Review for Monster Energy

After my unfavorable (see below) experience pounding down the BFC, I was all but certain that I’d had my last taste of the original Monster.  Recently, however, I was walking through Fred Meyer when I passed by two enormous displays of the original Monster Energy and Monster Energy—Lo-Carb…in 12 oz. cans.  Given that 1) I couldn’t resist picking up a can of each, and 2) it’s been a while since I’d reviewed at least the original, I figured that now would be a good time for a revisitation.

CAFFEINE CONTENT

120 mg/12 oz. can

160 mg/16 oz. can

240 mg/24 oz. “Mega” can

320 mg/32 oz. BFC

EASE IN ACQUISITION—10

If you are unable to find Monster Energy, then you’re in all likelihood a vegetable, though if that were the case, you probably wouldn’t be reading this review.  So it follows that if you have the capability to read this, you probably have the capability to get up and find this drink without even trying.  In other words, it's everywhere!

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

The Monster Energy design is fairly simple, though the logo itself has become more or less a cultural icon—black background, glowing green Monster M prominently clawed into the front of the can…it manages to be pretty tight without doing too much.  It has the kind of look that screams, “I’M A FREAKING ENERGY DRINK!!!”, and is the first thing that pops into my head when I think, "energy drink," which I believe to be to its credit.  There is, however one tiff I do have with the line—the 24 oz. can has a nifty resealable lid, with the intent that the drinker takes down some at first, then saves the rest for later.  I like this feature, but why on earth would they include it on the 24 oz. size but not the 32 oz. BFC?

TASTE—8

The taste of Monster Energy is a variation on what most people know as “Red Bull clone” or “traditional energy flavor” (special thanks to the Kronik Energy site for that last description)—best kind of description I can give is to compare it to a cross between the flavor of La Croix mixed berry seltzer water and green apple Jelly Belly jelly beans.  So many drinks have that same exact flavor that it’s easy to dismiss, but truth be told, I do like the taste.  Having drank Red Bull, I can say they’re almost identical, but I actually like Monster’s version  more—Red Bull has a notable medicinal aftertaste that is absent in Monster Energy and a sweeter, fuller flavor, and for that I believe it to be an improvement on Red Bull.

12 OZ. CAN

KICK (INTENSITY)—7

For being 1) not all that big, and 2) Monster Energy, I was actually surprised that this kicked as much as it did.  Not that it was huge, mind you—but enough to do the job.  It started off with about 30 minutes of good jitters—which passed and left passable alertness in its wake.

KICK (DURATION)—7

The slim can was average in terms of longevity, delivering about three hours of sufficient energy before running out of steam.

THE DRINK OVERALL—7.33

For the dollar I spent on the can, I thought this was alright, and don’t see any problem with trying it if you’re interested.  I still favor Lo-Carb—but we’ll save that for the review pertaining to that drink.

16 OZ. CAN

KICK (INTENSITY)—7

Monster Energy advertises itself as “meanest energy supplement on the planet,” though my experience with the 16 oz. (standard) can leads me to believe that this claim may be just a bit exaggerated.  Sure, the kick was there, it just wasn’t especially strong—just enough to keep me conspicuously awake.  It's mostly restrained, though a few hours after drinking it, I was waiting outside a rest stop outside of Burley, Idaho and realized that I was clogging as I waited—not something I do ordinarily.

KICK (DURATION)—8

Though it may not deliver the most hardcore kick imaginable, what you get will last long enough to keep you awake (about) as long as you need to stay awake…provided you only need a few hours.  The effects were pretty slow in wearing off, and I crossed the finish line without a crash.

THE DRINK OVERALL—7.67

While Monster Energy doesn’t exactly have reason to boast about its original beverage (at least in the standard pint size), it doesn’t have any real reason to be ashamed, either.  It tastes good, and though the kick isn’t really anything special when it comes to intensity, it is still sufficient, and it’s slow in wearing off.  It’s not the first drink that jumps to my mind when asked for a recommendation, but it still holds a place on the list of acceptably useful energy drinks.

