Hydrive Blue Raspberry S

If you recall, Jeff and I reviewed a couple of the original Hydrive flavors, a neat find at Big Lots. Although the tastes weren't exactly appealing, it interested us because we really hadn't found a drink that was bittersweet, tasted a bit salty, yet lacked the necessary all-around flavor of an energy drink, so to speak. We most likely weren't the only ones to have the same mindset, so Hydrive went back into the lab and reformulated a new batch of energy drinks. They released six new flavors, Blue Raspberry being one of them. A good difference between the older formula and the newer formula is the designated function of each flavor. For instance, the Blue Raspberry's function is strength, as it claims to formulate strength with Vitamin B12, Maca Root, Ginkgo Biloba, D-Ribose, and L-Leucine. From past experience, most avid energy drink users have been exposed to D-Ribose, Vitamin B12, and Ginkgo Biloba (Most commonly found in Rockstar). A new ingredient I'm not sure I have tried before is the Maca Root, though from a bit of research, Maca Root helps rebuild weak immune systems, restore energy and endurance, and give minerals to a poorly-nourished body.

Giving the bottle a quick shake, I twist off the cap and notice a light mixed berry aroma. Unlike previous Blue Raspberry energy drinks like Jolt Blue Raspberry, this has a very subtle berry scent and flavor. Although its dark blue color suggests a more deeper, pure raspberry flavor, (such found also in various candies) it's light on the pallet. A few sips in, I start to taste a sour bite usually found in berries, though unlike the original, it's delightful, and ridding of bitterness. With only 30 calories, it's formulated just right; therefore very little sucralose is noticeable when tasting the raspberry/blueberry drink. Instead, it's sweetened very lightly with sucrose, the common table sugar. Because it's non-carbonated, Hydrive goes down smoothly, and makes for a great thirst-quencher, especially on a hot afternoon like today. About half-way through the bottle, some initial soft raspberry flavor becomes lost, which is hard to explain, but happens in a lot of low-calorie/sugar-free drinks. In terms of flavor, it reminds me most of the blue Gatorade G2 (A low-cal alternative to Gatorade). The taste fades rather quick, leaving only a sour aftertaste and a reminiscence of berry. Overall a good twist of a light Blue Raspberry drink, especially in a 30 calorie bottle.

Like stated above, the strength energy blend is appealing, as instead of having just caffeine, taurine, etc., you get some of the natural stuff too. Maca Root and Ginkgo Biloba come from an autotrophic source (plants, trees, etc.), while Vitamin B12, L-Leucine, and D-Ribose are all organic compounds that aid in energy, strength, muscle output, you name it. In each bottle, there's purified water, sucrose, citric acid, sodium citrate, caffeine, preservatives, gum arabic, natural flavor, taurine, sucralose, monopotassium, L-Carnitine, L-Arginine, Vitamin B5, Glycerol Ester of wood rosin, and Blue #1. In a bottle, you get 30 calories, only 6g of sugar, and a Proprietary energy blend of 265mg. A regular Monster or Rockstar has about 2500mg of energy blend. In comparison, it may seem like much more, though Hydrive, if you recall, skips out on the caffeine and taurine overload to make sure the consumer gets the smaller amounts of organic ingredients essential to strength and a good kick. Speaking of which, within about 20 minutes or so of finishing the bottle, I notice myself much more focused, awake from the Sunday-morning fatigue, and not over-the-top jittery. Instead of your cup of Joe in the morning, grab one of these portable 15.5 ounce bottles of strength.

