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

Amp Energy Juice Orange

Do you recognize the delightful taste of Amp? How about orange juice? Well, if you combine together, you get Amp Energy Juice Orange. Today, I'm here reviewing an energy drink much anticipated by myself. I've never seen an energy drink that's dedicated to skipping out on coffee in morning, and combines their original formula with a real orange flavor, like this one. You do see Monster M-80, which is orange, lemon, lime, etc. and Monster Chaos, for example, but the main difference between that and this juice is that Monster uses "natural flavors", while the Juice is goes into more detailed by using orange juice and white grape juice concentrate. Amp suggests skipping out on you're cup of joe, and downing a 12 ounce bottle of this energized juice. So, this morning, that's exactly what I did. Being the usually groggy and caffeine-deprived person I am, I'm just about to break this bottle open and down it. Before I do that, however, I'm gonna examine the bottle in further detail. Looking at the front of the bottle, there's Amp's logo "A" in orange, in front of an orange background as well. At the top, I see "100% Juice", which will determine the difference between any average orange-flavored energy drink, and this one. My prediction will be a basic pulpy orange juice flavor, with a bit of Amp's original mix. Let's find out.

Giving the small bottle a thorough shake, I open up the wide, orange cap. Immediately, an odd, yet pure and pungent aroma filled the area. It reminded me most of the Awake Orange. The color is exactly like the color of orange juice, though just a bit darker, I think. Taking my first sip, I was thrown off by the flavor, which is best described as your every day orange juice, with slightly more bitterness from the vitamins, caffeine, and other energy supplements. Its flavor is subtle, as it fades quickly into a near revolting aftertaste of vitamins, but again, best just described as bitterness. About halfway finished with the 12 ounce bottle, I find the taste more smooth, like Tropicana, as if much of the bitterness has disappeared. Because it's not carbonated, it goes down easy, once you get past the noticeable gumminess from some of the fruit concentrates. I wanted to say that Amp did a fantastic job creating an orange drink that has very little added sugar, and for the most part is 100% juice. Overall, Amp Energy Juice is not only tasty, but is refreshing as well on another warm day, just as summer approaches.

Per bottle of Amp, you get a whopping 190 calories and about 41 grams of sugar. On average, an energy drink will have 200-220 calories per can, but that's in a complete 16 ounce can, not 12 such as this bottle. On a more optimistic side, however, you get 100% of your daily amount of Vitamin C, 150% of niacin, Vitamin B6, B12, and pantothenic acid. In a complete bottle, Amp packs in a vast amount of ingredients such as: orange juice, white grape juice, citric acid, taurine, guarana seed extract, caffeine, ascorbic acid, gum arabiv, natural and artificial flavor, niacin, calcium pantothenate, modified food starch, panax ginseng, sucrose acetate isobutyrate, Vitamin E acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, and cyanocobalamin. Most of these ingredients come standard in energy drinks, with the exception of the three fruit juices. Well, when it came down to the kick, I had to admit, I was disappointed. It acted almost like a coffee: it wakes you up, gets you through a few hours, and leaves you with a mean crash. Of course proportionally, the amount of caffeine per 12 ounce bottle is set, but if you're looking for a great kick, I hate to disappoint you. After it all, I was satisfied with the smooth orange juice-like flavor, and somewhat grateful for the kick to follow.

Taste: 7.5 - Good orange juice take, though somewhat bitter from all the energy ingredients
Kick: 7 - Generic coffee/energy drink jitteriness
Overall: 7.3 - Give it a shot; maybe you'll prefer it over your morning routine of coffee

Reviewed by: Chan

Archer Farms Juice Infused Pomegranate Blueberry

It doesn't happen too often where I review two or more drinks in a row of the same company, but tasting Archer Farms Wild Berry really kicked it off to try more of their great drinks. I have not yet seen every new flavor they have came out with, but I know that I can easily access them at my local Target, which supports Archer Farm's line of everything, practically. Like I said before, Archer Farms changed things up a bit, now coming in 12 ounce cans, rather than 16 ounces, and they require a bit more money. Per can, they want about $1.79 for 12 ounces, and honestly, it's not the best deal, but if all of them are just like the Wild Berry, I'll guarantee to you, it's worth it. Archer Farms has never used high fructose corn syrup in their drinks, and looking at the can, I do not see HFCS in this one, which most likely means I won't find it in any more Archer Farms. I see no real sweeteners in this can, instead I see it's sweetened with fruit concentrates and artificial sweeteners like Sucralose and Acesulfame K. Well, seeing those two aren't so bad in a sugar free drink, but I can't seem to find a reason why they would put it in a regular energy drink.