24 OZ. “MEGA” CAN

KICK (INTENSITY)—8

The 24 oz. can is a step above the 16 oz. size, at least in terms of intensity—it’s enough to really wake one up, and produces a fair amount of jitters.  That said, by comparison with other drinks possessing the same amount of caffeine, it’s not all that impressive.

KICK (DURATION)—9

In the same way that it is intense enough to produce a decent pick-me-up, one will probably find it long-lasting enough to see them through most day-to-day energy situations.  A minimum of four hours of energy may be anticipated, and, as with the 16 oz. can, the experience will end without a crash.

THE DRINK OVERALL—8.33

I’ll say that the 24 oz. Mega can gets the job done, but all the same, it’s not something so grandiose that I am dead-set on recommending it.  I consider the whole experience to be exceptionally ordinary, but if you like Monster and the 24 oz. can is as big as you can find, then there’s probably no stopping you.

32 OZ. "BFC"

KICK (INTENSITY)—9

The original Monster Energy BFC was an…interesting experience.  As loaded with caffeine as it is, you would expect a good deal of energy, and that’s what you get—but there’s something about the experience that kind of diminished the enjoyability to a significant degree.  I just felt…off…for having downed so much sugar so fast, and through the jitters I could still feel my pancreas screaming, “MAKE IT F***ING STOP!!!”  So if you want to get wired, the BFC will do just that.  But, in my mind, it’s not worth it.

KICK (DURATION)—10

The BFC is fairly long-lasting—expect to get  at least five hours of energy out of it.

THE DRINK OVERALL—9

Like Monster?  Like caffeine?  Want diabetes?  Get the Monster Energy BFC.  As for myself, I’ve had my last.

WEBSITE: monsterenergy.com

KEYWORDS: Monster Energy Drink review, Red Bull clone, traditional energy drink flavor, Monster 12 oz. review, Monster 16 oz. review, Monster 24 oz. review, Monster 32 oz. review, Monster slim can review, Monster Mega can review, Monster BFC review, 12 ounces, 16 ounces, 24 ounces, 32 ounces

Review for Full Throttle--Red Berry

CAFFEINE CONTENT
 
200 mg

EASE IN ACQUISITION—7

Full Throttle—Red Berry isn’t quite as easy to find as the other two Full Throttle flavors, but it’s still not hard.  My experience is that you tend to see it more in gas stations and smaller convenience stores as opposed to larger establishments like Wal-Mart or WinCo.

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

Looks every bit as good as the other two flavors in the Full Throttle line, exhibiting that same understated toughness that Full Throttle pulls off so well.

TASTE—8

The experience taste was positive, especially after having drank Full Throttle—Blue Agave and Full Throttle—Citrus.  It was predominantly strawberry-inspired, though I did get a little bit of raspberry in there.  It was really quite pleasant, and I had no trouble downing it in a jiffy.

KICK (INTENSITY)—8

For whatever reason, I did find the kick of this one to be a bit less intense than the previous two.  That’s not to say it was weak—it was still impressive.  I imagine my experience was influenced by the fact that I wasn't feeling too well (head cold) at the time of drinking it, so take my input here with a grain of salt.

KICK (DURATION)—9

Not especially different from the other two; what it delivered lasted a good while.

THE DRINK OVERALL—8.33

Though it’s not quite as strong as the other two, I have no reason not to recommend Full Throttle—Red Berry, especially considering the fact that it’s the only one of the line that actually tastes good.  I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt and call it no different than the other two in terms of effectiveness, and recommend giving it a shot.

WEBSITE: drinkfullthrottle.com

KEYWORDS: Full Throttle Red Berry Energy Drink review, d-ribose, niacin

Review for Full Throttle--Citrus

CAFFEINE CONTENT

200 mg

EASE IN ACQUISITION—10

Getting your hands on a can of Full Throttle—Citrus is not hard; it’s sold just about anywhere.  I grabbed mine at Wal-Mart, which carries most of the foremost name-brand energy drinks; finding something there typically means you can find it just about anywhere else.

