Rockstar Recovery

Looks like Rockstar's branching out, trying something new, with a new energy drink all about hydration. Rockstar Recovery comes in a bold, simple, and eye-catching can. The almost fluorescent yellow stands out like a traffic cone and the completely black top seems to give it an edge. Reading the label, there's a lot of things that are unique about this as well. This is, of course, the first time I've seen "hydration" on a Rockstar can, and it's also very cool to see that there are only 20 calories in the entire can. From the name Recovery, I assume this drink is for either recovery from a bad hangover or for a little helpful boost plus hydration during sports or physical activity. So, what do I expect? First off, Recovery implies that it's going to be refreshing. Any normal energy drink to me, would most definitely not be refreshing, but I think Rockstar does some things that are very smart. Carbonation can get in the way of a thirst-quenching drink. This is why Rockstar chose to make Recovery non-carbonated, something I like very much. Another thing that can get in the way of a good, refreshing drink is loads of sugar. Recovery addresses this by reducing the sugar to a mere 1 gram and sweetening it mostly artificially. And of course, Recovery's got electrolytes. Three good things I've been able to find about the drink and I haven't even opened it! I guess it's time.

I crack open the top and Recovery doesn't fizz one bit. Me like. The smell reminds me of those artificially sweetened Tropicana light soft drinks; totally sharp lemon flavor with no sweetness. I delicately poured some into a cup and noticed it was clear with a cloudiness like they wanted to trick you into thinking it was real lemon juice. I actually tried looking for pulp, though there is none. My first sip is delicious, and definitely on the sour side. First, it's just kind of refreshing and neutral, but then, you get a little zing from the sourness of it, and the lemon taste lingers a while longer before the flavor disappears. Nothing about it says "energy drink" to me, which would surprise people trying it for the first time. It's pretty amazing to me how much this tastes like the same Tropicana drinks I mentioned earlier. The Recovery is a little better, considering it doesn't make my tongue feel so dry after I have a sip. So there's a plus. I don't really know why, but I hadn't expected this drink to be so sour. I had imagined more of a subtle lemon with little to no zing. This one isn't as bad as other drinks out there, but there's a little bit of gumminess backing up. However, on a scale of water to Sunny D, this one doesn't even make it past the halfway mark. I'll admit, the lemonade is tasty, but I find it to be a little too one-dimensional. I like it, but it hardly leaves me begging to take another sip. Still, this could be part of Rockstar's approach to a hydrating drink. One thing that I often complain about in low-carb/low-cal drinks is the artificial sweeteners, but Rockstar's done it right, with a combination of Sucralose and Ace-K. And of course that hint of Sucrose adds a little brightness and naturalness to the mix. Overall, I'm pleased, but not overjoyed. Rockstar concocted a solid drink with a good taste and nice sweetness, but it's not as flat-out addicting as I find Monsters to be. Now, I'll do my best to examine my hydration level. If that's possible.

Rockstar Recovery's ingredients list goes as follows: Purified Water, Lemon Juice, Sucrose, Taurine, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Citrate, Caffeine, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Panax Ginseng Extract, N-Acetyl Cysteine, Prickly Pear Extract, Milk Thistle Extract, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Magnesium Lactate, Gum Arabic, Calcium Lactate, Ester Gum, Monopotassium Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, and Cyanocobalamin. The difference I see from most energy drinks is purified water instead of carbonated water. It's also neat to see lemon juice in the ingredients list. Above the Supplement Facts, it states that the beverage is 3% lemon juice. High in the list is also Taurine. The Supplement Facts mention that there are 1000mg per serving, 2000mg per can. Early on, we never really understood what Taurine was good for, but now we know that Taurine helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins. Caffeine is also part of the energy ingredients, weighing in at 160mg total. Not quite a massive dose, but definitely a good jolt to get you going. Panax Ginseng is present at 100mg and N-Acetyl Cysteine, which sounds like an amino acid, is present at 50mg. There are 40mg total of Milk Thistle, an ingredient I've seen often in Rockstars. Finally, the last ingredient of Rockstar's energy blend, Prickly Pear Extract, exists at 50mg. I could not fathom why Rockstar would choose Prickly Pear Extract to put in here, but a quick search tells me it's helpful with hangovers. Ah, so there's my proof, Rockstar Recovery is a drink designed to bring you back to life after a night of drinking. Vitamin B, Caffeine, Prickly Pear, and electrolytes (the compounds near the bottom of the ingredients list), among other things work in conjunction to quell your headache, dehydration, and fatigue. Seems logical enough Rockstar would come out with this, since mixing alcohol with energy drinks is somewhat common. Now, how ironic would it be to use Recovery as a mixer?

