reading that list brings back good memories. I would say Snickers is probably my favorite candy bar, and fusing it with energy ingredients just makes it even better. This is my first experience with an energy food, so I'm taking it slowly.\


The bar's wrapper opens, not with a pop or twist, but a tear of the plastic. Inside is a chocolatey rectangular bar smaller than a typical Snickers bar that doesn't give away its true identity as an energy food. Taking a bite, it's mostly like a regular Snickers, except I think there's more nougat and chocolate, and it seems, less peanuts. This alteration in the recipe gives the bar a slightly more airy and less chunky texture. After the first bite, the flavor starts to get interesting, In the middle of the bite, I taste a bit of bitterness that goes along with the bar nicely, in my opinion, until you reach the aftertaste. Chocolatey, caramel, peanuty goodness fades away and you're left with a sugary aftertaste and some odd bitterness like bitterness from a B vitamin tablet that sticks around for a good minute, I'd say. And I understand that, because in an energy drink, you've got the same ingredients, in even higher concentrations, yet they're somehow more easily masked either because they're dissolved in more liquid, or because there's flavorings to mask them. Very often, energy drinks are very sour because sourness is an effective method of masking bitterness from energy drinks. Overall, this bar is undeniably tasty, with a very minor bitter aftertaste, at least in my mind, that's easily manageable.

Because this is a candy bar, and I don't doubt that some people consume these by the dozen, I'm fairly certain there isn't a large amount of caffeine in one bar. I check the wrapper and I'm correct, there are only 60mg of Caffeine, which isn't bad, but is less than your typical energy drink. Also, Taurine's in the mix, and it mentions there are 250mg of Taurine in one bar, meaning you could have 8 Snickers Charged candy bars to equal the standard amount of Taurine in most energy drinks:, 2000mg. Also, in 8 bars, there are 240 whopping milligrams of Caffeine. Those numbers are very much like a high-impact energy drink, yet, instead of receiving the typical 50-60g of sugar in one drink, you'd be having 200g of sugar and 2000 calories. Those are some pretty gruesome numbers, there, which tells you these were not meant to be had consecutively during short periods of time. Also, when I really read the ingredients list, I start to feel bad about having this:

Ingredients: Milk Chocolate (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Chocolate, Skim Milk, Lactose, Milkfat, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor), Peanuts, Corn Syrup, Sugar, Milkfat, Skim Milk, Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil/and or Palm Oil), Chocolate, Taurine, Lactose, Salt, Caffeine, Egg Whites, Vitamins (Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin B6, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Artificial Flavor.

However, having one or two, just like Snickers has many times claimed, can truly be very satisfying and the kick is good, giving me some great alertness.I strongly recommend this as a wonderful energy-snack.

Taste: 8.9 - Snickers; sooo goood...
Kick: 7.4 - I like the alertness
Overall: 8.5 - Strongly recommended; wonderful energy-snack

Reviewed by: Jeff

Mojo

Finding a drink with such a cliche name is always disappointing, like I've mentioned numerous times before, but there are names just outside of that box of cliche that can be quite clever. I found an energy drink called "Mojo", which has a name that really is basic yet perfect for an energy drink. A mojo is a type of magic charm, often of red flannel cloth and tied with a drawstring, containing botanical, zoological, and/or mineral curios, petition papers, and the like. It is typically worn under clothing. Knowing this, I'm expecting a drink that'll be magical tasting with a magical kick to follow after. After taking a good glance at the can, I see a nice tropical design, looking like it's originated from Hawaii. I believe the color variation leads me to believe this tropical design, being blue, like the clear blue water and the orange, like the sand above the water. It's font seems to be laid back, just like everything would look as if it were in the tropics. Now, you may be thinking "So, the can design is tropical, what does it have to do with the flavor, anyway?" You'd be surprised what flavors this has in it. Just by looking at the top of the can, I can see that I'll find flavors such as pineapple, ginger, and passionfruit; what a combination! Well, I can't say I can take this much longer, I'm going to crack this miniature open.

