Guru Energy Drink 2.0 (Fan Review!)

Sequels are typically a less than stellar follow-up of an original product.  So with that being said, I displayed some hesitation when I came across Guru 2.0.  What is Guru 2.0? Well it’s an organic and 100% natural energy drink.  The ingredients include Guarana, Ginko Biloba, and evaporated cane juice used for sweetener. Several other ingredients populate the list but I think the ones listed paint a decent picture of what comprises this mystery juice.  As a side note the label informs me that pregnant women and people sensitive to caffeine should stay away.  Just for a moment I wonder what would happen to a pregnant woman if she drank this stuff.  I decided not to think about it for too long because I think I want to drink this stuff.  So, I make the purchase.

 I open the top and a somewhat sickly smell greets my nostrils.  The best way I can describe the smell is that it most closely resembles bubble gum.  That fact doesn’t bother me too much so I take a swig.  A light taste combined with light carbonation washes through my mouth like a tidal wave.  I take another swig.  Not bad, the slight bubble gum taste is muted and decent.  I finish the can and decide this can was worth the money.  I can’t say that it was way awesome, or wicked yummy, but I can say that this stuff was a pleasant surprise.   Guess I can chalk Guru 2.0 as a decent sequel to the original.

Guru 2.0 with all natural ingredients and a decent taste it is a reliable energy drink that far exceeds much of what’s on the market.

C.W.

Twinlab Energy Fuel (Fan Review!)

Health food stores are known for products not typically found at mainstream grocery outlets.  So on a recent trip to my local purveyor of healthy beverages I notice a drink that was ripe for review.  Twinlab Energy Fuel is its name.

Back at the house with chilled can I scan the label to see what's in store.  Twinlab Energy Fuel is made without sugar and has zero calories.  This fact gives me some pause as most sugarless drinks taste really bad.  Elsewhere on the label I am told that a high amount of B vitamins and several different types of herbal extracts are present in the drinks mix.  All told these elements sound cool, but they also sound like they could be a cosmic calamity. 

So the top has been cracked open and no discernible taste is present, good start.  So I take a sip.  The taste is a cross between citrus and water.  So I take a few more sips.  The more I drink the more I notice a strong metallic after taste coating my mouth like paint.  A few more sips provide me with stable carbonation and taste, but also provides me with the same aftertaste that has not only grown unwelcome but has also turned me completely off to Twinlabs Energy Fuel.

While the taste of this beverage may be decent, the aftertaste leaves much to be desired.

C.W.

Team Realtree White Buck (Fan Review!)

While at the local grocery store I noticed a can I had never seen before.  A white camouflage pattern ironically helped this product to stand out from the usual energy drink fare scattered around it on the overcrowded shelf.  Team Realtree Outdoor Energy is the name of the drink and White Buck is the name of the flavor.  A few questions enter my mind, I will list them now.  One, do outdoorsmen really need their own energy drink?  What exactly is White Buck flavor?  Does someone really need a can of something that needs to be camouflaged? Only one of those questions will be answered by me so I decide to take the plunge and purchase the Team Realtree product and cart it back to my proverbial deer stand to take a shoot at what this stuff is all about.

The can is now chilled and I try to open the twist on cap.  The cap is difficult to take off, but I finally extract the required piece and set about to taste the White Buck flavor inside.  Before I take a sip a rather sickly smell greets my nose.  It smells like weird cherry flavor.  I read the ingredients and find that HFCS and all sorts of other common ingredients are found inside.  So I take a gulp hoping that the taste does not resemble the smell.  A strange taste most similar to cherry flavor washes across my mouth like a tidal wave.  The carbonation is strong and I take another sip and am met with similar results. I don’t find the taste offensive and it seems to stabilize the more I drink.  After about a quarter of the can I have had enough and halt the review.  Now the reason why this can is camouflaged has become all too clear.

Folks there are several energy drink products on the market that not only taste great but are actually made with decent ingredients; Team Realtree White Buck Flavor is not one of them.

C.W.

Limonad (Fan Review!)

I work in Wheeling, IL, which is a suburb of Chicago. For some reason we have a pretty sizable Russian community here, not of whom, I am convinced, are involved in legit activities.

That being said, there is a supermarket here, Garden Fresh, which stocks all kinds of strange products from Russia, Bulgaria, Poland etc. including soft drinks.

