REVIEW OF STARBUCKS DOUBLESHOT COFFEE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 130 MILLIGRAMS PER 6.5 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 9.2 OUT OF 10.


I am surprised that very few energy drink reviewers have touched on this beverage. This is Starbucks Ready To Drink Doubleshot Espresso and Cream. Since it says Doubleshot, I will assume that this is a double shot (2 ounces) of espresso along with reduced-fat milk, sugar, cream, nonfat milk, caramel color, and ascorbic acid. No, that is not a typo, milk is included twice. Anyway, moving on. I took some ice and put it in a glass. Then I poured the contents of the drink inside. It comes out a rich brown which is just what I expected. I took a sip and it is rich espresso with cream. It's sweet but not as sweet as some other coffee drinks such as Monster Java. I could also taste some slight coffee bitterness coming through. This was a very nice coffee drink and I would love to drink it again. Ok, so why am I reviewing this drink? Well, in this little 6.5 ounce can there are 130 milligrams of caffeine. That equates to 20 milligrams of caffeine per ounce. That is more concentrated then All City NRG, which is a 16 ounce energy drink with 300 milligrams of caffeine. So there is definitely some serious beans in this beverage. I know it's not as potent as Shock Coffee but this was not marketed to be a seriously caffeinated coffee drink. The kick was nice and lasted maybe 3 or 4 hours. However it works as fast as an energy shot, especially if you slam it like I did. It is actually a pretty good buzz that is not over the top.  This is certainly a beverage that I would recommend to all coffee drinkers. If you are looking for the rich taste of espresso and cream and can't wait to get to Starbucks, then pick up a 4 pack of these bad boys. You won't be disappointed. 9.2 out of 10. The kick just needs to be a tad more powerful to make the Elite List.

REVIEW OF MOUNTAIN DEW WHITE OUT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 54 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 4.6 OUT OF 10.

It looks like Dewmocracy was at it once more with a 3 drink showdown between Distortion, Typhoon, and White Out. Distortion was Mountain Dew with more lemon-lime flavor, Typhoon was a tropical punch if I'm not mistaken, and White Out was a smooth citrus flavor. The voting lasted until June 14 with White Out coming out on top. Distortion had 13 percent of the votes, Typhoon had 40 percent and White Out had 44 percent. White Out won a lot of the states but it was darn close between it and Typhoon, and it ended in only a 4 percent difference. I'm not exactly sure what that is in numbers but I can assure you that 4 percent is a small margin. Ok, I have the winner here right in front of me, so let's have a look at it. First off, the can still says you can try all 3 flavors still but I doubt that is correct because the voting ended 16 days ago. I haven't finished the can quite yet (you'll see why in a moment) but I think I have the taste down. It's like they mixed regular Mountain Dew, which is lemon-lime-orange, and Sprite which is lemon-lime. Some people also say that it's Mountain Dew mixed with Squirt and I couldn't argue. It does taste like Mountain Dew mixed with Squirt but with a lot less of a grapefruit taste. So maybe it's 1/3 original Mountain Dew, 1/3 Squirt, and 1/3 lemon-lime soda. Ok, so the energy enhancing ingredients are 54 milligrams of caffeine. Sorry, this one skipped out on the ginseng that they put in Voltage. As far as other nutritional information goes, this has 170 calories, 60 milligrams of sodium, 46 grams of total carbohydrates, and 46 grams of sugar. Well, it's a bit calorie-ridden but I won't deduct any points. Even though the "kick" hasn't kicked in yet I will still talk about it. It's a can of Mountain Dew White Out. It has 54 milligrams of caffeine. Don't expect it to do much at all. I've had many Mountain Dew's in the past and they never work. But, a Mountain Dew is a Mountain Dew. I'll give this new addition to the line-up a 4.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VAULT ZERO

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 69 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 5.5 OUT OF 10.