Upon opening the can, I'm expecting a mild scent of pineapple and passion fruit, and probably no ginger because it's less potent. I tear off the tab and find myself dying from amazing aroma of pure ginger and just a bit of passion fruit; I'd say it smells almost like the candied ginger you get with sushi at Japanese restaurants. Just like I would picture, it comes out of the can an orange-yellow color, just like Pina Colada, or perhaps if you were to mix pineapple, ginger, and passion fruit together. Now, here is where Mojo tends to be more distinct than any other energy drink I've tried. It's mostly a pure, spicy shot of ginger, with a nice tanginess from the pineapple and the passion fruit. As I'm tasting more of this magical Mojo, the tanginess from the passion fruit mainly seems to balance out that nice spicy ginger flavor. Beyond the tasty ginger, I can find a nice pineapple flavor that reminds me most of the Monster M-80 and a few Rockstar Juiced flavors. Although I'm describing this as a quite tasty energy drink, I have to tell you, if you are not the biggest fan of ginger, you most likely not enjoy this, if not hate it. Topping off the can, I conclude it's a big shocker as you take your first few sips, for it catches you off guard, but you'll adjust to it withing 3-4 ounces. I've been thinking about how I may rate this drink on taste. I don't want to rate it based on my views of the drink, but I can rate it on an average basis of what others may think of its flavor.

Per 8 ounce can, Mojo packs a list of mighty ingredients, from sweeteners, to fruits, and finally to energy ingredients. Here's the complete list, right from the can: carbonated water, sucrose, clarified pineapple juice concentrate, clarified passionfruit concentrate, guarana seed, natural flavor (Acacia gum, ester gum, yellow #8, xantham gum), taurine, glucotamine, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, ascorbic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, caffeine, and acesulfame k. I really enjoy seeing, first off, sucrose, as the primary sweetener in this can of Mojo because it allows for a clean taste and extreme drinkability. I then notice clarified pineapple and clarified passionfruit, but where's the natural ginger flavoring? Perhaps it's categorized under natural flavors. I want to inform all viewers interested in knowing what succinic acid and fumaric acid is. I believe succinic acid is an acid made from succinate and plays a biochemical role in citric acid, which is pretty cool because it's a substitute for citric acid in this drink. Fumaric acid is a bit similar to succinic acid, being a chemical compound and it plays a part of reforming citric acid. With only 24g of sugar in the whole 8 ounce can, I was not prepared for all that favor I was brought to. It's calorie count is a minute 100 calories, which is exactly the same as a serving of Monster. All in all, I was pleased for the most part with Mojo, though I can tell a select handful can have a complete opposite opinion, coming from people not liking ginger.

Taste: 7 - I want to give it a '7' on taste because I'm averaging viewer's thoughts of a spicy ginger/tangy tropical fruit energy drink
Kick: 7 - I can't be the most happy with the kick, for I haven't felt much, just a bit more tired
Overall: 7 - This is a drink that you don't really know what you're getting until you actually tear into it; so go ahead, it's definitely worth a try to grab a can...

Reviewed by: Chan

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Bomba Berry

Bomba is one of those sort of novel drinks Chan and I seek, which seem simple, yet come in a unique package. Rarely do you find an energy drink bottled in glass, and even more seldom do you find one that looks like a grenade. That's what makes Bomba special. In fact, bomba is a Spanish word for "bomb," seeming to assert that this drink will give you the energy of a bomb, maybe a grenade. Now, such an assertion so wild for this small of a drink seems absurd, but it's a good concept and goes with the traditional image you have associated with an energy drink. I haven't got much more to say about this drink except that after my experience with many berry-flavored drinks, I can easily predict how this will taste. But I don't want to waste time while my drink is waiting for me in the freezer.

