Rockstar Iced Energy Review

To this day, I always tell people that the original Rockstar is my favorite energy drink. When I first started drinking energy drinks, it was the first drink I bought more than once and I always really, really liked the flavor. A lot of people I know and a lot of people that you probably know also think that Monster is the best. Everyone always says that Monster is better than Rockstar, and of course these people are only familiar with the very commercial energy drinks and not the weird, rare ones that I seem to have an uncanny knack for finding. Anyway, when my favorite energy drink brand releases a new drink, I have to try it. Rockstar Iced is another one of Rockstar's new drinks this year, and it's safe to say that it was released to compete with Monster Rehab. I've written about this before, but I clearly remember when the "energy tea" craze took off about a year ago. I remember walking into my favorite store and seeing a big display of Monster Rehab cans, and I remember taking advantage of a special they had where you could get three cans for a special price. So, let's see how this new energy tea offering can compete in the can, taste, and buzz categories.

The Can:
I've always been a fan of Rockstar's cans. When I started drinking Rockstar, they had already changed the design to the "off-center" design they have now, and not the original design they had before. Sometimes I think about Rockstar's cans being designed differently, to where you don't have to turn he can to feel like you're looking at it the right way. Still, I've always liked thier designs and I really think they have a way with putting out nice looking cans. Some say they're cluttered, but I like them. This drink is no exception, the can is an appropriate gold and black, with a special sort of finish on the can which I believe it similar to Rockstar's Energy Cola drink. The can states that this is "Energy+Tea+Hydration", so it's similar to Rockstar's Recovery drinks. I really like the can, and it contains all of the familiar Rockstar can elements, such as the text to the right of the Supplement Facts box and the "American Made" thing under it. This drink contains "No Juice", which is what the can says instead of "0% Juice". All in all, this can looks great. The colors match the drink, it's put together nicely and just looks like a fine addition to the Rockstar line.

The Drink:
When I cracked upon the gold tab on top of can, for some reason the smell reminded me of the way NOS smells in a way. It's obviously very important to note that this is a "Peach+Tea" flavor, so that's what I was expecting when I opened it. This drink does definitely have a "peach+tea" flavor, but I found the aftertaste a bit odd. The peach is definitely there, and I would say that it is the main flavor with the tea sort of being a background flavor. But, this drink has a sort of vitamin-like aftertaste which was a bit off-putting. It didn't ruin the drink, but it made it taste a little odd. Still, I found the drink fairly consumeable. I definitely wouldn't say that it's my new favorite energy drink, but it wasn't awful. Definitely be aware of the aftertaste, but if you like peaches and tea, you should be all set with this drink.

The Buzz:
Per serving, (two servings per can, obviously) this drink contains 1000mg of Taurine, 120mg of Caffeine, 50mg of Panax Ginseng Root Exract, 25mg of Inositol, 25mg of L-Carnitine, and 25mg of Guarana. In total, this drink's blend contains 1.25g as opposed to the original Rockstar which contains 1.35g. I made this one of my "early morning" energy drinks, and had it not long after I woke up. Not that I don't sleep, but like anyone I'm still not entirely awake when I wake up. So, that's where some of these energy drinks come in . In short, this drink got me going for the day without a doubt. I found this drink exceptionally potent, which is becoming kind of rare for me these days. I felt very awake, and through my "morning routine" I felt great. Unfortunately I don't run marathons or eat a bunch of salt at nine in the morning, so it wasn't really like I was dehydrated when I drank this and really can't speak for the hydration part of it. If it matters, I wasn't really thirsty after I drank it though. This drink really worked, and the buzz lasted for a solid 3-4 hours for me. It was a pretty good buzz, and I found it rather enjoyable.

The only downside I can think of with Iced is the somewhat gross aftertaste. Other than that, if you like tea flavors and potent energy buzzes you should pick this up. I thought it was pretty good, and I enjoyed it. I recommend it, just since it's not bad and is also fairly new. Rockstar's new drinks have been good, with the exception of the Coconut Water one, yuck.

Monster Rehab Orangeade Energy Review

When I looked into the Monster cooler at a local convenience store I was somewhat surprised to see this, I thought at first that it was one of the Rehab flavors that had been out for a little while but it's actually pretty new. It's fairly logical that Monster would put out an orange Rehab flavor, even with the huge amount of products they already have out. I was somewhat excited to give this drink a try, I guess I've been getting lucky and finding a lot of new drinks to try lately.





The Can:
This drink's can is just Monster's standard Rehab can, but obviously fitted for an "orange" drink. The design behind the big M on the front of the can is a nice orange and all of the little parts of the can that change with each flavor have changed to orange. The can design isn't bad, and I've always liked the Rehab can design in general. Still, I hope Monster doesn't do the same thing they've done with their coffee drinks and put out so many that your eyes get tired when trying to figure out which one to buy at the store. There's yet another essay on the back of the can, and I've actually seen posters at the store for a contest where you can win a trip to the "Rehab Pool Party", which I think I said was most likely fictional awhile ago.

