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

Today we are going to review a drink that Emilie was so kind to donate to the site. Mini Thin Rush (MTR) comes in a 2 oz plastic screw top bottle with a plastic color wrap and the slogan of “Feel the RUSH!”. The label shows various activities such as swimming, bike riding, tennis and basketball.

Mini Thin Rush claims

*Instant Energy

*No Crash

*Sugar Free - less than 1 carb

This version of MTR is berry flavor and once you open the top it has a very fragrant fruit punch aroma that is very pleasing, reminds me of Hawaiian Punch. We have just sampled Rockstar Punch not too long ago so I was thinking MTR may be similar due to the aroma and solid red color….. I was wrong in every aspect of that assumption. MTR taste nothing like it smells, this has a very medicinal flavor that reminds me of Robitussion cough syrup. I could even create a new category called Jekyll and Hyde since this is such a drastic change from smell to taste. Once you get past the medicine taste MTR will leave a slight metallic aftertaste.

OK, enough with the taste… what does 6 hr energy do for you? The first time I sampled this drink I didn’t really notice much of a pick up boost…. I then tried it again the next day and noticed a good 3 hr boost of energy that didn’t crash on me.

Bottom line: Mini Thin Rush does not taste good BUT it can give you a energy boost without having to drink a 16 oz can of other drinks. Twist the cap, slug it down and move along!

This morning I stopped in at the local Circle K gas station to pick up a 32 oz Go Ape Energy fountain drink. Here is a picture that I snapped with my cell phone, nothing super crazy just an ape with a barbell…..
Go Ape is RED is color and would love to stain anything it touched including your tongue… The aroma reminds you of cherry Jello after you just dumped in the boiling water in… BUT the taste is similar to a strawberry Jello flavor and Go Ape packs a mean ass TART bite that will wake you up!! I must admit the tart bite is one of the features I like about this drink, the one thing I don’t care for is the slight dry taste that stays on the roof of your mouth! I am not sure what the ingredient list is for Go Ape but it must have some caffeine, taurine or guarana because it will give you a nice little boost!

The best part of Go Ape is—– $.59 for a 32 oz cup! That’s the best deal in energy drinks out there!

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 just got word that a local C-store has Monster Heavy Metal in stock.  I need to get over there and pick up a can!!    I have quite a few other drinks to review, I have received some samples in the mail to review (thanks for those) and I will try and get to those soon!

Keep the comments coming!

Today we are sampling Turn Left Energy so get your ZZ Top turned on and lets go. (Damn that was a pretty cheesy opening line..)

TLE has a nice light gold color and a very faint citrus aroma when you take a sniff. The first sip you take reveals light carbonation and an artificial kiwi flavor that leaves a heavy film inside your mouth. Let a minute or so go by and you notice a strong aftertaste, dry cottonmouth and that lingering film.

This drink is not very refreshing due to the heavy DRY aftertaste. I am glad that I only paid $.50 at Big Lots for this beverage. I also think this drink has a windex or cleaner taste to it… something is just not right with TLE.

“Turn left twice and turn your day around” is their slogan… this drink will sure turn your day around but probably not in a positive way.

TLE has the standard complement of goodies:

Hot off the shelf from the local Speedway gas station, EDG is proud to bring you Monster Mixxd! Monster has just release another batch of new flavors and this is the first one (energy + juice) that I have found.

The can is very similar to the M80 design but with purple, not a bad looking can. The pull tab is black and has the “M” etched on it.

Lets crack this open and see what we get…. very little carbonation upon opening and minimal fizz when poured into a glass. Mixxd has a deep purple color that almost looks like a cola from certain angles and light conditions. The first swig of Mixxd is very interesting….. it reminds me of a diet cola mixed with prune juice. (yes, that bad) I had to call in a second opinion from my coworkers to confirm my findings and they all agreed on the prune juice flavor and smell. I have to admit that Mixxd gets better after a few swigs, that first one really shocks you!! I had left a few sips in my glass while I took some phone calls and I decided to drink that about 20 mins later. WOW, what a difference 20 mins made on this flavor! The horrible prune taste has disappeared and now we have smooth apple / grape taste that is smooth, finishes cleans and no aftertaste at all! I didn’t know energy drink were like fine wine, we have to sample certain type at specific temperatures!

