Rip It Red Zone Energy Shot Review

I was unaware that Rip It even made energy shots prior to taking a trip to the Dollar Tree. There was a shelf full of them at the Dollar Tree which caught my attention and I decided to pick up a few to review. "Red Zone" was actually a Rip It flavor that came in a 20 oz. bottle before it was discontinued. "Red Zone" as a drink is supposedly going to be available in 16 oz. energy drink form very soon and in the meantime I'm going to review the Red Zone shot.






The Bottle:
Red Zone is one of the few energy shots I've seen at the Dollar Tree that doesn't try to blatantly rip off 5 Hour Energy. The bottle doesn't look that bad, it looks nice and the design sort of mimics a 16 oz. Rip It energy drink. I like the "Raw Sustained Energy" text on the lid and the black lid is also a nice way to top off the whole design.

The Shot:
After purchasing the shot I eagerly twisted it open to drink it. Upon drinking the shot, the flavor really surprised me. It's supposed to be a strawberry flavor, it definitely tastes like strawberry and has no bad aftertaste whatsoever. Actually, it was one of the best tasting energy shots I've ever had. They did a nice job putting together a unique flavor that has no bad aftertastes. It was very drinkable and I think just about anybody would enjoy it.

The Buzz:
Red Zone contains 100 mg of Taurine, 100 mg of Caffeine, 20 mg of L-Glutanine and 20 mg of Glucoronolactone. Not long after finishing the shot, a nice buzz crept up on me that was just about right. I wasn't so wired that I was agitated and I didn't not get a buzz at all. The buzz was about average for a good energy shot and lasted for about 4 1/2 hours. It definitely worked and got the job done, I highly recommend this shot to someone that has to sit in a office all day because it probably won't make you all jittery and agitated, it's just right. I didn't "crash" either, which is a plus.

Since I got this at the Dollar Tree, I only paid $1 for it. $1 for a shot that tastes good and actually provides "raw sustained energy" isn't a bad deal and I highly recommend picking one up if you can find one.

Bawls Energy Review

Bawls has been around for a long time and is notorious for being popular with gamers. Some people dispute it actually being an energy drink, I definitely think it is and was looking forward to trying it. I've always liked the bottle that Bawls comes in, it's won awards in the past and is definitely unique. Bawls is also a pretty unique name for an energy drink, the company says that it's because Bawls makes you "bounce like a ball" or something, who knows.





The Bottle:
Bawls comes in a 10 oz. blue glass bottle. It has a twist-off cap and also has bumps on it. The bottle is very simple looking but it is also very efficient at informing you of the product and it looks really good. It's nice to be drinking an energy drink that veers off from the typical black can design that several more mainstream energy drinks utilize.

The Taste:
The taste of Bawls is one that you sort of have to try to fully understand. It kind of tastes like Sprite but doesn't have the same sort of "bite" to it. The Guarana gives it a really smooth aftertaste and all in all Bawls is a delicious and refreshing drink. It's really smooth tasting and still does have a small "bite" to the taste which tops it all off.

The Buzz:
Bawls is also notorious for utilizing two ingredients and two ingredients only to provide energy: Caffeine and Guarana. Now, if you look up the caffeine content of Bawls keep in mind that since Guarana is a form of Caffeine it counts towards the caffeine content. One 10 oz. bottle of Bawls contains 64 mg. of Caffeine. If that seems like a low number to you, keep in mind that gamers will drink several a night to get them nice and awake. If you don't drink a lot of caffeinated drinks, one bottle will provide a nice buzz that will last for a decent amount of time. Also, even though Guarana is a form of Caffeine, it's supposedly stronger than regular caffeine and therefore could provide a stronger buzz than regular Caffeine. If you plan to stay up all night playing games like World of Warcraft or Counterstrike you should have no problem finishing several due to the nice taste.

Bawls is a great drink, it tastes amazing and can provide great energy. I ordered mine online and if you can find it somewhere I highly recommend trying it. On a side note, Bawls is my 100th review. It's been fun reviewing all these energy drinks and shots and hopefully someday I'll be writing my 200th review. I appreciate my readers viewing and commenting on my reviews also, I'll keep reviewing energy drinks and shots as long as there are new ones for me to review.

