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.

REVIEW OF KRONIK VENGEANCE LOW CARB

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.6 OUT OF 10.


So yesterday I lucked out and got a snow day. Sadly, I couldn't luck out again but I still have a review for you as usual. Today's review is Kronik Vengeance Low Carb. The original Vengeance tasted like a well-done Monster clone. It was so well done that I would actually pick it over a Monster. But will the low carb version beat Monster Lo-Carb? I cracked it open and poured it into a glass. The color is the typical energy drink amber. I take a sip and it is highly carbonated but quite good for a sugar free drink. I'm not entirely sure I would take this over a Monster Lo-Carb, but Kronik did make the taste smoother by removing the high fructose corn syrup. Also, I recommend you refrain from chugging this. I chugged the last few ounces of mine and couldn't really stand up straight because I was so bloated. Then I got a nasty burp and I thought I was going to get sick. So the lesson I've learned is to take it slow. I've already talked about the additions to the energy blend, so I won't go into detail. I will tell you that they add 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. So you get the original blend of caffeine, taurine, ginseng, guarana, glucuronolactone, inositol, gingko biloba, milk thistle and glucosamine plus the aformentioned ingredients. And let me tell you something: it worked. About 15 or 20 minutes after consuming, the effects started to kick in. It started off as a mild buzz with no jitters. Moments went by, and then it hit it's peak. I was literally grinning ear to ear and laughing at random stuff. I wasn't high or anything, but since caffeine does increase dopamine levels, it can make you feel content and happy. Well, Kronik must have raised my dopamine a lot. The effects lasted for about 4 hours before tapering off without a crash. Overall, the low carb version of Kronik Vengeance faired better than it's sugared counterpart. 8.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF KRONIK BLUE CITRUS LOW CARB

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.


I have only reviewed 12 low-calorie drinks along with there sugary brothers. Of those 12, 6 have received the same or better rating as there sugary counterparts. The main reason for this is the kick. Rockstar adds 240 milligrams of caffeine in their low carb drink as opposed to the 160 milligrams you will find in the original. As with Monster Lo-Carb, I enjoyed the smoothness of the flavor and it lacked that syrupy Monster taste. So is Kronik Low Carb better then regular Kronik? Let's find out. First of all, the can color is what you would expect. Instead of being black and blue, it is now silver and blue. The original looks better, but I don't buy energy drinks for looks. Kronik says this is sweetened with Splenda, and while there was some artificial sweetener flavor coming through, the citrus flavor still stayed mostly intact. However, if both the sugar and sugar free version were not energy drinks, I would choose the sugary version. Kronik also upped there Unrelenting Energy blend by adding the following ingredients: 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. This means the energy blend goes from 13 ingredients and 2,920 milligrams to 18 ingredients and 3,440 milligrams. It is actually considered a thermal because it supposedly boosts metabolism. It can also suppress hunger, but that statement was not evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Thankfully my hunger was not suppressed one bit. So you may be wondering, does this extra 500+ milligrams of energy blend do any good? As far as I can tell, yes it does. In 10 minutes I was buzzing good for about 45 minutes, lip-singing to the songs on Madden 09. Then the effect dropped to a medium-light kick that lasted for another few hours until the whole thing tapered off altogether. So I guess the only left to do is answer the question I asked in the beginning of the review. The answer is yes and no. Yes, Kronik Blue Citrus Low Carb does have a better kick than Kronik Blue Citrus. No, Blue Citrus Low Carb does not taste better than Blue Citrus. Still, it has an overall rating of 8.4 out of 10, 2 tenths better than the original.

REVIEW OF KRONIK DRAGON BERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


For today's review we have the Kronik Dragon Berry energy drink. I have had a few Kroniks in the past, and they have all done pretty well, each of them receiving an above average rating of 8.2. The last flavor of Kronik, before I indulge in the light versions, is the dragon berry flavor. It comes in a traditional red and black 16 ounce can with edgy and aggressive fonts. I must say, it does look just as good if not better than Rockstar Punched, which also comes in a red and black can. When I crack it open and take a sip, I am hit with a sweet and fruity flavor that goes down fairly smooth. I can immediately tell that they use high fructose corn syrup because it is a little syrupy and sticky. Compared to other fruity drinks I have had, this one is pretty good. I would put it above average, but not as good as Rockstar Punched, which I believe is the best tasting energy drink I have found up to now. The energy blend is the exact same as the rest of the regular versions: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 160 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 200 milligrams of glucosamine, 150 milligrams of caffeine, 150 milligrams of glucuronolactone, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 100 milligrams of guarana seed extract, 50 milligrams of inositol, 50 milligrams of milk thistle herb extract, and 50 milligrams of gingko biloba leaf extract. All of this comes at price. 260 calories, 62 grams of total carbohydrates, and 60 grams of sugars. The calorie count is one of the highest I have seen from a 16 ounce drink. Thankfully they do have light versions if you are watching your figure. But be careful of those artificial sweeteners. After downing the whole can, Kronik once again delivered a solid buzz. The high sugar content spikes you up and the caffeine and other ingredients take it from there. I felt more awake, and I felt that I was deadlier when playing Black Ops. To wrap it all up, the final sugared version of Kronik did pretty well. The taste was good, albeit a little sticky, and the kick is also nice. All that is left is to review the sugar free versions and then I will be the first to review all of their modern line-up. Rating: 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF KRONIK ENTOURAGE-200th REVIEW!

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.

This review site (it's actually a blog, but I dislike calling it that) is not even 2 years old and I am already up to 200 reviews. I know it's not as much as some of the other energy drink sites, but 200 reviews really surprises me. So without further ado, congratulations to Kronik Energy Entourage, the 200th review of Addicted 2 Energy. First of all, Kronik still doesn't give out a flavor, they only call it "bad-@$$ flavors." They actually spell out the word, but I like to keep this site at least PG rated, if not G. Cracking the can, I get a smooth and sweet orange flavor followed by other tropical fruits. There is some mango flavor as well. There is some stickiness due to the high fructose corn syrup. If you like, there is a light version of this drink, as well as the rest of the line-up, if 200+ calories isn't your gig. This drink also comes with the standard "Unrelenting Energy" blend from Kronik. It has 200 percent daily value of niacin, 160 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 200 milligrams of glucosamine, 150 milligrams of caffeine, 150 milligrams of glucuronolactone, 100 milligrams of guarana seed extract, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 50 milligrams of inositol, 50 milligrams of milk thistle herb extract, and 50 milligrams of gingko biloba leaf extract. Awesome. Now the kick. I was feeling pretty sluggish after a big night when my high school basketball team edged it out by 1 point in overtime. Afterward we stormed the court. But enough about basketball, and back to the real show. As I was saying, I was feeling lethargic, so I reached for the next flavor of Kronik and guzzled it down. It didn't produce a fantastic buzz, but it did help me wake up. I think the light version may be better in the kick department because I keep trying to ward off a crash. As far as kick goes, this is pretty standard stuff. I'll give this drink a rating of 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF KRONIK VENGEANCE