I decided to give some a try, this is Limonad from Russia. OK, it’s got a little elf on the front and loads of medals and awards so how bad can it be? I used to drink Jic Jac when I was a kid. I took it to work and asked a Russian colleague to translate the name (because I can’t read it, obviously) and she said “it supposed to remind us of our childhood”.

A friend who saw it was a little troubled that I was going to drink it. “It’s yellow and it’s from Russia. Do you know what the color reminds me of?” It does resemble some samples I had taken to the doctor once for testing.

Undaunted, I opened the bottle to enjoy with my Rahmen noodles tonight. It has an odd smell, like some kind of medicine my mom used to give me when I was sick. When I took my first sip and my taste buds sent terrible signals to my brain.  It’s highly carbonated, not sweet at all, and has a bitter herbal taste, like anise if you’ve ever tasted that. It reminded me of some of the flavored schnapps I used to get in Sweden which had little twigs and leaves in the bottle but was “good for your health”. This, honestly, has to be one of the worst things I have ever had the misfortune of drinking, and I couldn’t even finish the bottle. It boggles the imagination to think that someone is brewing this stuff up, putting it in a bottle and people are spending their hard earned rubles to purchase and consume it.  So now I am trying to figure out what’s really up with smiling elf on the bottle and why it has won all those awards. Maybe it mixes well with vodka and can remove rust.

Brain TonIQ (Fan Review!)

Awash in a sea of the typical energy drink fare the cooler offered little for a health conscious consumer.  My gaze scanned for something different and found little to excite the imagination.  Disappointed, my feet began to carry body and money for fossil fuel toward the drab register.  As the final portion of the cooler was passed a slim white can caught my wandering eye.  Brain TonIQ was its name and my interest was certainly piqued.  “The clean an intelligent think drink” is how the can described itself, and a search of the remaining portions of the cans exterior provided information that sold me.  Brain TonIQ’s ingredients are impressive to say the least and will be listed now:  organic agave nectar, natural citrus extracts, citric acid, blue green algae, and two different kinds of root extract.  Great ingredients to be sure and I am actually somewhat excited to try this stuff!  Also of note, the label says the following, “No caffeine. No Processed sugar. No fake anything.  Just pure herbs, natural compounds, and organic agave nectar.  Kosher certified.  100% vegan.”  Yeah I dig that. 

So I bring the can back home and open the top.  No real smell to be had and I send a gulp down the drain pipe.  Hey this stuff tastes great.  The taste is unique for sure, but it isn’t heavy at all and doesn’t leave an after taste at all.  So I eagerly take another swig.  The unusual but decent taste stays strong as does the carbonation.  To be honest I’ve been drinking beverages flavored with sugar for so long that it takes me a few sips to grow accustomed to the flavor of Brain TonIQ. I really like what I’ve tried, and finish the can off.  I can honestly say that I am better off now than when I started my can.  You go Brain TonIQ awesome ingredients, great taste, and an energy boost make you liquid yes.

Yeah Brain TonIQ is so good deciding whether to buy a can or not is no brainer!

C.W.

Virgil's Blueberry Pomegranate (Fan Review!)

Traveling can provide new experiences that one can share with others.  A recent trip provided just such an opportunity in Virgil’s Blueberry Pomegranate.  For those unfamiliar with Virgil’s it is a company that produces high quality all natural soda beverages in a wide variety of flavors.  Having tried several of the Virgil’s flavors before, I jumped at the chance to purchase a variety that I had yet to imbibe.   So back at my temporary abode I chill my new found glass friend and set out to do a review.

The ingredients list of any Virgil’s product typically provides the consumer with items that are both familiar and easy to pronounce, and good to drink too.  This variety proved no exception and I will relay the main ingredients now. Water, juices from apple, pear, grape, and blueberry.  Also included: citric acid, natural flavoring, and coloring.   Simple stuff for sure.  The front of the bottle describes this incarnation of Virgil’s as an “All natural Juice beverage” which I think sounds cool.

So I open the bottle and take a ravenous gulp.  Glorious flavor resonates in my oral cavity like an angelic host.  Succulent blueberry flavor and decadent pomegranate flavor intersect with the perfect amount of carbonation to form a magnificent concoction that can only be described as other worldly.  Needless to say more gulps are taken, which are followed by more gulps.  The bottle is quickly consumed and a plus one can certainly be added to Virgil’s satisfied customer list. I must say, I have been impressed with other Virgil's flavors and am certainly impressed with Blueberry Pomegranate!

