Sambazon Amazon Lo-Cal Energy Drink Review

Sambazon Amazon Lo-Cal is transported in a decent can that's understandably similar to the prior two varieties. The stark but cautiously used purple complements both the logo and the remaining colours, and though the white ripple effect into the silver adds visual depth, it veils some of the white writing from being noticed. There is one hiccup, but not necessarily flaw, which is the reduction of calories from 120 to only sixty, which is surely laughable compared to most, who usually clock in at no more than twenty. But this firm restraining from drastically cutting sugar, thus calories, was hopefully done to keep the flavour from suffering.

Disappointingly, the flavour does taste impaired from the misuse of sugars. There's a strong acai grasp onto everything, but it fails to keep this hold for long, as the anticipated bitterness gains control and it chokes the flavour. Its bitter fingers dig deep into the experience, which further allows each sip to taste thoroughly and internally influenced. As you muster through the pain, you begin to distract yourself by observing the other levels of the flavour, which are surprisingly enjoyable. In addition to the aforementioned superfruit, red grape and black cherry make appearances, though the latter only preforms something of a cameo. The eventual raisin taste has no sourness and is inadequately sweetened, but it unrelentingly feels robust to the tongue despite the lack of garnishing. Overall, though one surely does get used to it all, it never becomes pleasant and finishing the can feels like an unfortunately chore.

The vitamin C, guarana, and the eighty milligrams of caffeine doesn't successfully kick the way the can wants it to, though there weren't any jitters or a crash. The two hour buzz was mild and felt impotent, and the purity of the energy was lacking. Overall, Sambazon Amazon Lo-Cal, while still retaining half of the original varieties calories, isn't worth checking out and saving the just mentioned.

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Monster Rehab Energy Drink Review

Monster Rehab seems to be direct competition to the numerous Rockstar Recovery's, however the prior can is enormously superior to the latter. The distinctive black "M" brand label looks great against the mostly yellow graphic, and the careful balance between dark and light colours really provide an easy indication of the supposed flavour. But there is fault in the overall can, namely with the size of the text bordering the bottom. The large writing certainly dams the lower section of the can, and this problem would doubtfully arise if the words were smaller.

There's obviously a copious focus on lemon, and it displays a faint sourness that's a bit weaker than expected. The prior is still able to achieve some insemination of genuineness, though it should have been somewhat more tenacious. There's a decent texture of pulp to the fluid, thanks to the destitute five percentage of juice, which breaths a crisp edge of realistic air into the experience, how ever mild it may be. The yellow fruit illustrates only the faintest presence of black tea, and honestly, the small mentioning on the can was the only thing that continually reminded me that the product actually contained any, other than its indubitable influence on the scent. The restraining of the former flavouring was for the best, though, as the flawed saccharinity would have most likely been insufficient in protracting the natural bitterness. It's not that it is exactly artificial to the taste, but it doesn't promulgate the same satisfaction as real sugar may have. Overall, Monster Rehab doesn't successfully achieve the lusted authenticity with its sweetness, but the strength of the actual lemonade taste is enjoyable enough for general forgiveness.

I definitely observed a jump in energy, though I jittered mildly during it. There wasn't a crash to follow the three or so hour buzz, and as for the whole "hydration" gimmick, I'm unsure if I indeed felt any more hydrated. Each can contains: caffeine(170mg), taurine, quercetin, guarana, inositol, Goji, and various B vitamins. In the end, though Monster Rehab isn't billowing with any marvelous qualities, it is far more pleasurable than the two bereft Rockstar Recovery varieties.

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Steaz Diet Orange Energy Drink Review

I bought a four pack of Steaz Diet Orange cheap at my local Job Lots, and since the can sports the poor design previously used by the line, I'm to assume the product is nothing but overstock. So this ultimately means that any possible criticisms are pointless to stress, but I'm going to review this beverage regardless. Its can, like I said, features the line's older design, a look that I'm not fond of as the can is just too congested. The "organic fuel" statement is entirely unnecessary, as subjacent is the USDA certification for being organic, and just above lays the word "energy." But there are some worthy positives to proclaim, like the can's colour scheme. I like the transition from a lighter to a darker orange, and I also enjoy that much of the text is black, which stands out boldly and is pleasantly arresting against the previous.

Steaz Diet Orange's flavour is a large step down in quality from the regular variety. While there's initially an enjoyable orange taste that's light but rendered appropriately after its inspiration, what follows swallows the just prior pleasantry in a rough carbonation and both an overbearing tea and yerba mate flavour. The fruit is then no longer detected on your palate, which is disappointing to say the least, as it was never allowed time to mature or leave an impression on the drinker. So as a result you're left with an unappealing bitterness brought sternly about by the tea and the mate, and sadly the beverage is inefficacious at properly sweetening the taste, which would have provided some relief from the aforementioned. Thankfully though, my can's fluid lost a great deal of its effervescent attribute oddly rapidly(when it was less than halfway empty), which establishes the solution to become considerably more accessible. Your mouth is bare of any flavourings once all sips have been taken, which is something that I awaited eagerly once I took my first. Overall, Steaz Diet Orange's flavour wasn't for me, obviously, and while it may have a fan or two, I highly doubt it will obtain more.