Way back on March 6, 2009, Awesome Energy (now Addicted 2 Energy) reviewed it's first energy drink. Well, not exactly an energy drink but a hybrid energy soda. After 140 other reviews, Addicted 2 Energy is visiting the zero sugar, low calorie version of Vault called Vault Zero. This is basically Coca-Cola's way of doing Mountain Dew (or should I say Diet Mountain Dew), but with 15 more milligrams of caffeine. The taste is just like regular Vault except it has an artificial sweetener flavor due to aspartame and acesulfame potassium. If you are unfamiliar with the taste of Vault, it is basically a citrus flavored soda that focuses on an orange juice flavor with lemon and lime undertones. There isn't much in the energy enhancing ingredients department except for the 69 milligrams of caffeine which makes this as concentrated as a Diet Pepsi Max. I am going to rate the kick based on the fact that it is marketed as a hybrid energy soda, which mean part energy drink, part soda. As a soda, it does deliver a nice boost. Absolutely nothing to brag about, but if your looking for a light pick me up, this should do the trick. Well, that's my thoughts on the Vault Zero Hybrid Energy Soda from Coca-Cola. I know the review is short, but there isn't much to say. It's Vault Zero. 5.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF STARBUCKS DOUBLESHOT COFFEE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 146 milligrams per 15 ounce can.

RATING: 6.8 OUT OF 10.

Starbucks has been making these Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks for 2 or 3 years now and when they first came out, they were months behind the Java Monsters. Anyhow, let's check out the coffee flavor. I got some ice and put it in a tall glass, than I poured the drink inside. It comes out a tan color that is just like creamed coffee or iced coffee. The drink was also thicker than most energy drinks. So I took a sip and it is just what I expected. It's a nice iced coffee with no hint of caffeine bitterness. If you like iced coffee, or if you like your coffee sweet then your will love Starbucks Doubleshot. However, if you enjoy your coffee black then the 26 grams of sugar might be a little sweet for you. Alright, what's in this 15 ounce grenade? It has 200 percent daily value of ribovlavin, 200 percent daily value of niacin, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of maltodextrin, 1,800 milligrams of taurine, 450 milligrams of l-carnitine, 180 milligrams of inositol, 325 milligrams of panax ginseng, and 90 milligrams of guarana. It also has 146 milligrams of caffeine which puts it at about the same concentration as the Amp Green Tea. I was expecting a fair to partly cloudy kick and what I got was more like a very cloudy and rainy kick. The thing is, these drinks just don't do anything to me anymore. I only drink them for taste, and hope that they might do something and they hardly do. Even the highly concentrated Ammo Energy Shot had some trouble. However, if you are an average consumer then this should do the trick. Rating? 6.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF CELSIUS GREEN TEA RASPBERRY ACAI

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 9.7 OUT OF 10!

For my 140th review, I will be revisiting the Celsius Energy Drink. This drink claims to "burn up to 100 calories or more in each can!". The flavor is green tea raspberry acai so I was expecting a green tea flavor with some fruitiness. Well, I crack the top on the non-carbonated drink and pour it in a tall glass. It comes out a rich red color which didn't surprise me because of the raspberry. I took a sip and noticed a green tea flavor hit my palate first, followed my a split second of raspberry. After the raspberry has had it's last dying breaths, the acai dominates the beverage and leaves some mild bitterness that is nowhere near intolerable. It is really an interesting flavor combination, but a very excellent taste bud experience. Ok, so what's in this 12 ounce calorie burning drink? Well, it has 1.7 milligrams of riboflavin, 20 milligrams of niacin, 2 milligrams of vitamin b6, 6 micrograms of vitamin b12, 300 micrograms of biotin, 10 milligrams of chromium, and a 1,810 milligram energy blend consisting of taurine, guarana extract, green tea leaf extract, caffiene anhydrous, glucuronolactone, and ginger extract. The caffeine content is listed on the bottom of the can and it comes in at a staggering 200 milligrams per 12 ounce can. That equates to 16 and 2/3 milligrams of caffeine per ounce which makes this the most concentrated caffeineted 12 ounce drink that money can buy. And let me tell you something, it worked very, very well. I normally don't get a good kick out of a Monster or Rockstar, but this was no ordinary energy drink. It hit me hard and fast and I had a mild case of the jitters. I can definitely tell why this is used in the gym. It is quite powerful and lasted 5+ hours, maybe 6. This is truly one of my favorite energy drink companies. It tastes great, the caffeine content is awesome, and the kick is top notch. Rating? 9.7 out of 10!

