Vegas Fuel Sugar Free

I needed a boost today, and I still had this, so I pulled out the Vegas Fuel Sugar Free. Vegas Fuel has a very clean, strong look, and the original was quite tasty, so I'm very optimistic about their sugar free flavor. Words that come to mind when I think about this drink include expensive, elegant, and quality. Because I've already been told by Chan that this is a phenomenal drink, I have high hopes. The side of the can gives us a little blurb about the drink very stylishly with the words: "All of the tropical punch flavor and none of the 'guilt.' Get ready to go non stop." I do remember from drinking the original a very tasty punch flavor, but now I'm about to go in depth with what Vegas Fuel calls an "Energy Drink Experience." I want to thank Vegas Fuel very much for giving us some samples to review.

My first word as I open the can is "Wow," as I was surprised by the very quick and quiet opening. Vegas Fuel, instead of releasing lots of gas and making a loud hiss, abruptly pops open with two metallic clicks. That must be part of the experience and it comes across as unique and interesting. The liquid splashes out of the can a bit and I can see it's a rosy red, much like pomegranate. As I move in for a sip, I smell the bite of the fruity tropical punch that I might classify as sour grapefruit and pineapple with everybody's favorite signature punch fruits in the background. A sip reveals to me a light and moderately carbonated tropical punch flavor that I like a lot. Unlike Hawaiian Punch, Rockstar Punched and many more popular punch drinks, Vegas Fuel goes easy on the sweetness and really ramps up the flavor, something I like very much in an energy drink. Vegas Fuel Sugar Free comes across with a mild but satisfying sweetness along with a strong and unique punch that lingers a bit longer than the sweetness. The artificial sweetener in the drink is done perfectly, since the drink goes down smoothly without distracting me with an aftertaste. Focusing on the flavors in the drink, I think I can pinpoint cherry, pineapple, grapefruit, orange, maybe guava, and possibly lemon. It's pretty tough, because the flavors are so close they only make me think about punch. Whatever the exact components of the flavor may be, Vegas Fuel Sugar Free is just as delicious a drink as the original, and I imagine that this would be a very good drink for mixing.

Vegas Fuel Sugar-Free ingredients include Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Taurine, Natural & Artificial Flavors, Sodium Citrate,Glucuronolactone, Caffeine, Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Panax Ginseng Extract, Guarana Seed Extract, Sucralose, Niacinimide, Inositol, Acesulfame Potassium, FD&C Red #40, Gum Acacia, Ester Gum, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, and Cyanocobalamin. It looks like a pretty standard ingredients list. As for the kick, I can say I was pretty energetic for a good three hours or so, but not jittery. Overall, I would recommend this drink for it's great flavor and because it'd be a great mixing drink.

Taste: 8.9 - Toned down sweetness, awesome strong tropical punch flavor
Kick: 7.4 - Not the most intense kick, though up to par with some of the big brands
Overall: 8.5 - Good and tasty drink for mixing

Reviewed by: Jeff

All In Grape

I want to give Jeff a chance to review All In Grape, since I knew he was looking forward to this. I wanted put in just a short review on my behalf for the taste, as I wanted to review it as well. One last thing: props to David for finding me a few cans to review; thanks, man.

Chan's take: All In Grape has a real natural grape scent, with a just hints of artificialness, once cracked open. There really aren't too many grape energy drinks out there, so there really isn't much to expect. The only grape energy drink I can recall having is the Amp Traction, and one was pretty darn good. Pouring it into a cup, I notice the color is not an expecting purple, but a dirty, clear carbonated water color. For the most part, it's clear, but with a slightly dark, brown tinge to it. Hoping for the best, I swig a few ounces I poured into my glass cup...This All In Flavor has a nice, pure grape flavor to it, with some subtle blandness in the background. Tasting more, the bland, artificial flavor seems to envelope the quick-vanishing grape flavor. As I may recall, All In Grape is completely sugar free, and has 10 calories, hence the monstrous wave of artificial bland flavor. About 4 months ago, I remember reviewing the Bawls Guaranexx Sugar Free, which was just nasty, bland, artificial. The All In Grape has that same exact flavor alongside the smooth grape, which nearly ruins the drink. About halfway through the drink, it's tough to find much grape flavor, as it's mostly that unappealing artificialness. It's aftertaste seems to be nothing extreme, just a light tinge of Sucralose on the tongue, simple and unnoticeable. All in all, I feel I was a bit let down by the flavor of All In Grape, look at Jeff's final paragraph for ingredients/kick.