Courtesy of edjunkie

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


Since my last review of Kronik, I have learned two facts about the drink that may interest you. First, the name Kronik was not intended to be inappropriate. The name Kronik Energy is intended to be the direct opposite of chronic fatigue. Kronik says it is spelled phonetically because it looks cooler. Second, the shipping on their site is free, so the price for a 24 can case is still $59.76, marking it around the industry average of about 2 dollars per can. Anyhow, the next flavor up for review is Kronik Vengeance. The flavor is stated as "traditional energy". Upon taking a sip, I got a smooth and sweet mixture of what could either be a Red Bull clone or a Monster clone, depending on how you look at it. It may even be a little bit of both. I would actually drink this over a Monster because it is less carbonated and a lot smoother and not as thick. Of course, you can only drink it ice cold. The energy blend is predictably the same as the original flavor: 200 percent daily value of niacin, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 160 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 150 milligrams of caffeine, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 100 milligrams of guarana seed extract, 150 milligrams of glucuronolactone, 50 milligrams of inositol, 50 milligrams of gingko biloba leaf extract, 50 milligrams of milk thistle herb extract, and 200 milligrams of glucosamine. After further investigation of the ingredients, I realized why this wasn't as thick and syrupy as a Monster. Kronik Vengeance does not use high fructose corn syrup, but rather a blend of sugar, dextrose, and sucralose. The buzz you get off this drink isn't bad either. I got an average kick that lasted for a couple hours, and then tapered off. If your looking for a brand new energy drink, but want to stick to your old ways, check out Kronik Energy. You may never look for a Monster again. Ok maybe that isn't true, but try it anyway. 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF KRONIK BLUE CITRUS

Courtesy of Energy Drink Report

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 150 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


Butting in to the hard-edged energy drink category is the slightly-inappropriately-named Kronik Energy. It even has a comical warning label that states "May be psychologically addictive." The can is black and blue, (probably the color of someones eye you will punch after you drink it), and boasts a blue citrus flavor. Upon taking my first sip, I could not pinpoint the flavor. All I can really say is that it is a blue colored drink with a sweet and sugar-laden cornucopia of citrus flavors. There really is no absolute flavor to this. It's simply blue citrus. What blue citrus is, or why citrus would even be colored blue is beyond me. Apart from the 60 grams of sugar and 260 calories, this does have some standard energy drink ingredients. Here is the list: 200 percent daily value of niacin, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 160 percent of vitamin b12, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 150 milligrams of caffeine, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 100 milligrams of guarana seed extract, 150 milligrams of glucuronolactone, 50 milligrams of inositol, 50 milligrams of gingko biloba leaf extract, 50 milligrams of milk thistle herb extract, and 200 milligrams of glucosamine. Including the b vitamins, Kronik Blue Citrus contains 13 energy ingredients for a grand total of 2,920 milligrams. That's a nice energy blend, what in the world is glucosamine? A quick look at Wikipedia tells us that glucosamine is "an amino sugar and a prominent precursor in the biochemical synthesis of glycosylated proteins and lipids." Yea, that helped a lot. If you understand that definition then good for you. Upon further investigation, it appears glucosamine is used in the treatment of osteo-arthritis, and can help lubricate joints. Right, lets move on to the kick. Having 150 milligrams of caffeine (10 less than the industry average of 160 per 16 ounce can) it had the same buzz as a Monster or Rockstar. It was at a medium high level and it was jitter free, lasting for 4 hours. Kronik is a pretty good energy drink. Your probably wondering, where do I buy it? Well, I don't know of any stores that stock it, but you can get them online for $59.76 per 24 pack, putting the price per can at $2.49. Keep in mind that this does not include shipping, which may bring the price per can up to 3 dollars or more. If your not willing to pay over 60 dollars for a case of energy drink, Kronik also offers a store locator. To sum it all up, Kronik is your typical hard-edged energy drink. It's sweet, it's sugary, and it's loaded with high fructose corn syrup. 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ARIZONA RESCUE WATER ENERGY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10.


Long time, no see huh? Due to Thanksgiving and school I did take a little vacation from reviewing energy drinks. Not much has happened since November 22, the last time I reviewed an energy drink. The only thing I can briefly discuss is my relationship with Bazi Energy Shot. By promoting there sales, I have two 6 packs on the way (supposedly). They haven't arrived yet, but maybe they will soon (feel free to take your time Bazi, no rush). All right, what do we have here? It's a drink created by Arizona in partnership with Twinlab. They call their concoction Arizona Rescue Water. There are several flavors that promote different things, and they only one reviewable is the Energy version. It has certain ingredients to help you boost your energy (more on those later). It comes in a greenish yellow 20.5 ounce bottle with a screw on lid. Taking a gulp, I get a refreshing watered down lemon lime flavor with Arizona Tea. I'm not entirely sure that I would take this over a Vitamin Water, but the taste still pleases the palate. This would be great on a hot summers day. I mention earlier about the ingredients that boost energy. Well, if you're an energy drink junkie, these ingredients will be very familiar. 51.25 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 51.25 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 51.25 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 205 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 533 milligrams of guarana, 89.6875 milligrams of green tea extract, and 35.875 milligrams of natural caffeine. This leads me to the caffeine content at the top of this post. I honestly don't think that's right. There is no possible way that over 500 milligrams of guarana and nearly 90 milligrams of green tea extract yields less caffeine per ounce than a Coca-Cola. Possessed By Caffeine put the total at 97 milligrams of caffeine. And since Possessed By Caffeine isn't trusted by me as far as caffeine content goes (sorry Big Red Boots, but your a little off sometimes, don't worry about it), I cannot put an amount at the top of the review. So I'll leave it as "UNKNOWN". The kick, however, isn't bad. It's a mild buzz and as I write this review I am more awake then before....at 10 o'clock at night. Oh well, good thing it's the weekend. 7.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF FLATT COLA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 65 MILLIGRAMS PER 8.4 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 5.5 OUT OF 10.

