Matrix Energy Drink

What is The Matrix? Disappointing, Neo, disappointing. Yes it’s in an interestingly shaped bottle containing 700ml, but my bottle at least was almost flat. There was a fizz when I opened the bottle, and a few bubbles in the drink, but it tastes totally flat. Maybe this was an unfortunate one off, but the taste was still a clone, and a cheap tasting one at that.

Mixergy

You’ll be unlikely to find this particular energy drink anywhere… at least not in the form that it’s being presented here. This was a promotional can handed out at the Fully Charged Live event in 2002 at Farnborough. Mixergy make smart hot water tanks and control systems, and the can with the wrapper is designed to represent one of their tanks and the controls attached to it. As products go, their tanks are interesting even if I’m not certain I’d get one myself. The energy drink is unbranded though, and I’m guessing must be a generic product used by marketing companies for personalised products. I’ve taken a guess at the caffeine content because it’s not listed on the label at all. It tastes like a clone, a nice and sweet one though, and plenty one sugar in it because it coats the inside of your mouth!

Furocity Tyson Fury Original

I’d better tread carefully reviewing this one. Manufactured by what appears to be a UK ltd company set up specifically to market Tyson Fury’s own brand of energy drink (Furocity Ltd), each can features a nice quote from the man himself “… it’s a feeling you can’t bottle. So I put it in a can.”. Yeah, I’m not arguing here. The drink itself in the original flavour is not very original though. It’s a typical clone and not expensive tasting at all. It’s lower in calories than normal full-fat energy drinks, but I guess that’s the new normal and I’d probably see that if I went back and re-reviewed drinks from years ago that are still on sale. Still, there are three other interesting flavours in this new range to try and they promise to be a bit more exciting.

Xyber Original

This is your basic clone drink… slightly sour and not the most refreshing of flavours, but it does the job.

Rockstar Energy Original No Sugar

I know that Rockstar original has been out for a very long time, but somehow I’ve managed to avoid the sugar-free version of it. Rockstar is a great flavoured drink generally, and whilst I’ve categorised this as a clone it really does have its own distinct flavour. I’d definitely try this again… oh, and it’s very high in caffeine so watch out.

Emerge Impact Sugar Free

Whereas the original flavour of Emerge Impact can be classed as an original drink in its own right when compared to its Emerge Dual predecessor, this sugar free version does not deserve the same crown. Yes, it is sugar-free, but it contains 3 calories/100ml (yes, a respectable effort) whereas the full fat version contains 9 calories/100ml. Unless you are actively avoiding sugar specifically, there’s very little reason to get the sugar-free variety. Taste-wise it’s slightly less flavourful, perhaps even tasting slightly watered down compared to the original version. Regular readers of this site will know that usually I prefer the sugar-free versions of drinks, however in this instance the combination of less sugar plus sweeteners in the original version have made it the better choice if you’re after flavour.

Emerge Impact

This is at first site a rebranded version of Emerge Dual, which itself was a re-brand of Emerge. In fact, they haven’t even updated the blurb on the back of the can which still states that “Emerge Dual is a great tasting energy drink…”. That may be true, but this isn’t Emerge Dual. In fact, look a little more closely at the nutritional information and you’ll see that it contains 9 calories/100ml. That’s very low, and I assume that the drink has been reformulated in order to avoid the UK sugar tax and keep its price low. Honestly, it tastes just as sweet as I remember it and you would be hard pressed to tell that it is effectively a lower calorie drink.

Rich

This brand is attempting to pass itself off as premium. The two-tone design of the can is a step in the right direction, but the drink itself is nothing unique. It’s on the watery side, which is not a bad thing especially as it’s just about right in terms of not being too sweet, too sickly or too bitter. But, there’s no standout quality and it is ultimately another wannabe.

Taff

Well the name and the can design are quite good in my opinion, but the drink is just a generic clone. It’s a sweet and sickly one too, and leaves a sugary coating in your mouth.