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REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR RECOVERY LEMONADE

Courtesy of Energy Drink Junkie

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 6.9 OUT OF 10.

So this is a new product from Rockstar Energy Drink and it arrived at the same time as the new and improved Rockstar Energy Cola. This is one is a lemonade flavor, so I new what to expect. On the can it says "Shake Gently", which I forgot to do. I hope it didn't ruin the flavor. Anyway without shaking it the first few sips were quite watered down. But after around half the can I started to warm up to the flavor. How would I describe it? It's a light, crisp, and refreshing lemonade that is a bit watered down and it doesn't hit you with a burst of lemon flavor like Country Time Lemonade. Although this non-carbonated lemonade drink has its minor faults, in all it is a pretty tasty beverage. So, the energy enhancing ingredients. It has 40 milligrams of vitamin b3, 20 milligrams of vitamin b5, 4 milligrams of vitamin b6, 30 micrograms of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 160 milligrams of caffeine, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng extract, 50 milligrams of prickly pear extract, and 40 milligrams of milk thistle extract. That's not a bad list by any means, but it isn't Rockstar's best. The milligrams total out at a tiny bit over 2,414 milligrams. It also only has 20 calories and 2 grams of sugar. On the downside, it uses artificial sweeteners like Sucralose and acesulfame potassium. I slammed down this refreshing lemonade drink while reading Bag of Bones by Stephen King (you should get it, it's a good read). Unfortunately, I never really felt the kick, and to be honest, I'm starting to feel like one of those people who need Spike Shooters, or Redlines, or even Wired X-344 to get them really going. I'm going to rate this based on my experience with it, but the average energy drink consumer should have no problem getting a nice kick out of this. Until then, stay tuned and there are more reviews in the near future. 6.9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR ENERGY COLA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 6.8 OUT OF 10.

At long last, I finally get my hands on the new Energy Cola from Rockstar Energy Drink. First of all, the can should only be described in adjectives starting with the letter "S". Sleek, smooth, steathy, and sexy are all great descriptions of the Rockstar Energy Cola can. Ok, let's get to the flavor. The name of this is Rockstar Energy Cola so I new what to expect. I took a sip and got a nice cola flavor with some hints of what could be citrus. I sort of like the citrusy twist as it adds more depth to the flavor. It is not like a Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola, but nonetheless it is still a pretty good cola drink. All right then, onto the energy enhancing ingredients list. This energy cola has 6.8 milligrams of vitamin b2, 40 milligrams of vitamin b3, 20 milligrams of vitamin b5, 4 milligrams of vitamin b6, 12 micrograms of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 300 milligrams of gingko biloba leaf extract, 160 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of guarana seed extract, 50 milligrams of l-carnitine, 50 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, and 40 milligrams of milk thistle extract. My goodness, what a great energy blend. Totaling 13 energy enhancing ingredients and 2,770.812 milligrams. No it isn't quite as good as the Rockstars with 50 percent more caffeine but it's still pretty darn good. And even though this thing has 260 calories and 66 grams of sugar, it uses Sucrose and Glucose instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup. Moving on now, to the kick. I really don't know what happened or why it was happening or how it happened. But for some reason I just did not feel more awake or alert from drinking Rockstar Energy Cola. Does that make any sense at all? I've had Rockstars in the past with the same energy blend and they all seemed to work. What's the matter with this one? Who knows. I guess I am building up a serious caffeine tolerance? I'm not sure, but I'm going to rate this bad boy. 6.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF MONSTER HITMAN

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 240 MILLIGRAMS PER 3 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 9.5 OUT OF 10.

