REVIEW OF MONSTER REHAB GREEN TEA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 170 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

Courtesy of What I Drink at Work

RATING: 8.4 OUT OF 10.

   During my college orientation program, I didn't think I would get the chance to compose any reviews for quite awhile. After all, I live on campus now, and getting energy drinks is a difficult task. Thankfully, my mother was kind enough to pack me with not only an energy drink, but one I have never tried before. It comes from my favorite energy drink line-up: Monster Rehab. This happens to be the green tea version, so let's dive right in this refreshing review.

     Based on the performances of the previous Rehabs, I had very high expectations for green tea. Thankfully, it did not disappoint. Rehab Green Tea struck my palate with a refreshing blend of juices and the unmistakable flavor of green tea. As usual, it was non-carbonated so the contents went down smoothly. While the original Rehab still remains my favorite, this version still has an immaculate flavor.

     Of course, with a Monster Rehab, you're going to receive a laundry list of energy ingredients. Here they are, in full: 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 6,400 milligrams worth of glucose, black tea extract, green tea extract, maltodextrin, caffeine, concentrated coconut water, prickly pear extract, quercetin, l-carnitine, inositol, glucuronolactone, guarana, goji berry extract, and acai extract. Once again, Monster goes the extra mile to create an outstanding list of ingredients.

     I don't think I could have consumed this drink at a better time. I had received very little sleep the previous night, and I needed the extra boost to get me through the rest of the day. Therefore, I took one out of the refrigerator and guzzled it down. In approximately 15 minutes I was hit with a medium level of effectiveness, common for drinks with this amount of caffeine. It was just enough to get me through the rest of an exhausting day.

     In an aforementioned statement, I said that I still preferred the original Monster Rehab over this green tea version, and I will stand by that. While Rehab Green Tea does provide a solid level of effectiveness and an impeccable energy blend, I still enjoy the classic lemonade and iced tea flavor just slightly more than this one. But by all means, don't hesitate to purchase any Rehab flavor. I can almost guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

REVIEW OF ZOMBIE BLAST

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 6.5 OUT OF 10.

     A few of my fellow reviewers are suckers for themed products, which are generally made by Harcos. After all, they did manage to extract Charlie Sheen's Tiger Blood and sell it for a decent price. However, this themed product doesn't come from the folks at Harcos, it comes from Zombie Blast LLC, and as you may have guessed, it's zombie themed. Oh, and the bottle looks like a shotgun shell. If you aren't intrigued yet, you probably don't like Zombies. Or shotguns.

     After a brief struggle I managed to rip off the entire label to reveal the plastic shotgun shell container. I thought the packaging was a great homage to one of the best zombie killing weapons. I found a shot glass and began to pour in the contents. It surprisingly came out a deep red color, as opposed to the faint pink I'm used to. I expediently guzzled it down and was hit with a sweet berry flavor with a bite at the finish. Once again, the cornucopia of berry flavors halted me from discerning which berries I was actually tasting. Nevertheless, it was easy to drink and it didn't require a chaser.

     Inside every bottle of Zombie Blast, you get 100 percent daily value of riboflavin, 150 percent daily value of niacin, 2,000 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of folic acid, 8,333 percent of vitamin b12, and 100 percent daily value of pantothenic acid. Of course there is also 2,620 milligrams worth of taurine, d-glucuronolactone, malic acid, n-acetlyl l-tyrosine, l-phenylalanine, d-ribose, caffeine, yerba mate extract, cognizin, citicoline, ginseng extract, and guarana extract. The only caffeine content information provided is the cup of coffee nonsense, but despite this downfall it is still a respectable blend with plenty of herbal stimulants.

     Each time I had Zombie Blast, I wasn't necessarily blasted in any way. The effect it provided was decent at best, probably due to a low caffeine amount. After all, an employee did say that they were shying away from caffeine and leaning toward vitamins and herbs. Still, caffeine is what really makes energy drinks work, and it doesn't seem like their is a lot of it in this drink.

     This is one of only two zombie themed products that I have had the pleasure of reviewing, and while Zombie Blood is more authentic, I thought that Zombie Blast stepped up nicely to the plate and delivered a unique and tasty energy shot. Pick this up if your into the whole zombie thing or if you just want a decent energy shot.

REVIEW OF FACEDRINK

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 140 MILLIGRAMS PER 2.5 OUNCE SHOT.

Courtesy of Vocus PRW Holdings

RATING: 4.9 OUT OF 10.

     Harcos puts out a bunch of cool novelty items, generally enjoyed by the reviewing community. I really haven't been to impressed with their tastes, even though they do have nice appeal. Facedrink is an attempt to mimick Facebook, an attempt I'd prefer for them not to have released. They should stick with their potions and powders. This idea is rather silly, and in no way do I like it.