Each can contains: eighty mg of caffeine, vitamin C, and guarana. I didn't feel much in the sense of actual energy, but I was mentally improved, albeit if it was only a mild effect. In retrospect, Steaz Diet Orange suffers from a distracted and distracting personality, and though it tried to be anomalous, I wholeheartedly agree with its manifestation of Job Lot shelves.

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FRS Low Cal Peach Mango Energy Drink Review

While doing a little shopping, a ten for ten deal caught my attention, and disregarding the poor performance of past varieties, I picked up the last remaining in the FRS line, and Low Cal Peach Mango was one of the two. FRS Low Cal Peach Mango is yet another FRS to have an orange dominate can, which like I said in a previous review, can get fairly confusing. One of the few colour difference between Peach Mango's can would be the inclusion of the bright green flavour indicator, and while the amount is faint and almost unnoticeable, I certainly enjoy the addition of a different colour.

Low Cal Peach Mango's taste is less diluted and more vibrant than any previous FRS before it, which makes this easily my favourite so far. There's initially a tart mango that has an appropriate tang and a complimenting sweetness, and the two give the tart fruit a pleasantly realistic edge. Slowly there's a realization of a secondary peach flavour that calmly develops into a artificial and false interpretation of the spherical fruit. The former taste isn't abhorrent, but it does counter the earlier fruit's naturalism, creating an overall flavour that struggles against itself constantly. Thankfully though, the experience climaxes and then directly closes, and as this happens the fluid thickens slightly and withholds both enjoyable tart and sourness. Overall, FRS Low Cal Peach Mango's taste is ultimately one that lacks self identity and any continual sense of consistency, but I did find each sip warranting another.

Energy-wise, the FRS line is infamous for their weak ingredient cocktails, and Low Cal Peach Mango follows suit wholly. I had a buzz lasting less than an hour, and there wasn't a crash or jitters to speak of. Each can contains: caffeine(forty eight mg), vitamins E, C, and several varieties of B. All in all, the end, since Low Cal Peach Mango is yet another FRS to barely contain any positives, I couldn't be any more excited for the end of the line.

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Slap Frost Low Calorie Energy Drink Review

Wal Mart definitely surprised me when I found a full shelf dedicated to the Slap line, and at a low $.98, I wasn't hesitant about picking up a can of the only variety left for me to review; Frost Low Calorie. It and its brothers have been given a much needed redesign since I last saw them, and since the line previously had used several different visages for each style of drink(whether it was tea, juice, etc.), the line now looks and feels consistent. I do, however, scorn the decision to break up the logo so it take up two lines, as it chops the fluidity that your eyes naturally take, and because it also possibly can be read as "SALP."

Slap Low Calorie's flavour begins with a faint chemical sweetness that's nether to a thin layer of vanilla. The latter doesn't taste premium or creamy but rather shoal and banal. This section of the experience creates a Red Bull clone allusion, but there are two things that ultimately prevent it from wholly becoming one. The first is a feeble citrus taste, with an equally flaccid sourness and no tartness. Of the citrus, lemon and grapefruit were the fruits that I detected, and they're effete strength doesn't permit them much time to develop depth or authentication. The second is the trademark cooling sensation which begins initially torpid, but the effect burgeons into a distinctly noticeable characteristic. There was ginger taste subjacent to the citrus duo, but it lacked the usual vigor of the spice, and thanks to both the low saccharinity and the near masking property of the chilling semblance, the ginger tasted dull and boring. Overall, Slap Frost Low Calorie doesn't have an actual taste that's worth writing home about, with the only selfhood appearing in the form of the cooling artifice.

Frost Low Calorie continues the line's tradition of solid kicks. I had an average level of energy and was greeted by occasional jitters. The buzz lasted four or so hours and didn't result in a crash. Each can contains: caffeine(200mg), taurine, guarana, and a few B vitamins. Overall, despite having both a sufficient can and kick, I feel that Slap Frost Low Calorie's under-brewed and gimmicky taste isn't deserving of a recommendation or much praise.

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Gridlock Lo Carb Energy Drink Review

Gridlock Lo Carb is my first run in with Aldi's stab into the energy drink market, and while it avoids many of the pitfalls that store brand drinks tend to sink into, it still deeply looks generic and it lacks much of any real personality. For example, while the can does obviously have this whole sort of computer/tron kinda vibe, it also oddly gives off an almost religious ambiance, with only an addition sign as opposed to a cross, and it's inappropriate entirely with energy drinks in general. But lets say that you don't personally feel this spiritual aura, it could just be me, but then you're just left with a can that has a lot going on but offers little interesting for the eyes.

