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