Tag: Energy Drink

REVIEW: C4 Energy Popsicle Energy Drink Flavors

Sean 4 Comments

A caffeinated popsicle? Sign me up!

Okay, I’m actually not that fond of eating my caffeine, I love coffee way too much, but I do like drinking things flavored like other things I’m supposed to chew. The latest collaboration between a sugar-laden childhood treat and a sugar-free energy drink company comes courtesy of C4 Performance Energy and Popsicle. A 16-ounce can contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, some beta alanine for muscle endurance, and one of three nostalgic flavors — Cherry, Grape, and Hawaiian Pineapple. All three drinks use no coloring and have a middle-of-the-road carbonation that isn’t too aggressive but doesn’t feel flat — nice, tight, sharp bubbles that let their impact be felt without a trail of trapped gassiness.

Cherry is undoubtedly the most classic of the three, with a sweet and slightly muted cherry flavor that delivers on the Popsicle theme really well. Eating an actual Popsicle as an adult, you realize how much less rich and more watery they are than an ice cream bar, and this drink has that slightly diluted watery finish after the initial cherry rush. It’s a good drink, but for me, it’s held back by its dedication to the bit. I’m left wanting a bit more flavor, especially when compared to C4’s already available best-in-class Midnight Cherry energy drink. Still, I have to commend C4 for making a drink that honors the collaboration and isn’t just a simple rebrand of something that already exists.

Hawaiian Pineapple is a Popsicle I’m not sure I have ever had, but I am delighted it was chosen as one of the flavors for this line — it is excellent. The flavor starts off very smooth and juicy pineapple that finishes with just a touch of orange. It seems exceedingly rare to find a nearly pure pineapple drink, as it’s often paired with coconut for a piña colada flare, and this one stands out as not only the most unique in the line but one that warrants repeat purchases and a permanent spot in the C4 lineup.

Grape is another classic and iconic Popsicle flavor but also one of the most divisive, and as a grape lover…C4 Energy nailed it. This may be the best grape energy drink I have ever had, and I’m blown away by how dense yet not cloying the flavor is. The taste is a big, bold, candy-like grape, that familiar taste you either love or hate, and the watery Popsicle element that worked against the cherry works like a charm here. The flavor is an undeniably potent punch of grape, yet it never gets syrupy or weighed down in the way grape can trend towards medicinal. It’s classic, it’s nostalgic, and it’s perfect.

Purchased Price: $3.49 (each)
Size: 16 oz cans
Purchased at: Vitamin Shoppe
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cherry), 9 out of 10 (Hawaiian Pineapple), 10 out of 10 (Grape)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 5 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ SPARKD’ Energy Drink

Erin 4 Comments

Dunkin’ is introducing some fruity new ways to get your caffeine (and your apostrophe) fix this spring with its new SPARKD’ Energy drinks. The jewel-toned beverages look like they belong alongside the Refreshers drinks Dunkin’ already serves, but SPARKD’ swaps the green tea for sparkling water and the syrups have a caffeine boost from guarana along with some vitamins and minerals. Available in Berry Burst and Peach Sunshine, these drinks are kind of interesting, if not totally successful.

Served over ice and pleasantly effervescent, both are visually appealing and feature a blend of two fruit flavors. Berry Burst is a mix of raspberry and strawberry, and Peach Sunshine mixes peach, obviously, with lychee. While I’d normally gravitate towards a berry flavor over peach any day, I was intrigued by the lychee and had high hopes for its inclusion.

Trying the berry first, I enjoyed its bubbly nature and had no real complaints about the flavor, but it didn’t wow me either. It’s somewhat generic in its berry-ness, which isn’t a bad thing, but I expected it to be more interesting. The longer it sat and the ice melted, the more I started getting a Kool-Aid vibe from it. Again, not exactly a complaint, but it also wasn’t what I was looking for.

The Peach Sunshine variety left me similarly disappointed. It’s predominantly peach and if I didn’t know it included lychee, I wouldn’t have guessed it. The orange color had me hoping for more citrusy notes, but it’s very peach-forward. And in a medium size, it ended up just too peachy for me. Dunkin’ has had some really good flavor combos in its Refreshers line so I had higher expectations for these that just weren’t met. I have a preferred brand of energy drink (Red Bull), and both of these flavors reminded me of something I might get from a Celsius or other canned energy beverage that I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy but will pick up when my grocery store offers them as a “free item of the week” thing.

One might assume these are packed with caffeine with a name like SPARKD’, but they actually fall kind of in the middle of that spectrum. A medium of either flavor contains 144 milligrams of caffeine, which is more than a Refresher but less than a Dunkin’ iced coffee and considerably less than a Panera Charged Lemonade.

I don’t have anything truly negative to say about Dunkin’s foray into the energy drink market, but the initial offerings didn’t spark any desire in me to purchase them again. The fizz is fun and the overall drink is fine but not memorable. I’m going to root for these to stick around in the hopes that future flavors will be more exciting.