Yeah, buy some of this stuff it’s great!  

C.W.

Donkey Kick Energy Drink (Fan Review!)

Donkey Kick Energy Drink comes in a small white can emblazoned with a picture of a donkey executing a rather stout flying side kick that would make Chuck Norris proud. A great gimmick in my opinion as it immediately sold me on buying an already chilled can.  Excited that I found a potential gem to review, I quickly maneuvered the short distance to my drab living space and set out to see just what this stuff was all about.

A recitation of the information written on Donkey Kick Energy Drink’s label seems like a good move to include, and I will do so here.  “Kicks up performance. Kicks up concentration.   Kicks up metabolism.  Punch-up reaction speed with a kick of caffeine.”   I think this description of Donkey Kick is rather lame, but that is just my opinion.  Also, a website is listed and I think that I will actually go to that, although I will make sure to search for with my home computer as the name “Donkey Kick” is all too similar to the name of something non energy drink related. Also the ingredients listed are the usual and include things like HFCS, carbonated water, and weird B vitamins.

I open the top and take a sip to see if the contents are worth the price of admission.  They are not.  A poor rendition of lemon-lime flavor explodes in my mouth like a fire cracker.  So I take another sip to be sure I tasted this this stuff properly, and yes its suck sauce for sure. An after taste that would turn off rodents is left in my mouth and deters me from consuming another ounce.  Confident in my decision I put the can down knowing the remaining contents are better off in the dumpster than my already traumatized tummy.

Folks don’t let the comical name and label fool you, Donkey Kick Energy Drink’s bad taste is no laughing matter.

C.W.

Hype Energy Drink (Fan Review!)

Hello Everyone! My name is Avery, and I will be writing a guest review for The Soda Jerks. I feel very venerated to be able to compose a review for such a lovely website. But before I get a little too supercilious, let’s check out the drink I will be reviewing.

Straight from the depths of the Netherlands comes the energy drink known as Hype. When I started reviewing energy drinks back in the ancient times of 2009 Hype Energy Drinks was a brand that I absolutely had to review. This was mostly due to some popular reviewer giving it an extremely high rating for taste. Email after email, I desperately tried to secure some samples of this drink, but I did not succeed. Miraculously, just last week I received an email from Hype asking if they could send samples. Rather than angrily typing out that I sent them several previous emails, I graciously accepted the package.

When it arrived, I was simply awestruck by the impeccable, sophisticated, and downright gorgeous product display. Instead of simply wrapping their cans in bubble wrap, the folks at Hype Energy put their cans in a sleek, black box. Each can being in their own little compartment. Fantastic! I proceeded to remove Hype Original from its compartment and examine the can. It certainly is not the greatest looking can I’ve ever laid eyes on, but with its vivid and attention-getting blue can with eye-catching silver letters, it should have no trouble popping off the shelf.

 Needless to say, I couldn’t wait any longer and simply had to take a few sips. I must admit, I was expecting a Red Bull clone, but fortunately Hype is so much more than that. Yes, it does have that same tartness that Red Bull has, but the flavor is actually an indescribable mixture of berries. Some individuals may not enjoy this, but I thought it was very unique. It isn’t the world’s greatest tasting energy drink, but it still manages to bring something new to the table. And after all, isn’t that what you really want in a world full of Red Bull clones? I say, if you see this in your local grocery store, do not be afraid to give it a try. You might like it.

Like what you see here from Avery?  Look at so much more of it on his website Addicted 2 Energy!

Did scrolling down the length of this beverage make you feel naughty?

Yardy Roots Malta (Fan Review!)

So I'd been browsing online for a birthday present, weird soda for my brother. Most of the stuff I looked up, good reviews and all. But wait! There was one that wasn't. Yardy Roots Malta, Malt Based Root Tonic.

Sounds Jamaican frankly, and it looked odd enough. I'd already gotten enough "good" soda and one more would put me over the top on the minimum amount I needed to get it shipped. Into the shopping car it went.