Jeff's take: Poppin' open the All In, I'm curious about the flavor. As I touch my nose to the top, I smell a fairly satifying cool grape that reminds me of cough syrup. It's always a joy to drink out of these compact little 8oz cans. As I take a sip, I taste some of that same grape that isn't bad and then the delicious sweetness that comes along with it from the Acesulfame Potassium and a tiny bit of Sucralose. Now, knowing this to be grape-flavored, I'm curious about the color. I've seen many shades of purple in my time reviewing and I'm eager to see what color All In has devised. I'm surprised to see instead of a lustrous shade of deep purple or violet, a simple crystal-clear color. That's quite odd, but I like it, because I'm not distracted by the color of the drink. Instead, I have a delicate and elegant clear, bubbly drink that makes me think about taking another sip. Although I have come to dread many sugar-free drinks, All In excels with a delicious combination of Ace-K and Sucralose, hardly at all tasting nasty or like a "fake sweetness," as I have come to call it. Indeed, All In's decision to use Ace-K was a wise one and it makes me happy. As I've heard, All In is designed with poker players in mind and because of this, the flavors are mild and enjoyable without too much complexity in order to not distract from the game. Exploring the flavor of the drink, I find that this is true. The smell of All In is that of sharp concord grape on a light grape backdrop. The beginning of a sip is smooth and All In is very thin to protect from gumminess. From there, the flavor develops somewhat but tries not to be overwhelming at all. After the peak, when the carbonation only barely tingles the tongue, the flavor subsides and starts to taste a bit fruitier. Finally, you are left with some very slightly bitter grape and the aftertaste of the Acesulfame Potassium. Overall, All In Grape is a drink with a mild and barely addictive artificial grape flavor meant to keep you focused on your game when you want something to drink. I'm just irked by one aspect of this drink. Although I applaud All In's choice to use Ace-K, I dislike the accumulating artificial sweetener aftertaste that it leaves behind. I doubt this would become a problem, except to the more refined consumers, with finely-tuned taste buds.

The energy ingredients in All In include: Carbonated Water, Taurine, Natural Grape Flavor with Other Natural Flavors, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Acesulfame Postassium, Inositol, Caffeine, Herbal Blend (Astragalus, Panax Ginseng, Panax Quinquefolium, Schisandra), Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sucralose, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyrodoxine HCL, Red 40, Folic Acid, and Cyanocobalamin. All In contains all your usual energy ingredients, inluding Caffeine, Inositol, Ginseng, and Taurine. But what I also like about the drink is the interesting herbs added. Astragalus is a plant native to China that has a yellow root and is a big part of Chinese medicine. Astralagus's function is essentially to strengthen the body's immune system and it's also used in Chinese energy tonics taken daily at certain times of the year. Quinquefolium, I've learned, is very much like Ginseng, although it grows in America, thus the name American Ginseng. Schisandra, as it turns out, is also Chinese and posseses many beneficial qualities. It is good for the immunte system, while it also relieves the body from anxiety and stress and perks energy levels. Overall, I'd say All In Grape is, in fact, a drink that will provide some energy along with concentration and all-around vitality.

Taste: 6 - Smooth grape flavor, lame artificial secondary flavor though...
Kick: 8 - Not a bad kick, actually, for an 8 ounce can
Overall: 7 - There are a few more flavors of All In, I want to see how they can improve after this barely-average energy drink

Reviewed by - Chan and Jeff

All In Citrus

You all know how Sugar Free drinks can either be a disaster or a success, looking at our reviews, by what artificial sweeteners and how much of it added are in the drink. As I reviewed the All In Grape a few days ago, I noted that the first few sips were really flavorful and had a lot of depth, but as I progressed through the can, I found myself unhappy with the large amounts of Sucralose tasted in the small 8 ounce Poker-related energy drink. Shortly after, I found some All In Citrus at an Albertson's who seemed to just freshly stocked their shelves with this lemony-orange All In. Of course I'm giving it another chance, and from what I've reviewed, it's very difficult to mess up on a citrus energy drink, but trust me, I've seen it happen. Every All In poker drinks are made sugar free and with only 10 calories, so if one is sweetened with Sucralose, you can bet all of them are (Pun intended). One thing I have to say is that I love All In's can design. Being a fan of Poker myself, I find this can neat with a poker chip enveloped in citrus-colored flames and a faded gray dragon in the background. This isn't the first time I've seen Asian writing on a can, as there's some word I do not know on the face of the chip. Oh well, it may not be that important.