Unlike most energy drinks and very much like a grenade, with plastic or aluminum or something peeling away from the cap with the use of a pull handle. With enough pulling, the entire cap pops off. The aroma that approached me was unlike anything I've ever smelled. As I pull my nose closer, it smells like luscious unwashed berries picked right off the bush, with some aromatic herbs or something. This is getting me excited. I don't think I've ever met a more amazing berry. Taking a small sip, I savor the wonderfully rich flavor of deliciously sweet wild berries and a hint of blueberry that isn't remarkably sour, but tastes extremely natural, even carrying along some earthiness that would come from the skin of the berries. Never in my days of reviewing have I tasted such a deep berry flavor so drinkable, and the glass bottle makes it even more enjoyable. Near the beginning, the carbonation is very fine, yet it does cause a bit of flavor loss, however, toward the end, the carbonation settles and makes this even more drinkable. A small downside or the Bomba, that I'm feeling right now is a little bit of gumminess that distracts from the flavor just a bit. However, I don't see it as a nuisance. Overall, I can call this a truly interesting and delicious drink.

Already, at the end of this bottle, I feel a nice amount of energy, which is causing my legs to tremble and my hands to become restless. I think this drink has served it's purpose well, as I'm fairly well energized. However, we need to know what's in the drink. In one 250mL bottle (8.4 fl. oz), we have 90 calories, 22g of sugar, 75 weak milligrams of Taurine, 63 decent milligrams of Caffeine, Vitamin E, and Niacin. Surprisingly, that's all. Yet, somehow, this is giving me the jitters. I'm not sure, but perhaps it is the environment I'm having this in. I'll have to further test this out.

After some exercising, I'm still pretty energetic and feeling good. I think around 63mg of Caffeine is a great number, since it's great for a small boost in energy and alertness, yet it was light enough to not keep me from falling asleep. I can easily recommend this to anyone, anytime, who can appreciate a berry flavor with some depth.

Taste: 8.4 - Natural, rich berry with some depth
Kick: 7.6 - Nice decent kick to get you buzzed, not jittery
Overall: 8.3 - I want another one of these

Reviewed by: Jeff

Jolt Ultra

Energy drinks are almost always unpredictable until you actually pop open the can and taste it for yourself. Having only tried sugar-filled Jolts, I'm a bit on edge to see how Jolt can handle a sugar free energy drink. So, if I don't find the flavor I'm looking for, there's always the long-lasting, amazing kick to follow. Jolts really do give you a jolt, with 220mg of caffeine, much more than a Monster, Red Bull, Rockstar, and even select energy shots. Because Jolts do not have a basic Monster Clone-type flavor, I have not the slightest clue what Ultra will taste like. After Monster flavors, the second most common is wild berry, so I might just go with that, berry and orange. However, noticing the lime-green and black can, I may find a flavor most similar to lemon-lime, I'm eager now to find out. Jolt has perhaps one of the coolest yet basic can designs, being about 75% black on the bottom and 25% green at the top. The green has strikes of silver lightning and 'Jolt' is slapped vertically on the can. So, eager enough to break this can open, I'll cut this off now.

The Jolt Ultra has a scent that's odd, most like lemon-lime with just a bit of wild berry essence, and that artificial sugar free scent that follows. After pouring the drink into a glass cup, I am not shocked to see a color that's just a plain and pale green, nothing really too special. Tasting it, I'm extremely disappointed, tasting a boring lemon-lime and berry flavored soda feeling, and reminding me of a lame flavored water. Taking more and more sips, I want to say now it's not gross or nasty, but I would only recommend it if you like bland and weak energy drinks. In general, the flavor is primarily lemon-lime, hardly any berry, and fades away fast, probably less than a second in the mouth. It reminds me a lot of Sprite, with about 500 times less flavor and less potent. In order to enjoy this drink to the max, I may decide to chug it, despite the amount of carbonation. After finding it hard to drink, I can't say I want to finish the can, for it virtually has no flavor, and just tastes like carbonated water. It's very lightly carbonated, allowing a smooth feeling going down the throat, although it seems heavily carbonated taking small sips. Like most other sugar free energy drinks, there's little to no gumminess. Overall, I can't say Jolt Ultra was nasty, but it will get a low rating because I found it hard to drink with no flavor added into it.

