Rehab Recovery Supplement

It's been a while since Chan and I have posted a proper review, so I was quick to pull out this -- the Rehab Recovery Supplement. At a glance, this appears to be your typical energy drink, but as I examined it more closely, I realized this stuff is the real deal, or at least it claims to be. Apparently it's made with powerful ingredients, but that's about as stirring as a drink made with "legitimate" ingredients; what less can you expect? This sleek can design consists of a solid, frosty, electric blue background and a cool, white, rounded label. Going up the can is the word "Rehab" with that fancy little (Rx) symbol and some more powerful words like "Refresh," "Recover," and "Revive." You can tell I'm not too faithful in the power of this drink, but I'm hoping I can be later after I feel the effects. So, apparently, Rehab is a great choice to those, well... going through Rehab. What kind? Rehab doesn't specify, but it's probably safe to assume drug abuse and alcoholism rehabilitation are what Rehab aims at assisting in. This has me wondering what you'll find in a drink that's supposed to help with alcoholism or drug abuse. Checking out the label, I find Rehab's got a pretty good energy blend going on with a solid dose of Caffeine and a few unusual supplements. The next question I feel I should ask is this: How is a drink like this going to make me feel besides energetic? What makes this drink so different from every other energy drink on the market? I'm about to find out.

As I take my first smell, I find something that reminds me vaguely of the Liquid Ice, not a drink I want to be reminded of. There comes an upfront orangey sweetness and some crystal clear sourness and great fruitiness surrounding it. The drink comes out of the can a nice clear peach-rose color that looks quite nice, though I'm a bit tired of it. In the cup, I smell a little bit more of that seemingly artificially sweet orange/tangerine that really cuts through. I find a bit of a surprise as I sip, when the flavor tastes a whole lot less like orange and more like white grape or something very light and delicate but rounded and sweet. It's not something I can see drinking leisurely out of a glass, but I can easily see myself slamming one of these down out of the handy tall 12oz cans they come in. After some more sips, I get that same Thunderbird white wine flavor, which seemed at first surprisingly sweet, but now starts to settle. It's a nice delicate flavor I'm quite enjoying, and I think it makes sense, considering this may be designed for people who may enjoy wine. After half a can, I'm fairly satisfied; the carbonation is nearly nonexistent, and the gumminess, though present, is insignificant. Now that I've tasted it, I'm eager to feel the boost.

Immediate results I can observe is a handy lift in mood which you don't always see with most energy drinks. And, naturally, I'm feeling some great energy that makes me just wanna get up and go run; you know that feeling of restlessness. However, I'm not feeling the side effects I sometimes get from Caffeine, which is shortness of breath and nervousness. For that, I'm glad because it means an enjoyable and leisurely kick.

Rehab's ingredients include: Carbonated Water, Fructose, Sugar, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Calcium Chloride, Caffeine, Elderberry Extract Concentrate (color), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Green Tea Extract 90% Polyphenols, Niacinimide (B3), Calcium Pantothenate (B5), Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Guarana Seed Extract, Coenzyme Q10, Cyanocobalamin (B12). In terms of amounts, Rehab contains a handy 120mg of Caffeine, 60mg of Green Tea Polyphenols, 46mg of Catechins, which are antioxidants, 37mg of Ginseng, 37mg of Guarana, and 3mg of CoQ10. What I notice is Rehab isn't intense on the energy front, but does very well at giving vitality, with CoQ10 and those antioxidants. CoQ10, if you don't know, is a natural enzyme produced in the body that's essential for the functioning of the body's cells. After drinking this, I definitely felt increased vitality, improved mood, and a nice perk you don't always get from a typical energy drink. I was wide awake, not jittery, and most importantly -- very vital. Overall, I'm very satisfied with Rehab, and I'd recommend it far more than any typical energy drink because of it's fantastic yet not "over-the-top" kick.

*And, I now know Rehab is not, in fact, meant for true rehabilitation, as I found on their very handy website: http://www.liquidrehab.com/

Taste: 8.4 - A quite enjoyable white grape flavor if you're basically into anything sweet
Kick: 9.2 - Like it says, Rehab revives, and that's what I love about it
Overall: 8.7 - I'd say this is definitely a drink to stock up on

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rubyy Blood Orange Energy

Jeff: What better gift to receive on Valentine's Day than... energy drinks? Well, of course, that's after love, but it's still pretty great when you get free energy drink samples in the mail. For this very special day, Chan and I have snagged some samples of Rubyy Blood Orange Energy, graciously sent to us from the company themselves. We'd like to thank them once again, and we hope you guys are happy with our review.