As I break open the can, I note a scent of intense blueberry and pear, with a small amount of pomegranate in the background, but a potent scent in general. Pouring it out of the can, I see a golden amber color, similar to that of a Monster, looking like pear, blueberry, and pomegranate juice combined. Oh man, I would have never seen this type of flavor coming at me. You imagine blueberry, pomegranate, and pear as an insane blend, especially in an energy drink, but as I taste it, I find the artificial sweeteners have become a large factor to this energy drink. As soon as you were to take a sip, you find a usual and crisp blueberry and pomegranate flavor, but as soon as the flavor actually sinks in, you're hit with an artificial and bland pear flavor, that's bitter on the tongue, and just plainly has no fruitiness whatsoever. Tasting more, I struggle to find a better flavor, as this is seeming to be a poor attempt of a juice-induced blue pom energy drink. It's aftertaste is nothing really but a small amount of pear juice, and blueberry, which combined tastes slightly like apple. In terms of gumminess, I have not yet had half of the can, but only drinking a small amount, I find that it's pretty gummy, especially in the back of the throat. It's carbonation is nice and mild, just like all other Archer Farms energy drinks. I thought it would be smart to come back in a few and taste this at room temperature, it's a whole lot different. In fact, it's most subtle and less artificial, with also much more primary blueberry and pomegranate flavors. Overall, a lame drink chilled, and an okay energy drink at room temperature. It still doesn't impress me in general.

As for ingredients, Archer Farms is pretty nice, although there are a few I'm not liking up there. Here's the complete list: Water, pear juice concentrate, citric acid, calcium, pomegranate juice concentrate, magnesium, blueberry juice concentrate, ascorbic acid, caffeine, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, panax ginseng, guarana, zinc, taurine, niacin, Sucralose, natural flavos, acesulfame K, pyridoine hydrochloride, riboflavin, cranberry juice concentrate, glucose. cyanocobalamin, and caramel color, Well first of all, Sucralose and acesulfame potassium should never be in an energy drink together unless it is labelled 'sugar free'. I noticed cranberry juice concentrate is one of the last ingredients, meaning there's less of it. So if there's more Sucralose than cranberry, that's a bit sad, being that I can taste more of that than more cranberry. Per can, you get a small 80 calories and an even smaller 19g of sugar. The sweetness was all right for 19g of sugar, I mean, there's wasn't too less. I don't see any energy ingredients listed so I'll assume they're pretty small amounts, which brings me to the kick. The kick is weak, that's why I say what I say when there's small amounts of caffeine, taurine, guarana, and ginseng. I felt a short buzz, and a lame crash following shortly afterwards. All in all, this brought my hope in Archer Farms down a lot, I hope they can regain it with a few more drinks to come.

Taste: 6 - Lame blueberry and pomegranate flavor, with an artificial pear to follow
Kick: 6 - The kick is no better than the taste, both being below par
Overall: 6 - As much as a fun of juice I am, I can't say I was satisfied with this juice-induced energy drink

Reviewed by: Chan

Rumba Energy Juice

Man, never before have I seen an orange-juice like energy drink, without the carbonation. To me, 100% orange juice with energy ingredients in one 16 ounce can is two thumbs up, being a fan of orange juice and energy ingredients. Rumba comes out with a can design that catches the consumers eye, having blue stripes going down the can leading to half an orange at the bottom. In large, messy font "Rumba" is slapped across the top part of the can as well as "Energy Juice." I like the stamp on the orange reading "100% Juice" and "Non-Carbonated"...perhaps this is a drink I want to have as an early morning pick-me-up. The flavors are morning-friendly, and the kick would perhaps get me through half my day, rather than going straight to a tartly fruity Monster or Rockstar. By the way, Rumba is usually not found in standard grocery stores, but is found in the most random places, like where I got mine, in a gas station in practically the middle of nowhere. I'm expecting from Rumba just a plain orange flavor, but perhaps some earthiness and a slight tartness shortly following. Well, I won't ramble much longer, so here comes the next part of this review.

