REVIEW OF ARMA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 5.6 OUT OF 10.


     Lately I have been a bit desperate at trying to find drinks to review, since I am well past the stage where you walk into a gas station and realize you've tried everything they offer. Fortunately, a company called Arma was gracious enough to send me samples of their products. Arma is unlike any other energy brand that I've seen. They have caffeinated potato chips, trail mix, nuts, and other snack items. They also have an energy drink, which is what I'll be reviewing today, so let's get cracking.

     Arma comes in a black, 16 ounce can with no flavor description on it. This leads me to believe that it will probably try to imitate one of the more popular energy drinks. As it turned out, my prediction was accurate, and it did taste a lot like a variation of Monster. My only beef with the flavor is that it can be a bit harsh on the palate. But I suppose when you have freaking caffeinated potato chips, you don't really need your energy drink's flavor to be completely original. Overall, I thought the flavor was just fine.

     Powering Arma Energy is 200 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 160 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of inositol, 400 milligrams of guarana, 50 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 1,200 milligrams of glucuronolactone, 50 milligrams of l-carnitine, and 50 milligrams of l-glutamine. Nothing to fancy here, just a solid energy blend.

     As mentioned earlier, the caffeine content is 160 milligrams per 16 ounce can. That is basically the standard amount for most energy drinks, and to be honest, it did absolutely nothing to me at all. The only thing I can say is that this should have the same effectiveness as a Monster, or something similar. It really does get frustrating when I don't get an effect from an energy drink, but that's only because I have a strangely high caffeine tolerance.

     Arma Energy is really just your basic energy drink in a basic package. I can tell that this is probably not their best seller, and I can easily understand why. There's nothing bad about it, it's just....average. What isn't average is a bag of caffeinated potato chips. I can't wait to review those. Oh, did I mention they were barbecue flavored?

REVIEW OF AMP ACTIVE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

Courtesy of AMP Energy

RATING: 6.9 OUT OF 10.

     After my last review of Amp Boost Grape, I soon realized I messed up in saying it only had 80 mgs of caffeine, and I soon corrected it. So I decided to go with another one of the overhauled line, and chose their Amp Active, formerly Amp Lightning, which is now intended to be more of a functional sports energy drink. Lightning was one of my favorite of the old Amp line, so I have really high hopes for this particular drink.

     In tasting this, once again I get the same taste as what was Lightning. The taste mirrors that of the yellow Gatorade variety, except with carbonation. Overall, it is a very pleasing drink, and tastes like what I expect a sports energy drink would. Despite the fact the taste never changed, this one is a step up from the grape variety, and was really impressive.

     160 mgs is about the standard for an energy drink, I suppose. It hits the mark for where you have to be to get a decent buzz rating at least. However, I grade different drinks in different ways, and caffeine only covers a portion of it. The other part would be the ingredients that make it a "sports energy" drink, which I suppose in this case is the electrolytes. It fairs well enough even with the electrolytes only to score an average rating, however I am impressed overall.

     Amp Active now makes the line 1 for 2, and was very impressive. It was a pleasant drink that I could see myself buying again, and was well worth the money I payed. As with the first, the can is nice and clean, the taste is good, and the buzz is on an average level. All in all, this drink delivers where the previous Amp Boost Grape did not, and has left me satisfied.

Reviewed by Dylan 

REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR XDURANCE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 240 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.

     It has been an unbelievable amount of time since I've reviewed two drinks in two days, but when it's a new drink from one of the big boys, it has to be done. Yesterday, I tried Rockstar Iced and found it to be pleasing on the palate, although that quite as pleasing as Monster Rehab. Now I'm here to try Rockstar Xdurance, and as far as I can tell, Monster does not have a similar drink. This seldom occurs, as the two rivals generally will go toe-to-toe with their offerings. But enough fluff, let's check out Rockstar Xdurance.

