Red Bull The Winter Edition Iced Vanilla Berry Energy Drink Review

Leaves are falling as pumpkin spice rules every coffee shop in town, but that does not stop Red Bull from skipping a season and unleashing to the caffeinated world their 2024 "Winter Edition," this time allegedly "Iced Vanilla Berry" flavored. The can has this soft blue, augmented by the spurts of silver, that really do give the impression of a chilly January day, but then I look at my calendar and see it still reads "September."

Pouring out the light azure liquid fills your nose with memories of your childhood candy shop, the first sip is a sweet and sour ride. Mouthfuls are interesting and intricate, tasting both of vanilla and berry but coming together in a fashion that resembles cotton candy, but not excessively or expressly an experience designed for children. There is nuance here, the spice being full-bodied and on the cusp of being complex before it is interrupted by the fruitiness, which is mostly blue and raspberry, a far less technical flavor that sees the elixir leaving the palate with a clean finish. But the biggest draw here is the acidity: this is tart, impressively so, not shying away from making the edges of your lips curl slightly. It cuts through the thirty eight grams of sugar and glucose to allow for a beverage that is not afraid to go off the well-dranken path.

With just 114 milligrams of caffeine, the buzz is mild and hardly registers on my internal stimulant meter. I suppose there is something to be said about a more restrictive kick in the days of Bang and G Fuel, but what that is I do not know.

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