LSV

Another bargain basement Red Bull clone. One swig of this drink made me clench my teeth together and inhale sharply. It was quite abrasive to the throat at first but I soon got used to it. Yup, the taste is a little on the sharp side. Having said that, there are a lot worse out there and this one is placed somewhere in the middle.

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.

Emerge Light

Like its calorific cousin, Emerge Light is another Red Bull clone. Maybe it was the mood I was in at the time, but I preferred this low calorie version to the full fat. Of course, this now means I need to do a side-by-side taste comparison to be totally sure. Sadly though, there still isn’t much to discuss about this drink as it doesn’t stand out at all from amongst the crowd.

Emerge

A nice Red Bull clone with below average caffeine content. This drink has nothing particularly special about it to discuss, hence me padding out this review with this lump of words. It tastes okay and isn’t too expensive – would pass as a good mixer with vodka.

(Update 2012-02-18): Emerge was recently rebranded and the can now looks more like this. (click on the thumbnail for a larger image)

Euro Shopper

This is clearly another Red Bull clone created as a budget brand to fill up the chiller cabinets in corner shops. It has a very slightly aniseed taste compared to Red Bull which gives it a bit of an unwanted aftertaste. For 35p you can’t really complain though – it is an energy drink, it gives you energy, job done I suppose! If you’re after something that tastes good though, buy something else.

Red Rooster

Without a doubt this is a Red Bull clone. A very nice one at that, and the taste is not far off its rival, but it isn’t quite as smooth or potent. This is a mid-range energy drink as far as price is concerned and unfortunately it tastes no better than either Lidl or Aldi’s considerably cheaper own brands. Whilst it is a nice energy drink in its own right, sadly it’ll never me by first choice if stacked alongside the usual suspects.

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.

Mixxed Up Classic

Lidl’s own-brand Red Bull clone with a very slight sour undertone. Mixxed Up is probably at the top of my list for own-brand energy drinks. It’s very palatable and very cheap at only 29p per can (at time of writing). It gives a moderate kick and has no nasty lingering aftertaste like so many other cheap drinks do. It’s usually available in-store on promotion if you buy 6 cans, and the staff don’t bat an eye if you pick up an entire shrink-wrapped tray of 24 cans and take it to the checkout. There’s also a sugar-free version which I can highly recommend, and the classic loses out only slightly to its lower calorie sibling.

Energy Burst

I found this one in Pound Stretchers, and no, it was less than a pound. Coming in a 500ml bottle only and containing pretty much the same ingredients and caffeine strength as Red Bull, it tasted exactly as I expected it to taste. It’s just another Red Bull clone – quite pleasant and sweet but nothing special. I can’t really think of much to say about it really suffice to say that it does the job! Probably would have tasted better from a can as I personally think that every drink tastes better that way..