On ingredients, Jolt Ultra contains ingredients that are mostly similar to it's sugary Jolt siblings, with of course the exception of no real sugar. The ingredients go as following: carbonated water, citric acid, sodiumbenzoate, sodium citrate, concentrated orange juice (Ooooh!), Sucralose (Splenda a non-nutritive sweetener), caffeine, gum arabic, natural flavors, yellow 5, brominated vegetable oil, glycerol ester of wood rosin, taurine, guarana, ginseng, and B vitamins. Seeing orange juice from concentrate makes me wonder why I hadn't tasted that much orange, although I do recall some essences of it mixed in somewhere. I didn't add the parentheses at the end of Spenda, that was literally there listed on the ingredients list; talk about total agreement. Seeing the essential energy ingredients last in the list, makes me wonder what type of kick I'm feeling. Jolt is one of the companies that only focus on caffeine kick, caffeine kick, and only caffeine kick, which is something energy drink lovers aren't too fond of. Per can, it's easy to say that there's no calories, nor is there any sugar, although I really can't count a flavor, sugar or not. All in all, a lame sugar free energy drinks, probably the worst I've tried as it goes to the bottom of best sugar free energy drinks.

Taste: 3 - I can't recall tasting more than a drop of lemon-lime and orange flavoring mixed with carbonated water...
Kick: 8 - If you can finish a can of this weak Jolt, you'll get a nice caffeine buzz
Overall: 4 - I would recommend this drink highly to beginners getting into energy drinks

Reviewed by: Chan

Rip It Sting-er Mo

I've been wanting to get my hands on these new Rip Its since I knew about the Rip It line. That finally became a reality when our energy drink reviewing friend, Taurine Rules, sent it to us in a trade. I have loved Rip It for its simplicity and uniqueness ever since I learned about it. Rip It is a pretty straightforward brand that aims to offer a nice kick and some good flavor for a budget price. I know that these Rip Its are often sold in dollar stores and discount stores for around a dollar each. Now I'm wondering what this is going to taste like. I haven't the faintest notion what a "Sting-er Mo" is, and an internet search doesn't make it any clearer. Perhaps the flavor may shed some light on the meaning of its name.

I popped the can open, eager to get this in me, and the smell hypnotized me. It's quite similar to the tantalizing scent of a Monster, with a bit of the bite from the BooKoo Bite. As I take a swig, some fine carbonation tingles on the tip of my tongue and then a flavor like a cross between Monster and Monster Khaos comes through, with a very faint tangerine. This taste is similar to a Monster, but seems to have the cinnamon I often claim to taste removed completely. All I can identify is a sweet, yet faint tangerine/orange and something else that's incredibly familiar. It all takes me back to one drink, which possibly may be the Monster itself. I've been sipping this now for a while, and I still am not completely certain what this flavor is based on. The color isn't much of a hint, since it's the common amber-gold found in most energy drinks, but a little less saturated. Going over the rest of the drink, there's fine, painless carbonation that gives the drink nice texture and the gumminess is easily managable. Overall, I'm going to call this a simplified take on a Monster that isn't half-bad. Now I have to observe the kick.

Three hours later, I've got a good amount of energy, from those 172mg of Caffeine, yet my eyes are steadily growing heavy. I suppose that's because the primary energy ingredient in this is Caffeine, with fewer energy ingredients supporting it than the Monster. Along with the Caffeine, there are 101mg per serving of Inositol, which is an odd number, being one more than 100. Also, I see 8mg each total of Guarana Seed Extract and Ginseng Extract, which really is pitiful, considering I've seen more in a Sobe; I'd expect lots more from a full on energy drink. On Taurine, Rip It nicely beats Monster at 1016mg per serving, or 2032mg per can, 32 more milligrams per can. In the Supplement Facts, There are around 200% of Vitamin C, B6, Folic Acid, and B12 and there are 28g of sugar per serving, 58 total. The rest of the ingredients look like HFCS, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Caramel Color, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Maltodextrin, Sucralose, Calcium Disodium EDTA, and L-Carnitine. Something odd there is the L-Carnitine at the very end. I don't see a point to adding so little L-Carnitine that it probably doesn't make a difference. Also, what I don't like one bit is the Sucralose, lurking toward the end of the ingredients list. It seems impossible to escape the wrath of Sucralose, seeping into every sweetened beverage possible. Overall, the energy ingredients are decent, strong in some areas and weak in others, though I still have some oit was just a generic girl, but the name was attachteddd love for Rip It.

