No Fear Bloodshot

Fruits make up most of the energy drink flavors, wouldn't you agree? Granted, you have some other non fruit-based flavors, like coffees, sparkling waters, chocolates. You can see these aren't so common in energy drinks, so companies try and cover all the fruits, to make a complete variety and range of their products. You can see Monster has covered most fruits, as has Rockster, and Amp. Though when these companies run into a "Road block," so to say, they must think outside the box. Give or take, you narrow it down to a few flavors, and you decide which one fits an energy drink the best, and that is blood orange. Hopefully, you've all seen or heard of a blood orange, which happens to be of course in the orange family, but with a darker, redder skin, and much smaller than a regular orange. It makes perfect sense the blood orange received its name from the color of its juices and flesh, resembling the color of blood. Glancing at one at the market the other day, I noticed they look a bit like a few different fruits, and after a bit of research I find they are a hybrid between a pomelo and a tangerine. So far, I've seen more companies thinking outside the box here, to produce this blood orange energy drink, like Rubyy, and, as you see here, No Fear. This can design is really nothing new for No Fear, as you can see in the picture, however they themed their secondary color orange. I'm fond of their titling, "Bloodshot" across the bottom of the can in a suburban, orange font, with the wing-attached orange-outlined skull. I couldn't help but notice the brief flavor description at the bottom of the page, reading "With blood orange & Dragonfruit juice." My hopes are high, and my mouth is dry; I'm ready for some energy.

Tearing into this mainstream energy drink, I'm pleased to a good extent of the scent I pick up. It's describable as an extremely sweet blend of creamy orange-tangerine, with a nice boost of candy-like, signature 'burnt' flavor of dragonfruit. Reminding me of my younger years, I find the aroma is similar to the orange cream-sickles you can buy; its rich, and somewhat creamy scent is real attractive, and leads me on to taste it. Pouring it out of the can, and into the cup, its color reminds me of orange soda, but again, with that tinge of creaminess added on, most likely from the blood orange flavoring. If you've never tried a blood orange before, I can try my best to explain it. I mentioned a few sentences up how it's almost like an orange, but with less sweetness, more sourness, and it's actually somewhat creamy and rich, though with a familiar hint of a milder grapefruit. Knowing this, I find a thick presence of blood orange and rough flavor of dragonfruit flow into the mouth, with much sweetness added on. It's finished with a smooth, creamy, yet sour, grape essence that leaves a nice flavor in the mouth. About half-way through the can, there's a bit more grape showing up, as well as a bit of pear, too. I'm appalled at the fact that I'm searching, yet I cannot find any dullness in the initial flavor, thus knocking out the idea of high fructose corn syrup in the guessing of the sweeteners. Tasting more and more, I find myself referring the drink to a South American, subtropical area in which I might find such a combination of flavors, and I think "Am I in South America?" As for gumminess, I find a decent amount of gumminess, most likely from the natural sugars inside the citrus fruit, as well as the sugars in the dragonfruit. I, myself, don't see it much as an issue, and I hope neither will you. Carbonation is on the low side here, as much of the intense, sugary flavors take it over and flow gently onto the taste buds. Overall, No Fear Bloodshot lived up to its reputation, as they keep slamming down the great flavors that are produced. You want a great example of blood orange, without the hassle of searching the stores for one? Go and pick one of these bad boys up, yourself at your local grocery store.

It's always fun locating key energy ingredients in an energy drink, especially in energy drinks with numerous ingredients, like No Fear. No Fear has this tendency to use an immense dosage of energy ingredients, some I've never really heard of, and others I've heard of, but not seen in an energy drink. After listing the ingredients, I'll go over the terms I haven't discussed here on Canned Reviews, I promise: First off I see carbonated water, sugar, grape juice concentrate, orange juice concentrate, pear juice concentrate, taurine, citric acid, natural flavors, sodium citrate, dragonfruit juice concentrate, blood orange juice concentrate, pectin, ascorbic acid, monopotassium phosphate, inositol, caffeine, purple grape juice concentrate, gum arabic, L-Carnitine, grape seed extract, cochineal, L-Arginine hydrochloride, Zinc Methionine sulfate, panax ginseng, glycerol ester of wood rosin, guarana, pyridoxine hydrochloride, rice flour, Selenium complexed with amino acids, folic acid, acetate, and cyanocoblamin.