A few weeks ago I received an E-mail from a person who wanted me to review the Monster Hitman Energy Shooter. So without further ado, this one's for you. (Hey, that rhymes). Anyway this little bugger comes in a 3 ounce bottle so it is a little bit bigger than most energy shots. It is almost all black and it has a nice black screw on top. I screwed off the top and took a look inside. It is colored a lovely, bright, fluorescent green that is quite unique and interesting. I took a tiny sip and..........I am speechless. This is the greatest tasting energy shot I have had, bar none. It's sweet but not sticky and gooey. The flavor is delicious and it was so scrumptious that I didn't bother downing it in one gulp but instead I took it in two or three big sips. So without question, the best tasting energy shot I have had thus far. Ok, onto the list of energy enhancing ingredients. It has 3.4 milligrams of vitamin b2, 40 milligrams of vitamin b3, 4 milligrams of vitamin b6, 12 micrograms of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 400 milligrams of panax ginseng, and a 5,000 milligram energy blend consisting of glucose, l-carnitine, caffeine, inositol, guarana, glucuronolactone, and maltodextrin. Incredibly, this tiny little 3 ounce bottle has 13 energy enhancing ingredients and a whopping 7,447.412 milligrams of energy. That is obviously the most milligrams of energy enhancing ingredients I have seen in any energy shot. But there is one tiny problem. Notice the first ingredient in that 5,000 milligram energy blend. It is glucose. A simple sugar. So that probably means the majority of that 5,000 milligram energy blend is just glucose. Now, let us quickly touch on some caffeine content. This tiny 3 ounce drink has 240 milligrams of caffeine. That is 50 percent more caffeine than a regular Monster only 13 ounces smaller. The concentration is 80 milligrams of caffeine per ounce making this bad boy the 22nd most concentrated energy shot. Ok, so it isn't that concentrated but nonetheless it is still a crap load of caffeine to put into a 3 ounce beverage. So, after downing the delicious shot, I sat and waited for a great kick. In about 10 to 15 minutes I did start to feel a buzz coming on. Surprisingly, the buzz wasn't jittery but it was good. No, I wouldn't say it was holy-crap-this-is-strong good, but just great. Solid. And it lasted quite a long time. Maybe 5 or 6 hours. Time to give this little bugger a rating. 9.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VITAMIN WATER CONNECT

Courtesy of Media Bistro

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 100 MILLIGRAMS PER 20 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 7.9 OUT OF 10.

A huge amount of people have heard of Vitamin Water and currently has over 1.3 million fans on Facebook. Why am I telling you this? It just so happens that the newest flavor of Vitamin Water is made by fans, for fans on Facebook. The name of the new drink is called Connect and the flavor is Black Cherry Lime. The color inside is a vibrant red similar to the XXX flavor. I cracked open the 20 ounce bottle and took a sip. It tasted just like any other Vitamin Water except there was one small difference. There was a slight bitter taste. Were would that come from you may ask? It comes from the 100 milligrams of caffeine they put in this drink. The flavor itself actually sort of wakes you up because it is very refreshing. It is also not very watered down and it is definitely sweet. It is extremely similar to other sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade. So, what does this bottle have in it that makes it energizing? Well, per 20 ounce bottle it has 100 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and 100 milligrams of caffeine. You get all this with 250 percent daily value of vitamin c and 32.5 grams of sugar. 100 milligrams of caffeine may sound like a good amount, but they concentration is about the same as a Sun Drop. So, did this new flavor of Vitamin Water give me any extra energy? Well, it certainly was there and it was a nice moderate boost. It was exactly what I would expect from a 20 ounce drink with 100 milligrams of caffeine. It was good and lasted about 4 hours. Ok, time to give this drink a rating. 7.9 out of 10. 

REVIEW OF ENERGY CATALYST

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 100 MILLIGRAMS PER 0.23 OUNCE CONTAINER.

RATING: 9 OUT OF 10.

This is most definitely the future of energy enhancing products. Energy Catalyst is an energy mixer that you can add to anything without changing the flavor. The directions say to mix it with ten or more ounces of liquid. Since I had it in the morning, I put it in 10 ounces of Orange Juice. I took a sip, hoping there would be no change to the flavor at all. Nope, not even a trace of flavor change. It did not alter my Orange Juice one bit. This is truly an awesome product so far. I absolutely adore its versatility. Let's say you wish sprite had caffeine? Just add Energy Catalyst and wham! Your Sprite has now become nearly twice as caffeinated as a can of Mountain Dew without changing the clean and crisp lemon-lime flavor. Well we have clearly noticed that it does not change the flavor of drinks. But what makes this thing tick? Well, it only has 4 ingredients: purified water, natural caffeine (water extracted), natural flavor, and natural vitamin b12 (methylcobalamin). The caffeine content is 100 milligrams and the vitamin b12 content is 1.5 micrograms. You get this with 0 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 1.5 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of total carbohydrate, and o grams of protein. Once again, Energy Catalyst impressed me. I love how it is calorie free without using artificial sweeteners. 100 milligrams of caffeine diluted in 10 ounces of liquid will give you the same amount of caffeine per ounce as a typical Monster, Rockstar or Red Bull. So, I chugged my Orange Juice and waited for the kick. I would say I got a decent pick me up from this. It was exactly what I expected from 100 milligrams of caffeine. I really do like Energy Catalyst. It does not change the flavor of your favorite drink, it is naturally calorie free, and it delivers a decent kick. Rating? A 9 out of 10. I know this might seem like a high rating but the taste is obviously a 10 because you can just mix it in your favorite drink. I also gave bonus points for being all natural.