Taste: 8.6 - Tasty, smooth, though almost oversweet, Monster-like drink
Kick: 7.2 - Your average energy drink kick
Overall: 7.8 - A tasty jam drink, I say

Reviewed by: Jeff

Trek Nitro Blue Raspberry

Interestingly enough, foreign countries have their own take on American Gatorade, or even American Energy Drinks. Trek is Canadian Gatorade, which is pretty darn cool to me, finding it, although I've never even been to Canada. They then released their next wave of drinks named Nitro, which is fortified with taurine, caffeine, and B Vitamins and consisting of three general flavors. These flavors are Blue Rasberry, Grape, and Red Berry and have a ton of sugar, 71g in 20 ounces. Of course, all companies have their down times, and as you might now know, Trek has went out of business. I do recall trying Trek Nitro about 5 months ago and remeber it being insanely dull and way too sweet. I would say it took me a good few days to drink the whole bottle, as it took away all my craving for sweetness. Maybe my taste buds have matured, but if not, I know I'm in for a great deal of sweetness that I know will upset any persons stomach, like mine especially. Checking the sweeteners inside a bottle of Trek, I can easily see why this drink is dull, and too sweet. There's HFCS, as well as sucrose, and that is obviously too much for a sports drink. All I know is, if I were craving some sweet liquid to satisfy my need for sweetness and rehydrate me, it wouldn't be Trek. I really don't want to be choking on gumminess on the middle of the field.

Upon twisting off the handy cap with a hole type-thing for easy handling and peeling off the sealed plastic lid, I immediately find an aroma just like the Jolt Blue Raspberry, very pure berry. Just looking through the clear plastic, I note a blue color that is extremely deep, with no brightness whatsoever. Trek Nitro Blue Raspberry contains a flavor that is a bit of a let-down, having very little actual blue raspberry flavor, and just a sweet, sugary primary flavor, much different than the scent. Taking more sips, I feel just a bit tired already of the flavor, being just the same dull mild raspberry flavor with the sugary consistency of that stuff you feed to the hummingbirds. I had mentioned earlier, this stuff is meant to hydrate you and give you the energy you need for exercising, but I would not even attempt to use this throughout working out. It seems this is a drink that's good for the kids who like sugary sweet filled drinks, and just anyone else who isn't planning on doing anything physical. So in general, sure, it's a good, drink for the any day person, but doesn't accomplish it's psychical activity goal. On gumminess, I believe you know, it is a problem, but you know, with a lot of sugar comes a lot of gumminess. Since it's notably sweet, I've decided to come back when the drink is at room temperature to try it out. It tastes just a bit less sweet, and there is more of a corny flavor from the HFCS, with some raspiness from the berry. Overall, Trek Nitro failed to fulfill it's goal in making a sports drink, but it really isn't all that bad as just a plain old juice with energy ingredients.

