Red Bull Total Zero Energy Drink Review

Name: Red Bull: Total Zero

Size: 8.4 fl. oz.

Caffeine content: 80 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine

Website

Why wouldn't Red Bull make a "zero" energy drink? They're one of the most prominent energy drink brands out there, and it only makes sense to include a sugar-free, zero-calorie, and zero-carb energy drink in their line of products. In Ohio, this drink is slightly more elusive than regular and sugar-free Red Bull, although it's still not very hard to find. Wal-Mart sells this drink in packs of 4, while my local Circle K stocks this drink in both 8.4 and 12 oz. sizes. Red Bull does make a 16 oz. size of this drink, but I've actually never seen it. 16 oz. is my preferred size when it comes to just about any energy drink, but I've settled for an 8.4 or 12 oz. Red Bull on "a few" different occasions. Like the rest of Red Bull's line, this drink is fairly expensive. Circle K, which may be an irrelevant or unheard-of convenience store to some, has a deal in which you can get two 12 oz. Red Bull cans for $5.50. Alternatively, you could also get three 16 oz. Monster or Rockstar cans for $5, or two NOS or Full Throttle cans for $4. After overpaying for Total Zero, I at least hoped that it would be drinkable and enjoyable to some extent.

Can/Design:

Total Zero isn't unlike regular or sugar-free Red Bull in design. For Total Zero, Red Bull decided to use a bland, unattractive grey rather than blue for the space behind the logo, and also included a yellow strip that spans the top of its can and states everything that this drink does not contain. The design fits in well with the rest of Red Bull's drinks, but doesn't do much to make this drink look good despite being a "zero" energy drink. Then again, it's made by Red Bull, and Red Bull probably isn't too concerned with getting people to buy their products. They either will or won't buy them, and if you're looking for Total Zero, you'll probably pick it up no matter how it looks. It contains all of Red Bull's usual can-information, and for the sake of  convenience, sticks out amidst a cooler full of regular and sugar-free Red Bull- making it easy to find if it's what you're looking for.

Taste:

This drink doesn't taste very good. I mean, it tastes like you would expect it to taste if you had a Red Bull and thought, "Hm, I wonder what this would taste like if it didn't have any sugar or drinkable flavor?". Honestly, I drink a lot of "zero" drinks, and really didn't care for the taste of this one. Several other brands pull off the taste of their "zero" drinks much better, and I was actually kind of disappointed with Total Zero's. It's reminiscent of Red Bull to an extent, but I feel that Red Bull's sugar-free drink tastes better if you're willing to sacrifice consuming 10 calories. If you really want to try this drink, you might like the way that it tastes. Personally, I expected something slightly less-bland and more like sugar-free Red Bull, but without calories or carbs.

Energy:

The breakdown for Total Zero's caffeine content per can size is as follows:

• 8.4 fl. oz- 80 mg. of caffeine
• 12 fl. oz.- 114 mg. of caffeine
• 16 fl. oz.- 154 mg. of caffeine

The subject of this review was an 8.4 fl. oz. can, which was pretty useless as far as energy goes. I was already anticipating a small lift in energy when buying this, but hoped that its flavor would make up for it. A 12 oz. or 16 oz. can will certainly work better energy-wise, but an 8.4 fl. oz. can isn't going to do much for anybody. Total Zero's energy wasn't nonexistent, but it was far from substantial or noteworthy, much like its flavor was. If you actually like the way that Total Zero tastes, I definitely recommend buying a 12 or 16 oz. can to get your money's worth in terms of energy.

I was pretty disappointed with Total Zero. As I said, for the sake of energy, reach for a can larger than 8.4 fl. oz, and if you hate the flavor, reach for a 12 or 16. can of sugar-free Red Bull instead.

Red Bull The Red Edition Energy Drink Review

Name: Red Bull: The Red Edition

Size: 8.4 fl. oz.

Caffeine content: 80 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins

Website

Red Bull is probably the best-known energy drink that there is. According to the always-reliable Wikipedia, it was created in 1987, and had sold 5.4 billion cans as of 2013. Red Bull's original drink is an essential drink to try if you like energy drinks, but if you're like me, you may find that it's pretty expensive and that there are better, cheaper, and larger-sized alternatives if you like the way that it tastes. In 2013, Red Bull decided to expand their line of energy drinks, with The Red Edition joining their Blue and Silver editions as new Red Bull flavors. Red Bull could have made some new drinks a long time ago, but in any case, it's definitely interesting to see if their new drinks are worth trying or if they're just random expansions to an already well-established energy drink brand.

