Energy Drink - 555 Reviews

I'm not a big fan of powdered drinks. They are hit or miss in my eyes, but usually a miss. Finding this box at Big Lots (where drinks go to die) didn't make me too excited to try it. But I have to, for science.

When the first ingredient is sugar, you know it's downhill from there. This taste like watered down orange Gatorade and Sunny D. As far as the energy portion goes, I guess it works but the taste is so bland that I'm not very inclined to drink more than a few sips of this so I doubt I'll get the desired "energy". All I can think of now is that I have several more of these tubes of powder, as well as a 2nd flavor, and I'm trying to decide what to do with them. You know those dumb kids who use to snort pixie sticks? I wonder if now that energy powder like this exists they are trying that.

Excuse my ignorance because I've never done it, but wouldn't snorting an energy drink powder be similar to cocaine? I wonder if head shops that sell "legal drug substitutes" would sell this.

In 2011 I came across a can of Havoc Energy Drink in a Big Lots in Lansing, MI. Our friend Christian was filling in on drums for my band for a tour and we were there teaching him the songs. As you can see from the review I gave it below, it was garbage. It also had been out of production since 2008, as I learned when I received an email from the gentleman who had recently purchased the company and was planning on reformulating it. Way to have expired goods Big Lots. Anyways, cut to early 2013 and here I sit with a slim can of the reformulated Havoc. I can happily say that it is much better. Luckily it no longer tastes like cough syrup. Instead it tastes like a mixture of raspberry and cherry sodas with a general energy drink taste mixed in. It's a flavor that doesn't normally exist in the energy drink universe, and I appreciate the change of pace.

While this isn't really anything groundbreaking, it is worlds better than the old version. I really have nothing bad to say about this, it just kind of blends in with most of the other energy drinks on the shelves, even though it is not a usual flavor. Actually, you know what? I think I would be more likely to grab one of these from a gas station than the usual suspects in the cooler if I was in need of a little boost on a late night. Havoc, you just bumped yourself up to four bottles.


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Old Product Review:

To quote the ever-clever Tony Flaminio, "This drink played 'havoc' on my taste buds." When an energy drink is marked down to $.60, there's probably a good reason, and that reason is probably because it's pretty gross. It tastes like someone took a bottle of cherry cough syrup and combined it with a two liter of sweetened seltzer water. Who wants that? My guess is no one, and that leads me back to the price drop. You may be tempted to buy it because it's cheap, but I say save that change, buy an apple or something with it. You'll be much happier.

EDIT (2011):
I was just emailed and informed that this product has not been in production since 2008. That means this was old and more than likely expired. Thanks Big Lots. The Havoc company has been bought out since then and is going to start producing new drinks soon. So basically if you see this out there check those expiration dates so you don't have a situation like we did.

Hawaiian Punch energy drink. I don't know how else to describe it because that is exactly how it tastes. Instead of reading me ramble incoherently, you should listen to The Best Show right now because they are having a fundraiser tonight and those shows are always entertaining: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/BS

If the marketing team at Red Rain has a single brain cell in their collective heads I would hope that they have contacted Peter Gabriel to use his song that is the same name as their company. Just imagine that chorus playing as slow motion shots of sports teams winning the big game and spraying each other with cans of energy drink. It would be like they were announcing that the sun has set on Gatorade in the energy drink age. It would be triumphant, and it's a great song on top of that.

I don't know if that's the market they are looking to sell their beverages to, but it's not the scenario that is important, it's the song. It really is a great song, and I'm gonna say this is a fairly great energy drink at that. Cranberry should be used more in energy drinks. It covers up the typical candy flavor nicely. This has a predominately cranberry flavor with a nice citrus touch around the edges. It's certainly not a typical flavor for an energy drink, which is nice.

Think about it; Peter Gabriel and an unusual tasting energy drink. Then think about all of the toonies pouring in, much like that self same red rain.

Do you know what lions don't like? Processed, chemical garbage. Don't get me wrong they will eat the hell out of it, but they won't feel good about themselves doing it. I feel the same way. Does that make me a lion? I have no fierce roar, but I do have a nice golden beard, so perhaps I am partway there. I will on occasion partake in an energy drink, but I generally feel terrible about doing it. There are all sorts of weird chemicals in those things that humans, or any creatures for that matter, should probably not ingest. When I find an organic energy drink, it's something I feel a bit better about drinking.

Roaring Lion knows that most people don't care about such things, so they have a line of regular energy drinks. For folks like myself they formulated the “Au Natural” version. Nowhere on the bottle does it say that it is organic, but it does say it's all natural (with artificial flavor) and that is enough for me not to feel like I'm poisoning myself all that much. Yes I know there are plenty of things found in nature that could kill me instantly, but I'm fairly certain none of them are contained in this bottle.

