REVIEW OF COCAINE ENERGY SHOT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 280 MILLIGRAMS PER 2 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.8 OUT OF 10.


     Goodbye procrastination, and hello review time. To put it simply, I've held off this review for too long, but at least I had a good reason: I was ill. Yes, the common cold swept through my veins for a few days, depleting my energy sources. I waited to review the product I tried until I was feeling better, like today. The product I am reviewing is the new Cocaine Energy Shot, brought to you by Redux Beverages. I would not be surprised if Redux got back into the news with their new energy shot. The packaging is all white and looks very pharmaceutical. No flavor is posted. Hmmm, so what does it taste like? Read on and find out.

     With no flavor posted, I expected it to taste like an energy shot version of the regular Cocaine Energy Drink. After struggling to open up the bottle, I finally was able to take a sip. It starts off as a berry flavor, typical for energy shots, and then it has a peppery kick at the finish, but it is not as pronounced as the drink. Overall I was rather pleased with the flavor and I did not need to chase it with anything.

     So what do we have for energy ingredients? We've got some good stuff, here's the full list: 280 milligrams of caffeine, 250 milligrams of d-ribose, 250 milligrams of taurine, 100 milligrams of inositol, 50 milligrams of l-carnitine, 300 percent daily value of vitamin b6, and 850 percent daily value of vitamin b12. Not to shabby, but what especially blows my mind is the incredible amount of caffeine. 280 milligrams in a 2 ounce bottle. This makes Cocaine Energy Shot the 3rd most potent 2 ounce energy shot ever made.

     Certainly then, with that much caffeine it should have quite the effect. I tried this drink multiple times and each time I got something a little bit different. One day I was jittery and could really feel the effects, the other day I didn't feel much, and today I got a boost that was big enough to get me out of the doldrums, but not insane enough to blast me to outer space. While I did not receive as big of an effect as ED Junkie did, I was still pretty satisfied with the kick.

     The energy shot installment of the Cocaine Energy Drink is not quite a masterpiece, but it gets the job done. It's main highlights are the great amount of caffeine and it's pleasant but unique flavor. Overall. I'd give it an 8.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF CELSIUS PACKETS BERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 0.19 OUNCE PACKET.

RATING: 8.6 OUT OF 10.


     The drinks that Celsius offers really do impress me. They have a nice flavor with a great buzz, now let's see what their mix can do. The Celsius Drink Mix is a powder that is added to water or your favorite non carbonated beverage. I have reviewed other energy mixes in the past, like Helix and Crave and they both did pretty well, especially Crave. Anyway, the Celsius Packets are berry flavored, so let's see if they nailed down the flavor.

     I took a 16.9 ounce bottle of water, drank one sip out of it, and then proceeded to add the pink powder. The powder mixes quite well, but there are still some pink chunks floating around. Nothing a little strainer can't handle. Unless you prefer the pink chunks in your drink, then you can just forget about using a strainer. As for the actual flavor, it is quite delicious and refreshing. Despite using Sucralose, there is hardly any artificial sweetener flavor to be detected. It is definitely a nice, subtle berry flavor.

     All right, so the flavor is quite good, but can the energy blend make that same accomplishment? Well, it has 100 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, 100 percent daily value of biotin, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 41 percent daily value of chromium, and the MetaPlus Proprietary Blend consisting of taurine, green tea leaf extract, 200 milligrams of caffeine anhydrous, glucuronolactone, and ginger extract. Oh, and did I mention it also has 100 percent daily value of vitamin c? And so do all the other Celsius drinks. Not too shabby!

     Well we know it has the same exact blend as every other Celsius product out there, so it should provide a nice kick. Well, it certainly didn't have me bouncing off the walls, but I definitely noticed an uplift in my energy levels. I would say the kick was somewhere between medium and medium-high. Overall, I was pleased with the effects.

     The Celsius Packets are a nice, well-developed product. They executed the flavor quite well, and if you strain your solution, you will get rid of the pink clumps. The kick is also pretty nice. You can buy these online at www.celsius.com . 3 boxes of 7 sell for $29.97, making each packet cost only 70 cents. Final rating: 8.6 out of 10.

Save 10% on Celsius online by using coupon code: addicted2energy

REVIEW OF CELSIUS APPLE ORCHARD BLEND

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.8 OUT OF 10.

     Believe it or not folks, but this is the last review I have until summer vacation ends and I am back pursuing the educational endeavors that lie ahead. This year will be my senior year in high school, so if I ever was excited about a school year, which I'm not, this would be it. But I digress, the drink I will be reviewing for you today is the brand new flavor of Celsius. The first thing I can point out is the change in packaging. Instead of using the sophisticated blue color they went with a subtle white color, which makes the drink seem like it's the diet version. The flavor is given on the can as Apple Orchard Blend. So, did they get it right?

     Well, when I cracked open the can and took a sip I noticed a non carbonated apple flavor, but not necessarily apple juice. It's pretty simple, when you add energy ingredients to what is basically an apple juice drink, it won't really taste like apple juice anymore. Still, Celsius did do a great job with the flavor, and it is one of the drinks high points.

     Now for the energy blend. Well, here we go again: 100 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, 100 percent daily value of biotin, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 41 percent daily value of chromium, and the MetaPlus Proprietary Blend consisting of taurine, guarana extract, green tea leaf extract, caffeine anhydrous, glucuronolactone, and ginger extract. It is sweetened with erythritol and stevia extract. Caffeine content as always is 200 milligrams per can.

     Probably the main reason why this is one of my favorite energy drink companies is simply because it works, even on someone like me. It's rather deceiving, because I am pretty skinny and yet something like a Monster will not give me a substantial buzz. But this Celsius definitely did the trick by kicking me out of my sleepy shoes and getting into my oh-my-goodness-I-can't-wait-for-my-friend-to-come-over shoes. I wasn't hyper, but the drink certainly provided a noticeable uplift in energy.

     So, what about this new flavor of Celsius? I like it, actually. I love non carbonated drinks because they go down much smoother than their fizzy counterparts. Celsius is a great energy drink and I recommend you give it a try. Prices start at 36 dollars for a 24 pack, not bad at all. Or you could just pick one up at the store for 2 dollars. 8.8 out of 10.