Tearing open this small 8 ounce can, I search for an aroma and find a weak, semi-artificial blend of lemon, lime, orange, and tangerine, bringing back those bad memories of terrible citrus drinks. Pouring it into a glass and out of the can, I note a color of bright, cloudy yellow, assuming the color of a lemon, rather than an orange. After a first quick swig of the can, All In Citrus seems to taste most like Diet Sprite, except with a powerful bittersweet shot of Sucralose, that tends to kill the drinks flavor. The Sucralose is so powerful in this that I think there's more flavor from that than there is from the citrus flavorings. After you get past the wall of artificialness, you find a nice blend of mainly lemon and lime, with a few notes of orange, and very little tangerine. Sipping more and more, the Sucralose becomes more subtle in the drink and allows for more of the real flavors to come in and mix together. The aftertaste is that of really burnt fruit or burnt sugars, almost like what you find in Gatorades. The carbonation is smooth and light, also helping bring in some natural flavors. It's not gummy for the most part, just a bit of build-up on the back of your throat, nothing too extreme. Overall, All In Citrus definitely had that same lame Sucralose mixture in it, but once you get past that, you find a decent lemon-lime conbination that really isn't that bad for a sugar-free drink.

All In Citrus is one of the few American-Made drinks, as in, most of the ingredients come from America itself. The full list is right here: Carbonated Water, taurine, citric acid, natural Citrus flavor with other Natural Flavors, ascorbic acid, acesulfame potassium, inositol, caffeine, herbal blend (Astragalus, Panax ginseng, Panax Quinquefolium, Schisandra), sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, Sucralose, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine HCL, yellow 5, folic acid, and cyanocobalamin. I enjoy the fact that acesulfame potassium is high up on the list, which means that the aritificial sugar is a bit better quality, and how Sucralose is lower on the list. Theres' also some pretty good energy ingredients in here, sure get me jittery for at least a little while, about 2 or 3 hours. Per can, you get only 10 calories, and obviously not one drop of real sugar, all coming from Sucralose and Ace K. Though the caffeine count isn't listed, you get a hefty amount of B vitamins per can, and some good Vitamin C (ascorbic Acid). Just as I had predicted, the kick is pretty good, a lot of focus is present, with some decent amounts of jitteriness, and a bit of alertness to go along with it. All in all, All In had some good highs and some bad lows, being way to aritificially sweet, yet there's still some great natural lemon-lime and orange flavorings that reminded me mostly of Diet Sprite.

Taste: 7.5 - Decent lemon-lime orange flavor; too much Sucralose though
Kick: 8 - Pretty good kick, with mostly jitteriness and some focus
Overall: 7.6 - I'd definitely recommend this over the All In grape, but don't put your bet in on anything else just yet...

Reviewed by: Chan

Tight!

In the realm of energy products, you've also got your weight-loss and workout aids, often times in the form of drinks. By a stroke of luck, I've come across Tight!, a fat-burning workout aid energy drink, which I found at a dollar store. The fact that this was only a buck could mean something about this drink, but I'm not too bothered; I'm only glad to have a drink like this for under two bucks. Tight comes in a unique package, a compact 8oz aluminum bottle with a twist-off plastic cap. The word "Tight!" is slapped upon the front of the bottle in big, bold, stylish small-cap letters and beside it, it claims to burn fat and increase energy. Tight! also tells us that it contains natural and artificial flavors and is Aspartame-free. I like the simple and clean packaging of Tight! and its use has me eager to test it out.

Tight! has me remove a plastic wrapper and twist off the bright yellow cap. I decide that it makes sense to shake and I shake the bottle vigorously. Peering into the wide opening, I notice the color to be a sort of cloudy pinkish-tan color. When I catch a whiff, I'm half disappointed and half excited. The smell isn't too pungent, and it smells like a half-natural, half-artificial black cherry and not much else. Sipping this, the first thing I notice is that it's very thin, which is very good if you're expecting to exercise. You don't want a drink that'll choke you with its gumminess. When I get to the flavor, I'm very delighted. I meet a very, very nice, sweet cherry with a little clean nuttiness on the side that adds texture. Tight! is not carbonated which also makes it very smooth. The sweetness associated with this is also very tasty, coming from a combination of Ace-K and Sucralose. I must say this drink is very refreshing and also extremely tasty, already making it a winner with me. The cherry is a perfect combination between fruity, pulpy, natural cherry and smooth artificial cherry, and I'm getting the feeling that there's some almond in here. At the end of your sip, the Ace-K and Sucralose linger as they do in every drink. Depending on your stance on artificial sweeteners, this may be irritating or no problem at all. This drink is only starting to get old about a third of the way in, but I'm not stopping for that reason. A third of the way in, I'm already feeling a good boost, and I feel like I could work it off right now. This is where I will pause and let these supplements work their magic.