I don't really know what I expected this to taste like, but it ended up reminding me of a slightly lighter tasting version of your generic energy drink. You know the ones that are all derivative of the flavor of Red Bull. I personally have no problem with that, because it's a flavor that I enjoy. It's a somewhat regular occurrence for me to wish out loud that there were a soda available that tasted like that, without the energy giving properties. If you're striving to be a lion like myself and you like the flavor of such energy drinks, but you don't want to pour all that toxic garbage in your body that will more than likely end up killing you in a couple of decades, give this little guy a try. As an added bonus it comes in a resealable bottle. Now that's something more energy drinks need.

I have been sitting here for 10 minutes drinking this white grape tasting energy drink trying to think of clever plays on "Amp" but I'm coming up empty handed. I'm going to blame the Sabres because they're not playing that great right now despite firing their coach. At least this drink tastes decent for an energy drink. Somehow it tastes more like a juice energy drink, despite not containing a drop of real juice. Why can't more diet energy drinks taste this good? It would make diet drinks have a better name.

Mountain Dew Code Red used to be my go-to soda. I probably bought a bottle every day I went to high school for a couple years. The problem was I over did it and I got sick of something I used to love. They don't make it obvious anymore, but Pepsi/Mountain Dew makes AMP Energy. It really shows with this flavor because it tastes like someone pour an energy drink into a bottle of Code Red. For those who have never had Code Red before: a. what is your problem? and b. it tastes like a really syrupy cherry soda with a citrus kick in the aftertaste. With the energy drink component in this, the kick is extra strong.


While writing this review I realized I hadn't seen an Amp Energy commercial in a while so I went to youtube to see if I could find any. While I found one featuring Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller hurling insults at another goalie in some weird underground insult competition, the majority of the videos were of 8-12 year old kids chugging AMP Energy drinks. I knew there were some dark corners of youtube that didn't have funny cat videos or Rebecca Black parodies, but I didn't think there would be adolescent boys in their backyard shotgunning energy drinks in hopes that the video will become viral/impress their friends.

I wonder why this company didn't try and get some Spider Man 3 sponsorship when that movie was coming out. It would have been perfect and tons of comic nerds (like myself) would have bought it just for the bottle. It would have been a lot better than the Spencer Gifts all over print looking snake eye they have on the bottle.

It's a pretty tasty energy drink. Nothing I'd run out and get again, but it tastes like sugary purple drink. It definitely tastes better than it looks.

If this bottle weren't completely sealed I would have questioned whether or not someone had replaced the beverage with some sort of poison. Actually, do you guys thing someone could have done that with a syringe in the nub at the bottom of the bottle? It really didn't taste right. It had one of those flavors that set off alarms in your taste buds/brain that warn you to make sure you're not drinking antifreeze. On top of that when I first shook it up there were these clouds floating in the drink that were definitely a different consistency than the rest of the drink. It's a little disturbing.

So what we have here is a bottle that tastes like watered down berries mixed with some sort of coolant. Not exactly what I look for in a beverage. It's a totally different chemical taste than other energy drinks. Apparently this is a natural poison.

As it turns out it either wasn't poison at all, or I have a high tolerance. I drank this a while ago, and I have yet to shuffle off this mortal coil, or show any signs of doing so. Looks like “heart stoppage” does not need to be included in the list of possible side effects after all.

First there was 8 Minute Abs. Then the great 7 Minute Abs was thought of by a lonely hitchhiker. That self same hitchhiker then assured us that 6 Minute Abs could never exist, due to science. Years later the world is bombarded with 5-Hour Energy shots. They always seemed a bit scary to me. Time shouldn't be able to be so concentrated into a little bottle. Finally everything has come together in one plastic container of Zum XR. The contents of this bottle will slowly release both caffeine and electrolytes over a 5 hour period. Think of how many sets of 7 Minute Abs you could do in that time. The caffeine will keep you going and the electrolytes will keep you hydrated. It's a win-win situation and by my calculations you'll have a month and a half's worth of ab workouts in one afternoon. Who's going to argue that science?

The functionality of this drink is right on the money. I drank one before I went to the gym and I ended up working out longer, and didn't feel as worn out by the end. I also didn't feel jittery at all. The problem is in the science of the flavor. It's not grosssauce, but it does taste like watered down mandarin orange juice, with a bit of functionality weirdness in the aftertaste. It's not something I would drink for the flavor, but it's not bad compared to other poison tasting drinks that promise a somewhat similar functionality.

On another note, it says it shake the bottle to “unleash” the power of the energy beads that are in it (aka the cupcake sprinklesque tiny balls that are on the bottom). No matter how much I shook it I couldn't get them to exist in the bottle, except at the bottom. By the time I got to the end of the drink I got a mouthful of the little guys and I could see how that could be a turn off for some people. So keep that in mind.

