REVIEW: Rockstar Recovery Berryade

I’m not sure why I’ve been kind of ignoring Rockstar Energy Drinks for many years. Maybe I feel more like a Monster than a Rockstar? Or perhaps it’s because the Rockstar products seem to always be on the shelves below the Monster stuff, and I don’t want to bend down to get them. But after tasting Rockstar Recovery Berryade, I think I should start caffeinating my body with flavors I haven’t tried yet because this energy drink is delicious.

Its aroma is a delightful mix that’s sometimes reminiscent of cotton candy and other times of a refreshing berry slushie. Its sweet, candy-like flavor is a treat for my taste buds, so much so that I found myself finishing it quickly. It also didn’t help that it’s non-carbonated, making it go down smoothly without carbonation bubbles acting as speed bumps along the way to my gullet. And just like Monster Energy’s Ultra line, despite being sugar-free, it doesn’t compromise on taste. When I drank this chilled, I couldn’t tell it had artificial sweeteners.

The 160 milligrams of caffeine in Rockstar Recovery Berryade did have a noticeable reviving effect, providing a much-needed energy boost. But I have to trust that the drink’s electrolytes actually hydrated me because I can’t tell. I also have to trust that the added biotin, magnesium, and zinc did what they were supposed to do.

Rockstar Recovery Berryade is a berry good tasting beverage that’ll ade my energy levels.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 16 fl oz can
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 140 milligrams of sodium, 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Rockstar Unplugged Energy Drink

Rockstar Unplugged Cans

Rockstar Unplugged?

Folks, the only Rockstar Unplugged I care about is Kurt Cobain circa 1993.

Oh, Me. That was Dumb. All Apologies.

And let’s just throw one more track from Nirvana’s classic MTV Unplugged setlist right here – Come as You Are… to this review of Rockstar’s new hemp seed-infused energy drinks!

Heh? No? Alright, alright, I’ll just review the drinks now.

Rockstar Unplugged is a new line of beverages that combine hemp seed oil, B vitamins, spearmint, and lemon balm for a “fruit-forward energy boost that helps maintain an easy-going, free-flowing and soul-fueling attitude for any mood or occasion.” Whew.

That contradicts what I expect from an energy drink, but whatever Bruh, I dig the vibe.

I tracked down two of the three flavors – Blueberry and Passion Fruit. Rockstar also released a Raspberry Cucumber variety, but no one told any store within a 20-mile radius of me.

Rockstar Unplugged Passion Fruit 1

Passion Fruit is a fruit I’ve never eaten, but a flavor I enjoy from various other drinks and candy.

For something called “Unplugged,” the yellow color is ELECTRIC. Unfortunately, the carbonation was weak, so the drink itself never lived up to the color’s vibrancy. It didn’t have that POP I was hoping for.

Taste-wise, it was just generic “tropical fruit,” and a bit too sweet. The flavor reminded me of those little hard guava candies you get after sushi dinners, if you know what I mean.

Rockstar Unplugged Blueberry 2

Blueberry looked and smelled incredible. I thought I was about to drink some Great Blue-dini Kool-Aid, which made me ponder – is blueberry a unique energy drink flavor? Normally when I see a blue energy drink, I expect some uber-masculine name like “Razzmatazz Haymaker” or “Electric Bluedriver,” but here we just get little old blueberry, and it succeeds.

It wasn’t too sweet, leaning more towards a slightly underripe blueberry flavor, but in no way bitter or sour. Not sure why, but the carbonation was also stronger. It “popped,” with a sharp taste that finished with a mellow, satisfying sweetness.

With that said, they both left a light coating in my mouth that I guess I’ll chalk up to the “herbal blend” and hemp seed oil? It wasn’t gross by any means, but was mildly off-putting.

Rockstar Unplugged Both 2

In the end, they’re mid-tier energy drinks, but I’m glad Rockstar tried something new because I feel like they’re getting swallowed up by Red Bull, Monster, and Bang – which seems to have conquered about 75% of every convenience store I go to these days. (When did Bang explode on the scene?)

I drank both in the afternoon and never felt jittery at all. They kept me pretty alert for the rest of the day, so if that’s what adding hemp does to an energy drink, Rockstar Unplugged might be onto something big here. It was borderline Nirvana.

That’s what we call a “really bad callback.”

Overall, I like this concept, but I don’t think Red Bull is in any danger of losing my business. I’ll probably get the blueberry Unplugged a few times this summer, and I hope to find Raspberry Cucumber someday.

Purchased Price: $1.69 each
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Blueberry), 5 out of 10 (Passion Fruit)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugars, 0 grams of protein, 1.53 milligrams of Vitamin B, and 80 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Rockstar Juice TMGS Energy Juice

Rockstar Juice TMGS Energy Juice Can

What is the Rockstar Juiced TMGS Energy Juice?

It’s the third installment of the Rockstar TMGS line. For those not in the know, TMGS stands for tangerine, mango, guava, and strawberry. It follows the delicious original TMGS and the delightful lime-infused TMGS Twist.

However, unlike the previous two, which were sugar and calorie-free, this version has some sugar and calories because there’s actual fruit mixed into it. Granted, there’s only 8 percent, but that’s enough to boost the beverage’s nutrition facts to 20 calories and 4 grams of sugar.

How is it?

Rockstar Juice TMGS Energy Juice Glass

You’d think adding real fruit would make the already excellent original TMGS even better, but I can’t say it does. The fruit seems to make the beverage a cloudy orange color, which is dramatically different from the original’s cloudy pink.