Save 10% on Celsius online by using coupon code: addicted2energy

REVIEW OF CELSIUS GREEN TEA PEACH MANGO

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.8 OUT OF 10. 

      Today I will be reviewing another flavor of Celsius Energy Drink. This one is called Green Tea Peach Mango. I have enjoyed the first 3 flavors of Celsius, so let's see if this one delivers as well. The packaging is professional, but a bit overcrowded, with claims of it burning up to 100 calories per can, that's almost 3/4 of a can of soda. I have heard that they got into some trouble for making these weight loss claims, but I won't get into that. But like I said before, in one review, it's the insides that count. So, onward to the taste.

     As mentioned earlier the flavor is Green Tea Peach Mango, which is quite an interesting flavor combination. Anyway, it seemed to work because the drink went down very smoothly and was quite refreshing. Unlike the Sparkling Ginger Ale flavor, I could not taste the Sucralose. I have yet to try all of there flavors but for now, this is one of my favorite offerings from them. 

     On the ingredients side of things, here's what this packs: 100 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, 100 percent daily value of biotin, 41 percent daily value of chromium, and a 1,810 milligram energy blend consisting of taurine, guarana, green tea leaf extract, caffeine anhydrous, glucuronolactone, and ginger extract. Caffeine content as always is 200 milligrams per 12 ounce can. 

     So, does this work as well as the others? Well, there are many variables to determine the effectiveness of an energy drink, and some of the variables weren't with me on this one. However, I was extremely tired, because I went to bed at 5:00 AM. I was woken up by the dog 2 and a half hours later. I then went back to bed and slept until noon. I was so exhausted that I find it remarkable that this drink could still wake me up. And that's why I love Celsius so much, it just works. 

     Overall then, this Green Tea Peach Mango version of Celsius has me sold on flavor alone. It also provides a nice amount of caffeine and it works like a charm without being overpowering (although sometimes it can be overpowering on an empty stomach). I cannot wait to try the other flavors and there shots. Final rating is an 8.8 out of 10.

Save 10% on Celsius online by using coupon code: addicted2energy

REVIEW OF CELSIUS SPARKLING GINGER ALE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.7 OUT OF 10.

So today we have another review of one of my favorite energy drink companies: Celsius. Yesterday I received a cooler full of drinks, shots, and a mix. It also came with lots of paper work and a disc. The first flavor that I will be trying out from the samples is Celsius Sparkling Ginger Ale. This will be my first time trying a ginger ale flavored energy drink, let's see if they can pull it off. Nope, not really. Since this uses Sucralose, the ginger ale flavor is ruined by the artificial sweetener. What a pity, because I like ginger ale. Unfortunately Celsius had to ruin it by putting in Sucralose. All right, so the taste isn't great but let's see if it can redeem itself by having a great energy blend. Well, it has 100 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, 100 percent daily value of biotin, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 41 percent daily value of chromium, and the 1,810 milligrams MetaPlus Proprietary Blend which has taurine, guarana extract, green tea leaf extract, caffeine anhydrous, glucuronolactone, and ginger extract. The caffeine content is a staggering 200 milligrams per 12 ounce can. In fact, before Rockstar 2X came out, this was the most powerful 12 ounce energy drink you could buy. Its caffeine concentration of 16.7 milligrams per ounce is higher than NOS Energy Drink, one of the most powerful readily available drinks. Anyway, enough about caffeine content, you just want to know if this thing works. Good news, it does. I mean, it has been a long time since I have gotten a serious jolt from an energy drink and this beast delivered. I was jittery and wired for maybe 4 hours or so. Celsius has never disappointed me in the kick department and they certainly didn't disappoint this time. Overall, I truly wish the ginger ale version of Celsius had a better flavor. But despite having the poor flavor, it still manages to get an 8.7 out of 10.

Save 10% on Celsius online by using coupon code: addicted2energy

REVIEW OF SEATTLE'S BEST COFFEE ICED VANILLA LATTE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 7.2 OUT OF 10.

Despite being a huge fan of ready-to-drink coffees, I have not reviewed one for a while. Thankfully, the wait is over and I have obtained one of the Seattle's Best Coffee ready-to-drink coffees. I'm sure it comes in more flavors than one, but the flavor I have is Iced Vanilla Latte. The packaging is subtle, yet sophisticated. This drink is not meant to be an energy drink, but since it has a solid amount of caffeine, it is reviewable. The size of the can is a strange 9.5 fluid ounces, so it's a little bit bigger than a Red Bull. When I took a sip, I was greeted with a creamy vanilla flavor with some coffee. The vanilla and cream take a front seat while the coffee is stuck in the back. And that's really my only complaint with this drink, I really wish the coffee was more pronounced and not so buried behind all the cream and vanilla. We don't really have a whole lot to talk about in the energy ingredients party. It has brewed coffee as its first ingredient. Now the caffeine content is unknown, but I can probably make an educated guess. This ready-to-drink coffee likely has anywhere from 60-100 milligrams of caffeine. I am not saying that is close, but that's my best guess. The effect from Seattle's Best didn't really kick me into high gear, but rather it gave me a mild boost. Hopefully the Celsius I will review tomorrow will kick me like a horse. But this is just your basic buzz. Overall then, I give it a 7.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR RECOVERY GRAPE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


It is rather remarkable that Rockstar took about a year to come out with a new flavor of Recovery. I enjoyed the lemonade flavor, although it was a little watered down. I've been meaning to try the grape flavor for quite some time now, and here's my chance to review it. I bought this at my local D&W, and I also spotted FRS, which I will grab tomorrow. Rockstar Recovery Grape's can is a thing of beauty. I don't rate packaging (because it's on the inside that counts, for lack of a better phrase), but you have to admit this can looks pretty freaking awesome. The purple mingles with the black so fluently. And the stuff inside is just as awesome. The grape flavor of Recovery is non-carbonated, just like the old lemonade flavor. The flavor is quite delicious, being a smooth, sweet grape flavor that reminds me of a grape Gatorade, only less watered down. It really is a nice flavor, and the only drawback is the artificial sweeteners that give it that weird aftertaste. Rockstar has one of the best energy blends out there, and here is the full list of Recovery: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 500 percent daily value 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. So they got rid of the guarana and the gingko biloba, and they added prickly pear, which is supposed to help with hangovers. I can only test this as a regular energy drink, although it is supposed to be some sort of hangover remedy. The effect is decent, but more caffeine is needed. If only this flavor had 2 times the caffeine, like the Rockstar 2X. Well that wraps up this review, and check out my review of FRS tomorrow. 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ICHILL

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

RATING: 9.4 OUT OF 10.