I break open a can of Rumba expecting a non-carbonated and possibly flat orange juice aroma and a scent similar, but with more of a dirty bite to it. Of course, it's color is a standard orange,but with a lot of cloudiness and what seems to be pieces of pulp. Knowing that, I see 100% juice on the label, which convinces me even more that there's potentially pulp in this can. After a quick swig, I analyze a flavor that tastes quite odd, much different than most orange flavors I've come across. I would most likely describe the flavor as a slightly minty and somewhat 'dirty' orange, with a bitter bite shortly following. Rumba makes their energy juice really stand out, I think; it's flavor seems to be more on the natural side and more organic, if you will. About half way, I find myself taking larger sips, more often, most likely due to the amount of sugar and therefore causing a sip-addiction. There seem to be some more notes of other fruits, like pear, apple, and white grape. The general flavor of Rumba is a distinct, yet light on the pallet dirty orange, but not so light as to drinking it too fast, or you will most likely end up like foolish me and get a stomach ache. Gumminess luckily did not play major role in the drink, supposing there would be any. Finishing up the can, I can conclude the flavor was quite disappointing due to the amount of sweetness and the peculiar minty note, but there was a bit of earthiness made it more distinct. The last few ounces of the drink are thicker than the rest, due to the amount of pulp from the pear, apple, white grape, and pineapple.

I'm extremely curious to find out what I just drinking, so a quick glance at the back of the can reveals ingredients such as: filtered water, fruit juices (water, orange, apple, pear, peach, tangerine, white grape, pineapple), apple puree, glucose, taurine, natural gum stabilizer, natural flavors, ginseng, citric acid, ascorbic acid, caffeine, niacin, guarana, glucuronolactone, Sucralose, maltodextrin, inositol, and beta carotene. First of all, I'm a bit shocked to see all those fruits in what's supposed to be an orange flavored energy juice, but I guess it makes it that much better. I also notice a great sweetener in Rumba, glucose, although Sucralose managed to sneak its way into this drink like it does with most others nowadays. Per can, there's about an average 240 calories and about an average 56g of sugar. Yet again, a sweet drink without much sugar, which I think is from the glucose not needing much sugar to be sweet. As for energy ingredients, it has a standard 5000mg of energy blend per can, which is about the same as an average energy drink, like Monster, Ace, or Joker. You also get a standard amount of taurine, which is 2000mg as well 400mg of ginseng. All in all, I have to agree with the others who say Rumba isn't bad, but just plain weird when it comes down to taste.

Taste: 7.7 - Odd, yet nice distinct and smooth orange-apple-pear flavor
Kick: 8 - When it comes down to energy ingredients, it's nearly the same as a Monster, hence producing the generally same kick
Overall: 7.8 - Good drink to have for a decent kick and smooth flavor, but I wouldn't rely too much on these as an every-day energy drink

Reviewed by: Chan

Joker Mad Energy+Juice

It's been a long time since I got this. I've been neglecting it, but I don't see why I should, considering this is a Joker. Chan and I have always prized the Joker energy drinks, even before we knew how amazing and flavorful they were. The first Joker, the regular, was like a much more flavorful and crisp Monster. The second, the Joker Lo-Carb, was a clone of the Monster Lo-Carb, but also ramped up on flavor. So naturally, I think it should make sense for this to be extremely flavorful as well. The question is, "How does this relate to a Monster flavor?" Since all these Monster clones have been at least similar to the different Monster flavors, I'm wondering what a juice Monster clone has to offer. Perhaps it's a clone of the Khaos. Less likely, it could be a clone of the M-80. I'm going to find out.

I popped the can open, a sound I've missed. The first whiff I get is reminiscent of the Lost 5-0, with nice peachy mango-tangerine juice, but also that characteristic underlying Monster flavor. The smell has extreme depth which is simply amazing and that's very, very hard to find in many drinks. I believe this drink also may contain some white grape, that gives it a nice, smooth, tanginess. As it turns out, I'm absolutely right, without peeking at the ingredients. The fruit juices in here include apple, orange, pear, peach, tangerine, pineapple, and white grape. Out of those fruit juices, I can easily taste the tangering, white grape, orange and the very sour pineapple. I forgot to mention, the color is half-opaque peachy-orange, which is about what you'd expect from this sort of juice. I don't totally see how the apple and pear make a big difference, since they make short and hardly noticable appearances. My guess is they're fillers in a way. In terms of gumminess, this thing is a breeze and the carbonation is fine and comfortable. The only thing holding this back is that pleasantly painful sourness from the pineapple, I'm guessing. That'll be the only thing that probably bothers most people, since I know many people aren't used to sour drinks. If you think a Monster is sour, trust me, this is going to be unbearable.