REVIEW OF VENOM KILLER TAIPAN.

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 169 MILLIGRAMS PER 16.9 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10.

Venom Energy Drink is the one of the only energy drink companies I know that have the thick aluminum bottles. The Killer Taipan, which is a mango flavor, is one of the two newest flavors of the Venom line-up. So, as for taste, right on the can it says Mango so I knew what to expect. I twisted off the lid and took a sip. Yep, it's definitely mango but a different sort of mango. As a matter of fact, I looked at the can again and saw that it said Venom Energy Plus Mango. And that is exactly what it tasted like: Venom Energy (A slightly different Red Bull Clone) and mango. Onward to the energy enhancing ingredients. In one 16.9 ounce bottle this venomous beast has 3.59125 milligrams of riboflavin, 42.25 milligrams of niacin, 4.225 milligrams of vitamin b6, 12.675 micrograms of vitamin b12, 422.5 milligrams of ginseng extract, and a 6,377.5 milligram energy blend consisting of: taurine, l-carnitine, caffeine, guarana, inositol, glucuronolactone, and maltodextrin. All together that is 12 energy enhancing ingredients and 6,810.078925 milligrams. That is quite a bit if I do say so myself. Ok, time for the kick. I would have to say that this drink gave me a decent boost of energy. It was jittery free and mild all the way through. It woke me up, that's for sure, but other that that it is just a smooth C or C+ kick. Well, there you have it. My review of the Venom Killer Taipan Energy Drink. Rating? 8.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ABB SPEED STACK PUMPED N.O. GRAPE BLAST

Courtesy of American Body Building

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 300 MILLIGRAMS PER 22 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.3 OUT OF 10.

A few days ago I reviewed the fruit punch flavor of this drink so I thought it would be a good time to review the grape flavor. I thought the fruit punch flavor was pretty good so will the grape be just as good? Well, I screwed off the top and took a sniff. It smelled almost exactly like grape flavored cough syrup. The drink even had a medicinal flavor when I took a sip. The flavor is best described as a sweet, syrupy, and medicinal grape flavor. It wasn't bad but it certainly wasn't the greatest tasting energy drink. So, since this is a hardcore energy drink it should have a lot of caffeine and other energy enhancing ingredients. You would be right about that one. It has 5,000 milligrams of glycerol, 3,000 milligrams of l-arginine, 1,000 milligrams of taurine, 290 milligrams of anhydrous caffeine, and 50 milligrams of guarana extract. The total amount of caffeine from all sources is an intense 300 milligrams. I would say this drink has a very nice energy blend. It doesn't have a lot of ingredients, but it does have a ton of the ones it does have. Ok, now we can move on to the best part of this drink: The kick. Since this is supposed to be used in the gym, I thought I would do just that. I drank around half of this while on my 1 mile warm-up jog. I chugged a little bit more and started pounding out some grueling weights. My workout lasted much longer than I expected and I was doing extra reps for each set (15 reps for 3 sets instead of 10 reps for 3 sets). On top of that I finished with some free weights, push-ups, and crunches. Needless to say, I was exhausted after my workout. I finished off the rest of the bottle and went home. This drink did help me get through a tough workout and I give it credit for that. I also give it props for the nice energy blend. The only thing I would change would be the medicinal grape flavor. 8.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF THROWDOWN

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 240 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.3 OUT OF 10.