In the world of relaxation beverages, what's better? A drink or a shot? They both have their strengths and weaknesses.  Drinks such as Drank are sweet and delicious, but the ingredients enter your system much more slowly. Shot may not taste as pleasant, but the effects will be stronger. For this review, we will be trying out a shot called iChill. iChill comes in a blue 2 ounce bottle. The flavor is quite sweet, yet surprisingly good for a shot. It's hard to tell what the actual flavor is, because it's not some artificial berry flavor like most shots. iChill has a promising anti-energy blend, and it looks a little something like this: 10 milligrams of valerian root, 10 grams of rose hips, and 5 milligrams of melatonin. Of course there is also 100 percent daily value of 4 b vitamins. Just to give you an idea of just how promising this is, Drank has 2 milligrams of Melatonin for a 16 ounce can. This has over twice that amount in only 2 ounces. So naturally, you probably think it works. In a word, yes. 30 minutes after consuming the contents of the bottle, I became quite mellow, and eventually had to go upstairs to my bedroom. I browsed the internet on my iPod until I could fight the fatigue no longer and had to go to sleep. Usually anti-energy drinks will calm me down, but I can usually fight off the tiredness. You can pretty much forget doing that with iChill. With a pleasant flavor, plenty of melatonin, and a very nice effect, the iChill anti-energy shot is one of the finest relaxation drinks I've had to date. 9.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF PHIX TROPIC

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 12.35 GRAM STICK.

RATING: 8 OUT OF 10.


As much as I enjoy the super-caffeinated, heart-stopping, pulse-pounding energy supplements from time to time, I equally enjoy the more natural and mature way of energizing your body. No, I'm not talking about working out and sleeping well, remember I review energy products. I'm talking about products like Phix. Phix is a drink mix that comes in three flavors: Tropic, Citron, and Teaberry. The Tropic flavor is the one I tried. The packaging is simple, yet sophisticated and mature. I  mixed the powder with about 16 ounces of water and what came out was a pink colored liquid. The flavor isn't bad, but it could use some work. It tasted fruity, yet artificial, which is odd because it has no artificial ingredients. It does however, use Stevia, which gives it that artificial sweetener taste. The ingredients section is where this product really shines, utilizing a brand new ingredient that was introduced to the market just 16 years ago. I'll get to that in a second, but in the meantime, here's what else it has: 25 percent daily value of vitamin b1, 25 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 25 percent daily value of niacinamide (vitamin b3), 31 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 25 percent daily value of folic acid, 42 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 4 percent daily value of biotin, 25 percent daily value of chromium, and a 1,600 milligram energy blend consisting of 80 milligrams of caffeine from yerba mate, eleuthero, catechins from decaffeinated green tea extract, and maltodextrin. And then there's the special ingredient. Are you ready for it? Are you sure? Ok, it's Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotiden. NADH for short. Don't worry though, despite having a scary sounding name, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotiden is actually pretty good for you, and could probably be compared with Gingko Biloba or Coenzyme Q10. So, does this new ingredient work? Well, it's hard to tell if it does work, but I can safely say that this product works. I had in in the morning and it is a great pick me up. It's hard to compare it something, but it's a smooth, jitter-free lift. All in all, this Phix stuff looks quite promising. Perhaps we will see more companies use Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotiden. 8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF OUTBURST MILK CHOCOLATE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 240 MILLIGRAMS PER .93 OUNCE BOX.

RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10.


You probably don't know it, but Addicted 2 Energy is going to be receiving several samples from various companies. Hopefully they will be reviewed by me as well as my colleague, Cullen. After talking with the Chief Executive Officer of Outburst Brands, I was able to get my hands on what looked like a delicious caffeinated treat. These bad boys come in three flavors: Chocolate Mint, Milk Chocolate, and Chocolate Peanut. I will be reviewing the Milk Chocolate Flavor today. The packaging is pretty simple, using a small, black, resealable box with the word Outburst written across the front. The stuff inside is pretty much milk chocolate candy balls, and they taste pretty decent. I say decent because there was some bitterness from the caffeine, but nothing I couldn't handle. It actually tastes more like dark chocolate then milk chocolate, which is odd but good. These balls of fury also pack quite a wallop with 240 milligrams of caffeine and 96 milligrams of taurine, along with 90 percent daily value vitamin b6 and 96 percent daily value of vitamin b12. 240 milligrams of caffeine is about the same as 2 and a half cups of coffee, or 3 Red Bulls. Now what would you rather have? 3 Red Bulls for 6 dollars, or one of these for 2 dollars. I'm just saying, it's good value. And the box is also rather small. It's about the length of my index finger and about an inch wide, maybe less. But anyway the kick this thing delivers is definitely felt by this reviewer. This should definitely wake you up, and it probably tastes better than whatever your drinking, unless it's something like Monster Rehab, or maybe Shock Coffee Triple Mocha. But it's more convenient then the two aforementioned drinks. So that pretty much wraps it up. What we have here then, are some high powered caffeinated balls of chocolate. 8.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF MAD CROC CINNAMON KICK

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 40 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.

RATING: 7.8 OUT OF 10.