Taste: 7.7 - Lemonade's one of my favorite flavors, but I think Rockstar did it a little blandly
Kick: 7.5 - A respectable jolt, though it doubles as a hangover cure and yields some nice focus
Overall: 7.6 - A good idea, though I don't see it being a go-to drink

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rockstar Energy Cola

For the past few years, I've been looking for the Rockstar Cola, although had trouble locating it due to the fact that they discontinued making them. I'll admit, I was disappointed until very recently Rockstar released a new and improved Rockstar Cola, as if the old formula was never released. Anyways, I'm totally stoked to review the new Cola drink. On the market, it's difficult to find many Cola energy drinks, thinking only of...Red Bull Simply Cola, and maybe the Monster Assault, if you'd consider that cola. Therefore, I'm definitely intrigued to find out how the Rockstar Cola compares to the said above. Its can design catches the eye, being mostly black, from the bottom rim, all the way to the tab. The gold writing shimmers in the light, contrasting nicely to the pitch-black background. In most soft drinks, cola is comprised of vanilla, mustard seed, lime, kola nut, cacao, licorice, cinnamon, ginger, coca leaf, orange, corn mint, pine, cardamom, mace clove, etc. If combined with original Rockstar flavor, I'd expect a blast of mixed flavors, hopefully delicious.

Okay, so popping the tab, I immediately sense natural licorice, and a hell of a lot of sweet, 'limey-ness'; very little actual cola. You'd know very much what I'm talking about if you've tried Airborne, a dissovable tablet that allegedly helps support your immune system. Its taste is dynamic in its own way. It reminded me a lot more of Pepsi, which in this review, I'll relate it most to rather than Coca-Cola, though some can't even taste the difference. Its similar characteristics: redundant lime/citrus-cola sweetness and a subtle hint of bright, pure vanilla. Its different characteristics: bitter, bitter aftertaste that's noticeable almost directly after taking a drink, and no dullness brought on by the high fructose corn syrup in Pepsi. I'm starting to think Rockstar has the edge on cola, here, definitely all around better tasting than the Monster Assault, and the Red Bull Cola. I noticed Rockstar didn't add any of their original formula to the Cola; apologies to let you down if that's what you were hoping for when buying the product. It's very lightly carbonated, and goes down well, being sweetened with sucrose and glucose, therefore avoiding potential gumminess some drinks may have. As mentioned above, I wasn't a fan of the aftertaste, but if it doesn't bug you, hey, Rockstar Cola may very well be flawless. To sum up the taste, Rockstar nailed cola on the hammer. It really doesn't get much better than a refreshing, true cola drink.

Topping off the can, I go in to check out the ingredients. Actually, I think Rockstar put on the same ingredients list from all their other drinks, although the defining factor-of-flavor is the "natural flavors" ingredient listed as the sixth on the list. This natural flavoring makes up the flavor of Rockstar you buy. If you grab a regular, it's raspberry/apple flavoring. How about guava? Same deal, though they add guava flavoring. You get the point. The only exception I believe is the coffee line of Rockstars, and their borderline unpopular energy shots. Knowing that, check out these ingredients: carbonated water, taurine, sucrose, glucose, caramel color, natural flavors, caffeine, phosphoric acid, citric acid, L-Carnitine, inositol, milk thistle extract, niacinamide, Calcium pantothenate, ginkgo biloba, gaurana, ginseng, riboflavin, pyridoxine, Kola Nut extract, and cyanocobalamin. You don't see Kola Nut in every energy drink. Since it's at the bottom of the list, Rockstar sneaked just a hint of the trademark flavoring ingredient. Thanks to Wikipedia, I get a bit of a background on Kola Nut: it's got a bitter flavor, is a source of caffeine, and is even used to treat whooping cough, and asthma. It's got a double job in the Rockstar because not only does it give it the cola flavor, but it enhances your physical energy, elevates mood, increases sensitivity and suppresses the appetite, and like stated above, is a good source of caffeine. Additionally, it's toxic in large quantities, and can cause fever. Per can, you get about 260 calories, 66 grams of sugar, and an energy blend (Taurine, ginkgo, caffeine, ginseng, etc.) of about 2.7 grams. This includes 2000mg of taurine, and 160mg of caffeine. The ginkgo in the drink is known to improve focus, as well. Overall, a vast, dynamic collection of energy ingredients, and a great cola drink. Before you get your usual Coca-Cola or Pepsi, give one of these a try; you'll like it.