Taste: 7.5 - Mild raspberry with a delighting sour bite, though partially bland at times
Kick: 8 - Great improvement of focus and energy; I feel loads more restored
Overall: 7.8 - Solid low-cal Hydrive; much better than the original

Reviewed by: Chan

Spot On Energy Patch

Hey, what's new? You know we here at Canned Reviews are devoted to reviewing energy drinks (hence the Canned Reviews), but today I feel a bit more daring than usual. If you look to your left, you see no can, instead a little square, green package. These hold a total of four energy patches that you place onto your skin. I can't say I'm a huge fan of their "No More Energy Drinks" idea, but hey, it's cool to take a break every once in awhile. To me, this is a radical idea anyways, but it just might work. I do respect Spot On for its cleverness. Think about all the advantages: no sugar, no calories, small and discreet, and most importantly, it's healthier. Because I'm obviously not going to review taste, I'm going to go ahead and slip on these patches now so I can get right down to work on the kick section. Anyways, I requested a sample from Spot On about a week ago, and thanks to a speedy delivery, these came in just this afternoon. Being eager, I ripped open the box, and immediately started reviewing. As I place two small brown patches on to my inner arm (they recommend two, as it compares to two 8 ounce Red Bulls, or one 16 ounce), I notice they're extremely adhesive, so you wouldn't have to worry about them falling off. Additionally, they don't seem to bother my arm. Since they're made out of latex, you may want to stay away if you're allergic. Okay, well I feel some energy starting to kick in, so let's move on.

Spot On claims that their energy won't get you jittery, but will keep you awake and will maintain focus. It's always about the consumers' opinion; some like jittery, sugar-filled drinks, while others, like myself, appreciate caffeine with amino acids, B vitamins, and low-to-no sugar, therefore increasing focus. Nevertheless, caffeine allows you to get the job done to put it simply. Each patch of Spot On contains caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, Green Tea extract, niacin, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin B12. These ingredients are standard in any energy-delivering product, except Green Tea. Some energy drinks may contain Green Tea extract, whether to improve taste, or to aid in giving energy. In this case, obviously Green Tea extract aids the B Vitamins and caffeine to improve energy. Green tea also can help lower cholesterol, reduce heart disease, and not only increase fat oxidation during moderately intensive exercise but also improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. On that note, it's good to have Green Tea Extract in your body. Moving on to the kick, using only two patches I definitely feel a bit more alert and focused, though it's a different feeling than you get with an energy drink. For someone who uses caffeine regularly and has built up a tolerance to small doses, I personally recommend perhaps three patches. It all really depends on your surroundings and prior activity, too. Finishing a long day, I'm already tired, and Spot On seemed to pick me up from that rut, and didn't propel me farther than I need to go. Overall, your experience with Spot On is going to be experimental. Try two patches for a solid kick, and three for an added extra, but don't exceed four in 24 hours.

Taste: N/A
Kick: 7.5 - Using two patches, solid focus and alertness, but nothing too substantial
Overall: 7.5 - Good all-purpose pick-me-up

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Recovery

Looks like Rockstar's branching out, trying something new, with a new energy drink all about hydration. Rockstar Recovery comes in a bold, simple, and eye-catching can. The almost fluorescent yellow stands out like a traffic cone and the completely black top seems to give it an edge. Reading the label, there's a lot of things that are unique about this as well. This is, of course, the first time I've seen "hydration" on a Rockstar can, and it's also very cool to see that there are only 20 calories in the entire can. From the name Recovery, I assume this drink is for either recovery from a bad hangover or for a little helpful boost plus hydration during sports or physical activity. So, what do I expect? First off, Recovery implies that it's going to be refreshing. Any normal energy drink to me, would most definitely not be refreshing, but I think Rockstar does some things that are very smart. Carbonation can get in the way of a thirst-quenching drink. This is why Rockstar chose to make Recovery non-carbonated, something I like very much. Another thing that can get in the way of a good, refreshing drink is loads of sugar. Recovery addresses this by reducing the sugar to a mere 1 gram and sweetening it mostly artificially. And of course, Recovery's got electrolytes. Three good things I've been able to find about the drink and I haven't even opened it! I guess it's time.

