Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Monster Aussie Lemonade Energy Juice

Marvo 8 Comments

Monster Aussie Lemonade Energy Juice Can

What is Monster Energy Juice Aussie Lemonade?

I’ll let the Monster Energy website explain:

Inspired by the land down under with over 10,000 beaches, the Great Barrier Reef, and home to some of the most exotic citrus on earth comes Juice Monster Aussie Style Lemonade.

Monster’s twist on classic lemonade, we hit the ideal balance of tart and sweet with a burst of fresh citrus flavor. As always, it’s chockers with our world-famous Monster Energy Blend.

Bonza.

How is it?

It’s lemonade with a little something-something, and it’s heaps good and refreshing.

Monster Aussie Lemonade Energy Juice Yellow

Monster’s description of it is accurate. It does have the ideal balance of tart and sweet, making it easy to drink. It’s not sour enough to make my lips pucker, but it does make my lips want to take more sips of it. Much like other Monster Juice varieties, there is nothing in its taste to indicate there are 160 milligrams of caffeine and only 2% fruit juice floating in the can.

That “something-something” I mentioned earlier tastes like lime to me. It’s almost as if someone mixed lemonade with some lemon-lime soda. While lemon juice is an ingredient, lime juice isn’t. So I might be bloody wrong.

Anything else you need to know?

I have no idea what Aussie-style lemonade is because most of the top Google search results for it ended up being about this energy drink. And that makes me wonder if it’s a thing that Monster Energy made up. I did learn that if you order lemonade in Australia, you’ll get a lemon-lime soda, like Sprite. I also found a recipe for Aussie-style lemonade that involves sugar, water, lemon juice, and finely shredded lemon rinds. But that was the ONLY recipe I found.

Can any of our Australian readers clue us into what the fat-tailed dunnart is Aussie-style lemonade? Do we have Australian readers?

Also, the Great Barrier Reef can design is bonza.

Conclusion:

While Monster Aussie Lemonade Energy Juice is a ripper, I don’t think it’s as great as Monster Pacific Punch or Pipeline Punch. But it’s a tasty, easy-drinking lemonade with a nice 160-milligram caffeine kick.

Purchased Price: More than anyone should pay on eBay
Size: 16 fl oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 190 calories, 0 grams of fat, 150 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 46 grams of sugar (46 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Bang Energy Blue & Yellow Limoncello

Brandon 2 Comments

Bang Energy Blue Yellow Limoncello Can

What is Bang Energy Blue & Yellow Limoncello?

My favorite way of turning into a human hummingbird by punishing my heart with 300 milligrams of hardcore caffeine (plus SUPER CREATINE! And CoQ10s!! And zero calories!!!) gets a Walmart-exclusive (hence “blue and yellow”) flavor inspired by the traditional Italian lemon liqueur Limoncello.

How is it?

Bang Energy Blue Yellow Limoncello Glass

Smooth and lemony with a subtle creaminess on the back-end, B&YL sort of tastes like if you made a cake with Sprite. While perusing Bang’s subreddit (which mostly seems to be extremely amped up teens angry at being unable to find certain flavors), one person suggested that it tastes like “those lemon butter cakes you find at gas stations,” another said “tastes exactly like Limoncello LaCroix,” and another user stated “tastes like zebra cake to me,” which, well, uh, hmm. I see. I agreed with the first two things, though!

Anything else you need to know?

This isn’t the first Bang exclusive to a particular retailer. Last fall, the antiquely named Vitamin Shoppe introduced Nectarine Blueberry. Once I figure out where a Vitamin Shoppe is, I’m all over this one, too.

Conclusion:

It’s a shame that this is a Walmart-exclusive flavor, honestly. If it were more convenient to pick up, I’d be inclined to work this into my Wyldin’ Watermelon/Delish Strawberry Kiss/Key Lime Pie rotation. If you’re a Bang completist — or just someone who feels like they might want to imbibe an extremely caffeinated liquid lemon cake — you’ll want to check it out.

Purchased Price: $2.08
Size: 16 fl oz can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 0 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, less than 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar including 0 grams added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn

Holly 13 Comments

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bag

What is Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn?

Kicking off the year strong, Frito-Lay created a Sam’s Club exclusive variety of its popular Smartfood Popcorn that uses the classic Doritos Nacho Cheese seasoning. It offers the flavor of Nacho Cheese Doritos, but without the stained fingers you might get with the chips.

How is it?

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bowl

The flavor of Nacho Cheese Doritos is strongly present but without the expected crunch of the tortilla chip or corn flavor. Admittedly, it was a little jarring at first. Once my mouth and brain took a moment to adjust expectations, it was a very delicious snack. Without the chip’s corn flavor, you get a chance to really taste the different elements of the nacho cheese seasoning. The garlic, onion, and paprika shine the most, with the cheese flavor coming in subtle at the end.

Anything else you need to know?

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bag Back

Because this is available at Sam’s Club, the item is over 2.5 times bigger than the standard Smartfood bag. If you don’t want to open it yet, you can always use it as a lower back pillow when you’re sitting at your desk.

