Sparkling Ice + Caffeine Strawberry Citrus Review

This is an energy drink. It does not matter what Sparkling Ice calls itself. Its confused identity really distracts from the potential marketability- who is going to buy this? Without a clear target audience, this sixteen ounce can finds itself in stores at end caps, away from the other energy drinks who know what they are.

Strawberry Citrus certainly does taste like strawberry. There it is, that is the review. Of course that is not all- the front of the can calls for citrus, a nebulous nom de plume that introduces nothing to the experience. You taste only the outwardly seeded fruit, right down to the acidity, which has a soft edge of sweetness to keep it from harshly landing on the palate. Sucralose is the lone sweetener, the synthetic sugar missing its usual ace-k partner, but the flavor does not falter in its absence; your tongue suffers none of the expected chemical burn. Carbonation is another successful area, a smooth effervescence that seldom resembles any commercial seltzer. Take that for what it is worth. It all makes for a pleasant but dimensionless experience, with every sip sipping identically to your first, and by the last gulp of the available sixteen ounces, your taste buds are discouraged by the lack of discovery and depth.

Just seventy milligrams of caffeine? Why would they do that? I repeat: this is an energy drink! The buzz lasts an hour and a half, a weak rising, riding, and climaxing kick. Other ingredients include various vitamins and antioxidants. In the end, Sparkling Ice + Caffeine Strawberry Citrus is afraid of its own self.

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Full Throttle Original Citrus Energy Drink Review

"Why?" That is the question I kept asking myself after plopping this most recent remake of OG Full Throttle in my Walmart cart. Why remake it again? This is the third time as far as I can tell. Why the white can? After all, it is a color normally reserved for diet drinks. In any event, the visuals are clean, focused, and striking; this is how to do a patriotic potation right. Ol' Glory, Rip It Tribute and True Eagle take note.

"Original Citrus" reads the top of the design and my tongue confirms that declaration, and was on board for every ounce. It is bold, exciting and refreshing, utilizing sweetness and acidity in near perfect balance. Consisting of lemon mostly, it is elevated by nuances of lime and pineapple. The blend is far from creative but it does not have to be; I am a pushover for this cocktail genre, and my palate relished this light, crisp and pure experience. Utilizing high fructose corn syrup almost makes sips syrupy, but actual sugar gives imbibes a stiffer texture. We have fifty five grams between the two carbohydrates for a total of 230 calories per can. It is a lot, to be sure, which limits the commercial appeal; in a world where drinks like Bang dominate the energy drink cooler, Full Throttle needs to go on a diet.

Just 160 milligrams of caffeine can be found here, a standard amount of course, but it did not have to be. The resulting kick lasts just two hours, but despite all the sugar, there is not much of a crash. Overall, Full Throttle Original Citrus tastes just fine, but that is not always enough.

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Ghost x EDC Electric Limeade Energy Drink Review

Call me a curmudgeon, but I had to look up what "EDC" was for today's review. Hey, I am not proud of it, but we believe in honest reviews around here.

The label on this shrink-wrapped can disorganized for the sake of appearing "wild" and "full of personality." In reality, it feels like the packaging for a sketchy delta-9 blunt a gas station would overcharge for. I have no idea what any of the visual elements have to do with "limeade," the alleged flavor; if my lime sprouted purple and green mushrooms, I would probably ask for a refund.

I am a pushover for citrus, lime in particular, but Ghost here fails to showcase the fruit's primary characteristic: sourness. Instead, mouthfuls are so sweet my palate began to have flashbacks to me as a stupid kid putting those synthetic sugar satchels in my mouth; this really is not terribly pleasant to sip through. Sucralose and ace-k are in charge of the sweetening and they go so far overboard you soon begin to forget the clear cocktail is supposed to be a limeade. Tartness is almost immediately cut-down by the fake carbohydrates, and all subsequent gulps just introduce more of that gross artificial saccharinity. Really, it becomes about all you can taste- where is the acidity!? Carbonation is equally disappointing, feeling like an obligation rather than a critical element of the experience.