As you can see, this ingredients list is fairly large; perhaps the largest ingredients list in an energy drink I've reviewed thus far. Anyways, I'll start by naming off some key ingredients I've found to be useful in delivering a nice kick: grape seed extract is known to be good for wound healing, tooth decay, osteoporosis, skin cancer, and ultraviolet damage to skin; pretty useful, eh? If you noticed, there's also various fruits involved, mostly for flavor, such as grape, pear, orange, blood orange, and dragonfruit, all having pretty hefty doses into the drink. I noticed rice flour, which is odd in an energy drink. My guess is it gives it its thickness, and it brings all the flavors together, but I'm not positive. The ingredient is most recognizable in baby foods, surprisingly. After finishing up the can, I notice the kick react pretty swiftly. My senses are improved, thoughts are together, and I'm definitely more alert, which is actually pretty helpful after a long day's work. Per can of No Fear Bloodshot, you'll get 200 calories, and only 46 grams of sugar! As for energy ingredients, you'll get a nice 174mg of caffeine, 2000mg of taurine, and decent amounts of Vitamins B and C. After everything, I'll conclude No Fear really nailed yet another energy drink, especially blood orange. Comparing it to Rubyy's blood orange, I think I'd prefer this one, for a cheaper cost.

Taste: 8.4 - Smooth, rich blood orange, grape, and dragonfruit came together nicely
Kick: 9 - You can never go wrong with a No Fear, if you're looking for kick
Overall: 8.7 - Don't miss out on one of these. I'm positive you can find a few cans at your local market

Reviewed by: Chan

Euphoric Energy Watermelon Kiwi

Euphoric Energy is a drink Chan and I have heard of but could never quite get our hands on. After yesterday's visit to Big! Lots, I found the motherload of Euphoric Energy, Unbound, and Stoked energy drinks. Without hesitation, I picked them up. Euphoric Energy, from what I've read on their website, is dedicated to quality and health. I like that. Checking out the can, I see your usual Caffeine, Taurine, and such, but then I see some other nice ingredients including Damiana Leaf and Maca Root. I rarely see these ingredients in the energy drinks I review, so I'm interested in feeling the effects. Upon further inspection, I notice that this drink uses sugar, not HFCS, which makes me very glad. Good choice, I say, and I can't wait to taste this.

As I took a sniff of this very pungent drink, my eyes widened and I was really stunned. This drink gives off a very sweet, and sour watermelon kiwi with the rounded sweetness of the watermelon and the sharp tartness of the Kiwi. It's very comparable to the flavor of sour watermelon Jolly Rancher hard candy with a hint of Kiwi. Just as Euphoric claims on their website, this drink is extremely tasty and addicting; it reminds me of reviewing the classics all over again, such as the irresistible Monster or the delicious Rockstar Punched Citrus. I pour this drink out into a cup to observe the color and it's a crystal clear pink-tinted flowery color that looks very much like hard candy. The taste grows on me with every sip, and even though this isn't really chilled, it's still wonderfully delicious.

I take a look at Euphoric's ingredients and I find: Carbonated Water, Sugar, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (preservative), Potassium Sorbate (preservative), and Red 40. Oh, the energy supplements aren't listed in the ingredients; instead, they're found in the Supplement Facts:

Caffeine: 70mg per serving/140mg total
Taurine: 600mg/1200mg
Ginseng Extract: 25mg/50mg
Damiana Leaf Extract: 40mg/80mg
Inositol: 80mg/160mg
Maca Root Extract: 30mg/60mg
Suma Root Extract: 50mg/100mg