The Drink:
Something that should be noted about the Rehab drinks for somebody that's never had one is that they're all very "light" to the taste. This drink is a very mellow and smooth flavor and almost tastes watery. It's still a pleasant orange flavor and is pretty much what you would expect. I found this drink rather enjoyable, and I found myself just drinking it casually rather than taking sips and trying to figure out the flavor. If you've enjoyed previous Rehab flavors and enjoy orange flavors, this is the drink for you. As I've said since I started this website, no two orange drinks seem to taste the exact same though.

The Buzz:
The Rehab Energy Blend is pretty much packed with ingredients. It includes Caffeine, Taurine, Guarana, Inositol, B Vitamins, Orange Pekoe Tea, and some other ingredients. I drank this in the middle of the day when I had it, and can say that I felt substantially more awake throughout the afternoon and into the evening. The buzz that this drink provided was satisfying to me, and I can't say that I was disappointed. I didn't "crash" or anything either, but I never do.

In closing, I think that Orangeade is a nice and pretty natural addition to the Rehab line. I'm hoping that Monster doesn't overdo it with the Rehab drinks, but if there are going to be any new flavors after this I can almost guarantee that a grape drink will be next. If you want something new and somewhat unique, you should pick this up. Still, I wouldn't say that you're missing anything if you decide not to try it.

Monster Ubermonster Energy Brew Review

This is without a doubt the most exciting review I've had the chance to do in quite some time. When I was informed of this drink, I really wasn't sure what to think of it. However, when I saw it at the store I immediately had to pick it up and buy it. While I've bashed Monster here and there in the past, this drink is just the kind that I can't pass up. It's going to be a big deal soon, and I'm glad that I got the chance to try it. Monster has undoubtedly released thier fair share of new products in the last year, and whether they were unique or not they've all been somewhat interesting. Ubermonster is a "Bio-Activated, Non-Alcoholic" energy drink. This drink is essentially a fermented malt base, which while "Alcohol-esque" is still Non-Alchoholic.


The Bottle:
Yeah, I've found flaws in Monster packaging before, but you really can't deny that this bottle is just badass. It's a 16.9 oz. glass bottle with a pry-off cap. It has a nice wide mouth on the top which the back of the bottle says is "chug friendly". The wide mouth is somewhat similar to Mickey's Big Mouth Malt Liquor, but unlike Mickey's the length of this bottle matches how wide the top is and the bottle ends up looking fairly normal. The usual informational text on the back of the bottle says that Monster "borrowed" a German brewing process, which is interesting. All in all, I honestly love this packaging and would go as far as to say that this is one of the best looking drinks I've ever had. This bottle is impossible to miss amongst the other Monster drinks at the store and it really stands out. It's really not what I'm used to seeing with an energy drink, but it looks great.

The Drink:
Upon using a bottle opener to open this up, I smelled that familar Monster scent and as I sit here writing this review with the bottle in front of me that I had two days ago I can still smell it. An article I read on this drink said that this drink is "ultra premium", and while drinking this it was hard to think otherwise. It's hard to explain, but this does taste similar to regular Monster but I feel that it's better. I know it's partially due to the glass instead of a metal can, glass can make certain drinks taste better in my opinion. The fermented base gives this drink a very crisp taste that I found exceptionally smooth and enjoyable. I would say this is almost like an improved version of regular Monster, and has more of a "rich" feel to it, if that makes sense. It was very drinkable, and any fan of the Monster taste should find it very enjoyable.

The Buzz:
It would be understandable to forget that you're drinking an energy drink when drinking this because of the packaging. Most people are used to the infamous 16 oz. can which has been and will most likely remain to be the standard for energy drink packaging. I kept in mind that this was an energy drink however and while drinking it took a look at the energy ingredients on the back of the bottle. This drink contains a fairly standard 2500 mg Monster energy blend which contains Glucose, L-Carnitine, Caffeine, Inositol, Glucoronolactone, Guarana, Resveratrol, Quercetin, and Maltodextrin. There's also 1000 mg of Taurine and 200 mg of Panax Ginseng. After drinking this, I definitely felt a buzz which really kept me going for the rest of the day. A few Monster drinks seem to provide very noticeable energy buzzes and I wouldn't call this an exception. The buzz lasted for a few hours and was very nice. It wasn't sub-par nor was it a near death experience, it was just right. I didn't "crash" as usual and I found the drink very satisfying.

If you plan on purchasing this, please keep in mind that it costs almost $5. I'm the kind of person that likes to pick up an energy drink before work or school and I really don't see this being the kind of drink that I buy all the time. I do, however, see this being a nice drink to pick up every now and then. I don't think Monster plans to market this as an energy drink for the person that's on the go, but rather a premium energy drink that really is a fine edition to the drinks that have been released in 2012.

