Shock Coffee Triple Mocha

Coffee, we all know, is a fantastic source of energy, and damn tasty. A nice way to perk up your mornings might be a smooth cup of joe, or, when there's no time to brew a pot, an iced coffee. Shock Coffee, a well-established coffee company I hadn't heard of until recently, delivers coffee in multiple forms, hot and cold. Today, I'm giving the cold Shock Coffee Triple Mocha a try. Shock promotes their coffee as having 50% more caffeine than other gourmet coffees, and in an evaluation by Bevnet.com, this very beverage was rated the best-tasting coffee drink on the market. Iced coffee is a favorite drink of mine, and I'm confident the Triple Mocha has some fantastic flavor to offer. I have an 8oz can, but this stuff is also sold in 15oz cans. I'm excited to get down to the tasting.

From the can, I smell a strong coffee aroma with wonderful texture and a creamy, chocolate smell underneath. It pours into my cup with a beautiful, medium shade of brown. The flavor doesn't hit the taste buds immediately, but when you get past the creaminess, deliciously sweet coffee emerges. The awesome nuttiness stands out unhindered by bitterness or sourness. Chocolate is not the main flavor here, but it does a great job of supporting and adding depth to the drink. At times, the quality of the coffee shines, and other times, the richness of chocolate is noticable. This is a coffee you want to enjoy with care, savoring every sip; no other coffee drink that I can remember was quite this enjoyable. I can tell Shock put a lot of love into this; the sweetness level works well for the drink, carrying the flavors along nicely, but not drowning them out. The amount of cream, in my opinion, is just enough for a certain smoothness, but also keeps everything discernable. Gumminess is nonexistent and never once gets in the way of the Mocha's awesome taste. After finishing the can, there is a bit of an aftertaste in the back of the mouth, but I'll find this to happen with coffee in general. Overall, I am highly impressed with what a delicious blend Shock's come up with here. Hopefully, whenever I'm craving a quality cold coffee, Shock will be around for purchase.

Shock's boost is not exactly equivalent to an energy drink's. I'm not getting jitters, nor do I feel like running a mile or two. This is the kick of a cup or two of coffee. I'm up and energetic but it comes with no vitality, which coffee is not really known for anyway. But of course, the lift is nice, being a two or three hour energy increase. The effects of these coffees will vary depending on your caffeine tolerance; to me this is moderate. To a caf-a-holic, this is a tasty fix. It's those who rarely have caffeine that this'll impact, like many highly caffeinated beverages.

The ingredients list should be fairly straightforward: Brewed espresso coffee, milk, sugar, maltodextrin, creamer [coconut oil, corn syrup, sodium caseinte (a milk derivative), mono and diglycerides, dipotassium phosphate], ground cocoa, sodium bicarbonate, and caffeine.

Actually, there are a couple of things I'd like to point out about that list. First, I see Shock's chosen to make this out of espresso, which is a welcome choice by me. Next, I see that milk is not the only creamer here, but a dairy-based creamer made out of caseinate, coconut oil, corn syrup, and glycerides is used. It sounds much like the stuff in the powdered creamers we so often use, having corn syrup. Glycerides, I find, are used as emulsifiers and they're mostly benign. Don't ask me why coconut oil and corn syrup make a good creamer, but it works. After the creamer is listed cocoa powder, hence the cocoa flavor. Finally, what I find most interesting is that caffeine is listed. It says to me that Shock wasn't satisfied with the caffeine in the espresso, so they decided to pump in some more. It brings a smile to my face and explains why this does, indeed, feel more powerful than plain coffee. Nonetheless, I'll be looking for Shock for its great taste.

Taste: 9.7 - Shock Coffee's flavor is sophisticated and very, very delicious
Kick: 7.6 - An enjoyable way for a kick comparable to a couple of cups of coffee
Overall: 9.2 - A delicious cold coffee that easily rivals Starbucks

Reviewed by: Jeff

BAZI Energy Shot

In the realm of energy shots, there are essentially two categories: mediocre, simple, straightforward shots; and then the shots that really shine, the full-force, high quality, flavorful, powerful ones that make you wish for a larger bottle. I don't often make judgements on energy drinks prior to enjoying them, but I've done my research on this one. Today I've got BAZI Energy Shot to taste and experience. Many thanks to the company for providing me with a sample. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to be gracious when you receive a generous sample like this, but I don't praise BAZI for that reason alone. BAZI is a perfectly cylindrical, deep red 2oz shot and you can tell by its ingredients that BAZI has put some serious work into its creation. It's packed with eight, count them, eight (8) superfruits, including our beloved Acai and Goji. It's also got 12 Vitamins, an interesting mineral blend, and of course, an energy blend. I don't want to spoil all of the details in the first paragraph, so let's carry on with the tasting. Shall we?

I give BAZI a nice shake between my thumb and middle and twist open the cap. Check it out: underneath the cap, BAZI's placed a plastic seal, which tells me BAZI takes their shots seriously. The liquid inside is an opaque orange-red color like beets. I only use that as a color comparison. The smell is a rough sweetness surrounded in an earthiness like minerals and vitamins. However, it doesn't smell artificial. I'm thinking that earthiness is coming from the 8 superfruits, and I'm not afraid. Taking a sip, I'm glad to find more dimension in the flavor; it begins with a well-rounded sweetness with berry overtones, then a sourness meets the back of the mouth that's pretty satisfying and enjoyable. All the while, there's a chocolatey-ness to it that's gotta be coming from the smooth Acai. I can't make out every superfruit, considering I have never tried Jujube, Goji, Mangosteen, or Seabuckthorn. Despite this, I'll say that BAZI is a pretty tasty shot. The flavor is enjoyable in a different way than most shots, and it's not hard to down. It's going to be a new experience to first-timers, but if you're open to new flavors, you definitely want to give this shot a try. Now I wait to feel the effects.

I'm not going to lie; I'm very, very satisfied with BAZI's kick. Like many energy shots, you don't find yourself crashing after an overwhelming boost. After downing BAZI's two ounces I felt a gradual, gentle boost. Instead of a massive amount of energy, BAZI delivers a nice, constant pick-me-up with awesome vitality. You get a true sense of physical well-being and that's a great thing to have from an energy product. My guess is this comes from the plethora of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The vitamins present in BAZI include: biotin, folate, vitamin A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. So there we've got a large part of the "vitamin alphabet," including a strong B-complex. BAZI also contains 1000mg of a mineral blend which includes a fulvic mineral solution. Bottles of fulvic mineral solutions are sold and said to improve absorption of nutrients, body toxicity, metabolism, and even oxygen absorption. These components, along with BAZI's impressive 25-gram 8-superfruit blend, must be what provide its incredible vitality and awareness. Finally, the energy blend consists of 80mg of caffeine, 50mg of inositol, 50mg of Para Aminobenzoic Acid, and 20mg of Rutin. Para Aminobenzoic Acid is said to assist with fatigue, depression, irritability, and a number of skin diseases. Rutin, like, Para Aminobenzoic Acid, is an organic compound and is not proven to, but may help with inflammation and the blood. It's also an antioxidant. The rest of BAZI's ingredients are as follows: purified water, fructose, pear juice concentrate, natural flavor, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate. I have to say I am very impressed by what BAZI's creators have put together here. Some might complain that it lacks punch, but I'm very glad BAZI chose to limit the caffeine and energy ingredients. This is a shot that will leave you comfortable and feeling good overall. And that's what I need half of the time, not some energy bomb that has me jittery and keeps me up at night. I applaud BAZI, and highly, highly recommend you give it a try.

Taste: 8.2 - A unique, exotic, and very tasty energy experience
Kick: 9.0 - BAZI delivers with a smooth, alert, vital boost
Overall: 8.6 - Perfect choice for a healthy, enjoyable pick-me-up

Reviewed by: Jeff

Duff Energy

Ah, Duff Beer, the classic epitome of Homer Simpson's lifestyle. A staple in the hit television show, The Simpsons, Duff Beer has always been an envied flavor by those who follow the show closely. Now, thanks to the makers of The Simpsons, anyone can taste that prized, Duff flavor. Of course they didn't put alcohol in one of these rarities, but perhaps it can still live up to it's reputation. The can (a typical-sized beer or soda can) closely resembles the Duff seen in The Simpsons (Often found in Barney or Homer's hands). The can is silver, red, white, and gold, behind a doodled "Duff", and a bold "Energy Drink." According to Homer Simpson, "Can't get enough of that wonderful Duff!" Let's see if he's correct...