Cue several days and a birthday later. The bottle was opened, and immediately things did not smell good. It smells like molasses, which if you've never smelled molasses, well it is frankly awful. Like tree sap gone rotten. But hey, molasses (in small quantities) can taste perfectly fine. So ignoring exhortations to the contrary into a glass went some ice and some of the dark brown liquid.

Now the good news here is that much like molasses it doesn't taste as bad as it looks. The bad news is that it just doesn't taste very good. A tangy, sweet/bitter taste that frankly reminds one a lot of molasses in taste as well. Sips and gulping it down didn't improve things much. Letting it sit, just for the sake of thoroughness, was a bit unpleasant, clearly not very close to "enjoyable".

I'd not go so far as to say that there isn't ANYONE out there that wouldn't somehow enjoy this strange concoction. I didn't spit it out in vaporized disgust, and managed to drink well enough for a review. But "Buyer Beware" is definitely a warning to take into consideration.

Son of Thomp

*editors note - if you can find a picture of this particular soda I'd be most pleased.  In case you don't know, that's the best way to live... best pleased.*

Blu Energy Drink (Fan Review!)

Blu Energy Drink comes in an aptly colored can and cried out to be reviewed from its corner of the sleazy gas station named Speedo.  Drawn to its strange label and claim to increase concentration, performance, and endurance I quickly purchased both petro product and already chilled beverage.  I commence the short trek to my next destination and decide to look over the can’s label as I drive to see what Blue Energy Drink is all about.  The usual ingredients are found and include:  sugar, B vitamins, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors.  All of the ingredients are fairly common except for one, carbon dioxide.  I immediately wonder why the producers of this beverage included something that the human body expels on a regular basis.  All I can come up with is that it is some type of preservative.  Either way it makes me a little nervous.  A website is listed also but I don’t think I’ll be going there.

So I crack open the can of Blu and take swig.  A fairly stock energy drink citrus flavor taste greets my taste buds.  To be honest Blue tastes vaguely similar to other energy drinks but I really can’t remember which ones.  I am not impressed by any stretch of the imagination, but I don’t find the taste of Blu bad or offensive.  It has a light overall feel combined with a strong element of carbonation.  I take a few more swigs and am greeted with more of the same.  I finish the can and do feel some more energy, maybe Blu’s claims where true after all. Blu Energy Drink can be considered a decent entry level energy drink for those looking for something to give a boost.

C.W.

Q Ginger (Fan Review!)

A recent trip found me traverse several miles to a different city.  While visiting a new beverage was presented to me to review.  A unique concoction indeed Q Ginger seemed as unusual as its oddly shaped bottle. Curios as to what exactly Q Ginger is, I studied the bottle for vital context clues.  A rather fancy font informed me that Q Ginger is a "Superior Ginger Ale".  Also, I was informed that the contents are comprised of organic agave, ginseng extract, ginger extract, rose oil, and several other things.  Interesting list to say the least.  So with that I set aside my new found review until I could venture home and complete a review.

Back at home with a newly chilled bottle I open the top and prepare for a drink for which I have a little apprehension.  The ingredients are unfamiliar to me but I've probably had worse, so I take a sip.  A light carbonation is mixed with a muted ginseng taste.  The taste is decent and isn't overpowering.  After a few more sips elements of ginger become apparent and the carbonation remains strong.  The more I drink the more the curious taste grows on me, and by the time I finish the bottle I have a relatively good overall impression of the beverage.  A slight aftertaste is left that isn't strong and doesn't really bother me.  So I have killed two birds with one stone here, overcome my fear of anything new, and found a beverage that is totally yummy! 

Certainly unusual Q Ginger is certainly worth trying once.

C.W.

Gale's Root Beer (Fan Review!)

They sell this at my local supermarket, so I thought I’d give it a try. I opened the bottle and it has a really different taste. It had a hint of vanilla but wasn’t very sweet, it has kind of a spiced flavor. This isn’t A&W. I tried to figure out what was making it taste so “different” and remembered those wise words from my father:

 “When all else fails, read the instructions”.

 So I looked at the label and found it is is flavored with cinnamon and ginger. It’s a unique taste and probably not going to suit everyone’s palate. Available in selected parts of the USA.

http://www.galegand.com/booksandproducts.asp#grb

Gray's Root Beer (Fan Review!)

