Duff Energy

Ah, Duff Beer, the classic epitome of Homer Simpson's lifestyle. A staple in the hit television show, The Simpsons, Duff Beer has always been an envied flavor by those who follow the show closely. Now, thanks to the makers of The Simpsons, anyone can taste that prized, Duff flavor. Of course they didn't put alcohol in one of these rarities, but perhaps it can still live up to it's reputation. The can (a typical-sized beer or soda can) closely resembles the Duff seen in The Simpsons (Often found in Barney or Homer's hands). The can is silver, red, white, and gold, behind a doodled "Duff", and a bold "Energy Drink." According to Homer Simpson, "Can't get enough of that wonderful Duff!" Let's see if he's correct...

Duff has an enticingly sweet aroma of pure orange; a bit like orange soda. Taking a quick sneak-peak at the ingredients list, I see High fructose corn syrup, a key sweetening agent in many sodas. The color, as I anticipated, is a clear, dark orange. At my first taste, I am a bit let down. Though the flavor is orange, it's rather bland, tart, and masked by a combination of the corn syrup and the carbonation. The flavor fades fast, and leaves virtually no aftertaste. The caffeine is noticeable, as this Duff is somewhat bitter. After finishing a few ounces, it goes down somewhat smooth, and feels much like water, maybe due to the thin, watered down texture of it. The gumminess is minimal, and the carbonation is moderate, for an energy drink. I must say, Duff has let me down with a weak, tart, orange energy drink, that tastes almost no different than a regular soda --other than the low amount of carbonation, and the watered-down flavor.

Hopefully Duff can get some credit with a decent kick. While I wait for some sort of energy, I'll list some key ingredients in this can. In one can of Duff Energy, there's filtered carbonated water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, citric acid, taurine, sodium citrate, caffeine, natural flavors, potassium benzoate & potassium sorbate, inositol, guarana, ginseng, yellow #5, niacin, D-calcium pantothenate, Red #40, pyridoxine HCL, and cyanocobalamin. Per can, Duff's got 160 calories, and 40 grams of sugar. With 1000mg of taurine, and 120mg of caffeine, the kick is above-par, enough to get you through a few hours of work, but not much more than drinking a few cans of Coke or Pepsi. Overall, most people can get their kicks from a novelty can of Duff; therefore, this is one meant to be a keepsake, rather than a quick drink.

Taste: 6 - Bitter, boring, and flavor-lacking orange
Kick: 7 - Little more than bottle of soda
Overall: 6.5 - I'll give it some credit for being a novelty

Reviewed by: Chan