Duff has an enticingly sweet aroma of pure orange; a bit like orange soda. Taking a quick sneak-peak at the ingredients list, I see High fructose corn syrup, a key sweetening agent in many sodas. The color, as I anticipated, is a clear, dark orange. At my first taste, I am a bit let down. Though the flavor is orange, it's rather bland, tart, and masked by a combination of the corn syrup and the carbonation. The flavor fades fast, and leaves virtually no aftertaste. The caffeine is noticeable, as this Duff is somewhat bitter. After finishing a few ounces, it goes down somewhat smooth, and feels much like water, maybe due to the thin, watered down texture of it. The gumminess is minimal, and the carbonation is moderate, for an energy drink. I must say, Duff has let me down with a weak, tart, orange energy drink, that tastes almost no different than a regular soda --other than the low amount of carbonation, and the watered-down flavor.

Hopefully Duff can get some credit with a decent kick. While I wait for some sort of energy, I'll list some key ingredients in this can. In one can of Duff Energy, there's filtered carbonated water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, caffeine, natural flavors, potassium benzoate & potassium sorbate, inositol, guarana, ginseng, yellow #5, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, Red #40, pyridoxine HCL, and cyanocobalamin. Per can, Duff's got 160 calories, and 40 grams of sugar. With 1000mg of taurine, and 120mg of caffeine, the kick is above-par, enough to get you through a few hours of work, but not much more than drinking a few cans of Coke or Pepsi. Overall, most people can get their kicks from a novelty can of Duff; therefore, this is one meant to be a keepsake, rather than a quick drink.

Taste: 6 - Bitter, boring, and flavor-lacking orange
Kick: 7 - Little more than bottle of soda
Overall: 6.5 - I'll give it some credit for being a novelty

Reviewed by: Chan

Bite Me Energy

A couple of our bros notified us about a drink we'd never reviewed, and very graciously saved us a couple of cans. Here I have Bite Me Energy, which seems to be some of the damn tastiest stuff we've come across in a while, or so says Chan. From all of my bros, I've heard that this is one of the greatest Monster clones around. The front of the can reads "energy with attitude" and "warning extremely potent." Bite Me definitely wants to give the impression that this is a serious energy concoction. A few things I like about this right from the get-go are the graphics on the front reading "Energy with Attitude" and "Warning Extremely Potent!" Also, across the top it reads "Chill Me, Lick Me, Bite Me!" I'm not really sure what this means. Anyway, I'm trying this chilled and over ice.

The smell from the can strikes me as syrupy and less fruity than I had expected. A sip from the can delights me because not only is the taste quite palatable but because the drink isn't too sweet, just as I was expecting. Often times, I've felt let down by drinks with a good flavor that are much too sweet. As for the flavor, it's tart and quite delectable, but not easily discernable. Much like a Monster, the flavor isn't easy to tell, but it is tasty so I would call this a Monster clone. Its differences include more tartness, less sweetness, and a slightly more chalky flavor. It's a nice take on the Monster clone, though I'm at a loss for words when it comes to describing the taste. It don't recognize any familiar flavors, really; all I can make out is vanilla with some kind of crisp, fruity backdrop. It's an easy drink to enjoy and it leaves quickly.

Bite Me's ingredients list: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (For Color), Taurine, Glucuronolactone, Caffeine, Inositol, Sodium Benzoate, Niacinimide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, and Cyanocobalamin. The reason for the moderate sweetness I mentioned is that Bite Me contains only 25g of sugar per serving. That's 2-6 grams less than most drinks, and in my opinion it makes Bite Me much easier to down. As for the energy blend, there are 160mg total of Caffeine, a strong dose, 1000mg of Taurine, 300mg of Glucuronolactone, 50mg of Inositol, and a short stack of B-Vitamins. I'm not exactly sure where this stands next to a Monster supplement-wise, but I do know that it's a bit more caffeine-heavy, with 160mg where Monster has around 140. I can't say much about the boost. It was definitely there; I felt energetic and ready to do anything. The one thing that irked me was how dehydrated I felt from the Caffeine, but that is to be expected from any source of caffeine. In the end, I'm very happy with Bite Me, mostly because of a clean taste and good sweetness level.

Taste: 8.8 - One of the best-tasting energy drinks I've come across recently
Kick: 7.8 - Gets you energized and ready to do pretty much anything
Overall: 8.7 - Easy drink to enjoy anytime

Reviewed by: Jeff

Wave Sugar Free

Wave is a brand I hadn't heard of until recently. With a stylish, yet simple can design, Wave claims to be the best tasting energy drink on the market today. That's not an easy thing to accomplish, and with my energy drink reviewing experience, I'll be the judge of that. With all natural flavors and some interesting ingredients, I'm expecting something different from Wave. However, as with many sugar free drinks, there's a bit of worry in me over the sweetness. Hopefully, Wave has created the best tasting sugar free energy drink on the market. I'm mostly clueless as to what flavor this will be. The only way to find out is to open it up.

Immediately after popping the top, I smell a rush of something soft and sweet, like strawberry. Taking it in at the opening, I smell less of the sweetness and, unfortunately, an unpleasant bitterness like vitamins. Wave enters my cup with a deep, clear crimson that's quite nice to look at. A big swig invites me to taste that same vague and rounded sweet flavor supported fairly well by the artificial sweeteners. Still, I cannot shake the bitter, vitamin taste. That's not a good sign. It's most prevalent when I take a whiff of the drink, though it's not as in my mouth. I feel bad saying it, but I wouldn't expect the best-tasting energy drink on the market to taste like this. Nor would I expect a brand which sponsors a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup to taste like this. What is good about Wave, however, is that the artificial sweeteners haven't lost their sweetness, as they do sometimes. Topping off the can, I've proven to myself that Wave Sugar Free is by no means undrinkable, which is a good sign.

As you would expect, Wave contains Carbonated Water, Aspartame, Ace-K, and a dose of B-Vitamins. The rest of Wave's ingredient list is a bit nonstandard, with a few natural ingredients you don't see very often. First of these odd ingredients is Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, which is used to naturally give the drink a dark red. Next I see Elderberry Extract Concentrate. I'm not sure exactly what it's for, but it may be simply for flavor. Purple Sweet Potato is another fascinating ingredient, and it may be present for its color as well, or perhaps it's in here for the antioxidants. The last natural ingredient I see is Red Cabbage Juice Concentrate, which may also be for color or antioxidants. Wave's Proprietary Energy Blend is 2.28g of Taurine, Caffeine, Inositol, L-Lysine, Choline Bitartrate, and Guarana Extract. All of these I've heard of except for Choline Bitartrate. It turns out Choline is a very essential nutrient similar to B Vitamins that contributes to brain development and cognitive function. That's something I like to get from an energy drink, not just energy but lots of focus. Choline Bitartrate and L-Lysine, along with the B-Vitamins found in Wave provide just that. After drinking Wave, not only was I energetic, but I did have a great deal of concentration. That is definitely going to help Wave's score.

Taste: 6.2 - A vague strawberry-like flavor all but ruined by some kind of chalky vitaminy taste
Kick: 8.7 - One of the better boosts I've had from an energy drink, with plenty of focus.
Overall: 7.6 - I can't say this is the best-tasting energy drink on the market

Reviewed by: Jeff

Buzz Bites Mint Chocolate Energy Chews

Alas, from the makers of Foosh Energy Mints, comes Buzz Bites, a chew packed with an intense hit of chocolate and mint, oh, and not to mention 100 milligrams of caffeine. Foosh has stepped up to meet the demands of caffeine junkies such as myself and Jeff by preparing a good dose of energy in the size of a mint, thereby excluding the need to drink an entire can of an energy drink, or a mug of coffee. Not that I don't like doing either of the two, but to me, popping a mint in my mouth, and receiving a great burst of energy, alternatively seems so much cooler. Instead of a hard, chalky mint, this time Foosh released their new, softer energy chews, and let me tell you, they are Seriously Caffeinated, as their motto suggests. On the rectangular tin, there's a neat design of a square chew, with mint leaves next to it. In each tin, there's 6 pieces, individually wrapped. After trying a few of these chocolatey, minty chews, I decided it was time to get down and review. I feel I can make this review more accurate by trying a couple of mints prior to sitting here and typing this up. Anyways, let's unwrap one of these bad boys.

After close examination of the square, sticky chew, it's not too difficult to predict a dark brown color, with a few damaged corners and edges. Popping one chew in my mouth, I immediately notice a quick rush of mint, and as I sink my teeth into the mint, chocolate becomes more noticeable, as does some bitterness, likely due to the amount of caffeine. In terms of taste, compared to the Foosh Mint, Buzz Bites is much more desirable - who doesn't like chocolate? The bitterness is extremely nicely masked by the choco-mint concoction, but it's not too sweet at all. Although it's almost sugar free, it's sweetened mostly artificially, by sucralose and acesulfame-k. As far as I can tell, I can only taste the artificial sweetness in the aftertaste, which is a mixture of fake chocolate and bitterness. I assure you, it's not too bad.