Red Rain Downpour Energy Review

Downpour is the third Red Rain drink that I've purchased from the Dollar Tree near my house. As with Hydroplane, which I reviewed recently, I was fairly surprised to find this. As I've said, it's kind of strange but interesting for a drink that is essentially a Red Bull clone to have a few other flavors which appear to be original. As for the name "Downpour", I feel that it fits with the name Red Rain much better than whatever a Hydroplane is does. I'm almost positive that this is the first time I've reviewed a drink that's centered this much around precipitation, not that it matters.



The Can:
As I'm pretty sure I said with Hydroplane, this drink's can is actually alright in my opinion. Again, however, the font that they used for the word "Downpour" makes no sense, and genuinely does look very out of of place. Other than that, the design is a bit confusing but the green kind of works for the flavor of the drink and all in all it doesn't look awful for a drink that was only $1. It contains a lot of your standard energy drink information, including a few things that become blatantly obvious with most energy drinks after you've been drinking them for awhile.

The Drink:
Downpour is a Cherry Limeade flavor, a flavor that a lot of people may have heard of but most people probably aren't familiar with the taste of. I openend the can and took a sip, and when I did I was met with a fairly pleasant "Cherry Limeade" flavor. I feel that I can best describe this drink by saying that it is light and smooth, if that makes sense. I wouldn't compare it to other similar drinks I've had in the past, it's fairly unique in my opinion. This drink is almost "crisp" to the taste and I found it fairly enjoyable, I wouldn't call this repulsive by any means and it actually tasted pretty good to me.

The Buzz:
Downpour contains 142 mg of Caffeine, Taurine, Inositol and your fairly standard energy-drink-assortment of B-Vitamins. I had this drink in the morning, and I did feel substantially more awake for a little while. The buzz was mild and enjoyable, and exactly what I expected from this drink. Expecting something extreme from a $1 energy drink doesn't really make sense, and I can say that you will get your $1's worth of energy from this drink.

All in all, if you see this at the Dollar Tree you can safely pick it up and not be disappointed in my opinion. It's not awful, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. As usual, make sure yout throw this in the fridge for awhile if your local Dollar Tree just puts energy drinks on shelves like mine does.

Red Rain Hydroplane Energy Review

It's blatantly obvious that Red Rain is just a Red Bull clone, so I found it interesting that they actually have a few other flavors which I of course found at the Dollar Tree. Hydroplane is one of them, and the name of the drink alone is pretty strange. I have no idea what a "Hydroplane" is, or how it pertains to the poorly marketed energy drinks that eventually end up on the shelves of the Dollar Tree in "scenic" Salem, Ohio. Also, "Red Rain Hydroplane" is sort of a funny name all together. When reading the can you find that the drink is a Pomegranate flavor which is why the can is purple. But, it's kind of stupid to have a purple can on a drink called Red Rain. Anyway, let's see if this drink is worth the $1 I payed for it or if it's just another drink that should stay on the shelf at the Dollar Tree.

The Can:
This drink's can is somewhat confusing, the color scheme altogether seems to remind me of a Pop-Tart or something. It honestly doesn't look that bad, and the biggest flaw I can find with it is the font they used for the word "Hydroplane". In my opinion in doesn't fit at all and just looks out of place. This drink boasts "Mental Clarity & Focus", something I think some of the people at the Dollar Tree could possibly use.  The bottom of the front of the can is also a bit busy with all of the somewhat useless information. I feel that this can is about halfway between a nice simple design and a design that's far too cluttered. All in all, you pretty much get what you would expect for only $1.

The Drink:
I made sure to let my can sit in the fridge for awhile so that it would actually be cold, and when I took it out I was kind of looking forward to trying it. Upon opening it and taking a sip, I have to say that I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The flavor is in fact Pomegranate, and a "Berry Pomegranate" to be exact. It's sort of light, crisp flavor to me and I guess it's not as thick as you might think a Pomegranate flavored drink would taste if you've never had one. It drink was pretty easy to drink, and I was impressed with it. I do applaud Red Rain for putting out a drink that's as good as this, I actually really enjoyed it.


The Buzz:
The back of this drinks' can says that it contains 142 mg of Caffeine. Of course, it also contains Taurine, Niacin, and the usual B Vitamins found in energy drinks. I drank this in the afternoon, and I felt much more awake through the afternoon and evening but didn't really have trouble going to sleep at night. The buzz this drink provided was fairly noticeable in my opinion, it wasn't amazing by any means but it did work. The buzz lasted for about 3 1/2 hours, and I didn't "crash", of course.

This drink really isn't that bad for only $1, you might as well pick it up if you see it at the Dollar Tree. Still, make sure you put it in the fridge for awhile because I'm sure that this drink would taste pretty syrupy and gross if it weren't cold.