Just Chill - 4 Reviews

Just Chill is quickly falling into the category of drinks that I wish didn't have an intended purpose, because I just like the way they taste. There are times in my life when it's probably not appropriate to chill, but does that mean I should be deprived of delicious beverages?

When most drinks are named something citrus it's a pretty safe bet that orange or pineapple is going to be your forerunning flavors. This is not the case here though. This drink is chock full of lime that actually tastes like limes and I love it. There is a weird hint of lemongrass too. It threw me for a bit but after a few sips I was glad that it was there. I think I detect a slight amount of mint as well, but that could just be my taste buds dreaming of mojitos.

Something that sets Just Chill apart from other relaxation drinks is the exclusion of melatonin and valerian root. As a result you can just calm yourself without falling asleep. I swear the first time I had a Marley Mood I wasn't ready for it and I thought I was going to fall asleep in traffic. There is no fear of that with these drinks. They are simply delicious and calming, just as advertised.

Drink this in. I received a case of Just Chill in the mail. I excitedly put a couple in the fridge to cool down and then went about my day. The next morning I am woken up by my ladyfriend who is crying hysterically because she fell down the stairs. I somehow assumed the role of decent boyfriend and jumped to make sure that she was not seriously hurt. I mean I'm not a monster, but after discovering that no real harm had been done I could see myself going back to sleep. I did not play the part of the jerk that day and I consoled her, as she was really shook up. She was pretty worked up, as any normal human being would be after tumbling down a full set of stairs at 7am. I really, really wanted to have her drink one of these to help calm her nerves, but as soon as the thought crossed my mind I instantly knew that if I uttered the phrase, “You should drink a Just Chill” all she would hear is the word chill and assume I was telling her she needed to chill out. In hindsight I should have just gone and grabbed her a can, but it was early and I am part monster, and the warm bed won out. Eventually she calmed down and went to work and I did the same. It's a longwinded story, but the fact is that these drinks do what they are supposed to and it actually would have been appropriate for her to drink one at that time. I feared getting stabbed so I didn't' bring it up. No one likes to be stabbed.

In addition to their functionality these drinks really do taste great. They do the whole mixture of sugar (crystalline fructose) and stevia thing to keep calories low, but retain a decent taste. I don't know how they do it, but I would never guess that stevia was involved at all just by the flavor. I have not ruled out sorcery. Rio Berry is light, but realistically fruity. I appreciate a beverage that actually tastes like berries and not artificial garbage that we are told taste like fruit.

Just Chill has been good to us. They have sent us samples several times, and when they have they have sent a lot of them and we appreciate that. Here at Thirsty Dudes we are not to be bought though, just ask Mountain Dew about the time they sent us a care package with the samples of their Kickstart line before they hit the market. The same can be seen in our first Just Chill review. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. It was a perfectly serviceable middle of the road beverage and because of that it got a 3/5 bottle rating.
I'm pretty sure they accidently sent our samples to us twice because I got two identical packages with a whole lot of beverages in each. It's no secret that I am a sucker for ginger flavored drinks, but the mountain of cans staring at me that clearly state that they are zero calories had me a bit standoffish. I can handle stevia and in moderation it's just fine, but thinking of so many ounces of it just waiting for me was intimidating. I let a can chill (get it) in the fridge for a while and then cracked it open for a nice relaxing night on the couch with a movie.

There are two important things to acknowledge at this point.

First, this is a relaxation beverage, but it did not put me to sleep and that is the way I feel these things should work. I have no doubt that has I went to bed shortly after drinking this I would have been fast asleep in no time at all, but I appreciate that it allows me to stay awake in a calmer state. I've had a handful of other drinks of this variety and most of them just make me sleepy. This one still allowed me to function and that is great.

Second, ginger reigns supreme. Zero calorie sweeteners are no match for a healthy dose of ginger. Think of the perfect ginger ale, with just a hint of a burn, and then up the ginger flavor a bit more and you have this drink. If I were to place a wager I would put my money on 95% of the stevia flavor is masked by the ginger. Only the faintest hint of it remains.

You may not be able to buy our opinions at Thirsty Dudes, but I am very grateful to have a stack of these on hand to drink at my leisure.

I've been unpacking into my apartment all week and figuring out what I need to do/buy. I didn't go to bed until after 2:30. At 5am I was still laying there awake thinking about things that needed to get done. Normally I'm out as soon as my head hits the pillow, but occasionally I have nights like these. It was about this time that I remembered that I had some relaxation drinks chilling in the fridge.

I know this wasn't meant to be a sleeping pill in a can, but if it would reduce my stress and help me not worry about a million things, it would be just what I needed. I downed the can (it's weird drinking a carbonated beverage fairly quickly when you're trying to sleep) and lay back down in bed. Within ten minutes I was out. My brain certainly did chill out.

Unfortunately here at Thirsty Dudes our rating isn't totally based on functionality. We're actually more concerned with the way a drink tastes. This is fruity tasting, but in a very light, light way. It's not diet tasting, and it's completely natural, but there's something about it that didn't quite sit right with me. I left a little in the can to taste this morning as I wrote the review. I can say it tastes better when it's no longer carbonated.

One other thing; I absolutely hate it when any company uses the "Papyrus" typeface. It's everywhere and you don't even realize it until it's pointed out. After that you see it everywhere and it's unnerving. There are only two lines of text on the can that use it, but it's enough to annoy me.