Glaceau Vitamin Energy Tropical Citrus

After about a week of refrigerating, I decided to give the Vitamin Energy Tropical Citrus a shot. As you know, we have all the other Glaceau Energy Drink products already reviewed, so this will be the last one. I wasn't too fond with the Vitamin Energy Fruit Punch because of its weak and unappealing flavor, but I have a good feeling about this one. I'm predicted a smooth citrus flavor, maybe similar to Squirt, with a hint of some mango. Vitamin Water, itself, is actually a great drink to have, in terms of supplements, but the Vitamin Energy is lacking effort in producing a quality energy drink. Like all the other Vitamin Energy drinks, this one has a basic can design. It's half yellow, and half white, like a pill. It says Vitamin Energy 3 times vertically across the can. Ok, here it goes...

As I crack this one open, I immediately go in for a smell. I get a sweet citrus aroma, with a a bit of mango, some melon, and noticeable pineapple. It comes out of the can an opaque yellow color, similar to lemonade, or urine. Hm, I regret saying that Glaceau makes bad energy drinks because this one is quite tasty. It first goes into your mouth with a sweet lemony citrus flavor, with little carbonation. It then fades away with a natural blend of mango and sweet pineapple. Surprisingly, this drink does not have any aftertaste, which results in a pleasant drinkablility. I think this is one drink that kids, adults, seniors, and pretty much anyone else you can think of will like. I really enjoyed its natural citrus and lemon sweetness, as well as its sweet pineapple taste. Vitamin Energy Tropical Citrus is genuinely lightly carbonated and is incredibly easy to drink and/or chug. Due to the crystalline fructose, this drink has no gumminess whatsoever, just another great feature of this drink. Overall, this was one incredible and powerful drink, and it had an amazingly tasty flavor. Definitely one of the best drinks I've had in awhile, but almost worthy of the "Best Taste List."

Now for the ingredients. This drink uses the fancy "Vapor distilled deionized, and/or reverse osmosis carbonated water." It also used the fancy sugar, crystalline fructose, which is only sugar based on cornstarch, not fruit. Taurine then comes in at number three, a good set up there. Like a few other energy drinks, this one uses only natural flavor, which explains its great taste. It also has vitamin C, ribose, natural caffeine, niacin, gum acacia, ester gum, electrolytes, beta carotene, and folic acid. Per can, you get only 200 calories, which pretty sweet, considering this is an energy drink. You only get 50g of sugar, which is below average for an energy drink, but is sweet enough. You also get 150mg of natural caffeine, which should keep you alert and steady for about a few hours. And lastly, like usual, you get 2,000mg taurine, which is average. I'm surprised that Glaceau can make such a powerful energy drink, considering that the other two were pretty weak and lacked good flavor.

Taste: 8.5 - I really enjoyed its tropical flavors, it reminded me of Hawaii
Kick: 8 - Pretty steady kick so far...
Overall: 8.5 - I must recommend you get it

Reviewed by: Chan

Glaceau Vitamin Energy Fruit Punch

After a long day, I went to my local store and said, "Eh, why not" and I got the Vitamin Energy Fruit Punch. I'm pretty excited to see yet another company start making energy drinks. I mean, who doesn't, now? So, I found it on sale for $1.50, a great buy, wouldn't you say? To me, this can kinda looks like a pill capsule, you know, half purple, half white. Basically, the front of the can has a few large paragraphs explaining why this is better than your usual Monster, or Rockstar out there. I predict that this will have a multi-fruit taste, almost similar to the Archer Farms Fruit Punch Energy. Hm, I figured out that it is a relatively light drink, which I would most likely enjoy. So, here it goes.

As soon as I pop the can open, I get a curiously familiar scent, light wild berry. For some reason, when I smell it, I think of a meadow, blooming with flowers and fruits. It comes out of the can a fluorescent pink color, similar to the Archer Farms Fruit Punch. However, the taste is slightly different than those I've tried. It's a bit tough to explain, but I'll try my best. This drink comes at you with a blend of mixed berries, such as: raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and cranberry. The aftertaste is a bitter, sugary, bland, type of carbonated water. That might be my least favorite part of this drink. I also enjoy how light the flavor is, especially since it has a terrible aftertaste. It's actually quite a bit carbonated, so I don't think you want to chug it, unless you want an aftertaste so large that you may have to wash your mouth out...I also observed that this drink actually has no gumminess whatsoever, which allows for pleasurable drinking and enjoyment. This is definitely one odd drink on the market. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't too great either, like Jeff noted in his Vitamin Energy Dragonfruit review. I actually think you should skip this one; there are many better fruit punch energy drinks out there you'd be better off with.