Caffeinated Cola has been around for centuries, starting with Coca-Cola. Nowadays, energy drink companies like Rockstar and Red Bull are creating there own highly-caffeinated colas. Flatt Cola, a product I have never even heard of, is another one of those energy colas. It comes in a standard 8.4 ounce bullet can with great cartoon artwork, making it look like something out of a comic book. The name might needs some work though. A cola that is flat indicates that it has lost all of its carbonation, making it taste syrupy and unappetizing. I can't understand why they would call it Flatt? Why not, Fizz? On second thought, Fizz doesn't sound too catchy either. Anyhow, The flavor is a nice cola that has a spicy note similar to Coca-Cola. It is smooth and quite tasty. Since it only contains caffeine, and no other energy ingredients, the medicinal flavor is simply not there. If your a fan of cola, purchase this product. You can buy it online. As I just mentioned, the only ingredient that can give you energy here is caffeine unless you count the carbohydrates and sugar. And it doesn't have that much caffeine. At 65 milligrams per can, it is about as concentrated as a Starbucks Tall Caffe Mocha. It has less caffeine than a can of Vault, but it is more concentrated. Due to this lack of caffeine, the performance wasn't much good. Do not expect this drink to wire you in any way. You can get more of a buzz by drinking a bottle of Diet Coca-Cola, which comes in at 77 milligrams per 20 ounce bottle. So we basically have a drink that has a great flavor, but relatively no kick. Rating? A way below average 5.5 out of 10. And now, I'll talk about what I am going to review in the near future. Hopefully VIP Energy will show up at my doorstep sometime soon. In the meantime, I will be trying Arizona Rescue Water Energy.

REVIEW OF BAZI

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 2 OUNCE BOTTLE.


RATING: 7.8. OUT OF 10.


Out of all the energy drinks I have reviewed, this one seems to be the most perplexing. It's not the Phyto8 Blend or the Trace Mineral Blend (more on those later), it's the simple fact that this tiny 2 ounce shot has no warning label. The typical warning label for energy drinks goes something like this: "not recommend for children, pregnant woman, or people sensitive to caffeine." Somewhere else on the can it might say: "limit 3 cans per day." I don't want to turn this review into a rant so I will keep in short. Bazi, you may be playing with fire. Having no warning label indicates that it is safe for a child to drink a 6 pack of these. I know it might sound ridiculous, but an immature little kid would do it. It's not like the drink is caffeine free, it contains 80 milligrams of the stuff.. So if some 10 year old decides to be cool and drinks a 6 pack (which won't be hard since that is only 12 ounces of liquid) of Bazi, loading his body with 480 milligrams of caffeine. I highly recommend that you put some type of warning label on this product. You never know, it might just save you from a lawsuit. Well, now that that's out of the way, let's move on to the flavor. This drink is just loaded with fruit extracts and vitamins. When I slam the bottle, I am hit with a flavor that can only be described as a liquid vitamin with some sweetness. It really isn't the tastiest shot on the market, but for a concentrated 2 ounce shot with all that stuff packed into it, Bazi did a pretty good job. There really is a truckload of stuff in here. So much, that I won't waste time telling you the amount of every single energy inducing ingredient. Instead, I'm going to tell you that this shot contains Vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, Folate, and Biotin. The B's are in the 60 to 80 percent range. There is also the Phyto8 Blend which I mentioned earlier. That is 25,500 milligrams worth of fruit extracts and concentrates including jujube, blueberry, pomegranate, goji berry, mangosteen, raspberry, acai, and seabuckthorn. Along with that there is a trace mineral blend containing 1,000 milligrams of water and fulvic mineral solution. Finally, there is the 80 milligrams of caffeine, 50 milligrams of inositol, 50 milligrams of para aminobenzoic acid, and 20 milligrams of rutin. So how did all of these extracts, concentrates, vitamins, and minerals do in the kick department? Actually, I had Bazi 3 times before I reviewed it, and each time I got a nice healthy jitter-free increase in focus and energy. There were times when I really felt like I was in the zone. I would love one of these before a workout, but I bet my supply with deplete by then. 7.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF BIOFUEL XL POPCORN

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 9 OUT OF 10.


Being a caffeine aficionado, it is my duty to not be surprised about any caffeinated food or item. Caffeinated Soap? Yep, I've heard of it. Jerky? You bet. Popsicle? Yes, indeed. Popcorn? Yes.....wait what? BioFuel Foods has managed to shock this reviewer completely. BioFuels is essentially popcorn sweetened with sugar and light brown sugar, and sprayed with caffeine. Since popcorn is my favorite salty snack, this products takes a dive into the realm of sheer awesomeness. It comes in a medium sized clear bag with a simple logo. I was happy to receive the XL version, which contains twice the amount of caffeine as the original. The popcorn has a light brown tinge to it because of the light brown sugar. Taking a little handful, my taste buds were greeted with a delicious combination of sugar and popcorn. There is only an extremely slight caffeine bitterness, and most people won't even notice it. It is actually a very well-crafted kettle corn. It has a great combination of saltiness and sweetness that keeps you coming back for more. The only energy boosting ingredient in here is good old caffeine - and lots of it. Each bag of original BioFuel contains as much caffeine as a strong cup of coffee, or about 150 to 180 milligrams of caffeine. Since this is BioFuel XL, which contains twice the amount of caffeine as the original, this probably contains somewhere in the ballpark of 300 or possibly 400 milligrams of caffeine. I didn't go crazy on this one and eat the whole bag in 5 seconds. I actually ate about 1/3 to 1/2 of the bag over the course of 45 minutes to an hour. The caffeine perked me up nicely and the addictive sweet and salty flavor had me coming back for more. The only problem I have with this product is that I can not see it catching on very well. It is difficult for me to see why someone who isn't a caffeine junkie would like their popcorn to be caffeinated. Personally, I love it. But I'm not entirely sure what the other 310,700,049 United States citizens will think of it. Let me know what you think of it by adding a comment below. I will be happy to hear your opinion on this cool invention. 9 out of 10. And that rating is just from consuming a little less than half the bag.

REVIEW OF WAVE SUGAR FREE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 7 OUT OF 10.


It has been a little while since I reviewed my last drink, but I have been waiting on some other products such as Bazi, RelaxZen, and BioFuel Caffeinated Popcorn. In the litany of energy drinks that I have at my house, there are only about 3 or 4 that I haven't reviewed yet. Today I will be tackling Wave Sugar Free. The original wave had a Red Bull flavor, only it was a lot smoother and less gummy. Given the choice, I would drink Wave. But what about Wave Sugar Free? How does that stack up against Red Bull Sugar Free? Well, in all honesty I don't know because I have never tried sugar free Red Bull. Sugar free Wave though, is decent in terms of diet drinks. Yes, it is still smooth with a Red Bull flavor, but this time it has the distinctive flavor and aftertaste of Aspartame. This is the main reason why sugar free drinks never taste as good as their sugary counterparts. The companies have no choice but to put artificial sweeteners in their drinks. It's really a shame because without them, the drinks would taste horrible, so I suppose the companies don't have a choice. Anyway, let's move on to some energy enhancing ingredients. Per can, this has 28 percent daily value of vitamin b1, 172 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 192 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 480 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 96 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and 96 percent daily value of vitamin b5. It also has a 1,140 milligram energy blend consisting of taurine, caffeine, inositol, l-lysine, choline bitartrate, and guarana seed extract. The caffeine content is officially unknown, but it is apparently less than the average energy drinks. My best guess is around 120 to 140 milligrams. The punch this thing gave out was pretty good. Since it has a lower caffeine content, the kick wasn't as good as some of the industry leaders, but it was ample enough to get my through the first hours of the day. I think Wave Sugar Free is an OK product. But I am not the biggest fan of sugar free drinks. No offense. 7 out of 10.