Bawls G33k B33r Energy Review

G33k B33r is a fairly new addition to the Bawls line and it's nice to be able to try a root beer flavored energy drink for a change. Root beer is one of my favorite drinks and Bawls is a great company so I was fairly excited to try G33k B33r. A lot of gamers drink Bawls which is where the "G33k" comes from. Let's see if Bawls could pull off a great tasting root beer drink that also provides the same great energy as the other varieties.






The Bottle:
G33k B33r comes in a brown glass bottle, it has the same logo and bumps on the bottle that the other varieties do and it looks nice. I like the clean design of the Bawls bottles and the brown glass is obviously a perfect choice for a root beer flavored drink. The Bawls bottles are unique, look great and deserve the awards that they've recieved in the past.

The Taste:
Despite being glass, Bawls bottles use twist-off caps instead of caps that you have to pry off with a bottle opener. I twisted open the bottle and noted the nice carbonated head that the drink had. A nice carbonated head is a good sign with root beer and the drink smelled great also. I took a sip and immediately began to really enjoy the flavor. G33k B33r has a really good root beer taste and the Guarana in the drink gives G33k B33r a nice, rich aftertaste. If you like root beer you'll undoubtedly like this drink, I really enjoyed it and it was delicious.

The Buzz:
It's sort of common knowledge amongst gamers that you usually drink several bottles of Bawls during a night of gaming. One bottle only contains 64 mg of caffeine, depending on your caffeine tolerance you might actually feel a substantial buzz from one bottle. However, most gamers drink 3 or more bottles per night and doing that will definitely get you nice and wired. Personally, one bottle does give a me a nice little lift that gets me going for a little while. Bawls contains caffeine and guarana, two ingredients I know will give me energy.

With a delicious root beer flavor, simple yet effective ingredients and a nice looking bottle, you can't really go wrong with G33k B33r. If you like root beer and see a bottle of this somewhere, I strongly recommend picking it up and trying it.

Bawls Cherry Energy Review

Bawls is an energy drink company that's been around for a long time. My brother used to drink it all the time when I was younger and it used to be widely available around where I live. Eventually, Bawls disappeared from all the nearby stores and I haven't been able to find it anywhere since. In the meantime, Bawls released two new flavors, Cherry and G33k B33r. I bought some Bawls online and today we're going to take a look at the Cherry variety. I picked it up in the 10 oz. glass bottle because it's the design that Bawls is famous for and it is also what I remember Bawls always coming in back in the day.




The Bottle:
The original Bawls comes in a blue bottle and G33k B33r comes in a brown bottle. The Cherry flavor comes in a clear glass bottle, I remember reading that red glass is expensive to use or something which is why it doesn't come in a red bottle. The red cap is a nice touch and even though the bottle is a little plain it looks good. As you can see, the liquid itself is also clear. The red text on the bottle looks good and overall the bottle is nice looking.

The Taste:
Some people say that the original Bawls tastes too plain and bland to enjoy. Simply put, the Cherry variety tastes amazing. It's a really smooth "white pop" (Sprite, Sierra Mist etc.) taste with a really nice and smooth cherry taste to it also. It's really smooth and reminds me of an ice cold soda. The drink has the perfect amount of cherry in my opinion. It's not overpowering and it's not nonexistent, it's just right. It's a very easy to finish drink and it's delicious.

The Buzz:
A 10 oz. bottle of Bawls contains 64 mg of caffeine. 64 is a low number for an energy drink but most people drink several at a time while gaming and drinking a few will definitely wake you up. If you want more caffeine per drink I suggest trying a 16 oz. can of Bawls. Still, I was tired when I drank my one bottle and I did feel a nice little lift from it that got me going for the day.

Bawls Cherry is a delicious drink that has potential to provide a nice and sustained energy buzz. If you like to stay up late playing games like Counterstrike I highly recommend picking up a case or a few bottles. It's delicous, very easy to drink and a nice addition to the Bawls line.