On ingredients, Trek seems like just any other energy drink, standard ingredients. Trek's ingredients read as following: Filtered Water, high fructose corn syrup, sucrose, natural flavors, citric acid, taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, inositol, niacin, FD&C Blue #1, and B Vitamins. Mostly standard ingredients, but as you see, HFCS and sucrose do not really mix, but just produce an offset sweetness. Per 20 ounce bottle, you get a massive 290 calories and an even larger 71g of sugar. I would always say how it's healthful to split these kinds of sugar-loaded energy drinks with a sibling or relative, or even a friend, you can also stow it away in the fridge and enjoy it later too. Based on what I felt an hour after drinking about 16 ounces, I can let you know it's just about the same kick you'll find from a Monster, but add another few ounces and the kick is just a bit better. The kick lasts about 3 hours and is mainly jitteriness, with very small amounts of focus here and there. All in all, I can't say I thoroughly enjoyed Trek Nitro drinking all of it, but I didn't find it as bad as I had prior to reviewing it. A helpful tip: if you're wanting a drink for refreshness during activities such as sports or exercising, do not seek out a sugary drink such as this one, just stick with plain old water and have an energy drink afterwards.

Taste: 7.2 - Not a bad blue raspberry flavor, but gets boring towards the end
Kick: 8.3 - Although it has standard energy ingredients, it is 20 ounces, which means it's got an above-average kick
Overall: 7.6 - I would say, stick with Jolt Blue Raspberry if you were up for a raspberry flavored energy drink

Reviewed by: Chan

Talking Rain Fusion Energy Orange Mango

A good friend got me this, after I inquired as to what he was drinking. He pulled out the Talking Rain Fusion Energy Orange Mango. It definitely looked tasty and I am a great fan of Talking Rain, a nice line of very tasty gourmet mineral water drinks. I hadn't even considered the fact that they might have an energy drink. It turns out they do, and it's one of a line of three different drinks that don't all have to do with energy. Overall, the design of this drink is pretty simple, with a soft gradient from green to white and a handwritten "Talking Rain" going up the side. I also find this bottle appealing, being the shape it is, thin and tall. Possibly it's aimed at women, such as many tall, thin products. What else points to it being marketed toward women is the fact that it's sugar-free. In many drinks, that means horrible aftertaste, but hopefully Talking Rain will have pulled it off well enough to make this more drinkable than all the other sugar-frees on the market.

This cap, instead of making a loud pop, makes a barely audible twist and a crack of plastic. Sniffin' this, I don't think sugar-free immediately. The smell is way too good to deter me. There's a strong orange scent like orange oil and wonderful orange pulp or orange juice that's enticing. If you smell beyond that, you get a sweet whiff of natural and delicious, smooth mango pulp. This wonderful smell is added to a fresh mineral water smell. As I take a sip, I first taste clean, refreshing spring water and some pulpy mango. Then, a taste like orange pulp comes through and takes over momentarily before a wave of sourness from citric acid or some sour agent in the drink, a sensation similar to watered-down 5-Hour Energy. Finishing it up, the sweetness pairs with the sourness and leaves some artificialness from the Sucralose and Acesulfame-K. I give Talking Rain kudos for pulling off a very natural and organic-tasting Orange Mango drink with my least favorite sweetener Sucralose, and my choice artificial sweetener, Ace-K. This beverage is easily drinkable and is very refreshing cold, considering it's spring water, with minerals. Though this is sugar-free, I'd recommend it to most anyone who enjoys orange/mango and bottled drinks.

I wouldn't expect a drink like Talking Rain to have many energy ingredients, but even these small amounts disappoint me. Per 17 oz bottle, you only get 34mg of Caffeine, 40mg of Panax Ginseng, 4 tiny milligrams of Grape seed extract, and 80mg of Green Tea Extract. For vitamins, you see 40% across the board of Vitamin C, B3, B5, B6, and B12. And because this is a sugar-free, zero calorie drink, the complete Nutrition Facts is comprised of zeros. The rest of the ingredients include Artesian Spring Water, which sounds fancy and makes this a very refreshing beverage, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Potassium Sorbate, Gum Arabic, Ester Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Monopotassium Phosphate (Electrolyte), and Beta Carotene for color. Overall, the ingredients list doesn't impress me, but the taste, combined with the fact that it's done right with artificial sweetners is marvelous. The kick from this should be similar or a bit more than a soda and right now, I must admit I have a fair amount of energy. This is a good choice if you're thirsty and need a revival during the middle of your day, when you're the most tired.