Gridlock Sugar Free's taste begins with a syrupy texture that's slightly oily on your palate, and the actual flavour is a familiar vanilla and bubble gum hybrid, with the vanilla being predominate, and the braid tastes entirely synthetic. A soured chemical taste that has since appeared slowly engulfs the former blend, and acts almost like a sort of atmosphere to it. This atmosphere doesn't cloak the earlier flavour but rather influences it slightly and edges your mouth with each sip. The drink's sourness is initially feeble but it gradually mutates into a stronger undercurrent that rises highly to the point of distinct acknowledgment as the experience finishes. The drink does one thing well with its flavour, and it's that the fake sweeteners used lack any distinct trace of the common artificial aftertaste, and they actually provide the flavours with a solid sweetening that isn't as shallow or as bland as some before it. But overall, Gridlock Lo Carb's taste offers very little unless you're in the mood for another uninspired Red Bull clone.

Each can contains: caffeine, taurine, ginseng, guarana, several B vitamins, and inositol. I felt decently energized fairly soon after total consumption, and it lasted for an acceptable three or so hours, and I didn't have any jitters nor did I crash. Overall, Gridlock Lo Carb can be found selling for the seemingly low price of $.99, perhaps even lower, but not its can, taste, or kick wholly justify that price.

FRS Low Cal Orange Energy Drink Review

I was surprised when I found the entire FRS line in the juice section at my local Shaws, and the first I'm reviewing is Low Cal Orange. It's can is non offensive but a bit cluttered and borderline uninteresting. There's an obscured orange decal within the bottom portion of the can, but it's noticeable enough to provide benefit and not busyness. The top section of the can, the white coloured area, has the most text of the unequal half's, and all but "Low Cal" are unnecessary. The orange colour obvious implies the flavour, and other lines like " fueled by quercetin" and "naturally flavoured" aren't exactly essential.

Smooth with an almost thick mouth feel, the flavour then arrives blandly with little sweetness. The flavour is the familiar predominate orange and tangerine hybrid, but there's a lucid creamy attenuation that tastes almost like it was enfeebled by skim milk without the dairy tang. Both fruits are mildly synthetic on the tongue, but there's enough naturalness to their body that it doesn't become a problem. There's a backdrop of a sweet grapefruit that's slight, and who's sugariness is more apparent to the drinker and more impinging on the flavour itself. The sweetness is grainy and positively affects the earlier orange braid in giving it a more distinct firmness on the palate. There's a fruity construction of white grape and pear notes that incompletely support the prior grapefruit, but these hints are simply too faint and ultimately result in the collapse of said grapefruit, which sanctions its sweetness to grow and become significant to the experience. Overall, FRS Low Cal Orange's taste is one that grew on me as the liquid depleted from the can, but I never really found it to be all that enjoyable.

Low Cal Orange's kick is easily its worst quality, which shouldn't be surprising given it only contains forty eight mg of caffeine per can. Why they only added this small amount and why they even bother marketing it as an energy drink is beyond me. I had a kick that didn't even make it past the one hour mark, but on the plus side there were no jitters. Other ingredients include: vitamin C, E, quercetin, and several B vitamins. Overall, FRS Low Cal Orange did little right in terms of appearance, taste, and kick.

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Rockstar Roasted Light Vanilla Energy Coffee Review

Light Vanilla is the second Rockstar Roasted that I've come across, the first being Latte(which interestingly enough, I reviewed exactly one year ago). And although my tastes have changed over the course of the year, my opinion towards the Roasted can design hasn't. I still find the angled background pattern distracting, albeit less than it was with the previous variety, and the can as a whole just isn't attractive or exciting. I also dislike the colour scheme, in particular the light cream colour. While it alone isn't bad, there's just too little gold and black to balance it out.

The flavour begins with a decently cream-likeness that tastes shallow and one dimensional. A bleak and hardly acidic coffee flavour then appears, but it too is carelessly simple and bland. More cream-taste follows the prior, however it now has a slight vanilla suggestion that softly bites the flavour. The vanilla doesn't taste artificial or natural, and in all honestly it's simply too light to really supply any benefit. The flavour obviously suffers from being reduced sugar, but there's a distinct lack of any sweetness, imitation or otherwise, which I feel cruelly and unfairly punishes the taste. A hollow mocha essence is partially noticeable ascending above the experience, but the sheer lack of sweetness prevents it from taking on any depth or providing any complexity. The just prior has a discreet coffee bitterness beneath that unfortunately meets a faint synthetic quality, and both are only potent enough to drastically mellow the other. The fluid is thin on your palate, which, although a change of pace from most energy coffee's, doesn't provide any sense of richness as it swims across your mouth. Overall, Rockstar Roasted Light Vanilla tastes less like a coffee and more like a barely flavoured skim milkshake.

Thankfully, Rockstar Light Vanilla's kick is far superior than either its can or taste. I had a solid four plus hours of jitter free energy that didn't end in a crash. Each can contains: caffeine(240mg), several B vitamins, inositol, taurine, ginseng, ginkgo, and guarana. Overall, Rockstar Roasted Light Vanilla is a dreary and vapid way to spend $2.24.