Cocaine Mild Energy Review

The only differences between Cocaine and Cocaine Mild are the can and the flavor. Like I said in my Cocaine review, Cocaine has a spicy hot flavor that is really strange. It was drinkable but a lot of people don't like how hot it tastes, that's where Cocaine Mild comes in. Cocaine is supposed to be an initial fruit flavor with the spicy hot being an aftertaste, I couldn't taste any fruit in it at all though. Cocaine Mild is just the fruit flavor without the spicy hot aftertaste. I was looking forward to seeing what fruit flavor they were talking about and seeing which I liked better. Keep in mind that Cocaine and Cocaine Mild contain the same exact amount of energy ingredients, the flavor is the only difference with the drink itself. It's a smart move for them to release a mild drink because people that don't like the original have something else to try and in turn the company just sells more drinks. I like the way Redux Beverages (The company that makes Cocaine) operates, they're edgy but it seems like they make a lot of smart moves to sell their product.

The Can:
For the mild variety, the Cocaine can has been changed to blue. Other than the color change and the fact that it says "mild" instead of "spicy hot", the can is the exact same. I like the box on the back with the bull heads in it and I also like the paragraph about how it doesn't actually contain cocaine. The Cocaine logo that actually looks like cocaine is a nice touch too.

The Taste:
Upon opening up the can and taking a drink I was somewhat surprised by the flavor. The drink doesn't have the hot aftertaste but the fruit flavor is hard to pinpoint. It actually has a similar "hot" smell to it, which is kind of hard to describe unless you've had the drink. It had a nice little "bite" to it and actually tasted pretty good. It kind of reminded of the originals Rockstar's bubblegum aftertaste but it was a lot smoother and a lot lighter. Anybody would certainly enjoy the flavor and was actually pretty good, I like it.

The Buzz:
Just like the original, Cocaine Mild contains 280 mg of Caffeine in an 8 oz. can. It also contains 750 mg of Taurine, 100 mg of Inositol, 50 mg of L-Carnitine and 250 mg of D-Ribose. The buzz was the same extremely potent one I experienced before and it lasted for about 4 hours also. Trust me, if you can't handle caffeine then you shouldn't drink this. I drink a ton of caffeine and this drink had me wired for a long time. I really enjoyed the buzz this drink provided and it lived up to all the hype it's recieved in the past.

With the more mild flavor and the same potent buzz I strongly recommend this drink to those who don't like the hot flavor of the original. I bought my can online but if you can find it somewhere else I recommend trying it. I got my can here, I recommend that site also if you're into modding or building computers. They sell parts and energy drinks, which is awesome. All in all, Cocaine is an interesting drink and the mild variety tastes pretty good and provides the same great buzz as the original.

Cocaine Energy Review

A few years ago, Cocaine caused a lot of controversy and eventually disappeared for a little while. It came back in 2008 and has been available at a few stores and online since. I decided to pick up a can online to see what all the hype was about. Cocaine comes in an 8 oz. can and contains 280 mg of caffeine. To date, Cocaine is the strongest energy drink I've ever had. Prior to trying Cocaine my strongest drink was Rockstar 2x, which comes in a 12 oz. can and has 250 mg of caffeine. I was really looking forward to drinking my can while it was getting cold in the fridge and in the meantime I checked out some videos and articles on the drink. When it came out, a few sources wrongly stated that Cocaine was "350 times stronger than Red Bull", in reality Cocaine is 3 1/2 times stronger than Red Bull. The number 350 comes from the fact the fact that Cocaine is 350% stronger than Red Bull. After a few hours the drink was cold and I couldn't wait to open it and try it out.

The Can:
Cocaine's red can looks pretty good and the can I had actually said "Cocaine" on it. When it came back after disappearing for awhile Cocaine had a white label over the name that you had to peel off. Cocaine was also "No Name" energy for awhile or something like that, it's funny to me that just a name could cause such controversy. There's a box on the back of the can with 3 1/2 bull heads in it, it took me a minute to figure out but that's to symbolize that it's 3 1/2 times stronger than Red Bull. There's also a paragraph about how it doesn't actually contain cocaine, obviously.

The Taste:
Before buying the drink I was aware of the "spicy hot" flavor it supposedly has. "Spicy hot" is no exaggeration either, it tasted like a cinammon fireball candy but in liquid form. It was supposed to have some sort of fruit flavor to it but the spice took over and I couldn't taste any fruit at all. Honestly, it was a really strange flavor and it definitely didn't become a new favorite of mine, it wasn't horrible though. I'm glad there was only 8 oz. of it to drink, it wasn't undrinkable but it would be hard to drink 16 oz. of it. If you don't like spicy or hot food I definitely don't recommend this drink, it's definitely unique.