REVIEW OF CAFFEINE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 140 MILLIGRAMS PER 12 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 7.7 OUT OF 10.


Despite the title of this review, I am not actually reviewing caffeine. In fact, I will never review straight caffeine. I will also never review Redline, Caffeine Snuff, any thing that involves inhaling, smoking, dropping, shooting, and almost all energy pills. All right, let's get started with the review of Caffeine Energy Drink. Caffeine comes in an edgy, black 12 ounce can with a blood-red coffee cup stain around the "a". The can would fit real well in clubs, and so would the color. After opening the can, I peaked inside and noticed that it was a greenish color. Immediately I poured it into a glass and observed the color. It is a light neon green that looks very cool. Then, I took a sip and noticed it had a lime flavor to it. It gives you cottonmouth which I am not a fan of. Nonetheless it is still tasty, although it doesn't seem like it would be very refreshing. Powering Caffeine, we have 100 percent daily value of vitamin c, 30 percent daily value of niacin, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 30 percent daily value of folic acid, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 30 percent daily value of vitamin biotin, 30 percent daily value of pantothenic acid. It does not contain any taurine, ginseng, yerba mate, guarana, gingko biloba, or any other energizing ingredient commonly found in energy drinks. It has 140 milligrams of naturally derived caffeine, and b vitamins. And sometimes I like it that way. Sometimes I enjoy having an energy drink without all of the galucabotamine, and malyfamatamine or whatever they put in those things now. Ok, I'm going to stop because I sound like the biggest hypocrite known to man. And in case you don't understand, the aforementioned substances do not exist. Sorry kids but you can't go out to GNC and pick up some galucabotamine or malyfamatamine. Although, it would be cool if they existed. Anyhow, the buzz I received from this was on par with the big boys like Monster and Rockstar. It is an ample boost that lasted me throughout most of the school day. To conclude, Caffeine Energy Drink will mostly likely find it self in a club somewhere. But drinking it to get a boost before school starts isn't bad either. 7.7 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VUKA WORKOUT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.


RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.


So I'm just 9 reviews away from the 2nd century mark and I am supposedly getting new products soon. I just received the Caffeine Energy Drink and will review that soon. For now, I have the final flavor of Vuka to review. This version-Workout-comes in a beautiful red aluminum bottle. The bottle style is similar to Venom. The flavor is a smooth berry lemonade with minimal carbonation. There is no caffeine bitterness, although I couldn't picture anyone wanting to drink this beverage during a workout. Regardless of it being smooth, it didn't seem very refreshing. When I workout (not that I do very often) I want water or something highly refreshing. Now let's take a look at the energy ingredients in Vuka Workout. Per bottle, this has 100 percent daily value of niacin, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 2 percent daily value of magnesium, 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 4 percent daily value of potassium, 200 milligrams of rooibos tea solids, 160 milligrams of natural caffeine, 50 milligrams of grape seed extract, and 50 milligrams of l-carnitine. The addition of magnesium and potassium is unique to other Vukas, along with the rooibos tea and l-carnitine. This is also the only carbonated beverage I have seen where carbonated water is not the first ingredient. It is fifth behind rooibos tea solids, natural caffeine, grape seed extract, and l-carnitine. I guess that would explain its extremely light carbonation. Despite this being called Workout, I did not take it before a workout. I actually drank this before I went to school, like I normally do. After drinking this, I got a decent boost that lasted me through 3rd and 4th hour. I really don't know what else to say about this drink. It tasted good, has a good blend, and gave out a decent kick. In other news, I will be reviewing Provita Slim, Provita Chill, Wave Sugar Free, Caffeine Energy Drink, and possibly 12 Gauge in the upcoming future. This drink gets a 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VUKA RENEW

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE BOTTLE.


RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.


Vuka's line-up of functional drinks has done well thus far. Let's see if my 190th review has a good rating. Vuka Renew comes in a light green, solid aluminum bottle. When I untwist the cap and take a sip, my taste buds are greeted with a lightly carbonated mixture of mango and peach. It does have some bitterness in my opinion. The flavor is unique but not the tastiest drink I have ever had. It also gave me cottonmouth, something I don't enjoy getting from energy drinks. Like I have stated many times before, each Vuka flavor has different ingredients depending on what formula it is. This is Renew, so it has the following energy boosting ingredients: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 160 milligrams of caffeine, 100 milligrams of d-ribose, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, and 50 milligrams of grape seed extract. The ingredient that is unique to the rest of the line-up is d-ribose. According to wikipedia, d-ribose is "an organic compound with formula C5H10O5; specifically a monosaccharide (simple sugar) with linear form H-(C=O)-(CHOH)4-H, which has all the hydroxyl groups on the same side in the Fischer projection." In simpler, less confusing terms, it is a simple sugar. The purpose of Vuka Renew is too restore energy levels at a time during the day when you need a second wind. Say your morning coffee buzz is wearing off and you are starting to get sleepy again. I tried Vuka Renew simply because I wanted to. I didn't really need a second wind, I was only tired. This delivered an average kick in the pants that lasted about 4 hours. I can see why someone would use this as an afternoon pick-me-up. Overall, this is a pretty good product. 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF PROVITA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN. 


RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10.