Taste: 9 - Different, yet bright and delicious citrus-cola
Kick: 8 - Usual Rockstar buzz, slightly improved from the Kola Nut...not by much though
Overall: 8.5 - Fantastic, refreshing drink; let's see how Monster responds

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Tropical Punch Shot

With energy drinks on the rise, companies have to think fast for a new flavor. Once all the flavors are covered and being sold, they move onto the next generation of energy, 2-4 ounce shots. Shots are pretty convenient because they're obviously smaller, have less sugar, are more powerful, and are just less to drink if you need the energy right now, right here. So, when one company starts the trend, soon all the rest like Rockstar, Monster, and Amp fall in line to do the exact same, just their version of it. So far, I know Monster and Amp have created and released their energy shots, yet I have not spotted one. All I've seen is this Rockstar Tropical Punch, and the original Rockstar shot, so it's cool until I can find the other few out there. I also have word that CRUNK!!! has recently released their newest flavor, CRUNK!!! Berry; I really hope to find one of those too and review it with Jeff immediately. Well, following Rockstar's tropical 16 ounce energy drink's scheme, I see a design of just red, white, and black. Red, being on the cap and in the star; black being on the background; and white lettering. One thing I notice on the brim of the bottle is the caffeine content, 200mg. Some will argue that that is powerful, but I for one, believe that it is not powerful enough to sustain the same boost an energy shot would usually give.

Twisting the cap open, I dig deep for a scent that's almost exactly like the regular Rockstar Tropical Fruit, but all the scent packed into one shot, thus making it much more potent. It's color
oddly clear, though I may have been over expectant for a red or similar to red color. Before I taste it, I have to remember that it's a shot, or in other words, it's not meant to be sipped. So, I'm just going to down the 2.5 ounces now and describe the flavor as best as I can. Bottoms up! Okay, so chugging it was not the greatest idea in the world...After swigging an ounce my face turned almost priceless, twisting and jerking. As I take a smaller sip, I analyze a smooth and up front wild berry/cherry flavor for just a split second, and shortly afterwards, you find an overbearing extreme bitterness. I'm not talking about just a mild bitterness you find in handfuls of energy drinks, I'm talking uncontrollable bitterness, like nothing I've come across so far. The flavor spreads quickly throughout your mouth and pinches the sides of your cheek as well as the back of your tongue and down your throat; it's pretty intense. If I may recommend one thing about this energy shot, it's to down this real quickly to avoid this fake, bitter flavor. As I top off the minute bottle, I surely find that same berry and bitter combination, but this time with a bit of citrus added to the aftertaste. All in all, I really don't like rating the taste of energy shots because that's just how they are, so I'll just let this one slide, like I do with most others.

Ingredients-wise, I haven't glanced at anything on the back of the bottle, so I'm not too sure what to expect, other than standard Rockstar ingredients. I would be extremely impressed if this had ginkgo biloba; let's find out... All it's ingredients are listed here: purified filtered water, taurine, natural flavors, malic acid, phosphoric Acid, caffeine, sodium citrate, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, L-carnitine, inositol, milk thistle, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hyrdochloride, acesulfame potassium, guarana seed, neotame, ginseng, Sucralose, red #40, and cyanocobalamin. Sadly, there is no ginkgo biloba, but knowing Rockstar, there's a legitimate reason behind it. All the main energy ingredients are listed as one of the last, which shows Rockstar focused mainly on giving what is called a "caffeine kick", which, as you may or may not know, gets you jittery for a short period of time and releases a crash. I truly hope this shot doesn't give that effect. For a sugar free drink, I was surprised to see all the artificial sweeteners listed near the bottom of the list, so that goes to show what kind of flavor you receive drinking this, natural-fruit flavors. Again, there's about 200mg of caffine for 2.5 ounce bottle, no calories, no sugar and an energy blend of roughly 1.44g (That's 1440mg). Coming back about an hour later, I determine this kick is about 60% jitteriness, 20% focus, and 20% alertness. Good statistics, though I'm pretty sure I'd find more focus with a hearty amount of ginkgo biloba in the mix. Overall, Rockstar nailed the energy shot, for the most part, until I can grab a Wild Berry Shot.

Taste: 3 - So what? The flavor in shots are usually neglected anyways
Kick: 9 - Great, steady kick so far; mild crash ~four-five hours later
Overall: 9 - To crown a winner of shots, I'll have to find the other major products...but for now, I recommend this one

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Juiced Guava

I know this review is a bit late, being that I've been putting it off for a long time now. After this one, I think Jeff and I will have all the basic energy drinks reviewed. Rockstars really haven't pleased me so far, with the exception of the Roasted line, but maybe this one will be good. The Rockstar Juiced and the Rockstar Juiced Pomegranate were just okay, and perhaps this one will be just okay as well, but who doesn't like guava, right? Guava, as far as I know, is a fruit that is originated from Mexico, South America, the Caribbeans, and other tropical places around the world. It has a flavor that is similar to apples, passionfruit, and strawberries, blended together. Having said that, I glance over at the can to see 50% juice at the bottom, which probably means that it will have a natural blend of the fruits I just mentioned.The only thing different about the can design from all the other Rockstars is the purple diamond plating background. Like the original Rockstar, I noticed it has a black tab, rather than a purple tab. Okay, I've said enough here, let's open up the can!