Can/Design:

 
The Red Edition's can is appropriately red, and while looking different, still kind of fits in with the design of Red Bull's original drink. The design is pretty minimalistic, and doesn't really shock or do anything extremely interesting in the way that it looks. Unlike the original Red Bull, The Red Edition is (currently) only available in 8.4 fl. oz. cans, which definitely makes for less design-space. Still, it contains all of the information that one would hope to find on a can of Red Bull, and probably isn't going to stop anyone that's interested in trying this from buying it.

Taste:

The original Red Bull has a hard-to-describe taste. In fact, when you drink a lot of energy drinks, you may say, "This one tastes like Red Bull!" without really being able to describe what Red Bull tastes like. The Red Edition is supposed to be cranberry-flavored, which is an interesting choice over strawberry, cherry, or something else that would be a little more predictable. The Red Edition's cranberry flavor is as pronounced as actual cranberry juice in how strong it tastes, although it doesn't taste like straight-up cranberry juice. It has a similar tartness to it that a regular Red Bull does, and in my opinion, tasted a little better than it's design led me to believe that it would. I would drink a 16 oz. energy drink of this, and definitely recommend it if you like the taste of cranberries. Otherwise, you'll probably hate this drink more than I hated paying the amount that I did for it.

Energy:

The Red Edition has the same caffeine content and energy blend as a regular Red Bull. So, if you define an energy drink by its energy, you literally are drinking "The Red Edition" of normal Red Bull. Several energy drinks, primarily older ones, advertise "Double the Energy!", which means that they probably contain 160 mg. of caffeine- 2x Red Bull's 80 mg. of caffeine. 80 mg. isn't very much, and I wouldn't anticipate feeling much energy from this if you drink Monster, Rockstar, or NOS on a regular basis. If you were to drink a couple of these back-to-back, the energy would be more substantial. However, while not completely ineffective, The Red Edition's energy isn't anything to brag or get excited about. Then again, if you've had Red Bull, you probably already knew that.

The Red Edition is worth trying if you'd like to try one of Red Bull's newer drinks. It looks pretty good, tastes pretty good, and can be found just about anywhere. It doesn't offer a lot of energy, but for some reason, I don't think that's what most people expect from 8 oz. Red Bull cans anyway.

Rip It Power Sugar Free Energy Drink Review

Name: Rip It Sugar Free: Power

Size: 16 fl. oz.

Caffeine content: 200 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, Inositol, Guarana Seed Extract

Website

Rip It makes sugar-free versions of several of their regular flavors, but like Citrus X, this is one of the most easily-acquired. I've seen this drink at every Dollar Tree that I've ever been to, with my local Family Dollar stores carrying this almost as reliably as they do sugar-free Citrus X. Power and Citrus X were two of Rip It's first flavors, and their respective sugar-free versions have apparently had plenty of time to make their way to a discount store near you for the convenient price of only $1 each.

Can/Design:

The regular Power's color scheme is primarily red, with the sugar-free version opting for blue instead. This drink's color scheme works better with Rip It's sugar-free layout than Citrus X, and it actually looks pretty good. The front of the can states that it contains 0 calories, 0 carbs, and is, in fact, sugar free. For only $1, this is probably as good as an energy drink is going to get in terms of can design.

Taste:

"Power" isn't a very descriptive name, and this drank may find a more flavor-hinting name with "Apple/Strawberry/Other Stuff That Tastes Good", or "Pretty Good for a Sugar-Free Energy Drink". The taste of this drink is pretty close to the original Power, and it tastes a lot less "artificial" than some other sugar-free energy drinks do. If you like Power, and hope to like the sugar-free alternative- you probably will. If you've never had the original Power, expect a hard-to-place, fruity flavor that is smooth, crisp, and pretty enjoyable.

Energy:

Rip It drinks are reliably effective as far as energy goes, and this drink is no exception. This drink's energy blend more than makes up for its lack of sugar, and while it isn't ridiculous, you can definitely expect some energy from this drink. It's pretty much on the same level as any other sugar-free energy drink that you can find, but for only $1!

If you can find this, give it a try. Unless you hate sugar-free energy drinks, it's more than worth its $1 price, and definitely holds its own as a reasonable sugar-free alternative to Rip It's Power drink.

GO Energy Gummies Review

Name: GO Energy Gummies

Size: 10g each

Caffeine content: 100 mg. per gummy

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, B Vitamins, Niacin

Website - Instagram - Twitter - Facebook

GO Energy Gummies are gummies that contain 100 mg. of Caffeine, 100 mg. of Taurine, 25 mg. of L-Carnitine, Niacin, and plenty of B Vitamins per gummy. Everyone loves gummies, and one that contains all of the familiar energy drink ingredients is, in my opinion, definitely worth trying. If there's a food or drink that you like, you can rest assured that there's probably an "energy" version of it that was, is, or probably will be available at some point in the future. I prefer energy drinks more than anything, but definitely like the idea of energy gummies more than some other "energy foods" that I've seen that just don't seem like reasonable ways to acquire energy at all. Gummies are obviously small and pretty insignificant in terms of how long they take to consume, and with a decent amount of energizing ingredients per gummy, there was definitely potential for these gummies to taste good, work well, and be an interesting way to acquire some satisfying energy.