The Buzz:
What this drink lacks in flavor it certainly makes up for in energy buzz. I had a new pair of shoes from the mall and after drinking the drink I decided to lace them up and get them ready to wear. In the middle of lacing up my shoes I started to feel really awake and I could feel my heart beating. The buzz lasted for about 4 1/2 hours and was really, really potent. The drink lived up to it's reputation for providing a strong buzz and it was pretty enjoyable for me. Cocaine contains 280 mg of Caffeine plus 750 mg of Taurine, 50 mg of L-Carnitine and 250 mg of D-Ribose. I really don't recommend drinking this on an empty stomach or if you're sensitive to caffeine, it really is strong and it lives up to it's reputation.

All in all, I was definitely more satisfied with the buzz Cocaine provided than the flavor. It didn't taste that great but provided me with one of the best energy buzzes I've ever had. I strongly recommend Cocaine if you're looking for a strong buzz and need to stay awake. Also, in case you're wondering I bought my can of Cocaine here.

Red Thunder Energy Review

As you can see by the name of the drink, Red Thunder is a Red Bull clone. I picked it up at an Aldi's store in a 4 pack for $3.20 (Tax included). $3.20 for 4 energy drinks isn't a bad deal and Aldi's is well known for not only making knock-off brands but for also making them the exact same thing as the name brand, ingredients and all. For the most part, that's the case with Red Thunder. I picked up a 4 pack and decided to see if it was worth buying again in the future as a cheaper alternative to Red Bull






The Can:

The picture above and the actual cans I bought have the "new and improved" design on them. Red Thunder used to have a different can design that was mainly blue and red. The new design is alright but it looks kind of odd on an 8 oz. can. 8 oz. is smaller than a regular can of soda and these days most energy drinks come in 16 oz. cans. Still, Red Bull usually comes in an 8 oz. can so it makes sense that Red Thunder does too. The design looks sort of cheap but it informs you of the product and does what it's supposed to do.

The Drink:

I've reviewed about three Red Bull "clones" in the past but none of them actually tasted 100% like Red Bull. They all had very, very similar flavors to Red Bull but weren't quite as smooth. That isn't the case with Red Thunder because Red Thunder is Red Bull. There's no difference whatsoever, it's the same drink. It tastes the exact same and has the same amount of carbonation. If you've had Red Thunder you've had Red Bull and vice versa. If you've never had Red Bull, it's a strong tasting drink with a nice kiwi flavor. If you're reading my website you've most likely had Red Bull though.

The Buzz:

Red Thunder also contains the same ingredients as Red Bull. The only exception is that Red Thunder has Niacin and Red Bull doesn't. So, you're getting the same energy buzz as you would with Red Bull too. A can of Red Thunder contains 75 mg of Caffeine, it also contains Taurine, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12 and Pantothemic Acid. I drank two cans of Red Thunder right after each other and noted a nice lift in energy. One small can of Red Thunder doesn't seem to provide me with any energy but if I drink two than I definitely feel more energized. If you're not like me and don't drink a lot of energy drinks I recommend just drinking one can, one can should provide the average person with a decent lift in energy.

Red Thunder definitely isn't an original drink but it is a great value. It's literally Red Bull with the exception of the name and can design. If you're a big fan of Red Bull and there's an Aldi's nearby I recommend picking up a 4 pack of Red Thunder, it's a good deal.

Xyience Cran Razz Energy Review

Cran Razz is the last variety of sugar free Xyience that my local Circle K has to offer. Like I've said before, I wish they'd stock the regular varieties but so far the sugar free ones haven't been horrible. Cran Razz stands for cranberry-raspberry which definitely isn't a flavor you see everyday in energy drinks. Since the Xyience drinks I had in the past were pretty good I was looking forward to checking out this drink. I was also looking forward to seeing what a cranberry-raspberry energy drink tastes like.