We do get a rad 200 milligrams of caffeine, alongside familiar faces like taurine, vitamins, etc., which makes for a three hour long buzz that is easily the best and most consistent thing about Ghost x EDC Electric Limeade.

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Rockstar Revolt Killer Citrus Energy Drink Review

Visually congruent to both Lime Freeze and Punched Citrus, Revolt Killer Citrus represents Rockstar again stepping on its own toes. Available exclusively at Speedway Stores, yes the same gas station who brought us Shock Wave, its camouflage colored can just has too many fonts, too similar colors, and too much text.

Diluted effervescence stunts the super sugary experience here, a completely stock citrus cocktail of lime, grapefruit, and orange. The former two are braided with one another, a fairly thoughtful blending shocked into dullness by each fruit's dimensionlessness and general blandness. The latter adds the only zest to any of the too many sixteen ounces, giving each imbibe some must needed intricacy on the tongue; saving every sip from the sixty four grams of saccharine syrupiness. Its only acidity is additionally found here, a lamentable omission from a potation that truly pines for a fun tartness.

Each can contains: caffeine (240 milligrams), taurine, inositol, ginseng, guarana, milk thistle, and B vitamins. The buzz is a blast, all of the bitter chemical and excess sugar really kick it old school; crash and all. But hey, that comes with the territory. All in all, Rockstar Revolt Killer Citrus is not quite as revolting as it could be, but this "killer" could not hurt a fly.

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Alani Nu Kimade Energy Drink Review

The latest member of the Alani Nu brand features bubble letters so hard to decipher that it makes you wonder if it is even worth the effort. Even if I could look past the difficult-to-read text, what even am I looking at? Everything is the same few shades of purple, and I dunno who this "Kim K" is, but why are do they have their own energy drink but not the great Caffeine King?!

"Kimeade" must be an unplayful play on limeade, but fortunately the elixir inside these ugly aluminum walls pretty much lives up to that classification. Sips are more acidic than they are lime, the citrus hardly putting in the effort to deserve such a seductively persuasive sourness. Sucralose and ace-k sweeten but even all the might of two of arguably most famous synthetic sugars cannot withstand the strength of the tartness on display here. But even when clocking in at only twelve ounces, sips lose their luster when all they have to say is the same thing; perhaps the use of honest carbohydrates could have helped push this one over the threshold of "OK" into "great?" It is a good question, but why bother wasting your life away thinking about the "what ifs?"

200 milligrams of caffeine is the real reason to consume this, causing a kick lasting an easy three hours. Other ingredients include vitamins, taurine, ginseng and others.

By the time I got this far into this review, one quick interwebs-search disclosed who the mysterious "Kim K" is. And in all honesty, this probably tastes better than they do.

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Mtn Dew Flamin' Hot Soda Review

Someone needs to tell Mtn Dew to calm down- it feels like every week they release some crazy new product, but this takes the cake. A spicy soda? No thank you. But I believe in full-service reviews here at The Caffeine King, so "sorry" to my palate but "you are welcome" to readers. The packaging is wild in the best possible way, yet its bright red coloring feels at odds with its citrus sub-flavoring.

Whether or not I prepared for the worst or I was just plain wrong, but things are significantly less "hot" than I feared. Well actually hold on a sec, I am finishing my first mouthful here and- blech, yuck, this is nasty and if I could I would erase that first sentence. The rear of my throat burns with the heat unlike a pepper and more like a cinnamon candy or perhaps fireball whisky, it sticking to my palate, never yielding to any subsequent sip. Seventy three grams of sugar, all added and all from high fructose corn syrup, only intensifies the unpleasant sensation by thickening the texture to the point of carbonated sludge. As for the initial flavor, before the grody aftertaste, it is an unsophisticated lemon/lime hybrid that has minimal changes from base Mtn Dew. What else am I supposed to say? How about this: if I was not an honest critic, I would dump the remaining ounces down the sink, burn the bottle and never speak of this again.