Packaging/Design:

GO Energy Gummies come in packs that contain two gummies each, with each gummy being small and square. The wrapper itself is silver, with the GO Energy Gummies logo as seen in the picture above on the front of the wrapper. Underneath the logo, the wrapper appropriately says "ENERGY GUMMIES", and just below that, the wrapper provides a link to GO Energy Gummies' website. Each package lists the amount of ingredients contained inside, and also says that each gummy counts as one serving, meaning that there are two servings per package.

The overall look of these gummies is basic, functional, and effective. The packaging is convenient, and doesn't waste any space or material in simply holding two small gummy candies. It isn't extremely flashy or fancy, but it really doesn't need to be either. The logo on the front is pretty big, and if you were to see these somewhere, there would be no doubt that they are, in fact, GO Energy Gummies.

Taste:

As with any other energy product, I was definitely interested to see how good these would taste while also potentially providing energy via Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins, and other ingredients that can be detrimental to the taste of otherwise-good energy products. The gummies are blueberry flavored, which sounded pretty good. Blueberry is one of my favorite flavors of anything, and like other blueberry-flavored things, GO Energy Gummies are dark blue/purple and look pretty tasty. They have a slightly gritty texture to them that's similar to a Sour Patch Kid, although I didn't anticipate them tasting sour whatsoever. In fact, they actually do taste like blueberries and are actually really easy to eat. As expected, they have a very slight "caffeine taste" that isn't really unpleasant or very noticeable, as I was able to consume these on multiple occasions without having to drink water or something afterwards. I definitely think that if you bought these and expected a blueberry flavor that wasn't absolutely disgusting, you would definitely be satisfied with the way that these taste. They don't taste like straight-up candy that you could "accidentally" eat the entire bag or package of, but they're pretty close and definitely taste great for containing lots of energizing ingredients.

Energy:

I tried my first two packages of GO Energy Gummies in different ways:

Package #1:

• 1st gummy at 6:00 AM
• 2nd gummy at 7:00 AM

Package #2:

• Both gummies, one after the other

I won't deny that I was surprised with how well GO Energy Gummies worked when I first tried them. In trying the first gummy, I actually did feel a nice lift in energy not long after consuming it. When I tried the second one, the effects were even better, and I was actually really surprised. These do provide energy in a similiar way to an energy drink, but I feel that the energy is more sustained and drawn-out than most energy drinks are. On my first occasion of trying them,  I felt energized for about 5 or 6 hours after trying each gummy. Each gummy contains 100 mg. of Caffeine, which may be enough for some people. For me, I liked having one, and then having the other shortly after, which made for 200 mg. of Caffeine consumed in just an hour. When I tried both at the same time, I felt even more energized from the jump. However, I actually have to say that I preferred feeling energized, and then even more energized shortly after. In any case, I definitely think that these work, and have to say that they worked a lot better than I thought they would.  

I wouldn't normally purchase energy gummies, but I was actually really surprised and satisfied with how much I enjoyed these. I absolutely recommend them if you're into energy gummies or energy candy, and was beyond satisfied with just about everything that there is to this product.

If you're interested in learning more or purchasing some GO Energy Gummies to try for yourself, you can visit their website here.

Quick Strike Energy Drink Review

 

Quick Strike "Regular" (right)

Name: Quick Strike

 Size: 16 fl. oz.

Caffeine Content: 154 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins, Inositol, Glucoronolactone

Website 

"Strike" is a word with a very broad context. You may "strike" a deal with someone, "strike" the convenience store employee that criticizes your caffeine addiction, or go on "strike" at the energy drink factory that you work at after finding out that your salary has been cut to fund more research on another energy drink company's secret formula. In any case, this particular energy drink is called Quick Strike, and I picked it up at a Murphy U.S.A. gas station alongside Blak Max, which is another energy drink that is exclusive to Murphy U.S.A. gas stations. I'm pretty sure that Quick Strike is just Red Strike, which I reviewed a long time ago and never had again after reviewing it. If I remember correctly though, Red Strike was just Red Strike, whereas Quick Strike has several other flavors and varieties available alongside their original.

