Turn Left

Seeing Turn Left at a Big! Lots really appealed to me, most likely because of the rare can design, having to do with race cars and going fast, although it's fairly different than what you'd normally see. I find it a bit cliche to base an energy drink with a theme relating to fast speeds, horsepower, racing, you know, it's just so every-day for a company to do that. Because of the cloned can design, I'll bet to find a flavor just like a Monster/ Red Bull. Knowing this, I can now bring my hopes down just a bit, though maybe it's better than a Monster, or perhaps not even a Monster or Red Bull clone at all. Going back to the can design, it looks most like a NASCAR game, due to the multicolored cars racing on a black paved track with advertisements covering most of the cars. Behind the cars are the zoom lines you see artists draw showing how fast a car is going. Above all, there's the phrase, "Turn Left" along with two flags behind it. I find Turn Left's motto a bit cliche as well, "Liquid Horsepower." You know, you cannot really see an energy drink nowadays without seeing the same basic motto, being "Pure Energy/Fuel" or "Liquid Horsepower."

After opening up Turn Left, I have to say, my hypothesis was right on the dot, a true Monster Clone, but with much more sweetness to it. As you are reading this, you may know by now the color of it, golden amber, just like any Monster, Red Bull, and anything in between. Curiously examining the flavor, I'll note it tastes almost significantly different than a Monster Clone, I mean staying in the general area of Monster Clones alike. Instead of that crisp feeling you get when swigging a few sips of a Monster, it's being filled with an uncommon sweetness, and a slight amount of dullness. I analyze the flavor and find the sweetness is an incredible vanilla, with no artificialness mixed in, just pure vanilla flavoring. Although, I can conclude the fact that there's corn syrup, it's not all that dull. Drinking more of Turn Left, the sensation is more caramel and vanilla, and less simple Monster apple, berry, and citrus, tasting a lot like a caramel apple, without the struggle of biting in the apple and the caramel getting everywhere... As for gumminess, I found it quite interesting to see Turn Left create a Monster Clone with HFCS, and not for it to be gummy at all. Compared to a Monster, I'd say this drink is less carbonated, hence giving it an overall richer flavor to it. Overall, I'm starting to get used to these Monster Clones, and I can conclude that this was perhaps even better than any Monster, tasting higher class, with more diverse flavor than a usual apple-berry-citrus.

As for ingredients in a can of Turn Left, it seems to me it's basic and much less than any Monster-like drink I've reviewed. There's a standard, yet simple list consisting of: Carbonated water, corn syrup, citric acid, taurine, sodium benzoate, caffeine, inositol, natural and artificial flavors, dextrose, nicotinamide, calcium D pantothenate, pyridoxine, hydrochloride, and cyanocobalamin. Simple ingredients, though not many Monster Clones are sweetened with corn syrup and dextrose. Most of them are usually sweetened with sucrose, glucose, and/or Sucralose. Per can, there's a raw count of 242 calories and only 56g of sugar, not bad for a sweet drink like this. I used to say this a lot when drinking energy drinks with HFCS, "When sweetened with HFCS, energy drinks need to have more sugar contained, while drinks sweetened with sucrose and glucose do not need to have as much sugar." I can prove this statement wrong, however, because high fructose corn syrup is more potent than sucrose and glucose. Anyway, on energy ingredients, this drink is mean, having 1900mg of taurine and a nice 190mg of caffeine. Reviewing a high caffeinated energy drink late at night isn't the greatest, but I can handle it. Coming back a few hours later, I'll let you know the kick is insane, lasting about 3 hours, and nothing but jitteriness. All in all, the best Monster-Clone you'll find out there, in terms of taste, and even kick.

Taste: 8.6 - Incredible vanilla-caramel apple flavor, though if it were more crisp, it would have been nearly perfect
Kick: 8.8 - With 190mg of caffeine, I was truly jittery for quite awhile
Overall: 8.7 - I must say, this is the best Monster Clone I can recall tasting, perhaps even better than a Monster

Reviewed by: Chan