Purchased Price: $3.32
Size: Medium
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Berry Burst), 6 out of 10 (Peach Sunshine)
Nutrition Facts: Berry Burst – 130 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 30 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 27 grams of total sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 144 milligrams of caffeine. Peach Sunshine – 120 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of total carbs, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 27 grams of total sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 144 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Monster Reserve Peaches N’ Crème Energy Drink

Marvo Leave a comment

If Monster Ultra Peachy Keen with its peach gummy ring flavor didn’t exist, I could be convinced that this was peaches AND crème. But because they have similar flavor profiles, I question whether there’s any crème-iness. It doesn’t look creamy or have any flavor notes of something that could be considered “crème.” I hoped it would be there because Monster did it with its Reserve Orange Creamsicle.

If you’re unfamiliar with Monster Reserve, it’s basically the original Monster with a different flavor. The name makes it sound extravagant, like it uses spring water that’s been filtered through miles of volcanic rock or that it’s been crafted in gold vats by the most experienced energy drink brewers on Earth. But it’s just a way for Monster to come out with new flavors of its original energy drink.

Monster Reserve Peaches N’ Crème is basically a sugary version of Monster Ultra Peachy Keen, and that’s perfectly peachy keen with me. But would I drink this regularly over Ultra Peachy Keen? No, because if they’re equally enjoyable, why drink the one with more sugar? But that’s just me.

If you hate artificial sweeteners, you might think you’ll enjoy Reserve Peaches N’ Crème. However, I’d hate to burst your peach-shaped balloon, but this also has some sucralose, although it’s not noticeable.

Monster Reserve Peaches N’ Crème Energy Drink is a tasty addition to the Reserve line, even though it lacks a “crème” flavor.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 16 oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 360 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of sugar (including 28 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Monster Rio Punch Energy Juice

Marvo Leave a comment

I thought about starting this review using the lyrics for Duran Duran’s song “Rio.” Who’s Duran Duran, you ask? And that is why I decided against the reference. But much like I can’t get the song “Rio” out of my head when I bring it up, I haven’t gotten the taste of Monster Energy’s Rio Punch out of my mind ever since drinking it.

According to the description on the side of the can, Rio Punch is a blend of exotic fruit flavors with a hint of spice. Scanning the ingredients list shows it’s flavored with papaya and mango purees. The can also says Brazil is home to over 70% of all fruits ever known, but I’m too lazy to fact-check that. Something else I’m unsure of is that “hint of spice.” Is there a hint? If there’s a hint, it’s as much of one as r4lkfot4$v2jhi4t2 is a hint to my bank’s password because all I taste are the fruits.

When poured into a glass, its orange hue makes it look like it’s flavored with papaya and mango, but it smells like a red fruit punch. There’s definitely a tropical vibe going on with this energy drink’s flavor. At first, it also tasted like a fruit punch, but with subsequent sips, I started tasting the individual fruits with the papaya being stronger than the mango. I’m not going to complain about that because mango is a common drink flavor, while the equally as delicious papaya isn’t. The more I drank this, the more I enjoyed it. Although, there’s a bit of an artificial sweetener finish, which takes away from the tasty start.

Like Monster Energy’s Ultra line, I can’t think of being disappointed with any Monster Juice product, which continues with Rio Punch. It has a great tropical flavor that I won’t soon forget, much like the lyrics to Duran Duran’s “Rio.” Although, I much prefer Pipeline Punch and Pacific Punch over this new flavor.

Purchase Monster Rio Punch on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 16 oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 140 calories, 0 grams of fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 33 grams of sugar (including 33 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Ghost Energy FaZe Up Energy Drink

Sean 1 Comment

When Ghost Energy debuted in 2020, it had four core flavors, one of which was vaguely titled “Citrus.” That can gave me big time lemon-lime Gatorade vibes with a hint of Mello Yello, which always reminds, affectionally, me of a C-tier fast food soda fountain. Ghost’s “Citrus” is a solid, full-flavored energy drink that I revisited recently ahead of this review and still enjoy quite a bit. For its follow-up foray into the lemon-lime category, the brand has once again teamed up with heralded esports gaming group FaZe Clan for the even more cryptically titled “FaZe Up.”

Reading the name “FaZe Up,” I instantly expect a clean, sharp, and crisp lemon-lime flavor, a la 7UP or Sprite, but that’s not what I get. The flavor starts off eerily similar to the original Ghost Citrus, with a bit more of a Mountain Dew aura to go along with the Mello Yello I tasted before. There’s no background signature Dew taste (you know the one), but that blend of lemon-forward sweet citrus dominates the opening sip. Then the flavor changes and steers away from that lemon-sphere into lime-land and finishes with a pronounced sour pucker. It’s really good.

In essence, “FaZe Up” does have some of the sharpness of a 7UP or Sierra Mist (ahem, sorry, Starry), but only in the backend of the flavor. This is a Mountain-Dew-meets-7UP-meets-sour-candy-energy-drink for the lemon-lime lovers that really does hit the spot like a proper jolt of citrusy electricity. As always with Ghost, the flavor is dense and endlessly drinkable with a nice, tight effervescence that goes down smooth without feeling flat. It’s delicious, and with 200 milligrams of caffeine and solid doses of other focus ingredients, it is absolutely one I will come back to again and again.

Purchased Price: $3.29
Size: 16 oz can
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.