REVIEW OF KILLER BUZZ PROTO

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 6.7 OUT OF 10.


     Recently, a small energy drink company named Killer Buzz went through a total brand makeover, and when I say "total brand makeover", I mean it. Killer Buzz added several new flavors and completely changed their can design. I am extremely excited to review all of them, but I feel it's only fair if I review the original flavor first. So, without further ado, here's my review of Killer Buzz Proto.

     Killer Buzz Proto, stylized "KLR BZ", comes in a sleek silver/green/black brushed aluminum can. I'd say it's a pretty adequate packaging design. Unfortunately, Killer Buzz does not provide a flavor description other than calling it "proto". Naturally, I expected another Red Bull clone. It came relatively close, but it wasn't quite a clone. It had something extra, maybe a mix between Monster and Red Bull. It was almost what I like to call the "typical energy drink" flavor. All things considered, I thought it tasted all right.

     Inside a 16 ounce can of Killer Buzz Proto we find: 160 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 50 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 340 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 80 percent daily value of vitamin b12, as well as an amalgamation of taurine, 17 amino acids (Giant Hornet Amino Acids), caffeine (200 milligrams per can), and inositol.

     With an amazing 17 amino acids and 200 milligrams of caffeine, I was expecting this drink to be pretty effective. As it turns out, this drink gave me one of the strangest kicks I've ever had. I wasn't necessarily more alert or anything, but my hands were a bit jittery. I don't think I've ever had a drink that has made me feel this way. It's not a bad thing by any means, it's just a bit strange that a drink can make me a little jittery and not feel like it woke me up a lot.

     The revamped version of Killer Buzz is almost a success. I can see myself being more of a fan of the other flavors, because I find the traditional energy drink flavor to be extremely unoriginal. Killer Buzz's energy blend isn't quite top notch, but the 17 amino acids is almost overkill. It also gave me one of the strangest kicks I've had. Unless you adore the taste of Red Bull or Monster, I suggest you skip this and go for some of their other flavors. There's a chance they might be a little better.

REVIEW OF ROCKET SHOT BERRY BLAST

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 5.2 OUT OF 10.

     It isn't often that I come across an energy shot I've never heard of, and it's even more seldom when my father tells me about it. He and I were briefly discussing an energy shot that he bought for me, and despite him not knowing what the name was, I insisted that I had heard of it. As it turns out, the energy shot is called Rocket Shot, and although the name may sound vaguely familiar, I know next to nothing about it. He brought home two flavors: berry blast and orange mango. I went for the berry blast.

     The packaging on this is lively, yet still generic. You can easily tell that they don't have a lot of money to put into this, otherwise the packaging would come out a little nicer. Judging by a review from Energy Drink Ratings, I was expecting the flavor to be unpalatable. Fortunately, I was incorrect. The flavor was a  sweet, artificial amalgamation of berries. It was impossible to determine what berries were used, but overall I didn't think it was that bad, and it didn't require a chaser afterwards.

     One of the most important aspects to any energy drink is it's energy blend. Let's see what Rocket Shot has to offer. It has 100 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 250 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 80 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 50 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, and an energy blend containing caffeine, taurine, and inositol. Honestly I think that blend is quite shoddy, and since the energy blend is only 130 milligrams, that means the caffeine content could be 80 milligrams or less. That's simply not up to par with the other energy shots.

     Due to Rocket Shots lack of a potent energy blend, this little bugger struggled to get me energized. I have been going on a bit of a caffeine detoxification lately, so the "effect" portion of my review will be a bit more accurate. I noticed mild effectiveness from this, and that's basically what I was expecting. A drink with this amount of caffeine probably isn't going to do a whole lot.

     Rocket Shot is the epitome of the word: average. Except, it isn't quite average. It's actually below it. The flavor is its strong point, and even that isn't very "strong." In my humble opinion, if you ever come across this at your local convenience store, please pick up whatever energy shot is next to it. I guarantee it will be far superior to this mediocre drink.

REVIEW OF NOS LOADED CHERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 260 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

Courtesy of Brett's Energy Drinks

RATING: 6.6 OUT OF 10.

