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