First review for the great month of August. Let's get right into it, shall we? Today we have a new flavor of Mad Croc gum called Cinnamon Kick. I have tried this before but haven't given it a review until now. I popped a couple pieces in my mouth and got a nice cinnamon flavor that wasn't too overpowering. They cinnamon flavor actually stayed for quite awhile and there was no caffeine bitterness, which is quite a feat. It's no Big Red, but it still delivers a nice flavor. The energy enhancing ingredients list is as follows. 100 percent daily value of riboflavin, 200 percent daily value of niacin, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 160 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 80 milligrams of caffeine and some taurine, all in just two pieces of gum. But it wouldn't hurt to put a little panax ginseng, or maybe some guarana. After chewing two pieces for quite some time (I have a habit of chewing gum for hours), I can report a moderate boost in energy. Nothing too extreme or overbearing, but it was a little bit weak, but that's only because my caffeine tolerance is so high. So overall, Mad Croc Cinnamon Kick tastes like cinnamon gum, and works like a Red Bull. And since this review is so gosh darn short, let me tell you what samples might be coming my way. We got Firestar Energy Booster, Outburst Energy Bites, A Snack In The Face Chocolate Chip Cookies, Phix Energy, and maybe some other stuff. Until then, see you next time.

REVIEW OF ROCKSTAR 2X ENERGY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 250 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.


I find it shameful that my city received shipments of this drink months after the first review of this drink was written. Well I guess that doesn't matter now because I have obtained the most powerful Rockstar ever made. They called it Rockstar 2X Energy and it's basically a 12 ounce can of Rockstar with a mind-boggling amount of caffeine. The flavor is not really the greatest, if I'm honest. The original Rockstar had a candy flavor to it, extremely similar to Smarties. This extra strength version is the same flavor, only with a caffeine bitterness. It's decent to say the best, but this is not a drink I recommend for the taste. The energy blend typical Rockstar and it is as follows: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 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, 1,000 milligrams of taurine, 250 milligrams of caffeine, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng, 100 milligrams of l-arginine, 25 milligrams of l-carnitine, 25 milligrams of inositol, and 25 milligrams of guarana seed extract. Well obviously the caffeine content is just incredible. It actually has 20.8 milligrams of caffeine per ounce, making it twice as concentrated as a regular Rockstar. I was expecting the kick to be mind-blowing, but then I remembered I had a high caffeine tolerance. You bet it woke me up, I only slept for about 5 hours last night so I needed the boost. The crash came about 5 to 6 hours later. Everything considered, Rockstar's latest creation delivers a worthwhile kick, but it also delivers a so-so flavor. 8.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF GAMER GRUB PIZZA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: NONE.

RATING: 5.2 OUT OF 10.


There are some products out there that fall into the category of really great flavor and little effect, and some drinks fall into the category of mediocre taste, amazing kick. This product falls into the first category. Allow me to introduce you to Gamer Grub. Gamer Grub is a snack mixture that is specially formulated to keep you focused and on your game when you are pwning noobs in Call of Duty. The package is a 3 ounce bag, which is a nice size. The most interesting claim about this product is that it promises no greasy fingers and no keyboard crumbs. They accomplish this by adding a Tear-N-Tilt feature, which allows you to peel back a small portion of the bag, for easy mouth delivery. I tried this and it didn't work out to well for me. It always got clogged with some stupid Pita Chip. The flavor is actually quite delicious and addicting. It tastes just like your average pizza flavored snack mix. They have cheese curls, tomato almonds, sesame sticks, pita chips, fried onions, and pizza cashews. These 6 different foods going into your mouth at once provide a pleasant plethora of pleasing flavors for the palate. Alliteration win! The claim about no greasy fingers is indeed true, you still have residue from the flavor powder but it rubs off easily. Gamer Grub does not utilize caffeine, but rather two neurotransmitters that are supposed to help with cognitive function. They are choline and l-glutamic acid. Gamer Grub gives you a combined 68 milligrams of the two ingredients per bag. Other than that you get about 480 calories, 1,140 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, and 9 grams of protein. It also adds some vitamins. I will have to give it a thumbs down for using monosodium glutamate. Monosodium Glutamate is a cheap flavor enhancer, and I tend to avoid foods that have it. So, the real question is, does it work? In a word, no. You most likely have to pair it with an energy drink, which I will try next time. ED Junkie tried it with an energy drink and he said he was owning some serious noobs in Killzone. Oh well, everyone's different. Everything considered, I'd give it a 5.2 out of 10. What ruined was the lack of an effect. But trust me, this is an amazing snack. I actually gave the taste rating a 9.5!

REVIEW OF BLU DAY-250TH REVIEW

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 250 MILLILITER CAN.

RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.

Today, we have a pretty special review for you guys. This review marks review number 250 on Addicted 2 Energy. It's taken me roughly 800 days to reach this milestone, and I have accumulated over 72,500 views, 21,000 of which are outside the United States. I want to say thank you to my 16 followers: Nora, Ty, Caffeine A Holic, Energy Review, Wretha, Revive Energy Mints, and so on. And thank you to my other fans who made this one of the top energy drink review sites, despite having only a half or a quarter of the views of some other reviewers like Caffeine A Holic and Energy Drink Junkie. All right, review time. Today we have something pretty unique. It's called Blu Day, and I have no idea what it is. All of the information is written in Arabic (I think) and the only thing written in English is "Blu Day: Refreshing Energy." Can someone tell me what this is? I thought it was some kind of energy drink type of Gatorade or something but I was way off. The color of the liquid is a light blue, and the flavor is sort of a sweet berry flavor, but it's almost like a cotton candy flavor. I definitely enjoyed it even though I had no idea what I was drinking. I'm not even sure the ingredients are the same, but I have to assume they are. Once again, you get some b vitamins, 80 milligrams of caffeine and 1,000 milligrams of taurine. This provided an ample kick to get me through drivers training class. Overall, whatever Blu Day is supposed to be, it gets the job done with great flavor, a decent energy blend, and an adequate kick. 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BLU PASSION FRUIT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 250 MILLILITER CAN.

RATING: 7.9 OUT OF 10. 

