REVIEW OF XYIENCE XENERGY ORANGE FUEL

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.3 OUT OF 10.

It has a long time since I've reviewed an actual energy drink-almost a month, in fact. Thankfully, I happened to be in the grocery store and I immediately went to go look for some of the new Rockstars or Monsters. Unfortunately, they didn't have any new drinks so I went with Xyience Xenergy Orange Fuel. Now Xyience Xenergy is the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Club so I expected the taste to be pretty freaking kick butt. Now the flavor is Orange Fuel so I was expecting more of an orange soda flavor. Instead I got this hardcore kick-in-the-face tangerine flavor. Of course, there was some artificial sweetener mixed in as well, but it's sort of like tangerine flavored soda. And I liked it. Sure, the artificial sweeteners may ruin the taste a little bit, but it's not like you have a choice. All Xyience Xenergys are sugar free. The energy blend is also your basic kick butt blend. It has 200 percent daily value of niacin, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 320 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 1,000 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and a 2,700 milligram energy blend which packs taurine, caffeine (200 milligrams), glucuronolactone, guarana extract, panax ginseng extract, inositol, and l-carnitine. It isn't as good as a Rockstar Punched or a Monster Nitrous with it's ridiculous 5 gram energy blend, but it definitely gets the job done. And the 200 milligrams of caffeine isn't bad either. All right, it's time for the kick. Well, after consuming the whole can I got a medium level rush that lasted for about 4 hours and ended with not necessarily a crash, but with my energy levels going back down to zero. So overall, this drink is pretty nice. I like the tangerine flavor along with the sweet energy blend. Not to mention, the kick isn't bad either. 8.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HYPER NUTZ HONEY ROASTED

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

Sweet Onion Flavor Shown

RATING: 6.4 OUT OF 10.

Having reviewed well over 200 energy drinks over the course of 2 years, I can safely say that you can add caffeine to literally anything. Don't believe me? Try caffeinated almonds. That's right, Hyper Nutz energy almonds are the world's first (and probably only) caffeinated almond. They come in a few different flavors including honey roasted and sweet onion. I will be reviewing the honey roasted flavor. The almonds come in a green, 2 ounce bag that looks great and makes the almonds look exciting and edgy. The almonds were a bit lackluster, to be honest. They lacked a bold honey roasted flavor, and the crunch was sub-par. They are decent at best, but if you want great tasting almonds, head for the non-caffeinated kind. Hyper Nutz aren't necessarily bad, but this time I would much rather have a regular almond. Hyper Nutz do redeem themselves a little by adding not only caffeine, but taurine, lysine, and ginseng as well. I have no idea how much of each ingredient there is, but I don't think the caffeine content is a lot. It also appears that there is an ingredient that I have never seen before: Lysine. What is it? Well, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, Lysine is an essential amino acid. Lysine is important for proper growth, and it plays an essential role in the production of carnitine. Lysine also appears to help the body absorb calcium, and plays an important role in the formation of collagen. I'm not entirely sure why they would spray Lysine all over almonds, but there you have it. After consuming nearly a whole pack of almonds, the buzz I received from this was mild at best. In fact, it's hardly noticeable at all, but that's not the point is it? Hyper Nutz are just like Perky Jerky, or Sum Seeds. They are novelty caffeine items. Hyper Nutz are made so you can show off to your friends about how your almonds are laced with TMX*. So overall, Hyper Nutz is a decent product. The taste may be bland, but the addition of Lysine almost makes up for it. 6.4 out of 10.

* TMX is an acronym I made-up for Trimethylxanthine, the chemical name for caffeine. Just try saying it. "Bro, I just added some TMX to this apple juice." "No way, that crazy."

REVIEW OF NUCLEAR ENERGY POWDER STRONTIUM

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 90 MILLIGRAMS PER TUBE.

Courtesy of 3B Tech

RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.

The energy drink industry has soared tremendously over the past few years. Sales of energy drinks are well into the billions, and finding a way to get noticed is darn near impossible when you have over 400 energy drink companies. So what do you do? Do you create some "brand new" energy drink that's simply just a Red Bull spin-off and call it good? No. You make an energy product, and you make it unique. The people behind Harcos Laboratories are doing just that. They are the proud creators of Zombie Blood, Zombie Jerky, Blood, Mana Potion, Love Potion, Health Potion, and Nuclear Energy Powders. Today, I will be trying out their Strontium flavor of Nuclear Energy Powder. Nuclear Energy Powder comes in a small tube with a yellow label on it. The color inside depends on what flavor you have (mine was red). The powder is extremely similar to a pixie stick and it tastes the same as well. The flavor I had was strawberry, and it tasted like a sweet and sour mix of sugar, sugar, and sugar. If you have a sweet tooth, and a sour tooth, you will definitely like this product. The energy is powered by one ingredient: caffeine. It has about 90 milligrams of the stuff, or roughly a cup of coffee. I slammed the whole sweet-and-sour powder in almost one go. It actually sticks to the roof of your mouth until it melts. I had skipped the morning caffeine so in first hour I was practically asleep. In 2nd hour though, things were a bit different. I was pretty jacked up from eating it all in one go, and I actually had a minor stomach ache for a little bit. The buzz kept my energy levels high for a couple of hours before tapering off without a crash. Overall, if your a fan of pixie sticks, radiation, Fallout 3, nuclear bombs, and/or radium, barium, strontium, uranium, or plutonium, you'll be a fan of Nuclear Energy Powder. 8.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BUZZ BITES MINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 100 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.

RATING: 9 OUT OF 10.

It's been a very long time since I've had the opportunity to review something from Vroom Foods. Vroom makes great products like Foosh Mints and Buzz Bites Chocolates. Today, I will be reviewing the mint flavor of Buzz Bites. To start off, the packaging is almost exactly the same as the regular Buzz Bites, except it's green instead of red. Each chocolate contains 100 milligrams of caffeine. I popped two in my mouth and got a wonderful combination mint and rich chocolate. I thought this was going to be chalky and bitter, but it was simply out of this world. The mint complemented the chocolate perfectly. Definitely an A in my book. Buzz Bites are powered by a combination of 10 percent daily value of thiamin, 10 percent daily value of niacin, 10 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 20 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 75 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 100 milligrams of caffeine, ginseng, and taurine. It's got the basic energy product package: caffeine, ginseng, taurine, and b vitamins. Wonderful. Like I mentioned earlier, I popped in two chocolates which gave me a hit of 200 milligrams of caffeine. My caffeine intake has decreased a lot since I began taking Attention Deficit Disorder medication, so when I had a couple Buzz Bites, it rocked my socks off. Seriously, if you quit caffeine for a few weeks and then drink an energy drink, the effect will be stellar. I was in a good mood and singing (very badly) to my favorite tunes. It's a fantastic buzz and I highly recommend this product. You can buy it from Vroom Foods or from Chemical Evolution. 9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BE HAPPY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

RATING: 4 OUT OF 10.