Can/Design:

   
For being an inexpensive energy drink, Quick Strike's design is actually pretty focused and effective at differentiating itself from other energy drinks out there. The can is red, gray, black, white, and even features a gear on the bottom of the front of the can's design. I wasn't drinking this to "gear up" for anything other than writing a review in the future, but can't really complain because this drink looks as good as it's supposed to. I've seen much worse designs from "off-brand" energy drinks before, and I personally think that Quick Strike's can looks better than Red Strike's did. It features a red pull-tab on top, actually lists the Caffeine and Taurine content, and unsurprisingly states that it does in fact contain Taurine and B Vitamins on the front.

Taste:

   

Like I said in the first paragraph of this review, there are a few other flavors of Quick Strike available other than their original. The original however, is still pretty much a Red Bull clone in the same way that Red Strike was. It's not like they took Red Bull, put it in a new can, and sold it as Quick Strike, but if you've ever had a cheap energy drink and thought, "This kind of tastes like Red Bull!" then you know what I mean. As I said with Red Strike in 2012, you definitely get your money's worth out of this drink and I would be lying if I said that I didn't like the way this drink tasted. If you like Red Bull, or the "generic" energy drink taste, then this drink is definitely worth your while. The drink tastes pretty "quality", if that makes sense, and I wasn't really disappointed or surprised.

Energy:

 

Per 16 fl. oz. can, Quick Strike contains 154 mg. of Caffeine, 1920 mg. of Taurine, B Vitamins, Glucoronolactone, and Inositol.  There's really nothing special about this drink's energy blend, although it does contain more Taurine than some other similar energy drinks do. I can't say if it gave me a "Quick Strike" of energy, but it definitely works. I felt an average and anticipated lift in energy from this drink, and really couldn't complain after paying just over $2 (tax included) for it. In fact, Murphy U.S.A. has had a "2 for $2" ($2.15 with tax) deal with these drinks for a while now, which is pretty reasonable.

If you can find this Quick Strike, and like inexpensive energy drinks, then it's definitely worth trying. Ironically, their original flavor is probably their least original flavor, but it isn't too bad and should probably be exactly what you're expecting if you drink energy drinks as often as I do.

Oh yeah, this drink's slogan is "A Kick in the Pants!", which is irrelevant but somewhat amusing.

Shockwave Energy Drink Review

Name: Shockwave

Size: 16 fl. oz.

Caffeine content: N/A

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, Inositol, CoQ10

No website available

Shockwave is sold exclusively at Speedway gas stations. So, if you've never heard of or been to a Speedway gas station, then you're probably out of luck with finding this drink. There's actually only one Speedway near me, and it was appropriately where I found this drink alongside Shockwave's other flavors. I decided to try their original flavor first, and paid less than the average energy drink for it.

Can/Design:

Shockwave's can is blue, black, and "metallic"-looking. I think Shockwave's design is supposed to play off of the fact that this drink is named Shockwave due to its "waves" and logo that are as shockwave-y as they should be. The overall design isn't clearly inspired by another energy drink, and in realistically viewing this drink for what it's worth, it looks pretty good. I haven't tried any of Shockwave's other flavors yet, but they actually caught my eye before their original can did.

Taste:

Shockwave's flavor didn't surprise me whatsoever. I almost want to say that it's a "generic" energy drink taste, but it isn't. Still, I can't help but feel that I've tasted this drink before. Shockwave has a slightly-gummy, citrus-y taste that wasn't undrinkable at all. To the average energy drink consumer that walks into Speedway and decides to try this, I feel that it'll taste alright. Still, don't expect anything too revolutionary or new with this drink's taste.

Energy:

One of Shockwave's biggest selling points is the fact that it contains CoQ10. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that provides energy, but the addition of CoQ10 to an energy drink won't make it outstanding or unbelievably intense. Thankfully, this drink also contains 66 grams of sugar, which can help in perking you up a little bit. The caffeine content isn't listed, but the energy blend also contains other typical ingredients such as Taurine and Inositol.

Shockwave definitely gave me some energy, and while it wasn't anything overbearing, it was still alright and basically what I was expecting from this drink. I don't think anyone will drink this and be blown away, but will instead receive what they were already expecting after looking at and tasting this drink.

Is this drink worth trying? Yeah, as long as you can get to a Speedway.

Rip It Citrus X Sugar Free Energy Drink Review

Name: Rip It Sugar Free: Citrus X

Size: 16 fl. oz.

Caffeine content: 200 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, Inositol, Guarana Seed Extract

Website

Rip It definitely makes my favorite $1 energy drinks. They have a huge variety of flavors, and are all pretty good for only costing $1 each. Rip It also has sugar-free versions of several of their flavors, and if I remember correctly Citrus X was one of the first that they came out with. This drink can be found in every Dollar Tree and Family Dollar that I've ever been to, and since Rip It varieties are basically scattered, and seem to come and go at my local stores as the cans sell, this drink could be available anywhere.

