Amp Relaunch

Wow! I didn't know Amp sold their new products out in this part of the country. Amp finally spilled the beans, announcing the release of their three new flavors: Relaunch, Elevate, and Traction. They originally released in random parts of the Midwest and East Coast; test markets. I guess now, they've been released all throughout America; and as of right now, Amp has six total products. This drink, I found while shopping around for drinks, and I got excited. It is called Relaunch and supposedly is a orange-citrus 'burst.' When I look at the can, I see a glossy orange background, with random black lines going down and around the can. In front of that, I see a stylized 'A', their trademark logo, as well as the word Amp in lowercase. I know Amps are known for their quality taste and great energy, but I also know them for their weird ingredients, which I will speak of later. I'm eager to open the can.

When the can opens with a loud CRACK, I go in for a sniff. I am met with a subtle orange soda-like scent, similar to the Sobe Essential Energy. It rushes out of the can an orange creamsicle color, with a lot of carbonation. I don't think I've seen an energy drink with this much carbonation before. At first, I get a sweet orange soda taste, with what seems to be cream, and a hint of citrus added into it. As it fades away, I get a regular Amp flavor, which is why they dub it Orange + Amp. This is a unique flavor, the orange is light, and the Amp flavor (lemon-lime), takes over the drink. The Relaunch is more bitter than a regular Amp, I noticed, but it keeps me coming back for more. The Relaunch, I think has too much flavor all at once, so it kinda throws me off, but I know people like Jeff would appreciate it. This drink actually doesn't have much gumminess, which pleases me. Also, I don't really get a lot of carbonation, unlike what I had predicted. Overall, it was a pretty good drink, not excellent or phenomenal, just pretty good. I think I would enjoyed it more if it wasn't so bitter...

Next comes the ingredients. First off, I see carbonated water and HFCS. If you didn't know already, Amp uses HFCS in all their products, except the Sugar Free Amp, which I am yet to review. If I were to make an energy drink, I know I wouldn't put HFCS in it because the adverse health effects. Following that, I see natural and artificial flavors. I'm pretty sure the natural comes from the orange, and the 'artificial' refers to the regular Amp flavor. Taurine comes in at number six, although you only get 296mg per can. As I said, Amp adds weird ingredients to their drinks. For example, I see sodium hexametaphosphate, which is found in common cosmetics. I also see brominated vegetable oil, pretty gross. If you recall, that is all found in the Rip It products; just an unusual ingredient. Per can, you get 220 calories, which is about average for a 16 ounce energy drink. You also get 58g of sugar, just above average for an energy drink. This was a good drink, it kinda got old towards the middle, and frankly not as good as the regular Amp.

Taste: 7.9 - It was good, I can't bring myself to give an Amp a low rating, though
Kick: 9 - I love how Amps give a great kick
Overall: 8.5 - I'd say it's the best out of the newest Amp flavors

Reviewed by: Chan