We've seen the energy drinks, and we've seen the relaxation beverages. But now, there's a new-ish kid the block: The Mood Booster. If I'm not mistaken, Be Happy is the first mood booster to be reviewed on the site. It comes in a healthy looking green shot bottle and looks very professional. There is a silhouette of a woman, so you know what the target demographic is. It all looks very good, but this drink certainly not without flaws. Let's start with the taste. It says chocolate cherry, but when I took a small sip I got a putrid, tart, cherry flavor. I poured it in a glass and it comes out a disgusting brown color. And it's not like the color brown you get when you make hot chocolate, or chocolate milk. It's more of the color you might find......in the toilet. So, I plugged my nose and gulped it down. Despite most of the flavor being gone from plugging my nose, I still had to chase it with a drink of water. The proprietary mood boosting blend is actually pretty nice. We've got a 600 milligram concoction of chocamine, l-theanine, and GABA. Chocamine is a supplement that gives you all the benefits of chocolate, without the unwanted fat and sugar. There is some caffeine in here, but the amount is so small that it is completely negligible. Unfortunately, all of these ingredients don't seem to do anything. I was having quite a rough day, so I wanted to see if Be Happy could get me out of the doldrums. There was hardly any effect at all, and when I did get better, it's probably because it was my own body, and not some drink. Be Happy is a drink certainly not without it's problems. The taste is terrible, the blend is actually decent, and the effect is nowhere to be found. 4 out of 10. 

REVIEW OF TAKE 10 RELAX

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

 RATING: 8.3 OUT OF 10.

There has been a steady increase of anti-energy drinks, more formally known as Relaxation Beverages, in the past few months or so. Relaxation beverages use ingredients such as l-theanine and valerian root to keep you feeling at ease. Its objective is to relax you, not to put you to sleep. Although the drink I am reviewing now has a sleep formula which will be reviewed a couple days from now. I first came across Take 10 in a newspaper article that discussed the rise of relaxation beverages. It only touched on a few other products, but the main company they talked about was Take 10 Beverages. I e-mailed them and they were kind enough to send a rather well developed press kit to my doorstep. It contained 2 of each kind (relax and sleep), 2 thick sheets of paper describing the product, a nice looking t-shirt, and a compact disc containing biographies of the main people behind Take 10 and the ingredients used in the product and what those ingredients claim to do. These drinks come in 2 ounce shot bottles and the one I drank had a white grape flavor advertised. It's really a rather sweet drink and it doesn't taste too relaxing. It's almost like a white grape candy if I'm honest. But I'm not nit-picky, and Take 10 Relax tasted great anyway. Take 10 is powered by a wonderful 875 milligram blend of GABA, valerian root extract, rose hips extract, eleutherococcus extract, rhodiola rosea extract, l-theanine, and choline. So for the most part it has your basic relaxation inducing ingredients like GABA, valerian, and l-theanine. The rose hips have also been used before. Choline is a new one I've seen among relaxation beverages. Rhodiola is also new, but I have seen eleutherococcus in a few other products, none of them being relaxation beverages. So did all of these ingredients make me one happy camper? Well, whether it's a placebo or not, I could feel the effects. It's almost as if everything just sort of melts away a little bit. I wasn't tense anymore, and yet I still had energy to go outside and play basketball. Maybe that's a bad thing since this is more of a product to demotivate you. These retail for 3 bucks a crack and if you happen to pass by one, I say go for it. You've really got nothing to lose. 8.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BLAST

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 8.3 OUNCE CAN. 

16 ounce can shown

RATING: 8.3 OUT OF 10.


Today is a very special day, marking the 2nd birthday of Addicted 2 Energy. Thanks everybody! Now, let's get to today's review. Or should I say Saturday's review? I always love it when companies e-mail me to review there product, but I especially love it when it's a company I've never heard of. This one is called Blast Energy Drink and it comes in a 2 ounce shot, 8.3 ounce can, and 16 ounce can. I decided to go with the 8.3 ounce can for the review. The packaging is definitely a pop out on any shelf and the red, white, and blue rays should catch people's attention. However, the build quality, at least on the 8 ounce version, is iffy at best. Normally, the shrink wrap labels on cans are pretty much impossible to remove since they are fused to the can. With Blast, I got my finger underneath the small plastic flap and ripped the label off, revealing a silver aluminum can. It's the first time I've seen a can without a label, and I'm pretty sure that wasn't supposed to happen. Luckily, the taste is fantastic. You'll feel 12 years old again with a sweet berry flavor. Blueberry seems to dominate in this drink and I am a fan of blueberry. They definitely beat Red Bull in the taste category, and I give them kudos for making there own flavor instead of making a Red Bull clone. The energy blend is also pretty nice, let's check it out together. We have 100 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 50 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 2,000 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 5,000 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and a 1,250 milligram proprietary energy blend consisting of malic acid, tuarine, glucuronolactone, phenylalanine, tyrosine, Quick-Sorb (ginger rhizome, amla fruit, capsicum fruit), and guarana seed extract. And of course there is 80 milligrams of caffeine and 2 milligrams of inositol. Wow, not your typical energy drink ingredients, for sure. I mean there is the caffeine, tuarine, inositol, guarana, and glucuronolactone. But stuff like ginger rhizome and capsicum fruit? I've never heard of such things. So kudos again for reaching out and finding new ingredients to add to the energy blend. Regardless of whether the new found ingredients worked or not, I did get a satisfactory boost from Blast. Nothing over the top, but on-par with your energy drink leaders. With over 400 energy drink companies, it's hard to make a name for yourself. But I see a nice future with Blast. 8.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF REALIFE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 0.34 OUNCE TUBE.


RATING: 7.5 OUT OF 10.


So here we have another product in the awesome category of additives. It's called Realife, a professionally developed product extremely similar to Energy Catalyst. The only difference is, Realife is simply water and caffeine. Where as Energy Catalyst was water, caffeine, flavor, and B12. Realife comes in a great looking box that would appeal to a much more mature crowd. Most likely, anyone over 30 is Realife's target market. Now, let's talk about what an energy additive is. Energy additives are possibly the coolest energy products on the market. You simply add the liquid to any drink and it instantly makes your drink caffeinated. Realife will add a moderate 80 milligrams to your favorite beverage. It did take some thinking to decide what I should put it in. Finally, I settled for some cranberry-pomegranate juice. I poured about 10 or so ounces of juice into a glass and squeezed in the additive. Instantly, my juice had as much caffeine as a Red Bull. Amazing, isn't it? And you wanna know something even more amazing? It didn't effect the flavor at all. I gave some to my mother and she failed to notice any difference as well. But you have to watch out though. I wouldn't recommend putting it in something bland like cheerios or milk. Of course I've never tried Realife on those things so I could just be blowing smoke. I may as well just skip the energy ingredients section because all it contains is purified water and 80 milligrams of natural caffeine, presumably from coffee beans. This will make your favorite non-caffeinated drink have as much caffeine as a Red Bull. It will also make your favorite energy drink stronger. Say you like Monster but you don't get a buzz from it. With Realife, the caffeine content goes from 160 milligrams to 240. It will make Coca-Cola have 114 milligrams of caffeine, and Mountian Dew would have 135 milligrams. And it really doesn't need to stop at drinks. Think your soup needs a little something-something? Add about 3 of these bad boys and your pot of soup instantly gets a 240 milligram jolt. That should keep the family going. Pasta sauce acts the same way. Add 2 of these to your favorite pasta sauce and it instantly has as much caffeine as two Red Bulls. So, the real question is does it work? Not really. Not unless you put it in something that is already caffeinated. And I'm not talking about some Monster or Starbucks Coffee, more like Green Tea or Coca-Cola. Come to think of it, Green Tea would be better with 105 milligrams of caffeine. In short, my alertness didn't increase by a whole lot, and the effect was difficult to notice. But I still love these products, I still love them a lot. 7.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF CHARGERS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 8.6 OUT OF 10.