150 years and five generations ago, Irish immigrant Joshua Gray moved to Janesville, Wisconsin to brew ales and soft drinks.  The Gray Brewing Company is now one of the family owned beverage companies in the country.

 The root beer recipe dates back 140 years and is made with pure cane sugar. It’s a nice grog, good creamy head, rich vanilla flavor and decent carbonation. It’s one of the better root beers I’ve tasted. It’s only available in southern Wisconsin as far as I know, so a road trip might be in order.  Definitely worth a trip to the brewery and the tied house in Verona, WI.

www.graybrewing.com

Rockstar Energy Drink: Sugar Free (Fan Review!)

The idea of sugar-fee energy drinks puzzles me.  Beverages that are known to have loads of ingredients to help one glean more energy aren’t supposed to good for my health, just help me achieve the intended goal.  Plus drinks notoriously lose the integrity of their taste once refined sugar is replaced with whatever substitute is popular at the moment.  With those two elements in mind I had a decision to make.  Add Rock Star Energy Drink Sugar Free to my sizable grocery tally, or let an opportunity to review a new beverage go to waste.  The choice I made should be obvious.

Now with a chilled can in hand I scavenge the stark white and gold label to see how much of a shallow sales pitch I can find.  I certainly didn’t have to go far. “Bigger. Better. Faster.  Stronger.  The world’s most powerful energy drink is now sugar free and contains zero carbs!”  Credibility can be a fragile commodity, and that statement eroded what little this drink had.  Another admonishment is located in small letters on the back of the can and reads “These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.”  Why does that statement even need to be on the label? Who would have thought Rockstar Energy drink could cure them of anything? How could a beverage diagnose a disease? Hypothetical If I were sick, would I really need to be told Rockstar Energy Drink is not a viable option for relief?  These are questions that may never have an answer.  I also wonder what kind of liability the company that produces Rockstar is trying to avoid.  Eager to hasten the conclusion of my Rockstar Energy Drink Sugar Free experience I decide to stop reading the label and just drink some.

So with pronounced trepidation I crack the top and take the plunge.  A bubblegum taste that is a cross between unfortunate and horrid strikes my taste buds with anvil force.  An after taste lingers in my mouth and resembles the all too common metallic flavor frequently found in sugar free drinks. I take another sip hoping I was mistaken.  I was not mistaken at all; the bubble gum taste hasn’t improved and still tastes like something even carnival workers wouldn’t sell.  So with two gulps down I set the oversized can down and decide not to return.  Now one more question will go unanswered, why does this stuff even exist?

Folks if you need energy please find something different than Rockstar Sugar Free!  Old coffee, flat soda, even warm Zima would be better than this stuff!

C.W.

Sambazon - Jungle Love (Fan Review!)

At a local upscale bistro I ordered lunch and scanned the all-natural wares laid out before me.  Eager to eat, I had no idea I would meet a product that would become my next review.  Sambazon Amazon Energy Drink Jungle Love Flavor was just that product.  Located next to the eggs and orange juice I wondered if there was a hidden message located in the arrangement.  Either way I spend a little more money than I intended to purchase the sleek 8 oz. can.  I typically drink water when I eat, and to be careful I fill up a large glass with the clear stuff just in case I need a plan B.

So with a scrumptious spread laid out on the table before me I decide to multitask.  Review this new energy drink and eat at the same time.  Hopefully I’m not mixing the wrong things inside my stomach, the consequences could be dire.  But risk can provide results, so I scan the label to see just what I’m in for.  First I am curious as to just what type of flavor “jungle love” is, and Acai Passion is the answer. What is Acai Passion exactly? My guess is that it is probably better than regular Acai. Next the label informs me that all of the ingredients are organic and good for me, a positive element in my opinion.  Also I find an explanation of the history Sambazon Energy Drink and will relate the necessary info now.  Apparently Sabazon Jungle Love is made with more than just Acai Berry, it’s made with “powerful love herbs” that create “…an organic passion potion that goes way beyond giving you an energy boost.”  I read more and the explanation mentions things about the Amazon River and passion and uses the word “uplifting” to describe the love herbs.  Considering the fact that there could be strange side-affects I decide to sit in an isolated place away from others, just in case. Now there is a review to complete.

