Sobe Adrenaline Rush

Hurray! I got an energy drink today, thankfully. I'm interested in this one because it has the name Sobe in it. Should be good. And fruity.

First of all, I like the can, with the orange-red burst and the metallic white around it. Very appealing, with the lizard design laid over it. From what I read below High Performance Energy Supplement, this thing contains the energy ingredients L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, and Taurine. A quick Google search reveals that L-Cartinine aids in the metabolism of fats. Now I think I'm ready to open the can. My sense of smell isn't so great today, but I'll do my best.

Yes, it's true, I can hardly smell anything, but I sure can taste. I'm guessing from what I get, that there is a tinge of bitterness in the aroma like grapefruit along with some pretty organic-smelling orange. Pretty pleasing overall. The color of the beverage in my clear cup is, interestingly, a very yellow yellow, like the yellow Gatorade. It leads me to believe that this is more of a grapefruit flavor than I thought. When I go for a sip, I am delighted with a pleasant and non-artificial orange flavor. It's like I'm eating a real orange, with some grapefruit thrown in. And just like fresh-squeezed orange juice, there's minimal gumminess. Further along, I find in this drink, the grapefruit gets stronger, and seems to become a little more synthetic-tasting, like Squirt. I think I prefer this grapefruit flavor over the orange, since all I've had recently is orange. It's like a change in pace. In terms of texture, the carbonation is moderate, but I'm finding now that the gumminess has been building up in my mouth and is a little hard to ignore. Maybe this would be best with a glass of water by my side. Yeah, I'll try that.

Back from the water cooler, I think I'm ready for another swig of this drink.

Aha! Much better. When you try this drink, have some water standing by. It helps.

Now, for the ingredients. I just want to say now, that I am pretty sure I can taste those B vitamins. In the ingredients list, I see -oh no!- HFCS. I guess that's fine, since it doesn't really make this drink taste so dull as I might expect it to. Vitamin C in the form of Citric Acid is high on the list, next to D-Ribose and Taurine. and all the basics. There are some more interesting ingredients here, like Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, and Gum Arabic, but I'm not worried. Overall, this is a nice drink, but I see no big reason to have it, when there's Monsters and other high-quality drinks available.

* Mmm... do I sense pineapple? Maybe trace amounts.

Taste: 6 - Pretty pleasing overall, but not too exciting
Kick: 5 - I think I should expect something in a minute. I'll let you know if I can't get to sleep.
Overall: 6 - Interesting, but why, when there's other drinks?

Reviewed by: Jeff