This drink, unlike many others, uses crystalline fructose, just another name for table sugar, or sucrose. Coming in at number three, I see taurine, a chemical not proven to actually have an affect, but is placed in nearly all energy drinks. After that, I see only natural flavor. Notice it doesn't say artificial flavor, I don't know about you, but that tells me that I'm consuming a somewhat healthy energy drink. Later in the ingredients, I see fruit and vegetable juice, put in for color. That's interesting, only put in for color? Hmm, anyway, per can, you get 200 calories, which is average for energy drinks worldwide. You also only get 50g of sugar, still a lot, but not a lot for an energy drink. You also get 150mg of natural caffeine, 200mg of Bioenergy Ribose, and 2000mg of taurine per can. It seems to me, the fellows at Glaceau don't seem to put much effort into their energy drinks. If you read Jeff's review, he basically says the same thing about Vitamin Energy. Altough it may be one of the healthiest energy drinks you come across, there's no need to get it. End of story.

Taste: 6 - It was just alright to me...
Kick: 6 - I didn't feel much either
Overall: 6 - Decent, but not great

Reviewed by: Chan

Glaceau Vitamin Energy Dragonfruit

Well, here is my last review of the month of March. This time, I had planned on trying the Ace Juiced, but before I got to it, I found this, the Vitamin Energy. It seems to be by the makers of Vitamin Water, so I expect quality. The little blurb on the back of the drink about the future and your teen years is pretty interesting and keeps me thinking this just has to be good. Even the simple can design and color scheme just has me wanting to try it. It looks like a Tylenol pill, but I'm not worried. It's not meant to cure a headache, but rather to give me some serious energy.

I don't remember ever tasting dragonfruit before, and I'm interested. The color out of the can is a rosy-pink, I guess the color of dragonfruit. I take a sip and think, "Wow!" This is unlike any fruit I've had before. It's tough to describe, but I'll say it is a little like sweet apple and some peach with sourness mixed in. In the background, I sense some tea-like taste. It is very light, with just enough flavor and not too much to be overpowering. The carbonation, also, as always, takes away from the sweetness, making it seem about as sweet as a Gatorade. I was a little sad because I thought I'd get an irresistibly exotic and savory drink, but I guess there was not so much emphasis put on flavor. The second time around, however, you'll think this is simply an amazing drink. I am really hoping for a big boost now.

I skimmed the ingredients list and found the standard energy ingredients taurine and caffiene. Wait, not just caffiene, natural caffiene. And, guess what, this drink isn't sweetened by HFCS, glucose, sucrose, surcalose, aspartame, saccharin, or anything. It's instead sweetened with crystalline fructose. With thisLovely, but I think it's more of a "vitality" drink new term, I had to stop and run a search. To my dismay, I learned that crystalline fructose is actually simply crystallized corn syrup. Basically, it's like HFCS in its dry form. It doesn't help the taste at all, and makes it duller than I bet it could be. To continue, there's the normal 2000mg of taurine in the whole can and "Bioenergy Ribose(TM)" Note the trademark. I remembered Ribose from Science class in 7th grade that Ribose is part of your DNA, and to put simply what Lovely, but I think it's more of a "vitality" drinkit's for, it's essential to the body. Overall, the ingredients are pretty standard, except the Ribose, which I think is a nice addition. I actually feel really good right now, and I think I can say it's because of the Ribose. If you are simply looking for a pick me up that's not sugary and that won't make you crash, pick this one up

* Oh, no, now I find strawberry to be in the mix. And maybe some melon. I'll just have to recognize this as dragonfruit.

** That's right, the back of the can did say that it wouldn't give you a crash. That could be the reason for so little sugar.

Taste: 7.5 - Refreshing exotic taste that takes some getting used to, but is quite good
Kick: 7.5 - I don't get an amazing kick, but I feel overall quite good
Overall: 7.5 - Lovely, but I think it's more of a "vitality" drink

Reviewed by: Jeff