Chocolate covered espresso beans, oh how I love thee. It's really the only time where eating coffee beans becomes acceptable. I mean, let's face it, if you saw someone munching on coffee beans straight from the bag, you would give them a second glance. And yes, coffee beans are indeed edible. So if your too lazy to make your coffee, then just pop a dozen beans and get going. You'll put the new 5 Hour Energy commercials to shame. I admit that I have tried straight coffee beans and I felt like the biggest caffeine junkie on the face of the earth. Still, I absolutely adore chocolate covered coffee beans. From Crackheads to Shock-A-Lots, these caffeinated goodies can keep anyone going. And now my chocolate covered coffee bean fetish is met once again with Chargers chocolate covered espresso beans. The beans come in a red tin designed to look like a battery. The packaging is very nice and it's also a great place to keep your change. The plastic overwrap is incredibly easy to pull off, but the top is a different story. I struggled for several minutes and finally resorted to that one mechanism that opens bottles that are closed too tightly. I've never figured out the name of that mechanism, but it has always come in handy. The beans inside are red, much like the tin. There is about 8 beans in one tin, making about 160 milligrams of caffeine, give or take. Popping one in my mouth, I am sad to say that the red coating has no flavor whatsoever. Nevertheless, the espresso beans are downright awesome. Filled with the delicious combination of chocolate and coffee. And as I'm writing this review, I'm thinking to myself, why don't I just make my own chocolate covered coffee beans. How hard could it be? If I sound like a big caffeine junkie to you, it's because I am. If I never got "hooked" on caffeine, this glorious blog would have never existed. But that's beside the point, back to the review. There is really no need to dive into the energy blend, because there simply is none. Just straight up trimethylxanthine. That's caffeine to you. After munching on these for about 30 seconds, because that's how long it took me to scarf them down, I did find a moderate increase in alertness. It's nothing too potent, but it's a great alternative if you can't wait for the liquid version of coffee. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to look up that recipe for chocolate covered coffee beans. 8.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF MANA POTION

Courtesy of Gizmodo

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 1.35 OUNCE BOTTLE.


RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10.


Straight from the heart of Harcos Laboratories, comes the magic potion all gamers dream about. Loaded with energy ingredients and enzymes, the Mana Health potion is one of the coolest energy products around. It's packaging is downright awesome, right up there with Zombie Blood. Just gaze at the photograph and you'll see what I mean. It looks like something that came out of World of Warcraft or Legend of Zelda. The liquid inside is a greenish color. Taking a sip I get a very sweet and delicious flavor that is actually quite enjoyable for a shot. The flavor is very hard to pinpoint but I can tell you that it is very sweet and good. You should have no problem slamming this down in seconds. So what exactly powers this awesome product? Well, it has 80 percent daily value of vitamin b1, 130 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 80 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 1,600 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 6,667 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and a 2,000 milligram energy blend consisting of glucuronolactone, malic acid, dl-phenylalanine, l-taurine, n-acetyl, l-tyrosine, and caffeine. I'm not finished yet. It also has a 400 microgram enzyme blend consisting of amylase, lactase, cellulase, lipase, and protease. The caffeine content is a blistering 160 milligrams per 1.35 ounce bottle. Now, I've seen several energy shots with enzymes, and I've always wanted to know what an enzyme was. According to Wikipedia, Enzymes are proteins that increase or decrease the rates of chemical reactions. Now I really understand why they're in energy products. I actually had no idea that's what they did. With my HP getting boosted +160, I expected a great boost. Sadly, the great boost never came. I felt a little more awake but it was nothing over the top. It's hard to tell how long it lasted because it never really came on at all. Sometimes I wish I didn't have such a tolerance to caffeine. I should walk in to Starbucks, order a quadruple shot caramel macchiato and see what happens. Anyway, Mana Potion is still awesome. It has a great flavor, an awesome energy blend, but a poor kick. I'll give it a 7.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF MAD CROC CHEWS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER PACK.


RATING: 7.7 OUT OF 10.


Yesterday, I had a friend come over and never had a chance to write a review. So today, I will be tackling Saturday's review along with Sunday's. For Saturday's review, we have Mad Croc Energy Chews. These Starbursts on steroids come in a pack of 10 with three flavors: orange, lemon, and strawberry. Each chew is individually wrapped. The chews are easy to unwrap and are much softer than a Starburst. Popping one in my mouth, I get a soft texture with a nice, artificial fruit flavor. The flavor, of course, depends on the flavor of the chew. I personally don't have a favorite, but I can tell you that I wasn't the biggest fan of the lemon flavor. Overall though, Mad Croc Energy Chews did a pretty nice job in the taste department. All right, Mad Croc is powered by 50 percent daily value of riboflavin, 100 percent daily value of niacin, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 75 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 80 milligrams of caffeine, and taurine. All of these goodies come with 200 calories and 35 grams of sugar. Now in order to get the 80 milligrams of caffeine in your system, you have to eat all 10 chews. This is not an easy thing to do. If you've ever tried to eat 10 Starbursts before, you probably have noticed that it's actually a little difficult. After about 3 chews, the sweetness gets to you and you have to stop for a few minutes. Eventually, I did eat all 10 and the kick is comparable to an average 8 ounce energy drink or coffee. It's a decent buzz that lasts a few hours and goes away without a crash. I even had some energy to go outside and test out my lowered basketball hoop. And by the way, I had no idea dunking was so difficult. Maybe it's just me, but I will release it too soon and the ball will bounce of the rim. Anyway, I digress. Mad Croc Energy Chews are a pretty nice product with a great flavor and decent kick. 7.7 out of 10.

REVIEW OF PLOW ON

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 100 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.


RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


Energy Gums have done pretty well on my site, apart from Jolt Gum which didn't work and Power Play which tasted terrible. Now it's time to take on Plow On. I received three packages of the new-and-improved Plow On Energy Gum. Two of them American and the other a Russian flavor. I will be tackling the American flavor today. This is the same type of gum as Power Play and Stay Alert. It basically looks like a blue Mentos. I popped one in my mouth and sucked on it for a few moments. Now this the new-and-improved flavor, so I expected it to perform well in the taste category, and I wasn't disappointed. When I did bite into it, the gum broke apart but only slightly and the flavor was actually pretty good. There is no flavor listed on the package, but I would say it's a slight minty flavor. There is a little bitterness, but then again it does have 100 milligrams of caffeine per piece. And the energy blend doesn't stop there. Plow On also contains 10 milligrams of taurine, 5 milligrams of green tea extract,  and 5 milligrams of ginseng. So it does have the energy blend standards, albeit in small amounts. Caffeine is what powers this gum. And not many gums contain as much caffeine as Plow On. Off the top of my head, I can only think of one energy gum that contains as much caffeine as this: Stay Alert. And that was developed for the military. After chewing Plow On for about 10 or 15 minutes, I did notice an increase in my energy levels. Two pieces would have done more of the trick, but I stuck with one. There was also no crash at all. Overall, Plow On is a pretty nice gum. Yes, the flavor could be improved, but not by much. I'll give it a solid 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ZOMBIE BLOOD

Courtesy of Think Geek

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 3.4 OUNCE PACKET.


RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.