In means of energy and ingredients, Foosh is superb. In one mint, you get 25 calories, and only 3 grams of sugar. There's basic energy ingredients such as thiamin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6 & B12, ginseng, taurine, and of course caffeine. As for other ingredients, there's corn syrup, sweetened condensed skim milk, sugar, part hydrogenated coconut oil, unsweetened chocolate, water, cocoa powder, caffeine, energy blend (Listed above), whey with calcium caseinate, natural and artificial flavors, salt, sucralose, acesulfame-k, and soy lecithin. Merely 15-20 minutes after one energy chew is downed, I feel an immediate burst of awareness, and plenty of energy rushing through my body. As I have stated in the Foosh review, one mint is more than enough if you want a good pick-me-up, and I never would condone ingesting more than two or three in one sitting. Foosh has once again succeeded with a fantastic new chocolate-mint energy chew, with the same trademark 100 milligram boost per chew/mint. If you haven't found Foosh just yet, you truly are missing out. I highly recommend grabbing a tin or two of Foosh from their website, if you cannot find any at local stores.

Taste: 8 - Tasty chocolate-mint flavor per chew, but a fake, but, not nearly grimacing bitter aftertaste
Kick: Again, this can vary per chew. 1 chew= ~7-8, 2 chews= ~8-9
Overall: 8.5 - Great alternative product if you're not in the mood for an energy drink or coffee.

Reviewed by: Chan

Wired X344

Getting loads of caffeine into your body isn't as hard as it used to be, now, with the help of energy drinks. Even so, a 16 ounce Monster has about 160mg, whereas one hot cup of coffee has about 100mg. Just today, my buddy wanted me to review a new drink he found, called Wired x344. Now, I didn't find a substantial difference between Wired, and say, any other energy drink on the market until I scoured the can thoroughly. Thereabout, on the back of the can, I found a few key words that led me to the caffeine content of Wired, such as "Triple Caffeine", "Massive Energy", and "Get Wired". All right, any guesses on how much caffeine this puny 8 ounce can really has? I mean, it can't be that much -- er...Okay, so perhaps Wired did live up to its references. It's got about 181mg of caffeine, just in one serving. I want to talk more about this, but I think I'll wait for the last paragraph. I want to expect Wired to taste like orange-citrus, judging by the can color, but, being the lone flavor (Except for the DIET), my heart is nudging me to expect a Red Bull Clone.

Tearing open the small can, I knew I was correct, noticing a familiar, aromatic, and down-home, basic Red Bull Clone scent. It smells almost exactly similar to that of Red Bull. Taking a quick swig, I find a remarkably similar flavor as well, though a bit more bitter at first. Having so much caffeine and B Vitamins, there's going to be some bitterness to mask the primary flavor of a basic clone. Well, in case you forgot, or don't know exactly how to describe the flavor of a Red Bull, I'll do my best, here. To me, Wired (Or Red Bull) has smooth green apple, a bit of sour raspberry, a bit of 'bubble gum' and vanilla to even off the sourness. In this case, expect a good helping of bitterness to mask much of the flavor. It's nicely carbonated, and leaves a good bite after the initial flavor fades. The more I drink of Wired, the more delicious it becomes. In my own opinion, I find this drink is most enjoyable lightly chilled, as too chilled subtracts some of the sweetness and overall flavor, and too warm makes the drink seem sweeter than it really is; try that out-- it's a bit of an experiment Jeff and I have tried over the past few years as part of Canned Reviews. Overall, I found Wired to be satisfying and refreshing, though not very much different than your every-day energy drink you find on the shelves.

Getting into the technical information of Wired X344, I jot down the supplement facts: 110 calories and only 25 grams of sugar in one serving, in which Wired has 1.05 servings per can. There's hearty amounts of the energy blend, at 1.87 grams (taurine, caffeine, guarana, etc.). In one can, there's carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, citric acid, taurine, potassium citrate, natural and artificial flavor, caffeine, preservatives, caramel color, inositol, niacin, White Tea extract, nicotinic acid, guarana, D-calcium pantothenate, Pyridoxine HCL, Yellow #5, and cyanocobalamin. Wired's got some pretty standard ingredients, so it seems. There's some White Tea extract, as you can see. After just a bit of research, I find out White Tea has many alleged health benefits. It's more effective than green tea at inactivating bacterial viruses, it protects skin, and can reduce the number of new fat cells produced and break down the fat in existing ones. Sounds exciting. I'm wondering if other energy drink companies know about the benefits of White Tea, and decide to use it more prominently. Wired produced a great kick, so I felt. About 10 minutes after topping off the can, I felt a rush of jitters, and more liveliness. I enjoyed the idea of knowing I didn't have to ingest twice as much sugar, and twice as many calories, to get the same --if not more energy than a Monster, Rockstar, or Amp.

Taste: 8 - Smooth vanilla, apple, raspberry/Red Bull Clone with decent amounts of bitterness
Kick: 8.4 - Strong kick for such a small can, and a great substitute for a larger energy drink
Overall: 8.2 - Great find for such a little-known energy drink company

Reviewed by: Chan

Mountain Dew Distortion

The last and most anticipated Mountain Dew review for me will be the Distortion, the lime-blasted Dew. The fluorescent green is as enticing as the regular green, but it pairs nicely with the dark label. Just like the other flavors, Typhoon and White Out, Distortion is a candidate to become a permanent member of the soda brand's line. I checked out the Dewmocracy forums at http://www.dewmocracy.com/forums/ to find a fierce debate about all three flavors. The discussion is never-ending and intense. The outcome of the voting will surely make a lot of people happy...and even more crestfallen that their flavor will likely never be seen again. With the final review, Chan and I will make our decision and cast our votes for which flavor we want to see prevail.

A whiff straight from the bottle rouses me with a foundation of the regular citrus formula, and on top of that is the sharply sour smell of pure lime. It really smells like someone just squeezed a lime into a Mountain Dew, and it's amazing. Poured into a cup of ice, the smooth, dark green transmutates to a bright key lime. Fizzy, Distortion could possibly be mistaken for the regular Mountain Dew, but as it mellows out, the lovely lime really stands out. It's also more noticeable over ice. To be honest, at first, the Distortion might seem a little disappointing, which is why I'm not drinking it all at once. Wait a little while, have it over ice, and that's when the delicious lime flavor truly shines. Some may argue Mountain Dew tastes too much like the regular Mountain Dew, and in truth, it is very close. But something about the shot of lime when it hits you is utterly delicious.Whether you favor it or not, this drink is one you've just got to try.

Now, considering Mountain Dew is a soda, it's not going to provide such a great boost as a full-on energy drink. Despite that, Mountain Dew does provide a nice buzz from the 91mg of caffeine per 20oz bottle and of course all that sugar. Per serving, there's 30 grams, 76 total. Like any soda, Mountain Dew's primary ingredients are carbonated water, HFCS, and flavorings. Interestingly enough, where the regular Mountain Dew lists orange juice concentrate, the Distortion does not. Also found in Mountain Dews is brominated vegetable oil. I can't say exactly what that is, and it doesn't sound like something that really belongs in a soda, but in fact, it plays an important role as an emulsifier in citrus drinks. Concerning the kick, just like any other Mountain Dew, Distortion will pick you up with its 91mg of caffeine per bottle, though I have to admit, the large amount of sugar drags me down sometimes.

So, now's the time I decide which flavor I'm for. It hasn't been easy deciding, but in the end, I'd want to see Distortion on store shelves more than any of the three. The originality and distinctiveness of the subtle, yet delicious, simple, yet sophisticated lime draws me to this one the most. Though I'm disappointed to see Distortion falling in the polls, and despite many assertions Distortion is not different enough to win, I still think this is the best flavor that could possibly join the Mountain Dew lineup.

And for those of you who say it shouldn't win because it's the same color: pour the regular Dew and the Distortion into a glass. Dew's yellow. Distortion's green.