Can/Design:

Rip It's designs are already silver-based with individual variants in certain small aspects of the design and color scheme. Their sugar-free drinks contain even more silver, but are a good representation of Rip It's design in sugar-free form. Citrus X doesn't pull it off as well as Rip It's other sugar-free flavors do, but the overall design looks fine.

The can says "sugar free" in a small oval on one side of the can, and it also says "Wild Ride" on the back, as all Rip It drinks do for some reason. The tab on top of the can is also yellow, and the can definitely looks as citrus-y as it can for its design.

Taste:

Not only are Rip It drinks cheap, but they also taste good. For a zero-calorie, sugar-free energy drink, this drink is really drinkable. It tastes like Citrus X, but is almost a light, crisp, slightly-artificial tasting version. This drink tastes as "normal" as other sugar-free energy drinks that have more exciting packaging.

Energy:

Per 16. oz. can, this drink contains 200 mg. of Caffeine, 2000 mg. of Taurine, 20 mg. of Inositol, and 20 mg. of Guarana Seed Extract.

Rip It drinks never fall short in energy either. This drink's energy blend is a good indication of the energy that it provides, and it's pretty good. I've never found Rip It drinks ineffective, and this drink provided the familar four-hour Rip It lift in energy that all of their other drinks do. Despite its lack of sugar, this drink works well, and I definitely think that anyone trying this would feel a lift in energy from it.

This drink is impressive for being sugar-free and containing zero calories. It also has zero carbs, and 95 grams of sodium. If you're looking for a new, inexpensive, and sugar-free energy drink, this drink is definitely worth a try.

Red Rain Storm Surge Energy Drink Review

Name: Red Rain: Storm Surge
Size: 16 fl.oz
Caffeine content: 142 mg. per can
Energy blend:  Caffeine, Taurine, B Vitamins, Inositol
Website

Red Rain is made by Cott Beverages, which is a company that makes several obscure energy drinks and shots. Judging by Red Rain's name, it easy to see how original their original energy drink is. Red Rain is different from some other Red Bull-influenced energy drinks though, because they also have several other flavors that are pretty original. Storm Surge is their orange-inspired drink, and is commonly found at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores.

Can/Design:

Every Red Rain flavor has the same design, with the only real differences being the color scheme and the way that the name of the flavor on the front of the can looks. Storm Surge's design is blue and orange, and the pull-tab on top of the can is also blue. The design looks alright, but like other Red Rain drinks it would look better with the name of the drink in a different font and the nutrition label not having a white background. For what it is though, Storm Surge looks pretty good. I love orange flavored energy drinks, and this drink's design definitely does a good job of promoting the flavor that's supposedly contained inside the can.

Taste:

Storm Surge's flavor is technically "orange passionfruit". Like Red Rain's other flavors, it has a sweet, sugary, and strong taste that I personally found pretty good. "Orange" energy drinks can go in completely different directions as far as flavor, and I found Storm Surge's flavor to be predominately passionfruit with a little bit of orange to it. The overall flavor is actually far from "natural" tasting, too.

Still, Storm Surge is far from undrinkable as long as you like sugary, sweet energy drinks, orange passionfruit, and reasonably-priced energy drinks.

Energy:

Per 16 fl. oz. can, Storm Surge contains 142 mg. of Caffeine, an undisclosed amount of Taurine, B Vitamins, and Inositol.

142 mg. of Caffeine is a decent amount, but it's also less than the amount that several other easily-available energy drinks offer. Still, Storm Surge provided a    noticeable, decent lift in energy that was pretty much exactly what I was anticipating for this drink. For only $1, I wasn't surprised, and since I drank it early in the morning, I felt the effects until about 10:00 AM after drinking it around 7:00 AM.

For only $1- A decent flavor that's gummy, sweet, and (potentially) oddly enjoyable, and an average lift in energy.

Storm Surge is definitely worth a try if it's what you're looking for, and another expected to addition to Red Rain's line of energy drinks.

Monster Ultra Sunrise Energy Drink Review

Name: Monster: Ultra Sunrise

Size: 16 fl. oz.
Caffeine content: 140 mg. per can

Energy blend:  Caffeine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Extract, Guarana Extract, Glucoronolactone, Inositol
Website

The latest addition to Monster's "Ultra" line actually opts for a noun as opposed to a simple color for its name. "Ultra Sunrise" is definitely an interesting name, and is also an appropriate one considering this drink is being marketed as a "morning" energy drink. There's been some speculation that this drink is meant to compete with Mountain Dew's Kickstart drinks, which are marketed in a similar way. In any case, I was excited to locate a new Monster that I anticipated being pretty good since I liked the rest of Monster's "Ultra" drinks that I've tried.

