Energy Drink Guru

Today we are going to review a trio of drink by All In.

Citrus, Root Beer & Grape

If you are a fan of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) you have probably seen some of the players holding or possibly drinking All In energy.  It seems that All In is to the WSOP what Red Bull is to motorcycle racing, X games ect.

All In is a sugar free drink (10 calories) that comes in the standard 250 mL “bullet can”.  The artwork is nothing fancy but works on the poker theme with the flaming poker chip, dragon in the background and the Chinese character “Qi” which means breath (but it’s more like your entire life).

We first sampled the Citrus flavor and WOW, this has a killer bright yellow color but very minimal aroma once the can is opened.  First sip offers a basic generic lemon taste that is mild, high carbonation assaults your taste buds and then leaves you with a substantial aftertaste and film on your tongue.  I normally don’t drink sugar free beverages so I can really notice the artificial sweetener and i think that promotes the aftertaste.  All In Citrus has an OK taste but the aftertaste and tongue film put me off a little.  Citrus will give you a little boost of energy but nothing intense.

Next on the list we have the grape flavor that produces a light rose colored liquid with a faint grapey aroma that is very bubbly when poured into a glass.  First swig offers a subtle artificial grape flavor that will pucker your mouth a little.  All In grape provides you with an aftertaste that gets stronger after you swallow it followed by the film on your tongue.  The grape flavor is much worse than the Citrus, I really don’t want to drink another can of it.

All In includes some goodies like: Inositol, caffeine, herbal blend (astragalus, panax ginseng, panax quinquefolium + schisandra) niacin, B+C vitamins and folic acid.

Overall I wouldn’t pay $2 for a can of this…… if someone gave me a citrus for free I would probably drink it.

Today we are sampling the low carb Venom Mojave Rattler!

First off I must say the can design and artwork are pretty sweet!  The can is all aluminum and has plastic threads on the neck for the twist off cap.  This 16.9 oz can is THICK, you could probably use it for a weapon in a bind.  The purple snake eye staring at you follows the whole reptile theme.

Once you crack open the Venom it has the very familiar energy drink aroma and gold color that we have seen 100’s of time.

First sip of VMR is nothing more than the usual slightly tart energy drink flavor but there is a definite aftertaste and you will get film on your tongue.  The aftertaste may be due to the “low carb” chemical included in this version.

VMR offer you 200mg of Ginseng and 3000mg of “energy blend” (taurine, L-Carnitine, caffeine, guarana + inositol) and vitamins B6 + B12.  VMR does not contain HFCS.

VMJ will give you a little boost but nothing special….. overall Mojave Rattler is nothing more than barley average.  The can gets 2 thumbs UP, but the drink get 1 sideways thumb.

Hot into to EDG Labs we have some Citrus Crunk to review today!

This FULL 16 oz can is bright vibrant yellow calling your name to open it!  Let’s crack this beast open!

Upon opening you get a nice lemon juice aroma that reminds you of those small plastic lemon shaped juice containers.   Citrus Crunk displays a cloudy looking color similar to clam broth but smells MUCH better!

First sip will awaking your taste buds like a warhead candy and demands your attention! CC has very minimal carbonation and once you get past that first initial sour bit this is a tasty beverage.  We sampled this drink on a 92 degree day and ice cold Citrus CRUNK goes down smooth and is very refreshing.  If I poured this into a pitcher and served it at a picnic the guest would never guess it was an energy drink!  I did notice a nice little afternoon energy pick me up that carried me until dinner.

CC has a rich real lemon taste similar to old fashioned lemonade that hits the spot.

There is very minimal aftertaste and a slight film on your tongue but goes away quickly.

CC offers the kitchen sink when it comes to goodies: Ashwaganda, caffeine, ginkgo, ginseng, guarana, horny goat weed, inositol, licorice, green tea leaf, grape seed, skull cap, white willow bark and milk thistle!

With the summer heat in full force, if you serve Citrus CRUNK ice cold this gets 2 thumbs up!

EDG Recommended!

HOT OFF THE PRESS: The rumored Starbucks energy coffee drinks are here and in my hands at the EDG labs! We have all 3 flavors that we will be sampling for this review.