I have a couple great events coming up on Addicted 2 Energy in just a short period of time. If I can get a review in tomorrow, it will be my 250th review. It's taken me 27 months to get to 250, but it has been a great ride. Also, there will be video reviews uploaded to You Tube at BiohazardProductG3. My good friend Devin and I will be trying to entertain you guys enough so you will watch some energy drink reviews. The videos are supposed to be for a second opinion on a drink or if I just wanna talk randomly about a drink. Anyhow, this review is on the passion fruit flavor of Blu Energy. Now the only other drink with a passion fruit flavor is NOS, which is one of the best tasting mainstream energy drinks, in my opinion. The packaging is simple, sleek, and stylish. It's pretty much just a yellow can with a passion fruit on it. It looks rather nice, if not a little corny. After taking a sip, I realized that the flavor was similar to another energy drink I had had. I figured out it was NOS. Yes, this energy drink tastes exactly like NOS, so that will determine if you will enjoy this or not. Now the coolest part about this can is that it is written in what I think is Arabic. Unfortunately I can't tell you all of the energy ingredients, but I assume it is 80 milligrams of caffeine, 1,000 milligrams of taurine, and a host of b vitamins. I actually found the kick to be rather effective, and it might have been that I was a little excited, because I rarely get a kick out of a Red Bull and this is pretty much the same thing. So all things considered, Blu Passion Fruit gets a thumbs up from me. 7.9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BLU CRANBERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 250 MILLILITER CAN.

Courtesy of Blu 4 Life USA

RATING: 7.4 OUT OF 10.

Yesterday I tried out the Red Bull Clone Blu Energy, which did pretty well. Today we have something that has never been reviewed before (correct me if I'm wrong). This is the cranberry flavor of Blu. Now I already like this, because this company is just like Red Bull. Same sophistication, same basic ingredients, and they both originate in countries outside the United States. But Red Bull has never branched out and developed new flavors. They have stuck with their basic sweet and tart flavor for over 20 years. Blu, on the other hand, has a cranberry flavor, a lemon-lime flavor, a passion fruit flavor, something called Blu Day, a sugar free version, and the original. But enough "bull", let's start the review. The flavor is not exactly carbonated cranberry juice, but rather cranberry flavored Red Bull. Just think of Red Bull and then add cranberry to it. The flavor actually works out pretty well and I had no trouble hammering down the red can. The ingredients are quite similar to the original. I am not certain that they are exactly the same because I tossed out the can. I did catch that it had 1,000 milligrams of taurine and 80 milligrams of caffeine along with a generous supply of b vitamins. The effect was pretty decent, keeping me awake during driver's training class. It wore off 5 hours later and ended with a crash from the 27 grams of sugar. In the end, Blu Cranberry is a pretty enjoyable flavor and the whole package works out pretty well. 7.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BLU

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 8.3 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.


Red Bull is the leader in energy drinks by what is quite literally a country mile. Therefore, several off brand companies will try and copy rebel. So many companies do this, that these drinks actually have a name: Red Bull Clones. There has been some Monster clones, but apparently the sweet and tart taste of Red Bull is much easier to duplicate. And so here, we have a Red Bull Clone named Blu. Blu originates in Poland and is quite popular in Europe. The can is your basic 8 ounce size with blue coloring all around. Taking a sip, the flavor is as expected. Red Bull. The only difference is that I found it to be less tart, which therefore makes it better. I'm fairly certain that if I were given the choice between a Red Bull and this, I think I would take this. So now let's look at the energy blend. It has pretty standard equipment, here's the full list: 44 percent daily value of niacin, 33 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 20 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 38 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 1,000 milligrams of taurine, and 80 milligrams of caffeine. Blu does not use inositol or glucuronolactone like Red Bull does. It also does not use guarana, yerba mate, or any other herbal ingredients. Blu keeps it real with b vitamins, caffeine, and taurine. And I actually like this blend. It's simple and effective. A short time after I drank Blu, I got a kick that is comparable to most energy drinks (i.e. Red Bull). It's just starting to wear off, and I can feel a crash coming on. Overall, Blu Energy Drink delivers a tried-and-true flavor with a tried-and-true energy blend that delivers tried-and-true results. 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HYDRIVE EXTRA STRENGTH

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 195 MILLIGRAMS PER 15.5 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.

On July 20, 2009, while reviewing the Citrus Burst flavor of Hydrive, I said: "I still think they should make a Hydirve Xtreme and make it with 50% more of every energy ingredient they have. So, it would have 218 milligrams of caffeine, and 75 milligrams of taurine along with 50% more of L-carnitine and L-arginine. " To my astonishment, two years later I have obtained an extra strength version of Hydrive. I will not conclude that I was the one who influenced this product, although it would be neat if I did. The extra strength version boasts a 35 percent increase in caffeine and the addition of yerba mate. More on the blend in a moment. For now though, let's look at the taste. The flavor is described as black cherry, and it tastes like, you know, black cherries. But actually, it is a really good drink, and it is easy to chug because of its lack of carbonation. I don't really have much to say about the flavor, it's just a black cherry drink, but not as watered down as a Gatorade or something. The energy blend is quite simply the following: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 25 percent daily value of folic acid, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 200 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 195 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of taurine, 25 milligrams of l-arginine, 25 milligrams of l-carnitine, and 25 milligrams of yerba mate leaf extract. As mentioned before, the caffeine content has shot up 35 percent, from 145 milligrams, to a generous 195. Does this increase help? I think it does. I never really felt awake when I drank a Hydrive, but that all changed when I drank the extra strength version. When I am able to quickly consume a beverage that has a caffeine content comparable to a 12 ounce cup of joe, the results will probably be exciting. I wasn't full on wired, but I actually felt quite alert and awake. Overall, Hydrive Extra Strength does not disappoint. It gives a solid flavor, a nice little energy blend, and a killer buzz. 8.4 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HYPER NUTZ SWEET ONION ENERGIZED

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 7.1 OUT OF 10. 