UGH! That is what I exclaimed when I first took a sip of this. I have enjoyed all the other Monster Rehab drinks, but this is borderline undrinkable. It tastes like someone was potting a plant next to it and accidentally got some of the soil inside. They tried to filter all the soil out, but the taste was still there and they just hoped no one would notice.

Well I noticed and it sucks. I hate wasting drinks but I can't even take a third sip.

Woo. Where to start, where to start? From the start? Let's go there. Imagine a fully bearded man in his workshop. Now cover his entire body in a thin layer of sawdust. He's working on a pinewood derby car. It's not quiet, though. Oh no. It's laden with the sound of vacuums, dremels, drill and Howard Jones' "Dream Into Action" on the stereo. A man gets thirsty. When the only thing that is in the fridge is an aphrodisiac energy drink, who cares? That's what you will drink. That's what I did drink. I did not think that it would have done to me what it did.

Here is the back-story of the day for me, diet-wise. I had a bowl of cereal around nine and it is now around three and I have an empty stomach. Whatever. I do what I want. I grabbed that drink and slammed it. It was great, too. It was slightly fruity, slightly carbonated with just a touch of that "energy drink" taste. Enough that it was still good. Comparable to the new Red Bull drinks, if you've had those. This was good. Promptly, two things happened, though. At the snap of fingers, the caffeine started to course through me like all my blood was replaced with it. In addition to that I got that thirty-six hour flu that everyone got. So I've got awkward dizziness and nonstop shaking due to drinking an energy drink on an empty stomach. I was like that the rest of the day. Virtually out of commission. I couldn't get to sleep until about four in the morning. I just lay there watching the hands cruise through the clock.

Now if that was that than that would be that, but it wasn't. One more thing and this might have been psychosomatic but it's worth mentioning if only for it's humor. The day I drank this, I could have filled up the boner quota of a ninth grade boy. It's absolutely humiliating but they would come and go like waves on the shoreline. I mention this because if it was supposed to do this, holy crap did it work. I felt like I should have had an English textbook to cover my genitals with throughout the day.

Two incredible images wrapped into one review of a fantastic energy drink. If you are too tired to get it on with your significant other, drink this. Just make sure to eat some food first.

I've had my fair share of these drinks, and this is probably the best tasting of the bunch. It has a generic fake orange flavor to it with a hint of ginger (no burn) that tries to fight the fake sugar taste that lingers at the end. The fact that it is non-carbonated only helps. It goes down smooth, and it serves its function.

For once my issue with a functional beverage isn't with the flavor, it's with the name. I really have no idea why I have never questioned it before, but why is this company called Celsius? What does that have to do with eliminated calories? I mean I get that they are trying to tie it in with burning calories, and flames are hot and Celsius is a unit of measurement for temperature. It just seems like there has to be something more behind it, and I want to know what it is. There's more to this story, and the ex-reporter in me wants to find out what it is. The ex-15-year-old in me couldn't care less and just wants to go and play video games until his friends call. Guess who's going to win out?

First impression: this can looks like a "fancy" designer t-shirt you would find at a flea market for $9.99. Also, (much like the Monster Cuba-Lima) this can is textured, adding to the weird image I have of a 11 year old wannabe gangsta from the suburbs exclaiming "Whoa, that can matches my shirt!" which his mom bought him in the boys section of JC Penny. The name of this drink also seems like something said kid (let's call him Chad) would have made up 2 years prior as he was watching Power Rangers Ninja Storm.

Of course Chad will deny he made up his own Power Ranger named Zero Ultra when he's drinking this, even if he secretly still has the cover he drew of Zero Ultra Comics #1 in his closet. Six months from now he will also stop wearing this weird patterned shirt that matches this because his "cooler" friend will say it isn't cool anymore. But at least Chad had a moment where he was a trendsetter and Monster was behind on the times for once.

It's a shame the can and name of this drink are so bad because the drink is actually really good. It tastes like a Squirt snow cone. It's smooth and refreshing, and isn't as sweet as most energy drinks. My advice to Monster: keep making the textured cans, but design the cans better.

I went over to my Mom's house a couple months ago and she was drinking this green algae like drink. I was puzzled because the only things I ever see her drinking is iced coffee or diet soda. When I inquired about it, she started going on about how it's this amazing Matcha drink and it's better than coffee. I tried it and it tasted good, so she sent me home with a few packets.

I finally got around to trying it out myself. The green powder doesn't really mix with water very well. It felt like I was stirring it for a good 3 minutes and I am still finding little chunks in it as I'm drinking. The taste though, just as I remembered, is incredible. It's a lot like the green smoothie drinks that Bolthouse and Naked sells, but not as thick and more fruit flavors in it. I can't pinpoint any, but the website for this says it's made with pomegranates and blueberries mixed with the matcha (which is a type of green tea).