With nearly a day and a half worth of the suggested intake of sugar, finishing an entire bottle is not only unsavory but also unhealthy. But hey, who here reads a Mtn Dew review expecting health advise? As for us caffeine kings, queens and all members of the royal family, there is ninety one milligrams, a solid amount for something lacking the word "energy" on the packaging. Overall and probably unsurprisingly, this drink sucks.

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Ntense Electric Citrus Energy Drink Review

Finding a brand new energy drink is always exciting, but finding a brand new brand is even more so, and perched on a dollar store shelf was Ntense. Its generic "hard core" visuals brings back memories of a simpler time, where 160 milligrams of caffeine was enough and over 100 percent of your daily intake of sugar was the norm.

Lemon and lime rock the palate with the full-force of natural flavors sans any actual juice. The two smack the tongue like a candy from the penny section of your local mom and pop shop, ignoring things like balance or good taste. Instead, sips are sour and sweet to the point of nonsense, never evolving past your initial imbibe of basic citrus highlights. Carbonation is heavy, forcing you to slow down with each passing gulp, millions of little bubbles filling your tummy like it is going to explode. If this sounds like a negative review, then you cannot read between the lines- on a hot, dewy summer afternoon while doing yard work, Ntense oh-so perfectly hits the spot.

Like I said before, we have just 160 milligrams of caffeine, but hey, Ntense is clearly stuck in the past so what am I to say? Criticize it? What sense does that make? The buzz lasts two hours, but you are a frequent reader here on The Caffeine King, you already knew that. Other ingredients include the usual stuff like B vitamins, ginseng, nothing out of the ordinary. Which is the perfect way to describe what we have got here.

Bucked Up Gym N' Juice Energy Drink Review

I miss the early days of the energy drink boom. Red Bull was the standard flavor, and all these brands cropped up to try and take a piece of the caffeinated pie. Sure, a lot were crap, but a lot took risks, and all tried to come up with a reason to consume their product over the Austrian import.

The market is different today. Bang clones are the norm, and its unbridled amount of varieties, outrageous 300 milligrams of my namesake and diet origins means that there is no constant; gone is the direct comparison. Take Bucked Up here, what the hell am I supposed to make of a flavor labeled "Gym N' Juice?" Especially since, well, it contains no actual juice.

Citrus surprisingly swims out of the sixteen ounce can, a grapefruit base with a taunting tickle of lemon around the edges. It is not bad honestly, especially since it emphasizes sourness of blind sweetness. Why is that a good thing? The sugar free nature of Bucked Up has sucralose and ace-k in charge of the saccharinity, a familiar and sometimes balanced sweetener system that here is mild and disinterested in making your tongue soggy with their synthetic genesis. Sure, Gym N' Juice is one-note, afraid to take a chance with its fruity inspiration, leaving a funky supplement showcase in the back of your throat, but sips could have been a lot lot worse.

All the aforementioned caffeine makes for a rocking four hour long kick, what did you expect? Other ingredients include beta-alanine, taurine, tyrosine, ginseng, and a host of others. In the end, Bucked Up Gym N' Juice's mediocre looking and tasting potent potable with a rocking buzz.

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Ghost Citrus Energy Drink Review

Ghost is a great name for an energy drink, but its can is very average. Aside from the cute little illustration of its namesake, there is little in the way of visuals, and its kooky font only brings so much personality to the large sixteen ounces of real estate.