     Xdurance is marketed as a performance energy drink and it supposed to help with physical performance. The flavor is advertised as blueberry/pomegranate/acai, and after taking a sip, I can verify the flavor. The drink is definitely dominated by blueberry, with strong pomegranate undertones, and the acai taking a back seat. I enjoyed the flavor combination and thought Rockstar did a nice job with it. It's not the best drink the offer, but it's still far from the worst.

     Powering this Rockstar drink is 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 240 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of l-valine, 50 milligrams of l-leucine, 50 milligrams of l-isoleucine, 50 milligrams of green tea polyphenols, and 50 milligrams of guarana seed extract. Those branched chain amino acids make this an extremely unique Rockstar blend.

     With three times as much caffeine as a Red Bull, this drink should have no problem putting you into high gear. As for me, I received an effect that was at mid-range, and tapered off in a few hours with no crash thanks to just 2 grams of sugar. Unfortunately, I didn't really notice a difference with the amino acids.

     Rockstar Xdurance is a pretty solid energy drink overall. The flavor combination is easy on the palate, and the unique blend is definitely another plus. Looks like Rockstar has produced another winner, and we'll see if they can keep that up when I review Rockstar Coconut Water tomorrow.

REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR ICED

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 240 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.7 OUT OF 10.


     Throughout this blog's history, I've reviewed 14 different flavors of Rockstar. As a matter of fact, if you amalgamate all of my reviews of Monster and Rockstar products, it would constitute for nearly 11 percent of all 280+ reviews. Anyhow, Rockstar has "recently" come out with four new drinks. They are: Iced, Xdurance, Relax, and Coconut Water. My executive editor Dylan has already covered Rockstar Relax, so it is my turn to review Rockstar Iced. Onward to the review!

     Rockstar Iced comes in an exceptionally inviting gold 16 ounce can. The contrast between the gold background and the black star make for an impeccable product display. It is certainly in the top 10 or top 5 of the best packaging I've seen. Iced is supposed to compete with Monster Rehab, although Rehab was lemonade and iced tea, and Rockstar Iced is peach and tea. Nevertheless, Rockstar did a very nice job with this one. The sweetness of the peach cuts the tea's bitterness just enough so that it doesn't become overpowering. I found it to be deliciously sweet and refreshing. I would certainly put it high up on the charts.

     Let's see what kind of horsepower Rockstar Iced is packing. It has 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin 12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 240 milligrams of caffeine, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 50 milligrams of l-carnitine, and 50 milligrams of guarana seed extract. Once again, another very solid blend from the folks at Rockstar.

     With 240 milligrams of caffeine, this drink has 50 percent more caffeine than a traditional energy drink, and 3 times as much caffeine as a Red Bull. That being said, I felt that Rockstar Iced produced some solid effectiveness and brought me out of my afternoon slump. Rockstar was also smart enough to not use sugar, so there's no crash when the buzz where's off. Not bad Rockstar, not bad at all.

     While I would rank Monster Rehab slightly higher than this, I believe Rockstar has successfully produced an iced tea drink. The sweet flavor coupled with the nice blend and solid kick makes this a great energy drink. I am extremely eager to review their other new offerings. Look for those reviews in the near future.

REVIEW OF AMP BOOST GRAPE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

Courtesy of CAFFEINE! The Energy Blog

RATING: 5.6 OUT OF 10.

     To try and revive the struggling brand, Amp was recently overhauled to give off a better image. As part of this, they cleaned up the can designs, and made them more visually appealing. As far as I know, nothing really changed taste wise or buzz wise, but the line as a whole looks more appealing. 

     For any of you who have had the old Amp Traction, it was a slightly pleasing artificial grape flavor. The overhaul did not change this in anyway. I was never a fan of Traction, and I am quite disappointed to see no flavor change in the revamp of their line.