The minute after the FedEx driver left I popped these cans into the fridge and wanted to sample one later that day! The overall design of the cans is good, has the same similar style that other coffee energy drinks are using. The well known Starbucks green circle logo is top dead center to confirm what you are drinking. I like the can design and layout, they are using the 15 oz can which is probably going to become the standard for future tall boy energy drinks.
We have chosen to sample the Coffee drink first to use as our baseline. Once we opened this can you smell a nice strong coffee aroma that is very inviting and peaks your interest. SBX Coffee has a nice caramel color, non carbonated and displays a thick rich look when poured into a glass. (The aroma smells great but I am having flashbacks to Monster Java that just wasn’t too good) First sip is very robust and you immediately notice how SMOOTH and velvety this drink is. I was in shock how good this tasted, let me try another swig to make sure…. yup it’s that friggin good. I didn’t notice any aftertaste and there was no film on the tongue afterwards! I have sampled many other coffee + energy drinks and they don’t stand a chance against the Starbucks ones!

Mocha was the can we decided to sample next and it was very similar in aroma and color but possibly a tad mellower. The texture and flavor were still smooth as silk and you could possibly taste a slight chocolaty overtone but nothing overpower which was nice.

Vanilla was the final can of the trio, pretty much the same applies here but add a slight hint of vanilla. I thought the aroma of the vanilla drink was stronger than the actual taste.

Doubleshot includes the following goodies: Guarana, ginseng, caffeine, taurine, vitamin A, B6, B12, C +D. Starbucks uses sugar and not HFCS which is a nice touch also.

Look for this on your local store shelves later part of June with an estimated price of $2.59/can.

Conclusion: Starbucks has a winner on their hands, Monster Java might as well pack it up and head home. I am not sure if it’s because SBX uses better coffee or ingredients but Monster Java has such a harsh taste. If you’re looking for a great morning drink for a hot summer day, look no further! I felt a nice little pick me up boost but no shakes like some of the other energy drink! EDG Recommended!

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!! We are gonna sample some CRUNK!!! today. Whaaaaaaaat??

Lets crack open this 250mL can and see what we get…. first we see a murky / cloudy cranberry color that provides a decent aroma. Once you take a sip you will notice that CRUNK taste better than it smells. (that’s a good thing compared to some of the other drinks that fool ya with a great aroma) We found minimal carbonation, minimal aftertaste and a definitely unique flavor that separates CRUNK from the other “baby aspirin” energy drinks out there. The pomegranate juice may be the source for interesting flavor that arouses your taste buds. (I didn’t see a specific juice % content on the can)

CRUNK is loaded with the standard goods and all kinds of additional goodies: horny goat weed, ashwaganda, grape seed extract, milk thistle, ginko biloba, skull cap, white willow bark, damiana and black carrot extract (for color).

CRUNK is unique drink and is worth a shot if you haven’t tried it yet.

CRUNK!!! Energy Drink was co-created and launched in 2004 by the late beverage industry legend Sidney Frank, creator of Grey Goose vodka and founder of Sidney Frank Importing Company (importer of Jägermeister), along with Lil’ Jon, the Grammy award winning artist and producer who is still onboard with CRUNK!!! as Chief Brand Advisor.

I just found this at the grocery store last night and had to give it a try. Mountain Dew Voltage - Charged with raspberry citrus flavor and ginseng.

I am guessing this is standard Dew that they added a new flavor and some ginseng. The sugar content is still 76g for a 20 oz bottle which is the same as regular Dew.

Voltage has a ROBUST flavor that stimulates every taste bud in your mouth!!! I was surprised at the level of flavor Voltage delivered. I want to describe the flavor as blue… if you ever tasted any blue drinks this what came to mind. Lets now really focus and see what flavor we can taste…. I am tasting some generic berry with little bit of tart. I really can’t pinpoint the flavor of this drink past berry but it has a solid huge taste that will make you say “DAMN!”

I didn’t notice any energy boost over a standard Dew. I would not buy this again but I was glad I did try it just so I witness the flavor explosion Voltage delivers.

Let’s jet into the weekend with Jetset Energy Original review!

Jetset has a fun looking can with the Austin Powers swirl effect in the background, the DJ working a pair of turntables on the backside of the can and all the world clocks at the top of the can. I did notice the can was slightly large than a Redbull at 10.5oz (310mL) so you score an extra swig or two with Jetset!