Can/Design:

This drink's design doesn't scream, "Wake up!", but looks great for being the orange version of Monster's Ultra layout. I like the shade of orange used for the can, which features the same information as its similar counterparts. The tab on top of the can is black, and the "gritty" can design, again, compliments the design well.

This time around, the informational text on the back of the can discusses this drink's early-morning potential. Realistically, Monster's designs aren't going to turn off anyone interested in buying them, and this drink's design is pretty nice. After trying a few other Ultra drinks, seeing an orange one really got me excited to give it a try.

Taste:

Yum. This drink tastes as good for a sugar-free energy drink as the rest of Monster's Ultra drinks, and obviously features a predominately "orange" flavor.

To some extent, this drink does taste "artificial". However, even a one-time consumer that doesn't care about sugar or calories would still probably find this drinkable. If you're looking for a good sugar-free energy drink however, this drink will taste even better. The orange flavor does taste like something "for the morning". I initially tried this drink at about 6 AM, but I'm pretty sure that it would taste the same at any point in the day.

Energy:

Ultra Sunrise offers no differences in its energy blend to the rest of Monster's Ultra line. It contains 140 mg. of caffeine per can, which is less than a normal Monster, but still satisfies as it should. The energy definitely woke me up as well as any half-decent energy drink that I've drank shortly after waking up did, and should do the same for anyone else.

Ultra Sunrise is a welcome and unsurprising addition to Monster's Ultra line. If you've tried the others and liked them, and like orange, then this drink should definitely make for a satisfying purchase.

Monster Ultra Red Energy Drink Review

Name: Monster: Ultra Red

Size: 16 fl. oz.
Caffeine content: 140 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Extract, Guarana Extract, Glucoronolactone, Inositol

Website

Ultra Red was released alongside, and is essentially the "red" counterpart to Monster's Ultra Blue. Both drinks are sugar free, have zero calories, and have their own unique flavors as opposed to being sugar free versions of other Monster drinks.

Can/Design:

I personally like the color used for Ultra Red more than Ultra Blue. It's a somewhat dark red that makes the overall design look pretty good. The overall design is thorough, and contains much of the usual information found on Monster cans.

Side-by-side in a Monster cooler, Ultra Red looks a little different than Ultra Blue despite the fact that their designs are pretty much the same. The can is almost overly red, but easy to spot, and also features Monster's gritty can texture as found on Ultra Blue, Cuba Lima, etc.

Taste:

Ultra Red is, in my opinion, Monster's best-tasting sugar free drink. It's all personal preference, and I definitely like this drink's "red" berry flavor that is light but does a good job of hiding the fact that this is sugar free.

All sugar free energy drinks taste "sugar free" to an extent thanks to artificial sweeteners, but Ultra Red's actual flavor is really good and makes the drink taste like a regular light, smooth, energy drink. This drink is definitely drinkable for a sugar free energy drink, and I could probably drink it on a regular basis more easily than with Ultra Blue.

Energy:

Despite having "Ultra" in their names, all of Monster's Ultra drinks contain less caffeine than a regular Monster (140 mg. per can). Then again, if you're going to load an energy drink with caffeine, you might as well load it with sugar too. Still, the amount of caffeine that this drink contains is far from disappointing.

The energy that this drink provides also satisfies without being overbearing. The effects are prevelant without being ridiculous, and almost exactly what you would expect from this drink. The energy that Ultra Red provides compliments it's flavor quite well.

Ultra Red is easy to find, and definitely worth a try if it's what you're looking for. Ultra Blue is also good, and despite being more additions to Monster's long list of products, both drinks are pretty good for what they're supposed to be.

Monster Utra Blue Energy Drink Review

Name: Monster: Ultra Blue

Size: 16 fl. oz.
Caffeine content: 140 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, Panax Ginseng Extract, L-Carnitine, Guarana Extract, Glucoronolactone, Inositol

Website

Ultra Blue is another one of Monster's zero calorie, sugar free energy drinks. As opposed to Absolute Zero, which is Monster's best possible attempt at recreating Monster's original flavor in a zero calorie, sugar free form, Ultra Blue is its own unique flavor. "Ultra Blue" isn't a very descriptive name, but the drink is obviously supposed to still be appealing despite being sugar free and having zero calories.

Can/Design:

The shade of blue used for this drink's can is reminiscent of blueberry yogurt or something of a similar shade of blue. The can is busy, with a "gritty" can texture and overall feel that is more "light" than some of Monster's other drinks.