When I was trying to endure a 22 hour car ride from Florida to my Hometown, I stopped at a gas station to use the restroom. I also decided to pick up an energy drink and when I looked in the cooler, I saw two drinks I have never even heard of: Throwdown and Max Rush. I decided to go with Throwdown although I should have picked up Max Rush because that seems to be a very rare drink. Anyways, I cracked open the black 16 ounce can and took a sip. It is a sweet, syrupy, and gummy Red Bull Clone. It is nothing special and nothing to brag about but it is alright. I have certainly had better drinks in the past but this was decent. Ok, time for the energy enhancing ingredients list. It has 90 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 240 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 80 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and 45 percent daily value of vitamin b5. The other energy enhancing ingredients are taurine, d-glucuronolactone, caffeine, and inositol. The caffeine content is a hefty 240 milligrams per 16 ounce can. I am not quite sure about the amount of taurine but I am guessing 2,000 milligrams. Overall, this drink has a pretty decent energy blend. Now we can move on to the best part of energy drinks: The kick! The 240 milligrams of caffeine is 50 percent more caffeine than you get from a Monster. So yea, the kick was definitely well received by me. It wasn't exactly jitter free but it was still somewhat smooth. It can actually still feel the effects even after 9 hours. But that is probably all in my head. I don't think it would last that long. I will conclude by giving Throwdown a rating of 8.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ABB SPEED STACK PUMPED N.O. FRUIT PUNCH

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 300 MILLIGRAMS PER 22 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 9.4 OUT OF 10!

When I got back from Holmes Beach I wasn't surprised to see the new line of Speed Stack Pumped N.O. drinks from American Body Building. The N.O. in the name stands for Nitric Oxide. Since this is a pre-workout drink, I did not expect it to taste to pleasing. My concerns were relieved when I took my first sip. The fruit punch flavor is great and it has no carbonation to boot. The taste of this drink really surprised me and the only letdown is that it is not very refreshing since it is a bit sweet. Moving on now, to the energy enhancing ingredients list. This 22 ounce beast has 5 grams of glycerol, 3 grams of l-arginine, 1 gram of l-taurine, 290 milligrams of anhydrous caffeine and 50 milligrams of guarana extract. The total caffeine content from all sources is a whopping 300 milligrams. So this is a massive 9,340 milligrams of energy and 5 great energy enhancing ingredients. Now to the most important factor in drinks like this: the kick! Unfortunately I could not go to the gym today so I settled for some ball-busting yard work. I sipped on this drink during my yard work and this stuff really works. I was moving at an amazing pace and was carrying large buckets of wet leaves without ever getting exhausted. I just love drinks like this. The combination of glycerol, arginine, taurine, caffeine, and guarana did quite a nice job. And all of this intense energy comes with only 30 calories, 8 grams of carbohydrates and no sugar. ABB Speed Stack Pumped N.O. Fruit Punch gets a whopping 9.4 out of 10!

REVIEW OF 5 HOUR ENERGY GRAPE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 2 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.3 OUT OF 10.

I think it is pretty safe to say that it has been quite a while since I have reviewed an energy drink. Well, now I am back and I am going to review the grape flavor of 5 Hour Energy. I remember when I had this drink 4 months ago, and it worked great. So, does it still work wonders? Let us find out. The flavor grape made me think of grape medicine, similar to grape cough syrup. When I slammed this little 2 ounce bugger, I was very pleased. It did not taste at all like cough syrup and the grape flavor was quite pleasant. This is definitely one of the better tasting shots I have had. They also did a very nice job covering up the medicinal taste. Ok, so it tasted pretty good, now let us see what is in it. It has 30 milligrams of niacin, 40 milligrams of vitamin b6, 400 micrograms of folic acid, 500 micrograms of vitamin b12, and a 1,870 milligram energy blend consisting of: taurine, glucuronolactone, malic acid, n-acetyl-l-tyrosine, l-phenylalanine, caffeine, and citicoline. The caffiene content is 200 milligrams per 2 ounce bottle. The energy blend is pretty good but what is citicoline? Well, after a quick look at wikipedia, I discovered that it is psycho-stimulant and nootropic. A nootropic is a memory enhancer. So, did this little 2 ounce shot work? I had this drink several times and each time I had it, I got an average boost of energy that lasted for 4 to 5 hours and then faded off with no crash. The kick is certainly nothing to brag about and I have shots that give a better kick. To conclude, 5 Hour Energy Grape is a great tasting shot and has a pretty good energy blend. Unfortunately, the kick is just average. 8.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF AMP ENERGY JUICE ORANGE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 120 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.