Zombies have become a huge part of Internet culture over the past few years. Movies like Zombieland, and books like Zombie Survival Guide are just a few examples of Zombie Culture.  Now though, Harcos Laboratories has created a new chapter in Zombieism. Zombie Blood. The packaging is simply awesome. It comes in a packet that looks exactly like a blood packet except it's filled with green zombie blood. If I rated packaging, I would give it a 10. Anyway, it took me forever to open Zombie Blood. I even resorted to using scissors would resulted in quite the debacle with some spilling. Thankfully, my friend managed to get it open and we managed to get most of the liquid inside. The color is a think, opaque, fluorescent green. If you've ever played House of the Dead 2, the zombie blood is the same color. It's pretty awesome. I didn't think the flavor would be that great but Harcos did a pretty nice job with it. It tasted just like a lime flavored candy. If you like lime flavored candy, you should have no trouble liking this. It is quite sweet and good. Alright, so I've actually never seen the energy blend for this drink, so let's check it out together. We've got an 880 milligram energy blend consisting of d-glucuronolactone, l-phenylalanine, n-acetyl, l-tyrosine, glucose, caffeine, and dl-phenylalanine. I haven't quite finished yet though. It also has a 425 microgram enzyme blend which consists of amylase, lactase, cellulase, lipase, and protease. So the blend is nothing too substantial, but its got your basics. Well, except for taurine. With 80 milligrams of caffeine (the same as Red Bull), the drink provided a decent kick. Not the strongest on the market by any means, but still pretty good. And with products like this, do you really buy them for the kick? No. You buy them because they look awesome. And they taste pretty good. Overall, I have a fan of Zombie Blood. Novelty-wise I would give it a solid 47, but energy drink-wise I give it a 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HED

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 5.1 OUT OF 10.


Over the course of less than 2 years, I've tried over 200 energy drinks. So when an energy drink comes along that I've never heard of, that's saying something. This particular energy drink is called High Energy Drink (HED for short) and it is marketed as a cheaper Red Bull alternative. The label is quite generic and it looks like the sort of drink that I would find at Big Lots for 60 cents. It also has a corny slogan, "Feel It". And then it says "with taurine" in all capital letters. Wow! With taurine? I wonder how many energy drinks have taurine in them? Oh yeah, almost every single one of them. So the packaging is definitely sub-par in my opinion, but I don't grade packaging. I grade taste, blend, and kick. The taste part is actually pretty good. It tastes exactly like Red Bull, maybe a little bit more sour. If you don't know what Red Bull tastes like, I suggest you try some. The only thing I can say is that it has an apple-ish flavor, but not like carbonated apple juice, along with a medicinal flavor. Not bad, and I had no trouble drinking the whole can. The energy blend has all your favorites, of course. Here's the list: 40 percent daily value of niacin, 40 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 40 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 40 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, and a 1,650 milligram proprietary blend consisting of taurine, glucuronolactone, and inositol. Caffeine is here as well, although I don't know how much. I would assume it would be 80 milligrams since this is a Red Bull clone, but I can't be certain. The overall blend isn't too bad, though. It's got some of your energy drink staples like taurine and inositol. This drink does come in a bigger 16 ounce version, but I tried the 8 ounce version instead since Red Bull is 8 ounces and this is a Red Bull alternative. So the million dollar question is, does it work? In short, no. Not at all. I drank a can of High Energy Drink and felt no boost in my alertness or energy. It actually made me feel even more tired. Still, there is a 16 ounce version which would deliver twice the caffeine and may do the trick. The 8 ounce version didn't effect me at all. Period. So all things considered, this is a pretty average drink, maybe even mediocre. I'll give it a 5.1 out of 10. The taste and energy blend was a 7.4 and a 7 respectively. The kick rating was a 1, so the average is 5.1 out of 10.

Update: The 16 ounce version does provide a noticeable kick. I recommend buying that one instead.

REVIEW OF JOLT GUM ICYMINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 12.7 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.


RATING: 5.2 OUT OF 10.


Throughout the past week or so, I have become a fan of caffeinated gum. My favorite so far is Mad Croc Power Peppermint, with a rating of 8.2 out of 10. Could Jolt Gum Icymint take the top spot? Let's find out. The gum comes in the standard 12 piece blister pack that most gums come in. They use the original Jolt logo, which I enjoy, even though I was born past the glory days of Jolt Cola. As a matter of fact, the people who make Jolt Gum and Jolt Mints are not the same people who make Jolt Energy Drink. GumRunners makes the gum and mints, while Wet Planet Beverages makes the energy drinks. I popped two pieces in and chewed away. The gum has a nice minty flavor with absolutely no caffeine bitterness. I am not kidding when I say that this tastes exactly like regular gum. But there's a very good reason why it tastes just like regular gum. One the package, it says that two pieces of gum has about 80 milligrams of caffeine, 40 per piece. However, According to a laboratory test conducted by Vroom Foods, they concluded that each piece of Jolt Gum contains 12.7 milligrams of caffeine. This means that you would have to eat about 7 to equal a Red Bull, and eating half a pack of gum in a short period of time is just bizzare. Jolt Gum also has unknown amounts of guarana and ginseng, but most people are going to chew energy gum for the caffeine. Unfortunately, you won't get a caffeine rush from this at all. Two pieces have just 25 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as a cup of green tea. Heck, a 12 ounce Coca-Cola has more caffeine. So it looks like Jolt Gum has let me down in the kick department. But the taste was great so the rating shouldn't be too bad. If your looking for a great energy gum, I say try Stay Alert Spearmint or Mad Croc Power Peppermint. 5.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF STAY ALERT SPEARMINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 100 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.


RATING: 8.1 OUT OF 10.


Ever since I tried Mad Croc Power Peppermint, I have been a fan of energy gum. The biggest reason for that is the simple fact that I enjoy a good piece of gum. I have been known to chew a piece of gum for an hour or so, even when all the flavor has disappeared. I suppose I enjoy the feeling of gum in my mouth, and it gives me something to do. And here we have what may be the coolest energy gum around. Named Stay Alert, it is developed for the United States Military and proven effective and safe by Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. It comes in an un-resealable 5 pack and each spearmint flavored piece is green in color and the size of a Mentos. When I popped one in my mouth, the gum broke apart a little, but unlike Power Play this wasn't a problem. When the gum formed into regular gum the spearmint flavor was not bad. Sure, there is some bitter caffeine flavor but you would expect that when a gum has 100 milligrams of caffeine per piece. I also like the directions on the package. It says, chew one piece for 5 minutes. If not alert, chew another piece. It then goes on to tell you to not exceed 2 pieces in 3 hours. Being a caffeine junkie, I was not as alert as I wanted to be after chewing one piece for about 15 minutes. I had the second piece about 30 to 45 minutes after I had the first one, and my alertness level definitely increased. The initial buzz is great, two pieces spaced about 45 minutes about certainly did the trick. The only problem I have with it is that it only lasts about 90 minutes to 2 hours. So if your looking for an instant boost of alertness, try some Stay Alert. Just be prepared for some caffeine bitterness. I found it to be no where near intolerable. Overall, I have to say I am a fan of Stay Alert. You get a decent spearmint flavor, 100 milligrams of caffeine, and some great alertness. Stay Alert definitely gets my seal of approval and I will be chewing on this every now and then when I feel like I need a boost in alertness. 8.1 out of 10.

REVIEW OF REVIEW OF WARP CINNAMON

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 10 MILLIGRAMS PER MINT.


RATING: 7.4 OUT OF 10.