The Can:
Cran Razz's can has a clean and simple design just like the other sugar free Xyience drinks. The silver doesn't look horrible and since silver is associated with sugar free energy drinks it makes perfect sense to have a primarily silver can. The two circles on the front of the can behind the logo stand out and the can doesn't look that bad.

The Drink:
After cracking open the can and taking a sip I determined that "Cran Razz" is a very interesting flavor. Blu Pom, another Xyience variety I reviewed did actually have a artificial taste to it. This drink didn't taste very sugar free, I would describe it as about 50% Cranberry and 50% Raspberry. It wasn't a bad flavor and still had a small "bite" to it, which was nice. It was enjoyable and drinkable and overall I can say that Xyience did a pretty nice job with their sugar free drinks.

The Buzz:
This drink's blend contains 1,340 mg. It contains Taurine, Glucoronolactone, Caffeine, Guarana, Panax Ginseng Extract, Inositol and L-Carnitine. Not long after finishing the drink I was met with an above average energy buzz that helped get me going for the day. The buzz lasted for about 2 hours before wearing off and overall wasn't too bad.

I enjoyed this drink, the flavor was good and the buzz was potent. If you're looking for a good sugar free energy drink I highly recommend trying an Xyience one, I enjoyed them.

Pure Fuel Energy Review

When I'm looking for new drinks to review I often find "dietary supplement" energy drinks, which contain many ingredients other than the usual caffeine, taurine, etc. Pure Fuel is sort of like one of those drinks, it doesn't contain a bunch of hard to say ingredients but it does market itself as being healthier for people that go to the gym. It contains 0 Calories, 0 Carbs, 0 Fat, 0 Sugar and very low sodium. Pure Fuel is probably the healthiest energy drink I've ever had. The can caught my eye at my local Rite-Aid store so I decided to pick it up and try it out.




The Can:
Pure Fuel comes in a 12 oz. can with a primarily red and black design. I like the way they put the design together, it's clean, sharp and easy to follow. It looks nice and it's not overcrowded. However, the can I bought from a Rite-Aid nearby was really beat up and had a bunch of scratches on it for some reason. Still, it's a nice looking can and I can't find anything wrong with it.

The Drink:
This drink's flavor really surprised me. Even though it has 0 Calories, 0 Carbs, 0 Fat and 0 Sugar it still tastes like a regular energy drink. The drink has a nice lemon flavor that isn't overpowering and it doesn't taste too bad. I think if you're looking for a healthy energy drink that actually tastes good you should pick up Pure Fuel. It didn't have an artificial taste like a lot of drinks of it's kind do, it tasted pretty good.

The Buzz:
Pure Fuel contains a 365 mg energy blend, which is a really low number. It contains Guarana, Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, Eluetheococcus, Green Tea Extract and Gingko. Despite the overall low number, I did feel a pretty nice lift in energy from this drink. It actually lasted for about 2 hours. It wasn't extremely strong but it wasn't that bad either.

Pure Fuel wasn't a horrible drink at all, it's healthy, tastes pretty good and provides good energy. I recommend it if you can find it, it's worth a try.

Pit Bull Energy Review

Pit Bull is a drink that I'd only seen one time at one store and the store actually only had one can sitting on a shelf. I saw it at the store months ago and when I went back it was actually still there, which means it sat on the shelf for about 3 months plus however long it was there before I saw it. Fortunately the can I got doesn't expire until December 2011, which is good. Since the drink was warm when I got it, I stuck it in the fridge. While the drink was getting cold I decided to check out Pit Bull's official website. Pit Bull is made by a company called "Hip Hop Beverages". The name "Pit Bull" really, really reminds me of another energy drink. However, that drink can be found just about anywhere while the single can of Pit Bull sat on a shelf in the back of a Rite-Aid store for months.

The Can:
Pit Bull's can is definitely one of the most unusual that I've seen lately. I think a cartoon Pit Bull with an angry face or just an angrier looking Pit Bull in general would look better than the Pit Bull on the front of this drink's can. It kind of looks like he just chewed up something and is being yelled at for it. Pit Bull's are known to be aggressive and tough dogs, I think they tried to show that with this drink's can but they didn't quite do it. The can's lettering is alright, the fence behind the dog looks alright but I think they could have done a better job with the fonts they used to design the can. Most of the text on the can is in both English and Spanish, which is a cool idea. While it's not the worst can I've ever seen, there's room for improvement.

