Whether you consider Memorial Day the start of summer, or you’re a stickler who waits until late June to be more official… you’re wrong and you should feel bad.

It is well established that Red Bull decides the seasons. When Red Bull says it’s summer, it’s summer. The Summer Edition is out now. It’s summer.

So you can keep your holiday benchmarks, your solstices, and your equinoxes, because the only time to acknowledge a quarter of the year passing by is when Red Bull stamps it on a can.

With that, Red Bull bids farewell to Sakura Spring and welcomes in Sudachi Summer.

“What the heck is Sudachi Summer?”

Good question.

Iono. It must be an obscure fruit if spellcheck doesn’t even recognize it.

It’s either a type of lime or a fruit similar to a lime. If you’re a fan of lime, then maybe you’ll like Red Bull’s new Summer Edition, Sudachi Lime. I do, and I did not. More on that later.

After researching “Sudachi,” I’m still not sure whether this flavor is “Sudachi AND Lime” or just a “Sudachi Lime.” Either way, a sudachi is a small, green Japanese citrus fruit known for its sharp, refreshing, and intense aroma.

It’s pronounced “Soo-daa-chee” and not “Sue Dockey,” who was a neighborhood acquaintance of my mom’s growing up. Nasty lady. Didn’t like my “hoodlum skateboard.”

Anyway, I think lime alone is underrated. It lives in lemon’s shadow and has seemingly lost its stronghold on the color green to fruits like apples and watermelon, but for me, it’s “S” tier. I always find it refreshing despite the acidity.

I love sharp lime flavor, and was really excited for this release, but I’m afraid this might as well be Red Bull’s Bummer Edition. *ohhhhhhh* I’d rather drink Summer’s Eve. *oh… no*

Sudachi Lime is one of the least Red Bull-tasting Red Bulls I’ve ever had.

This is not an “S,” but it tastes like a bad attempt at one of those “S” citrus sodas. Ya know, like Sprite, Seven-up, Splunk, Sun Drop, Surge, Slice, Slurp Sawse, Super Slurp Sawse, Starry, Slurm, Splink, Squirt… it isn’t better than any of ‘em.

You get lime, but it doesn’t “bite” like I wanted it to. It never tasted as “spritzy” as a usual Red Bull, either. It’s a little too sweet, and I didn’t find it all that refreshing.

For a fruit described as having a “unique spicy, peppery flavor,” I didn’t really sense the sudachi much either. Lime inherently has a little of those profiles, but I wouldn’t say it’s very noticeable here.

I really wanted this to have more of a natural lime pop instead of just a vague citrus sweetness, but it was too much, even in this Sugar Free edition. I was thirstier afterward.

There’s probably enough lime for it to be passable to some, but I just don’t think I’m into the “sudachi” of it all. Clearly, this isn’t my favorite. It’s not quite as nasty as Sue Dockey, but it’s not good either.

I don’t encourage imbibing, but I could see this working as a really good mixer. Just please drink responsibly, and have a great Red Bull Summer.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 8.4 fl oz can
Purchased at: Wawa
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 15 calories, 0 grams of fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of protein.