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

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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.