When the word "citrus" is written on your shrink-wrapped slab of aluminum, you do not immediately think of lime. Lemon, perhaps the two together, but Ghost dedicates every minute of its experience to the small green fruit. It hits your palate with absolutely no nuance or depth, a candy-inspired work that slaps your mouth with a good sense of movement, a bright acidity and a slight powdery mouthfeel. It is a classic, old-school flavor profile that calls to mind something like Sport Doo Drop or Rip It Lime Wreaker, only it is sugar free, and the product suffers thusly. I am not about to endorse potent potables with more than the daily recommended intake of carbohydrates, but the sucralose and ace-k used here need to reduce their involvement in every sip. Your tongue becomes so deeply sodden by the diet sweeteners that it becomes all you taste. A shame, considering it otherwise tastes better.

200 milligrams of caffeine makes for a pretty solid three hour kick. A lot of other supplements are involved, including vitamins, taurine, carnitine, and a lot of others. Overall, Ghost Citrus has a lot of good ideas, but its execution is only decent.

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Mossy Oak Pursuit Citrus Berry All Zero Energy Drink Review

The white and vermilion can struggles to make sense with its alleged flavor of Citrus Berry. Those are fruits far more alive and fresh than the deciduous tree in the background, which does not appear to to be the same tree as the one in the logo- what is going on here?

The base of the flavor, orange and cranberry, is a fun one, but it is pounded into resignation by the swill's synthetic sweetness, a characteristic so compulsory that it cloaks most nuance of the caffeinated cocktail. Its saccharinity is repulsive and ugly, so needy of attention that it robs focus from the drink's fruit blend and reduces them to an afterthought; for zero sugar, gulps have an inescapable syrupiness that is derivative of only the most unpleasant potations. Tartness is one of the more tolerable players here, an almost affable acidity that languishes as it waits for a more dominant taste to take over. But effervescence is the strongest participant, every sip supplies the mouth with a surplus of suds, giving things a sense of momentum the beverage otherwise lacks.

This buzz, a generic two and a half hour one, is the best thing this camouflaged drink has going for it. It is smooth and does not end in a crash. Every can contains: B vitamins, taurine, and 160 milligrams of caffeine. On the whole, Mossy Oak Pursuit Citrus Berry All Zero lives up to its namesake: "all zero."

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Mtn Dew Zero Sugar Review

What is going on here? How is "Mtn Dew Zero Sugar" any different from plain old "Diet Mtn Dew?" Is this a simple rebranding? The front label of this familiar packaging boldly proclaims it as "new," yet does not mention what exactly is so different. Aside from confusing marketing, there are some differences, notably more caffeine (113 here, opposed to ninety one), in addition to totally zero calories (instead of ten calories), no orange juice, among other minor modifications. What does it all mean? Well, it is "Diet Mtn Dew" with extra "Diet."

The flavor won me over from first gulp, exposing an initially crisper, less obviously synthetic imagining of the timeworn soft drink. It is the same classic Dew everyone is familiar with, a guised blend of melon, lime, lemon, and grapefruit, most likely among many other nuances. The individual vegetation are advertised more than in the traditional low-carb offering from the company, with subtle moments where you can detect vague highlights of each produce profiled. Your sips end with little texturely left behind, a breath of fresh air when compared to the trademark syrupiness synonymous with the beverage. Yet it is not all rainbows here, thanks to aspartame, ace-k and sucralose commanding the sugar system. The threesome appear too aggressive, as the cleaner experience leaves your palate before it can properly wash the artificial saccharine sheath from your tongue, leaving it to burn slightly as your palate waits for the next sip. It is not bad overall, but if things were going to be so redundant, they should have worked out all the kinks.

Each bottle contain no caloric sugars and has a cool 113 milligrams of caffeine, rivaling some conventional energy drinks. For an old-school pick-me-up, it does the job, helping with the afternoon slump, but will not replace coffee or other hyper caffeinated potations. To end, Mtn Dew Zero Sugar feels unnecessary, although I am sure diet soda drinkers are happy to have someone offer them more options.

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Zoa Zero Sugar Lemon Lime Energy Drink Review

Lemon Lime, a relative rarity in the realm of energy drinks, is Zoa's next flavor, and arguably the one I am most excited for. Not because of the can, mind you; the more I look at it, the more text I notice. It is not packed to the brim with words, but the silver coloring of both it and visual elements blur together into one big mishmash of unnecessities.