I can't really say that I'm the biggest fan of cinnamon flavored products, but a few Hot Tamales every once in a while isn't bad. It's the very same with Big Red gum. It's not my gum of choice, but a few pieces here and there doesn't bother me. And now we have a cinnamon "mint" from Warp Energy Mints. This is the final day of energy mint week. I couldn't make it to Sunday and there is a great chance that there will never be another themed week on Addicted 2 Energy. Warp Cinnamon comes in the same circular tin that the peppermints came in. The only difference is that it is a beautiful red color instead of silver. I pop open the container and put one in my mouth. The mints are red in color and deliver a nice cinnamon flavor. I would put this as half the intensity of Hot Tamales. There is absolutely no caffeine bitterness at all. You could actually trick someone into thinking that these were just cinnamon candies and they would probably believe you if they didn't look at the package. Energy blend includes guarana, siberian ginseng, and panax ginseng. Caffeine content is 10 milligrams per mint, 56 mints per tin. I've said this many times before, but I'll say it again. The thing I love most about energy mints is that you get to choose how big you want your buzz to be. I know I sound like a broken record but it's true. 8 mints should give you the same buzz as Red Bull, and 16 should equal a Monster. Feeling like you haven't slept in weeks? Eat the whole darn box (just kidding, don't do this) for 560 milligrams of caffeine. I don't recommend this, and please do not try it. I had about 8 to 10 which gave me a decent boost, but nothing substantial. I suggest you munch on these throughout the day to give you a nice boost, but try to keep it under 20 pieces. Any more than that would just be weird. 7.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF PENGUIN CHOCOLATE MINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 7 MILLIGRAMS PER MINT.


RATING: 7.2 OUT OF 10.


We're at day four of Energy Mint Week and I have another flavor of Penguin for you guys today. Penguin is the original energy mint, and all the energy mints, gum, and food came after it. The brand was introduced in 1998 according to Forbes magazine. When I saw that the flavor was chocolate mint I thought there would be chocolate covered mints inside. I was incorrect. Instead, their glossy white mints have a brown tone to them, like someone sprinkled cocoa powder on them. The minty flavor isn't as strong as the original, but how does the chocolate fair out? In my opinion, it's pretty decent but it could be better. Perhaps it would help if the mints were chocolate covered. So there is nothing that really stands out about this product as far as taste. It's just a mint with some chocolate flavor. There's only one energy ingredient, and that is caffeine, 7 milligrams per mint to be exact, 1 less than the average for caffeinated mints. I popped a couple before I went to school. During the first class I had, I popped a few more and starting to feel a boost. When my second class came around, I popped about two more in. All together I had roughly 10 mints, giving me a caffeine boost of 70 milligrams. Like I've always said, you can choose the type of boost that you want. If you want to eat the whole box, which you should never do, that will set you back 525 milligrams. So eating all 75 mints is not a very good idea. If you want a boost similar to that of a Red Bull, eat about 10 to 12 throughout the day, that seemed to do the trick for me. Overall, Penguin Chocolate Mint is a good product, but I still like the peppermints better. 7.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF WARP PEPPERMINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 10 MILLIGRAMS PER MINT.


RATING: 7.4 OUT OF 10.


It's day three of Energy Mint week and I have some Warp Energy Mints for review today. These mints come in a circular tin made in Guatemala, and it has a wing nut type of device for opening. This opening mechanism actually puzzled me for a long time until I finally got it. The mints inside are white and rather small. One tin holds 56 mints. The mints aren't as glossy as Penguins and not as rough as Altoids. Popping a couple in my mouth I notice that there is very little peppermint flavor when chewing. However, If you pop a couple and suck on them for a while the peppermint flavor becomes greater. I did find that these mints are easy to chew. Each mint has 10 milligrams of caffeine which is actually pretty good for an energy mint, considering the average is 8 milligrams when you remove Foosh and MPower. But Warp doesn't stop there. They also added guarana, siberian ginseng, and panax ginseng. So you get the caffeine and herbal stimulants. The thing I really love about energy mints is that you can choose how big you want your buzz to be. Don't feel confident about that presentation? Eat 5. Wanna get a little jittery? Eat 20. Wanna be sick to your stomach and be straight up high off of caffeine? Eat the whole box. I don't recommend eating the whole box. Or 20 for that matter. I ate about 8 to 10 and I got a nice buzz from that. So all in all, Warp Energy Mints are a pretty nice product. The only real complaint I have is that the peppermint flavor needs to be a bit stronger. 7.4 out of 10. Some reviews to come are: Penguin Cinnamons, Warp Green Tea Mints, Penguin Chocolate Mints, Bawls Mints, and many many many more.

REVIEW OF PENGUIN PEPPERMINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 7 MILLIGRAMS PER MINT.


RATING: 7.7 OUT OF 10.


This is actually quite a special review I have for you today. For day two of energy mint week, I am reviewing the indisputable first caffeinated mint. That's right, Penguin Mints were introduced in 1998 (I was only 5 years old at the time) and are the very first mint to contain caffeine. This sparked a massive chain of events resulting in the caffeinated mints, gums, chews, and other edible caffeine goodies we know today. Personally, I think it's a blast being able to review the genesis of energy mints. The first energy drink is quite controversial, but I think Lipovitan (introduced in 1960) is the first, but many people consider Red Bull to be the genesis of energy drinks. Penguin Mints come in three flavors: cinnamon, chocolate, and peppermint. I will be tackling the peppermint flavor first. The packaging is very nice, coming in a tin box similar to Altoids. The mints inside are flat and oval-shaped and have a nice glossy finish. Popping one in my mouth I get a great cooling minty flavor with absolutely no caffeine bitterness. I have mentioned before that I like a strong mint flavor and these Penguin Mints delivered. And with only 7 milligrams of caffeine per mint, you can each a bunch before you start getting a little jittery. That's it for the energy blend, so how do these mints perform? Well, that depends. I had about 8 or 9 throughout the day and that gave me 42 milligrams of caffeine. You would have to eat 12 of these in order to equal that of a Red Bull, and since the mints are quite flavorful, eating that many is easy to do. But really energy mints aren't about the caffeine, unless it's Foosh or MPower. According to the Energy Fiend Database, the average caffeinated mint contains just 8 milligrams of caffeine. And that's when you don't consider extremely caffeinated mints like Foosh (100 milligrams) and MPower (120 milligrams, the highest of any mint). So, if you've been paying any attention you'll probably notice that I haven't told you if the kick was good or not. The answer is yes, you just have to eat about 10 of them. I recommend munching on a few at a time every half hour or so to keep a sustained buzz. 7.7 out of 10. As always, you can find these minty goodies at Chemical Evolution.

REVIEW OF JOLT MINTS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 7.8 OUT OF 10.


This morning I had a tough time trying to figure out what to review next. Eventually, I picked 5 energy mints to choose from and did eenie-meenie-minie-mo until Jolt Mints won out. I then decided to make this week energy mint week on my blog. So welcome, everyone, to the first day of energy mint week. Jolt Mints are not made by the same company that makes Jolt Energy Drink. Jolt Energy Drink is made by Wet Planet Beverages and Jolt Gum and Mints are made by GumRunners. You will also notice that GumRunners uses the retro logo that was used on the famous Jolt Cola. The packaging does look nice, I must say. I don't actually rate packaging but it's nice to throw my two cents in. As you can see from the photograph I took it is a aluminum box and one box holds 45 mints. I opened the box and popped on in my mouth to get a flavor profile. Now, when I see the word "mint" on a product, I want it to taste minty. This was hardly minty at all in my book. I'm a fan of Altoids because of there strength. The upside is that it does not taste horrible. I'd much rather have it be a weak mint flavor then have it taste awful. And it isn't just me, I shared the box with multiple people and nearly all of them agreed that it was not very minty. Perhaps I'll see better mints in the upcoming days of mint week. Energy blend includes caffeine, guarana, and ginseng. The box says that 5 mints contain as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. Knowing this, I took 5 before I went to school. During first hour I took a couple more, and then in sixth hour I took a couple more. This provided a great buzz which got me through the day. I bet if you ate 5 at the start and then munched on a couple every hour or so, you would be going for a long time. I think Jolt Mints are a decent product but I would like to see more minty flavor. However, when you pop about 7 or 8 of these, the buzz can get pretty nice. 7.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BUZZ STRONG

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.