Taste: 9 - A spectacular lime accenting the awesomeness that is Dew for a simple, yet sophisticated and altogether delicious beverage
Kick: 6.4 - Good game fuel, good to see from a soda
Overall: 8.8 - I'll be rooting for this one all the way

Reviewed by: Jeff

Foosh Energy Mints

Energy drinks aren't always the quickest way to get caffeine, it seems nowadays. Coffee can be bothersome, as you have to prepare a pot, then down it piping hot. Energy drinks were thus created. As if chugging a 16 ounce can was difficult enough to get a good burst of energy, energy mints were created in succession. I like the idea of energy mints. Just think of the advantages: Sugar free, portable, 6 calories per mint, and only the size of about 2-3 Altoids. The only disadvantage that realistically could exist would be the realization that you're not drinking anything to get energy, which is probably the main way consumers attain caffeine. I know that some folks enjoy drinking an energy drink, or a cup of joe to get energy, not only to drink, but because they enjoy the flavor. A bit of background information on Foosh reveals that in just 1 single mint, there's a total of 100mg of caffeine. No joke. Doing loads of math, I find out that two mints roughly equal a 16 ounce energy drink -- perhaps even more. A Monster has about 150mg in a 16 ounce can, in comparison to only 2 minute mints.

This paragraph will be rather brief, only because I don't intend on focusing much on the flavor. Just a few minutes ago I opened up the metal case containing the mints, and popped one in my mouth. Immediately, a rush of strong minty flavor came at me, with some noticeable bitterness in the background. I can relate the flavor to that of your every day dinner mint. The shape of the mint is larger than a regular dinner mint, has a chalky-white color and texture, and the word 'Foosh' is engraved on one side of the mint, with a familiar symbol of electrons swirling around an atomic nucleus. Surprisingly, this minty flavor has masked most of the bitterness, which potentially, could be strong due to the high amount of caffeine and B vitamins. It takes about 5-10 minutes for the mint to dissolve completely, depending on how intent you are on finishing it.

When it comes to energy, Foosh means business. They relate one mint to a cup of coffee, in means of caffeine content. I mean, if you're a coffee person, and this still doesn't convince you I don't blame you. That is, until you find out Foosh contains ginseng, taurine, niacin, thiamin, and Vitamins B6 and B12. By now, not only are getting the same caffeine amount, but you get the healthy stuff, too. Judging the effects of Foosh over the past few days, as I've been using these mints every now and then, I find a lot more than I initially expected. The kick is great. I liked how after only one mint, I feel a sudden burst of energy, and a general upbringing of my mind and spirit. Not yet have I tried two minutes at once, only because I haven't felt it necessary thus far. If you choose to, go nuts. On the other hand, one of the effects I've felt peeved me was how dehydrated I felt after the mint dissolved and the energy kicked in. My lips felt dry as dirt, and no matter how much water I would drink, the effect lingered. It left a decent crash as soon as all of the caffeine was used up, too.I want to know how the mint affected you; when you have the chance, drop by and leave a comment on your experience with Foosh.

In one mint, there's only 5 calories, 25mg of sodium, and no sugar. As for ingredients, there's sorbitol, natural peppermint extract, caffeine, other natural and artificial flavors, propreitary synergistic energy blend, Magnesium stearate, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, and blue 1. Although it's artificially sweetened, I find very little distaste in the mint.

On one last note, I want to remind you all the dangers of too much caffeine. It may be easy to access this much caffeine, but it never means you should. It's not safe to exceed 3-4 mints in a sitting, unless you're down to experience serious heart palpitations, massive headaches and stomach pains, and a mean crash. Overall, I believe Foosh has created the next generation of energy intake.

Taste: 6 - Strong peppermint flavor, with decent amounts of bitterness
Kick: This can vary. If you're having one mint, expect a good pick-me-up. Two mints, strong jitters. Three mints, well, you can tell me how that felt.
Overall: 9 - Great concept, and I want to make sure Foosh gets known to every caffeine consumer world-wide.

Reviewed by: Chan

Wave

About a week ago, a distributor from the energy drink company, Wave, offered to send samples of a rather new energy drink. Wave might jog your memory, as its logo is somewhat universal. It's the design on NASCAR driver Mike Bliss's car, and apparently they drive a sedan around with the logo of Wave stickered all around the car. I did a bit of snooping around on Wave's website, and I found out some cool facts: they use all natural flavors, they claim to have lower caffeine & carbonation, and have a Crimson appeal, for "sophistication." It's neat to see Wave post their ingredients list and nutrition facts on their site. Taking a glance, I quickly become alarmed at the sight of 300 calories, and 70 grams of sugar per can. After 100+ reviews, I can't say I've come across a 16 ounce can packed with that much. Nonetheless, I got to sample some Wave before I started this review, which I feel is crucial to accurately review the drink.

All right, so I break open the 16 ounce can, and immediately recognize the homey scent of a Monster clone. I understand I use the term heavily, though I feel it appertains to the situation, especially this one. The color is a beautiful light red/pink color, as I pour it out of the can and into a glass. I won't just judge until I try more, but so far, I find a basic cotton candy, apple, raspberry, and bubble gum, as an initial flavor. However, I'm impressed Wave literally meant lightly carbonated. It's got just enough carbonation to tingly the tip of your tongue, and just enough to allow you to chug without the uncomfortableness you usually get from other energy drinks or sodas. Getting to about halfway done with the drink, I find the flavor to be more dynamic than your average Monster clone, there's less bubble gum/cotton candy flavor, and more dry, wild berry flavor, while maintaining the same sweet and tartness. I hardly found a reason for the high amount of sugar, as this drink is hardly as sweet as I initially expected it to be, and is about as sweet as a Monster, if not less sweet. Overall, a good Monster Clone, but I don't think you're missing too much by picturing old Red Bull/Monster with some added dryness, and sweet-tartness.

Looking at the nutrition facts, there's about 300 calories and 70 grams of sugar per serving, like mentioned earlier in the review. There's about 1.14 grams of proprietary (energy) blend, which contains an undisclosed amount of taurine, caffeine, inositol, L-Lysine, Choline Bitartrate, and Guarana Seed. In one can, there's also carbonated water, sugar, dextrose, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavor, black carrot juice, Elderberry extract, purple sweet potato, L-Lysine, niacin, red cabbage juice, D-calcium pantothenate, pryidoxine hydrochloride, thiamin, and cyanocobalamin. A few uncommon ingredients in Wave, such as black carrot, elderberry, red cabbage, and purple sweet potato, all have something in common -- the color. Of course Wave doesn't use these ingredients much for flavoring, I believe, but instead to give it that beautiful, light crimson color. Wave delivered an interesting kick. It wasn't so much based on caffeine, but I felt the utilization of B vitamins to deliver a kick chock-full of alertness, and overall strength revamped in my body. When all is said and done, Wave has a generic Red Bull-like flavor, with just a few added twists, but I have to admit I enjoyed the kick more than anything.

Taste: 7. 5 - A basic bubble gum/berry/apple flavor with few variances
Kick: 8.4 - Fantastic kick, full not just of caffeine, but plenty of vitamins
Overall: 8 - Expect Wave to be a well-known company in the near future. Be sure and grab a can.

Reviewed by: Chan

Mountain Dew Typhoon

Mountain Dew is a soda I love for two reasons: for its intense lemon-lime-citrus flavor, and because it delivers a good punch of caffeine for a soda. True, it's not considered an energy drink, but I think Mountain Dew deserves a special place in every energy junkie's heart for its high caffeine content. Lucky for us, they've decided to have another DEWmocracy, a faceoff between three flavors chosen by fans through a seven step process. The three emerging flavors, that were chosen, named, and had labels designed by fans are: Distortion, Typhoon, and White Out. Chan's already reviewed the White Out, so it's my duty to take on the other two. So, first is the Typhoon. With a 'punch of tropical Dew" and its rosy reddish hue, punch is a very likely flavor. Knowing Dew, I'm confident this one's gonna be deliciously addicting.

Taking a whiff from the bottle, the first thing that strikes me is a sharply sweet pineapple aroma on top of those normal Mountain Dew undertones. I can also consciously smell some orange, and possibly some sweet strawberry. Typhoon offers that lovely Dew citrus alongside a pungent tropical punch that doesn't taste artificial. Chilled, the drink's mighty refreshing, and over ice, very tasty. Sometimes, it's a little tough to taste the Mountain Dew in it, but when it's flat, you will taste that legendary citrus. Overall, it's a top-notch concoction, though I will admit, drink it too fast, it's gonna taste pretty sweet. Over ice or drunk slowly, however, Typhoon will give you no trouble.

