Let me take the guess work out of buying energy drinks for you! Energy Drink Reviews

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.

Monster “BFC” I’m sure you all can guess what the “BFC” stand for! This is 32 oz of energy packed into 1 can! If you want to be bouncing off the walls this is right up your alley!

We have reviewed Monster before and most of you have sampled it so we will pass on the review but just admire this beast of a can. I have a standard 16 oz can next to it for reference.

-Enjoy

NOS Grape offers an eye catching can with colors similar to Rockstar Guava. This high performance energy drink delivers that trademark artificial grape smell… snow cones, gum, suckers, candy or kool-aid. If there was dictionary with smells, this is what would be listed for grape.

Now that we are done sniffing that artificial grape aroma let take a swig of this drink…..WOW, artificial grape flavor to match that aroma! If I blindfolded you and had you sample this you would think it was grape soda. There is no energy taste at all, just lots or robust artificial grape flavor. I happen to like grape soda so this drink taste good to me, but I don’t wanna pay $2 to drink pop.

NOS grape offers the usual suspects: 2000mg taurine, 400mg L-carnitine, 250mg caffeine, 200mg inositol, 100mg panax ginseng and B vitamins.

If you like expensive grape pop/soda… I got the perfect drink for you!

Today we have a Dickens Energy Cider (DEC) on the sample table! Dickens is distributed by DC Brands. The marketing department decided to go for a black hair chic with red thigh highs and a skimpy red skirt holding a pitch fork! I think they did a good job, too bad the label is better than the drink. DC Brands has all kinds of marketing, they have a model search competition, has promo events at Hooters ect… DEC has a lot of T&A associated with it which is fine by me.

DEC comes in a 16 oz can, offers a fruity aroma on that first sniff and has a standard gold color that looks clear and refreshing. The first sip of DEC is interesting you get all these tiny carbonation bubbles working on your tongue and finishes up with mild to standard carbonation…. BUT once you swallow that first sip you’d think someone just stuffed a bunch of cotton in your mouth!!! DEC has a very DRY taste and leaves you with awful cotton mouth and a film residue on the roof of your mouth.

DEC includes a pretty standard list of goodies: caffeine, taurine, inositol, B vitamins, citric acid and HORNY GOAT WEED!

DEC has the following slogan on the can:

“Taste the Difference, Feel the Difference”

I sure taste the difference…… a difference that I am not hip to. Reminds me of Windex mixed in with an energy drink.