The can has been opened and a sip taken.  The taste is magnificent.  For those unfamiliar with Acai Berry it tastes most similar to the cranberry, but with less bite. So I take another sip.  The carbonation stays strong and the taste remains satisfying and easy on the taste buds.  I don’t feel uplifted in any way yet, but my Sabazon Jungle Love experience is still young.  I drink more and the flavor never grows old.  No aftertaste is present which is great.

So both lunch and Sambazon Energy Drink are gone and I was satisfied with both.  I don’t feel any more passionate or energetic than before, but I do think I would definably buy Samabzon Jungle Love again. 

Great taste and fantastic ingredients come together to form an awesome product that is totally worth buying. 

C.W.

Virgil's Peach Lemonade (Fan Review!)

Virgil’s All Natural Soda comes in a wide variety of flavors that not only taste good but are made from great ingredients.  Already a fan of the Virgil’s line of sodas I jumped when I came across a flavor I haven’t tried, Peach Lemonade.  With money exchanged and exuberance building, I return to my lair and placed the bottle’s contents on ice and set out to drink something for which I have high expectations.

To be honest I really haven’t had the best experience with peach flavoring before. So with that being said I pour a full glass and take the first sip somewhat apprehensive about what I might find.  Both peach and lemonade flavors are clearly discernible and create a unique combination of sweet and tart. No aftertaste is discernible which is great. So I take another sip.  The flavor remains constant as does the carbonation.  The Peach flavor seems a little strong the more I drink but it isn’t overpowering.  I sense flavors other than just peach and lemonade at this point so I grab the bottle and search the fine print for a list of ingredients.  Apple, pear, and grape juice are combined in some proportion with peach and lemon flavors to form a tornado of yum.  So I set about drinking the rest of the bottle happy that my Virgil’s Peach Lemonade experience is going so well.

Now the bottle is finished and I reflect on what I just drank.  A unique taste combined with all natural ingredients produced a soda that not only tasted different than what I’ve drank in the past but quenched my thirst as well.  Virgil’s hasn’t disappointed in the past and has certainly lived up to its reputation this time with Peach Lemonade.  Who knew that a peach flavor would be so satisfiying? 

 Virgil’s Peach Lemonade is a good treat no matter what time of the day!

C.W.

Black Bear Root Beer - (Fan Review!)

So when I was a kid growing up in Milwaukee in the 60s and 70s, we had loads of local soda bottlers. We used to drink Graf’s, Jo Jo, Jic Jac and Ting. Graf’s was the big one, they had a great Root Beer and a drink called 50/50 which was a grapefruit / lemon line blend. When Graf’s folded, the brands were sold to Canfield’s in Chicago which also eventually went bankrupt.

The one we liked the best was Jo Jo, which came in 7 oz returnables in a wood crate. It was dirt cheap and the only flavor really drinkable was the orange, some were well and truly bad. With clowns and balloons on the bottles, I think it was aimed at kid’s birthday parties, where cheap was the order of the day.  We used to joke the secret formula was crayons, water and a bag of sugar.

Unfortunately, they are all gone now, put under by the marketing machines of Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper / 7up. The only local bottler remaining is Black Bear of Oak Creek, which is doing remarkably well. Until recently, they also did the returnables in a wood case, but now have come into the 21st century with throw-a-way plastic bottles.

OK, so I’m not going to be 100% objective here. But it is a nice root beer, sweet with a whole bunch of vanilla. My bottle didn’t seem to be full, maybe they should check their QC (!). Black Bear also have a great pink lemonade for the summer which I recommend! Still family owned since 1920, not run by Harvard MBAs.  One of the minority shareholders is Junior Bridgeman, a former Milwaukee Buck.

http://www.blackbearbottling.com/

Full Throttle - Blue Agave (Fan Review!)

Choosing what to drink can sometimes be a laborious task due to the litany of tired flavors available.  From its perch a blue can stood in stark contrast to the myriad of drab mainstream beverages.  This time could be different I thought, maybe I had found something worthwhile.  There was only one way to find out.  So I took my new prize the required distance to exchange dollars for petroleum and carbonated fare.  Already chilled, my new found can of Full Throttle Energy Drink Blue Agave Flavor was opened en route to the modest abode I call home.