It really is difficult to come up with an introduction to something as awesome as a cookie with caffeine. It's not that it's simply laced with some white powder, but it actually is a coffee cookie. One cookie has the equivalent caffeine of one cup of coffee. My guess is 80 milligrams. My cookie came in a single pack an was rather large for a cookie. And that's a good thing because let me just say this: OH MY GOODNESS, THESE ARE AMAZING! I apologize for using all caps but they are that good. The cookie has a delicious coffee flavor with big chunks of semi-sweet chocolate. The cookie just overwhelms the taste buds with a plethora of delicious flavors. I also love the soft texture, I can't stand tough cookies. Seriously though, forget your Otis Spunkmeyer cookies right now and buy a box of theses babies. And besides, what other cookie gives you as much caffeine as coffee? Not a whole lot to talk about in the energy blend department, expect for the caffeine which comes from coffee. The official amount of caffeine is unknown, but I estimate it to be around 80 to 100 milligrams per cookie. Why don't I have hundreds of these? They are amazing. But are they amazing enough to give me a boost? You bet. After quickly eating the cookie from heaven I started to feel a mid-level buzz. The kick is very comparable to a cup of coffee and is nothing over the top. And what a fun and awesome way to get your caffeine fix. Just eat a delicious cookie. I'll give this a nice 8.4 out of 10. Oh what's that? You want these? Well, head over to Chemical Evolution and order as many as you like!

REVIEW OF PERKY JERKY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER BAG.


RATING: 6.6 OUT OF 10.


Being a caffeine junkie and energy product reviewer, it is my job to not be surprised when I am faced with a radical caffeinated item. This is the only reason why caffeinated beef jerky did not surprise me, because I already new it existed. Still, beef jerky laced with guarana sounds like a crazy, but awesome idea. And the best part is that every reviewer unanimously agrees that this is A+ jerky. I'm going to be the first to break the ice and say that this is very good jerky, but it won't get a 10 for taste. It will get a high 8 or low 9. Sorry, but that's my opinion. The flavor starts out as a sweet and tangy teriyaki flavor and it tender throughout. It doesn't take a month to swallow it, and I enjoyed this trait. Once the sweet teriyaki flavor has given up all hope, a spiciness comes into play and stays for the after party (aftertaste, that is). If you think your Jack Links is just not cool and manly enough, perhaps Perky Jerky will do the trick. There is nothing to say about the energy blend except it has guarana which puts out 150 milligrams of caffeine per bag. Excluded is taurine, ginseng, guarana, gingko biloba, yerba mate, and all that other voodoo they typically put in energy products, especially drinks. 150 milligrams of caffeine rivals that of standard energy drinks such as Monster, Rockstar, and 16 ounce Red Bull. So you may be thinking, wow this should really work, right? Well it might for you, but not for me. When I finished the pack I waited for a nice buzz to get me through the afternoon. 15 or 20 minutes later, I found myself curled up in a ball on the couch. If anything, this jerky made me even more tired. Still, kick is subjective (actually, yes it is) and I recommend you try some. I mean, come on, where are going to find caffeinated beef jerky. I'll give it a 6.6 out of 10. You can buy this stuff at Chemical Evolution. And now for a sneak peek at what's to come in the following week or so: CaffeMallows, HyperNutz, Mad Croc Energy Chews, Think Gum, Jolt Gum, Warp Energy Mints, and a whole lot more.

REVIEW OF VE2

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 35 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.


RATING: 7.5 OUT OF 10.


Caffeinated gum in certainly nothing new, as it has been around for several years, probably starting with Jolt Gum. Caffeinated gum works almost instantaneously because the caffeine is absorbed through the gums. I have had two experiences so far with caffeinated gum, one of them good, and one of them not so good. Let's see how VE2 fairs out. The first thing I noticed about VE2 was the way it is packaged. It comes in the standard blister pack, but there is no paper wrapping around the pack. This is to save trash and to save a few trees. Now, I'm not a tree hugger, but I think this is a great idea. The paper wrapper is simply not necessary. Ok, so it looks like we have another peppermint flavored gum. Upon chewing for a few moments, a cool and clean peppermint became noticeable. It is a little bit less powerful then Mad Croc Power Peppermint, and unfortunately VE2 could not keep the bitter flavor of caffeine at bay.  This gum would have been pretty good, but unfortunately just a little bitterness drops down the taste rating. Now, what powers this gum? Well, two pieces have 40 percent daily value of niacin, 40 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 40 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 70 milligrams of caffeine, guarana, and ginseng. Not bad for an energy gum. I especially like the addition of guarana and ginseng. And it's no wonder that I could taste the caffeine because it the very first ingredient, followed by guarana, ginseng, vitamins, sweeteners, natural and artificial flavors, color, and texture. This gum actually has 6 artificial sweeteners (xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and lycasin) which is a ton no matter which way you look at it. Still, with the way my rating system works, they won't get any points off. So really the only thing left to answer is: does it work? The answer is simply yes. Sure it didn't work as well as Mad Croc Power Peppermint, but the 70 milligrams of caffeine worked pretty well, powering me through boring classes such as Chemistry 210, Concepts of Algebra 2, and World History. Would I recommend this gum? Not over Mad Croc Power Peppermint, but if you can't get a hold of that then this is a nice alternative. 7.5 out of 10. You can purchase VE2 Gum at Chemical Evolution.

REVIEW OF MAD CROC POWER PEPPERMINT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 40 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.


RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


Yesterday afternoon, I successfully received a large sample box containing various caffeinated items thanks to Chemical Evolution. These items include, but are not limited to: mints, gum, lotion, shower gel, mana potion, health potion, zombie blood, vampire blood, cookies, chocolates, jerky, energy powder, et cetera. Like always, I will do one review a day. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the caffeine-fueled ride. To start, we have Mad Croc gum, which looks like ordinary gum except for the fact that it has 40 milligrams of caffeine per piece. And since the serving size is two pieces, the caffeine content equals that of a Red Bull. When I initially saw the product, I remembered the awful, bitter flavor of Power Play energy gum. This had me very concerned, and I was saying "please taste good, please taste good" so loud in my head that it was practically audible. Thankfully, the peppermint flavored gum tasted just like regular gum. The peppermint was cool and at a medium intensity. Also, the flavor lasted a lot longer than I expected it would. I have to say I am quite impressed with the flavor of Mad Croc Power Peppermint and I can't wait to try the other flavors. Energy blend includes 50 percent daily value of riboflavin, 100 percent daily value of niacin, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 80 percent of pantothenic acid, along with caffeine (80 milligrams per serving, 40 milligrams per piece), taurine, and maltodextrin. So, a nice lot of caffeine, taurine, and b vitamins. You can't go wrong there. So, does it work? Well, it is said that gum will perk you up faster then an energy drink or shot because the caffeine is absorbed sublingually rather then digesting it. The caffeine hit me almost instantaneously and despite having the same caffeine content, I have to say it worked better than a Red Bull. The buzz lasted throughout the school day with absolutely no crash. My first item from Chemical Evolution went extremely well. This is basically gum on a little bit of anabolic-androgenic steroids. This gum is available for $2.00 a pack at Chemical Evolution. This gum gets a solid 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF MONSTER ABSOLUTELY ZERO

Image Courtesy of Flickr.com

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 135 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 7.5 OUT OF 10.