Coming from Plano, Texas this 2.9 ounce shot contains a massive 42 grams of protein from hydrolyzed collagenic protein isolate, whey protein isolate, and casein protein isolate. It actually contains an unheard of (for this size of a drink) 170 calories. Recently I have become a fan of protein shakes, but never got any because they were too expensive. Thanks to this blog, and to the fine folks at Provita, I received two 12 packs for free. My real concern was in the flavor. 42 grams of protein is seriously a lot. Even the protein powders you see at GNC usually don't pack that much. Provita has managed to cram it into 2.9 ounces of liquid, which gets me thinking how many ounces is equal to 42 grams? As it turns out 42 grams is about 1.5 ounces. And the other 1.4 ounces is water, caffeine, taurine, and 17 vitamins and minerals. So what happens to the flavor when a drink is basically half protein. The first thing I noticed was the thickness. It has the consistency of a smoothie so slamming it quickly wasn't easy. I also noticed an overwhelming sweetness to try to mask the protein flavor. Thankfully this was only 3 ounces because I'm not sure I could handle more. I will give them credit for creating a palatable beverage that jams in that much protein. If this was even an 8 ounce energy drink, I would dump about half of it down the sink. Sorry, but it really isn't my cup of tea. The energy blend is primarily a mixture of 1,194 milligrams of taurine, caffeine, and l-trytophan, which is the ingredient that explains why people get sleepy after eating a lot of turkey. It also contains 17 vitamins and minerals: vitamin a, vitamin c, vitamin d3, vitamin e, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin b6, folic acid, vitamin b12, biotin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, zinc, copper, manganese, chromium, and sodium. Not to mention it has nearly unpronounceable ingredients such as cholecalciferol and retinyl acetate. And while were at it, what in the world is cholecalciferol and retinyl acetate. According to Wikipedia, cholecalciferol is vitamin d3. Ok, that explains that one in a huge way. Retinyl acetate is vitamin a. So these are just fancy names for vitamins, kind of like cyanocobalamin and pyridoxine hydrochloride are vitamins b12 and b3 respectively. The caffeine content is masks beneath the cup of coffee nonsense. Seriously, coffee can vary from 60 to 200 milligrams according to Mayo Clinic. Regardless of what the caffeine content is, this worked like a charm. I found myself playing outside more often than inside. When I played basketball, I noticed that I had more energy and was less tired. It actually lasted quite a while, coming close to the advertised 6 hours. My only complaint with this drink is the foul flavor. 7.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VUKA THINK

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 8.5 OUT OF 10.


Where do I even start? Today with crazy and hectic all the way through. The schedule was mixed up and despite it being high school, people still dressed up for halloween. I even got in trouble on the bus for no good reason. And when I say "no good reason", I actually mean it. I really need to start taking drivers training. Thankfully through all of this craziness, I was aided by the Think drink from Vuka. This comes in the solid aluminum 16 ounce bottle like all the other Vukas. The bottle is painted a lovely purple. Unfortunately, the price of this beverage is quite expensive. It costs $3.50 for 1 bottle, $14.00 for a 4 pack, and a 12 pack will set you back $36.00. However, Vuka fits into the category of gourmet energy drink or high end energy drink so it should be more expensive. The flavor is listed as pomegranate lychee. Now I have had pomegranate juice before, but I have never had a lychee. When I took a sip, I noticed their was a pomegranate flavor coming in along with something extra which must have been lychee. It is very tasty and extremely light on the carbonation. It is definitely unique and not something you would see everyday. What's cool about Vuka is every drink has different ingredients for different energy needs. This is the Think version so it has 100 percent daily value of vitamin b3,  100 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 160 milligrams of natural caffeine from coffee beans, 100 milligrams of gingko biloba leaf extract, 100 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 50 milligrams of grape seed extract, and 50 milligrams of dimethylaminoethanol bitartrate (better known as DMAE Bitartrate). Unlike the Awaken version, this contains no juice, only natural flavors. All right, let's get to the kick. I was looking for a boost in alertness and focus from this drink. I have to say it worked pretty well although I think the effects might be a placebo. I felt like I was a little bit more focused in tougher subjects such as Concepts of Algebra Two. I also felt more attentive in a small meeting I had to go to. Overall, I was impressed with Vuka Think. I liked the unique yet delicious flavor and I like the their attention to quality. 8.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ED HARDY ENERGY MINTS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 20 MILLIGRAMS PER MINT.

Courtesy of Chemical Evolution

RATING: 6.8 OUT OF 10.


Bawls, Mpower, Foosh, Penguin, VoJo, XTZ, and M-60. What do all of these have in common? They all make mints with caffeine in them. The caffeine levels in energy mints can vary from a measly 2.2 milligrams all the way to Mpower's 120 milligrams, which is the most caffeinated mint on the market. I have tried just 2 energy mints and I was impressed with both. Today I'll be taking a look at Ed Hardy Energy Mints, manufactured by Eat Hearty. It comes in an altoid style red box with a bulldog on the cover. On the back, it states that 5 mints equals 100 milligrams of caffeine. They are about the size of an altoid, but they are more lustrous and don't have that intense mint flavor. The mint flavor was at a lower level than I would have liked it, but at least it didn't have any medicinal flavor. In my opinion, it was a pretty good energy mint. Since these have 20 milligrams of caffeine per mint, presumably from guarana, I ate about 10 of these in one sitting, and then had around 2 more at lunch, making a total of 240 milligrams. I thought the first 200 milligrams worked pretty well and lasted me until lunch. At lunch I took two more mints to power me through the rest of my insane school day. And by insane, I mean we had two tornado warnings, half of third and fifth hour were basically erased, lunch times were screwed up, and everyone started to question why we even came in the first place. I apologize for this review being so darn short but it's just an average energy mint with guarana and maybe some ginseng. I would rather take 2 or 3 Foosh Mints instead of 10 or 12 Ed Hardy Mints. Here is a sneak peek at what I will be trying next: Ed Hardy Coffee Rocks, Vuka Workout, Vuka Think, Vuka Renew, Provita, Provita Chill, Provita Slim, Wave Sugar Free, and if the samples get here, I will try my first energy gum and also take a look at an energy drink called Caffeine. 6.8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF ED HARDY CHOCOLATE ROCKS

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 600 MILLIGRAMS PER 1.40 OUNCE BOX.


RATING: 9.5 OUT OF 10.


I have always been a big fan of chocolate covered coffee beans. Ever since I first tried Crackheads, I have loved these candies ever since. Ed Hardy Chocolate Rocks are a little bit different. The are not chocolate covered coffee beans, or chocolate covered anything for that matter. They are decadent pieces of semi-sweet chocolate, and are one of the tastiest things I have ever ate. They were so "addictive" that I ate the entire box, barely able to pace myself. So that's basically it for flavor. Now, one 1.4 ounce box, which isn't that big contains 600 milligrams of caffeine. Not 6, not 60, but 600. To put that into perspective that is 7.5 Red Bulls worth of caffeine, or 3.75 cans of Monster. No matter how you look at it, 600 milligrams is a serious amount of caffeine. My advice is to spot at half the box. They get the caffeine from Guarana Seed Extract, because this is just a ball of semi-sweet chocolate, rather than a coffee bean. I really don't know what else to say about the energy ingredients. It's just an ultra amount of caffeine, and to be honest, my consuming of the whole box was more idiotic than anything else, even though I hardly had any side effects. You might become uncomfortably jittery. Ok, since I don't want this post to my almost laughably short, I will elongate my experience with these chocolates. The weird thing is, these babies take a while to kick in. I took about 30 to 40 minutes to feel the full effects. It started of as a basic medium level boost, and when it peaked, let's say I was content, but not exactly impressed. With that much caffeine, I should have been wired out of my mind, and yet I wasn't. Just a side note, please do not comment on how you consumed 3 pots of coffee in one sitting or drank 10 Red Bulls in an hour. I'm not entirely sure if caffeine has anything to do with weight but I am 5 foot 6.5 and 107 pounds (I know, I am skinny, blame my metabolism or my family genes. I eat food.) Anyway, these chocolates absolutely rock. They taste ridiculously good, they have insane amounts of caffeine, and they deliver a pretty nice kick in the pants. 9.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF VUKA AWAKEN

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 160 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE BOTTLE.