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Go Fast Light Energy Drink Review

When I first reviewed Go Fast, I was less than impressed with its can, but I'm even less impressed with Go Fast Light's. The white and black colour scheme itself isn't bad, but the design it accompanies looks fairly generic and boring. For a drink named "Go Fast" you'd expect the design to convey an overall sense of energy better(the only thing that really tries is the exclamation mark following the logo). Also, all the useless text towards the bottom is cluttering, and if it has to appear on the can it should be the back or the side, and not the very front.

The flavour begins with an overwhelmingly gummy vanilla, succeeded by an earthy, organic taste that's artificially stapled to its end. The cloying gumminess only lasts the initial second you taste the drink, but each sip has this unpleasantness to it. The vanilla itself tastes natural but not in a good way, as the drinks low level of sweetness doesn't correspond well with it. The vanilla lasts the entire duration of the experience, and for the most part it's the only major taste; it never weakens nor does anything attempt at masking it. Nearing the end of flavour, there's a ginger spice note underlining that gets greater as you come closer to finishing the entire can. Along with the ginger there's a slight generic blueberry taste that feels banal and dull to the point where it adds nothing but tedium to the flavour. Overall, while drinking the entire can to Go Fast Light wasn't very difficult, it wasn't very enjoyable either.

Though Go Fast Light is a fairly potent energy drink, it wasn't as strong as its predecessor. I had jitterless energy immediately but lasting only for three hours, where I then slowly drifted back. Each can contains: taurine, caffeine, ginseng, guarana, inositol, ginkgo, ribose, and a variety of B vitamins. In the end, on its can it says that "Go Fast Light was formulated for those who wanted the most functional and best tasting energy drink," but it would of been more appropriate to say "Go Fast was formulated for those who wanted a middling overall energy drink."

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Monster Import Light Energy Drink Review

Monster Import Light comes in a can vastly similar to its predecessor, with only the addition of the word "Light" and the colour change from green to blue. And although I prefer the green to the blue, the design is still a good one, regardless of colour, and is far better than the original Monster can. I still find this whole import thing to be nothing more than one of the many Hansen gimmicks, and along with Nitrous Monster, probably one of the most obscure. For the average energy drinker, one may not fully know why they're paying $2.98 for a just seemingly bigger can of Monster Light, and unless they're aware and understand what an imported beverage is, the whole gimmick is kinda useless.

Initially, Monster Import Light tastes thickly of a gummy bubble gum that's heavily cloying until the focus is shifted to an equally gummy though not cloying vanilla. The vanilla tastes fairly natural and is followed strongly by a cotton candy flavour who's sweetness distinctly tastes artificial. The sweetness is atypical in that it's not only of ace-k and sucralose, but also glucose and sucrose, albeit a much smaller amount than regular Monster Import. And while the sweetness does taste synthetic, the real sugar blend masks any chemical taste possibly given off by the two false sugars. The sweetness partially veils a halfway realistic pineapple that acts as a note thanks to being mostly hidden. With the flavour progressing, the bubble gum recovers and braids with the cotton candy. The two coexist quite well together, and neither dominate. The experience ends boringly with nothing more than a sudden halt of the prior taste. The drinks carbonation was fairly light and remained unobtrusive for the entire duration of the flavour. Overall, Monster Import Light's taste should be very familiar to anyone who has ever had Monster Lo-Carb. The differences are minimal and while the flavour is enjoyable, it's certainly not worth its asking price.

Monster Import Light's energy cocktail includes: caffeine(184mg), taurine, ginseng, guarana, inositol, L-carnitine, and a variety of B vitamins. It gave me a buzz clocking in around four hours, during which time I had no jitters and I didn't crash when it ended. Overall, Monster Import Light cost me $2.98, and for that you'd expect it to excel in at least one category, perhaps maybe two, but instead it just skimmed along the line of mediocre.

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180 Blue Low Calorie Energy Drink Review

It's a great feeling when you find a cheap, lone, and dirty energy drink in a local convenience store(I call it rescuing), and that's the case with 180 Blue Low Calorie. Coming in a similar can to its predecessors, 180 S/F Blue utilizes a silver, yellow, and blue colour scheme that's main problem is the yellow trim. Not only does it not match the other colours, but it also doesn't make any sense why it's present. The subname is blue, so the colour blue fits, and it's sugar free, so the silver fits, which just leaves the yellow as the odd man out. The design itself is decent enough to pass as an energy drink, but some of its text, namely its name, "Low Calorie 180 Blue with Acai Energy Drink," is cumbersome to say.