Looking at that list, I can see that the amount of energy ingredients is not substantial, but there are a whole bunch of 'em, including three very interesting ones. Damiana, the first, turns out to be a quite interesting plant. Damiana is a shrub native to Central America, Mexico, and South America that is said to have relaxing effects. It is often an ingredient in Margaritas and has been included in some herbal cigarretes to give an extremely relaxing and calming effect. Maca root, also located in South America, seems to be more of a superfood than an energy supplement. Apparently, because of its high nutritional value, Maca has natural hormone-normalizing effects and seems to be very good for the male reproductive system. And finally, Suma, a root found indigenous to South America and often called Brazillian Ginseng, also has a high nutritional value. Some also claim it improves stamina and endurance, although some say it should not be consumed for long periods of time, only in "times of need." The only other energy ingredient present is Vitamin B12 along, quite surprisingly. In terms of the energy I felt, I can safely say this is comparable to most drinks in the energy given, minus the jitters and uncomfortable shortness of breath one might feel with high Caffeine intake. Euphoric knows too much Caffeine isn't a good thing, so they take it easy and ramp up the healthier, more natural ingredients. To wrap things up, Euphoric Energy has 26g of sugar per serving (one less than a Monster), and has 220 calories per can. Overall, I would put this on my "stock up" list and also my "go-to" list, because you can't pass up the opportunity to have such a quality drink as this.

Taste: 9.7 - I absolutely loved the flavor, and I could totally go for another anytime
Kick: 7.8 - Euphoric knows how to design a relaxing, alert, non-jittery kick
Overall: 9 - This is going on my "stock up" list

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rehab Recovery Supplement

It's been a while since Chan and I have posted a proper review, so I was quick to pull out this -- the Rehab Recovery Supplement. At a glance, this appears to be your typical energy drink, but as I examined it more closely, I realized this stuff is the real deal, or at least it claims to be. Apparently it's made with powerful ingredients, but that's about as stirring as a drink made with "legitimate" ingredients; what less can you expect? This sleek can design consists of a solid, frosty, electric blue background and a cool, white, rounded label. Going up the can is the word "Rehab" with that fancy little (Rx) symbol and some more powerful words like "Refresh," "Recover," and "Revive." You can tell I'm not too faithful in the power of this drink, but I'm hoping I can be later after I feel the effects. So, apparently, Rehab is a great choice to those, well... going through Rehab. What kind? Rehab doesn't specify, but it's probably safe to assume drug abuse and alcoholism rehabilitation are what Rehab aims at assisting in. This has me wondering what you'll find in a drink that's supposed to help with alcoholism or drug abuse. Checking out the label, I find Rehab's got a pretty good energy blend going on with a solid dose of Caffeine and a few unusual supplements. The next question I feel I should ask is this: How is a drink like this going to make me feel besides energetic? What makes this drink so different from every other energy drink on the market? I'm about to find out.

As I take my first smell, I find something that reminds me vaguely of the Liquid Ice, not a drink I want to be reminded of. There comes an upfront orangey sweetness and some crystal clear sourness and great fruitiness surrounding it. The drink comes out of the can a nice clear peach-rose color that looks quite nice, though I'm a bit tired of it. In the cup, I smell a little bit more of that seemingly artificially sweet orange/tangerine that really cuts through. I find a bit of a surprise as I sip, when the flavor tastes a whole lot less like orange and more like white grape or something very light and delicate but rounded and sweet. It's not something I can see drinking leisurely out of a glass, but I can easily see myself slamming one of these down out of the handy tall 12oz cans they come in. After some more sips, I get that same Thunderbird white wine flavor, which seemed at first surprisingly sweet, but now starts to settle. It's a nice delicate flavor I'm quite enjoying, and I think it makes sense, considering this may be designed for people who may enjoy wine. After half a can, I'm fairly satisfied; the carbonation is nearly nonexistent, and the gumminess, though present, is insignificant. Now that I've tasted it, I'm eager to feel the boost.