The back of Ultra Blue's can contains Monster's usual amount of information about the particular drink, like the usual text that describes the inspiration behind the flavor. In my opinion, the can is visually appealing, but not as visually appealing as Monster's drinks with primarily black or dark color schemes.

Taste:

Sugar does play a part in how good some energy drinks taste, but some sugar free drinks can still maintain an "energy drink taste" despite their lack of sugar. This drink does well, and has a fruity, berry taste that is definitely drinkable. Again, I didn't like the flavor as much as Ultra Red, but still really liked this despite its lack of sugar. It does have a slightly "artificial" taste, but tastes pretty good and was better than I expected.

If you're looking for something that's sugar free but still tastes good and like mild, fruity energy drinks, this drink should be great.

Energy:

Each 16 oz. can of Ultra Blue contains 140 mg. of caffeine, as well as undisclosed amounts of taurine, panax ginseng extract, l-carnitine, guarana extract, l-carnitine, and inositol.

Ultra Blue works well in terms of energy. It contains less caffeine than a "regular" Monster, but still has enough to make for a pretty substantial lift in energy. For as well as this drink's flavor delivers, its energy delivers just as well.

Expect to pay a little under $3 for this. If you're looking for a satisfying, non-boring, sugar free energy drink, definitely give this a try. Even if you don't care about sugar or calories, it's still worth trying.

Axio Volt Energy Powder Review

Axio Energy: Volt (left)

Name: Axio Energy: Volt

Size: 0.16 oz.
Caffeine content: 100 mg. per packet

Energy blend: Caffeine, B Vitamins

Website

Anyone interested in purchasing this can do so here

Axio is an energy powder that is meant to be poured into a 12-16 oz. bottle of water, shaken up, and consumed. There's really only one other "energy powder" that I know of, but it's illegal and a lot more expensive than this. Each packet contains no sugar, less than 3 carbs, and 10 calories.

Potentially good, potentially a waste of a bottled water.

Packet/Design:

As far as a 0.16 oz. packet goes, Axio looks great. The entire green, blue, and black design is colorful, modern, and convenient. Small instructions on how to prepare the concoction are on the back of the packet, and..that's about it. Every possible form of energy product packaging is "disposable", but this is especially disposable since it's just a small paper packet. So, it doesn't have to go too overboard to do what it needs to because whoever has it will probably just throw it away after using it anyway.

Still, it looks good and opened easily without sending powder flying everywhere- which is a plus.

Taste:

Appropriately, the powder itself is green and will turn your water into a lemon lime-looking drink quite quickly. Most powders like this make for a final drink that is way less "syrupy" than a regular energy drink, since it's made in a bottle of water.

Volt does taste like lemon line, with a hint of vitamins. It doesn't taste bad at all, and I feel that only the most choosy of consumers would dislike this. It was beyond easy to drink, and will definitely taste good enough to anyone willing to put forth the effort of preparing it.

Energy:

Each packet of Volt contains 100 mg. of caffeine, 3 B vitamins, and some other random ingredients.

To me, the most questionable factor about Axio was how much energy it would provide. Axio is marketed as a "better" source of energy than energy drinks that, honestly, work extremely well. Energy-wise, the ingredients alone are enough to prove how much energy it provides. 100 mg. of caffeine is 100 mg. of caffeine- and this drink provides about 100 mg. of caffeine's worth of energy.

I won't say that it didn't work at all, but it wasn't as energizing as I feel most people would anticipate. It isn't completely ineffective, but just isn't energizing enough to provide an experience that would make consumers return to it again.

I actually liked the taste of this, but found the energy kind of disappointing. I recommend increasing the energy, while still maintaining the "better" image and keeping the tasty flavor to achieve everything that this powder is capable of.

Blak Max Energy Drink Review

Name: Blak Max

Size: 16 fl. oz.
Caffeine content: 162 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, B Vitamins

Website

Blak Max is primarily available at Murphy USA gas stations, and is manufactured by  Cott Beverages. Cott Beverages makes several energy drinks that are all different from each other, but not necessarilly different than other energy drinks on the market. Blak Max's influence is obvious, but its cheaper price than Monster could potentially make for a budget-conscious energy drink purchase.

Can/Design:

"Blak Max" is a name that makes a black can perfectly acceptable, with the lime green creating the similarity to Monster's can design. A phoenix is flying over the Blak Max logo, "ARISE- MIND, BODY & SOUL" spans the top of the can for some reason, and the entire design is fairly well-designed for what it is. The entire can is perfectly fine, and it makes itself known in a way better than other Cott beverages have in the past. It also features a "gritty" can texture, which was popularized by Monster's Cuba Lima drink.