If you’re familiar with the original TMGS flavor, you’ll have an idea of what this tastes like. The guava and strawberry are the most noticeable, while the tangerine in the background. But the mango is hard to notice.

It’s a tasty start, but then the sweet, tropical goodness lacks staying power. I mean, it’s not as if it’s sort of reverse Jesus-ed in that juice is turned into water. But when I finished the can, I didn’t have the same OMG I love you reaction I get from drinking the original Rockstar TMGS.

I thought I could blame artificial sweeteners, but there were artificial sweeteners in the previous versions, which are more satisfying than this.

Anything else you need to know?

As of this writing, it’s an ampm exclusive, but so were the others because TMGS not only means tangerine, mango, guava, and strawberry, but it also stands for ampm’s slogan, Too Much Good Stuff. That is something I didn’t know with the previous two. So obviously, I have failed Convenience Store Slogans 101.

One last thing. This has 160 milligrams of caffeine, while the previous two had 240 milligrams. Less flavorful AND fewer milligrams of caffeine! Don’t sign me up!

Conclusion:

If you love the original Rockstar TMGS, stick with it for your caffeinated tangerine, mango, guava, and strawberry-flavored needs. Rockstar Juiced TMGS is fine, but it pales in comparison to the original.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay
Size: 15 oz can
Purchased at: eBay (available at ampm)
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 20 calories, 0 grams of fat, 120 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of sugar (includes 0 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 16 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Rockstar Limited Edition Samurai Cola

Rockstar Limited Edition Samurai Cola Can

What is Rockstar Limited Edition Samurai Cola?

A cherry cola-flavored energy drink that promotes the highly anticipated video game Cyberpunk 2077. It’s a game I will not play because I do not own a machine that can run it, and I’m still nauseous from playing DOOM back in the 90s.

How is it?

It tastes better than Cherry Coca-Cola Energy, which is an energy drink I found to be underwhelming. What’s disappointing about it is that it tastes more like an energy drink than a Cherry Coke. Okay, I imagine some of you are yelling at your screen something like, “Of course, it tastes that way! It’s. An. Energy. Drink.”

I get what you’re yelling, but here’s the thing, energy drink companies, like Rockstar and Monster, are now excellent at making their products not taste like energy drinks. They are using flavor and/or sugar to mask those bitter, energy-giving ingredients. And that’s what Rockstar did with its Samurai Cola, which has a strong, guarana-masking fruity flavor.

Rockstar Limited Edition Samurai Cola Rocks

While I think it’s tasty and easy to drink, I’ll admit some folks might find the syrupy cherry flavor to be a bit too heavy, taking things into cough syrup territory, and the overall taste is a tad below Cherry Coke and Wild Cherry Pepsi.

Anything else you need to know?

240 milligrams of caffeine per can.

Also, T79HC628FHKL and K3928VH6N67X.

Conclusion:

With limited edition products, a question I ask myself is, “Would I want this to come back or be permanent?” My answer for Rockstar Limited Edition Samurai Cola is yes. I enjoyed it, and I feel we need more highly caffeinated colas in the world.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 16 fl oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 250 calories, 0 grams of fat, 15 milligrams of sodium, 63 grams of carbohydrates, 63 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Rockstar Pure Zero TMGS Twist

Rockstar Pure Zero TMGS Twist

What is Rockstar Pure Zero TMGS Twist?

Rockstar Pure Zero TMGS Twist is the latest Pure Zero variety from Rockstar Energy. It is the sequel to the delicious Pure Zero TMGS, whose flavor features four fruits — tangerine, mango, guava, and strawberry. This energy drink has all of that, but also a twist, which I will not spoil yet.

It’s lime.

How is it?

With the first sip, it has that wonderful tropical flavor that TMGS has. But then the lime quickly kicks in. No disrespect to the green citrus fruit because it makes tortilla chips and my McDonald’s Southwest Salad tasty, but it gets in the way of the fruits I really want to taste. The lime is not a backup singer in this energy drink. It’s also not part of a choir. It’s the Beyoncé of the beverage. It stands out and you can’t avoid it.

With that said, it’s a pleasant, refreshing, and heart rate-rising beverage, thanks to the 240 milligrams of sweet caffeine, but if you were to give me the option between original TMGS and TMGS Twist, I’d pick the former. But between TMGS Twist and other flavors in the Pure Zero line, I’d probably choose the one with Beyoncé most of the time.

If you’re not familiar with the Pure Zero line, they have no sugar and zero calories, but, like TMGS, this also doesn’t taste like a zero sugar, zero calorie energy drink. But if you drink it warm, then all the artificial sweeteners come into play.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Rockstar Pure Zero TMGS Twist Orange

While the original TMGS was pink in color, TMGS Twist is orange. I also wasted a few minutes of my life wondering what color pink and green (for lime) would make. It’s not orange. It turns out it’s gray. Yum.

As of publication, it’s an ampm (yup, that’s the correct spelling) exclusive, but I imagine it’ll end up in other stores later because it’s too good to keep it locked with one regional convenience store chain that seems to get exclusivity with Rockstar flavors regularly.

Conclusion:

Rockstar Pure Zero TMGS Twist is another great flavor from the energy drink company. While I do enjoy it, again, I like it ever so slightly less than the original TMGS.

Thanks to TIB reader Rene B for sending me a can.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 16-ounce can
Purchased at: ampm
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (8 ounces) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 100 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.