Immediate results I can observe is a handy lift in mood which you don't always see with most energy drinks. And, naturally, I'm feeling some great energy that makes me just wanna get up and go run; you know that feeling of restlessness. However, I'm not feeling the side effects I sometimes get from Caffeine, which is shortness of breath and nervousness. For that, I'm glad because it means an enjoyable and leisurely kick.

Rehab's ingredients include: Carbonated Water, Fructose, Sugar, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Calcium Chloride, Caffeine, Elderberry Extract Concentrate (color), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Green Tea Extract 90% Polyphenols, Niacinimide (B3), Calcium Pantothenate (B5), Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (B6), Guarana Seed Extract, Coenzyme Q10, Cyanocobalamin (B12). In terms of amounts, Rehab contains a handy 120mg of Caffeine, 60mg of Green Tea Polyphenols, 46mg of Catechins, which are antioxidants, 37mg of Ginseng, 37mg of Guarana, and 3mg of CoQ10. What I notice is Rehab isn't intense on the energy front, but does very well at giving vitality, with CoQ10 and those antioxidants. CoQ10, if you don't know, is a natural enzyme produced in the body that's essential for the functioning of the body's cells. After drinking this, I definitely felt increased vitality, improved mood, and a nice perk you don't always get from a typical energy drink. I was wide awake, not jittery, and most importantly -- very vital. Overall, I'm very satisfied with Rehab, and I'd recommend it far more than any typical energy drink because of it's fantastic yet not "over-the-top" kick.

*And, I now know Rehab is not, in fact, meant for true rehabilitation, as I found on their very handy website: http://www.liquidrehab.com/

Taste: 8.4 - A quite enjoyable white grape flavor if you're basically into anything sweet
Kick: 9.2 - Like it says, Rehab revives, and that's what I love about it
Overall: 8.7 - I'd say this is definitely a drink to stock up on

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rubyy Blood Orange Energy

Jeff: What better gift to receive on Valentine's Day than... energy drinks? Well, of course, that's after love, but it's still pretty great when you get free energy drink samples in the mail. For this very special day, Chan and I have snagged some samples of Rubyy Blood Orange Energy, graciously sent to us from the company themselves. We'd like to thank them once again, and we hope you guys are happy with our review.

Chan: What's better to receive on a holiday than a shipment of energy drink? It may have been a bit of an early Valentine's Day gift to us, but be assured, we are reviewing it as a gift to all our kind guests on this magnificent mid-February day. Rubyy is much different than your average can of kick in a few ways. First, if you glance at the picture to your left, you'll notice it's tall and skinny, though it's only 12 ounces. Next, you see it's got a cap, and made of what seems to be thicker and tougher aluminum than a regular can. One last thing I want to note about the difference, and this certainly is the most important, is that the can seems to be designed real well. Unlike what you see on a usual energy drink can, you see black and gray shades with certain depths; feeling it, you find a nice texture with a rough paint-job, not finished with gloss. It's can design is a 'raw' black with what seems to be foreign designs of gray plants and mythical angels and dragons. Rubyy contains about 8% juice, so I know I'll expect at least a bit of natural flavors. Blood orange tastes more like a grapefuit than an orange, and with 29g of sugar, I know I'll expect moderate amounts of sourness, and equal parts of sweetness. All right! Let's continue this review.

Jeff: Rubyy comes in a very stylish package, a slim and sleek flat black 12 oz bottle. On the front of the bottle is a very fancy and elegant design of some cool vines and what looks like some blood oranges at the bottom. Bold on the front is the word "RUBYY" and the tagline "Blood Orange Energy" below. The whole thing gives off a very dignified and high-class vibe, and I really want to open it and taste it. Sometimes you wanna just tear something open and have at it. This is one of those times.