     A standard Mountain Dew only has 54 mgs of caffeine, and when they made Amp, they only added an extra 26 mgs. 80 mgs per serving isn't exactly something to wow over. It is the bare minimum of how most of the big boys play it, and not nearly satisfying of my energy needs. That being said, Amp has decided to make their drinks more functional, which I'll give them points back for. When it's all said and done, Amp didn't wow me, but the new direction they have chosen works ok. Another disappointment of this overhaul was not increasing their buzz ingredients. 80 mgs of caffeine just doesn't cut it for me, and I am not impressed.

     All in all, Amp Boost Grape doesn't live up to expectations. The new line revamp has left them 0 for 1, with there still being 6 drinks to go. And for all of those drinks, this one has certainly lowered my expectations.

Reviewed by Dylan

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REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR RELAX - NEW REVIEWER!

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

Courtesy of Thirsty Dudes

RATING: 6.4 OUT OF 10.
     No, it's not Avery, the usual man who does these reviews. It's your old friend Dylan from NRG Drink Euphoria. I scaled back to making reviewing a part time thing, and now have joined A2E as co-reviewer. My inaugural review as a member of A2E will be Rockstar Relax, the new drink from Rockstar as they take their first steps into the anti-energy category.

     I had high hopes for this drink in the taste category, but it turned out to be quite roller coaster ride for me. At first I got the nice taste I was expecting, which was a nice smooth guava. I figured it would stay constant throughout after reading Energy Heaven's review of it, but it turned into a bitter, disappointing flavor following my first sip, and to follow that more hints of the initial taste. I like consistency in my drinks, and this let me down, and I'm sad to see that it didn't live up to the high hopes I had after reading other reviews.

     With some light dosage of chamomile, rose hips, and passion flower, I wasn't expecting to be completely drowsy upon consumption. And that is just what I got, as the 100 mgs of the three ingredients above didn't do that much for me. I was a bit calmer and more mellow, but no where near relaxation.

     Overall, Rockstar Relax was a fair attempt at a creating an anti-energy drink. The taste and buzz we're both on an average level, and the packaging was fairly nice. In the end, they have made a product slightly worth your money, but there are other drinks more suitable for your anti-energy needs.

Reviewed by Dylan

REVIEW OF STREET KING GRAPE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN

RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10. 


     The energy shot market is slowly being transformed into a cornucopia of 5 Hour Energy clones. Fortunately, some companies try to deviate from the norm and create an interesting product. One such product is Street King Energy Shot. It may look like a normal shot, but it is actually endorsed by 50 Cent, and every purchase of Street King goes to feeding a starving child. I think it is a respectable cause, and their website tells me they have already fed 3.5 million children. Well done Street King, well done. Now let's find out if you make a great energy shot.

     Street King comes in a very clean, black, 2.5 ounce bottle. It comes in two flavors: Orange Mango and Grape. I went for the latter, since I'm more of a grape fan than an orange mango fan. After unscrewing the top, I slammed it back and was surprised by the pleasant flavor. Typically, grape flavored shots need a chaser, but not this one. I thought is tasted pretty darn good for a concentrate 2.5 ounce shot. A solid effort by Street King.

     What energy ingredients does Street King have to offer? Well, it has 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and 464 milligrams of malic acid, caffeine, sodium citrate, and citicoline. It also contains gingko leaf extract. Sadly, the caffeine content is undisclosed and they only provide that "as much as a cup of coffee" nonsense. Personally, I think the blend could use a little work. How about throwing in some gaurana or more b vitamins?

     Despite my thoughts about the drink needing a better energy blend, I still received some solid effectiveness from this shot. I've had it on multiple occasions and received a decent boost every time. Once again, if you have a lower caffeine tolerance this should definitely work. Try it in place of your 5 Hour Energy and you may never go back.

     In a boring world of Red Bull clones and 5 Hour Energy clones, it's nice to see an energy shot that makes an attempt to step away from the pack. Even if it's something as simple as feeding hungry children, it's still something different. But, does Street King succeed as an energy shot? Well, it certainly is not breathtaking, but it gets the job done. In short, it's a solid energy shot.

REVIEW OF DREAM WATER

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

RATING: 7.8 OUT OF 10.