Wow! When this drink claimed to increase energy, it wasn't kidding. One-third of a bottle delivered heaping mounds of energy, which blew me away. I knew this would be huge when I started feeling jittery right after taking a few sips. I can't begin to comprehend what in a normal energy drink would yield such an intense boost. I have to look closely at Tight!'s energy list, or what they call, "Proprietary Thermogenic Complex." A mere 375mg of this complex amounts to insane amounts of energy. This thermogenic blend contains a plethora of new substances for me: Caffeine, Green Tea Extract, EGCG, Synephrine, Pure Guggulsterones E &Z, Sclareolide, Yohimbine, Vinpocetine, and Bioperine. I think I'm in for a good fifteen minutes of researching nearly each one of these one by one. First, EGCG is a substance abundant in tea that is an antioxidant, and may protect the skin from UV rays. This substance is also believed to be and has been shown in tests to promote weight loss by burning more calories in the body. Now that I know that, I understand why it's found in Tight! And I think I'll drink more green tea. Next is Synephrine, a drug that is also aimed at promoting weight loss, although there might be slight concern with this one as it could pose risks in conjunction with caffeine. Guggulesterones, from what I've found, are another type of substance aimed at burning fat. This one scares me a bit, seeing that it's related to body building, but I'll bypass that for now. Sclareolide, as far as I can tell, is used for fragrance and flavor, which I find odd, but whatever. Yohimbine is another drug, coming from the bark of a West-African tree, that claims to be an aphrodisiac, although it also is meant for, once again, fat burning. In higher doses, Yohimbine, like a lot of these other substances, has its risks, including high blood pressure, insomnia, and anxiety. At this point, I'm not too comfortable with this ingredients list, but I am thankful I only drank a small portion. The second to last ingredient is Vinpocetine, which is what they call a vasodilator, an agent that dilates, or opens up, your blood vessels, which would improve your performance in exercise. Vinepocetine also improves memory, being a cognitive enhancer. All of these very odd and interesting ingredients have their risks, which worries me. I might now understand why this is at the dollar store. The contents of this, to most people except body builders, are extremely potent. A mere one-third bottle was enough to keep me wired and totally pumped for a good thirty minutes, or about as long as it took me to workout. From then, I felt a little fatigued and decided to eat. Overall, I wouldn't straight-out recommend Tight!, but I would remark upon its incredible energy-giving and fat-burning formula.

Taste: 7.6 - A very strong, sweet flavor, to be expected from a thermogenic
Kick: 9.8 - Intense energy, even a bit dangerous
Overall: 8 - I wouldn't take my chances with one, but this is very potent

Reviewed by: Jeff

Vegas Fuel

Happy Holidays, everyone! What could be better during the holiday season than to crack open a nice energy drink? Well, I got found myself a can of Vegas Fuel, courtesy of Vegas Fuel themselves, and I'm ready to crack this one open and taste it. Sure, most people have been to Vegas or will go to Vegas at least once in their life, and I'm sure that if you were to go there, you'd find a whole lot of these laying around in stores and such. I, myself, am not a big fan of Las Vegas as it's crowded nearly everywhere you go, but I usually take advantage of the times I'm there by scouring the area for some good energy drinks to review. So far, I've found all Xyience drinks out there, Deton 8 and Deton 8 Sugar Free, Red Bull Cola, Talon Drinks, DNA drinks, Bionic Tonic, Go Fast, and many others I may not be able to remember right now. I can recall seeing Vegas Fuel the most, out of all the times I've been searching, as the label speaks for itself. A very simple yet sleek can design shows nothing to me, in terms of possibly even a hint at the flavor, but I'll have to go with a Monster Clone, as it may be just another "Cloned" brand. "Vegas Fuel" is printed vertically across the front of can, which is also in front of a black background and a random red circle. Okay, well, let's give this one a shot.

Opening up the small, 8 ounce can, I find an aromatic blend of strong, blossomy strawberry, cherry, and assorted other berries and reminds me most of Hawaiian Punch soft drink. Pouring it into a clear glass cup, I note a color resembling almost blood, or dark red for you "squeamish" people, except with a whole lot of carbonation. After the first few sips, I know I wasn't expecting what I tasted, being a refreshing blast of pure cherry, pineapple, cranberry, strawberry, raspberry, lemon, orange, and a bit of lime. As those flavors are listed, I made sure they are in order from most presence to least presence. So, as you can see, cherry is the prominent flavor here in this Vegas Fuel, but it also reminds me of a nice can of Hawaiian Punch, except carbonated and a bit less sweet. Hitting almost half way, there's more of a motion to the drink as it goes into the mouth. At first sip, all the flavors hit your tongue at once, and all fade quickly into a diluted mixture of corn syrup and just overall blandness that makes you want to sip a bit more to get that flavor away. It ends with a nice, sour-sweet bite to it, just like if you were to eat a raspberry or strawberry; just the same tasty bite that pinches the sides of your cheek. I can assure you that there's high fructose corn syrup in this without even looking at the ingredients because of the dullness that brings down the great punch flavors. It's not gummy however, which isn't too common now with high fructose corn syrup. It's nicely carbonated, less carbonated than most other energy drinks I've seen, which really brings out the nice punch flavor. Overall, Vegas Fuel's flavor will really deliver a powerful punch flavor you may need to be partying in Vegas and to quote Vegas Fuel, "Put a little Vegas in you."