Without forgetting to shake gently first, I twist open the cap, which is nice for a change. What I smell is not an extremely potent orange but what I would describe as a more reserved cross between an orange and a grapefruit -- a blood orange. On the spectrum of complex to simple, this drink's flavor is definitely one of the more complex. To start off, you've got a whiff of delicate orange and subtle bitterness of grapefruit with some other less distinct flavors in the mix. I can imagine this as a nice citrusy perfume; it definitely has some nice strong, sharp notes of citrus without being too much. When I pour this out, I find Rubyy has a very nice color with a slightly cloudy ruby pink with hints of orange. Taking a swig, Rubyy isn't as sour or sweet as I expected, but rather has a real nice mellow flavor with a little grapefruit bitterness. Somewhere in the background lingers a nice round, sweet tangerine that gives the drink some fullness. I can hardly tell there's any carbonation except for some very small tingling, and the gumminess is nearly nonexistent. As for the sweetness level, it's satisfactory, but since I've gotten used to these highly sweet drinks recently, it doesn't quite do it for me. Anyhow, I've already finished the bottle, the drink is that good. Overall, I'd call Rubyy a solid and uniquely sophisticated drink that'd be great for mixing with it's complex, but light flavor. I'd take Rubyy anytime I just wanna chill out or share with a special someone.

Chan: Twisting open the sleek, black can I find a scent that reminds me of any other citrus energy drink, but with a bit more of a sour-pungent aroma similar to grapefruit. This might be too much of a signal of how lazy we are, but I believe this was a tedious job of twisting and twisting this cap to open it. Pulling a tab is much simpler and allows you to enjoy your energy drinks much sooner. Pouring it out of the cup, I'll note that it's the same color as grapefruit, not citrus. This color is fluorescent pink, with nice gas bubbles to add to the 'romantic' backdrop. Tasting it, I'm not too surprised to find a usual citrus flavor masked with high fructose corn syrup. One difference is that you find more of a grapefruit sense to it; as in, you find a more realistic sweetness with a certain sourness to balance it all out. I admire Rubyy's creativity in making a citrus energy drink because for one, they didn't label it just 'Citrus', which most companies end up doing. They make it their own form of citrus, in this case, Blood Orange, which is significantly different than any old orange.

When I take a close look at Rubyy, my eyes go straight to the ingredients list. I see that Rubyy contains: Carbonated Water, HFCS, Orange Juice Concentrate, Taurine, Blood Orange Juice Concentrate, Tangerine Juice Concentrate, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Caffeine, Maltodextrin, Sodium Benzoate and Potassium Sorbate (To Protect Taste), Niacinimide, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Red 40, Diotin, Cyanocobalamin, Guarana Extract. Having Rubyy just before a trip to the mall, I have to say, I was pretty alert and energetic the entire day. Rubyy isn't a drink that'll get you pumped and send you on a crazy, short caffeine high, but rather a great drink to keep you lucid in your social interactions.

Taste: 8.3 - Tasty grapefruit/blood orange/tangerine with a nice complex flavor
Kick: 7.5 - Mellow, relaxed, yet alert and energetic boost
Overall: 8.2 - A very quality drink indeed; I'd go for one anytime

Reviewed by: Chan and Jeff

Starbuck's Doubleshot Cinnamon Dulce

I have to say, Jeff and I were a bit surprised when two large packages came up at the door about a week ago. Almost immediately Jeff notified me of this and sent me the package of Starbuck's energy drinks. Tearing open the package we were surprised to find all of Starbuck's energy drinks, including one of their newest flavors expected to hit the markets February of 2009, the Cinnamon Dulce. It's been a busy time, and difficult to review lately, but we've got to fit in time to review these great drinks Evan Pham was courteous enough to send. After taking a few minutes to decide I knew it was the right choice to review the newest energy drink first; I know it'll be a good one. So, glancing at the can, I find Starbuck's trademark good can design, being a swirling combination of light browns, and dark browns, representing the color of the Cinnamon spice and caramel syrup. Some lighter and darker shades of brown are representable for the colors and roasts of coffee in the mix. Since I've never come across Cinnamon and Caramel (Dulce) in a coffee blend, I'm eager to try it. But coffee is real easy to mess up sometime, but knowing Starbuck's this one will most likely be a pass, here on Canned Reviews.