I know I am late to the punch, but now you guys get to see my opinion on the latest drink from Monster, named Absolutely Zero. Monster Absolutely Zero is essentially a diet version of Monster Lo-Carb, which is already a diet drink. I suppose the 20 calories in Monster Lo-Carb were way too much for serious dieters. This new Monster has 0 calories, 2 grams of carbs, and 0 grams of sugar. Absolutely Zero uses different sweeteners than Monster Lo-Carb, so was the taste any better? I think so. It has a smooth, impossible-to-describe flavor that is sweet and good. Monster has always bothered me in the taste category because I have always failed to describe it. Basically, this drink doesn't taste "diety" at all, at least not in my opinion. It's somewhat citrusy, but I can't be sure. Go and try some yourself. The energy ingredients that power Monster Absolutely Zero are as follows: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and a 1,400 milligrams energy blend consisting of taurine, panax ginseng, l-carnitine, caffeine, glucuronolactone, inositol, guarana, and maltodextrin. The caffeine content, according to Energy Fiend, is 135 milligrams per 16 ounce can. Also, there is a very good reason why the energy blend was lowered from 2,500 milligrams to 1,400 milligrams. Originally, Monster had Glucose as part of the energy blend, but it is removed in Monster Absolutely Zero, making the blend less. It is sweetened with erythritol, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. Three artificial sweeteners. Great (sarcasm). Now, how did the kick perform? I had this around lunchtime (11:00 A.M., I have an early lunch) and it powered me through 4th, 5th, and 6th hour with a crash at the end. My energy levels never skyrocketed, but Monster did provide an average kick. Overall, I really don't understand what Monster is doing here. Like Screaming Energy says, this may be as pitiful as the New Coke debacle. Or as absurd and downright ridiculous as Diet Diet Monster. Oh wait, it is Diet Diet Monster. 7.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HERO

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.


Hero energy shot is a brand-new energy shot that came out in 2010. Its goal is to help out our real life heroes such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Military, and Police. I am actually the first to review this product and before I was contacted by the company, I did not know it existed. Taking a quick look at the bottle, I thought this was going to be a 5 Hour clone. At least in taste, that is. The ingredients are fairly similar to 5 Hour Energy, but there are fewer ingredients and the energy blend is 2,100 milligrams (5 Hour Energy Regular and Extra Strength have 1,870 and 2,100 milligrams of energy blend respectively). Right, so the flavor is actually quite similar to 5 Hour. It has a sweet mixed berry flavor that is very hard to pinpoint. It's impossible for me to tell you what specific berries I tasted, but I can tell you that Hero did a nice job with the flavor. No chaser was needed here. Taking a look at the energy ingredients I found the following list: 100 percent daily value of niacin, 2,000 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of folic acid, 8,333 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and then there is the energy blend worth 2,100 milligrams which consists of taurine, caffeine, malic acid, glucuronolactone, n-acetyl, l-tyrosine, and l-phenylalanine. The caffeine content is completely unknown. It doesn't even have the "contains as much as a cup of coffee" jargon that everyone else puts. Since the energy blend consists of 7 ingredients and the blend totals 2,100 milligrams, the average amount of milligrams for each ingredient in the blend is 300. Taurine, being the first ingredient in the blend, most likely has about 1,000 milligrams. So, that leaves 1,100 milligrams to work with. Making the average about 183. Since this is getting ridiculous, and I hate math, I'm going to abruptly stop trying to figure out the caffeine content. My best guess is around 200 milligrams. So, let's move on to the kick. Hero promises 5 hours of energy (much like some company I know, but seriously who doesn't advertise 5 hours of energy these days) so that set the bar. When I drank it, I felt a mild buzz grow over me, but it was nothing substantial or over the top. The claim of 5 hours of energy probably isn't true. Still, if you want a quick little burst of energy then I suggest you go out and buy any other common energy shot. Besides the whole giving back to the heroes thing, this energy shot doesn't really stand out in any way. 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF POWER PLAY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 60 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.


RATING: 4.6 OUT OF 10.


Let it be known that Power Play Energy Gum is the very first energy gum to be reviewed on Addicted 2 Energy, and it certainly won't be the last. Energy gum has been around for while now (a few years or so is a while in energy product terms) and major companies such as Amp and Rockstar have come out with their own versions of energy gum. So will Power Play make a great first impression. I suggest you read on and find out. Before I get to my opinion on the taste, I'll tell you what my father thought about Power Play Gum. He opened up the package and stuck the piece of sour orange flavored gum into his mouth. Not even a minute later, it was in the garbage can. He complained that the gum broke apart when he first chewed it, and it felt like he was chewing up an aspirin or a vitamin. I asked him if it tasted good and he said no. He told me that the flavor was not even close to sour orange. So then it was my turn. I drink a lot of energy drinks so I'm used to the bitter flavor of caffeine. I thought that the gum would be ok. Boy, was I in for a shock! I popped the piece into my mouth, and it started to break apart. I have read the website for Power Play and I realize that they apparently have to do this. The initial taste was that of a bitter orange chewable vitamin. Staying optimistic, I thought the flavor would get better when it finally came back together. It didn't. The awful bitterness lingered and I was desperately watching the clock to see when the recommended 5 minutes was over. I am not happy to say that this is the first product reviewed on this site that tastes downright horrible. I was miserable while chewing it. Anyway, let's move on now. The energy ingredients that power this gum are as follows: 70 percent daily value of vitamin b1, 70 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 30 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 180 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 4 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 60 milligrams of caffeine, and 5 milligrams of taurine. Power Play actually says that one piece has about the same caffeine content as a cup of coffee. Really? With 60 milligrams of caffeine, that's more like a cup of black tea. A 20 ounce bottle of Coca-Cola has about the same amount of caffeine. After chewing for 5 minutes, because that's all I could handle, I started to feel a slight uplift. I was surprised that it actually worked and it kept me awake throughout the morning. So, the conclusion. Power Play Energy Gum tastes terrible, has a mediocre energy blend, but the kick is not bad at all. I'll give this a 4.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF FULL THROTTLE RED BERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 197 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 7.9 OUT OF 10.


Back in June 19, 2009, I reviewed the original flavor of Full Throttle. Since then, Full Throttle has gone through a major update, adding a more sophisticated design and and a new flavor: Red Berry. There energy blend was also knocked down a few notches (more on that in a moment). I must say I really like the sophisticated approach that Full Throttle is taking. Gone are the spikes, devil horns, and flames. What's left is a sleek and uncluttered label. However, the font still remains edgy. The flavor is called Red Berry (strawberry and raspberry). Taking a sip, I got a smooth and candy-like strawberry and raspberry flavor. The drink is quite flavorful, but I could tell they used high fructose corn syrup. I wonder what energy drinks would taste like if they used cane sugar. I know that the drinks would not be nearly as syrupy as there fructose laden counterparts. Despite the high fructose corn syrup, the sweet and candy-ish flavors pleased my palate. Like I mentioned earlier, Full Throttle really toned down their energy blend. The original blend consisted of all the energy drink standards (caffeine, taurine, ginseng, guarana). Now they have their "No-Choke Mixture" which consists of 197 milligrams of caffeine, 200 milligrams of d-ribose, and 200 percent daily value of niacin. Adding to this, we have 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and 50 percent daily value of pantothenic acid. This comes with 230 calories and 58 grams of sugar. Now what really confused me was the caffeine content. For one serving (8 ounces), it contains 100 milligrams of caffeine. But for the full can (16 ounces), it says it has 197 milligrams of caffeine. Basic arithmetic tells me that this makes absolutely no sense (100+100=200, not 197). Same with the calories (120+120=240, not 230). Still, with 2.5 times the caffeine content of a standard Red Bull, the kick was pretty nice. Last night I fell asleep at 3:00 A.M. and in the morning I was exhausted. I reached for the newest flavor of Full Throttle and it did not disappoint. It immediately smacked the sleepiness right out of me, and lasted for 4 hours before tapering off completely without a crash. So, what do I think about the new flavor and look of Full Throttle. Well, even though they've had this new look for quite a while now, I think Full Throttle made the right decision. If you see it, don't hesitate. Now if only I can teach Fuze Beverages, Limited Liability Company how to do basic mathematics. 7.9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF RIP IT G-FORCE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10.


