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
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