Sunday, December 15, 2013

Stacker 2 Sinful Citrus Extreme Energy Review

Name: Stacker 2 Extreme Energy (Sinful Citrus Flavor)
Size: 8.4 oz
Caffeine content: N/A
Calories: 110 calories per can

Energy drinks aren't the only type of product with "these" kind of brands. You know, brands that aren't really prominent but have a ton of different products anyway. Stacker 2 makes several energy shots (some of which I believe are under the Stacker 2 name and some of which are not) and they also make this drink. I picked up this drink in a random convenience store amongst a cooler full of Monster drinks. It was in the bottom corner, and only caught my eye because I'd never tried it before.


I'm not in love with this can. It's green and yellow color scheme reminds me more of John Deere than an "extreme" energy drink. This particular variety is "Sinful Citrus", so beware that you may end up burning in hell for drinking this. The can is 8 oz. which, granted, doesn't provide much room for a design, and if you're familiar with Stacker 2 this drink isn't too different than the rest of their stuff design wise. All in all it's ok from a functional standpoint, but when it comes to things that I find appealing to look at, this drink isn't quite there.


This isn't the first nor last citrus energy drink that I've had, although I can't say that I've had "Sinful Citrus" before. I kind of like that name, it would be way too easy to bash and I could probably see any other brand using it. My favorite citrus energy drink is undoubtedly the original variety of NOS which tastes amazing and always has. This drink however, tastes more like Sprite and has a mellow lemon and lime taste that doesn't really stand out. It's very drinkable, and if you wanted to you could probably drink a few of these back-to-back with no problem other than some potential cavities.

You might think that "extreme energy" is a description that only goes along with "extreme energy drinks" but you would happen to be horribly mistaken. This "extreme" drink contains Caffeine, Taurine, and B Vitamins (it only lists the amount of B vitamins, but do you really care about that?). I drank it and felt a little lift in energy, and it obviously would have been more substantial if this drink were bigger. For 8 oz, don't expect a huge buzz in energy. The average consumer might enjoy this because it's small and not too potent. It can, however, be potent if you have more than one at a time, I'm sure. But, at $1.99 a can you may be better picking up a couple of $1 Rip It drinks and calling it a day.

If you think you can handle the unbelievably extreme qualities, go for it. I found it pretty mediocre.

I give this drink a 3/5 rating. Share your own rating of the drink below!

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Amp Gold Apple Energy Review

Lately I've been getting my caffeine fix from both Rip It Power and Rip It G Force since they're both available for only $1 at the grocery store just down the street from where I live. Not long ago however, this drink caught my eye as I've never seen it despite also drinking a few Amp drinks as well here and there lately. I've never been a giant fan of Amp drinks but I remember drinking the original flavors as some of my first energy drinks as well as the new flavors causing somewhat of a stir when they replaced the originals. All in all, Amp is a solid brand that a lot of people seem to enjoy even though I wouldn't call them my absolute favorite. This drink is "limited edition" and as I'm writing this in December 2013 I recommend you go out and get a can ASAP if you want to give this drink a try. But, you should read this first to find out if you want to or not.

The Can:
On my shelf of energy drink cans from past and present, you can see the difference between the really old, old, and newer Amp cans. Their latest designs are pretty cool and this drink is no exception. The gold is nice despite not popping too much and I wouldn't say there will be much confusion between this and another Amp flavor. The top of the can proclaims that it's "limited edition" and doesn't say much else other then that it's apple flavored and contains caffeine and B vitamins. I like the "volume" design towards the bottom of the can and the gold tab on top isn't a bad touch either. It's pretty cool, and if you collect cans it'll look nice on or in your shelf, box, or cubby.

The Taste:
Like I mentioned earlier, I've been drinking the Power variety of Rip It which is also an apple flavor as this drink is. I bought this drink without really looking at the flavor and even opened it without doing so but recognized the flavor as apple upon taking a healthy gulp of it. It does taste like apple but isn't as "crisp" of an apple as Power. It's still drinkable, but has a bit of an aftertaste. A nice touch is the energy drink "bite" that I've mentioned so many times before. It's drinkable and doesn't taste bad, but I wouldn't get addicted to the taste like I have with some drinks (you probably couldn't pay me to drink another Power at this point, at least for a few days).

The Buzz:
Like the front of the can says, this drink contains caffeine and B vitamins as most energy drinks do. The exact caffeine content isn't listed, but per 16 oz. can this drink contains 13 mg of Taurine (why?), 264 mg of Guarana and 12 mg of ginseng. I drank this drink while "on the go" (if going to pick up some food I ordered counts) and afterwards felt pretty alert and good. It's a substantial buzz but nothing strong enough to make you jump through a window or anything. It'll kill your hopeless caffeine withdrawal headache instantly, and you won't have to worry about falling asleep at the wheel or anything (does Amp still sponsor Nascar drivers?).

All in all, check this drink out. It's limited edition, so if all else fails you can at least have a drink that won't be around for a while. I don't know how widely available it is, but since it's Amp it shouldn't be too hard to find. I enjoyed it.