In one small can of Vegas Fuel, the ingredients are standard, but the kick is top-notch. All of Vegas Fuels ingredients are listed as followed: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, natural flavors, glucuronolactone, caffeine, D-calcium pantothenate, potassium sorbate, sodium beonzoate, panax ginseng, guarana extract, niacin, inositol, L-Carnitine, gum acacia, ester gum, pyridoxine hydrochloride, FD & C blue #1, and cyanocobalamin. Nice ingredients. I'm glad to not see Sucralose, which tells me that Vegas Fuel hasn't fallen into that "Trend" of adding Sucralose into every drink, at least not yet. Per 8 ounce can, you get a decent 110 calories and only 26g of sugar. Wow, I'm extremely impressed on Vegas Fuel's sweetener plan, with only 26g of sugar per can, it's sweeter than a Monster, but without the sugar! As for energy ingredients, taurine is standard, having 1,000mg of it, and caffeine is on the average side coming in at 75mg per can. For a small can like this, I received an uplifting kick with a decent amount of alertness, but not enough to get me jittery, as I would enjoy to have another 8 ounces. All in all, Vegas Fuel made a great first impression and I strongly believe you should pick yourself up one of these next time you're hanging around in Las Vegas in the near future.

Taste: 8.2 - Great, strong cherry-pineapple-strawberry punch flavor, reminding me, personally of cherry Jell-O!
Kick: 8 - Decent kick for an 8 ounce can; it's recommended you look for a 16 ouncer for some great energy
Overall: 8.1 - A considerable drink to have if you're into punch

Reviewed by: Chan

CRUNK Berry

No way. We got ourselves the newest CRUNK!!! flavor yet, CRUNK!!! Berry. Berry can have many different 'moods' to it, and I've come across many that are bland and just the same, though there are a few that can impress by standing out. Out of the previous three flavors CRUNK!!! has released, I've noticed a slight flavor variation between the flavors they are meant to be. For example, the CRUNK Citrus was supposed to taste like just citrus, however, it came across as lemonade with a nice herbal twist to it. CRUNK original and Sugar Free are supposed to be pomegranate, though again, it was pomegranate with a great herbal twist. If you catch what I'm saying, you'll see why I believe this CRUNK!!! Berry, right here, will be one of the most different tasting berry energy drinks around. I want to put in an accurate prediction here: I'll say it'll have a smooth cherry, raspberry, and cranberry ensemble, with a hefty mixture of Original pomegranate and the 'trademark' herbal flavor. One thing I noticed here with this can is the deep color it brings out. Crunk has stayed with the same general can design, but just mixed up the colors, depending on the flavor. I see they went with a smooth purple, being that most berries are darker, like purple, and some blue. Well, thanks again Regis for supporting us and supplying us with some tasty CRUNK!!! This is for you.

Jeff's take: I wait a second to enjoy this spectacular moment. Coming close for a smell, I'm greeted by an overwhelming grape smell like very strong grape soda and grape juice and a little bit of cranberry in the background. Through all the other CRUNK!!! drinks, the herbal blend has had a prominent smell, but this is the first I've had that doesn't show it right away. As I take another moment to sniff it, I pay close attention for the herbal blend, but I fear that it may end up smelling like strong B Vitamins instead. As I pour it out to see the color, I observe an extremely dark violet/purple, that of concord grape juice. Excited to take the first sip, I only take a small one. There's the same grape, but it's preceded and followed by CRUNK!!!'s signature herbs which may be easily mistaken for B Vitamins. That worries me, and although CRUNK!!! is a wonderful drink, I can imagine how this would be redone. Similarly to the regular and sugar-free CRUNK!!!, this one's herbal blend distracts just a bit from the sweetness, making it a little less addictive than I would like it to be. Unlike the CRUNK!!! Citrus and very much like the first two CRUNK!!!s, this one is a bit of an acquired taste and I find myself warming up to the flavor gradually. After a few more sips, the proprietary blend fades into the background and the primary flavor takes center stage, making this a more addictive drink. One thought that runs through my mind is that this flavor is a little too similar to the original CRUNK!!! for my liking. Grape is a wonderful flavor, but when you pair it with the same Cranberry in the original drink, you get something only a bit better. I thought CRUNK!!! had a great hit with their CRUNK!!! Citrus, an absolutely delicious drink, because it was radically different than the original flavor. Well, as I'm warming up to this, I'm liking it more and more, but I would still suggest a more "berry" flavor to separate it a bit more from the original. Nevertheless, CRUNK!!! has fashioned an above-par drink and I am continuing to enjoy it more and more. The gumminess level is low as can be, the carbonation is set perfectly right, and I can't forget about CRUNK!!!'s powerful energy blend. In the end, I have to say this is still a winner and can easily be enjoyed by anyone.