     Before I get started with this review, let me just thank The Soda Jerks for the twentieth time for letting me post my review of Hype. Hopefully, I will be writing more review for The Soda Jerks in the near future. With that task out of the way, let's get to the product I will be reviewing today. Straight out of Miami, Florida comes yet another anti-energy shot. This one is called Dream Water, so let's just get right to it.

     Dream Water comes in a white, 2.5 ounce bottle with a screw-off top. This makes it much easier to open, unlike most energy shots which usually require a knife and the assistance of 5 other people. The nice folks at Dream Water provided me with the Snoozeberry flavor (blueberry and pomegranate), and I have to say I was impressed. I never actually refrigerated Dream Water, but it did not hinder the flavor. It lacks the overly tart, artificial berry flavor of most energy shots. The flavor is actually pretty light, which is probably why they call it Dream Water. All in all, it's a great tasting anti-energy shot.

     So, what does Dream Water have hiding under the hood? It's simple. It has 150 milligrams of gamma-aminobutyric acid, melatonin, and l 5-hydroxytryptophan. The exact amount for any of these ingredients is not specified, which is rather unfortunate. Nevertheless, I think the blend is decent at best.

     Congratulations, you've made it through 3 segments of what I believe is a very lackadaisically written review, but remember, you're at the best part. That's right, your about to find out of this little bugger turned my lights out. As a matter of fact, I took this at 9:30 last night, and was fast asleep an hour later. Normally, I can fight off the effects of melatonin, but this time I was not successful. I must say, I was very pleased with the drink's effectiveness.

     I've always been a fan of anti-energy shots, and I have to say I enjoyed Dream Water. The only cons are that it doesn't really bring anything new to the table, and the blend is a little lackluster. Other than that, it has a great flavor and it can easily put you to sleep. And that's really all I want after a "hard" day of school.

REVIEW OF HYPE MFP

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 8 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 6.1 OUT OF 10. 

     There are very few energy drinks that I have wanted to try for years. One of them is Hype, and fortunately for me, a little miracle occurred a week ago. I received a generous email from Hype notifying me about samples. I instantaneously jumped on board and accepted the samples. When it arrived the mail, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the impeccable product display. Each can was placed in its own little section, in a beautiful and elegant black box. The first flavor I pulled out was Hype MFP. So, without further ado, let's get right into the taste.

     Hype MFP comes in a sleek and sophisticated carbon fiber can. Unfortunately, the can isn't actually made of carbon fibre, but the design is still pretty cool. I've always wanted to try this because back in 2007, Energy Drink Ratings gave this a 9.7 for taste. Would I agree? No. I wouldn't. In fact, I am extremely disappointed, almost frustrated. No one is going to agree with me on this but I think it tastes very similar to Red Bull. You obviously do not concur with that, so the comment section is open for you to voice your strong disagreement and disapproval. I really wish I thought it didn't taste like Red Bull, but to me it just does! That is just incredibly frustrating. Hopefully the original Hype will be better.

     So, the flavor was a bit frustrating, but how is the blend? Well, it has taurine, caffeine, glucuronolactone, guarana extract, inositol, niacin, pantothenic acid, vitamin b2, vitamin b6, and vitamin b12. The caffeine content is rated at a modest 80 milligrams per 8 ounce can.

     Since this can is only 8 ounces and the caffeine content isn't that extreme, I wasn't expecting a whole lot of effectiveness from this. Obviously, I was correct. Due to my high caffeine tolerance, this barely put a dent in me. However, this should provide a relatively decent kick for a modest consumer. I am not sure how widely distributed it is, but if you see any at your grocery store, don't be afraid to pick it up.

     As it turns out, the first flavor of the drink I've always wanted to try turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. I really wanted it to taste like something unique and different, but to me it only tasted like Red Bull. Hype did regain some points for its decent energy blend, and the effectiveness should be pretty modest. I am eagerly looking forward to reviewing the original Hype to see if it is any better.