180 Blue Low Calorie pours out a deep cross between red and purple, which given its blue subname, is completely logical. Taste-wise, it begins a genuine red grape cleverly and realistically stitched to a braid of pomegranate and acai. The red grape is faintly tart and its sourness is slightly cloying in nature; both of which add complexity even if they're not entirely appropriate. The pomegranate is weaker than the acai, but both are quite mild. Soon the fruits of the latter become hard to distinguish from one another, as with more sips, a sharp though shallow rise of carbonation appears. Following is a complex though unfocused blend of cranberry, raspberry, and blueberry. The cranberry is the base flavour for the blue and raspberry, both of which are much more distinct, although the blueberry is strongest. The latter two fruits lack a certain something which tarnishes their level of authenticity. The cranberry lacks a strong tartness, and the blueberry lacks a strong enough sweetness level. The experience ends with a collapse of the prior flavour and an effervescent increase of carbonation. Overall, 180 Blue Low Calorie tasted quite good and reminded me of an alternate formulation of many other berry sugar free drinks; some of which aren't as good, and some of which are far superior.

The kick to 180 Blue Low Calorie was about average. I had a buzz clocking in around three or so hours, with no jitters and it didn't end with a crash. The ingredient highlights include: caffeine(180mg), guarana, and several B vitamins. In the end, 180 Blue Low Calorie was an interesting find, but its overall mediocre quality makes it clear why it was cheap, lone, and dirty in the first place.

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xenergy Citrus Slam Energy Drink Review

Now this is what I'm talking about! Instead of using the silver I so often criticized on past varieties, xenergy Citrus Slam's can using a much more attractive black for its background colour. And although the design is essentially the same, the black just brings out the designs full potential in ways the silver couldn't. It's billed flavour is "Citrus Slam," which to me sounds awfully similar to xenergy Citrus Clear. This can be rather confusing, and the only way that I can think of that they could avoided this would be for Citrus Clear to labeled "Lemon-Lime" and Citrus Slam be labeled what ever the flavour turns out to be.

xenergy Citrus Slam's taste initially consists of a sour lemon that's quickly changed into a sour lime. But the lime only appears briefly, as more, lesser strong lemon materializes. Since the two never coexist, they flavour avoids resembling drinks like 7-Up. The carbonation is most prevalent just after the weaker lemon surfaces, as it's spumante, bubbly and it cheerfully complements the flavour as a whole. The flavour is nestled upon a tart grapefruit backdrop that's mildly sweet, and the two balance well with the level of sourness present. The grapefruit feels almost sparkling with the carbonation, and while it's more or less a note, it adds depth to the flavour. There's a slight ginger spice coincide with the prior fruit taste, and while it's hardly noticeable, it's fittingly light. Overall, although Citrus Slam reminds me more of a refined envision of flavours like Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free than an entirely unique experience, it's just as enjoyable and immersive as any other xenergy.

While Citrus Slam may have a slightly higher percentage or amount of some ingredients, it's relatively identical to past flavours: caffeine, a variety of B vitamins, taurine, guarana, ginseng, and inositol. From this I received a kick lasting four hours total, with no jitters and no crash. Overall, even though it's taste wasn't all too original, it's kick was just as good, and it's can was far better than the rest of the line; all of which make Citrus Slam the most well rounded xenergy yet.

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Steaz diet Berry Energy Drink Review

Steaz diet Berry's can isn't trying to hide the fact that it's diet and organic. Your initial thought when you look at it is just that, which I don't think was a good way to go about the design. Personally, I would have chose the route GURU Lite did, with its modern look that didn't hide the fact that it was organic/diet. Clutter is a pretty big problem with Steaz diet Berry. There's all sorts of logos and text that just don't belong on the front of the can. Another problem are the colours used. Some of the white writing like "diet" have trouble showing up against light green, so one may accidentally grab this not knowing it's low-calorie.

Steaz diet Berry begins with a syrupy film coating your mouth. Then resting atop the lacquer, the flavour initially is a mild and earthly green tea, decently sweetened, but a dramatic rise of bitterness becomes present. Thankfully, the bitterness works well with the tea, and as quickly as it appeared, it disappears. Once the bitterness wavers, a blend of various citrus fruits and berries waste no time in taking control of the experience. The multilayer blend mainly consists of lemon, blueberry, acai, and cranberry. The lemon and blueberry seem to start the blend, with the lemon taking the back seat to the blueberry. Once the lemon disappears, the cranberry appears, and subtly rides underside the blueberry. The blueberry never leaves, only grows less noticeable, especially as the acai flavour looms in and finishes the flavour. A gentle white grape hint roams the latter, but it's too trivial to really consider part of the "main" flavour. Along with the acai, more bitterness and syrupiness appear once the experience ends, and while they're not all too pleasing, they're not strong enough to cause any problems. Overall, Steaz diet Berry's flavour is hugely complex and though I'd like the syrup coating gone, it's interesting and fairly non-offensive.

Steaz diet Berry wasn't designed to give you a wild buzz, but instead calmly uplift your mentality and gently increase your energy level. And while it definitely uplifted me, it didn't do the same energy-wise. I could tell I was more alert, but in terms of raw energy, I just wasn't feeling much of it. Each can contains: caffeine(eighty milligrams), guarana, yerba mate, and green tea. All in all, Steaz diet Berry is simply too distant from the comfort level of most energy drinkers that I doubt it will leave any mark in the industry.