Before I begin this review, just remember that I probably won't quit this blog for a very long time. I will certainly take vacations from reviewing, but I will never stop. I even wrote a couple of articles expressing my doubts of the continuation of Addicted 2 Energy. Those are now deleted because they were lies, flat out. Addicted 2 Energy lives on, and it is going to give you a review right....now. While I wait for the extra strength version of Hydrive, I thought I would try another flavor of Hyper Nutz. The humorously named product are energized almonds. They come in a few appetizing flavors, I will be trying the sweet onion. The laced almonds look exactly the same as regular almonds, but they have sweet onion flavored powder sprinkled on them. The high protein nut tasted fine, providing an adequate crunch and delivering a decent sweet onion flavor. My only complaint with this product is that I wish it had a stronger onion flavor. Maybe it's just me, so if you try some, comment below and tell me your thoughts. The energy blend is pretty simplistic, providing ample amount of caffeine, taurine, lysine, and ginseng. The thing that really caught my eye was "honey caffeine." I have absolutely no idea what this is. Is it different then caffeine? Does it come from honey? There isn't any caffeine in honey. If you know the answer, comment below. I'd be glad to know. Anyhow, the kick this product delivers isn't really what you would call adequate. The sub-par effectiveness is most likely due to the products low caffeine content. Now the official amount is unknown but I don't see these almonds having more than 60 milligrams (About as much as a cup of instant coffee) of caffeine per bag. To recapitulate it all, Hyper Nutz are an interesting product, and I can see them catching on in this caffeine fueled world. I just want to know what the heck honey caffeine is. 7.1 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VIBE GUM

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 40 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.
RATING: 8 OUT OF 10.

I enjoy free time as much as the next guy, in fact I probably like it more than the next guy. But free time gets in the way of this blog. During my free time, I surf the Internet, play video games, play basketball, the whole nine yards. One thing I don't do is review energy products.  So here I am, away from my free time, to review an energy gum. It's called Vibe and it has the most unique packaging of any gum. Instead of coming in a blister pack, the gum comes in a metal tube, about the same size as a cigar. The tube encapsulates 10 pieces, each having a fair bit of caffeine. The gum itself is about the size of a nickel and is blue on one side and white on the other. Biting into them, I got a chalky flavor that was followed up with a surprisingly good taste. I chew two pieces and not once did I want to spit them out. They actually had a good flavor, which is rare in energy gums. As I type this review, I realize that I actually haven't taken a look at the energy blend. I know there is 40 milligrams of caffeine per piece, but is there anything else? Yes! It has panax ginseng and guarana added to the mix. It even has the antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). I consumed about a Red Bull's worth of caffeine by chewing two pieces. In about 10 minutes I was awakened and revived. We had a ridiculous thunderstorm last night that kept me up for hours. I like thunderstorms, but I enjoy being awake in first hour a lot more. Final Rating: 8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ABB SPEED STACK BERRY BOMB

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 250 MILLIGRAMS PER 18 OUNCE BOTTLE.

Courtesy of Building Brawn

RATING: 9.1 OUT OF 10.

So here is another review of a product by American Body Building. I actually consumed this drink 3 days ago, but never wanted to review it until today.  This drink is in the hardcore category of energy drinks. What is a hardcore energy drink, you may ask? There is no true definition, but it's basically an energy drink with a lot of caffeine and other various scary-sounding ingredients ending with -ine. Vinpocetine and Evodiamine are common in hardcore energy drinks. Vinpocetine is supposed to prevent stroke and vascular dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Tinnitus, and boost brain function. Evodiamine is a bioactive alkaloid that promotes fat metabolism and fights fat storage. You'll see these ingredients and many others when we take a look at the energy blend. But first, let's get to the taste. The flavor is berry blast, and when I took a sip I was surprised at how good the flavor was. It was a very smooth berry flavor with only a hint of medicinal aftertaste. I had this thing slammed down in no time. All right, so now we get to check out this insane energy blend. In one 18 ounce bottle, this has caffeine anhydrous, Taurine, DMAE Bitartrate, Citrulline Malate, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, Evodiamine, Bitter Orange Extract (standardized for synephrine, n-methyltyramine, hordenine, tyramine, and octopamine), Yerba Mate Extract, Cocoa Extract, Guarana Extract, Acai berry extract, white tea extract, korean ginseng, grape seed extract, green coffee bean extract, and vinpocetine. So with that being said, let's move on to the kick. With a caffeine content of 250 milligrams per 18 ounce bottle, it should have a nice kick, and with the added effect of all of those other ingredients, it should be insane. First let's check out its claims. ABB says it will give you explosive energy, Thermogenic support, and intense focus and alertness. There are ingredients to promote thermogenesis, so the 2nd claim is probably correct. As far as explosive energy goes, I drank this before a grueling lower body workout, filled with lunges with weights, leg presses, leg extensions, rotary cuffs, running, and other various workouts. It's extremely tough to say that this drink actually helped me as a pre-workout drink, but it did seem like I had more endurance and I accomplished more during my workout. So all things considered, I will give this drink a 9.1 out of 10.

REVIEW OF XYIENCE ZENERGY BLU POM

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 200 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10.

I'm back with a another review of Xyience Xenergy. This time, the flavor is called Blu Pom and this was actually requested by a classmate of mine, so this review is for him and all the rest of you guys/girls. Xyience is also the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is a form of extreme Mixed Martial Arts fighting. So anyway, I busted open the can and took a few sips. Immediately I notice the unmistakable flavor of artificial sweeteners along with what seemed to be some sort of a pomegranate flavor. It didn't taste a lot like pomegranate juice, and the artificial sweeteners ruined the flavor. I know it sounds like the drink is terrible, but all things considered the drink didn't actually taste that bad. If you want a good Xyience drink, go for the Orange Fuel flavor. Xyience brings some UFC style heat with their energy blend. It has 2,680 milligrams of taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, guarana extract, panax ginseng extract, inositol, and l-carnitine. Not to mention it has 200 percent daily value of vitamin B3, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 160 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and 1,000 percent daily value of vitamin b5. The caffeine content roles in at 200 milligrams of caffeine, making it close to the industry standard of 150-200 milligrams. So I drank it this morning and the kick lasted a couple of hours without a crash. The overall effect was at a medium level and never spiked. To wrap things up, this flavor of Xyience Xenergy is not really a favorite of mine. I think that the flavor could be improved and that they should try harder to mask the flavors of artificial sweeteners.