     A drink line I never get excited about, but still find to be solid is Nos. They have solid drinks, but never really appeal to me. Loaded Cherry has been with us for a while, but I have never seen it until now, and seeing as the other drinks in the gas stations cooler were known Red Bull clones, I reached for this.

     The taste starts up with a good Dr. Pepper flavor. Dr. Pepper is a drink which I really love, and was hoping this would maintain the flavor. It didn't. It turned to an odd cherry flavor, and not like Dr. Pepper Cherry, but worse. I really didn't like it after a while, but I dealt with it. The flavor change was one of the most disappointing I've experienced.

     260 mgs of caffeine is pretty good, and managed to salvage their drink's reputation. With b vitamins, taurine, inositol, and l-carnitine, it packs a pretty decent blend to back the caffeine. Nos would be the kinda drink one buy to help them through the day, and would do a good job of keeping one awake.

     Nos Loaded Cherry is a disappointment to the line in flavor, but holds true to the buzz. I don't see this drink making their line more popular due to the taste, and I really hope to see the taste revised in the future. If they could've stuck with the Dr. Pepper-ish flavor, this drink would be amazing.

Reviewed By Dylan

REVIEW OF ARIZONA RX ENERGY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN

Courtesy of The Energy Drink Resource

RATING: 4.3 OUT OF 10.

     As I was browsing my local gas station this morning, I saw a drink I had seen on other sites before, but had never been able to lay eyes upon in person. It is labeled as an herbal tonic, so it really piqued my interest. I love AriZona's brand, and while they usually have great can designs, I hate this one. I'm not sure about why I hate it, but the only part that stands out to me is the 99 cent tag on it. 

     This drink has a really fruity flavor to it. With the whole claims to it being an "herbal tonic", I was a tad disappointed. I soon learned to cope with the disappointment. I soon had to learn to cope with a new disappointment, one much harder to deal with. The citrus-ish flavor had began to leave a dry feeling in my mouth, and later developed an aftertaste that made me kinda sick to my stomach. However, it was good when you got past those 2 things, and when really cold, AriZona Rx delivers in a pretty good way in the taste department.

     What I Drink At Work listed this to have 112 mgs of caffeine. That being said, the amount will stay as unknown because I never found it on the can directly. I never expected this to be a mind blowing energy drink, but I do like the healthiness of it. All the antioxidants and b vitamins, plus the addition of guarana (thus proving there is some caffeine <---). I'll say it is a solid drink for those looking for a lightly energized drink, and for those looking for a nice healthy tea drink.

     Overall, AriZona did another good, solid drink in their line of teas. While not really delivering in the buzz section, they made a decent tasting drink, and I will commend them for it.

Reviewed By Dylan

REVIEW OF TEAM REALTREE OUTDOOR WHITE BUCK

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

Courtesy of Team Realtree

RATING: 5.4 OUT OF 10.

     Back on NRG Drink Euphoria, I tried 2 of these drinks, and was ok with them fairly well, but now as I am more understanding of what to look for, I see these drinks weren't nearly as worthy of the kindness I gave them. White Buck is a fairly new flavor from the line, and one I haven't had the pleasure of finding until today, when I walked into a gas station, and this was the only energy drink they sold. Like the other varieties, White Buck has a nice looking bottle can. The design catches my attention well, and despite being more of a redneck-ish kind of design, it would be very appeal to anyone who may pass buy it on the shelf.

     Seeing as it was snow camouflage themed, I was hoping for it to be like Slap Frost, and have the chilling effect of menthol. That was not what I go at all. I was unfortunate to be in the possession of yet another low rate Red Bull clone. It has a slightly bitter taste, and an unpleasant gumminess to it. After a little while I began to enjoy it, but as it progressively warmed, it became quite harsh.

     There was no actual amounts given, but it has some caffeine, taurine, and some B vitamins. By going on what I experienced throughout my day, I got a slight lift from this drink, but nothing really to brag about. I don't see this very effective as an energy drink for the American outdoorsman, but I guess this drink is more for show anyways.

     Overall, this particular Team Realtree drink delivered once again as far as the can design goes. I was in no way in love with the taste, and the buzz was sub par. All in all, White Buck didn't deliver for me, and proved itself to be another makeshift Red Bull clone.


Reviewed by Dylan

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