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Rockstar Recovery Energy and Hydration Drink Review

Ever since I heard of Rockstar Recovery, I've been on the look out for a can every time I'm out. So today when I saw one for the first time, I immediately bought a can for $1.99, along with the also newly released Rockstar Cola. Recovery is billed as a lemonade, and though the vibrant yellow can fits, I feel it's a little too bright. While in the past I've enjoyed other bright yellow cans, the design Recovery uses just doesn't feel like it was meant for such a radiant colour. I've criticized other Rockstars for their busy design, but Recovery adds even more text and patters to the clutter, making it one of the worst in the line.

When I began to pour out the liquid, the first thing I noticed was the cool black pop top. Mighty unusual. The actual liquid is a murky, almost opaque clear colour that's rather similar to your typical lemonade. But when you take a sip, things go down hill. Recovery, while billed as a lemonade, lacks a certain sweetness that most have come to know from the summer favorite. It begins smooth, with a slight pulpy lemon taste. It's not terribly strong and is more mellow and laid back. Following the lemon, there is a small yet balanced amount of sweet and tartness in the back of your tongue, but it's not very sour, which is a disappointment. The liquid starts to become thick towards the end, but it actually adds to the experience. Recovery is sugar free, but like other Rockstars in the past, there's very little of an artificial sweetener taste. Rockstar Recovery is non-carbonated, and while that helps add a realistic quality to it, the overall flavour is just too light for a lemonade.

Recovery is not only an energy drink, but it's also supposedly a hydration drink. Though I don't really know what they mean by "hydration," I did feel slightly refreshed and I received a noticeable bump. While it sadly couldn't be compared to other Rockstar drinks, it lasted a solid three hours, and I had no jitters. Recovery's energy blend is: caffeine(160mg), taurine, ginseng, guarana, milk thistle, prickly pear, and several B vitamins. Overall, if you look past its average at best kick, its lackluster flavour, and chaotic can, then Rockstar Recovery is a worthy addition to the bare lemonade energy drink sub-category.

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Hype Enlite

Like I did with Rockstar Roasted Latte, I'm changing up my review style, though this time for no particular reason.

Since the two previous Hype's I've reviewed were small eight oz. cans, I decided to go for the larger sixteen oz. can with Hype Enlite. Hype Enlite is the low calorie version of, I assume, Hype original. While it's not completely sugar free, there's enough artificial sweetener to remove over half the calories. The can should feel at home among the other Hype's because it uses the same basic design with only a new background pattern and a colour change. But, the pink is just not working. Personally, I feel they should of just made the colour silver, like most other sugar free energy drinks- oh wait, Hype original's can was already silver, so I guess they kinda screwed themselves over with that.

Taste-wise, Enlite is a total complete Red Bull clone, and a boring one at that. The flavour starts out a heavily creamy vanilla, with a moderate amount of gumminess that overshadows a light apple. Then a faint bubble gum and citrus braid appears, with a noticeable sour bite. I say citrus because you can't really determine what citrus fruits are there, as the bubble gum and sourness dim it's strength. Enlite is mildly sweet, and has a hint of syrupiness towards the end. It goes down very smooth, with only a slight note of carbonation. While Hype Enlite successfully covered any traces of artificial sweeteners, it also covered any traces of originality.

Hype Enlite definitely kicked me harder than the other Hypes, but that's probably due to Enlite being twice as big. I was quite a bit more energized than I previously was, and I felt more focused. The lick lasted a respectable three or so hours, and with its end came no crash. This decent buzz was the result of: 160mg of caffeine, Taurine, ginseng, Niacin, Vit. B6, Vit. B12, and Pantothenic acid. All in all, Hype Enlite is one of those energy drinks you drink for a sufficient boost, and not for anything else.

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lo-carb buzzed

Last month when I bought buzzed energy, I also picked up lo-carb buzzed energy. Since the original buzzed didn't end up being anything of value, lo-carb buzzed was not high on my review list. But after several writing complications, my quantity of drinks rapidly declined. So when I had puddle of beverages left in my fridge, I manned up and decided to review lo-carb buzzed. Will lo-carb buzzed be great like Buzz Light-year, or dreaded like a buzz-cut?

FIRST IMPRESSION: Though I really liked the original buzzed energy can, I'm not so wild about lo-carb buzzeds can. The design is the same, but the colour scheme swap is awful. The orange just doesn't have the same spunk that the purple did, resulting in a disappointing can. I do like the weird multiple "z" logo, however. It's strange and tries its hardest to make up for the orange, but it's not enough. I can't say I'm all too thrilled to review lo-carb buzzed. Being that the original buzzed was a mediocre at best drink, I doubt lo-carb buzzed will fare much better.

TASTE: I opened the can and took a sip. The flavour starts with a sudden blast of gumminess that quickly diminishes. Then a mild vanilla begins to surface, riding along side a sour bubble gum taste. The whole experience ends in a cloying, sickly sweet, and syrupy vanilla. For a sugar free energy drink, I really couldn't tell that it was sugar free, as the sweetness was similar to HFCS. Overall, while I would recommend lo-carb buzzed over original buzzed energy, there are a whole slew of energy drinks that I'd recommend over the both of them.