I crack open the top and Recovery doesn't fizz one bit. Me like. The smell reminds me of those artificially sweetened Tropicana light soft drinks; totally sharp lemon flavor with no sweetness. I delicately poured some into a cup and noticed it was clear with a cloudiness like they wanted to trick you into thinking it was real lemon juice. I actually tried looking for pulp, though there is none. My first sip is delicious, and definitely on the sour side. First, it's just kind of refreshing and neutral, but then, you get a little zing from the sourness of it, and the lemon taste lingers a while longer before the flavor disappears. Nothing about it says "energy drink" to me, which would surprise people trying it for the first time. It's pretty amazing to me how much this tastes like the same Tropicana drinks I mentioned earlier. The Recovery is a little better, considering it doesn't make my tongue feel so dry after I have a sip. So there's a plus. I don't really know why, but I hadn't expected this drink to be so sour. I had imagined more of a subtle lemon with little to no zing. This one isn't as bad as other drinks out there, but there's a little bit of gumminess backing up. However, on a scale of water to Sunny D, this one doesn't even make it past the halfway mark. I'll admit, the lemonade is tasty, but I find it to be a little too one-dimensional. I like it, but it hardly leaves me begging to take another sip. Still, this could be part of Rockstar's approach to a hydrating drink. One thing that I often complain about in low-carb/low-cal drinks is the artificial sweeteners, but Rockstar's done it right, with a combination of Sucralose and Ace-K. And of course that hint of Sucrose adds a little brightness and naturalness to the mix. Overall, I'm pleased, but not overjoyed. Rockstar concocted a solid drink with a good taste and nice sweetness, but it's not as flat-out addicting as I find Monsters to be. Now, I'll do my best to examine my hydration level. If that's possible.

Rockstar Recovery's ingredients list goes as follows: Purified Water, Lemon Juice, Sucrose, Taurine, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Caffeine, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Panax Ginseng Extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Prickly Pear Extract, Milk Thistle Extract, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Magnesium Lactate, Gum Arabic, Calcium Lactate, Ester Gum, Monopotassium Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, and Cyanocobalamin. The difference I see from most energy drinks is purified water instead of carbonated water. It's also neat to see lemon juice in the ingredients list. Above the Supplement Facts, it states that the beverage is 3% lemon juice. High in the list is also Taurine. The Supplement Facts mention that there are 1000mg per serving, 2000mg per can. Early on, we never really understood what Taurine was good for, but now we know that Taurine helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Caffeine is also part of the energy ingredients, weighing in at 160mg total. Not quite a massive dose, but definitely a good jolt to get you going. Panax Ginseng is present at 100mg and N-Acetyl Cysteine, which sounds like an amino acid, is present at 50mg. There are 40mg total of Milk Thistle, an ingredient I've seen often in Rockstars. Finally, the last ingredient of Rockstar's energy blend, Prickly Pear Extract, exists at 50mg. I could not fathom why Rockstar would choose Prickly Pear Extract to put in here, but a quick search tells me it's helpful with hangovers. Ah, so there's my proof, Rockstar Recovery is a drink designed to bring you back to life after a night of drinking. Vitamin B, Caffeine, Prickly Pear, and electrolytes (the compounds near the bottom of the ingredients list), among other things work in conjunction to quell your headache, dehydration, and fatigue. Seems logical enough Rockstar would come out with this, since mixing alcohol with energy drinks is somewhat common. Now, how ironic would it be to use Recovery as a mixer?

Taste: 7.7 - Lemonade's one of my favorite flavors, but I think Rockstar did it a little blandly
Kick: 7.5 - A respectable jolt, though it doubles as a hangover cure and yields some nice focus
Overall: 7.6 - A good idea, though I don't see it being a go-to drink

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rockstar Energy Cola

For the past few years, I've been looking for the Rockstar Cola, although had trouble locating it due to the fact that they discontinued making them. I'll admit, I was disappointed until very recently Rockstar released a new and improved Rockstar Cola, as if the old formula was never released. Anyways, I'm totally stoked to review the new Cola drink. On the market, it's difficult to find many Cola energy drinks, thinking only of...Red Bull Simply Cola, and maybe the Monster Assault, if you'd consider that cola. Therefore, I'm definitely intrigued to find out how the Rockstar Cola compares to the said above. Its can design catches the eye, being mostly black, from the bottom rim, all the way to the tab. The gold writing shimmers in the light, contrasting nicely to the pitch-black background. In most soft drinks, cola is comprised of vanilla, mustard seed, lime, kola nut, cacao, licorice, cinnamon, ginger, coca leaf, orange, corn mint, pine, cardamom, mace clove, etc. If combined with original Rockstar flavor, I'd expect a blast of mixed flavors, hopefully delicious.

