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