The Rip It line up has impressed me so far, but what will G-Force bring to the table? First of all, this is Rip It's first grape flavored drink (G-Force stands for Grape Force) and to be honest, it's nice to see them whip together a grape flavored drink. Let's see how it fairs out. Coming in a purple and silver can, this drink is obviously grape flavored. Cracking the can and taking sip, I get a subtle grape flavor with some caffeine bitterness. It's not an artificial grape, more natural tasting, like you ate a handful of grapes. It probably tastes this way because of the more subtle grape flavor. Overall though, Rip It G-Force is a pretty nice grape flavored drink. Well the taste is great, but what powers this bad boy? Rip It G-Force is powered by 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of folic acid, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 2,020 milligrams of taurine, 200 milligrams of caffeine, 200 milligrams of inositol, and 16 milligrams of guarana. So this is pretty standard stuff, caffeine content is 200 milligrams per can, equal to 2 and a half Red Bulls. Ok, so all these ingredients should give it a nice kick. I drank this drink down in no time, and with 2.5 times the amount of caffeine in Red Bull, I got jacked pretty good. Not the strongest buzz, but it lasted for around 4 hours. All the energy comes with 260 calories, 64 grams of sugars, and 64 grams of carbs. Overall, Rip It G-Force is a pretty solid drink, and for just $1.09 it's also a heck of a deal. It has more caffeine than a Monster, so you get a lot more bang for your buck. If you see it, I say go for it. 8.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF RELAXZEN DAY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.


RATING: 6.7 OUT OF 10.


Somewhere between energy drinks and anti-energy drinks, there lies a third genre of "energy" beverage. It's name? Functional Beverage. These beverages rely on herbs, extracts, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and so on. A lot of these drinks do not contain caffeine. I have reviewed many functional beverages on this site and I think they all did pretty well. So now we have this. It's called Relaxzen Day and it's flavor is mellow berry. I screwed off the top and took a swig. The flavor is definitely berry, and a good one at that. I did not need to slam it like most other shots. I'm not particularly sure what berry stood out the most, but it was certainly a cornucopia of berry flavors. So, what powers this bad boy? Taking a peek at the label it looks like we've got 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6 and 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12. On top of that it has a "Proprietary Relaxation Enhancing and Stress Reducing Blend worth 225 milligrams. The blend consists of 5 stress reducing ingredients: acai extract, passionflower extract, GABA, l-theanine, and l-threonine. That's all great and all but where is the caffeine? Oh yeah I forgot this is a functional beverage and it doesn't have any. That's ok though. It should work, right? Wrong. At least for the most part. The thing is, I didn't feel any different after I drank this. You could say I was deadlier in Black Ops by getting a personal best 26 kills in free-for-all. I also died 24 times, but I was the first match that I got my ratio above 1.00. I know, I suck. My ratio is usually around 0.50 or 0.60. But I digress, the fact is this thing may work, but I can't test it. I wish I could just make myself stressed and see how this thing performs. Still, I had no choice but to review it. The rating won't be so bad because the flavor was really great, especially for a shot. If you see this in a store or have tried it already, please let me know your thoughts. I'm very eager to hear them. This drink gets a 6.7 out of 10.

REVIEW OF RELAXZEN NIGHT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.


RATING: 9.5 OUT OF 10.


Anti-energy drinks have been growing substantially since their debut. Normal caffeine junkies are confused by their claims to relax you and put you into a herb and melatonin induced stupor. Typically, these drinks don't contain melatonin, but rather a blend of herbs such as chamomile, and valerian root. The only drinks I know of that contain melatonin are Drank and Relaxzen Night. Relazxen is a play on the word relaxin' or relaxing. It looks like RelaxZEN on the bottle, but I'll stick to Relaxzen. And now I'd like to take this moment to thank Relaxzen for sending me a free sample. So, what does this taste like? Well, like berries. It's actually very good for a shot, and I did not need a chaser. This is probably the best tasting shot I have had. I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet berry flavor. Before we get to the anti-buzz section, let's see what fuels this sleep inducing beverage. It looks like it is powered by 151 milligrams worth of chamomile extract, GABA, l-theanine, l-threonine, valerian root extract, and melatonin. That's a nice sleepy blend and let me tell you, it worked. After downing the bottle and waited for about 10 minutes, I started to feel a little sleepy. After 20 minutes rolled around, the melatonin started to kick in. After 30 minutes past, I could definitely feel it. I was listening to my Ipod and had to stop so I could fall asleep. It took about 5 or 10 minutes for the ingredients to put me under completely. Unfortunately, I didn't wake up super-refreshed. But I never do, anyway. I judge anti-energy drinks on how well they can put me under, and Relaxzen did a fantastic job. Stay tuned for when I review the day formula by Relaxzen. It promises a calm and focused mood. The rating for this beverage? An astounding 9.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF KRONIK ENTOURAGE LOW CARB

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 7.7 OUT OF 10. 


Today I have something totally different for you guys. Just kidding, it's another flavor of Kronik, specifically the low carb version of Entourage. Let's get to it. Cracking the can and taking a sip, I get a tropical citrus flavor that is unfortunately overwhelmed with sucralose. The regular version definitely beats this as far as taste. As a matter of fact, the taste was not too pleasing to my taste buds. In order for diet drinks to taste good, they need to have a strong flavor. Unfortunately, Kronik Entourage Low Carb does not have a strong flavor. Well I've already talked about the added ingredients in the low carb editions of Kronik Energy and to be honest I am kind of getting sick of listing the stuff. But, it is one of the three categories in which energy products are rated and it has to be put on every post (this does not apply to early reviews which were graded on taste and kick rather than taste, energy blend, and kick.) Added to the already substantial blend is 100 milligrams of l-tyrosine, 100 milligrams of grape seed extract, 100 milligrams of licorice root extract, 100 milligrams of ginger root extract, and 20 milligrams of l-carnitine. Like I have mentioned in the past, these ingredients are supposed to boost your metabolism, which is great for losing weight. Not that you would want to drink a 16 ounce energy drink if you were on a weight loss program. Now for the kick. Yesterday I laid in bed listening to my 5-0 radio application I downloaded for my Ipod Touch. I stayed up past midnight, knowing I had to wake up at 6:30 and go to school. When I got up, I was pretty dang exhausted. I actually slept a little on the way to school. I wasn't driving by the way. When I got to the classroom, the first thing I did was crack open that energy drink. After about 20 minutes, I could feel the effects. Kronik did a nice job of getting me out of a slumber by giving a mid-level boost that lasted throughout most of the school day. So with only one flavor left of Kronik, the whole line-up has done pretty well. In fact, judging by the average rating, I think it is one of the best line-ups I have seen in a while. Rating for Kronik Entourage Low Carb: 7.7 out of 10.