Mixxd includes all your standard goodies that previous Monster drinks had (taurine, ginseng, B vitamins, guarana, inositol and L-carnitine)

Overall I rate this as an average drink, I will not be running out to buy more but if someone gave me a can I would be more than happy to drink it.

If you don’t like it….. Monster will refund your $$$ (Limit 1 refund per customer)

The 2008 MotoGP season just finished its first testing session and it’s going to be a great year!  Monster has been big with the AMA Supercross series but it looks like they want to get in big leagues and get some MotoGP exposure!  Redbull sponsors the Lagu Seca race and Indianapolis so it’s nice to see Monster get in on some of the action!

From a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing:

“KAWASAKI ANNOUNCE MONSTER PARTNERSHIP

The Kawasaki Racing Team is excited to announce that it will be joining forces with the meanest energy drink on the planet, Monster Energy, for its assault on the 2008 and 2009 MotoGP World Championships.

One of the two leading energy drink brands in the United States, Monster Energy has an undoubted passion for racing, with involvement in many motorsport activities worldwide. The partnership with Kawasaki in MotoGP, the pinnacle of two-wheeled motorsport, is a natural progression for Monster Energy, as they look to expand into the European market following their successful collaboration with Kawasaki’s factory road racing and motocross teams in America.

It’s an exciting start to a new era for the Kawasaki Racing Team. The two-year partnership with Monster Energy marks the first time that a major consumer brand has appeared on the side of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR MotoGP machines since the Japanese engineering powerhouse returned to the premier class six years ago, after an absence of more than two decades.

The Kawasaki Racing Team’s new livery, complete with Monster Energy branding, will be unveiled for the first time during pre-season testing in Phillip Island, Australia on 29 January, when riders, John Hopkins and Anthony West, continue their build up to the 2008 MotoGP season.”

I will be at the Indy GP race in September and hopefully Redbull and Monster will be dishing out the free samples like they do at other events!

Seems to be a big run on “punch” flavor drinks lately…. But let’s get to it and start off 2008 with NOS Fruit Punch!

NOSFP comes in a red can with their trademark style logo and similar to the other drinks in the NOS family. When you first crack open this can it gives you a strong Hawaiian Punch aroma that makes you wonder if this really is an energy drink….. Now that you’re done sniffing lets take a swig and see what we get: we start with medium carbonation that lightly tingles your tongue, the flavor has some bite on the back of your tongue and it changes as it sits in your mouth. I would venture to say that NOSFP tastes like a generic fruit punch flavor that has hints of cherry near the end. I was totally stoaked after drinking Rockstar Punched so NOSFP had some big shoes to fill and NOS totally let me down… I was not pleased with this drink, you will be better off with a RS punched or even a BooKoo Punch.

Cottonmouth…. unfortunately NOSFP will give you some cottonmouth and that is not very refreshing or thirst quenching.

Overall I was rather disappointed with this drink!

Hello readers, I am going to give you a quick peek inside the Energy Drink Guru labs! I have been drinking energy drinks for a few years now and it all started with an excel spreadsheet, my co-workers and few dixie cups. I would bring in a Red bull or a Monster and my co-workers would always ask: “do those really work” or “what do they taste like”…… One day I brought in a can of Monster, grabbed a few dixie cups from the water cooler and setup a make shift bar and I had everyone sample some Monster. As time went on I would bring in a Red Bull, Rockstar or whatever else I could find back in 2003 and I would record all my co-workers ratings in an excel spreadsheet and we’d compare notes every so often. We thought it was crazy once our spreadsheet reached 40 drinks!

Fast forward to Sept 2007…. I have sampled over 160 different energy drinks, I still have a lot of the cans (not sure why I’m saving them) and the energy market is exploding with new drinks every month! I now have friends, customers, co-workers and even some EDG readers bringing/sending in energy drinks that they found for me to sample. I would like to say THANKS to all of you that have donated to my habit!

Hope all of you had a good 2007 and let’s see what 2008 brings!