Mountain Dew drinkers would be familiar with Mountain Dew's kick, so it shouldn't be very difficult to describe. Mountain Dew does a good job of keeping you wired. Nothing fancy in these, just a straight shot of caffeine. Per serving, there's 30g of sugar, and 76 per bottle. That would explain why Mountain Dew is so very sweet. Well, having tried the White Out and Typhoon, so far my favorite has been the Typhoon. The Typhoon definitely has a stronger, more defined flavor, while the White Out seems to have a more subtle citrusy flavor. Right now, I would definitely be for the Typhoon, but I've still got to try the Distortion. I'm a huge fan of lime, and though it wouldn't seem like much contrast from the original Dew, I'm sure it'll just be a flavor explosion. I'm holding out until the Distortion to give my final opinion on which drink should become a permanent member of the Dew line.

Taste: 8.6 - Extremely tasty and addicting punch-citrus, as a Dew should be
Kick: 6.5 - It'll keep you wired the way sodas do
Overall: 8.3 - A very solid candidate for the new Dew

Reviewed by: Jeff

Blue Sky Juiced Energy

I've never heard of Blue Sky, but finding it in a Whole Foods Market probably means it's got something wholesome or natural about it. Indeed, on the can, it says Juiced Energy: Natural Energy + Juice. I'm rarely put off by artificial ingredients, since they're so common today, but for those interested in all-natural products, this is probably a good choice. Sometimes I find natural drinks to be weaker than others, but it doesn't appear so in this case; Blue Sky packs a pretty sizeable dose of energy supplements. By the red-orange can, I'm predicting a citrusy flavor, but who knows?

I take delight in the smell Juiced offers -- a sweet, crisp juicy flavor that reminds me right away of a Monster Khaos or M80. The color is a bright peachy-orange with a bit of cloudiness from the juice. I'm tasting apple, orange, pear juice, pineapple juice, tangerine, juice, and white grape juice. This tastes very much like the Lost Five-0; it's a juicy blend containing all of the same juices. Crisp and smooth, the multitude of juices come together making a unique and addicting combination that would not be easy to identify. However, those familiar with the juicy Monsters and the Lost Five-0 will recognize this right off the bat. Juiced Energy is uniquely bright and sweet, due to the use of good ol' Sucrose as a sweetener. The whole thing washes down with a bit of sourness, and the flavor is a bit on the heavy side. Though gumminess is moderate in the drink, every sip is deliciously full-bodied and fruity. I think this classic mix of juices is made to compete with some big-brand flavors, and it does extremely well. In a blind taste test, it could easily be mistaken for one of the drinks previously mentioned.

The energy ingredients in this go right to work and they're getting me giddy. Much like a Monster, this is one of those drinks where the kick is more like a high. Halfway through the drink, I'm not just full of energy, but also in a pretty great mood. It could just be me, but any drink that does that is a winner in my book. To put it simply, I'd say the boost you'll get from this drink is close to a Monster, and that's saying a lot. Anyway, the ingredients list is as follows:

Filtered Carbonated Water, Sucrose, Apple Concentrate, Orange Concentrate, Glucose, Pear Concentrate, Peach Concentrate, Tangerine Concentrate, Pineapple Concentrate, Taurine, White Grape Concentrate, Natural Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Ginseng Extract, Grape Skin Extract, L-Carnitine, Natural Caffeine, Ascorbic Acid, Niacinimide, Sodium Chloride, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, Pyridoxine, Riboflavin, Maltodextrin, and Cyanocobalamin.

The first thing that I notice is that this drink is sweetened not with HFCS, but bright, delicious Sucrose and Glucose. This makes huge sense in a drink that's all natural. You can also see early on all the flavors going into the mix, the apple, orange, pear, peach, tangerine, pineapple, and white grape. I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of those flavors were in Lost's Five-O. The energy ingredients include 1000mg of Taurine per serving, 200mg of Panax Ginseng per serving, and a 2200mg energy blend consisting of L-Carnitine, Glucose, Caffeine, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, and Maltodextrin. L-Carnitine, consisting of amino acids, is a great focus-lending agent, and Inositol and Glucuronolactone add to the intensity of the kick. Overall, I think this drink excels in taste and boost. The fact that it's natural is just a bonus.

Taste: 8.8 - Delicious blend of juices that rivals a Khaos or Five-O

Kick: 8.6 - A balanced kick nearly on par with that of a Monster
Overall: 8.7 - The fact that this drink is made with natural sugar easily makes it a go-to drink

Reviewed by: Jeff

Mountain Dew White Out

Today, I'm here reviewing a Mountain Dew. Now, before I begin, I know you may be wondering why I'm reviewing a soda, rather than an actual energy drink. In comparison to other sodas on the market, Mountain Dew has the most caffeine per ounce. Also, the guys at Amp were generous enough to send samples of the three new Mountain Dew flavors they have released in a national program called DEWmocracy. It's very simple; you try the new flavors released in most stores from now until June 14th, go to Mountain Dew's website, and cast your vote on what you think is the best flavor. In the end, whichever flavor receives the most vote determines the newest addition to the Mountain Dew family. Anyways, I really hadn't heard of this new idea since I received the email from Amp about a week ago, but I think it's an admirable concept. Looking at the bottle, I see that White Out will be 'smooth citrus', which is about predictable, just by looking at the pale, opaque ivory hue.

Twisting open the gray cap, I notice a scent strikingly similar to that of Sprite, or Sierra Mist. The main difference when I drink Mountain Dew and Sprite, for example, is the density of their flavors. Mountain Dew has a much stronger lemon-lime flavor, whereas Sprite is less sweet, and more carbonated. To me, the White Out reminds me mostly of Sierra Mist and original Mountain Dew formula mixed, as it's extremely light on the pallet, tasty, and perfectly sweetened. As for a more in depth flavor, I think that's it basic, and predominantly smooth lemon-lime, with few notes of orange, all sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. However, the disadvantage I find in this drink is the high amount of gumminess. Each sip I take is like a wall of syrupy, dense sugar in the back of my mouth, which is not uncommon in most sodas, at least the ones sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. On the other hand, the Mountain Dew is mildly carbonated, which allows for more initial citrus flavor to be noticed by the taste buds. About halfway through the 20 ounce bottle, I find more flavor disappearing from the gumminess, every other sip tasting like dull sugar. Overall, not a bad citrus soda; I do like the original Mountain Dew better, so far.

Per bottle, there's 2.5 servings (8 ounces per serving). In all of the 2.5 servings, you get a whopping 280 calories, and a massive 76 grams of sugar. You really can't be surprised reading those facts. In a bottle, there's also carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium benzoate, gum arabic, caffeine, sodium citrate, glycerol ester of rosin, calcium disodium edta, and brominated vegetable oil. In 8 ounces of this drink, there's about 36 milligrams of caffeine, and doing the math, about 91 milligrams in the whole bottle. It's not that much, but it's sure enough to perk you up for a good hour or so, without an immediate, noticeable crash. In comparison, there's more caffeine in 20 ounces of this Mountain Dew, than an 8 ounce can of Red Bull, or Monster. If you're going for max energy, obviously this isn't the correct path, but if you're more into sodas, as opposed to energy drinks, Mountain Dew is a good route to take for a short boost of energy. Being the first of the bunch to try, I cannot really compare this drink to any of the other two Mountain Dews, but compared to the original formula, it's a good change-up.

Taste: 7 - Generic lemon/lime/orange citrus flavor, with moderate dullness from the HFCS
Kick: 6.8 - Good kick for a soda, not great in general, however
Overall: 7 - Interesting find; I'm ready to try the other Mountain Dews and cast my vote

Reviewed by: Chan

Amp Energy Juice Mixed Berry

The second of the two new Juice flavors is Mixed Berry, as you can most likely see on the left. Mixed berry can be more than relatively different for every other company that decides to take it on, whereas orange and grape, for example, are mostly the same. Because Amp targets breakfast or early morning caffeine consumers, they decided to go with the down-home, basic breakfast, juicy flavors: orange and berry. They're also advising you to give Amp a try, rather than pouring yourself a routine cup of coffee every morning, or driving out to Starbuck's, for that matter. Anyways, what allured me the most when I reviewed the Amp Orange a few weeks ago, was the synonymous flavor it shared with basic orange juice. Despite the bitterness pin-pointed at the B vitamins and other energy ingredients, I didn't think the Orange was that bad at all. Knowing that, my expectations are higher for the mixed berry. Stated in the previous review, a bit of background info about the Amp Juice: it's made from juice concentrates (So don't forget to shake the bottle before opening; it's got pulp), they're made in 12 ounce bottles, and they're absolutely, 100% Juice. Predictions? Well, I'm going to guess grape, strawberry and blueberry, accompanied by the usual bitterness.

