No Fear Sugar Free

Right after I ran out of energy drinks, I got another one while in town with Chan. This is the No Fear Sugar Free, and I thought it was worth a try. Back when we started Canned Reviews, Chan reviewed the original No Fear, and I think he really liked it. It gave him a seriously sick boost and he told me it tasted of grapefruit. Hopefully, the sugar free version doesn't taste nasty and overly artificial. As for the ingredients, I hope it packs the same punch as the regular. The energy ingredients seem pretty strong, with the normal amount of Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, Grape Seed Extract and Caffeine. I can't guage just how sweet this is because it claims there are 0g of sugar. That's technically true, but there's some sort of sweetener. Those sweetners, I found out after I read the ingredients, are Surcalose and Acesulfame Potassium. I've seen the two together before and I'm not too fond of either. I'll see how to goes.

Well, as was expected, the smell was bitter grapefruit. It smells natural except for the fact that I can detect some sort of artificial sweetener in there. I really like it. The taste is also pleasantly surprising. First comes the Acesulfame, tasting more bitter than sweet, and then the Surcalose meets my taste buds like granulated sugar, but much sweeter. The aftertaste leaves my mouth with that grapefruit sourness and bitterness and a strong lingering artificial taste. The color, after I poured it out was like the rind of a red grapefruit and hardly cloudy at all, which I'm sure is exactly what they were going for. The carbonation is very mild and fine and gumminess is nonexistant. I wouldn't say it's refreshing, but just good tasting. Definitely, it would be better tasting if it had real sugar, though. I haven't had great luck with many sugar free energy drinks, and this one almost isn't an exception. The aftertaste is almost bothering me, but I've put up with it so far. Although this is good for a sugar free drink, it's just not my thing. I think sugar free drinks should be left to Chan from now on.

Now, the kick. This is a No Fear, so from the start I expected something great. That's what I got; a great buzz that makes me feel like I can do anything. This is probably a potent drink that will keep me awake for hours to come. But still, truthfully, I have to admit that I still get a greater boost from a Monster. Monster is just my drink. And the amounts of energy ingredients are still more than what this No Fear has.

Taste: 6.5 - Good for a sugar-free drink
Kick: 6 - Felt it, but it wasn't insane
Overall: 7 - I wasn't that happy with it

Reviewed by: Jeff