...Lost Perfect 10

Yet again, I am met with a ...Lost energy drink. ...Lost seems to be a sister drink to Monster, also canned in Corona, CA, along with Joker and Ace. This particular one happens to be the lo-cal version, dubbed "Perfect 10" due to the 10 measly Calories per serving. Contrary to many energy drinks, ...Lost has gone with a low-calorie drink rather than zero calorie, and puts it very well why they chose to do so, saying "Because calories taste good." After all, isn't a drink primarily supposed to taste good? What does the trick appears to be artificial sweeteners with a bit of glucose for good measure - 3g per serving to be exact. I recall that this combination has worked wonderfully with the Monster Lo-Carb. However, what worries me is Monster's decision to replace Ace-K, a very natural-tasting artificial sweetener, with Sucralose. I was sure this would be a quality drink, but now I'm a bit doubtful.

The smell of ...Lost Perfect 10 doesn't remind me of Monster at first, which has me worried. Rather, I think they've captured a slightly better version of the generic bubble gum flavor of cheap energy drinks. However, I'm relieved and very satisfied with the flavor when I taste a crystal clear, delicious, bold and fruity flavor too good and complex to describe adequately. Although I thought the Sucralose would kill the drink, it has indeed not as the drink tastes deliciously sweet with the natural glucose in the mix. The color to this tasty drink is a gold-amber with a slightly orange, honey-colored tint. The texture is perfect, with that very fine, slightly stinging carbonation that fits together so well with the flavor. This is the kind of quality drink I've been missing, and it reminds me this is why Chan and I started reviewing energy drinks at all - it was because of the quality drinks like these. The aftertaste this drink gives is a bit like pear and another juicy, sweet fruit I can't identify. What I notice is how this drink tastes very much like the Monster Lo-Carb, but with more flavor. Although I dearly miss the Acesulfame-K/Glucose combo, Sucralose is filling the part pretty decently, and I'm sure I can thank the cool dudes at Monster for engineering that part right. The gumminess is only moderate, though I have come to find Sucralose as a gummy sweetener, so I guess the gumminess would be subtler, were it for Ace-K. Also, near the end of the can, the Sucralose does what it does so often in many Splenda-sweetened drinks, it no longer tastes sweet anymore, but that's saved by the Glucose. All in all, I would say this is a simple, unique, deilicious, addicting low calorie energy drink and I'd have to group it in the "quality" drink category, characterized by Rockstars, Monsters, Amps, Full Throttles and the like.

Examining the ingredients, there's Carbonated Water, Glucose, Citric Acid, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Taurine, Sodium Citrate, Glucuronolactone, Potassium Sorbate, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate, Inositol, Color Added, Niacinimide, Sucralose, Pyridoxine, Hydrochlroide, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, L-Carnitine, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Guarana Seed Extract, Maltodextrin, Cyanocobalamin. It's a strong list, average among your Monsters and Rockstars. The Energy Blend is in there, with 5000mg total of Glucose, Glucuronolactone, Panax Ginseng, Caffeine, L-Carnitine, Guarana, and Maltodextrin. An energy blend like that is hard to beat and that's what Monster's known for, giving a pretty insane kick. Monster is definitely the master of energy drinks in my mind and ...Lost is a great cousin to the popular brand yielding just as much energy.

Taste: 8.6 - Delicious and unbelievably well-done low-carb energy drink
Kick: 8.5 - Only what you can expect from a Monster brand
Overall: 8.5 - Probably one of your best choices for a sugar-free drink

Reviewed by: Jeff