Twisting open the large, purple cap, the scent isn't really enticing, but more bland. However, if I stick my nose far enough in, there's some hearty, all-pure berry aroma. I don't have to pour the drink out, because the bottle is translucent. Peering straight through the bottle, I see a dark, orange-purple mixture. Taking a bold sip, the first thing I notice is the smooth, sour flavor of grape, orange, and blueberry, with fading flavors of raspberry, and the consistency exactly like that of orange juice. More subtle, there are hints of strawberry in the aftertaste, that literally calls you back for more. It's thick and syrupy due to the pulp, as it reminds me of a smoothie, just without the ice. There definitely is much less bitterness in this drink than the Orange, which I believe the reason to be the stronger flavor of the berry masks most of the bitterness, as opposed to lighter Orange being unable to do so. It's not carbonated, which I think you could have assumed by now. On a final note, the flavor is exceptional, and perhaps my personal favorite of the two Juices. Let's see how the kick compares.

Per bottle, the Amp Juice has a reputation to load up on calories and sugar, with about 200 calories and 42 grams of sugar in one 12 ounce bottle. On a much better note, however, this bottles got 100% juice, which means you get 100% of your daily fill of Vitamin C, and 150% of Vitamins B6 and B12, Niacin, and pantothenic acid. Other ingredients are found in this drink such as: orange juice from concentrate, white grape juice, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid, taurine, guarana seed, caffeine, ascorbic acid, modified food starch, niacin, calcium pantothenate, panax ginseng, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, lycopene, and Vitamin B12. Realistically, there aren't any out-of-the-ordinary ingredients, with the exception of maybe the juice concentrates, though this isn't the first energy drink with definite juice concentrates. As for the kick, it impacted me in waves of mainly jitters, and as a generic pick-me-up, with slight alertness raised. Overall, the better of the two Juice products. I think Amp did a great job, all in all, in created an alternative to coffee, being that many energy drink labels have not yet made that jump thus far. What's the best way to expend this energy? Watching the Celtic's game, of course!

Taste: 8 - Smooth grape, blueberry, orange breakfast 'blend', with only traces of bitterness
Kick: 7.6 - Relatively similar kick to that of a Monster, maybe a bit less, with less energy ingredients
Overall: 7.8 - Go for this one if you're a fan of berry+orange

Reviewed by: Chan

Amp Energy Gum

Every once in a while, you run into a very cool energy product, an alternative form of your brand-name energy drinks. Today, I'm lucky to have a pack of Amp Energy Gum. I would typically overlook a no-name brand energy gum, but what makes this product special to me is the fact it's an Amp. A large company, Amp is known for producing quality energy products, and it appears they've quickly become a part of the recent energy shot/gum surge. A review like this is fun for me because I personally love the flavor of the regular Amp. As far as I know, Amp is the first of the "behemoths" except Rockstar to make and market an energy gum. Anyway,

Amp Energy Gum comes with 10 well-sized sugar-free pieces.

Much like the regular Amp, this is citrus flavored and is infused with Caffeine, B-Vitamins, and Taurine - probably the three biggest components in energy drinks. I wasn't sure how much this would affect the taste, but I hoped for the best.

I spaced out about 4 or 5 pieces throughout the day, noting the flavor and texture each time. When you pop one piece in your mouth, its crunchy shell cracks and releases that familiar lemony-limey-orangey flavor I've come to love from Amps. It's only slightly different because the energy ingredients are slightly present, adding a certain bitterness, but that's most likely to be expected of an energy gum. Unfortunately, after maybe 5 minutes, the flavor dwindles and you're left with a faint remnant of that awesome Amp flavor. Continue to chew, and the Caffeine and B-Vitamins become more prevalent, until the gum gets quite bitter and earthy. I predict some at this point may want to spit the gum out, but my gut tells me if I stop chewing I'll give up a lot of energy. I chewed my pieces to the bitter end (no pun intended), until eventually, the texture turned to mush the way certain kinds of gum do, and I could only swallow it. Overall, the gum lasts a decent while, though the flavor doesn't. However, I have to admit, I somewhat enjoyed the bitterness of the energy ingredients; it's not something you find in most gum. Curiously, while chewing, I had a craving for an Amp energy drink.

The ingredients are as follows: Malitol, Sorbitol, Gum Base, Malitol Syrup, Taurine, Carnuba Wax, Natural Flavor, Caffeine, Gum Arabic, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Titanium Dioxide, Niacinimide, Malic Acid, Sucralose, Aspartame, Glycerine, Calcium Pantothenate, Soy Lecithin, Fumaric Acid, Resinous Glaze, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Acesulfame Potassium, and BHT. Per serving (2 pieces), you get an 80mg dose of Caffeine, and 100% of your daily B-Vitamins. 4 pieces gives you a 160mg dose, roughly equivalent to a strong 16ozer. Notice there's no sugar in this, but a whole bunch of other sweeteners: Malitol, Sorbitol, Malitol Syrup -- sugar alcohols, very common in gum -- Sucralose (Splenda), and Ace-K. Combined, this gum doesn't taste the least bit artificial, and I could easily mistake it for sugared gum -- definitely a plus. In terms of effect, chewing a piece every one or two hours kept me totally hyped and alert the entire day, and it still hasn't yielded a crash into the evening. The feeling is a bit different than an energy drink; the boost feels more instantaneous, and there's certainly little chance of an upset stomach. And of course, it's 10 calories as opposed to 200. Overall, I'd highly recommend this gum both for the kick and the taste. Gotta tell ya, I love that Amp citrus.

Taste: 8.2 - Delicious Amp citrus flavor, however some may not enjoy bitterness of energy ingredients
Kick: 8.6 - Fantastic, fast-acting boost that keeps you going and doesn't disappoint
Overall: 8.4 - A great energy product, and a great gum, in my opinion.

Note: mileage may vary.

Reviewed by: Jeff

Amp Energy Juice Orange

Do you recognize the delightful taste of Amp? How about orange juice? Well, if you combine together, you get Amp Energy Juice Orange. Today, I'm here reviewing an energy drink much anticipated by myself. I've never seen an energy drink that's dedicated to skipping out on coffee in morning, and combines their original formula with a real orange flavor, like this one. You do see Monster M-80, which is orange, lemon, lime, etc. and Monster Chaos, for example, but the main difference between that and this juice is that Monster uses "natural flavors", while the Juice is goes into more detailed by using orange juice and white grape juice concentrate. Amp suggests skipping out on you're cup of joe, and downing a 12 ounce bottle of this energized juice. So, this morning, that's exactly what I did. Being the usually groggy and caffeine-deprived person I am, I'm just about to break this bottle open and down it. Before I do that, however, I'm gonna examine the bottle in further detail. Looking at the front of the bottle, there's Amp's logo "A" in orange, in front of an orange background as well. At the top, I see "100% Juice", which will determine the difference between any average orange-flavored energy drink, and this one. My prediction will be a basic pulpy orange juice flavor, with a bit of Amp's original mix. Let's find out.

Giving the small bottle a thorough shake, I open up the wide, orange cap. Immediately, an odd, yet pure and pungent aroma filled the area. It reminded me most of the Awake Orange. The color is exactly like the color of orange juice, though just a bit darker, I think. Taking my first sip, I was thrown off by the flavor, which is best described as your every day orange juice, with slightly more bitterness from the vitamins, caffeine, and other energy supplements. Its flavor is subtle, as it fades quickly into a near revolting aftertaste of vitamins, but again, best just described as bitterness. About halfway finished with the 12 ounce bottle, I find the taste more smooth, like Tropicana, as if much of the bitterness has disappeared. Because it's not carbonated, it goes down easy, once you get past the noticeable gumminess from some of the fruit concentrates. I wanted to say that Amp did a fantastic job creating an orange drink that has very little added sugar, and for the most part is 100% juice. Overall, Amp Energy Juice is not only tasty, but is refreshing as well on another warm day, just as summer approaches.

Per bottle of Amp, you get a whopping 190 calories and about 41 grams of sugar. On average, an energy drink will have 200-220 calories per can, but that's in a complete 16 ounce can, not 12 such as this bottle. On a more optimistic side, however, you get 100% of your daily amount of Vitamin C, 150% of niacin, Vitamin B6, B12, and pantothenic acid. In a complete bottle, Amp packs in a vast amount of ingredients such as: orange juice, white grape juice, citric acid, taurine, guarana seed extract, caffeine, ascorbic acid, gum arabiv, natural and artificial flavor, niacin, calcium pantothenate, modified food starch, panax ginseng, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, Vitamin E acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, and cyanocobalamin. Most of these ingredients come standard in energy drinks, with the exception of the three fruit juices. Well, when it came down to the kick, I had to admit, I was disappointed. It acted almost like a coffee: it wakes you up, gets you through a few hours, and leaves you with a mean crash. Of course proportionally, the amount of caffeine per 12 ounce bottle is set, but if you're looking for a great kick, I hate to disappoint you. After it all, I was satisfied with the smooth orange juice-like flavor, and somewhat grateful for the kick to follow.