REVIEW OF MONSTER REHAB

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 170 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 9.6 OUT OF 10.

I know I'm a bit late to the punch, but my gas stations don't have Monster M3, or the new Rockstar Recovery. Thankfully, I did find Monster Rehab, and to put this review in a few words: I highly recommend it.  The design is pretty cool, with a golden yellow and black label behind a black Monster M. I would put this as not only the best Monster packaging, but also one of the best I've seen, ever. The flavor is described on the can as a lemonade and tea mix. If you've ever had Arnold Palmer, this tastes pretty similar. It has a very refreshing and smooth lemonade flavor with a hint of tea. Unlike Arnold Palmer which is half lemonade, half ice tea, this has more lemonade flavor but the tea takes away any sourness. Unfortunately, it's only 5 percent juice but I've never seen a lemonade drink with 100 percent juice, otherwise they would call it lemon juice, which is sour and doesn't taste very good. The taste isn't the only thing that's amazing. Monster continues to impress me with there awesome energy blends, and this one is even bigger than the original. It has 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3. 200 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 400 milligrams of panax ginseng, and an energy blend topping 6,455 milligrams which has glucose, black tea extract, caffeine, concentrated coconut water, milk thistle extract, quercetin, l-carnitine, glucuronolactone, guarana, inositol, acai extract, goji berry extract, and mangosteen extract. Now I'm sorry but you just don't find blends like these every day. I won't go into any detail but let's just say this is one of the best energy blends I've ever seen. So far, so good for Monster Rehab. But how does the kick perform. Well, according to Energy Fiend, the caffeine content comes in at 170 milligrams per 16 ounce can. Combine that with some great energy enhancing ingredients and re-hydrating ingredients and you get yourself a killer drink. Of course, I have had stronger kicks before, but I really like how Monster Rehab hydrates you and gives you that energy drink buzz at the same time. There is no crash at all, since there is only 6 grams of sugar and 20 calories. To conclude, Monster Rehab will go down as one of my all-time favorite offerings from them. The rating is an incredible 9.6 out of 10. You have to try this drink.

REVIEW OF MANA HEALTH POTION

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 1.69 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.9 OUT OF 10. 

Here we have what could possibly be another Energy Product of the Month contender. So far, only 1 product has caught my eye this month. Let's find out how this one performs. First of all, it's made by Harcos Laboratories and they make some of the coolest energy products around. Remember that Zombie Blood I reviewed? Harcos made that. They also make Mana Potion energy shots (I will be trying the health potion). Ok, enough fluff, let's get going. I've never been a huge gamer, although I do enjoy a view rounds of Call of Duty from time to time. I'm a huge fan of racing games and first person shooters. This energy product is geared toward the World of Warcraft/Role Playing Game crowd. It comes in a nice looking bottle that looks exactly like a health potion bottle. The packaging is really top notch and any World of Warcraft junkie would love this. I poured some of the contents into a shot glass. The color is a vibrant red, almost like a fruit punch color. The taste is a delicious cherry flavor with only a slight medicinal flavor. It's sort of like cherry flavored cough medicine, only less medicinal tasting. I wouldn't say it's the best tasting shot I've ever had but it's certainly up there pretty high. The energy blend is also pretty sweet. It's got 80 percent daily value of vitamin b1, 80 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 1,600 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 50 percent daily value of folic acid, 50 percent daily value of biotin, and a 1,560 milligram energy blend consisting of glucuronolactone, l-taurine, dl-phenylalanine, n-acetyl l-tyrosine, caffeine, ginseng root extract, and elderberry juice concentrate. 13 energy enhancing ingredients and over 1,601 milligrams is pretty nice, especially when it's smaller than most energy shots. The caffeine content is a great 160 milligrams per bottle. That's like cramming a Monster into a bottle less than the size of a 5 Hour Energy. It actually comes out to about 95 milligrams of caffeine per ounce. That's nearly 3 times as concentrated as the Cocaine Energy Drink I reviewed several months ago. So in energy drink math it's 3 times as powerful as Cocaine Energy Drink. Unfortunately, the kick wasn't 3 times stronger. But don't get me wrong, the kick is fantastic. It's not overpowering and it's the first drink I've had in a while where I could really feel an uplift in energy. Overall, this product shines quite brightly. It's got a great flavor, a potent energy blend, and a kick that could keep any WOW player up for hours. 8.9 out of 10. Probably one of the best energy shots I've ever had.

REVIEW OF ETERNAL ENERGY INKED WILD BERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 222 MILLIGRAMS PER 2 OUNCE SHOT.

RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10.

I've been reviewing energy products for over 2 years and I have never seen a package designed by a famous tattoo artist. Popular tattoo artist Tony Ciavarro is doing just that, designing energy shot labels. And just look at the photograph, where are you going to find a label as cool and as detailed as that? The only problem is, while they could get a tattoo artist to do the label, they couldn't get a beverage expert to do the flavor. This has always been a problem with energy shots. They cram all of these energy ingredients into a tiny package and the result can be terrible. The flavor I had was wild berry, and I was assuming it would be a 5 Hour Energy clone. I poured some in a shot glass and it comes out an amber color, similar to a Red Bull or Monster. Taking a sip I get an artificial berry flavor with a good amount of bite. It is actually quite tasty and I didn't need a chaser. I wouldn't go as far as to saying it's a 5 Hour clone, but they do taste similar. I actually like Eternal Energy better. It also has a nice blend. Let's go through the performance figures. 166.67 percent daily value of niacin, 2,020 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 101 percent daily value of folic acid, 8,416 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and a 2,000 milligram energy blend consisting of taurine, caffeine, maltodextrin, green tea extract, d-glucuronolactone, guarana extract, elderberry extract, d-calcium pantothenate, n-acetyl l-tyrosine, garcinia cambogia, grape seed extract, yerba mate extract, beta-alanine, dl-phenylalanine, l-phenylalanine, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, l-theanine, and folic acid. So this small, 2 ounce shot crams in about 20 energy enhancing ingredients. Yikes! Seriously, I have never seen that many ingredients crammed into an energy shot. That is just incredible. You would assume then, that the kick would be great with all of those ingredients running through me. Unfortunately, it isn't great. It's decent, but not great. If I were to give it a letter grade, it would be somewhere between a C and a C+. The caffeine content is 222 milligrams per shot. The kick doesn't ruin this product, at all. It's still a tasty energy shot with a huge energy blend. Final rating? 8.5 out of 10. If I don't see any drinks with a 9 out of 10 or higher, this could very well be nominated for April's Energy Product of the Month. In fact, it may even win. 