The Drink:
I was actually surprised when I popped upon the can and drank some. Pit Bull's flavor is actually unique and pretty delicious. I thought that it might be a Red Bull clone at first but it has it's own unique flavor. The best way I can describe it is as Mountain Dew with a strong NOS-like background flavor. It's supposed to be a citrus, ginger-ale drink, which it pretty much is. The primary flavor is actually a lot like Full Throttle, I don't like Full Throttle that much because of how flat it tastes but this drink solves that issue with the strong flavor in the background. There really wasn't any bad aftertaste from this drink but that's not a huge accomplishment because I've had several energy drinks that don't have an aftertaste. Still, it was a pretty good flavor and it was on-par with other more commercial and popular energy drinks I've had.

The Buzz:
Pit Bull contains 750 mg of Taurine, 80 mg of Caffeine and 50 mg of Inositol. It also contains Guarana but the can doesn't list how much. Keep in mind that the can I drank was 16 oz, those numbers would be good for an 8 oz. can but for a 16 oz. can that's a little low. Still, when I had this drink I was tired and Pit Bull really woke me up. It did what it was meant to do and worked nicely. It wasn't the most extreme buzz but it did actually work.

Pit Bull's can is a little unusual but if you can find it I recommend trying it. The flavor is something different and the buzz is pretty good. If my local Rite-Aid ever gets another can for their shelf I'll probably buy it.

Red Thunder Energy Shot Review

Red Thunder is the "Generic Red Bull" energy drink at Aldi's grocery stores and you can often buy four Red Thunder drinks for only $3. Before I review the actual Red Thunder energy drink in the near future I decided to buy and review the Red Thunder energy shot. The Red Thunder energy shot can be found in the checkout line at Aldi's, much like you can find 5 Hour Energy in the checkout line at Home Depot or Wal-Mart. 



The Bottle:
Red Thunder's bottle actually looks really good. I like the overall design of it and it looks better than some name-brand shots I've had in the best. The shot is the standard 2 oz. size and also contains the standard warning-filled box on the back of it. They actually did a good job putting it together and I was fairly impressed by the design.

The Shot:
The Red Thunder energy shot is a berry flavor and since I've had a few berry flavored energy shots before this I thought I knew what to expect. When I twisted open the bottle and drank the shot it did taste like 5 Hour Energy's berry flavor but it was still slightly different. Red Thunder has a very sweet berry flavor that actually isn't very bitter and it also has a sort of apple juice oriented aftertaste. The shot is definitely drinkable and I didn't have to drink some water after drinking it either, it wasn't bad.

The Buzz:
Red Thunder's energy blend contains 1580 mg. It contains Taurine, Glucoronolactone, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Caffeine, Malic Acid and Guarana. Red Thunder was one of those shots where I could really feel the buzz coming on. When it mellowed it was pretty strong and actually lasted for 5 hours which a lot of energy shots don't actually do for me. The buzz was pretty enjoyable and the shot actually worked.

Red Thunder actually wasn't too bad, the bottle looks good, the shot is drinkable and it does what it was created to do, provide good and sustained energy. If you're ever shopping at an Aldi's and see this shot I recommend picking it up. I was surprised by how good it performed and will be picking up another one in the future.

Arizona RX Fast Shot Energy Shot Review

It's common knowledge by now that Arizona is that company that makes the tea in the big cans for only 99 cents. Other companies have made similar products but Arizona was first. Arizona's Arnold Palmer tea is one of my favorite non-energy providing drinks and if it's not in my fridge in a jug then it's in my fridge in the big can. Today we're going to take a look at one of Arizona's energy shots, the RX Fast Shot.

The Bottle:
This shot's bottle design reminds me of Arizona's green tea can. It has a green background with flowers on it and similar lettering. The bottle looks good despite looking like an airplane whiskey bottle or something. I like how they tried something different with the shape of their bottle and it looks alright.

The Shot:
Not surprisingly, this shot also tastes like green tea. It had no bitter taste but did taste a little syrupy. It was a nice tasting shot and was easy to drink, as long as you like green tea or tea in general you'll like the taste.