Chan's take: Chilling for about 24 hours, I begin by popping open this nice, disco-like purple can and finding a scent almost entirely grape, with notes of original pomegranate and cranberry. I couldn't accurately say it's berry, but it sure is heavy grape, as well as the dark, dark purple color. As I swig the first few ounces, I lay down the taste as an intense prominent punch of blueberry and grape, with a secondary flavor of sour-sweet cranberry and original herbal pomegranate. Tasting more and more, I find some really nice nuances of acai berry, which counterbalances the dull flavor of the high fructose corn syrup. About mid-way through the can, it has an aftertaste unlike many other CRUNK!!!s there are. This one, instead of herbs, is almost like paint; I mean, the smell of paint, at least. Just like all of the previous CRUNK!!! drinks, the flavor tops off with a nice, sour berry bite to it, leaving you with a decent craving for more. All of this is notably different than almost all of the other berry drinks I've tasted because all these flavors I just typed in, seem to come from original sources, as apposed to added sweeteners. Now, many energy drinks are following the line of adding Sucralose into their drinks, and I know I can't find any Sucralose, but there may be some in there. Scouring the list, I'm pleased to say that there is not one gram in this energy drink. Another good thing about CRUNK!!! is their use of HFCS; being there not much gumminess, it's easier to drink than most other HFCS-filled drinks, though it still has the same, lame dullness it brings to the drinks. Overall, CRUNK!!! did make a tasty and flavorful twisted-up version of a berry energy drink, though I wouldn't say it's their best yet.

CRUNK!!! has always differed from other energy drinks, in terms of not only taste, but ingredients and kick as well. Following that, the full list of ingredients are here: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavors, calcium lactate, fruit and vegetable juice for color, magnesium lactate, ascorbic acid, red grape juice form concentrate, Vitamin E, Acai juice from concentrate, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride (HCL), selenium amino acid chelate, riboflavin, thiamin HCL,and cyanocobalamin. I had forgotten that CRUNK!!! has two separate ingredients list, one for proprietary ingredients, and the other for "other" ingredients, or standard ingredients. Here's the proprietary blend: caffeine, inositol, green tea leaf, damiana (Whole Plant), licorice (Root), guarana, L-Tyrosine, Horny Goat Weed, N acetyl L cysteine, ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, grape seed extract, skull cap, white willow, ashwagandha, and milk thistle. This may be the main reason why CRUNK!!! is my personal favorite ingredient-pro energy drink. If you see, it's got every energy ingredient in any and every energy drink I've ever come across. Combined, ashwagandha, caffeine, and ginkgo biloba will create a focus so great, lasting for a good 5 hours, which I find helpful for getting some house work done, or working online. Grape seed and milk thistle is healthy and good for the body, liver especially. After everything, CRUNK!!! has the same amazing kick you'll find in just about every can of this stuff, however, I would recommend you pick yourself up a CRUNK!!! Citrus instead.

Taste: 8.3 - Good, strong grape-acai berry flavor that gets more addictive as you drink
Kick: 9.3 - Amazing, intense and focused kick and just about every energy ingredient I've ever seen
Overall: 8.5 - Not quite as favorable as the other CRUNK!!!s, but still a great drink overall

Remember, you can always get yourself some great CRUNK!!! at CRUNK!!!'s Energy Drink Store.

Reviewed by: Chan and Jeff

...Lost Perfect 10

Yet again, I am met with a ...Lost energy drink. ...Lost seems to be a sister drink to Monster, also canned in Corona, CA, along with Joker and Ace. This particular one happens to be the lo-cal version, dubbed "Perfect 10" due to the 10 measly Calories per serving. Contrary to many energy drinks, ...Lost has gone with a low-calorie drink rather than zero calorie, and puts it very well why they chose to do so, saying "Because calories taste good." After all, isn't a drink primarily supposed to taste good? What does the trick appears to be artificial sweeteners with a bit of glucose for good measure - 3g per serving to be exact. I recall that this combination has worked wonderfully with the Monster Lo-Carb. However, what worries me is Monster's decision to replace Ace-K, a very natural-tasting artificial sweetener, with Sucralose. I was sure this would be a quality drink, but now I'm a bit doubtful.