     The taste is merely ok. It is a sloppy fruit flavor, but more like a generic energy drink minus carbonation. I was hoping it'd be

more on level with the Love Potion, but I am very disappointed. I would not add this as a friend of tastebuds.

     140 mgs of the ever so wonderful caffeine is pretty good. While it isn't blow me away good, it is on par with what I expect out of a novelty item. Of course, most people who buy this would probably buy it for its novelty status, so this caffeine level is very adequate.

     Facedrink surely isn't on my friends list, but I think others will enjoy the idea. It doesn't accomplish as much in terms of energy, but it just another silly concept from Harcos, one that I'm sure will sell.

Reviewed by Dylan.

REVIEW OF XYIENCE XENERGY MELON MAYHEM

CAFFEINE CONTENT: 184 MILLIGRAMS PER 16 OUNCE CAN.

RATING: 7.9 OUT OF 10.


     It isn't too often that I receive an offer to try a brand new energy drink from a large company, but when I do, I never turn it down. In this case, it's two Xyience flavors: Melon Mayhem and Tangerine Twister. Today I will be focusing on Melon Mayhem, so without any further time to waste, let's head right into this one.

     As you probably know by now, Xyience is the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. When I cracked the seal and took my first gulp, I had a very tough time describing the flavor. Obviously, it's just one big amalgamation of melons, and there is a lack of caffeine bitterness, which is always nice. And despite having Sucralose and acesulfame potassium, it still doesn't have that unpleasant artificial flavor.  While I can't tell you exactly what melons I was tasting, I still found this flavor of Xyience to be pleasing to my palate.

     What powers the official energy drink of the Ultimate Fighting Club? Well, it has 200 percent daily value of niacin, 500 percent daily value of vitamin b6, 160 percent daily value of vitamin b12, 1,000 percent daily value of pantothenic acid, and a mixture of taurine, glucuronolactone, caffeine, guarana extract, ginseng extract, l-carnitine, and inositol. That's a solid blend, but I wish they gave amounts on everything.

     With 184 milligrams of caffeine along with a host of other ingredients, Xyience does deliver nicely in the kick department. I drank this after an early dentist appointment and it got me out of my morning state. This drink also has no sugar, so that means a crash is non-existent. I would put it's effectiveness at just above average.

     As I previously mentioned, it isn't too often that I get an opportunity to try a brand new energy drink from a major company, and this one didn't disappoint. The only real downfall is a slightly unpleasant aftertaste, but other that that it's a very solid drink. I am looking forward to trying the other flavor.

REVIEW OF STACKER 2 XTRA

CAFFEINE CONTENT: UNKNOWN.

RATING: 7.8 OUT OF 10.

     Yesterday evening, I strolled into Meijer in search of some new energy drinks. But instead of hauling over to the beverage isle, I popped over to the health food section. Here, I found some of the most powerful energy drinks you can find. I noticed Endorush, and the infamous Redline. So what did I settle for? A 1 dollar energy shot from Stacker 2. I decided that eventually I would review Endorush, but that will be at a different date.

     From what I've heard, Stacker 2 does not make any tasty energy shots. Thankfully, it appears that I purchased one that doesn't taste like rat urine. When I twisted off the cap I noticed that it had the same pinkish hue as 5 Hour Energy. I checked the bottle and discovered that it was indeed a berry flavor. I was suspecting another 5 Hour clone. Was I correct? No. Stacker 2 is sweeter than 5 Hour Energy, and it tastes better too. It still utilizes that same artificial berry flavor, which tastes nothing like berries, but nevertheless it is still a palatable drink.

     Hiding inside this energy shot are several energy enhancing ingredients. Here's the full list: 100 percent daily value of niacin, 2,000% daily value of vitamin b6, 100 percent daily value of folic acid, 8,333 percent daily value of vitamin b12, and an energy blend worth 2,125 milligrams. That includes taurine, malic acid, caffeine, glucuronolactone, n-acetyl-l-tyrosine, and l-phenylalanine. They also managed to throw in a small enzyme blend totaling 1 milligram. That has amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, and lactase. Not bad, Stacker 2. Not bad at all.

     Since Stacker 2 decided to hide their caffeine content in an energy blend, I truly have no idea how much caffeine this thing has. That being said, I would say it does pack a decent punch. I would put the effectiveness at a medium-high level that tapered off without a crash, thanks to the absence of sugar.

     For just 1 dollar, Stacker 2 Xtra is truly a bargain. It tastes good enough to not require a chaser, and it kicks just as hard as some of the other energy shots that cost almost 3 times as much. I say, if you can find this anywhere, don't be afraid to pick it up. You'll probably enjoy it more than the 3 dollar shot you were looking at earlier (5 Hour Energy).