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.

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.

Rockstar Energy

Rockstar Energy has a distinct and quite synthetic taste. It’s a pleasant tasting drink with a hefty kick of caffeine and sugars… totalling 60 calories per 100ml that puts it at the potent end of sugar rushes. The can’s design does make it look like you are drinking a can of lager, which could cause raised eyebrows in your office should you choose to consume it there – be prepared to explain it away. I think that has something to do with the black can with a gold star on it. It doesn’t have a great aftertaste, but the drinking experience overall is quite good. Keep it cold because the taste starts to go downhill once it warms up.

Relentless Inferno (Orange)

Does anyone remember being given Calpol as a child? I’m not talking about the original purple liquid, I mean the Calpol for older children. It was orange flavoured and drinking Relentless Inferno immediately reminded me of orange Calpol. That’s no t a bad thing, but it’s the most accurate way I can describe the flavour. It doesn’t have the usual background taste of Relentless at all, it just has a very sweet syrupy orange flavour. It gets quite sickly towards the end of the huge can, and is not ideal as a refreshing drink for a hot day. I’d suggest it is suitable for sipping slowly over a few hours while working away at your coursework or latest project deadline… slow is the key here.

Relentless Devotion (Berry Juiced)

Ribena with a kick. That’s how this drink is best summed up. It’s described as being Apple and Berry flavour and the blackcurrant really stands out. It’s a very potent drink with all the fruit juice giving a powerful sugar rush, and the usual 32mg/100ml caffeine content helps of course.

It’s the first ‘berry’ flavoured drink I’ve tried so far which actually tastes like real fruit and not a synthetic approximation. On that basis it is getting reasonably high marks on originality because it doesn’t taste at all like an energy drink.

Relentless Libertus (Sugar Free)

This is the Sugar Free variety of the Relentless franchise. Instead of just marketing it as a low calorie version they’ve given it its very own name, and for good reason I might add. It isn’t just a de-sugared version of Origin, it is a whole new flavour. The bitterness of Origin is missing, but you can still tell that it is part of the Relentless brand. It tastes slightly watery compared to other energy drinks, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as this is what stops it being too sickly or too sweet.

The balance is just right in this product and although it’s not the best flavour out there, it manages what I would consider a well deserved middle ground: decent kick, sugar free, no bad aftertaste, and a flavour that should be acceptable to most.

Relentless Immortus (Tropical Juiced)

Another bloomin’ tropical flavoured energy drink. I don’t really like tropical flavoured anything but for completion of this site it must be done. I have to say, it’s one of the nicer tropical drinks I’ve tried so far, very refreshing and fruity with a good hit of sugar and caffeine to boot. Much better tasting that Origin but I still prefer Libertus.

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.

Monster Lo-Carb

Almost exactly the same as the original Monster Energy. You can’t tell from the taste that it is a low calorie version though because the flavour is so sweet, almost sherberty. I like it a lot because it doesn’t give me a sugar-low afterwards like the original but it can get a little sickly towards the end due to the large can size. During a recent holiday in Europe I noticed that these were also being sold in 250ml cans which would make them a little easier on the stomach.