With a Monster, or at least a drink made by Monster, you can always expect the most awesome kick. I'm not kidding. Some drinks may simply give you energy and/or focus. Monster goes so far with the kick, it's like a transformation from boring to insane. So what causes this sort of amazing boost? Well, I thought, since this is a Monster clone, that the energy ingredients would be slightly less than that of a Monster. Nope, that may be true for the Aces, but Joker stays true the the Monster recipe, with 2500mg per serving, 5000 total of the energy blend: Glucose, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, and Maltodextrin. Added to that, there's 2000mg total of Taurine and 200mg of Panax Ginseng. Then there are the vitamins: A, C, Riboflavin, Niacin, B6 and B12. The only sad thing is that the B Vitamins are in 100% amounts per serving, while C and A are not. I'm pretty sure I remember seeing presumably the lamest drink ever, the Rush! Lite, having more vitamins. That's the only bad thing about this, but otherwise, it's a total slam dunk. I'd recommend this to hardcore energy drink junkies, but not so much to average drinkers. You won't like the sourness.

Taste: 8.3 - Very deep, fruity, sour taste
Kick: 9.3 - Hardcore kick, man
Overall: 9.1 - Hard to beat this one

Reviewed by: Jeff

Juice

You may think I'm reviewing this now because I've ran out of drinks to review, but that is not the case. It's little known how awesome a drink your daily juice is. I could not let another day go by without reviewing the perfect drink: juice. Here I go:

Oh, man. What flavor. When you take a big gulp of this fruity elixir, you get a massive flavor explosion. It's like a symphony in my mouth and it is definitely mega-win. You've got to try this.

On kick, this stuff annihilates all the competition. There are absolutely no energy ingredients in here, but awesome and win. That may seem like not much, but in fact, it's a powerful combination. I had so much energy, you could say I was nearly uncomfortably energetic. Like I mentioned, this is the ultimate breakfast, lunch, and dinner drink.

Taste: 10 - Dude, you gotta try it
Kick: 100 - The awesome unbelievable kick of juice
Overall: 10 - The most kick-ass drink EVAH

Reviewed by: Jeff

Ace Energy+Juice

After yet another trip to the dollar store, I brought back the Ace Energy+Juice. I've been wanting to try this since I tested the original Ace, which I found too sugary. I'm hoping this one will make up for it. The can's pretty nice, being orange and sporting a vintage military look. On the front, there's a military nurse posing in front of two cards. I've heard great things about this one, and I don't want to waste too much time introducing the drink. I wanna get to taste it.

Pop went the can after the can-opening ritual and I got an aroma similar to the regular Ace and the Monster. It's got pear, apple, and cinnamon, like the Monster, but with some interesting tropical fruit. I know from the back of the can that there is mango, pineapple, and passionfruit juice, and when I really focus on the flavor, I can taste all three. The pineapple and some sweetness comes first and then the mango replaces it. The aftertaste is just sweet, and I can't tell for sure where the passionfruit comes in, but it's in there somewhere. Overall, the flavor is very pleasing and very addicting, and similar to the Monster Khaos. I would have this drink anyday.

Now, looking at the ingredients...
There's the standard 2500mg of the Energy Blend of Glucose, Caffeine, Cuarana, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, and Maltodextrin. There's also the normal amount of 1000mg of Taurine per serving and the regular vitamins. There's 26g of sugar per serving; quite a lot, but it's not as bad as some other drinks, like the Amps. Right now, I've got a respectable amount of energy, and I'm surely more awake and alert than before. This might be my go-to drink from the dollar store. For one dollar, you can't beat the value.

Taste: 7.5 - Very smooth and exotic tasting drink
Kick: 7 - I have a respectable amount of energy and I'm surely more alert
Overall: 8 - At one buck, it's worth every cent

Reviewed by: Jeff