Taste: 7.5 - Good orange juice take, though somewhat bitter from all the energy ingredients
Kick: 7 - Generic coffee/energy drink jitteriness
Overall: 7.3 - Give it a shot; maybe you'll prefer it over your morning routine of coffee

Reviewed by: Chan

Hydrive Grape Fusion R

When I'm jonesin' for something tasty I don't hesitate to reach for grape drank. And I'm lucky today to have Hydrive Grape Fusion R to review. Grape is delicious enough, but this one takes it a step further with grape fusion. After a jam sesh, a nice, cool, refreshing Hydrive sounds great to rejuvinate me. Besides, the purpose of this one, R, is recovery. I'm extremely eager to gulp this one down, so I'm not wasting much time on this introductory paragraph.

My first whiff is of a very good, sweet, deep grape flavor. It smells natural, but still easily recognizable. I'm very happy with a swig of the stuff; it's cool, sweet, refreshing, a little bit sour going down, and overall very satisfying to a thirsty dude like me. The color is lovely as well, being that crystal clear royal purple. Early on, there's little evidence this has Splenda; it goes down smooth, much like Gatorade. Maybe halfway in, I feel some sweetness lingering in the back of my throat, a sign of artificial sweeteners. To my surprise, after chilling the drink, it tastes a lot more artificial than before. I remember learning a while ago that things taste sweeter to our tastebuds when they are warm. Maybe that's what's going on here; because the drink is colder, the natural sugar doesn't taste as sweet, while the sucralose cuts through sharply. So my recommendation for this and any other drink half natural-artificial is to drink it slightly below room temperature. Overall, this is a tasty one I'd enjoy at the end of a long day. Now I have a feeling this kick is gonna creep up on me.

Hydrive's proprietary blend is a little different in this flavor, and it makes me sad, because there's no Ginkgo Biloba. There's Caffeine (145mg), Taurine (50mg), Aloe Vera extract (50mg), L-Carnitine (25mg), L-Arginine (25mg), Acai extract (3mg), 298mg total. Below, it mentions the recovery forumla, consisting of Aloe Vera, Acai, Folic Acid, Niacin, and Vitamin E. Overall, compared to earlier, I'm feeling much more alert, vital, and concentrated. I know I have the amino acids and B Vitamins to thank for that, and probably the rest of the recovery formula. This isn't one of those balls-to-the-wall drinks, like Monsters, but nonetheless, the effects are great -- a burst of easy-going energy with awareness for only 30 calories. Hydrives are an attractive choice to me, someone who likes a moderate boost for little calories. I'm totally looking forward to reviewing the next, and final Hydrive in our series of six.

Taste - 8.4 - Enjoyable and balanced grape, better warm

Kick - 7.7 - Not an explosion of energy, but a smooth, solid, alert boost

Overall - 8.1 - I really enjoy this kind of drink, but it's not exactly the kind for energy junkies

Reviewed by: Jeff

Hydrive Citrus Burst V

Here I am, yet again reviewing the third and final Hydrive (At least the final Hydrive by me). I thought I'd save the best drink for last, so today I'm gonna crack open a bottle of Citrus Burst, with a Vitamin-infused formula. Unlike the antioxidant, as soon as I check out the formula, I'm relieved to see 100% of Vitamin D, Vitamin B3, B5, B6, and B9, all healthy compounds. Hydrive also notes the presense of caffeine, taurine, L-Carnitine, and L-Arginine. Citrus is a rather simple flavor to get down, so I'm eager to see how Hydrive takes it on. I know that we reviewed a Dragonfruit Hydrive back when they used their old bottle design and formula, but I'm not too sure that Dragonfruit is exactly the same, in terms of taste. Anyways, looking at the bottle, I see that Hydrive Citrus Burst has a nice, deep orange color, while retaining bright yellow hues as well. The logo is nearly the same as the other Hydrive's, with the exception of the orange and yellow swirls behind the basic black-fonted logo. Below the logo, there's a large "V", that symbolizes Vitamin, obviously.

Opening up the bottle with a crack, I find Hydrive Citrus Burst has a hearty, orange scent, just about as strong as an orange pulp, or just like when you open an orange. I'm a bit disappointed taking my first sip, as anticipating from the scent, I was hoping for a stronger lemon/orange flavor. Granted, it is refreshing, although it does lack the flavor of citrus you find in sodas, orange juice, and other energy drinks. Sort of not what I was expecting, but nevertheless, a good drink for only 30 calories. It's a light, mostly orange flavor with a nice sour bite, although more artificial orange flavor than natural. I find a bit of lemon-lime nuance, though not as much as a usual citrus drink. Because it's not carbonated, it goes down nicely, and, just like an orangeade drink. About halfway through the bottle, I find that the Hydrive Citrus Burst has actually lost most of it's 'burst', so to say. It's gotten a bit bland. Although my expectations were high, I do give credit to Hydrive as making a low-cal/low-sugar drink is not an easy task. In my own opinion, I do favor the Hydrive Kiwi Strawberry A out of the three I have reviewed, as it was the most natural, strong in flavor, and overall the tastiest.

In terms of ingredients, I'm really fascinated that Hydrive put in all sorts of Vitamins: D, and B. If it were up to me, I think it would have been cool if Hydrive put in Vitamin C, like I expected they would. Orange, lemon and lime just seem to always compliment Vitamin C, but that's the irony of it, I guess. In each bottle, like listed above, you get 100% of Vitamin D, B3, B5, B6,B9 and B12. There's also purified water, sucrose, citric acid, natural flavor, sodium citrate, caffeine, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, monopotassium phosphate, gum arabic, calcium chloride, sucralose, taurine, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine hydrochloride, glycerol ester of wood rosin, magnesium chloride hexhydrate, yellow #5, and yellow #6. Waiting a good 30 minutes after finishing the bottle, I find a decent kick from the caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins. Definitely not a kick like the Blue Raspberry, though. From 245mg of the blend, I was pretty impressed from all of the Hydrive's kick, as they all contain the same amount of the stuff. Overall a decent energy drink, especially for 30 calories. If you want to heed my advice, I'd definitely go for the Kiwi Strawberry if you want to pick one of these beasts up at a supermarket. Keep in mind they all have a specific function, and all are an even 30 calories.

Taste: 7 - Decent pulp-y orange flavor with a sour a bite, but lost most flavor towards the end
Kick: 7 - Although Vitamin D took no part in aiding a buzz, the 245mg of basic blend did a decent job
Overall: 7 - Not my favorite Hydrive, but certainly not terrible

Reviewed by: Chan

Hydrive Kiwi Strawberry A

Moving right along with the six new Hydrive flavors released rather recently, I find myself face-to-face with a tall fuchsia bottle, Hydrive Kiwi Strawberry Alertness formula. As I explained in the Blue Raspberry review, Hydrive launched six new products, each with a designated purpose. Being allocated to alertness, Hydrive adds in some neat, though standard ingredients such as Guarana, Panax Ginseng, Vitamin B3, B5, B6, and B12. These are found in your every day Monster, along with caffeine, taurine, L-Carnitine, and L-Arginine. I'm interested to see how the simple ingredients in the drink compare to an average Monster, Rockstar, or Amp. In terms of design, the drink is packaged in a transparent bottle, with a sticker label stretching around the bottle. On the sticker, Hydrive mentions alertness and focus a couple of times, and a brief description of the product. It has a basic yellow-purple design behind a standard black font reading, "Hydrive Energy". Lastly, the bottle isn't a complete 16 ounces, but not far off at about 15.5 ounces per bottle.

Tearing open the bottle, there's not too much of a potent scent. As far as I can tell, it's a rather bright strawberry tang with the kiwi complimenting well. Taking a few sips, the flavor is just that. At first, the drink tastes stronger, like a tropical mix you find at the grocery store, then slightly fades with each sip, most likely due to the lack of much pure sugar. Unlike a few kiwi strawberry drinks I've tried, Hydrive does a nice job balancing the amount of each fruit in the drink. Instead of a prominent berry, there's a good, benign helping of kiwi. Although kiwi isn't common in drinks, it really does pack a punch of good flavor. If you've ever tried a kiwi, you know that it's real tart and sweet, while maintaining a distinct flavor that's unlike any fruit or vegetable out there. While strawberry, on the other hand is a much more common flavor in desserts, drinks, and salads. It's not as tart as a kiwi, but it complements nicely with other fruits and sugars. Together, I like the blend Hydrive uses: tart, sweet, and smooth. Although the drink is low on sugar, the fruits taste well natural, not artificial. Because it's not carbonated, the Hydrive goes down well like a fruit drink, without being as thick as one. Overall, a refreshing sugar free drink, and like the Blue Raspberry, exceptionally formulated.

