Found at the local Asian market, Carabao is a cool little drink, a non-carbonated elixir coming in both an exotic brown bottle (pictured) and a more familiar eight ounce can (not pictured). The differences are transport exclusive, but I picked up one of each. Its design is simple but effective, with a skull of a (red?) bull being all it needs to get its point across.
The flavor, acidic and saccharine, is all too recognizable, a blend of vanilla, lemon and apple. It is a complete riff on Red Bull, but there is something about the glass bottle that retards the slight metallic staining usual here. Cracking open the can reveals a less appealing experience, tasting less fresh than the glass version, but it is not a complete loss. Sweetness is the best characteristic here, twenty one grams in the bottle and thirty seven in the can, remaining thick on the tongue but never growing syrupy as a bad energy drink does. Neither one is unique, but for an almost energy shot-esque punch of Red Bull-like flavor, it is a fun little diversion.
In addition to sugar you get taurine, caffeine, inositol and B vitamins. The kick is the weakest element here, lasting an hour from the bottle, a bit long from the can, though that is just due to the slightly larger size. On the whole, Carabao is a bizarre looking glass into a more conservative energy drink market.
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