Okay, so popping the tab, I immediately sense natural licorice, and a hell of a lot of sweet, 'limey-ness'; very little actual cola. You'd know very much what I'm talking about if you've tried Airborne, a dissovable tablet that allegedly helps support your immune system. Its taste is dynamic in its own way. It reminded me a lot more of Pepsi, which in this review, I'll relate it most to rather than Coca-Cola, though some can't even taste the difference. Its similar characteristics: redundant lime/citrus-cola sweetness and a subtle hint of bright, pure vanilla. Its different characteristics: bitter, bitter aftertaste that's noticeable almost directly after taking a drink, and no dullness brought on by the high fructose corn syrup in Pepsi. I'm starting to think Rockstar has the edge on cola, here, definitely all around better tasting than the Monster Assault, and the Red Bull Cola. I noticed Rockstar didn't add any of their original formula to the Cola; apologies to let you down if that's what you were hoping for when buying the product. It's very lightly carbonated, and goes down well, being sweetened with sucrose and glucose, therefore avoiding potential gumminess some drinks may have. As mentioned above, I wasn't a fan of the aftertaste, but if it doesn't bug you, hey, Rockstar Cola may very well be flawless. To sum up the taste, Rockstar nailed cola on the hammer. It really doesn't get much better than a refreshing, true cola drink.

Topping off the can, I go in to check out the ingredients. Actually, I think Rockstar put on the same ingredients list from all their other drinks, although the defining factor-of-flavor is the "natural flavors" ingredient listed as the sixth on the list. This natural flavoring makes up the flavor of Rockstar you buy. If you grab a regular, it's raspberry/apple flavoring. How about guava? Same deal, though they add guava flavoring. You get the point. The only exception I believe is the coffee line of Rockstars, and their borderline unpopular energy shots. Knowing that, check out these ingredients: carbonated water, taurine, sucrose, glucose, caramel color, natural flavors, caffeine, phosphoric acid, citric acid, L-Carnitine, inositol, milk thistle extract, niacinamide, Calcium pantothenate, ginkgo biloba, gaurana, ginseng, riboflavin, pyridoxine, Kola Nut extract, and cyanocobalamin. You don't see Kola Nut in every energy drink. Since it's at the bottom of the list, Rockstar sneaked just a hint of the trademark flavoring ingredient. Thanks to Wikipedia, I get a bit of a background on Kola Nut: it's got a bitter flavor, is a source of caffeine, and is even used to treat whooping cough, and asthma. It's got a double job in the Rockstar because not only does it give it the cola flavor, but it enhances your physical energy, elevates mood, increases sensitivity and suppresses the appetite, and like stated above, is a good source of caffeine. Additionally, it's toxic in large quantities, and can cause fever. Per can, you get about 260 calories, 66 grams of sugar, and an energy blend (Taurine, ginkgo, caffeine, ginseng, etc.) of about 2.7 grams. This includes 2000mg of taurine, and 160mg of caffeine. The ginkgo in the drink is known to improve focus, as well. Overall, a vast, dynamic collection of energy ingredients, and a great cola drink. Before you get your usual Coca-Cola or Pepsi, give one of these a try; you'll like it.

Taste: 9 - Different, yet bright and delicious citrus-cola
Kick: 8 - Usual Rockstar buzz, slightly improved from the Kola Nut...not by much though
Overall: 8.5 - Fantastic, refreshing drink; let's see how Monster responds