RATING: 7 OUT OF 10.

Ever since I first saw a photograph of Vuka, I knew I had to have it. Thankfully, Vuka was kind enough to send me samples of their 4 flavors: Awaken, Think, Workout, and Renew. Today I will be covering Vuka Awaken. Awaken comes in a beautiful orange 16 ounce hard aluminum bottle. The flavor is orange, but it has other juices such as white grape, apple, and pear. When I took a sip, I was hit with a pleasant orange flavor along with other fruit flavors and some bitterness. Since this energy drink is so sophisticated, you would assume that it would have 100 percent juice. Unfortunately, it doesn't. It has 50 percent juice which is somewhat of a bummer. Still, the overall non-carbonated orange flavor was pretty good. Each flavor of Vuka has different energy ingredients for all of your certain energy needs. This one is called Awaken, so it is formulated to jolt you out of any morning grogginess. For one 16 ounce can of Vuka Awaken, this has: 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 200 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 160 milligrams of natural caffeine, 50 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract, 50 milligrams of white tea polyphenols, and 50 milligrams of grape seed extract. What I'm wondering is where they get 160 milligrams of natural caffeine. This drink contains no guarana, which is normally used for natural caffeine. The only caffeine containing ingredient is white tea polyphenols, and I don't think 50 milligrams is going to yield that much caffeine. So I wonder where they get it? So, did this awaken me out of my morning sluggishness? Well, a little bit. I did feel a slight kick from this, but not much. Keep in mind, everyone's body reacts differently to caffeine, so just because I think it didn't work very well doesn't mean it won't work for you. Overall, I though my first experience with Vuka went fairly good. 7 out of 10. Also, take a look at the energy products that I will be reviewing in the near future: Provita, Provita Chill, Provita Slim, Vuka Think, Vuka Renew, Vuka Workout, Ed Hardy Chocolate Rocks, Ed Hardy Coffee Rocks, Ed Hardy Energy Mints, and Wave Sugar Free. I am also expecting samples from Vibe Gum.

REVIEW OF WAVE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 7.6 OUT OF 10.


I noticed that a lot of others reviewers evaluated Wave Energy Drink and they all seemed to enjoy it. I contacted Wave and they were kind enough to send samples. To start, the can is blue and silver with a wave graphic on it. The color of the drink is crimson, for "sophistication" and it comes in the typical 16 ounce aluminum can. As for the flavor, it appears that Wave took Red Bull as their base and removed most of the gumminess and bitterness. Then they added what might be a mixed berry flavor. I definitely prefer this over a Red Bull. It is not medicinal and goes down very smoothly. Wave boasts about their high vitamin b content, so let's take a look at their energy blend. It has 28 percent daily value of vitamin b1, 172 percent daily value of vitamin b2, 192 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 480 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 96 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 96 percent daily value of vitamin b5, and 1,140 milligrams worth of energy blend that consists of taurine, caffeine, inositol, l-lysine, choline bitartrate and guarana seed extract. You get all of this with a whopping 300 calories and 70 grams of sugar. Unfortunately, the makers of Wave are not willing to disclose their caffeine content. However, they state that Wave has a lower caffeine content than the main energy drinks. All I know is that it is lower than 160 milligrams so based on the information given my best guess is around 120 to 140 milligrams. I honestly do not know why some companies refuse to give out their caffeine content and I'm not just speaking to the makers of Wave. What exactly are you trying to hide from us? Do you think we're going to make fun of you because you have a low caffeine content? If anybody from any company that doesn't disclose caffeine content reads this review, I encourage you to comment below the post. Before this turns into a huge rant, I'm going to talk about the effect Wave had on me. Since this drink contains a lower caffeine content, I didn't expect much. I received a moderate jolt similar to drinking a small cup of arabica coffee. The effect lasted the usual 3 hours. Overall, I am impressed with Wave. I thought the flavor was smooth, the blend was adequate and the kick was decent. 7.6 out of 10.

REVIEW OF GO FAST LIGHT

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 162 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 7.5 OUT OF 10.


Today I will be taking a look at the low calorie, zero carb, and sugar free version of Go Fast, named Go Fast Light. When I cracked open the can and took a sip, I realized that the flavor was the traditional Go Fast flavor, which is a lemon-citrus, but it was partially ruined by the artificial flavor sucralose. It had that "diet" flavor to it. Those of you who drink Diet Coke will know what I'm talking about. It actually says "with no diet aftertaste" right on the can, and I have to disagree. However, for a diet energy drink it isn't that bad, but I'd rather have a Monster Lo-Carb or Rockstar Zero Carb. Go Fast does in fact have an extensive list of energy ingredients. Per can it has 200 percent daily value of riboflavin, 200 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 300 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 260 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 200 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, 2,000 milligrams of taurine, 182 milligrams of ribose, 162 milligrams of caffeine, 500 milligrams of ginseng extract, 150 milligrams of guarana extract, 150 milligrams of gingko extract, 50 milligrams of inositol, and 100 milligrams of milk thistle herb extract. A total of over 3,000 milligrams of energy inducing ingredients. It's always nice when an energy drink states their caffeine content right in the nutrition facts. Anyway, let's move on to the kick. About 20 to 30 minutes after consuming the 16 ounce beverage, I started to feel a medium boost of energy. It stayed like that for roughly 3 or 4 hours and had no crash. Overall, Go Fast Light doesn't bring anything no to the table, and I would rather have a Monster Lo-Carb. 7.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF EX SLIM

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 80 MILLIGRAMS PER 8.4 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 6.9 OUT OF 10.