REVIEW OF ROCKET CHOCOLATE ORANGE BLAST

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 42 MILLIGRAMS PER CHOCOLATE.

RATING: 7.9 OUT OF 10.

Ah, chocolate. Just the sound of the word will melt anyone's taste buds. Chocolate is mostly used as a guilty pleasure, but some experts say that dark chocolate could be good for you because of it's antioxidants. Chocolate can also be used as an aphrodisiac and, of course, as a source of caffeine. A 1.45 ounce Hershey's Special Dark bar has 18 milligrams of caffeine. A Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar has about 9 milligrams and a Hershey's Chocolate Kiss has just 1 milligram. Considering Coca-Cola has 34 milligrams of caffeine, it's hard to see why some people think chocolate has a lot of caffeine. Of course, there are some chocolates that want to up the pace a little bit. Enter Rocket Chocolate. Each small piece has 42 milligrams of caffeine. Pop two and you'll be getting more caffeine than a Red Bull. They come in many different flavors and I will review as many as I can. First up is orange blast. The packaging is typical child-fun chocolate. The wrapper is orange and sports a smiling rocket blasting off into space, or something. The chocolate is solid, um, chocolate. Meaning, it has no filling. I usually don't enjoy milk chocolate but this was delicious. I may not have been able to detect an orange flavor but the chocolate was silky smooth. I'm a huge dark chocolate fan but I think there's some room left over for this milk chocolate masterpiece. As mentioned earlier, each piece has 42 milligrams of good ol' caffeine. No taurine, no b vitamins, no guarana, no anything. Just straight up caffeine. And being a junkie I had two which gave me 84 milligrams of caffeine and a pretty decent boost. It's similar to what you would find in one of the big boys (i.e. Red Bull). It's hard to say how long it lasted but I'll put it around 3 hours, give or take. Overall, Rocket Chocolate is a pretty well-developed product. For a milk chocolate the taste is delicious, the caffeine content is pretty nice and the kick is about average. 7.9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF MAD CROC SLAMMIN CITRUS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 40 MILLIGRAMS PER PIECE.

RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.

Yesterday, I told you that I decided to limit myself on how much caffeine I could take. I decided it was pointless and now I'm here reviewing another flavor of Mad Croc gum. The thing is, there's this new thing on my blog called Energy Product of the Month and every month I pick 3 to 5 nominees for the best product that month. If I can't review anything this month, then who is going to win the award? And of course I don't want to disappoint my 7,000 monthly visitors. I've got a lot of products left to review from Chemical Evolution, so stay tuned, this should be a great month. Here we have another flavor of Mad Croc gum, called Slammin Citrus. The packaging is the exact same as all the other Mad Croc gums except it is yellow to let you know what the flavor is. And speaking of flavor, this tastes like any other citrus gum out there. The taste is almost indescribable, but what I can say was that the gun felt pretty tough and there was some caffeine bitterness. But overall, I enjoyed this piece of gum. I don't think I would have it over the power peppermint flavor, but that's just me. Ok, moving on now to the energy enhancing ingredients list. 2 pieces contain 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 daily value of pantothenic acid, 80 milligrams of caffeine, and an undisclosed amount of taurine. So it has the signature energy blend of caffeine, taurine, and b-vitamins. Pretty good for an energy gum. After consuming two pieces and getting as much caffeine as a Red Bull, the effect is what I would call medium. It got me out of my morning slump a little bit and worked about as well as any other average energy drink, such as Red Bull. Overall, Mad Croc Slammin Citrus is just an energy gum that just so happens to taste like a cornucopia of citrus flavors, have a decent blend, and deliver a good punch. I think I'll give it a 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BAWLS MINTS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 5 MILLIGRAMS PER MINT.

RATING: 4.1 OUT OF 10.

If you're following me on Twitter, this review might confuse you. For those of you who don't know, I was taking the "no caffeine for a month" challenge. I decided to modify it and make it the "keep it under 50" challenge. This means I can have caffeine, but I must limit it to 50 milligrams a day. That's about a cup of black tea. I think that sounds more reasonable and it means I can still review some products. So, what's in store for today? How about mints with some Bawls? That's right, Bawls Energy Drink now makes mints. Actually, they've made these mints for years now but I haven't gotten a hold of them until now. They aren't technically mints, but rather a carbonated candy. Each mint will give you 5 milligrams of caffeine coming from guarana, of course. The packaging is also pretty cool, being very lively and exciting, even though this probably won't wake you up. The flavor is actually pretty good. Popping a couple in my mouth I get a sweet candy flavor with some carbonation. If you've ever had those carbonated Jones Soda candies, the feeling is just the same. It's fun to just put one on the tip of your tongue and have it fizz away. Like I mentioned earlier, each mint contains just 5 milligrams of caffeine. This means that 16 mints equals a Red Bull and 32 mints equals a Monster. If you manage to down all 75 mints, you'll be looking at 375 milligrams (about the same as 5 Red Bulls or 2.5 Monsters). I only had about 5 or 6 since these are marketed for taste, or at least they should be. My advice is to eat about 10, that will give you about 50 milligrams, about the same as a can of Mountain Dew. I consider Bawls Mints a novelty caffeine item. They won't pump you up at all unless you eat about a dozen of them, but a caffeinated candy with carbonation (alliteration for the win) is cool. 4.1 out of 10. Keep in mind that the rating is an average of taste, energy blend, and kick. I gave the taste a 7.8, the blend a 1.5 (it's only 5 milligrams, what do you expect) and the kick a 3 (that may have been generous). Average that out and you get 4.1.

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.