Reviewed by: Chan

̈̈Übershot Energy Shot

When it comes to most energy products, you have your energy drinks, and then you have your energy shots: small, potent packages of high-power energy ingredients. Shots are all about the kick and the convenience. How much easier can it get than slamming down a few ounces of potion to get that extra boost? Usually, shots are sugar-free, advertising themselves as much healthier pick-me-ups than sugary drinks. While this may be true, most shots neglect one thing: the taste. Packing so many vitamins and energy supplements in a tiny 1 or 2 oz bottle isn't going to produce the best-tasting concoction. For this reason, shots will often have a bitter, sour, or terribly sweet, artificial flavor. Here, I hope, is an exception. Übershot comes from the United Kingdom, and has a very sleek ruby red color with a bold "Ü" on the cover and the tagline "Energy for life with no lows." From Übershot's beautiful, minimalistic website, I see that it promises no lows and lots of long-lasting energy and concentration. Its many ingredients, which I'll delve into later, already tell me this boost is going to be substantial. As for the flavor, I feel confident Übershot has something tasty in store, despite the energy shot blunders I've tasted before.

I shake the 58ml metal bottle for good measure and unscrew the top. A somewhat light and sharp grapefruit-like aroma jumps at me that smells pretty refreshing. The liquid inside looks almost clear with a rosy, peachy tint. My first sip lets me know immediately this is artificially sweetened, but thankfully, it doesn't taste "fake." The strong sweetness, which is expected of a shot, does very well to support a sharp, full-bodied flavor that has me flip-flopping between grapefruit and berry. Later on, the grapefruit fades away, and I decide the flavor is a well-rounded, natural-tasting mixed berry. I only get an artificial aftertaste when I sip it slowly; when taken quickly, Übershot has a perfectly delightful flavor and no aftertaste whatsoever. After both sipping and slamming, Übershot leaves my pallete satisfied.

I tested Übershot's energy-giving ability on two occasions: once after sipping and once after slamming it down. After taking it slowly, I found Übershot increased my alertness and gave me a very smooth, rounded boost, with plenty of endurance to sustain me throughout my jog. The second time trying it, Übershot was relentless. In less than five minutes, my eyes were wide, my alertness was doubled and I found myself blazing through my daily routine. Übershot offers consistent, smooth, non-jittery energy, perfect for a mid-day pick-me up or a morning jump start. The only time I don't recommend it is before vigorous exercise, because you'll lose the vitality and long-lasting energy. Without a doubt, this is Übershot's strongpoint.

Übershot's supplement facts is pretty different than what I'm used to seeing, since it's a British drink. I'll begin with the energy blend, which consists of:

Taurine - 1050mg
Glucuronolactone - 630mg
Caffeine - 210mg
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine - 210mg
Malic Acid - 160mg
L-Carnitine - 50mg

Looking at that, I see the reason why this drink provides such a concentrated, vital kick. N-Acetyle-L-Tyrosine and L-Carnitine are both amino acids, powerful agents that provide concentration and vitality. The next thing that catches my eye is Caffeine, at a whopping 210mg. To be honest, that's a pretty big jolt of Caffeine, but Übershot is right when they say it's the about the same amount in a cup of coffee; a Starbucks coffee probably contains just as much, if not more. Taurine is present in a modest amount--1050mg. I never knew this before, but apparently, Taurine is helpful in absorbing fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Now I understand why it's in so many energy drinks. This I learned on Übershot's website, along with lots of other handy info about the ingredients. I highly recommend you check it out: http://ubershot.co.uk/

The rest of the ingredients include water, natural flavors, and sucralose. Overall, I must say, Übershot is a high-quality shot that I wouldn't mind using as a pick me up. Its terrific, fresh flavor coupled with hours of vitality and solid energy make it a no-brainer. Too bad it's not available around here.

Taste: 8.5 - Delicious, fresh-tasting natural berry or citrus
Kick: 8.8 - When it comes to vitality, Übershot excels and even relieves stress and improves mental clarity
Overall: 8.7 - Übershot goes above and beyond your average shots

Amp Lightning

On the way to an OHV-riding destination, Chan and I made a stop at a small market and found the ever-elusive Amp Lightning and Von Dutch. Looking from outside the cooler, the Amp Lightning stared me in the face with its audacious yellow cover and the bold word "Lightning." Amp calls this a "shock of lemonade flavor" and an "explosive energizing bolt." I can agree this sounds fierce and the yellow can screams "tasty." I was tempted to give this a try after riding ATVs, but I decided this was a drink too precious to let go unreviewed. I've saved it for today, hoping to get the best review out of it.