Rockstar Juiced Guava has a strong aroma of exactly apple, passionfruit and strawberry. It reminds me of being Hawaii, most likely because the only other time I've tried guava was in Hawaii. Out of the can, this Juiced has an odd dark pink, almost purple color. I had no clue what color to expect because I thought guava was yellow, or orange... Shows what I know. My first reaction to trying this drink is, "Woah, that's strong!" Not really what I expected, an almost unbearable taste. It has a unique flavor, like weak passionfruit, with a strong mango flavor, and some strawberries, but just strong. Besides that, it has a sour taste, after going down your throat that instinctively throws your head back. It really has no long-term aftertaste, only a mellow echo of passionfruit and some mango. This taste is actually pretty interesting; to me, I think of it as sort of a juice, rather than an energy drink only because it has very little energy drink qualities. After a few sips, this drink actually isn't half bad; it gets easier to drink and has more of a taste to it. Because it is 50% juice, this Juiced has very little carbonation, which allows for pleasurable drinking. It does have some gumminess, which is pretty common in most juice-like beverages out there, but it's not too bad. Overall, this drink takes awhile to get into, but after you do, it's not half bad. I do think Rockstar could make some taste adjustments though.

Now for the ingredients. After carbonated water, this drink has fruit juice concentrates, which are a blend of apple, pear, and guava juices. Hm, yeah, I did notice trace amounts of pear. After that I see sucrose, which is its primary sweetener, and taurine, which happens to be number five. The Rockstar Juiced also has natural flavors, pectin (thickener), caffeine, acesulfame, sucralose, milk thistle, and ginkgo biloba leaf extract. I really wonder why only Rockstar, out of all the major brands of energy drinks, would put ginkgo biloba in their products; I'm yet to see Monster or Amp do this. Per can, you get only 180 calories, due to the juice content and only 40g of sugar. I'm real happy to see Rockstar make a low sugar/calorie drink without it being totally gross. You also get 2,000mg of taurine (average) and 300mg of ginkgo biloba. It's also nice to see this Rockstar having a decent caffeine content, 160mg. Overall, it was just another Rockstar Juiced, like I predicted. Nothing too special about it, but then again, nothing too terrible about it. I'd have to say Monster wins in their lineup of Juiced products (Khaos, M-80, Mixxd).

Taste: 7 - It'll take awhile to finish, just too much
Kick: 8 - Ginkgo is helping the kick here
Overall: 7.5 - I want to see Rockstar exceed Monster and Amp, for once...

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Juiced Pomegranate

After a quick trip to the dollar store, I decided to get the Rockstar Juiced Pomegranate. For some reason, this dollar store had an abundance of these Pomegranate Rockstars, maybe a few hundred on the shelf. I remember having the Rockstar Juiced Pomegranate a few months ago, and I was pretty pleased with its flavor. All I remember was a natural pomegranate taste, with little sweetness. This can has a red background with diamond plating. In front of it are the words "Rockstar Juiced Pomegranates, in all capital letters, and its small yellow star below it. Around its trademark star are the words "Bigger, Stronger, Faster." I also notice it says double strength, that most likely means that instead of an 8oz can, its made in a 16oz can. Lastly, this drink is 50% juice, meaning that it'll be pretty natural tasting and not as sweet as your average energy drink. So let's get reviewing!

As it pops open, I immediately get a sour apple and pomegranate aroma, with little sweetness. So far, I can tell this drink is going to have multiple flavors, other than just pomegranate. It comes out of the can an extremely dark red color, similar to pomegranate juice, maybe a bit darker. It also caught my eye because out of the can, it has red fizz, rather than white fizz. Hm, almost exactly, what I expected. As it first hits your mouth, you get a really natural pomegranate, with some sour green apple mixed in. As it fades away, I can taste a really artificial sugar, possible too much sucralose. This doesn't surprise me because most Rockstars I've tried have a bad, artificial aftertaste. However, I'm expecting more because this is 50% juice, and juice is natural. Rockstar Juiced won't give you much carbonation, so I'm pretty impressed with that. However, I do get a lot of gumminess, so you might want to take it easy with the big sips or chugging. Overall, this drink wasn't bad in any way, but then again, nothing really impressed me about it.

Now for its ingredients. Instead of sugar coming second, we see a blend of pear, apple, and pomegranate juices from concentrate. Hm, I didn't taste much pear in the drink, but I know it was there. Next comes sucrose, or table sugar. Hm, I thought I tasted some artificiality, but maybe it was the sucralose. Taurine comes in at number 4, resulting in much energy given. You also get natural flavors, instead of artificial. Like most other Rockstars, ginkgo biloba is found in this drink. Per can, you get about 200 calories, about average, or about the same as a Monster. You also only get about 46g of sugar, which is not bad at all. If you were to put ginkgo biloba in an erngy drink, you would only need about 300mg, which is in this drink. As for caffeine, you get 160mg, which should keep me alert, along with the ginkgo biloba. I don't know, this was one odd drink, in my opinion. Certainly not as good as many people explained, but then again, it wasn't bad either. I just think Rockstar doesn't make quality drinks, with the exception of the Rockstar Roasted's.

