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