One of the more sour-smelling lemonade scents meets me as soon as I open the can, with a good deal of lemon sourness and a bit of nice sweetness. It excites me, only to let me down with a not-so-special flavor. While one would agree this does taste like Lemonade, in one form or another, it's not that special homemade extra-sour, extra-delicious lemonade I had in mind. What I'm getting is more of a polished, toned down lemonade with that cheek-pinching sourness gone, replaced with a mild sourness on the tongue. I will admit, however, there's a real nice round sweetness to this that comes across nice and fruity - not the absolute essence of lemon, but still nice and fruity. I probably expected this to be sweeter than it tastes, but actually, the sweetness is actually quite adequate. I think what I've missed is that severe sourness and then the bright sweetness of cane sugar balancing it out. Amp's cooked up a smoother lemonade that goes down easier, but doesn't have me coming back constantly for more. Without a doubt, that good old homemade lemonade still hits the spot; I think I even prefer the Tropicana light lemonade to this, because it has that genuine "lemonade" quality to it. The Amp Lightning comes across oversweet with a pesky aftertaste that won't easily leave my pallete. On the bright side, Amp comes out of the can with an flourescent cloudy chartruce-yellow that's pretty wild. I saw this color almost at the end of the drink and now is when I really warm up to the drink. The carbonation hasn't been a huge problem, nor has the gumminess, but when most of the carbonation is gone this drink tastes much more lemony and delicious. Still, I can tell there's a fair amount of grapefruit in the mix, and it makes the Lightning taste quite a bit like a Squirt soda. Overall, I can't call this a mediocre drink, because admittedly, it did have some good flavor, just not exactly lemonade flavor. I know there are a whole lot of people out there who would appreciate it for what it is. I was just a bit bummed that this wasn't the lemonade I imagined.

Amp's ingredient's begin, not surprisingly, with carbonated water and HFCS. I wouldn't expect Amp to use sugar, considering they have always stuck to the cheaper, duller sweetener, High Fructose Corn Syrup. The rest of the list goes on as follows: Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Taurine, Guarana Seed Extract, Sodium Benzoate, L-Carnitine, Gum Arabic, Caffeine, Maltodextrin, Glycerol Ester of Rosin, Niacinimide, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Calcium Pantothenate, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Yellow 5, Riboflavin. It's not a fantastic list, but I'm glad to see L-Carnitine, an amino acid. Amino acids are great for concentration and vitality, and Amp Lightning definitely put me in a vital and concentrated state. Other than that, I see no other fantastic energy ingredients, just the standards. One ingredient you won't see very commonly is Glycerol Ester of Rosin. According to Wikipedia, Glycerol Ester of Rosin is a common emulsifier and stabilizer in citrus-flavored drinks, keeping oils emulsified in water. I could see the need for this, considering lemon oil would be necessary in flavoring a lemon-flavored drink. Overall, it's not an amazing ingredients list, but the addition of L-Carnitne is a good idea and proves good at promoting vitality. In general, the Amp Lightning ain't bad on flavor, nor on kick, making it a solid, tasty drink with a smooth boost.

Taste: 9.2 - With Amp quality, you get a nice and tasty lemon-grapefruit I'd take anyday
Kick: 7.6 - Great when you're going for a smoother, more concentrated kick, minus the jitters
Overall: 8.5 - Good, but not on my go-to list. Not quite