Taste: 7 - Nothing really impressed me, but it was quite tasty if nursed for about an hour
Kick: 9 - Rockstars do pack a punch
Overall: 8 - Not bad, but not great

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Punched

Hey, everyone. I found this drink at Albertson's and I was really stoked to try it. I know that Rocksta\ doesn't make the best energy drinks, but they have a few that don't seem to fit in, and are actually quite good. This one, I believe will be another one that doesn't fit in with the Rockstars because something about it really catches me. Rockstar Punched has a large red Rockstar logo star, with the words "Tropical Punch Flavor" directly under its right wing. Hidden to the left of the star is the word "Rockstar Energy + Punch" vertically along the can as well as at the top of can. I think that this is the coolest can design I've come across because of ts layout and the simple colors used to make it. Well, here I go, ready to crack it open.

Rockstar Punched has a smooth fruity blend of berries such as strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, and boysenberry, similar to the Gatorade Fruit Punch. The Punched comes out of the can a dark pink color, and it seems to be a heavily carbonated drink due to the amount of fizziness. Oh, this drink tastes exactly what I predicted it to taste. It brings a punch of sweet berries, a hint of some pear, grape, melon, and maybe traces of kiwi. As it touches the tongue, the berry, grape, and pear flavor has a natural and sugary taste. The aftertaste -melon and kiwi- has more of a artificial taste to it, with a lot of gumminess. I think this drink is only really good when it hits your tongue, then, after about 2-3 seconds, it tastes a bit nasty. I have noticed this in most Rockstar drinks I've tried, so it's no news to me. Like I mentioned earlier, this drink is heavily carbonated, so I would recommend taking small sips, in order to not have a painful stomach-ache. The Punched also has a lot of gumminess that builds up in the back of your mouth, just after the aftertaste. Overall, this drink had an exceptional taste, but I couldn't stand the carbonation and gumminess.

And for the ingredients. I am glad Rockstar uses sucrose and glucose for their sweetener, instead of high fructose corn syrup. Taurine comes in at number five; pretty nice being that I am already feeling a nice kick. The Rockstar also contains milk thistle, calcium, acesulfame, sucralose (Splenda), ginkgo biloba, and guarana. Per can, you get 260 calories. That's most likely due to the amount of sugar in this drink. Speaking of sugar, you get 62 grams, which I could have guessed because of the sweetness in the Punched. Like usual, you get about 2,000mg of tauine, pretty nice kick in this drink. A lot of Rockstars contain ginkgo biloba, which is an Asian tree cultivated to improve focus. There are 300mg of ginkgo biloba in this drink. As for caffeine, you get 240mg, that's probably why I'm getting such a kick. All in all, this one was almost a fail, it tasted a bit artificial towards the end of the drink and the sucralose upset my stomach.

Taste: 7 - Nothing too special; most likely, you'll find a better fruit punch drink
Kick: 9 - I do notice a great kick, due to the ginkgo and caffeine
Overall: 7 - If you want a nice kick, this is one for you, but you won't get a great taste

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Roasted Latte

Ah, yes another version of coffee, done by energy drink companies. This time, I found the Rockstar Roasted Latte. As you may have noticed, Jeff reviewed the Rockstar Roasted Mocha and Rockstar Roasted Lite Vanilla. Rockstar debuted three Roasted drinks, consisting of coffee, cream, and a blend of energy. To me, it sounds like they want to show up the Java Monster; Jeff and I will be the judge of that. If you look at the can, you see a coffee-brown background with a lot of parallel lines going diagonally across the can. Rockstar has a different interpretation of their logo; this time, it's slapped on the can, as if they had not a care in the world where their logo should be. I like this can, it gives you a good feeling of coffee and latte. Sounds good.

As I open the can, I get a more bitter coffee smell, as if they didn't put as much creamer in it. That's okay, most are like that anyway. As it rushes into the cup, I get an extremely light color, almost like milk, with a dash of brown. This drink reminds me of the Nut Up. As soon as it hits my tongue, I get a rich, strong genuine coffee taste, followed by a nutty aftertaste. You could relate this drink to a black coffee when it hits your taste buds, but you then get an extremely sweet blend of cream. The aftertaste tastes similar to the Nut Up because it has a blend of nuts, but it's not as noticeable as the Nut Up. The aftertaste is also a bit gummy for most coffee energy drinks out there, but I wont let that bring this drink down. Obviously, there is no carbonation, so it is easy to chug and/or take big sips. If it were up to me, I would advise you not to because this is one drink meant to be savored, period. I am surprised Rockstar actually has this much power to make such an insane drink. This one easily outplayed most of the Java Monsters. Overall, you NEED to get this drink if you are a coffee lover. However, this is a stronger blend than your usual Java Monster, so be careful, beginners.