Cracking open this smooth 16 ounce can, I find myself whiffing at a scent of sweet caramel, with some robustness of general coffee. There are light notes of cinnamon in the background, but are hard to notice; I'm sure there'll be more of it as soon as I taste it. Pouring it out of the can and into a cup, the color is different than most energy-coffees, being way lighter, almost the color of milk, dirty milk, that is. Swigging the drink from the cup, I search my taste buds and find a flavor from this Cinnamony coffee of thick, sweet caramel-milk, with powerful heaps of cinnamon prominently mixed in. The flavor is appetizing, as there's some nice robustness form Starbuck's coffee evenly spread in, and sweet Dulce to balance it all out. One thing Starbuck's did improve on is the presence of Sucralose in the drink. Unlike the previous three Starbuck's energy drinks, this Cinnamon Dulce flavor masks the Sucralose so it's hardly noticeable at all. Digging deeper into the drink, I find its aftertaste is merely a light reminisce of cinnamon, with a nice boost of milkiness, but very little actual coffee roast. It's really not that gummy, as is with most coffee energy drinks, though what more can you expect with only 33g of sugar in the whole can? One thing I noticed after about three-quarters of the way through the can is that the flavor gets a bit boring, though the flavor is still pretty subtle. Overall, Starbuck's really nailed a Cinnamon and caramel flavored coffee energy drink, and when you'll try it next month I can almost guarantee you'll say the same exact thing. Don't take too long deciding which Starbuck's is best, go for the Cinnamon Dulce.

According to this can of Starbuck's Doubleshot Cinnamon Dulce, we see a complete a ingredients list, which I'll describe to you here. I see: Starbuck's Coffee (water, coffee), reduced-fat milk, skim milk, sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, taurine, natural flavor, cellulose gel, L-Carnitine, panax ginseng, Inositol, Sodium Accorbate, guarana seed, calcium phosphate, celluose gum, niacin, Sucarlose, ascorbic acid, Tricalcium Phosphate, Carrageenan, caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Cyanocobalamin, Vitamin D3. Most of these ingredients are standard in energy coffees, as I could recall seeing these in Java Monsters and Rockstar Roasteds. Per can, you are aiming towards about 200 calories, and only 33g of sugar, just like I had mentioned earlier in the review. The calorie content really isn't that bad, especially for a sweet energy coffee like Starbuck's, though you gotta remember what the sweetener(s) actually are. In this case, you have maltodextrin, sucrose, a bit from the reduced-fat milk, and a whole lot from the Sucralose. Sucralose contains very little amounts of calories, and virtually no real sugar, so they can pose that as a sweetener with technically not having to add it to the nutrition facts. In terms of kick, I note that after about 15 minutes, a large burst of jitteriness kicks in for about 2 hours, and then later a deteriorating focus with eventually a lame crash. All in all, this Starbuck's Doubleshot blew my mind. Coming from a past of disappointing debut energy drinks, Starbuck's made a great improvement and I'm excited for the next idea the folks at Starbuck's come up with.

Taste: 8.5 - Creative idea of Cinnamon and caramel in a coffee; smooth, rich, and milky coffee to add to the creativity
Kick: 8 - Generally a good kick, usual coffee jitteriness, and usual coffee crash
Overall: 8.3 - Definitely want to pick one of these up as soon as they come to a store near you

Reviewed by: Chan

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla

Sometimes you have to try something twice to know if you like it. This is one of those times and I'm feeling good about Starbucks' Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla. This time I'm striving to explore the full flavor by shaking the can and chilling it completely. I wouldn't be reviewing this if it weren't for Evan Pham sending us a surprise shipment just before the release of their new flavor. Thanks again, Evan, and I hope you appreciate the reviews to come, including that of Starbucks' new flavor, which will soon be released. Congratulations on a great new flavor, and I know it will be gladly received by the public with open mouths.