The Buzz:
This shot contains Taurine, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, Glucoronolactone, Milk Thistle and Panax Ginseng Root Extract. It contains 1445 mg overall and the shot also contains only 3 grams of sugar. Not long after finishing the shot I felt a nice buzz begin to set in. Once the buzz mellowed out, it wasn't extremely intense but it was definitely there. It wasn't the most intense buzz but judging by the overall image of the product I don't think they were going for the most intense buzz anyway.

I picked up this shot for $2.50, for what I paid it wasn't horrible. It had a nice green tea taste and an above average buzz that just about anybody would enjoy, don't expect it to be extremely intense though.

Hydrive Extra Strength Energy Review

I was very kindly contacted by the Hydrive company via email, they not only read my Hydrive reviews but they also wanted to send me samples of their new Extra Strength drink. I want to personally thank the Hydrive company for not only taking the time to contact me but also for sending my drinks out quickly. Not long after I woke up this morning a Fedex truck pulled up outside and put a box on my front porch. I immediately knew what it was and as soon as I got the box open I put the drinks in the fridge to get them ice cold. Hydrive Extra Strength isn't available yet in my area and I'm very grateful to the company for sending me some so I could try it and review it. Once again, thank you. For the last few days I've been editing some of my older reviews and re-writing them in a format that I feel is much more organized. This review is not only of a drink that I've been extremely excited to try but also the first new review I'm writing in my new review format, enjoy.

The Bottle:
Hydrive Extra Strength's bottle really looks great. Instead of using a clear see-thru label like on a regular Hydrive drink, they used a black label which really works well for an extra strength drink. It not only distinguishes the drink from the regular strength flavors but also looks edgier and all in all better for an extra strength drink. In my other Hydrive reviews I talked about the humorous descriptions on the back of Hydrive bottles, this drink has one also:

"Why Hydrive Extra Strength? Because some days you need something extra to help you conquer the world. Hydrive- The healthier way to re-energize."

The back of the bottle also contains the slogan "Big Energy, Big Flavor", those are two things I look for in an energy drink and from my past experiences with Hydrive I knew that this drink would most likely provide that and more.

The Drink:
Hydrive chose to use a Black Cherry flavor for their Extra Strength drink, that's not only a perfect fit for an extra strength drink but it is also a nice flavor for any energy drink in general, they did a nice job choosing a unique flavor that fits the product well. Along with the bottles they sent me, they also sent me a sheet containing the following useful information about the drink:

1. Black Cherry Flavor
2. 6g Sugar/30 Calories
3. 195 mg of Caffeine
4. Amino Acids, Electrolytes
5. 20% More Caffeine Than 16 oz. Red Bull

That's an impressive list, I typically count on a drink's caffeine content to provide energy. The other ingredients help but caffeine is one thing that I know will provide energy. As you can see, this drink contains 20% more caffeine than a 16 oz. Red Bull, that basically puts Red Bull to shame which this drink also does in many other categories. The resealable bottle and flavor are also big advantages. After the drink sat in the fridge getting cold for a few hours, I decided to take it out and drink it. I twisted open the bottle and smelled a delicious black cherry flavor. Upon taking a sip, the flavor was great. The black cherry really compliments the amazing smoothness of the drink well and the aftertaste the drink leaves in your mouth is great. I wasn't worried about it in the first place but this drink has absoulutely no bad aftertaste from the caffeine or other ingredients at all. The black cherry is really nice and as I said a great choice for an extra strength drink, they did a great job.

The Buzz:
Hydrive Extra Strength's Proprietary Blend contains 320 mg overall. It contains 195 mg of Caffeine, 50 mg of Taurine, 25 mg of L-Arginine, 25 mg of L-Carnitine and 25 mg of Yerba Mate Leaf Extract. Along with the Amino Acids and Electolytes that blend is sure to give you an amazing buzz while also keeping you hydrated. Sure enough, very soon after finishing the drink I felt a very strong energy buzz that was just right. It was perfect, it really did what it was supposed to and more and just verified once again that Hydrive really knows what they're doing with their drinks.

Hydrive really made a great energy drink with their new Extra Strength variety, not only does it have a great black cherry flavor that is extremely smooth and just right, it also provides a more potent and just right energy buzz that is amazing. Top that off with a really nice bottle design and the resealable bottle and you have one of the best energy drinks I've ever had.