The smell of ...Lost Perfect 10 doesn't remind me of Monster at first, which has me worried. Rather, I think they've captured a slightly better version of the generic bubble gum flavor of cheap energy drinks. However, I'm relieved and very satisfied with the flavor when I taste a crystal clear, delicious, bold and fruity flavor too good and complex to describe adequately. Although I thought the Sucralose would kill the drink, it has indeed not as the drink tastes deliciously sweet with the natural glucose in the mix. The color to this tasty drink is a gold-amber with a slightly orange, honey-colored tint. The texture is perfect, with that very fine, slightly stinging carbonation that fits together so well with the flavor. This is the kind of quality drink I've been missing, and it reminds me this is why Chan and I started reviewing energy drinks at all - it was because of the quality drinks like these. The aftertaste this drink gives is a bit like pear and another juicy, sweet fruit I can't identify. What I notice is how this drink tastes very much like the Monster Lo-Carb, but with more flavor. Although I dearly miss the Acesulfame-K/Glucose combo, Sucralose is filling the part pretty decently, and I'm sure I can thank the cool dudes at Monster for engineering that part right. The gumminess is only moderate, though I have come to find Sucralose as a gummy sweetener, so I guess the gumminess would be subtler, were it for Ace-K. Also, near the end of the can, the Sucralose does what it does so often in many Splenda-sweetened drinks, it no longer tastes sweet anymore, but that's saved by the Glucose. All in all, I would say this is a simple, unique, deilicious, addicting low calorie energy drink and I'd have to group it in the "quality" drink category, characterized by Rockstars, Monsters, Amps, Full Throttles and the like.

Examining the ingredients, there's Carbonated Water, Glucose, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Taurine, Sodium Citrate, Glucuronolactone, Potassium Sorbate, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate, Inositol, Color Added, Niacinimide, Sucralose, Pyridoxine, Hydrochlroide, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Guarana Seed Extract, Maltodextrin, Cyanocobalamin. It's a strong list, average among your Monsters and Rockstars. The Energy Blend is in there, with 5000mg total of Glucose, Glucuronolactone, Panax Ginseng, Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Guarana, and Maltodextrin. An energy blend like that is hard to beat and that's what Monster's known for, giving a pretty insane kick. Monster is definitely the master of energy drinks in my mind and ...Lost is a great cousin to the popular brand yielding just as much energy.

Taste: 8.6 - Delicious and unbelievably well-done low-carb energy drink
Kick: 8.5 - Only what you can expect from a Monster brand
Overall: 8.5 - Probably one of your best choices for a sugar-free drink

Reviewed by: Jeff

180 Orange Citrus Blast

On a visit to Rite-Aid, I checked the fridge aisle for energy drinks and to my delight, I found 180 Orange Citrus Blast. 180 is not a company I'm very acquainted with, but I'm told it's one of the original energy drinks along with Red Bull and KMX. That's a drink I want to review, one of the originals, to experience an original and what I hope will be a quality drink. With a name like Orange Citrus Blast, I think I can expect a pretty strong orange and maybe some other citrus flavors. Not only do I predict some good flavor, but I can be sure the 8oz can will be fun to drink, since they are easy to slam down.

As I blast open the can, I take a whiff from those cool little openings of 8oz cans. The smell is a very sweet, not so sour orange, and it makes me think of Sunny D quite a bit. It's similar in the way that it's delightfully "creamy," so to say, rather than crisp. I can't hold back the urge to take a large sip, and my first taste is very good. At first, some sour tangerine/orange meets your mouth until it disperses and blooms into a very satisfying orange not exactly like any orange soda I've had to date. The common and unpleasant lingering sourness you get from a lot of orange sodas is not there, but it feels on the border of accumulating. The sweetness level is what I'm most pleased with, as when chilled, this drink is still thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable, while others may not be sweet enough - this definitely was meant to be served chilled. More than halfway through the can - yes, it's that addicting - gumminess is starting to accumulate, though it isn't much of a problem and can be handled easily. Carbonation is spot-on in the drink and isn't too fine or coarse, adding a very nice texture to the drink. The only minor flaw I can concieve is the absence of that delicious orange pulp taste found in real orange juice and also, surprisingly, Sunkist. Still, the drink is very addicting despite the sweetness level being slightly high and the 8oz can only makes it more enjoyable to drink. Overall, I say hands-down, this is one of the best orange energy drinks I've had and I'd definitely have one again, if it weren't for the steep price. I suppose that's just what you pay for a quality brand-name drink.

For ingredients this 180 has Carbonated Water, HFCS, Natural Flavors, Guarana, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), FD&C Yellow #8, FD&C Red #40, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Vitamin B12. Oddly enough, Caffeine is not in that list, but it does mention below the Nutrition Facts that this drink contains Caffeine. It's a solid ingredients list, not quite the most powerful one, but solid. What that tells you is that this is more of a casual energy drink, rather than one made for pure energy. 180 has tastefully created a light energy drink with a delicious orange flavor. As for exactly how much energy 180 yielded, I can only say it was decent, acceptable for a drink that focuses more on flavor than kick. What I felt most was alertness and a bit of focus with just a bit less energy than most drinks give. 180 contains 30g of sugar per can and 120 Calories, which isn't too bad. Overall, I really enjoyed this drink and could very easily imagine slamming one down now and then.