KICK: Each can contains: caffeine, Taurine, guarana, L-Carnitine, L-Tartrate, 200% of your daily intake of Vit. C, Riboflavin, Vit. B12, B6, and niacin. This overall blend gave me a fair to middling buzz. I experienced no jitters and had a decent amount of energy. It lasted around three or so hours, and after the three hours I did experience a noticeable drop in energy, but nothing to be considered a "crash."

FINAL WORD: lo-carb buzzed is neither the best nor the worst energy drink I've ever had. While I didn't struggling drinking it, I really didn't receive any pleasure either. It's evident through its laughably bad can design, run-of-the-mill taste, and average kick that lo-carb buzzed wasn't created for any reason other to ride of the success of Red Bull, and make a quick buck. lo-carb buzzed is a truly meaningless product that isn't worth it's $1.50 price tag...2.4/5

Rockstar Zero Carb Review Revisited

Rockstar Zero Carb is an energy drink I reviewed when I was first starting out. I didn't know the ropes of reviewing, so they tended to be poorly written and redundant. So slowly but surely, I plan on re-reviewing some of my least favorite reviews, and Rockstar Zero Carb is one of them. Now, I do doubt that I'll walk away impressed with Zero Carb, but I don't think I'll be giving it a zero on a scale from one to ten.

FIRST IMPRESSION: The can to Rockstar Zero Carb uses the same exhaust and valid design that seems to of plagued the line. While the can is slightly less cluttered than previous entries, it is still unpleasant. The large shuriken-like star slanted towards the bottom off sets the diamond plate background, and looks more like a sticker than actually part of the design. Next to the star it says, " double strength, double size," which irritates me. While I am aware that Red Bull and some other energy drinks are still eight oz., I feel it's too late to be saying that. I rarely seeing someone drink an eight oz. Red Bull(or any size for that matter), so it seems stupid and is a waste of text. Overall, other than the acceptable blue colour, the can is of poor quality.

TASTE: I opened the can and took a sip. A grape flavour begins the experience and is rather mild. Then a rough patch of carbonation engulfs your mouth, erasing the grape. With a clean slate mouth, a intensely sour and tart blue raspberry tickles your taste buds. Once your buds are done giggling, a barely noticeable artificial sugar taste tries the run a muck in your mouth, but thankfully more blue raspberry meshes with a faint tea taste, which capture the fake sugar taste, and prevent it from ruining the flavour. There's several notes of apple and cranberry, and these hints loiter mostly around the initial grape. Being refreshing in addition to being unique, Rockstar Zero Carb is easily one of the best tasting sugar free energy drinks since Throwdown Rampage Sugar Free.

KICK: Each can contains: 2000mg of taurine, green tea extract, 240 mg of caffeine, L-carnitine, yerba mate leaf extract, and 200% of your daily intake of Vit. B3, B5, B6, and B12. Unlike in my original review, Rockstar Zero Carb really provided one great buzz. For a solid four and a half to five hours I was wide awake, had a mild case of the jitters, and a raised alertness level. Once the four-five hours ended, I didn't receive any sort of crash.

FINAL WORDY: After a couple disappointments, the Rockstar line seemed to be going in a downward spiral, but Rockstar Zero Carb turned the line in the positive direction. While the can is nothing to shake a stick at(I'd personally prefer to beat the can with a stick), the outstanding taste and powerhouse kick are more than enough to even things out. Zero Carb is easily the best drink in the line since Punched Citrus, as well as the best sugar free variety in the line. I bought Zero Carb for $1.50 on sale at Market Basket, and even if you don't find it on sale, Rockstar Zero Carb is worth a purchase...3.9/5

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Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free Re-review

Shaws has a surprisingly good amount of energy drinks, so on the rare occasion that I go to Shaws, I try to pick up several energy drinks, and on my most recent voyage, one of them is Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free. Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free is distributed by the Albertson company exclusively through Shaws super markets. I've already reviewed Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free before and was impressed with it, but since my tastes have changed(and because that review sucked), I've decided to re-review it.

FIRST IMPRESSION: While I think the yellow fits the can design better than orange of the original, I still don't like the can as a whole. The cheetah is out of place and the text is rather cluttered. I also don't like how the writing is written sideways. This makes reading the can more difficult than it has to be. Overall, The can, while an improvement over the original, is unappealing.

TASTE: I opened the can and took a sip. The flavour starts out a light lemon flavour that's closely followed with a mild grapefruit flavour. Unlike the original, there's no ginger ale or lime flavour. There's a sugar-free aftertaste that's more strong towards the beginning, but as you take more sips you can't notice it as much. The sweetness is kept it to a low, which I think helps keep the sugar free aftertaste to a low. The flavour is not tart, sour, or bitter, which is something to be said for energy drinks in general. Overall, the flavour or Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free is quite enjoyable and right on par with its sugared counter part.