This is the second flavor of the Amp Energy Juice line-up. The Amp Energy Juice line-up went national in February 2010. The two juices used for this drink are the exact same for the mixed berry flavor: orange and white grape. Unlike the mixed berry, this drink tasted extremely similar to orange juice. This drink has absolutely no problem going down my throat. Amp also took the time to make a moderate energy enhancing ingredients list. It has 150 percent daily value of niacin, 150 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 150 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 150 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, taurine, guarana seed extract, caffeine, and panax ginseng root extract. That is a moderate 8 energy enhancing ingredients. The caffeine content is a modest 120 milligrams per 12 ounce bottle. The kick I got from this drink was pretty good. My focus level went up in 15 minutes and did not decline until 3 to 4 hours later. The kick was nice and smooth without any jitters. I think the best thing about Amp Energy Juice, is the healthiness of it. Per bottle, you get 360 milligrams of potassium, 100 percent daily value of vitamin c, 4 percent daily value of calcium, 15 percent daily value of vitamin e, and 6 percent daily value of magnesium. This all comes with 190 calories, 50 milligrams of sodium, 47 grams of total carbohydrates, and 41 grams of sugars. Overall, Amp Energy Juice has made a pretty good drink. Rating? 8.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF AMP ENERGY JUICE MIXED BERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 120 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.

Starting in February 2010, Amp Energy launched a new line-up of energy drinks called energy juice. The drinks come in 12 ounce resealable bottles and have 100 percent juice. Monster also makes a juice drink, but they don't have 100 percent juice like Amp does. The first flavor I tried was mixed berry. The two fruit juices used in this drink are orange and white grape. The flavor is a charming mixed berry with the orange being more punctuated than the white grape. The drink has about the same viscosity as orange juice. I was definitely impressed with the first flavor of the new Amp Energy Juice. The energy blend is less than what you are used to seeing in a regular Amp, but I guess they are trying to be healthy. It has 150 percent daily value of niacin, 150 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 150 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 150 percent of pantothenic acid, taurine, guarana seed extract, caffeine, and panax ginseng root extract. So that is an average 8 energy enhancing ingredients. The caffeine content is 120 milligrams per bottle, making this drink just as concentrated as a regular Amp. Except this one is smaller. I drank this in a very short period of time, and I have to say, it starts working very fast. The kick is described as a nice pick-me up without any jitters or crash. This drink perked me up right away and kept me focused throughout the school day. I think I will give the new Amp Energy Juice Mixed Berry a rating of 8.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF UBERSHOT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 210 MILLIGRAMS PER 2 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 9.8 OUT OF 10.

I believe this is my first review of an energy drink that is manufactured outside of the United States. It is made in the United Kingdom and it is called Ubershot. First off, the packaging design is top notch. Ubershot went out on a limb by making the bottle metal instead of cheap plastic like most energy shots. I was a little worried about what this might taste like since it is a shot and they don't normally taste good. When I took my first sip I got a nice berry flavor with no bitterness and the flavor wasn't too harsh. This is actually a very good tasting shot and I downed the last ounce and a half without a problem. Ubershot doesn't stop at great taste. It also has a nice energy enhancing ingredients list. It has 36 milligrams of niacin, 12 milligrams of pantothenic acid, 400 micrograms of folic acid, 10 milligrams of vitamin b6, 85 micrograms of vitamin b12, 1,050 milligrams of taurine, 630 milligrams of glucuronolactone, 210 milligrams of caffeine, 210 milligrams of n-acetyl-l-tyrosine, 160 milligrams of malic acid, and 50 milligrams of l-carnitine. So that is a hefty 11 energy enhancing ingredients and 2,368.485 milligrams. In fact upon looking at the actual ingredient list, it appears that this drink is pretty much just solid energy. Ubershot comes in at 58 milliliters making it 2 milliliters less than most energy shots. If you are an ounces fan then it is 1.96121 United States ounces and 2.04131 United Kingdom ounces. But enough number and math stuff, onto the kick. After about 15 minutes I started to think that the drink was going to be an absolute fail. And then in the following 5 minutes I started to feel it working. This is a pretty powerful shot in my honest opinion. I was extremely focused and alert for 4 hours and 30 minutes. My mind was cruising along at well over 120 miles per hour. And at the end of the 4.5 hours the shot slowly wore off without any crash to speak of. I highly recommend you try this shot for yourself. If you live in the United States then I am afraid it is pretty hard to get them. If you live in the United Kingdom then you can either get them at Harvey Nichols, Waitrose, or the Ubershot store for £19.99 per 12 pack. Well that about wraps it up and it's time to give this bad boy a rating. I think this one deserves a nice big 9.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF SOBE LIFEWATER FUJI APPLE PEAR

