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!

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.

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.

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!

Today we are sampling Nature’s Nitro2Go thanks to Rob who donated this drink to EDG for review! N2G has a different look on each side, the picture you see here is the vertical design and the other side offers a horizontal design that claims “Liquified Intensity”

Once you crack open N2G you don’t really notice any distinct aroma, just the standard hints of Red Bull. N2G has a solid gold color and is super fizzy when pured into a glass. (Just think draft beer) I would classify this drink as a champagne of energy drinks, you need to sip this drink you don’t chug it. The carbonation will work your tongue overtime and then you will notice the similar taste of red bull but with some fruitier overtones!

Nitro includes Vitamins C, B6 + B12, niacin (without the flush feel), inositol, taurine and caffeine.

Overall this is not a bad drink, fruity taste and smell but ranks in with all the other average drinks out there.

Recoil Energy will grab your attention with the military inspired can and the long set of legs shown on this can! The can shows a tall girl with camo hot pants, holding a SKS rifle and wearing some belt fed ammo over her shoulder! I give credit to the marketing team for this design!

Here is a quick blurb from the distributors website:

“How are you going to get through a long day of work, soccer practices, and bedtime stories? Samantha’s RECOIL ENERGY is specifically formulated to give that needed boost. RECOIL ENERGY reinvigorates you with L-Carnitine, Taurine, Ginseng, and B Vitamins with only five calories per can (8.3 FL OZ). RECOIL ENERGY gives you that extra boost without the diet busting sugar. At the office or on-the-go, RECOIL ENERGY will help you outlast the competition. RECOIL ENERGY is an integral part of the Samantha Lyle Fitness Plan.”

Lets crack this can open and see what we get…. the aroma is very faint and cant really describe but maybe a slight Red Bull smell.

Recoil has a yellowish gold color that is pretty similar to multiple other energy drinks we have sampled.

The first sip of Recoil is very sweet, I think this may be due to the artificial sweeteners (this is the same for almost all sugar free energy drinks) but it is only 5 calories for those of you interested. There are very tiny carbonation bubbles that attack your tongue to produce a nice effervescent feel. The taste that recoil offers is similar to a citrus Jello, not lemon but something in that range. Unfortunately Recoil has a very forgettable taste that really stand out… Some people may like that feature but I personally like a more robust tasting energy drink.

I would rate the energy boost of Recoil similar to a Red Bull, no niacin flush feel and it doesn’t give you the shakes which is good! Recoil normally sells for $2.49/can but I want to say thanks to Adam for sending me this sample to review!

I am going to get straight to the point! THIS STUFF ROCKS! (no pun intended)

I was a huge Rockstar Guava fan but it looks like Punched is going to give it a run for the money! RS tropical punch makes Hawaiian Punch taste like water!

I really enjoy this drink, its refreshing, crisp, good robust flavor, nice inviting red/pink color,  mild carbonation and the best part is that it finishes cleans and no dry aftertaste!  If you are trying to decided between BooKoo Punch and RSP there is no contest, put that bookoo down and go straight for the RSP unless you enjoy cottonmouth!

RSP comes in a 16 oz can and also includes the red pull tab with the etched in RR on it.

The goodies include: 2000mg taurine, 300mg ginkgo, 240mg caffeine, 50mg guarana, 50mg inositol, 50mg ginseng and 40mg milk thistle.

It’s Friday and we are sampling a BooKoo punch this morning!  BooKoo comes in a 16oz can and has a red/blue color combo that looks good.

Once we crack this can open you get that standard fruit punch aroma similar to Hawaiian Punch!  When i first tasted this it gave me a metal-like taste on my mouth, does BooKoo grind up some aluminum foil to put in this drink?  You will notice the medium carbonation and the tingly bite on your tongue after a few swigs.  This drink has made me add a new category called “cotton mouth”!  Once you swallow this drink the drying effect sets in and now you’re thirsty.  BooKoo is not a thirst quenching beverage by any means, it’s actually a pretty disappointing drink in my books and rough on your throat.  This gets at least 1 thumb down from me!

BKP does include 2060mg of taurine and 206mg of Ginseng.