KICK: The highlights of the ingredients are: Taurne, caffeine, Niacin, inositol, Vit, B5, B6, and B12. This blend gave me a decent kick. For three or so hours I felt mildly awake and had some mild jitters. After the three hours my alertness went down, but since it wasn't raised much in the first place, it wasn't too noticeable.

FINAL WARD: Overall, I have to say that Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free is a fairly decent stab at a sugar free energy drink. Though the can is terrible, the surprisingly good sugar free flavour and middling kick make up for it. I can't say that I'm gonna buy Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free all the time, I can see myself buying this occasionally. All in all, if your looking for a decent energy drink that is not going to break your budget or belt, give Max Velocity Uncaged Sugar Free a try, but if your looking for something truly special, its best to save your money and avoid...3.4/5

Venom Low Carb Mojave Rattler

First of all, I apologize for the lack of constant reviews lately. Not only has my computer been shutting off unexpectedly, but I recently got hit by a horrible cold. So, reviewing time has been spotty. Anyway, on to the review. Back in '08 I reviewed Venom Black Mamba and was really disappointed. The can really impressed me, but the flavour and kick left something to be desired. I never planned on reviewing the lo-cal version, but after a request, I grew some balls and bought it.

FIRST IMPRESSION: I feel that the can to Mojave Rattler is better than the can of Black Mamba. Though the design is the same, I feel that the purple colour fits it better than the red. The design is still kick ass and really pops off the shelf among the red and black energy drinks. I wouldn't say that I'm terribly excited to try Mojave Rattler, mainly because the sugar free version is usually worse than the sugared version, and I really didn't like the original. Overall, the can is one of, if not the best energy drink can I've ever seen, but should I judge a book by its cover?

TASTE: I opened the can and took a sip. The flavour is hard to describe. It starts out with a dull Red Bull flavour, that soon fades away and ends with a citrus bite. The sugar substitute works well by not leaving any sugar free after taste. I can't say that I'm impressed with the flavour, but I'd have to say that it is better tasting than Black Mamba. Black Mamba was too sweet, but in Mojave, the sweetness is drastically reduced, making a much better tasting drink. Overall, Mojave Rattler is a decent at best tasting energy drink.

KICK: Each can contains: Carbonated Water, sugar, glucose, citric acid, taurine, natural and artificial flavors, ginseng extract, caffeine, sucralose, vitmin b3, guarana, vitamin b6, riboflavin, and vitamin b12. This blend gave me a decent bump, but nothing great. For around three or so hours I had some jitters and a mildly raised alertness.

FINAL WORDE: Overall, I feel that Venom Mojave Rattler is a decent overall energy drink. While the can is amazing, the flavour and kick just fail to meet expectations set by the can. I really wish that companies would stop making energy drinks that just rely on one thing. Some only rely on the can, some only rely on the taste, when will this trend end? If Dr Pepper wants Venom to sell, there gonna have to do better than this. Why don't they just add an energy blend to Dr Pepper and bottle that? It would sure taste better. It amazes me why companies are so money hungry that they would trick people with a great can and give them a flavour that they have had dozens of times. Overall, while the can is impressive, the taste and kick are just not as strong as the can...3/5

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Slump Buster 0 Carbs

Slump Buster 0 Carbs is the official energy drink of famed player Kevin Youkilis and is made by MBSB Holding. I won't hold anything against Slump Buster because of my hate towards baseball, but instead I'm gonna give it a pure and fair review.

FIRST IMPRESSION: While the can looks better than the originals, its still not too good looking. The can is simply too busy with the baseball stitches, the logo, the "SB", the "0 Carbs" and the Tim Curry impersonator that I think is Kevin Youkilis. One positive thing about the can is that a portion of the proceeds go to a charity-thing. But the negatives out weigh the positives.

TASTE: I opened the can and took a sip. Slump Buster 0 Carbs is a Red Bull clone all the way. Its starts out with the classic bubble gum and vanilla flavour, then fades away into creamy berry flavour. There's a mild sugar free aftertaste, but nothing that really destroys the flavour. The bubble gum and vanilla flavour is light while the berry is much heaver and thicker. While the flavour isn't bad, it certainly not the best nor is it original on any level.

KICK: Each can contains: citric acid, taurine, caffeine, sucralose, acesulfame, Vitamins B6, B12, B2, B3, L-carnitine, and gingko biolba. This blend gave me a surprisingly good kick. For four hours or so I was full of energy and my mental alertness was so high my Brain Age is twenty. Overall, a good kick from Slump Buster 0 Carbs.

FINAL WORD: All in all, I feel that Slump Buster 0 Carbs is a decent overall energy drink. While nothing has been down right horrible, the uninspired taste, the cluttered can aren't too far off. The kick is the real highlight of the drink, so if your a Red Sox's fan, and are looking for ways to give to charity and get a good buzz, give Slump Buster 0 Carbs a try. But if your just a regular Joe, don't bother picking up this and instead save your $1.99...3/5

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