Before I started drinking this I was feeling a bit sleepy, but I'm halfway through the glass and I'm already feeling more awake. I'm glad my mom gave me a few packets so it will hold me over until I have a chance to buy some more.

For those of you, like myself, who were unimpressed by the original flavor of Lucozade I urge you to try their tropical variety. While the sugar water taste of the original in just there, not offensive or great, this type I would actually go out of my way to drink. It has a nice passionfruit and pineapple combination of a taste to it. I expected it to taste like one of the more flavorful Gatorades, as to be comparable to their flagship flavor, but this is like a completely different product. It's very sweet, but sometimes that is exactly what you're looking for in a drink.

This is marketed as an energy drink, but as far as I can tell the only things in here that would give you energy are sugar and caffeine. In reality it's as much of an energy drink as a can of Coke. I guess that's way healthier than the amount of chemical junk Americans put in their bodies in the name of being a little more awake.

One great thing about this label is that it is made in China, but the text is half in English and half Spanish. A lot of the text is there in both forms, but there is some that is only in one of the languages. It's not a big thing at all, but for some reason it made me laugh.

I can't get over how great it is that this company was started by a couple of surfers. Even better is that they decided to start the company after a surging trip to Brazil when they were given a bowl of acai juice to drink…€¦A SURFING TRIP TO BRAZIL! If you ask me I'm gonna have to wager that we have a Point Break type scenario here. These dudes pulled some bank heists in order to fund surfing expeditions (to this day this is still the greatest movie premise of all time). The thing is that instead of all either ending up in jail, dead, or lost at sea on the coast of Australia these dudes changed their lifestyle and put their heist energies into making juice. Now they just use their profits from the business to fund their surfing trips. I mean these guys aren't crazy adrenaline junkies or anything.

Not only do these guys have a great bad guys gone good life story, but they also know how to make one hell of a beverage. I think we can all agree that a lot of companies' acai juice can be a little much to handle. It always tastes like you're drinking concentrate. Sambazon knows how to smooth it out and make it an enjoyable, healthy drink. You can taste the acai, but it's not in your face with every sip. I think it's the apple juice that they mix in that solves the harshness problem. Either way this drink is great. It's smooth, fruity and all of the flavors blend together seamlessly. You can tell that there is yerba mate and guarana in the drink if you think about it, but if you were given a glass with no indication of what was in it, it would just taste like a general blended smoothie. You would have no idea of the caffeine kick you were about to receive.

What we have here is a better tasting than most diet energy drinks. I would say that it is actually borderline diet. It still has regular sugar in it, but it's not as much as the regular version. Replacing it is some sucralose, but the mixture of the sweeteners doesn't give it the diet death taste. It's still sweet and candy like, as your typical energy drinks are, with just a hint of a diet flavor to it. There is nothing particularly surprising about this. It tastes like an energy drink, but just a little bit better than other diet ones I have had.

ps. The pink can is a little bit too obvious for a diet drink. Come on Hype, you have to have a better marketing team than that.

Devotion. Courage. Sacrifice. That is the tag line for this company, but I feel like it should also be the Thirsty Dudes motto.

Devotion: We've been reviewing drinks since 2009.
Courage: We have tried some utterly disgusting drinks
Sacrifice: Do you know how many calories we have probably consumed? Not to mention all the sugar we have ingested. I personally recently had to have 6 cavities filled, and 2 teeth pulled. While I'm not blaming that all on Thirsty Dudes, but I'm sure it was a contributing factor.

Apparently this is one of the most popular energy drinks in Thailand. It's non-carbonated, which threw me off at first. I was expecting it to taste like Red Bull, but instead it's like a pineapple-peach juice taste. It's actually not that bad.

I think the median price for energy shots right now is around $3. I rarely/never buy energy shots, but I'm always noticing them at checkout counters and if they were cheaper I would probably buy them more often to review. I'm guessing $3 is what they usually are because that's the price that makes me hesitate with drinks. If it's a root beer, cream soda, or cola that we haven't reviewed this hesitation goes away.

There wasn't any hesitation with this energy shot because it was 99 cents at Aldi. For those who don't have Aldi grocery stores in their town, it's the cheapest store around. If Dollar Tree expanded their food selection by 6 rows and added a cooler and freezer, it would basically be another Aldi store. Don't get me wrong, there's sometimes some great food for cheap there, but more often than not it's bottom of the barrel as far as quality.

With that said, I wasn't expecting much from this energy shot. It tastes exactly like cherry Nyquil. I recently was sick and had to take some so it's taste is fresh in my mind. It's not as thick (thankfully), and hopefully won't put me to sleep because I have a lot of work to do. I thought it was going to taste a lot worst, so I'm pleasantly surprised.