Review for Great Value Energy Drink Enhancer--Strawberry Kiwi

CAFFEINE CONTENT

50 mg/serving (1/2 teaspoon)

EASE IN ACQUISITION—10

Just head to Wal-Mart!

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

Great Value gets full functional points for having the whole “handy squeeze bottle” thing down; Mio still has it beat for having the more striking look.  A extra point is taken off for the combination of these particular shades of green and pink—a combination which I particularly dislike.

TASTE—8

I opened my bottle of this drink enhancer fully ready for a tirade.  Not that I have all that much an issue with the Great Value brand; my entire medicine cabinet consists of their products—but, Mio Energy—Black Cherry has managed establish itself as one of my all-time favorite energy products, and I was ready to assert its superiority over a competitor with pathologic zeal…never mind the fact that that I’ve never had a problem with anything they’ve put out before.

Turns out, however, that this does just fine, in taste and (see below) performance.  The strawberry kiwi flavor is actually quite pleasant—even if it could use a little more kiwi in the oft-derived combination.  You may have to experiment a little to find the right balance of water to enhancer—but this particular product is a little more forgiving in that regard than its Berry Blast counterpart.

KICK (INTENSITY)—9

Good marks here for overall versatility; only reason I take a point of is that you need much more water to make higher doses taste good, which in combination with the diuretic effects of caffeine can cause some inconveniences.  Significant doses:

Two servings (1 teaspoon) will give you 100 mg of caffeine; enough put a spring in your step and help you feel a degree of alertness appropriate enough for studying or general duties.  7/10

Three servings (1½ teaspoons) will give you 150 mg of caffeine—and a bit less energy than three servings of Mio.  Winds up to be about average.  8/10

Four servings (2 teaspoons) will give you 200 mg of caffeine—and here you really start to notice that it doesn’t perform quite as well as Mio.  Still, it’s a decent boost that will get you through most standard energy-requiring situations. 8.5/10

Additional doses will eventually get you pretty wired, though like Mio, you never really feel jittery.  If you do decide to go that route, make sure you aren’t where you can’t go to the bathroom for extended periods, because you will need all that much more water to make it work flavorwise.

KICK (DURATION)—9

Two servings last three hours, for a 7/10; three servings lasts just shy of three and a half hours for a decent 8/10; four servings lasts four hours for a 9/10.

THE SHOT OVERALL—8.67

In conclusion, this isn’t Mio—but it’s still a pretty decent product, with double the servings (but less caffeine per dose) at about 75 cents less.  Try it and see if you like it; remember to comment below.

WEBSITE: walmart.com

KEYWORDS: Great Value Energy Strawberry Kiwi review, Wal-Mart brand water enhancer review, zero carbs, zero calories, zero sugar, diet