Rockstar Recovery

It’s not fizzy, but it does indeed wake you up. This drink is like no other energy drink. It tastes amazing in my opinion – like traditional lemonade. There’s none of the Rockstar flavouring from their other drinks. It’s non-carbonated and very sweet, and it goes down really easy. Full marks for originality and taste here, plus with it being a large can I’m sure it’ll hold a place near the top of the overall score chart for a long time.

Monster Khaos

I was slightly disappointed that this drink didn’t have the usual Monster flavour in the background. It was okay, mostly tasting quite like orange with perhaps the other fruit juices in there somewhere. Not one of my favourites then, but I’d say it is still worth trying.

LSV Sugar Free

Compared to normal LSV, this drink was far smoother and much easier to drink. If you are faced with the choice between the two and prefer taste over the sugar-high then go for this one. Other than that, the drink is pretty much identical in aroma and aftertaste.

Powerade Energy Orange

Imagine a Vitamin C tablet, one of those chewable ones that you only eat when you have a cold. That’s the type of orange flavour that this drink has. It’s considerably stronger in flavour and caffeine than its rival, Lucozade, and personally I don’t think it tastes as good, but it does of course wake you up much more!

Asda Blue Charge Diet Cranberry

A bit too strange for my liking. It had the same background flavour as Asda’s normal Blue Charge but with a very faint taste of cranberry and coloured slightly red. I assume this has been designed as a mixer, and I could imagine this going down well with a bit of Vodka in, but sadly not on its own merit. It is diet (I couldn’t find a non-diet version of this on the shelves) so that will probably appeal to people after a low-calorie energy drink with a difference, and at a nice low price (tapping rear trouser pocket / wearing hard-hat to avoid falling prices, etc…).

No Fear

Forget about the drink for a minute, check out the can. It’s resealable! This has got to be one of the greatest inventions so far of the 21st century. It’s pretty watertight and can withstand being held upside down and shaken with ease.

“Have No Fear, Show No Fear”, that’s what it says on the can. I can’t say for certain that I felt no fear after drinking this, mainly because I’m not sure I was in a suitable scenario which would test the aforementioned fear-resistance-boosting properties, but what I can say is that it tasted very nice. It’s a Red Bull Clone, but a very syrupy-sweet one that is easy on the way down. No nasty after-tastes, no bitter or sour flavourings, just a pleasant and sweet pick-me-up.

Mountain Dew Code Red

The final of my Americandy purchases, Code Red is a cherry flavoured spin-off from Mountain Dew. This time the colour is red of course. It’s not as nice as Voltage or the original, but still quite nice and I’m glad I managed to get hold of it. It’s certainly a flavour with top marks for originality as there’s nothing else out there like it.

Mountain Dew Voltage

Another can from Americandy imported from the US. Described on the can as “Charged with Raspberry Citrus Flavor and Ginseng” it is certainly unusual. Apparently it was created as the result of a national vote and it is definitely an unusual flavour. It’s very refreshing as per Mountain Dew original but with an obvious raspberry flavour. Lower in caffeine that a normal energy drink, but with enough to count! If only they sold this in the UK… (hint, hint Pepsico). Unlike original Mountain Dew, this drink is blue in colour which should give a clear indication that it won’t taste the same, but of course that means it contains Mountain Dew’s trademark food colouring ingredients!

Asda Blue Charge

Asda’s own brand of energy drink is an obvious Red Bull clone, but where it differs from most is its lacking of the sour taste usually associated with these imitation products. Blue Charge tastes quite fruity by comparison and even manages a similar smoothness as Red Bull. The ingredients list specific vegetable concentrates of Apple, Carrot and Hibiscus. I’m assuming it is this concentrated mixture that gives Blue Charge its key flavour, which sadly isn’t that nice! The smoothness of the flavour and not necessarily the flavour itself is what contributes significantly to the Red Bull experience and I’m confident that Asda are aware that they are capable of producing a direct clone of Red Bull and have adjusted their final product slightly to avoid lawsuits because this drink tastes like a deliberate attempt to change the flavour subtly. Sadly though, it’s a very smooth drink with nasty taste.