Now the ingredients: I first see brewed espresso coffee. All you coffee fans know what that is. It's basically a type of coffee, not anything real special. Next comes sucrose, or table sugar and whole milk. Unlike the Java Monsters, these guys use whole milk. Java Monster's contain reduced fat milk. Taurine comes in at number four, almost average for energy drinks. Per can, you get 220 calories, not bad of a coffee-like drink. You also get 34g of sugar, a lot for a Rockstar Roasted, but a little for an energy drink. Next, you get 2,000mg of taurine, about average as well as 300mg of ginkgo biloba leaf extract. Ginkgo biloba is a tree, found by the Japanese and spread to America. It is placed in many energy drinks on the market to improve focus, instead of jitteriness. I am totally blown away by what Rockstar had to offer with 15 ounces of intense coffee, I apologize for the bad remarks I have said about Rockstar. This is one drink you absolutely have to get your hands on, though you might find it a bit strong.

Taste: 9 - Wow, I'm truly impressed with Rockstar
Kick: 9 - The Ginkgo helps this drink maintain a steady kick
Overall: 9 - It was great, I needed a good energy drink, It's been awhile...

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Roasted Light

I'm excited to have another coffee! That Rockstar Roasted Mocha was so good and this one I expect to be better. It's light, meaning it's got vanilla instead of chocolate. The can design is pretty neat, fitting in with the whole series of Rockstar Roasteds. Oh, and guess what! It's got 50% less fat and 50% fewer calories than the original Rockstar Roasted. Ah, so this is the low cal, low carb, low sugar, low everything Rockstar Roasted. And to the extreme! In the Supplement Facts on the back, it lists only 7g of sugar per serving. That's incredibly low compared to any other drink you find on the market. Maybe it's even got less sugar than a regular sweetened latte you get at Starbucks. What I really like about this, though, that makes it unique, even to its competitor, the Monster Javas, is the addition of Ginkgo Biloba and Milk Thistle. Some pretty non-standard ingredients that have some interesting properties. Ginkgo Biloba delivers great concentration, I learned when I found it in the Mocha. Milk Thistle has protective effects on the liver, I found out, and is also good for lowering cholesterol levels. By far, this is the healthiest energy drink I've ever come across.

I opened the can after my can-opening ceremony and found that, rightly so, the drink didn't smell as sweet as most drinks. It's a very subtle coffee scent and is quite mild. There's no carbonation, since it's a coffee, and the texture is smooth as silk with no extra fat left behind on your tongue. It possesses a moderately pleasing flavor, where the sweetness comes first, followed by a bitter coffee bean, and ending with warm vanilla. I like it; it's not overpowering and has genuine coffee bitterness. I could chug it, and I might, considering the flavor is light enough and there are no painful bubbles to hold you back. And I think I can safely say that this is definitely not as sugary and syrupy as those thick Starbucks Lattes. This one is pleasing and subtle and light, and I'm diggin' it.

I'm going to have to switch gears and see how well I can feel the kick. I definitely know that I felt more awake and aware as soon as I took a swig. I'm hoping for more of the same electric energy with the same amazing concentration to keep me going and in-tune. And after a little while, I get that and also that kind of energy like you're ready to run a marathon at any time. Not quite the jitters, but just lots and lots of energy. It seems I get loads more from this than any Monster, and I'm loving it. As for the ingredients, they seem to be far above-par just as the rest of the drink. There are 2780mg of the energy blend, which includes the standard amount of Taurine, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, L-Carnitine, and Panax Ginseng. And there are those two interesting ones, Ginkgo Biloba and Milk Thistle. I feel the Ginkgo Biloba; I know I'm concentrated; and I hope the Milk Thistle is helping me liver. Overall, this is a great light drink if you're up for coffee and some seriously intense energy.

Taste: 8.5 - Light and subtle, with that genuine coffee taste
Kick: 9 - That was amazing
Overall: 9 - Man, you gotta have this one

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rockstar Zero Carb

As you might know, Rockstar isn't my favorite line of drinks out on the market. However, I haven't tried all of them. This time, I was given the Rockstar Zero Carb energy drink. I had this one mixed up with the Rockstar Sugar-Free. I hope this one doesn't end up being as painful as that one was. The can has a detailed blue diamond plating background with Rockstar's logo in front of it, a silver star. The star, which, if you recalled I mentioned in my last Rockstar review, is surrounded by the words "Bigger, Stronger, Faster." So I've said enough of the outside of the can, let's get inside...