Conclusion:

Smartfood’s Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn is an all-around enjoyable item. It’s a nice blend of Smartfood Popcorn and Doritos Nacho Cheese that feels new, but familiar. I could absolutely see it being a hit at parties or as a new snack to break up the normal noshing. Hopefully, it does well enough that we get other crossover flavors in the future. Maybe some Smartfood Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Popcorn?

Purchased Price: $5.28
Size: 17 oz bag
Purchased at: Sam’s Club
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 1/3 cup) 160 calories, 11 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher

Vin 9 Comments

Dunkin Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher Hold

Strawberry and coconut are two of the most delicious fruits on Earth, yet I don’t think I’ve ever had them mixed together.

How’s that possible?

At this point in my life, I feel like I’ve tried almost every fruit duo you can throw at me, yet here I sit, wracking my brain, and I can’t think of a single snack, candy, juice, cocktail, pastry, ice cream, whatever, that prominently features a combination of strawberry and coconut.

I didn’t even have that realization until I saw this Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher in the Dunkin’ app. Then it hit me like a brick. Why haven’t I had this before?

I’ve actually been pretty mixed (no pun) on Dunkin’s line of “Refresher” drinks as a whole, but I had a good feeling about this one. It’s strawberry. It’s coconut. This one had to work, right?

Oh, it worked. I think this might be my favorite non-coffee drink Dunkin’ has ever released.

As it turns out, “pink strawberry,” is actually a concoction of strawberry and dragonfruit. While it’s most definitely an overpowering strawberry flavor, the dragonfruit adds a tart kick that levels off the sweetness you’d probably get from straight strawberry concentrate. Toss in the mellow creaminess of the coconut milk, and you’ve got a perfectly blended drink.

Dunkin Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher Top

I genuinely don’t like to use the word “mouthfeel” (*shudder*) … but they really nailed the mouthfeel.

There’s no indication that the coconut milk is flavored, but I could be convinced there was a tinge of vanilla sweetener. If you’ve ever had Italian Ices mixed with vanilla custard – not sure what they call that around your way – it reminded me of one of those. I used to get Watermelon and Vanilla as a kid, and I was whisked back to those days*.

Dunkin Pink Strawberry Coconut Refresher Half

I also love when these drinks have that oil and water style separation. The way the coconut milk sat atop the vibrant pink juice and slowly cascaded down made me feel like I was drinking some kind of crazy theme park creation.

I gotta say, this lived up to its “Refresher” name. It gave me an energizing pep in my step, but if I had to dock it slightly, I would say this is more of a midday “pick me up” type drink. I don’t know if I’d ever order this in the morning over my standard coffee, as I tend to try and stay away from too much sugar to start my day.

I really enjoyed the flavors and the boost this Refresher gave me. This is definitely the proper use for coconut milk. I tried one of Dunkin’s coconut milk lattes and didn’t even wanna finish it. In this format, I wish I got a larger size. I’ll one hundred percent be a repeat customer.

So, I guess I’ve had strawberries mixed with coconut now. If anyone can tip me off to any other product that combines those two flavors, I’d appreciate it.

*Oh, and if anyone from Dunkin’ sees this – Watermelon Coconut Refresher. Let’s do it.

Purchased Price: $3.69
Size: Medium
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbohydrates, 28 grams of sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Nestle Sensations Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk

Marvo 5 Comments

Nestle Sensations Kellogg s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk Bottle

What is Nestle Sensations Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk?

It’s the follow-up to last year’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnamilk, and Froot Loops’ latest march towards being part of a complete everything else that’s not breakfast.

How is it?

Nestle Sensations Kellogg s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk Top

It has an aroma that reminds me of Froot Loops, and it nails the cereal’s flavor. But it’s much milder than I thought it would be. I mean, it tastes like the milk that’s at the bottom of the bowl after eating Froot Loops. That’s fine, but I was hoping there would be less milk taste and more cereal flavor. I guess I wanted it to be as strong as eating Froot Loops in milk, but without the cereal, if that makes sense.

Anything else you need to know?

This might sound weird, but don’t pour this into a glass. Drink it straight from the bottle. My first taste of this came from that mug above, and when I took a sip, it was hard for my taste buds to notice the fruity flavor. (Yes, I did shake it.) But it was much more noticeable when drinking it from the bottle. I’m sure there’s some food science-y thing that involves having my nose over the bottle’s spout that causes the flavors to stand out more or something like that.

Also, with a General Mills cereal-flavored milk last year and a Kellogg’s variety this year, will Post will get one next year? Or maybe Quaker will get one? Cap’n Crunch Cereal Milk sounds delightful, but NOT Crunch Berries-flavored milk. I don’t want that.

Also, holy cow! This milk has 14 grams of protein.

Conclusion:

Nestle Sensations’ Kellogg’s Froot Loops Cereal Flavored Milk does capture that bottom of the bowl milk flavor, but there’s not enough of a cereal punch to make me want to follow my nose to drink another.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 14 fl oz
Purchased at: Received from Nestle
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 250 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber 39 grams of sugar (includes 18 grams of added sugar), and 14 grams of protein.