Taste:

Monster. I mean, not quite- but pretty close. Consumers would hopefully anticipate a Monster-esque taste from this anyway, and it definitely delivers. Despite what ever detectable differences there may be between this and Monster's original flavor, the ultimate influence of the flavor is evident and ultimately satisfying if you like Monster.

Energy:

A 16 oz. can of Blak Max contains 162 mg. of caffeine, 1920 mg. of taurine, ginseng, and plenty of B vitamins.

Even though the energy blend is pretty typical, it does contain a decent amount of the ingredients that it contains. I doubt that any disappointment would be found in this drink's energy, even though it's nothing special. It's not, "off the wall" energy, but it works, and ultimately satisfies as well as this drink's flavor does. Blak Max also contains a lot of sugar, which helps.

For the price, Blak Max is worth a try. Don't expect anything too innovative, but rather a nice, cheaper alternative to an energy drink that you can no longer afford due to spending the rest of your money on cheaper alternatives to satisfy your caffeine addiction.

Monster VR46 The Doctor Energy Drink Review

 

Name: Monster VR46 | The Doctor

Size: 500 ml. (16 oz.)

Caffeine content: 160 mg. per can

Energy blend: Caffeine, Taurine, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Extract, Guarana Extract, Glucoronolactone, Inositol

Website

(Note: This guest review was submitted to The Energy Drink Resource by Chris, who is a fan of energy drinks and The Energy Drink Resource. This drink isn't available in America, and makes for a nice addition to our list of energy drink reviews that I would never be able to try! Chris is also looking to try Monster's Heavy Metal variety, which I haven't had in a long time and can't find anymore. If you can help him out, email energydrinkresource@gmail.com.)

Where to start with this? It seems like America gets so much more Monster flavours than the UK and anywhere else combined in the whole world. Recently however, the UK have began to catch up.We finally got Monster Assault, and I loved it as it tasted like cherry and was my favourite Monster drink. Assault has however been surpassed by a seemingly European-exclusive Monster drink.

This drink is called Monster VR 46 | The Doctor. Before anyone asks, VR basically stands for Valentino Rossi, the legendary Italian, multiple-time Moto GP World Champion. In 2009, Rossi agreed to a sponsorship deal with Monster Energy which to this day is still ongoing. In celebration of Rossi's career and achievements in Moto GP, Monster brought out this exclusive drink. It was originally only available on eBay or on The Isle Of Man to promote The TT race. Since September 2014 however, it seems that UK supermarkets have brought out this product for normal retail sale. The only supermarkets I've known to have this in stock were Tesco's or Co Op, but since I am located on The Isle Of Wight, only Co Op had this product in-store. They currently have this on offer for just £1, which I think is just over $2 in American Currency though I could be very wrong on that (it's about $1.25). The product is so popular that it has sold out very quickly, and Co Op usually has to wait a few days for their next delivery.

Can/Design:

The design of the can itself is absolutely fantastic. I like how bright and yellow the can is, makes you feel like you're not actually having an energy drink but more like a Fanta instead. The can has Valentino Rossi's initials VR, and then his Motorcycle number which is 46. His nickname, "aka The Doctor" is also on display in rainbow colours on the can, the design is probably Monster's best yet.

Taste:

Now for the taste of the drink, which everyone wants to hear. At first when I sipped it, I got this nice lemon taste, however after a few more sips it was completely overpowered by a rather powerful orange taste. I could see Monster was trying for a citrus flavour here, however the orange flavour completely overpowers it's lemon counterpart.


It is very unusual of Monster to go for such a fruity combination, however I have seen this attempt before on Monster Khaos which apparently had "real" fruit flavouring.

Energy:

The energy this variant of Monster gives is overwhelming, and I almost got double the energy that I would from a normal Monster. I don't know if this version has extra caffeine in it, or if it was just one can having more caffeine than it should. Though, the can says, "High Caffeine Content" anyway! But, not specifying exactly how much. Hmm. The energy was enough to keep me up throughout most of last night, and as a result I didn't fall asleep until 4 in the morning. It was certainly able to keep me going doing everything I needed to do, and I never at one point felt tired or drained after consuming the drink until the energy wore off after roughly 6 hours. At £1 for this, I certainly can't complain and I'd rather get this than Red Bull any day. Same price, but double the contents with Monster!

Overall, despite it's failed attempt at creating a rich and delicious citrus flavour, I give this drink a 9 out of 10. It was so good that I bought 20 of them over the course of 3 days. My local Co-op in Shanklin actually sold out of them in about 3 days, but I reckon I bought most of the stock!