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

Full Throttle—Citrus is a pretty intense-looking energy drink.  I arrived on the energy drink scene shortly before they changed their look and kicked the energy blend up a notch, and my can lacks the flames and what not that adorned the previous design.  The change, in my opinion, is from a design that was kind of cartoonish to one that is more hardcore in a speak-for-itself sort of way.

TASTE—6

I’ve noticed that with some energy drinks, the first few sips seem to be different from the taste you get downing the rest of the can; more often than not the taste isn’t great, and then it settles in to something more agreeable, if only marginally.  Full Throttle—Citrus is one of those.  I was really not impressed with those first few mouthfuls—it was a citrus flavor alright, but it was the bitter, watery, unpleasantly sour citrus flavor of a low-end orange.  This initial flavor lasted longer than it does with most energy drinks, and even though the rest of the drink was okay, it really didn’t make up for that first impression I got from it.

KICK (INTENSITY)—10

You want energy, and Full Throttle—Citrus has energy.  This drink had me vibrating—it was really freaking intense.  Walking to and from my chemistry class I had the morning I drank this, I felt ready to lift off and fly to and from my destination, with flames, vapor trail, sonic boom and everything.   Whatever you think about Full Throttle, you can’t deny that the drink is appropriately named.

KICK (DURATION)—10

The kick took a very long time to die down—I was going (pardon) full throttle for a good four or five hours before the effects started to gradually taper off.  After it was all over, I felt—normal.  No crash to speak of, which is a definite bonus in a drink this intense.

THE DRINK OVERALL—8.67

Full Throttle—Citrus definitely has the potential to be a seriously freaking awesome energy drink; one of the best if they could only make it taste good.  I mean, seriously, did anyone try the stuff before they decided to mass-produce and distribute it?  In the end, my verdict is this: when it comes to kick, Full Throttle—Citrus is second to none, and ties with very few others out there on the market.  Question is if you’re willing to drink the whole thing to get that boost.

WEBSITE: www.drinkfullthrottle.com 

KEYWORDS: Full Throttle Citrus Energy Drink review, d-ribose, niacin

Review for Full Throttle--Blue Agave

CAFFEINE CONTENT

200 mg

EASE IN ACQUISITION—8

Full Throttle—Blue Agave is pretty easy to come by, though they don’t seem to sell it everywhere they sell Full Throttle—Citrus.  You’re bound to come across it at one point or another.

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

Full Throttle doesn’t look bad in blue; I’d say it does the hardcore look of the original justice.

TASTE—6

The blue agave is apparently used for a couple of different culinary applications, including as a maple syrup substitute and as the prime ingredient in tequila.  People into that sort of thing seem to appreciate it, but I can’t with confidence say it makes a good energy drink—the flavor is sweet, to be sure, but also kind of syrupy and…I don’t know…musky?  Blue agave is just one of those things that doesn’t particularly lend itself to this sort of application.

KICK (INTENSITY)—9

Full Throttle—Blue Agave is pretty intense, if the slightest bit less than Full Throttle—Citrus.  Still, the difference is more-or-less negligible, so I’m not going to worry too much about it.

KICK (DURATION)—9

The kick is appropriately persistent and pretty representative of the Full Throttle line, which hit hard and don’t throw in the towel early.  You can expect a pick-me-up lasting about 4 hours or more.

THE DRINK OVERALL—8

However exceptional the kick (I can’t lie, it rocks in that respect), I would still shy away from Full Throttle—Blue Agave in favor of something else, just because I’m really not wild about the flavor.  Still, it’s not all bad, so anybody who needs a good boost and feels so inclined is welcome to give this a shot.  Who knows—somebody might like the stuff, even if I’m not terribly fond of it. 