Then why am I excited? It is easy- this is definitely not going to be a Red Bull clone!

This product contains no juice. There is no sugar. Yet the taste is impressively full on the tongue, both fruits showcasing decent depth and dimension. There is no mistaking these as fresh from the tree, but the "natural flavors" listed in the ingredient list do their job in spades; bolstered by a tingling sourness that invites your lips in for another sip instead of puckering them. The end result is something not unlike diet 7UP, but there is one other thing to consider, and yes, it is that aforementioned nuance. It is less soft drink and more herbal supplement, a sort of earthy pinch that suggests something other than your typical soda contribution. It makes for an experience that is a bit more mature than what your palate may expect, one that makes you think somewhat as you guzzle ounces from the hollow metal transport, and there is something to be said about a potable that makes you ponder.

Expect a two and a half hour long kick, a buzz that really does not offer any surprises. Ingredients include 160 milligrams of caffeine, a host of vitamins, antioxidants, extracts and electrolytes. On the whole, Zoa Lemon Lime makes me hopeful that their next flavor will be another pop inspired potation.

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Full Throttle Original Citrus Review

There is no reason for the Full Throttle brand to exist, a dinosaur of an energy drink that can today be found hiding in shame in the bottom corner of your local dumpy convenience store, if you are so lucky. The packaging, mind you, is appealing since its redesign, but with only two varieties available, the line is simply not competitive.

The flavor is sugar and citrus, it is as easy as that. Of course, it is more complicated, but your tongue is seized instantly by an invasion of sweetness that wipes clean any delicacy the potation was going for. If we dig deeper into the nebulous "citrus" moniker, you can pick out lemon, peach, guava and pineapple, all perfunctory excuses of more nuanced nectars. But there is depth! It is just a shame you need to spend so much energy to discover them. Acidity is also strong, a tartness that would make some sour candies blush. It is a good thing too, since the saccharinity is so needlessly potent that your palate relishes the relative relief. Overall, Full Throttle Original Citrus is no good, a canned caffeinated cocktail antique of the energy drink stone age.

160 milligrams of my namesake is all we get, a perfectly fine amount that results in a perfectly fine buzz, but that is it? Just two hours? It simply is not ambitious. To end, Full Throttle Original Citrus is drinkable, decent looking and kicks well enough. But that is not good enough.

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Tea Riot Citrus Energy Drink Review

Tea Riot makes a statement with its can, a loud statement with a clean, unfussy can. The present text are all selling points to someone, from "100% plant based" to "zero added sugar" to the "organic" stamp, but a bare black backdrop gives the words room to breath, a lesson a lot of energy drinks could learn from. If there was something to knock it would be the label itself, a cheap, shrink-wrapped one that feels bad to hold and worse yet against your lips as you make for that first sip.

Despite all the gimmicks, the flavor shines strongly, bright acidity brushing aside any tea funkiness; what is left is a dizzying dichotomy between bitter and sour. This friction elevates what could have simply tasted like "lemon tea," imbibes show a little more care than is expected from "just another energy drink found on random health store shelf." The citrus itself is a shade more complex as well, with clementine, lime, and lemon, but all the personality comes through with the tartness, providing a sundry pitch that changes from ounce to ounce. But all these gulps teased something my palate could not place, a sort of cooling tickle tasted entombed deep into the experience. A quick glace of the nutrition facts exposes spearmint as one of the several teas here. My tastebuds remains unconvinced this idiosyncratic implication was totally necessary, but any potable that keeps you on your tongue on its toes deserves special mention.

160 milligrams of caffeine is about the only supplement here, a kick that is far more standard than anything else about it. Lasting two and a half hours, Tea Riot Citrus goes for the obvious with its potency, a shame considering everything else is so distinct.

