Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Amp Energy Juice Mixed Berry

The second of the two new Juice flavors is Mixed Berry, as you can most likely see on the left. Mixed berry can be more than relatively different for every other company that decides to take it on, whereas orange and grape, for example, are mostly the same. Because Amp targets breakfast or early morning caffeine consumers, they decided to go with the down-home, basic breakfast, juicy flavors: orange and berry. They're also advising you to give Amp a try, rather than pouring yourself a routine cup of coffee every morning, or driving out to Starbuck's, for that matter. Anyways, what allured me the most when I reviewed the Amp Orange a few weeks ago, was the synonymous flavor it shared with basic orange juice. Despite the bitterness pin-pointed at the B vitamins and other energy ingredients, I didn't think the Orange was that bad at all. Knowing that, my expectations are higher for the mixed berry. Stated in the previous review, a bit of background info about the Amp Juice: it's made from juice concentrates (So don't forget to shake the bottle before opening; it's got pulp), they're made in 12 ounce bottles, and they're absolutely, 100% Juice. Predictions? Well, I'm going to guess grape, strawberry and blueberry, accompanied by the usual bitterness.

Twisting open the large, purple cap, the scent isn't really enticing, but more bland. However, if I stick my nose far enough in, there's some hearty, all-pure berry aroma. I don't have to pour the drink out, because the bottle is translucent. Peering straight through the bottle, I see a dark, orange-purple mixture. Taking a bold sip, the first thing I notice is the smooth, sour flavor of grape, orange, and blueberry, with fading flavors of raspberry, and the consistency exactly like that of orange juice. More subtle, there are hints of strawberry in the aftertaste, that literally calls you back for more. It's thick and syrupy due to the pulp, as it reminds me of a smoothie, just without the ice. There definitely is much less bitterness in this drink than the Orange, which I believe the reason to be the stronger flavor of the berry masks most of the bitterness, as opposed to lighter Orange being unable to do so. It's not carbonated, which I think you could have assumed by now. On a final note, the flavor is exceptional, and perhaps my personal favorite of the two Juices. Let's see how the kick compares.

Per bottle, the Amp Juice has a reputation to load up on calories and sugar, with about 200 calories and 42 grams of sugar in one 12 ounce bottle. On a much better note, however, this bottles got 100% juice, which means you get 100% of your daily fill of Vitamin C, and 150% of Vitamins B6 and B12, Niacin, and pantothenic acid. Other ingredients are found in this drink such as: orange juice from concentrate, white grape juice, natural and artificial flavor, citric acid, taurine, guarana seed, caffeine, ascorbic acid, modified food starch, niacin, calcium pantothenate, panax ginseng, Vitamin E, Vitamin B6, lycopene, and Vitamin B12. Realistically, there aren't any out-of-the-ordinary ingredients, with the exception of maybe the juice concentrates, though this isn't the first energy drink with definite juice concentrates. As for the kick, it impacted me in waves of mainly jitters, and as a generic pick-me-up, with slight alertness raised. Overall, the better of the two Juice products. I think Amp did a great job, all in all, in created an alternative to coffee, being that many energy drink labels have not yet made that jump thus far. What's the best way to expend this energy? Watching the Celtic's game, of course!

Taste: 8 - Smooth grape, blueberry, orange breakfast 'blend', with only traces of bitterness
Kick: 7.6 - Relatively similar kick to that of a Monster, maybe a bit less, with less energy ingredients
Overall: 7.8 - Go for this one if you're a fan of berry+orange

Reviewed by: Chan

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Reviewers

Jeffery "Jeff," Chandler "Chan"