Bite Me Energy

A couple of our bros notified us about a drink we'd never reviewed, and very graciously saved us a couple of cans. Here I have Bite Me Energy, which seems to be some of the damn tastiest stuff we've come across in a while, or so says Chan. From all of my bros, I've heard that this is one of the greatest Monster clones around. The front of the can reads "energy with attitude" and "warning extremely potent." Bite Me definitely wants to give the impression that this is a serious energy concoction. A few things I like about this right from the get-go are the graphics on the front reading "Energy with Attitude" and "Warning Extremely Potent!" Also, across the top it reads "Chill Me, Lick Me, Bite Me!" I'm not really sure what this means. Anyway, I'm trying this chilled and over ice.

The smell from the can strikes me as syrupy and less fruity than I had expected. A sip from the can delights me because not only is the taste quite palatable but because the drink isn't too sweet, just as I was expecting. Often times, I've felt let down by drinks with a good flavor that are much too sweet. As for the flavor, it's tart and quite delectable, but not easily discernable. Much like a Monster, the flavor isn't easy to tell, but it is tasty so I would call this a Monster clone. Its differences include more tartness, less sweetness, and a slightly more chalky flavor. It's a nice take on the Monster clone, though I'm at a loss for words when it comes to describing the taste. It don't recognize any familiar flavors, really; all I can make out is vanilla with some kind of crisp, fruity backdrop. It's an easy drink to enjoy and it leaves quickly.

Bite Me's ingredients list: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (For Color), Taurine, Glucuronolactone, Caffeine, Inositol, Sodium Benzoate, Niacinimide, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, D-Calcium Pantothenate, and Cyanocobalamin. The reason for the moderate sweetness I mentioned is that Bite Me contains only 25g of sugar per serving. That's 2-6 grams less than most drinks, and in my opinion it makes Bite Me much easier to down. As for the energy blend, there are 160mg total of Caffeine, a strong dose, 1000mg of Taurine, 300mg of Glucuronolactone, 50mg of Inositol, and a short stack of B-Vitamins. I'm not exactly sure where this stands next to a Monster supplement-wise, but I do know that it's a bit more caffeine-heavy, with 160mg where Monster has around 140. I can't say much about the boost. It was definitely there; I felt energetic and ready to do anything. The one thing that irked me was how dehydrated I felt from the Caffeine, but that is to be expected from any source of caffeine. In the end, I'm very happy with Bite Me, mostly because of a clean taste and good sweetness level.

Taste: 8.8 - One of the best-tasting energy drinks I've come across recently
Kick: 7.8 - Gets you energized and ready to do pretty much anything
Overall: 8.7 - Easy drink to enjoy anytime

Reviewed by: Jeff

Wave Sugar Free

Wave is a brand I hadn't heard of until recently. With a stylish, yet simple can design, Wave claims to be the best tasting energy drink on the market today. That's not an easy thing to accomplish, and with my energy drink reviewing experience, I'll be the judge of that. With all natural flavors and some interesting ingredients, I'm expecting something different from Wave. However, as with many sugar free drinks, there's a bit of worry in me over the sweetness. Hopefully, Wave has created the best tasting sugar free energy drink on the market. I'm mostly clueless as to what flavor this will be. The only way to find out is to open it up.

Immediately after popping the top, I smell a rush of something soft and sweet, like strawberry. Taking it in at the opening, I smell less of the sweetness and, unfortunately, an unpleasant bitterness like vitamins. Wave enters my cup with a deep, clear crimson that's quite nice to look at. A big swig invites me to taste that same vague and rounded sweet flavor supported fairly well by the artificial sweeteners. Still, I cannot shake the bitter, vitamin taste. That's not a good sign. It's most prevalent when I take a whiff of the drink, though it's not as in my mouth. I feel bad saying it, but I wouldn't expect the best-tasting energy drink on the market to taste like this. Nor would I expect a brand which sponsors a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup to taste like this. What is good about Wave, however, is that the artificial sweeteners haven't lost their sweetness, as they do sometimes. Topping off the can, I've proven to myself that Wave Sugar Free is by no means undrinkable, which is a good sign.

As you would expect, Wave contains Carbonated Water, Aspartame, Ace-K, and a dose of B-Vitamins. The rest of Wave's ingredient list is a bit nonstandard, with a few natural ingredients you don't see very often. First of these odd ingredients is Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, which is used to naturally give the drink a dark red. Next I see Elderberry Extract Concentrate. I'm not sure exactly what it's for, but it may be simply for flavor. Purple Sweet Potato is another fascinating ingredient, and it may be present for its color as well, or perhaps it's in here for the antioxidants. The last natural ingredient I see is Red Cabbage Juice Concentrate, which may also be for color or antioxidants. Wave's Proprietary Energy Blend is 2.28g of Taurine, Caffeine, Inositol, L-Lysine, Choline Bitartrate, and Guarana Extract. All of these I've heard of except for Choline Bitartrate. It turns out Choline is a very essential nutrient similar to B Vitamins that contributes to brain development and cognitive function. That's something I like to get from an energy drink, not just energy but lots of focus. Choline Bitartrate and L-Lysine, along with the B-Vitamins found in Wave provide just that. After drinking Wave, not only was I energetic, but I did have a great deal of concentration. That is definitely going to help Wave's score.

Taste: 6.2 - A vague strawberry-like flavor all but ruined by some kind of chalky vitaminy taste
Kick: 8.7 - One of the better boosts I've had from an energy drink, with plenty of focus.
Overall: 7.6 - I can't say this is the best-tasting energy drink on the market

Reviewed by: Jeff