As the lid opens, I smell a tea-like scent with a hint of some passion fruit, similar to the Full Throttle Mother. The drink comes into the cup a glassy, rosy red color. In other words, this drink is close to the color of cranberry juice. The whole thing is refreshing taste as it hits your mouth and goes down your throat. I can really taste the green tea extract in it as well as a bit of Yerba Mate tea leaf with a bit of apple-raspberry flavor to it. One thing about this drink is its aftertaste. You basically go from intense flavor, to almost nothing in just a few seconds. It seems most of the low carb or calorie drinks out there turn out that way, because of the fact that there's less sugar in them. I like that this is a particularly light drink because it doesn't have all the added glucose and sucrose to weigh it down. If you want to get more of a feel about how this drink tastes like, I can say that if you add the Lo-Carb Monster with the Full Throttle Mother, you get a sweet, natural taste that greets your mouth. After about 10 minutes, I'm noticing slight bitterness, but it doesn't stop me from drinking it. I also notice gumminess building up in the back of my mouth. It's bugging me a little because I had the impression that zero carb drinks don't contain much sugar to produce that much gumminess. This Rockstar contains quite a bit of carbonation, so I advise you not to chug it, or you will not be happy a few seconds later. It throws me off, however, because when I poured it into the cup, I didn't notice a lot of fizzing. Overall, if you are tired of all those artificial low carb/calorie energy drinks out there, head over to purchase this drink, you won't regret it.

This is going to be fun explaining these ingredients: first off, I see that Taurine comes in at number two, despite the fact that it only contains a standard dosage of 2,000mg. Next I notice "Natural Flavors," but who knows what Rockstar gets away with. After that, I see green tea extracts, which gave this drink its organic, sweet, tea-like taste. I then see Yerba Mate leaf extract, which along with the Green tea, imparted a tea-like taste to the beverage. extract deliver its tea-like flavor. One more thing in the ingredients list, sucralose, the killer. Sucralose is the true name for Splenda, a "not-so artificial" sweetener. I guess it isn't that noticeable in this drink, so that's pretty a good job done by Rockstar. Per can, you only get 20 calories and of course no table sugar or carbs as well as 2.54g of energy blend. All in all, this is one drink worth spending your money on, and in return, you get a low carb blend of natural tea and fruity flavors. It leaves me wondering: why isn't every other Rockstar this good?

Taste: 9.5 - Intense flavor, packs a punch
Kick: 9 - I am feeling a greatly noticeable amount of energy
Overall: 9.5 - Best Rockstar I've had so far

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Juiced

Here I am, writing up another review. This time (and I swear, this is the last of the month), I've got a 16oz Rockstar Juiced. The can's pretty slick with the orange diamond plating behind the normal Rockstar logo. I'm eager to try it because of the tropical fruit flavors and the 150mg per serving of Ginkgo Biloba Leaf extract that last time, in the Rockstar Roasted, gave me some intense concentration. I just can't wait to open it.

After my dramatic can-opening ritual, I came up close for a sniff. The smell confused me a bit, because at first, I thought the mango smelled like acetone, or nail polish. When you smell it, mango really takes center stage, with the passion fruit and the orange coming in after. I poured the drink out, and my eyes became fixated on a cloudy, yellow-orange liquid. When it entered my mouth, I was hit with some bitterness before it got to the mango and flowery passion fruit. It's not exactly irresistible, but I'm hoping to find a groove somewhere in the drink. It seems also that there's not quite enough sweetness to carry the flavor of the fruit, and there's a large amount of carbonation making me burp more than I'd like. The only thing to look forward to now is a big boost and some crazy concentration, I guess.

For the drink's energy ingredients, there are 2000mg of Taurine per can, 160mg of Caffeine, 50mg each of Guarana, Inositol, L-Carnitine, and Panax Ginseng. With that, I see 300mg total of Ginkgo Biloba, and 40mg of Milk Thistle Extract thrown in. I'm glad it's sweetened with Sucrose and Glucose instead of HFCS, but it doesn't seem to make a large difference, considering the whole thing still tastes dull. I suppose this one is worth it if you're looking for concentration, but the flavor makes me sick and just isn't that special. I would much rather have the Rockstar Juiced Pomegranate; it was much better tasting and the best thing is it was in a 24oz can for just 99 cents. It's just a much better value than this disappointing Rockstar Juiced.

Taste: 4 - Boring, and tasted a little nasty, like acetone
Kick: 5 - Fine, but not worth drinking the whole can
Overall: 3 - My recommendation: get the Rockstar Pomegranate instead

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rockstar Sugar Free

This is the 3rd and final review of the day for me, and I would like to finish it off by doing the Sugar Free Rockstar. As you might know, I am not too fond of Rockstars, so I do hope that this will please my taste buds, and hopefully yours if you try it. This can is exactly similar to the regular Rockstar, but colored white. You see its logo, a golden star with the words " Bigger, Stronger, Faster" surrounding the site. My least favorite slogan, " Party like a rockstar" is placed at the bottom of the can. I don't care too much for it because of that hit rap song which has nothing to do with being a rockstar. If anything, that song is about being a rapstar... Oh, wait, there's no such thing. Rap sucks. So, let's hope we find something good in this drink.