Anyway, this sleepy Saturday morning, I decided to skip my morning cup of hot coffee for a delicious Starbucks energy drink. Vanilla sounded like something light and flavorful, so I picked it out first. All of these drinks are made with reduced fat and skim milk, which makes me wonder. In my experience, milk instead of half and half generally isn't as good. But then again, I can understand that all these companies opt for milk because it has less fat than cream. I can't wait to taste this.

I popped open the can quickly, forgetting I had shaken it earlier, splattering foamy vanilla coffee all over my screen. The smell from the can is very nice dark roast coffee with that good strong nutty and chocolatey aroma. On top of that is a scent just like vanilla ice cream and it's quite enticing. A big swig from the can gives me some really nice creamy but not thick coffee and that same vanilla bean ice cream on the side. The sweetness is pleasant and not too sweet, until about the last second, when it gets a little too sweet for me. I only taste a very small hint of sucralose on the back of my tongue. I'm very glad it's not as prominent as before. I find myself going back to take more and more sips, because that vanilla is pretty addicting. As I get down further, it seems to me like it lacks some coffee; the coffee is more of an undertone than a base flavor, but Starbucks was smart, knowing this would attract even non-coffee drinkers. The only complaint I still have is that the sucralose in the end has an unpleasant bitter taste I wish would go away. Who knows, others may not taste it, but it's the only thing that I'd change about this drink. All in all, this is an exceptional drink with a great coffee taste and a deep, rich vanilla, however, I would go easy on the sucralose. Now I'm interested in the boost.

I'm guessing Starbucks' energy drink performs at least on par with their very strong coffee, giving lots of sustained energy. But what pleasantly surprised me was the incredible focus and vitality that Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee gave. I was full of energy, but not over the top, meaning no jitters. Compare that to a Monster or Monster Java which almost invariably gets me hyper and revved up to the point that I can't sit still. Starbucks on the other hand, is a more sophisticated drink that seems to go for a more well rounded boost. A Monster makes me want to tear things down with all my extra energy, while Starbucks makes me feel like building something. So, what's different about the ingredients?

The drink's ingredients read as follows: Starbucks^Ⓡ Coffee (Filtered Water, Coffee), Reduced-Fat Milk, Skim Milk, Sugar, Maltodextrin, Dextrose, Taurine, Cellulose Gel, Natural Flavor, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Inositol, Sodium Ascorbate (Vitamin C), Guarana (Paullinia Cupana) Seed Extract, Cellulose Gum, Calcium Phosphate, Niacinimide, Sucralose, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Tricalcium Phosphate, Caramel Color, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin D3. As for the energy ingredients, there are 2000mg of Maltodextrin, 1800mg of Taurine, 450 of L-carnitine, the vitality-giving ingredient, 180mg of Inositol, 325mg of Ginseng, and 90mg of Guarana. It's not the most extreme list, but it sure does the job and yields a fantastic kick that lasts for a good three hours or more. Finally, there are 25g of sugar per can, and 210 calories per can. Overall, I was much happier with Starbucks' energy drink this time around, and I can't wait to try the new flavor.

Taste: 8.2 - Delicious ice cream vanilla over a chocolatey, nutty dark roast coffee
Kick: 8.5 - Awesome, long-lasting kick with brilliant focus and vitality
Overall: 8.4 - Loved it the second time around

Reviewed by: Jeff

Redline Triple Berry

To kick-off the new year I've decided to review one of the most energy-giving drinks around, the Redline. My buddy Bubba actually found me one out of town as "A Christmas present," thanks man. I, myself, have never encountered a Redline, so I really don't know what to expect, in terms of taste and kick as well. Taking a quick glance at the ingredients list, I find yerba mate, green tea, and caffeine anhydrous, for notable energy ingredients. If you never knew, caffeine anhydrous is basically the same exact thing is regular caffeine, but just a longer and more formal name. There's 125mg of that caffeine per serving, which there are two of in one 8 ounce bottle. Most energy drinks that come in 8 ounce bottles or cans are usually one serving, but since they recommend you only drink a half-bottle due to high caffeine amount, it's two servings. Instead of only drinking one serving at a time, I'll recognize my caffeine tolerance and just 'nurse' the drink for awhile. Redline Triple Berry comes in a bottle of blue with a twist-off white cap and the word "Redline" spread vertically across the small bottle. Well, I know I'll expect a Triple Berry flavor, basing on the name, but the question is: which three berries will I find? I'm going to guess the three most common: cherry, strawberry, and blueberry. We'll see if I'm right.