It seems like these healthy energy drinks are becoming more and more prominent. Here we have EX Slim, the low calorie, low carb, and sugar free version of EX Pure. I remember when I first tried EX Pure and I recall that I could not pinpoint the flavor. It's the same with this one. Basically, if you like the flavor of Kombucha Tea, you will like this. What does this drink taste like? I couldn't really tell you. It is sweetened with Sucralose and the flavor was thankfully not overwhelmed by the artificial sweetener. The overall flavor isn't really sweet. It's sort of like Verve, only it doesn't have that carrot juice flavor. Since this is a healthy energy drink, I expected it to have some quality energy boosting ingredients. It has 83 percent daily value of vitamin c, 74 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 83 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 41 precent daily value of folic acid, 50 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 300 milligrams of kombucha tea extract, 80 milligrams of natural caffeine, and 50 milligrams of panax ginseng root extract. I like the vitamin c, although I wish it had 100 percent daily value instead of 83 percent, and I like the addition of kombucha. But what is Kombucha? According to the can, Kombucha is an ancient healthy food culture containing organic acids, probiotics, acids and enzymes that helps your body find its natural balance, which promotes overall well-being. So there you have it. Now let's move on to the kick. I have a high tolerance for caffeine so I did not expect a lot from 80 milligrams of caffeine. Shortly after drinking the contents of the can, I started to feel less tired. I was still a bit lethargic, but EX Slim took off that edge so I could be awakened. The buzz had no real peak or crash and it was at a low to mid-level. Overall, EX Slim is a decent energy drink. It has a palatable flavor, a nice little blend, and a decent boost. 6.9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF UP! BERRY

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 8.2 OUT OF 10.


Well, there you go. I just performed a Brett Favre. After 19 days of "retirement", I am back reviewing energy products. Perhaps I just needed a rest after reviewing 26 energy drinks in a month. You can also check out my other blog at addictedtorootbeer.blogspot.com which has reviews of root beers, birch beers, sarsaparillas, and similar products. If your a fan of root beer, you should check it out. Also, I would like to address my hit counter. If you look, you'll notice it says 787. That is because I reset the hit counter for some odd reason. I can assure you that it is over 30,000 unique views. I also think that this would be a good time to thank all of my viewers. It means so much to me when you comment on my posts, even if it is a derogatory statement. I also want to personally thank Edjunkie, Possessed by Caffeine, Caffeine-A-Holic, Band'd Designs, What I Drink at Work, Energy Heaven, and all the other blogs that have put me on their link list and made me part of the "energy drink review family". Now, let's get cracking on the review of Up! Berry. I reviewed the grape flavor of Up! on September 25, and I didn't enjoy it very much. I thought the taste was fine but the kick was lack-luster. Hopefully that will change with Up! Berry. When I unscrewed the cap and slammed it down, my palate was greeted with a nice mixed berry flavor. I thought it tasted better than 5 Hour Energy and it did not have that bite. Overall, it was a pretty good shot and it did not require a chaser. Now let's talk energy enhancing ingredients. Per bottle, this shot has 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 a 2,125 milligrams energy blend consisting of taurine, malic acid, caffeine, glucuronolactone, n-acetyl, l-tyrosine, and l-phenylalanine. The caffeine content is "as much as a cup of brewed coffee". The only reason they don't put the actual amount is because people can't relate to 150 or 200 milligrams. But if they see "as much as a cup of coffee" then it will make more sense. For us energy drink reviewers, it's a pain in the butt. The last time I had Up!, I took it before a workout and it didn't effect me at all. So instead I took it before school to see if it helped me there. And sure enough, it warded off the morning grogginess and woke me up for 1st hour. The buzz was at a mid-high level and lasted until 5th hour. Overall, this shot did a lot better than it's grape flavored counterpart. 8.2 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HARD 8 .50 CAL

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 120 MILLIGRAMS PER 2.4 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 7.9 OUT OF 10.


I've always enjoyed the products that have a theme to them, like this .50 Cal Energy from Hard 8. The only problem is, they didn't do a very good job. It is the same old 2.4 ounce aluminum bottle but the top is supposed to be the head of a bullet. To me, the entire container should resemble a bullet, and not just the top. But it was a nice try, anyway. The flavor is labeled as blueberry pomegranate, but to me the flavor didn't resemble any of those fruits. This shot uses three sweeteners, two of them artificial, so the shot is quite sweet. It is by no means unpalatable, but if you are looking for a high quality shot that delivers the taste of pomegranate and blueberry, you should look elsewhere. .50 Cal is the second drink in the Hard 8 Line-Up that I have reviewed that contains the antioxidant blend, nicknamed the warrior blend in this one. Before we get to that, I'll list the b vitamins and energy blend. Per shot, it has 240 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 240 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 960 percent daily value of vitamin b6, and 9,600 percent daily value of vitamin b12. It also contains ginseng extract, gingko biloba, taurine, guarana extract, carnitine, glucuronolactone, and glutamine. The warrior blend consists of acai berry extract, goji berry extract, blueberry extract, grape seed extract, and pomegranate extract. Sweeteners are sugar, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. I'm going to give Hard 8 props for doing the antioxidant blend on a couple of their drinks. I've always been a sucker for those superfruits. Alright, now for the kick. If you've read any of my recent posts, you probably know when I drink these. If you don't know, I suggest you go read some of them. This shot hit me in 15 minutes and gave me a nice uplift to last me into roughly 4th or 5th hour. It's not overpowering by any means, and the buzz is completely jitter free without any crash. .50 Cal Energy is an all-around decent shot. It's sweet, it has a nice little antioxidant blend, and it gives off a nice boost. 7.9 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HARD 8 G

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 120 MILLIGRAMS PER 2.4 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 7.5 OUT OF 10.


Here we have the green tea flavor of the Hard 8 Energy Shots. This one is simply called 'G'. G stands for gingko biloba, green tea, and ginseng. The package is a black and silver solid aluminum 2.4 ounce bottle with a plastic screw on top. As for the taste, I have tried multiple tea based shots and I think the best is the Dragon Pearl Shot. This Hard 8 Tea Shot would take second in my book. I found the flavor to be quite pleasing and it left no bitter aftertaste and needed no chaser. Well, that covers the taste, now let's get to some energy enhancing ingredients. It has 240 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 240 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 960 percent daily value of vitamin b6, and 9,600 percent daily value of vitamin b12. It also includes green tea extract, ginseng extract, gingko biloba, taurine, guarana extract, carnitine, glucuronolactone, and glutamine. Apparently, this shot doesn't have the antioxidant blend. It does contain a modest 120 milligrams of caffeine per 2.4 ounce bottle. I wish they put the amount of energy blend they put in this shot. All of this comes with 8 calories, 2 grams of total carbohydrates, and 2 grams of sugars. It is sweetened with sugar, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. That must explain the drink's incredible sweetness. I never mentioned this before but this shot is quite sweet. Ok, moving on to the kick. Like always, I took it before school to get me ready for Chemistry. It didn't actually get me pumped to do some stuff on the Atomic Theory, but it did give me a nice uplift comparable to a few mugs of tea. Thus far, the Hard 8 line-up hasn't necessarily brought anything new to the table, but of course that is difficult when the energy shot market has grown substantially since it's beginnings in 2004. The thing that really stuck out were the solid aluminum bottles. No plastic here! So that basically wraps it up for me. 7.5 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HARD 8 POM B

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 120 MILLIGRAMS PER 2.4 OUNCE BOTTLE. 

