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