“Hard working Full Throttle with real energy.  Our no choke mixture is about full flavor you don’t have to force down, and reliable energy ingredients that help you get the job done, no mystery ingredients, no bull!”  That statement is located on the back of the can and I immediately wonder what is meant by “real energy.” Perhaps the implication is that the consumer won’t have an energy crash, however the label doesn’t clarify so I’m left to speculate.  Now I’ll move on to the ingredients list to test some of those lofty claims.  HFCS, caffeine, sugar, and B vitamins comprise the main ingredients.  Certainly no mystery located there, and the caffeine content is listed as 100mg per 8 FL OZ, and 197 per 16 FL OZ.  High levels of caffeine to be sure, but perhaps that is what “reliable energy” referred to. Either way I’ll find out shortly.

The agave plant is used to make tequila in addition to a substance most similar to honey, both of which I have enjoyed in the past.  So it stands to reason that a fairly decent carbonated beverage could be concocted from the aforementioned desert fauna.  So I crack the top and take a long gulp.  An above average taste washes over my taste buds like a deluge and leaves me eager to try more.  So a second round of fluid is sent down the esophagus with the like results.  The carbonation remains strong as does the refreshing taste.  The taste is unique, and hard to relate.  It is sweet but not overly so and doesn’t grow stale the more I consume.  The carbonation stays strong and hasn’t grown flat in the moments the can has been open.   I finish the equivalent of a serving, impressed with the fact that I indeed did not have to force any part of this stuff down and consider this stuff something I would purchase again.  I do in fact have more energy, maybe the ingredients where reliable after all.   

Good taste at a good price, totally worth buying.

C.W.

Berghoff Famous Root Beer (Fan Review!)

Berghoff has its roots in the famous Berghoff restaurant of Chicago, IL which specializes in fine German food. The restaurant has been in operation, nearly continuously, since 1898. At one time the Berghoff family also operated a brewery in Ft. Wayne, IN, which sold to Falstaff in the 1950s. The brewery closed in 1990.

Berghoff Root Beer is sold in liter bottles throughout Chicagoland, and is sort of to the root beer world what 40 oz. malt liquor is to beer. It’s a cheap and cheerful sugar rush.

It has a nice taste, a bit of vanilla and sweet and practically devoid of carbonation. One might say it almost tastes flat. A good brew, and easy on the pocket book compared to more upscale brands.

http://www.theberghoff.com/about_us/history.aspx

Rockstar Energy Drink (Fan Review!)

Rockstar Energy Drink is a ubiquitous stalwart of the energy drink market.  Sold at most supermarkets and gas stations, it’s difficult not to find it somewhere.  So with that being said I decided it was time to review something long past due.  My local grocery store provided a convenient cooler of already chilled cans, so I made the purchase and set out to do a thorough review.     

“Double strength, Double Size.”  That statement is located on the front of the can.  I’m unsure if the concoction itself is double strength, or if it’s double strength because there is twice as much product in this can as there is in the typical 8 oz. bottle.  The world may never know.  So I scan the rest of the label to see if there is anything important that I can impart to the reader.  A long and meandering explanation of Rockstar energy drink tells me: “Bigger. Better. Faster. Stronger. ROCKSTAR is the world’s most powerful energy drink.”  It went on after that but I have no interest in what it says to be honest.  Next I look at the ingredients list. Loads of sugar, caffeine, and B vitamins seem to be the main ingredients in Rockstar.  These ingredients aren’t unusual for an energy drink, and the irony of these common and mundane ingredients existing inside a can that claims to “Better” is more than apparent.   From my experience the aforementioned ingredients typically provide for a less-than-stellar taste. So with that in mind, the only thing I can hope for at this point is something unique and possibly decent. 

The top has been cracked.  No discernible smell is present, which is good.  So I take a gulp.  It tastes like cheap lemon-lime and leaves a stout after taste.  I take another sip.  The taste is mediocre at best and seems to be mostly bland with little complexity.  The aftertaste is disagreeable to me and lingers far longer than it should.  This may be due to the HFCS used, either way it sours my opinion of Rockstar as a whole.  So I take one more sip to be sure.  Yep, the same mediocre taste remains and leaves an aftertaste that lingers in the mouth like a bad over-the-counter antacid.  Also of note, I don’t seem to have any more energy than before initiating my Rockstar experience.   The only feeling I have now is one of profound disappointment.

Much like any number of Canadian musical acts, Rockstar Energy Drink isn’t horrible, but does leave a lot to be desired. 

C.W.