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NO CAFFEINE.

RATING: 6 OUT OF 10.

During the last couple of days, I have been trying, almost unsuccessfully, to get rid of my caffeine addiction. So I thought it would be a good idea to review a drink with no caffeine: Sobe Lifewater Fuji Apple Pear. Believe it or not, I denied that I had a caffeine addiction. However, on Saturday I tried to go one whole day without drinking caffeine. I was extremely sluggish but I wasn't really craving a cup of coffee. I also had an extremely mild headache which was easily ignored. I actually would have done it, but I accidentally failed by getting a Cherry Coca-Cola at Burger King along with my Double Cheeseburger and Fries. It appears to me that my caffeine detoxification from April 1 to April 12 is going to be quite the challenge. Needless to say, I completely digress, unto the review. This drink tasted exactly like it sounds. Upon my first sip, I immediately detected pear and apple flavors. The actual flavor is Fuji Apple Pear and they could not be more accurate. Sobe Lifewater Fuji Apple Pear is not an energy drink but it does fall under the category of functional beverage. The main ingredients in Sobe Lifewater Fuji Apple Pear are Citrimax, a plant extract from the South Asian fruit Garcina Cambogia, and Panax Ginseng Root Extract. It also has 25 percent daily value of niacin, 25 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 25 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 25 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, and 87.5 percent daily value of chromium. Not to mention there is l-carnitine, 250 percent daily value of vitamin c, and 50 percent daily value of vitamin e. It is zero calorie and sweetened with Pure Via Reb-A. The drink didn't really give me a boost of energy but it just isn't made for that. It's made to taste good, and to give you some vitamins and herbal stimulants. Rating? 6 out of 10. Brownie points to South Beach Beverage Company for not using Aspartame, Sucralose, or Acesulfame Potassium as your sweetener.

REVIEW OF PIT BULL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH

Courtesy of Pit Bull Energy Bar

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 164 MILLIGRAMS PER BAR.

RATING: 6.3 OUT OF 10.

Deep in the darkest depths of my second drawer, I pulled out a flattened Pit Bull Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bar. I reviewed 2 of the 4 flavors back in late September, 2009. And as a matter of fact, this is my first review in about 17 days. Thankfully, Ubershot tells me that they will send samples of there amazing energy shot. Anyways, I digress, unto the taste. This energy bar isn't bad by any means, but it isn't a great tasting bar. It's chocolate chip cookie dough with some white "icing" around it. So, the taste is good but certainly nothing to brag about. However, the energy enhancing ingredient list is pretty good. It has 21.1 milligrams of niacin, 5 milligrams of vitamin b6, 6 micrograms of vitamin b12, 5.1 milligrams of pantothenic acid, 1,000 milligrams of taurine, 164 milligrams of caffeine, 112 milligrams of guarana seed, 100 milligrams of inositol, and 50 milligrams of ginseng. So that is 1,457.206 and 9 energy enhancing ingredients which makes it pretty good for an energy bar. So does it work? No, it doesn't. Now I know what your thinking. Why does this not work but the other flavors did? You have to remember that that was 5 months ago and my caffeine tolerance has gone up quite a bit since then. Which is the reason why April 1 through 12 will be my caffeine detoxification. I will also be in Florida during that time. But to be honest I hardly felt anything with this bar. So, time to give it a rating. I will give this a 6.3 out of 10.