Mojo

Finding a drink with such a cliche name is always disappointing, like I've mentioned numerous times before, but there are names just outside of that box of cliche that can be quite clever. I found an energy drink called "Mojo", which has a name that really is basic yet perfect for an energy drink. A mojo is a type of magic charm, often of red flannel cloth and tied with a drawstring, containing botanical, zoological, and/or mineral curios, petition papers, and the like. It is typically worn under clothing. Knowing this, I'm expecting a drink that'll be magical tasting with a magical kick to follow after. After taking a good glance at the can, I see a nice tropical design, looking like it's originated from Hawaii. I believe the color variation leads me to believe this tropical design, being blue, like the clear blue water and the orange, like the sand above the water. It's font seems to be laid back, just like everything would look as if it were in the tropics. Now, you may be thinking "So, the can design is tropical, what does it have to do with the flavor, anyway?" You'd be surprised what flavors this has in it. Just by looking at the top of the can, I can see that I'll find flavors such as pineapple, ginger, and passionfruit; what a combination! Well, I can't say I can take this much longer, I'm going to crack this miniature open.

Upon opening the can, I'm expecting a mild scent of pineapple and passion fruit, and probably no ginger because it's less potent. I tear off the tab and find myself dying from amazing aroma of pure ginger and just a bit of passion fruit; I'd say it smells almost like the candied ginger you get with sushi at Japanese restaurants. Just like I would picture, it comes out of the can an orange-yellow color, just like Pina Colada, or perhaps if you were to mix pineapple, ginger, and passion fruit together. Now, here is where Mojo tends to be more distinct than any other energy drink I've tried. It's mostly a pure, spicy shot of ginger, with a nice tanginess from the pineapple and the passion fruit. As I'm tasting more of this magical Mojo, the tanginess from the passion fruit mainly seems to balance out that nice spicy ginger flavor. Beyond the tasty ginger, I can find a nice pineapple flavor that reminds me most of the Monster M-80 and a few Rockstar Juiced flavors. Although I'm describing this as a quite tasty energy drink, I have to tell you, if you are not the biggest fan of ginger, you most likely not enjoy this, if not hate it. Topping off the can, I conclude it's a big shocker as you take your first few sips, for it catches you off guard, but you'll adjust to it withing 3-4 ounces. I've been thinking about how I may rate this drink on taste. I don't want to rate it based on my views of the drink, but I can rate it on an average basis of what others may think of its flavor.

Per 8 ounce can, Mojo packs a list of mighty ingredients, from sweeteners, to fruits, and finally to energy ingredients. Here's the complete list, right from the can: carbonated water, sucrose, clarified pineapple juice concentrate, clarified passionfruit concentrate, guarana seed, natural flavor (Acacia gum, ester gum, yellow #8, xantham gum), taurine, glucotamine, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, ascorbic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, fumaric acid, caffeine, and acesulfame k. I really enjoy seeing, first off, sucrose, as the primary sweetener in this can of Mojo because it allows for a clean taste and extreme drinkability. I then notice clarified pineapple and clarified passionfruit, but where's the natural ginger flavoring? Perhaps it's categorized under natural flavors. I want to inform all viewers interested in knowing what succinic acid and fumaric acid is. I believe succinic acid is an acid made from succinate and plays a biochemical role in citric acid, which is pretty cool because it's a substitute for citric acid in this drink. Fumaric acid is a bit similar to succinic acid, being a chemical compound and it plays a part of reforming citric acid. With only 24g of sugar in the whole 8 ounce can, I was not prepared for all that favor I was brought to. It's calorie count is a minute 100 calories, which is exactly the same as a serving of Monster. All in all, I was pleased for the most part with Mojo, though I can tell a select handful can have a complete opposite opinion, coming from people not liking ginger.

Taste: 7 - I want to give it a '7' on taste because I'm averaging viewer's thoughts of a spicy ginger/tangy tropical fruit energy drink
Kick: 7 - I can't be the most happy with the kick, for I haven't felt much, just a bit more tired
Overall: 7 - This is a drink that you don't really know what you're getting until you actually tear into it; so go ahead, it's definitely worth a try to grab a can...

Reviewed by: Chan