Taste: 8.2 - Refreshing, wonderful sugar-free orange/mango
Kick: 7.5 - Performs well in the mild energy drink category
Overall: 7.8 - Not a bad pick-me-up

Reviewed by: Jeff

Xyience Xenergy Blu Pom

Seeking out energy drinks are always fun, as I've stated before, especially when they have weird labels, like Xyience or Xenergy. Names like these usually mean a great drink, and I mean great. From previous experiences with Xyience, I think they are a good energy drink company, strictly sticking with Sugar Free energy drinks, and containing some odd ingredients. The problem I've faced with Xenergy is that when you crack it open, it tastes incredible, but by the time you're half way through the can, it tends to get pretty artificial and just plain terrible. Being a big fan of pomegranate, I hope to not see a disappointment to my favorite fruit. I am mostly convinced to see 'Blu' in front of 'Pom', probably insisting on a different color, and maybe another fruit put into the mix. I might also want to mention Xyience produces an amazing kick, with no exceptions. I'm positive this can is themed on an Asian style, but I can't be too sure if it's Chinese or Japanese. There are two Asian words on the can that may mean Xyience Xenergy. Because I'm in dire need of energy, I'll cut this short and just open up the can

After tearing into this can of Xyience, I am not too surprised at it's scent, being a warm blueberry, cranberry, and pomegranate aroma, very pleasing. Poured out of the can into a clear glass, it has the color of pomegranate juice and blueberry, but not really intensely dark. It's something Xyience does or puts into their energy drinks that give it that Jolly Rancher type flavor, just like drinking liquid hard candy. Imagine the blueberry Jolly Rancher with an equal amount of pomegranate added into it, with very little traces of mixed berry. For a sugar free drink, I find not too much artificialness, but oddly gumminess. I've come across just about every Xyience energy drink, and I have to say, Xyience sure knows how to create a pomegranate and berry infused sugar free energy drink. Chugging this drink fast, it tastes a lot like jam you put on toast for like breakfast, almost like the Go Fast. Unlike what I've noted previously with Xyience, I find this drink to be interesting throughout the whole can, every sip being refreshing and just flat out tasty. Finding a mild aftertaste, I'll conclude it's most like that jam I was just saying, but just mild in general. On carbonation, I discovered a heavy amount, almost like a soda, but I believe it just improves the energy drinks presence, especially in sugar free drinks. It's slightly gummy, with the two important sugar free sweeteners, Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium, but not as much as if it were sweetened with HFCS. Overall, I'll have to say Xyience has won, in making the best pomegranate/mixed berry sugar free energy drink.

Ingredients wise, energy drinks vary, but usually sugar free energy drinks have much more energy drinks, just to as complex as it should be. Xyience's energy ingredients are as following: filtered carbonated water, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, natural flavors, vegetable juice for color, glucuronolactone, caffeine, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, Vitamins B, guarana, ginseng, Sucralose, L-Carnitine, Inositol, and acesulfame potassium. Xyience has to be one of the only companies that put in vegetable juice for color, but I guess it's good because Xyience really does have a beautiful color. It really is a shame Sucralose has to be in every sugar free energy drink (And in some regular energy drinks too), but I think scientists are working hard to create something similar, but not as artificial. I'll have to look more into that. Per can, you do not get any calories, nor do you get any sugar, which, to me, is amazing. Finding this much flavor with so little artificialness is what it takes to be on the top 10 of our favorite sugar free energy drinks. All in all, I continue to say, Xyience has really stepped it up on this flavor of energy drinks alike, compared to their other sugar free siblings.

Taste: 8.4 - Very impressive pomegranate/berry sugar free energy flavor
Kick: 8.6 - With nice ingredients comes a kick lasting for a few hours
Overall: 8.5 - If you have read our Xyience reviews, you'd know by know which Xyience to go with if it comes to that situation

Reviewed by: Chan