Taste: 8.7 - Very enjoyable and refreshing orange
Kick: 7.2 - A pretty average kick, focusing more on alertness than pure energy
Overall: 8.4 - My favorite orange drink so far

Reviewed by: Jeff

Awake Orange Tangerine

Many people, including me, like to have a bit of energy in the morning the jump-start their day. An energy drink usually does the trick, on my part, but I do have a bit of trouble deciding which drink is the most suitable for the mornings. I may go for something light, like a citrus energy drink, or an apple energy drink, yet they just don't give that feel of the morning. So, at an almost-routine trip to Big! Lots, I run into quite a few new drinks, including one that specializes in morning energy called Awake. Being stoked to see this, I immediately took a glance at the can to see some caffeine, Essentra, taurine, L-Carnitine, and L-Tartrate. I decided it was good enough to be an energy drink, so I took it home and here I am, about to pop it open. The can coloring is nice and bright, with a multi-colored sun and its rays, totally representing a morning. Their slogan/motto is "Good Morning Energy" which justifies this sleek morning-in-a-can. For 12 ounces, I see there's quite a lot of calories as well as sugar, but we'll get more into that a bit later. This may be for promotion, but I see that it's 100% juice. If it really is 100%, man, this energy drink is going to be pretty darn good. I want to find out now...

Upon opening the can, I find a scent, or aroma, of potent orange, papaya, pineapple, and tangerine. The first thought to pop into my mind was that it smells almost exactly like the Monster M-80, nice! Continuing on with my review, I pour it out of the can to locate a color looking most like a basic bright, cloudy orange, almost like orange juice, but a bit darker. Awake Orange Tangerine has it's own distinct flavor, quite different than the M-80, but it does have a few similarities. Unlike the M-80, this Awake has no sourness, but a smooth and light, sweet prominent orange flavor, with hardly any pineapple. It has a nice apple and tangerine finish to it, adding to the sweetness with a bit of pear as well. Drinking more of it, it wouldn't harm anyone to mention that I find a bit of passion fruit and some tartness from a lemon. To sum up the flavor, I really don't want to use a vague term to describe it, but I wan't to say it's 'juicy'. Justifying, I mean that I can't taste any added sugars, only the tossed in mixed fruits, to make it more distinct than any juice-induced energy drink I've tasted. After finishing half of the can, I'm displeased with the aftertaste this produces. Having all these fruits mixed in can be quite tasty, but all together, they can create some mean side-flavors. It's aftertaste seems to be like burnt fruit, or like, rotten fruit. To top it off, Awake has a standard fruity gumminess found in most fruit drinks, which is fine unless it's the sugar-created gumminess. All in all, Awake has a real nice, impressive fruit flavor and I'm most pleased about how they could handle experimenting with 100% juice.

Taking a look at the ingredients, I'm pretty surprised to find no added sugar, being that most energy drinks at least have some. Awake Orange Tangerine has the following ingredients: 100% juice (filtered water sufficient to reconstitued apple, orange, tangerine, lemon, pineapple, and passion fruit juice concentrates), natural flavors, citric acid, ascorbic acid, Ashwagandha extract (Essentra), beta-carotene, taurine, caffeine, EGCG, niacin, L-Carnitine, L-Tartrate, Vitamins, B5, E, and A, pyridoxine, vitamins B6 and B12. See what I mean? All these fruits combined form a great, natural juicy flavor. There's some earthy that, when combined with caffeine, will increase mental alertness and allow you to think clearly. This is especially important when taking tests, writing reports or when decisions need to be made. Hence the reason why all the good companies find a way to put this in their mix. Per can, you get 180 calories and 50g of sugar. I mentioned this earlier, and yes, that is one downside to this drink is calorie and sugar content. But I'll assure that this is mostly what is called 'good calories', which are calories that are essential for the body, thus coming form fruits mainly. The amount of sugar is unfortunate, but it's about as much you'd get if you were to have a bowl of sugary cereal and some fruit. Overall, a nicely flavored energy drink that'll give you that morning boost you need on your way to work, school, or just to clean! Why not try this instead of your average cup of joe?

Taste: 8.4 - Smooth, non-carbonated 100% apple, orange, and passion fruit-flavored energy drink
Kick: 7.8 - Great kick, coming with Ashwagandha, which will improve alertness and concentration throughout your busy day
Overall: 8.2 - Give this Awake morning energy a try. Skip the cup of coffee.

Reviewed by: Chan