Full Throttle Citrus

I never was severely impressed with any Full Throttle flavour, but when I heard that the line went under a reformulation, I bought in. Full Throttle Citrus is the new name for the original Full Throttle, and the only new flavour my local Market Basket carried. Being a huge citrus fan, I'm fairly excited for Full Throttle Citrus. Hopefully, it will end in more success than another recent reformulated drink.

FIRST IMPRESSION: The can to Full Throttle went from mediocre to laughably bad. The logo is ugly, and a step down from the motorcycle-vibe the original gave. Another problem with the can is the name. Is it called Full Throttle Full Citrus Flavour, or just Citrus? I didn't like that the original can was pretty bare, so if there was one thing positive about the can, it would have to be that it looks more complete. The ingredients also received a change, but unlike the can design, it's for the better. The caffeine content went from 141mg to 197mg per can. Overall, the can is atrocious, but the new ingredient cocktail is nice.

TASTE: I opened the can and took a sip. The opening flavour is a blend of lemon, lime, papaya, and peach, all immersed in a light, bubbly carbonation. The papaya and lemon launch the flavour, with the lime subtly riding along under side the prior mesh. The peach appears briefly before the bubbly carbonation takes place. Each of the flavours mimic their respected fruits to a certain degree, but the overall flavour is rather mellow, not allowing them to fully shine. When compared to the original Full Throttle, Citrus has more of a focus on the fruit flavours, and lacks the minty sensation that lurked in the original. Overall, I prefer the original Full Throttle's taste over Citrus's. The removal of the minty sensation leaves the flavour feeling generic and stock.

KICK: Each can contains: 197mg of caffeine of caffeine, 200mg of D-ribose, 200% of your daily intake of Niacin, Vit. B12, B6, and fifty percent of your daily intake of Pantothenic acid. This overall buzz is an improvement over the original. I felt reasonably awake and had slight jitters. The buzz was around three and a half to four hours in length, and it didn't end in a crash.

FINAL WORD: The original Full Throttle was nothing short of mediocre, and neither is Citrus. Actually, I find Citrus to be an overall worse product than the original. Despite the kick being by far superior, the garden-variety taste and dire can design plague this unnecessary remake. Now deep into the holiday season, I doubt anyone is going to see Full Throttle Citrus at the top of any energy drink junkie's wish list...2.9/5

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