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Sparkling Ice + Caffeine Triple Citrus Review

Seltzer energy drinks make a lot of sense, although today's featured presentation does not call itself an energy drink. Why not? Contains caffeine? Check. Vitamins present? Check. Comes in a sixteen ounce can? Check. Upon first glace, this is an energy drink, but it does not market itself as such. Perhaps they are trying to avoid the baggage that comes with the soft drink genre, but who knows?

The flavor is full-on seltzer, an experience instantly familiar to anyone who has grabbed a can of the hip new drink. "Triple Citrus" reads of the can and it is not a lie- lemon, lime, and orange are all tasted right away. This triple-threat of neon colored fruits commit to a balance that allows for each individual plenty of time on the tongue to persuade it its way. This impersonation of depth is enough to carry the entire sixteen ounces through completion, aided by an acidity that could have been a touch tougher, but hey, at least we have some sourness. Sucralose is in charge of sweetness, the lone synthetic sugar benefiting from the inherit coarseness of its sparkling origin- there is only a most mild aftertaste blended into the crass carbonation.

There is only seventy milligrams of caffeine per can, a suspiciously low amount for a beverage of this size. The buzz is not spectacular, in fact, it is pretty tame experience. Lasting only an hour, energy drink junkies will not be pleased. Overall, Sparkling Ice + Caffeine Triple Citrus is a pretty decent time, but it struggles with its own identity.

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+Red Berry Citrus Power Elixir Review

A new decade, a new +Red. This time we have "Berry Citrus," although only time and tongue will tell if this is a refresh of their existing Power Elixir drink from years ago. The can is attractive, standing tall and proud against less unique beverage structures, although having to pry a piece of plastic off only to find more plastic, is simply a waste of plastic.

The flavor is a lovingly old school, a wickedly sugary example of how to execute an underrepresented "sweet tart" flavor. Tons of lime and a bulk of blue raspberry predominantly compose the experience, with fleeting mentions of grapefruit, lemon and tangerine. All this citrus means there is a lot of acidity to play with, and every sip is a whirlpool of tartness, coating every inch of your palate with a crushing sourness. But the glue that holds things together is the mouthfeel, a powdery texture that melds wonderfully with the flavors and moments. The only problem here is a common problem with any drink that believes caffeine is not enough for a kick; the myriad of nasty supplements tarnish this peaceful petite potable. The doomed flood of vulgarity takes a bit before it breaks through all the sweetness, but once six of the twelve ounces have crossed your palate, it burns through the pleasant carbohydrate sensation. It is a shame, really, since the elements here should have made a more cohesive potation.

160 milligrams of caffeine, several B vitamins, electrolytes, and a bunch of other ingredients. The buzz is OK, lasting about two hours and ending without a crash. On the whole, +Red Berry Citrus is almost a recommendation, but too many lapses in judgement leaves an unfortunate disappointment.

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Sunshine Citrus Lime Sparkling Energy Water Review

The Sunshine brand is back, with three new varieties sporting a new gimmick, sparkling water. The idea is a good one, combining the juggernaut energy drink category with the popular seltzer stuff, yet the design here communicating very little about its caffeinated nature. Oh sure, it reads "energy" in the middle of the can, but the happy-go-lucky attitude does not insinuate its potential potency.

The flavor is an absolute joy, each mouthful demonstrating restraint from both aggression and commercialism. What sets this apart from most products you see promising "sleep in a can" is the complete lack of sweeteners, natural or artificial. Sips fool the mind into looking at their palm for a fresh peel of citrus only to find a twelve ounce can. This refreshing bite works for the exhausted palate, crisp and refreshing on a sunny day, but the unprepared consumer could easily find themselves feeling fooled by the ambiguous artifice. The flavors themselves have some sweetness fortunately, particularly with the lemon, the produce that launches the opaque experience before succumbing to the onslaught of the namesake lime. This powerful puck of piquancy flourishes in the abrasive bubbles of the sparkling effervescence, where your mouth curls from the sourness and your tongue seeks an escape from the unusual pacing and performance of the potable.