RATING: 8 OUT OF 10.


Here we have another flavor of Hard 8 Beverages, and this has not been reviewed by anybody except for me as of September 28, 2010. First of all, this comes in basically the same 2.4 ounce solid aluminum bottle as the Caffe B Energy Shot. I unscrewed the top of the bottle and took a nice whiff. A fruity smell danced through my nostrils as I proceeded to take a sip. Thankfully, there is no chaser required here. The fruits-mostly pomegranate and blueberry-hit my palate with ease. I slammed the rest of the can without incident. Before we get to the kick, what powers this bad boy? Well, there is 240 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 240 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 960 percent daily value of vitamin b6, and 9,600 percent daily value of vitamin b12. It contains an energy blend consisting of ginseng extract, gingko biloba, taurine, guarana extract, carnitine, glucuronolactone, and glutamine. Now here's something different from the Caffe B flavor: it has an 85 milligrams antioxidant blend consisting of acai berry extract, goji berry extract, blueberry extract, grape seed extract, and pomegranate extract. It comes with 8 calories, 8 grams of total carbohydrates, and 2 grams of sugars. It is sweetened with sugar, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. Fortunately there is no high fructose corn syrup, but they are still using these sweeteners: Sucrose, Splenda, and Sunett. Those are just some brand names, by the way, except for the Sucrose. That one is just another name for table sugar. Right, now the kick. As always I downed this puppy before school started and felt a low to mid-level rush. The 120 milligrams of caffeine is about as much as a cup of gourmet coffee, and it had the same effect (I know I said that on the Caffe B review). It lasted for about 3 or 4 hours with no crash. So far I think these products are fairly good. You can purchase Hard 8 Products at www.kingofcaffeine.com. Other than that, they are sold at Ralph's in Southern California, QFC Stores in Washington, Fresh Encounter Stores in Ohio, and about 300 Convenience Stores in North Carolina to the Canadian border. So there you have it, now it's time to rate this thing. 8 out of 10.

REVIEW OF HARD 8 CAFFE B

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 120 MILLIGRAMS PER 2.4 OUNCE BOTTLE.

RATING: 7.3 OUT OF 10.


I've always enjoyed getting samples from companies, but what really pleases me is when I get a product that I have hardly even heard of. Over the next several days, I'll be taking a look at some of the shots offered by Hard 8 Beverages. First up, we have Caffe B Energy Shot. This is the first coffee energy shot that I have reviewed on this site. So, let's get right to it. Let me say, if you don't like coffee, you will not like this. I found it to be a harsh coffee and mocha flavor that wasn't too overpowering. Thankfully, I like my coffee black, so I could handle the flavor. Also, this shot is quite thick, it's almost like drinking coffee syrup. So if you like coffee, you'll probably like this. If you don't like coffee, chances are this is going in the wastebasket after the first sip. Now let's move on to the energy enhancing ingredients list. It has 240 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 240 percent daily value of vitamin b5, 960 percent daily value of vitamin b6, and 9,600 percent daily value of vitamin b12. They also have an energy blend which is comprised of ginseng extract, gingko biloba, taurine, guarana extract, carnitine, glucuronolactone, and glutamine. Each 2.4 ounce bottle has 120 milligrams of caffeine, or about the same as a cup of brewed coffee (sorry I used as much caffeine as coffee junk). One ingredient that stuck out was Glutamine. In fact, Glutamine is marketed under the name Gluta-Force by American Body Building. For more information on Glutamine, click here. Alright, I slammed this bad boy before school started and waited for the rush. In about 20 minutes, I felt a mid-level boost come over me. It had about the same affect as Arabican Coffee. The buzz lasted for about 3 hours and ended with no crash. All of this energy comes with 8 calories, and 2 grams of sugars. And now I'm going to let you into a little sneak peek of what's to come. Over the next several days, I will be reviewing: Pom 50 Energy, G Energy, .50 Cal Energy, Go Fast Light, Ex Slim, and Arizona Rescue Water. So there you have it. I'll give the Caffe B Energy Shot a 7.3 out of 10.

REVIEW OF UP! GRAPE

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.


RATING: 5.7 OUT OF 10.

Ever since Living Essentials developed 5 Hour Energy in 2004, energy shots have been an ideal way to get some energy. Their small, portable, they don't need to be refrigerated, and they have barely any calories. On the downside, they usually taste like Robitussin, and some of them don't even work at all. So how will Up! fair? Well to start, let's talk about the package. It's either orange or purple depending what flavor you have, and it's pretty much generic in every way. This one is flavored grape, and that got me a bit worried. You see, grape is a common cough syrup flavor and with all these medicinal ingredients I hoped that it didn't taste like dextromethorphan. When I unscrewed the cap, my nostrils were greeted with a familiar smell: artificial grape candy. And when I slammed it down, things went well. The grape flavor was definitely artificial and candy-like, which is fine. It shot down my throat with ease and there was absolutely no aftertaste. So far, so good then. Now let's move on to the energy blend. Up! Energy Shot is powered by 100 percent daily value of vitamin b3, 2,000 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of folic acid, 8,333 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and their 2,125 milligrams energy blend: taurine, malic acid, caffeine, glucuronolactone, n-acetyl, l-tyrosine, and l-phenylalanine. Unfortunately for me, the people at Up! thought that they would be cool by not listing the caffeine content. Instead, they put that "contains as much caffeine as a cup of brewed coffee" nonsense that hardly makes any sense. Although, I can think of a reason why they put this phrase. If a new consumer of energy drinks and shots looked at the label and saw "caffeine: 200 milligrams", they wouldn't really know how much that was. But if you put the "as much as a cup of coffee" junk, he/she would understand. As for us caffeine junkies, it's one of the most annoying phrases in the entire world. So, does it work? No, actually. I actually took this before a workout and I honestly did not feel a single thing. Their was absolutely no change whatsoever. I can't tell you how long it lasted because it never kicked in in the first place. So their you have it, Up!. It's an energy shot that tastes good but has no effect on me at all. I'll give this 5.7 out of 10.