After giving the bottle a good shake I open the large, white cap, I find a scent of mainly potent strawberry, and a bit of cherry with a note of blueberry and cranberry. So far, the scent reminds me almost exactly of the Rockstar Tropical Punch Shot. Pouring a bit into a cup, Redline Berry reveals a color of almost 'dirty berry', so to say. It' s like a darker mix of strawberry and cherry, with some paleness of a Monster or Rockstar. If I think logically, most of these shot-like energy drinks will have a bitter flavor, if any flavor at all; it's going to same way as the Rockstar shot so far. Well, swigging a few ounces at first, I'll determine Redline Triple Berry has a flavor of artificially sweet and bitter strawberry and blueberry. The main strawberry is impressively potent, as if it was pure strawberry juice or strawberry syrup. Just like other berry shots, the Redline is pretty sweet, but not with real sugar, obviously. Taking a quick glance at the bottle, there's no sugar, nor is there any calories, which leads me concluding the presence of Sucralose, or Splenda. One thing that's absolutely terrible right now is the extremely noticeable aftertaste of pure bitterness. I'm not sure if you've ever eaten a raw plant, straight from the ground, but if you have you know it's real bitter. That's almost the case here, an extreme heavy earthy bitterness, that's just about unbearable to drink. One tip I would recommend while drinking this is: Shake it in between each sip, drink large sips numerous times, and most importantly ignore the aftertaste with having some water handy to wash it out. It's obviously not carbonated, and even though you're taking large and numerous sips, there's no gumminess from the artificial sugars. Overall, Redline's initial triple berry flavor was just okay, as it tasted fake, and the aftertaste, surely, was bitter and unlikeable.

As for ingredients, Redline is pretty mean when it comes down to energy, as well as needed ingredients like yerba mate, and green tea. Here's the full list: Highly purified water, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, natural red color, sodium benzoate, Potassium Phosphate diabasic, potassium sorbate, and disodium EDTA. Like a few other energy drink companies, Redline organizes their ingredients by standard and by energy ingredients. Here's the list of energy ingredients: Vitamin C, Caffeine anhyrdous, Evoburn, N-acetyl-L-tyrosine, Potassium citrate, Yerba Mate, green tea, 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, Vinpocetine, and Yohimbine HCL. A lot of these ingredients are a bit unknown to me, but I can get an idea of what they are supposed to be because of the lack of the main names in other energy drinks. Evoburn seems to be a trademarked Redline product, so, with a bit or research, I find out that Evoburn is a liquid ingredient that helps in burning fat and help fat loss. I find products like these helpful, but they tend to have some side effects like appetite loss, stomach ache, and nausea, just like I've found in most fat burning products such as Go Girl and Damzl Fuel. Per bottle, you get 250 good milligrams of caffeine, which will soon give me an insane jittery kick for a good 5 hours. Unlike the caffeine amount, there's not one bit of calories, nor is there a trace of real sugars, though there seems to be an overload of Sucralose. All in all, it is highly recommended that you first, find out you're caffeine tolerance before consuming any and all of Redline's drink, and two, remember how much of this you consume will affect how great your kick is.

Taste: 7 - Not too big a fan of artificial berry and burnt aftertaste, but the flavor is somewhat addicting
Kick: 9.5 - This will vary, depending on how much you follow the rules listed on the bottle. Drinking the whole 8 ounces will result in an insane kick, as you read the rating
Overall: 8.3 - I would be interested in trying a few more of these, just to adjust to the odd flavors

Reviewed by: Chan