Rockstar Punched Citrus Energy Review

I've reviewed several Rockstar drinks before and Rockstar is one of my more favorite commercial energy drink brands. I didn't even know this drink existed until I found it in Pennsylvania after traveling the 15 minutes or so from Ohio to see the movie "Bad Teacher" with Cameron Diaz. I stopped at a gas station and picked up this drink after the movie since I didn't drink or eat anything at the theater. Everything there is way too expensive, sometimes I complain about prices of energy drinks but those are often nothing compared to prices at the movie theater. I don't review movies though, I review energy drinks.


The Can:
Rockstar Punched Citrus' can is very noticeable and eye-catching in a cooler amongst other energy drinks. The bright green really seemed to draw me in for some reason, it looks nice even though it's a far cry from the dark black design on the original Rockstar. When I had Rockstar Punched at Cedar Point (An Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio) it tasted like fruit punch which makes perfect sense because of the drink's name. When I hear the word "punch" I usually think of fruit punch, this drink is supposed to be a citrus punch, which is interesting.

The Drink:
When I cracked open the tab on top and took a sip, the flavor was hard to place. It was pretty sour like lemonade and also had a decent "bite" to the taste, it also sort of tasted like white pop such as Sprite or 7UP. The flavor was pretty different but wasn't bad, it tastes pretty good but is hard to pinpoint.

The Buzz:
As usual with Rockstar drinks, this drink contains a nice energy blend. It contains the usual Rockstar list of energy ingredients and if you've ever had a Rockstar drink before you should know what to expect. This drink really woke me up, it did what it was supposed to and wasn't that bad.

If you're looking for something different and unique to try, I highly recommend this drink. It seems to be a little harder to find than some other Rockstar drinks but if you see it somewhere, pick it up.

Bing Energy Review

It's been a little while since I've seen a new energy drink at the store that I've never heard of, when I saw Bing in the cooler at a Marathon gas station I knew I had to pick it up. Interestingly, Bing comes in a 12 oz. can, I've seen other energy drinks in 12 oz. cans a few times before (Red Bull, for instance) but it's still not the most common can size. A regular can of pop such as RC, Pepsi or Coke comes in a 12 oz. can also but since this can is more slim the can appears to be bigger. Cherries by themselves aren't one of my more favorite things to eat but cherry drinks always catch my attention. I actually recently discovered cherry RC Cola at a grocery store and ever since I've been on the lookout for cherry flavored energy drinks. After a long night of work I picked up a Bing and decided to try it out and see if it actually works.

The Can:
The color scheme of the can gives the drink a more sophisticated look, which works nicely. It's a dark red color with black and gold text that looks pretty good. Energy drinks either tend to go for a dark looking black can or a colorful can, this drink is just about in the middle. The can also has some text on it about how the drink has some health benefits to it also. The flavor of the drink is that of a real Black Bing Cherry, is you don't know what that's like it's not too different from a regular cherry, it's slightly more strong tasting though.

The Taste:
I cracked open the red tab on top of the can and took a sip and I immediately noticed the flavor. I didn't really have to guess around with the flavor like I sometimes do, it tastes like a Black Bing Cherry. When a Black Bing Cherry is translated into liquid form it tastes good and if you've never had the flavor before you'd still probably like it. Nicely enough, the drink also had a small "bite" to the taste that I enjoyed. The drink was very easy to enjoy and I really liked it, they did a nice job creating a unique flavor.

The Buzz:
As for energy, this drink actually lists all of the ingredients on the back. It contains 1000 mg of Taurine, 120 mg of Caffeine, 100 mg of Gingko Biloba Leaf Extract, 100 mg of Ginseng Root Extract. 10 mg of Beta-Glucon, 10 mg of Guarana, 0.01 mg of Acai Extract and 0.01 mg of Flax Seed Extract. That's not a bad blend at all, not long after finishing the drink I experienced a pretty noticeable buzz that lasted for about 3 hours before mellowing out.

Overall, Bing is a unique drink with a nice flavor, a nice blend and a nice buzz. If you can find this drink and are into cherry flavors, I highly recommend this drink, not bad.