Target Energy Shot – Life

As far as shots go, some of them are really nasty tasting. This one is okay however – it has an unidentified fruit flavour with a slightly sour note. For a single caffeinated shot it isn’t that strong and it also has no sugars to give you an immediate sugar rush. The main reason for a shot is for the immediate wake-up kick that they give you and not the taste, so sadly this product is quite expensive when compared with alternatives such as Lucozade and Red Bull shots which deliver more punch.

Zen Republic

I’m going to keep drinking these “natural” energy drinks until I find one I like. Sadly I’m still looking. This drink has the highest caffeine content per serving for a drink of this type that I’ve seen so far: 46.5mg/100ml. I believe most of this comes from the range of natural ingredients: Kola seed, ginger, yerba mate, lemon, lime, green tea, guarana, chilli, green coffee and cinamon. It has quite a quick to it and will wake you up good and proper.

As for the taste, I’d say it is an acquired one. To me, it’s like an earthy cola flavour with a very sharp citrus spike in it. Quite sickly to drink and causes a sharp inhale when you take your first sip but it is different to the other “natural” drinks which tend to have a tropical flavour. Worth a go if only for something different.

Pussy

Full marks for an original flavour but I just didn’t like it. The main ingredient appears to be white grape juice which gives the drink a very sharp edge and makes it taste quite sickly. It claims to be a more natural energy drink which I’m all for, including guarana as well as a lot of other ‘botanical extracts’.

It’s an interesting marketing strategy that this drink is taking, the name of course standing out amongst others, but it doesn’t really seem to fit with the natural energy image – it’s almost like the drink is trying to aim itself at two different markets simultaneously. Personally I’m giving it a thumbs up for the effort but a thumbs down for attainment.

As a side note, I believe this drink was made famous by an appearance on BBC’s Top Gear as a Christmas gift stocking filler idea.

Mountain Dew Energy

Last year was an exciting year. Finally, Mountain Dew returned to the UK. Sadly my excitement was short-lived because Mountain Dew Energy (the word Energy being important) was not the same as the Mountain Dew I had sampled from The States, or even the same as Mountain Dew from my childhood. They appear to have replaced the all important “Orange Juice From Concentrate” ingredient found in the original with the word “Flavourings”. The taste is very similar but not as nice, and it gives me a headache afterwards. If only they’d release proper Mountain Dew and its various special edition alternative flavours over here.

The actual flavour of Mountain Dew is pretty unique. It’s a very subtle fruity flavour, but the main characteristic of the drink is its fluorescent yellow colour. I remember the original UK version containing the Quinoline Yellow additive to achieve this, however I think this has been removed now in Mountain Dew Energy due to allergy concerns.

Red Bull Sugarfree

Exactly the same as Red Bull, but with all the sugars taken out and a load of sweeteners put back in. Now, you don’t get quite the same immediate sugar rush as you would with the original, but the lasting effect is the same. You don’t get the sugar crash, which is a bonus, and I like the chewy flavour you get from the sweeteners. I’m giving this the same marks as the original Red Bull because, when put side by side, I’d go for the sugarfree version every time… but it’s not as potent.

Crazy Amsterdam

A special thanks goes out to Steve C. for bringing this one back from Amsterdam for me. I’ve censored the image of the can slightly for obvious reasons… I’d like to keep the rating of this site as universal as possible. The label on the can didn’t give the caffeine strength of the product but I’ve been informed by the manufacturer that it is 32mg/100ml. A note about the manufacturer actually – Protaste Drinks produce a generic energy drink in a shiny silver can over which retailers and promoters can apply their own label. I’m assuming ‘Crazy Amsterdam’ is an attempt at cashing in on Amsterdam tourism by doing just this.

As for the flavour, well, it tastes like plastic. Very syrupy and synthetic tasting with a lingering aftertaste that I can’t recommend. This drink is all about the label and should be considered as more of a souvenir than a taste sensation.

Monster Energy

A nice big can and a pleasant sweet flavour. This is Monster Energy’s flagship drink featuring in addition to the caffeine and taurine ingredients such as L-Carnitine and Ginseng. Wikipedia tells me L-Carnitine is an antioxidant as well as being used as part of the treatment routine for angina sufferers and kidney disease patients. Hmm, it does also allegedly improve sperm quality though… Monster Energy is one of my favourites and has a very distinct flavour easily placing itself apart from the crowded Red Bull clone market. The trademark ‘M’ logo will be familiar to many as it emblazons many sponsored sports events – keep your eyes open for the many different Monster varieties which all have a unique flavour.

Red Bull

What kind of energy drink review site would be complete without a review of Red Bull itself? Not the original but certainly the most widely known and available product, it is my favourite and most people’s first experience of an energy drink. Based on Asian tonic drinks and created by a clever Austrian, it’s now a worldwide phenomenon. Most people are familiar with the ‘Red Bull Gives You Wings’ cartoon adverts, or will have heard of the Red Bull F1 team. It’s everywhere you look…

It’s a very sweet carbonated drink that grabs you at the back of the throat. Some say it is an acquired taste, which would make most Red Bull clones an even more acquired taste, but I loved it from the first drop. You can get it everywhere pretty much so you’ll never be far from a can if you need one.

Mixxed Up – Sugar Free

Lidl’s low calorie version of their “Classic” variety tastes almost the same. The difference is due to the sweeteners and gives you that chewy aftertaste, but of course as with any sugar-free variation you miss out on the associated sugar rush and crash. I quite like avoiding that but I know many people don’t, but it’s good to know that there isn’t much of a flavour difference otherwise. Due to its price and lack of sugar, this is the drink that I stock up with in bulk in my garage.