This is where things fall apart: each can contains just seventy milligrams of caffeine. D, A, C, E, and numerous B vitamins do come to us with 100% of their daily value, but the hour long buzz just is not as curiously demanding as the taste.

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Mati Citrus Healthy Energy Drink Review

More Mati comes to us in the form of a reformulation, among the changes fewer calories (clocking in at forty, five behind the original), slightly more juice, and less caffeine. The can has grown up a bit too, losing its cartoony fruits for a more detailed depiction, but only the watchful eye could really tell the difference.

As a fan of the original, Mati Citrus 2.0 does little fresh with the flavor profile it updates. The slight increase in juice, up two percent from the original thirty, compensates for the few grams less of sugar- this beverage is a smoother sipper, with a less coarse texture and a more energetic effervescence. The problem here? Beneath all this renovation may be a more approachable potable, but where is the creativity of the first one? This is too "me-too" tasting. Do not get me wrong: I would drink Mati Citrus again, no hesitation, but the original's potent idiosyncrasies are lost in twelve ounces of commercialism.

Each can contains 115 milligrams of caffeine, and some vitamin C. Though I applaud them for adding the actual content to the back of the can (as opposed to scouring the internet for an amount), there is less of my namesake stimulant to go around. It is negligible however, as the kick remains at around two hours in length.

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Mtn Dew AMP Game Fuel Charged Original Dew Review

Mtn Dew and AMP are once again appearing on the same can, after about a decade of brand segregation. This flavor also resurrects the "Game Fuel" moniker, used in the past to promote a new video game launch, though this time there is no advertisement in sight. The design is busy, with way too much text, from generic puffery such as "alertness" and "accuracy" to the unnecessary tutorial on how to open the transport's gimmicky top, which slides up and can resealed.

The flavor feels ripped straight from a can Mtn Dew Kickstart Original, right down to the eruption of effervescence as the first sip splashes down on your tongue. It is lacking acid, potency, and personality, a disappointing hodgepodge of lemon, melon, and lime, tasting like a sort of hipster's version of the famously sugary Pepsi product. The sweetener system is a predictable high fructose corn syrup, sucralose and ace-k, which does a decent job never tasting too artificial or gummy, but it is lacking punch. Maybe it is the scant five percentage of juice, but there is a rough edge to every imbibe, something almost earthy that pokes its unpleasant head onto your palate. The saccharinity certainly is not capable of controlling this anomaly, a sugariness that sips far too passively with twenty three grams of sugar for an audience OK with the original Dew's seventy seven grams per twenty ounces.

Considering the AMP so proudly displayed on the can, I was hoping for more than just ninety milligrams of caffeine and an hour long kick. Ginseng, yerba mate, ginseng, vitamin A and B vitamins make up the remainder of the energy blend. Overall, AMP and Mtn Dew's reunion is a misfire.

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Hard Rock Encore Citrus Energy Drink Review

The black to baby blue gradient is a decent one, but perhaps the biggest win here is how it avoids the "rock memorabilia" cliche of the restaurants- sure the design is a tad boring, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

First sip is a wonderful trip through a muddled fruit cocktail, the real winner here is the powdery texture every imbibe showcases. Good luck remembering any citrus taste here- the real kicker is the dry mouth-feel beneath a rocking, no pun intended, acidity. The flavor itself is a generic blend of lemon, grapefruit, lime and passion fruit, sweetened by regular old sugar, is a familiar experience as it traverses your palate- you have certainly had this flavor before, but every few years I enjoy the trip looking back.

What Enterprise Beverage Group, makers of Hard Rock Energy, define as energy is 100 milligrams of caffeine, and in many ways they are right. The kick lasts around an hour and a half, but the lack of other ingredients doubtfully had any impact there. All in all, Encore Citrus is a fairly enjoyable licenced energy drink.