As I crack open this can, I notice a pungent, mango-like scent. The color out of the can is an amber color, similar to Monsters. I have began to notice that Rockstar seems to copy Monster's idea in drink color and taste. This drink tastes nothing at all like Monster's idea of sugar free, or "Lo-carb."I notice a taste similar to that of a tropical fruit. First, you get a strong raspberry flavor. Then you get a sweet mango and strawberry combination to form a pleasant aftertaste. So far, this drink has minimal gumminess and I find it quite refreshing after a little exercise or any other activity. I can already notice the artificial sweetener, sucralose, or Splenda. It's a little nasty, if you ask me. Other than that, I enjoy the flavor it has to offer. There is not a lot of carbonation, which makes this drink easy to chug. Overall, compared to all the other sugar-free drinks out there on the market, this drink is just alright. There is nothing really that major that is wrong with it, but there's just better drinks out there.

Let's talk about ingredients now: I notice that taurine comes in at number 3, pretty amazing being that it's a Rockstar. Per can, however, you only get 2000mg of taurine, standard dosage. I also notice that drink contains Ginkgo Biloba, a leaf that improves concentration and focus. Too bad that this drink contains sucralose because I can really taste it. I am very disappointed to see that this drink doesn't have any sucrose or glucose, just sucralose. The caffeine amount in this drink is a whopping 160mg, also pretty impressive for this drink. Lastly, I notice, like most energy drinks, that this drink contains guarana seed extract. This drink got old real quick and I hope Rockstar will improve their energy drinks in the future because I have found Rockstar's products to be quite nasty. Enough said.

*Now that I have food in my stomach, this drink isn't as bad

Taste: 4 - Actually, a very dull drink
Kick: 4 - Not much, yet
Overall: 4 - Wouldn't recommend this drink...

Reviewed by: Chan

Rockstar Roasted Mocha

This is the Rockstar Roasted Mocha, Rockstar's answer to the Java Monster. I have had quite a few Java Monsters, and each I absolutely fell in love with. I pray that this competitor to the Javas can live to its expectations.

This is a pretty nice coffee, and of course, the color is a light, milky brown. The taste, I'll mention, differs from that of the Monster Java. The sweetness, chocolate, and milkyness hit you sooner than the coffee's bitterness. The taste of the coffee is actually stronger than that of the Javas, and it really resembles a frappichino from Starbucks. I could cope with this if I felt like more coffee flavor, but it hasn't become my go-to drink until it proves to me that it is somehow significantly better than the Javas.

As I get lower in the drink, I think I taste a slightly disgusting vitamin taste. I keep forgetting to shake the can! Either way, the energy supplements in there should still give me a boost.

...Thirty minutes later, I am totally hyped-up and focused. I am loving the high I get from this coffee. It's causing no ill effects; all I get is insane alertness and focus.

Now, for the ingredients. I expect caffiene, since this is a coffee. The energy blend is in the same dose, with 1000mg of taurine per serving, which there are two of in this drink. Also, Inositol, Guarana, Ginseng, Milk Thistle, and Ginkgo Biloba. Very cool ingredient list; I like the use of Ginkgo Biloba, a supplement for memory and concentration. I think I really do notice it, seeing as how I am so focused and concentrated. This might after all be my favorite iced coffee from now on.

Oh, and as for the picture, know that it was taken earlier, when I was jittery with another beverage. If I were to retake this picture, you might not be able to tell it apart from a professional's work.

Taste: 7 - Smooth and basic coffee flavor
Kick: 10 - The perfect kick with extreme concentration and no jittery-ness
Overall: 8.5 - I love the drink mostly for its effects, which is not something I do often

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rockstar

Here I am, reviewing yet another popular energy drink. This one is pretty mainstream, the Rockstar. I, personally, have never much enjoyed the Rockstars, but then again, I haven't had one in ages.

I think I was right when I predicted the Rockstar would be like a soda. I got lots of fizzing as it was opened, and there was the characteristic smell of HFCS. Groan. I expect a dull sweetness. But let me see.

Interesting; the color is pretty transparent, with a tinge of flourescent amber-green. I didn't expect that. The taste is that of sugar and water. And a little corn. It disappoints me, but what did I expect? This drink is definitely lasting a while in my hands. Getting into further detail, the beverage even acts a lot like a soda, being more than slightly carbonated and almost causing a little pain on the way down. I am sad to say that immediately, my stomach is aching.

Oh, wow! Reading the ingredients list, this drink actually does not have HFCS, but instead good ol' glucose and sucrose. Amazing; Rockstar has managed to make a should-be bright, tasty beverage into a sad, boring one.

Now, the ingredients. In the list, the second and third ingredient are both sugars. Further down the list, at number 6, I see artificial and natural flavors. Taurine, a major energy ingredient, comes in at number 5, the same as in Monsters, yet the total amount is slightly less per serving. With Caffiene and Guarana, among others, I expect this should give me a nice boost, but not greater than one I get from a Monster.

Taste: 4 - Nothing special
Kick: 7.2 - I havent experienced anything yet, but that might just be me
Overall: 4 - I don't see why people like these

Reviewed by: Jeff