Per bottle, you get only 30 calories, and 6 total grams of sugar; it's a good on-the-go drink if you want good energy, while wanting to watch your calorie intake. You also get about 20 milligrams of niacin, 2 milligrams of Vitamin B6, 6 milligrams of Vitamin B12, 10 milligrams of Pantothenic acid, 140 milligrams of sodium, and 50 milligrams of Potassium. In the bottle, there's also purified water, sucrose, citric acid, sodium citrate, caffeine, natural flavor, sodium benzoate, taurine, sucralose, gum arabic, magnesium chloride, hexahydrate, glycerol ester of wood rosin, Red #40, Blue #1, and all the listed Alertness Formula in the first paragraph, as well. Within about thirty minutes of finishing the bottle, I find myself more jittery than the last Hydrive I had. The formula for alertness doesn't have many differences between itself and a regular Monster or Rockstar. The kick is decent nevertheless, but definitely not as alert as I had anticipated. Aside from that, a great sugar free drink; I cannot wait to review the final Hydrive on my part, and hear from Jeff about his.

Taste: 7.7 - A refreshing equal blend of tart kiwi and sweet strawberry
Kick: 7 - An average kick full of hyper/jitteriness, and some alertness
Overall: 7.7 - Definitely a recommended drink if you're into sugar free drinks, and don't want a Gatorade

Reviewed by: Chan

Hydrive Triple Berry X

I don't know how old those other Hydrives Chan and I had were, but they sure were different. Since we found those, Hydrive has evolved, their new lineup consisting of six colorful tonics, each with a different function. You have A through X, Alertness to Antioxidants. Today I've chosen the Antioxidant Formula. I thought this would be a tame one, but from reading the back I learned that there's a stiff energy blend in here too. Like all the other Hydrives, this one contains 30 calories per bottle, which is cool to hear. Good energy blends can sometimes be diminished in sugary drinks with that sugar crash. It looks to me like Hydrive is a serious, no-nonsense, health conscious energy drink. I haven't had much caffeine in recent weeks, so 145mg of Caffeine is probably gonna have a pretty big impact. Triple berry sounds good.

I twisted open the cap and found a pretty deep scent of berries, though I want to say it's cherry. I can't much tell whether it's artificial or natural, but it is nice and fruity. The taste is a little interesting; there's a good amount of flavor, and it doesn't taste like cough syrup, thankfully, but there's a little sour bite when I swallow that reminds me of the stuff. I was thinking before that this would somewhat resemble a Gatorade, but there are some differences: It tastes a bit sweeter and more artificial than a G2, but it's equally refreshing. Also, I've decided the flavor is stronger, and the familiarly light saltiness is absent or hidden. Even though it has sucralose, Hydrive doesn't lose it sweetness much as I've found artificial sweeteners to do. Of course, I'm drinking it kinda slowly, but still. I've decided Hydrive X is a smooth, satistfying, rounded berry flavor. Though it's a bit generic, it fortunately doesn't get old and gumminess is hardly a problem at all. Overall, I think Hydrive is a good choice because it's got a good taste for 30 calories, but it's not one I'll reach for when I just want something tasty.

Now, what I instantly liked about Hydrive's ingredients list was seeing Ginkgo Biloba (3mg) and two amino acids. Ginkgo solidly delivers focus and alertness, while L-Carnitine (25mg) and L-Arginine (25mg) make for some great vitality. The rest of the proprietary blend is a hefty dose of Caffeine (145mg), a bit of Taurine (50mg), Apple Polyphenols (3mg), and Acai Extract (3mg). Formerly I would complain about how weak this is, but for a drink aimed less at raw power and more at vitality and longer lasting energy, I think it's near perfect. Down below the ingredients, it mentions a special antioxidant formula consisting of Vitamin E; the same Ginkgo, Polyphenols, and Acai; Selenium, and Zinc. The rest of the ingredients are purified water, sucrose (6 grams of it) citric acid, purple carrot juice concentrate (for color), sodium citrate, natural flavor, a few preservatives, sucralose, and your usual assorted B vitamins, emulsifiers, and Red #40. All in all, I like the stuff that goes into this beverage, and it made me feel pretty great. I'm not all that excited by it, but Hydrive does a decent job of adding in some antioxidants, which fight free radicals. Free radicals, of course, can cause cancer or simply accelerate aging. If you're looking for a drink that'll make you feel good, refresh you, tastes pretty good, and fights aging, you're looking at a Hydrive X.

Taste: 7.4 - Nice, simple, rounded berry that doesn't get old

Kick: 7.8 - I love drinks that are solidly invigorating as well as powerful
Overall: 7.6 - A good one to have for some outdoor activities

Reviewed by: Jeff

Hydrive Blue Raspberry S

If you recall, Jeff and I reviewed a couple of the original Hydrive flavors, a neat find at Big Lots. Although the tastes weren't exactly appealing, it interested us because we really hadn't found a drink that was bittersweet, tasted a bit salty, yet lacked the necessary all-around flavor of an energy drink, so to speak. We most likely weren't the only ones to have the same mindset, so Hydrive went back into the lab and reformulated a new batch of energy drinks. They released six new flavors, Blue Raspberry being one of them. A good difference between the older formula and the newer formula is the designated function of each flavor. For instance, the Blue Raspberry's function is strength, as it claims to formulate strength with Vitamin B12, Maca Root, Ginkgo Biloba, D-Ribose, and L-Leucine. From past experience, most avid energy drink users have been exposed to D-Ribose, Vitamin B12, and Ginkgo Biloba (Most commonly found in Rockstar). A new ingredient I'm not sure I have tried before is the Maca Root, though from a bit of research, Maca Root helps rebuild weak immune systems, restore energy and endurance, and give minerals to a poorly-nourished body.

Giving the bottle a quick shake, I twist off the cap and notice a light mixed berry aroma. Unlike previous Blue Raspberry energy drinks like Jolt Blue Raspberry, this has a very subtle berry scent and flavor. Although its dark blue color suggests a more deeper, pure raspberry flavor, (such found also in various candies) it's light on the pallet. A few sips in, I start to taste a sour bite usually found in berries, though unlike the original, it's delightful, and ridding of bitterness. With only 30 calories, it's formulated just right; therefore very little sucralose is noticeable when tasting the raspberry/blueberry drink. Instead, it's sweetened very lightly with sucrose, the common table sugar. Because it's non-carbonated, Hydrive goes down smoothly, and makes for a great thirst-quencher, especially on a hot afternoon like today. About half-way through the bottle, some initial soft raspberry flavor becomes lost, which is hard to explain, but happens in a lot of low-calorie/sugar-free drinks. In terms of flavor, it reminds me most of the blue Gatorade G2 (A low-cal alternative to Gatorade). The taste fades rather quick, leaving only a sour aftertaste and a reminiscence of berry. Overall a good twist of a light Blue Raspberry drink, especially in a 30 calorie bottle.

Like stated above, the strength energy blend is appealing, as instead of having just caffeine, taurine, etc., you get some of the natural stuff too. Maca Root and Ginkgo Biloba come from an autotrophic source (plants, trees, etc.), while Vitamin B12, L-Leucine, and D-Ribose are all organic compounds that aid in energy, strength, muscle output, you name it. In each bottle, there's purified water, sucrose, citric acid, sodium citrate, caffeine, preservatives, gum arabic, natural flavor, taurine, sucralose, monopotassium, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine, Vitamin B5, Glycerol Ester of wood rosin, and Blue #1. In a bottle, you get 30 calories, only 6g of sugar, and a Proprietary energy blend of 265mg. A regular Monster or Rockstar has about 2500mg of energy blend. In comparison, it may seem like much more, though Hydrive, if you recall, skips out on the caffeine and taurine overload to make sure the consumer gets the smaller amounts of organic ingredients essential to strength and a good kick. Speaking of which, within about 20 minutes or so of finishing the bottle, I notice myself much more focused, awake from the Sunday-morning fatigue, and not over-the-top jittery. Instead of your cup of Joe in the morning, grab one of these portable 15.5 ounce bottles of strength.

Taste: 7.5 - Mild raspberry with a delighting sour bite, though partially bland at times
Kick: 8 - Great improvement of focus and energy; I feel loads more restored
Overall: 7.8 - Solid low-cal Hydrive; much better than the original

Reviewed by: Chan