Lets crack this can open and start this review………. Jetset offers a very similar aroma to the ‘bull and has a strong orange/gold color that draws your attention. The color, aroma and taste also remind me of a drink called “Dark Scorpion” and that was a tasty drink also. Jetset has very fine micro bubbles that assault your tongue, I am not a fan of heavy carbonation but I enjoyed the micro bubbles! I also noticed some there is a metallic aftertaste if you take a small sip but if you take a big swig you don’t notice it that much. There is a slight aftertaste/cottonmouth but nothing more than a light residue film that disappears after 60 secs.

Jetset has a slightly tart flavor, it’s milder than Monster but similar to Red Bull.  Edit 8/7/08  I just had another Jetset and I noticed more cottonmouth and aftertaste than I had originally posted.

Jetset offers the usually suspects:HFCS, 1000mg taurine, 50mg inositol, 25mg ginseng, 120mg caffeine, 25mg guarana and B vitamins.

If you are out and about, grab a Jetset and let me know what you think.

Amp Elevate is part of a new 3 flavor release by Mt Dew.  The can design is similar to the others but I really dig the blue color combo and blue pull tab!

Elevate is branded as “Focus” with L-Theanine, this is the first energy drink I have sampled that has highlighted this amino acid that is normally found in tea.  Theanine has been shown to reduce mental and physical stress and also promotes alpha wave production in the brain.

Let’s crack this open and see what we get!!!!  I spy a crimson maroon color that is slightly cloudy upon pouring in a cup. (Very similar to Chambord liqueur)  The first sip produces a very sharp taste followed by strong carbonation that assaults your tongue.  I can handle the strong carbby feel that Elevate provides, it’s not overpowering or distracting.

Elevate is listed as a “Blast of Mixed Berry” and I will agree 100% on that, there is almost any kind of berry you can think of…. blueberry, cranberry, raspberry, blackberry and it finishes up with a light citrus aftertaste and a slight filmy residue on the roof of your mouth!

As for the goodies it seems that L-Theanine is the highlight that provided a nice focus factor (which could be all BS but I thought so), only 248mg of taurine, 160mg of caffeine, 148mg of guarana and 34mg of ginseng.

I would have no problem drinking Elevate anytime, it was refreshing, not overpowering and besides the slight filmy aftertaste I’d give this 2 thumbs up!

Today I found a can of Amp Traction at the local C-store this morning and had to pick it up. The can looks cool but the $2.69 price tag was not… (OUCH) but me being the energy drink whore I couldn’t pass it up.

Amp Traction (AT) has a black & purple can with a purple pull tab releases a heavy grape aroma once opened. The grape aroma is very inviting, smells good and so far the whole package is looking nice. Once we sample the AT we discover a very faint grape taste, the aroma does not even come close to matching the taste at all… I would compare this to a mild tasting Mountain Dew Pitch Black, it was a very forgettable taste that left me disappointed.

AT has very minimal carbonation, light metallic tingle on the tip of your tongue but does leave that filmy residue on the roof of your mouth. I would give this drink a high “hawker factor”… you could produce a mean high volume hawker to spit after just 1/3 of a can of Amp Traction.

Traction includes taurine, guarana, caffeine, d-Ribose, ginseng, HFCS and B vitamins.

Overall I could drink a whole can of this with no problem, but it tastes like a plain dull grape soda.

Radioactive Energy (RE) comes in a 10.5 oz can with a vinyl overlay label. The label is pretty cool since it will glow in the dark BUT you need to hold the label to a light to “charge” it for a better view.

RE has a dull yellow color with no foamy head when poured into a glass. I really couldn’t smell a distinct aroma that was describable so I will call this a dull aroma.

Radioactive has a very sour / bitter taste that will really make you pucker up on that first sip. I did not find my first sip pleasant at all, I was ready to pour out the rest of the can….. RE is not sweet tasting by any means but it is very dry and has a blah aftertaste that I can’t pinpoint. RE is a very forgettable drink, it does not have an qualities that really make this stand out besides the name and label. I do have to mention that this drink gets SLIGHTLY better after the first few sips, but I would still have to rate this 5/10.

Save your $2 and pick a different drink!