WEBSITE: drinkfullthrottle.com

KEYWORDS: Full Throttle Blue Agave Energy Drink review,  d-ribose, niacin

Review for Amp Energy--Traction

CAFFEINE CONTENT 

160 mg/16 oz. can

EASE IN ACQUISITION—10

I actually can’t think of anywhere that doesn’t carry Amp Energy—Traction.  In the end, it seems that there is no difference in commonality between Amp Energy drinks that have not been discontinued (Tradin' Paint and Relaunch).

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—9

Amp looks good with purple—even better than it does with the original green, in my opinion.  Then again, what doesn’t look better in purple?  It just seems to have a way of making things look snazzy, as evidenced by the can here.

TASTE—8

At first, the drink had a taste that was bitter and medicinal—more so than most energy drinks, and enough to make me worry that I was about to down the carbonated equivalent of a 16-oz can of Triaminic.  This quality did not last beyond the first few sips, and the rest of the drink was very pleasantly grapey—nowhere near as sugary and artificial-tasting as most grape sodas.

KICK (INTENSITY)—7

The kick is about average when compared to every other energy drink out there, above average when compared with others of the Amp Energy line.

KICK (DURATION)—8

The kick is acceptably long-lasting, above average for the Amp Energy line and marginally above average compared to just about everything else.  It tapers off quite smoothly, with no crash after all is said and done.

THE DRINK OVERALL—7.67

By and large, I haven’t been especially impressed with the Amp Energy line—it seems that, for the most part, they either taste pretty good but don’t kick much (Amp Energy), taste bad but have an acceptable kick (Amp Energy—Overdrive), or don’t do very well at either (Amp Energy—Elevate).  Amp Energy—Traction is the best in the Amp Energy line—it tastes good and packs a decent punch.  My advice: iff you’ve got to go Amp, go with Amp Energy—Traction.

WEBSITE: ampenergy.com

KEYWORDS: Amp Traction Energy Drink review, maintain, malodextrin, d-ribose

Review for Amp Energy--Relaunch

CAFFEINE CONTENT 

160 mg/16 oz. can

EASE IN ACQUISITION—6

For the most part of my energy drink career, this was pretty easy to find.  Maybe less so than the others, all of which are available en masse just about anywhere, but still…finding a can of the stuff wasn’t anything they’d make an Indiana Jones movie out of.  Learned recently, however, that the drink had been discontinued.  Needless to say, I ran out and grabbed a can as soon as I could, and by then, the supply was spread fairly thin.  However available it was back in its prime, you can definitely expect to see much less of this in the future.

APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8

The presentation of orange on the Amp Energy motif is actually relatively pleasing.  It actually has kind of a Halloween-themed look to it—even though the orange flavor has nothing to do with Halloween, really.  But hey, there’s an idea…a Halloween or autumn-themed energy drink.  Energy wassail, maybe?  It would definitely cover the taste of the caffeine itself….

TASTE—7

The taste isn’t great, but not bad either—kind of like orange Jell-O.  I'll leave it at agreeable, especially compared to some of the orange-flavored sodas out on the market, which I am not in the least fond of.

KICK (INTENSITY)—7

I found this drink to be a little kickier than most of the Amp Energy line.  No jitters, just a reasonable degree of effectiveness.

KICK (DURATION)—8

I didn’t have any problems with the effects of the drink wearing off before I needed to, and there was no crash that I could hold against it.  What more need I say?

THE DRINK OVERALL—7.33

Personally, had I been in a position of authority in the Amp Energy company, I’d have opted to discontinue Amp Energy—Elevate rather than this one, just because of how unimpressed I was with the former.  But, what’s done is done, and Amp Energy has discontinued one of the better drinks I’ve had from them.  I doubt that anybody will read this review in time to give it a shot on my recommendation, but if you do—grab it now, while you have the chance, otherwise you’ll probably have missed your last window of opportunity.

WEBSITE: ampenergy.com

KEYWORDS: Amp Relaunch Energy Drink review, revive, electrolytes, vitamins, discontinued, no longer available