Reviewed by: Jeff

Bawls G33k B33r

As Jeff and I continue our vast quest to locate every energy drink being mass-produced, we run into various different flavors. Mentioned in my most recent review, fruits make up most of the energy drink flavors, though you do occasionally run into a flavor that stands out from the rest, more interesting, and overall better. Another quick stop into BevMo revealed some usual drinks, nothing to be ecstatic over, until I searched down below the rest, of course. Along with a few dusty bottles of Bawls original, I was more than excited to find a few bottles of Bawls G33k B33r. Most have not heard of Bawls, nor tried it, mainly because Bawls doesn't advertise as much as say, Monster or Rockstar. Yet if you've ever tried Bawls, you know it's really the stuff. In case you've forgotten to check out the Bawls review, I'll rundown what you may have missed. Bawls is particularly light, mostly carbonated water with a nice tinge of lemon-lime, and an added grainy flavor. It's much easier to drink than a Monster, thus explaining why each 12 ounce bottle drains swiftly. If you take a glance at the G33k B33r, you see the bottle is much darker than both the Bawls, and the Bawls Sugar Free, being dark brown, with a silver cap finish. The term 'G33k B33r' confuses me a bit, though I may be out of the loop for why they would substitute the e's for 3's. Anyways, I'll assume that since the bottle is brown, and I see there's the term beer, to expect a flavor of root beer; let's check it out.

Twisting open the easy cap of the Bawls, I'm not surprised to find a strong, aromatic blend of sarsaparilla, the root in which flavors root beer. The scent is real powerful, as if Bawls overloaded it with tasty flavoring, rather than lame high fructose corn syrup. Pouring it into a cup, Bawls G33k B33r takes the color of any other root beer soda, dark brown, not surprise there. If you've ever tried root beer, in the form of a soda, you may notice it's a bit dull from the amount of sugar they load into each can, such as A&W, or Mug. To compare Bawls to those major label companies, Bawls is much, much better, mainly because there is not nearly as much sugar as a can of soda, thus bringing out the true flavor of root beer. Swigging a few ounces into the mouth, Bawls surely impresses me, as my prediction is accurate. This G33k B33r is sweet, but definitely not as sweet as what you'd find in any other can of pop. It's hefty dosage of sarsaparilla flows into the mouth, with an equal balance of sugar, allowing more actual root beer flavor, and less dullness of the high fructose corn syrup. Of course there's high fructose corn syrup in here, but it's noticeable to be on the low side, as there's hardly any dullness. Unlike most of my reviews, I can't really describe the flavor into much more detail; Bawls G33k B33r is simply a less sweetened root beer, nothing more. Bawls brings little aftertaste to the party, perhaps just a bit of pure root and excess sugar. It wouldn't hurt to state the fact of low gumminess, as well as carbonation. Overall, I enjoy to see a change in the energy drink production, in terms of flavor, and honestly, Bawls did a great job of remaking my favorite soda into an energy drink.

Bawls isn't too big on energy drinks, unlike most energy drink companies, yet there isn't much disappointment from what you find. Taking a look at ingredients, I find a rather small list, as apposed to my most recent review, No Fear Bloodshot. Here's the complete list: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate, caffeine, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, and guarana extract. Caramel color is found in almost all dark-colored sodas and energy drinks, not for the taste, but obviously to give it that brownish tinge, like caramel. Bawls brags about their "Highly caffeinated beverage," though with past experiences with Bawls, I can't really find that energy you get from caffeine. Since I can't seem to locate the caffeine amount on the bottle, I'll assume they are exaggerating, and say it's no more than average. technically, their name is Bawls Guarana, so again, perhaps their energy is mainly coming from a different source, guarana, yet I'm not too sure that's enough to fully energize one who drinks a bottle. Per 12 ounce bottle, you get only 130 calories, as well as only 36 grams of sugar. Being that one serving is a whole bottle, that's pretty darn good. Comparing Bawls to select energy drinks, the serving size is larger, yet it has fewer sugar and fewer calories than, say, Jeff Gordon's energy drink. All in all, if you do happen to come across a bottle or two of these, feel free to pick one up, rather than a can of Mug or A&W. For more taste, and less sugar, Bawls is definitely approved on Canned Reviews.

Taste: 9 - Remarkable, robust sarsaparilla/root beer flavor, with very little dullness from high fructose corn syrup
Kick: 7 - Unfortunately, Bawls doesn't have the ingredients to deliver a good enough kick
Overall: 8.5 - I wouldn't count on Bawls for much energy, though root beer was accomplished almost perfectly
Reviewed by: Chan