Chan: What's better to receive on a holiday than a shipment of energy drink? It may have been a bit of an early Valentine's Day gift to us, but be assured, we are reviewing it as a gift to all our kind guests on this magnificent mid-February day. Rubyy is much different than your average can of kick in a few ways. First, if you glance at the picture to your left, you'll notice it's tall and skinny, though it's only 12 ounces. Next, you see it's got a cap, and made of what seems to be thicker and tougher aluminum than a regular can. One last thing I want to note about the difference, and this certainly is the most important, is that the can seems to be designed real well. Unlike what you see on a usual energy drink can, you see black and gray shades with certain depths; feeling it, you find a nice texture with a rough paint-job, not finished with gloss. It's can design is a 'raw' black with what seems to be foreign designs of gray plants and mythical angels and dragons. Rubyy contains about 8% juice, so I know I'll expect at least a bit of natural flavors. Blood orange tastes more like a grapefuit than an orange, and with 29g of sugar, I know I'll expect moderate amounts of sourness, and equal parts of sweetness. All right! Let's continue this review.

Jeff: Rubyy comes in a very stylish package, a slim and sleek flat black 12 oz bottle. On the front of the bottle is a very fancy and elegant design of some cool vines and what looks like some blood oranges at the bottom. Bold on the front is the word "RUBYY" and the tagline "Blood Orange Energy" below. The whole thing gives off a very dignified and high-class vibe, and I really want to open it and taste it. Sometimes you wanna just tear something open and have at it. This is one of those times.

Without forgetting to shake gently first, I twist open the cap, which is nice for a change. What I smell is not an extremely potent orange but what I would describe as a more reserved cross between an orange and a grapefruit -- a blood orange. On the spectrum of complex to simple, this drink's flavor is definitely one of the more complex. To start off, you've got a whiff of delicate orange and subtle bitterness of grapefruit with some other less distinct flavors in the mix. I can imagine this as a nice citrusy perfume; it definitely has some nice strong, sharp notes of citrus without being too much. When I pour this out, I find Rubyy has a very nice color with a slightly cloudy ruby pink with hints of orange. Taking a swig, Rubyy isn't as sour or sweet as I expected, but rather has a real nice mellow flavor with a little grapefruit bitterness. Somewhere in the background lingers a nice round, sweet tangerine that gives the drink some fullness. I can hardly tell there's any carbonation except for some very small tingling, and the gumminess is nearly nonexistent. As for the sweetness level, it's satisfactory, but since I've gotten used to these highly sweet drinks recently, it doesn't quite do it for me. Anyhow, I've already finished the bottle, the drink is that good. Overall, I'd call Rubyy a solid and uniquely sophisticated drink that'd be great for mixing with it's complex, but light flavor. I'd take Rubyy anytime I just wanna chill out or share with a special someone.

Chan: Twisting open the sleek, black can I find a scent that reminds me of any other citrus energy drink, but with a bit more of a sour-pungent aroma similar to grapefruit. This might be too much of a signal of how lazy we are, but I believe this was a tedious job of twisting and twisting this cap to open it. Pulling a tab is much simpler and allows you to enjoy your energy drinks much sooner. Pouring it out of the cup, I'll note that it's the same color as grapefruit, not citrus. This color is fluorescent pink, with nice gas bubbles to add to the 'romantic' backdrop. Tasting it, I'm not too surprised to find a usual citrus flavor masked with high fructose corn syrup. One difference is that you find more of a grapefruit sense to it; as in, you find a more realistic sweetness with a certain sourness to balance it all out. I admire Rubyy's creativity in making a citrus energy drink because for one, they didn't label it just 'Citrus', which most companies end up doing. They make it their own form of citrus, in this case, Blood Orange, which is significantly different than any old orange.

When I take a close look at Rubyy, my eyes go straight to the ingredients list. I see that Rubyy contains: Carbonated Water, HFCS, Orange Juice Concentrate, Taurine, Blood Orange Juice Concentrate, Tangerine Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Caffeine, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (To Protect Taste), Niacinimide, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Red 40, Diotin, Cyanocobalamin, Guarana Extract. Having Rubyy just before a trip to the mall, I have to say, I was pretty alert and energetic the entire day. Rubyy isn't a drink that'll get you pumped and send you on a crazy, short caffeine high, but rather a great drink to keep you lucid in your social interactions.

Taste: 8.3 - Tasty grapefruit/blood orange/tangerine with a nice complex flavor
Kick: 7.5 - Mellow, relaxed, yet alert and energetic boost
Overall: 8.2 - A very quality drink indeed; I'd go for one anytime

Reviewed by: Chan and Jeff