Archer Farms Juice Infused Pomegranate Blueberry

It doesn't happen too often where I review two or more drinks in a row of the same company, but tasting Archer Farms Wild Berry really kicked it off to try more of their great drinks. I have not yet seen every new flavor they have came out with, but I know that I can easily access them at my local Target, which supports Archer Farm's line of everything, practically. Like I said before, Archer Farms changed things up a bit, now coming in 12 ounce cans, rather than 16 ounces, and they require a bit more money. Per can, they want about $1.79 for 12 ounces, and honestly, it's not the best deal, but if all of them are just like the Wild Berry, I'll guarantee to you, it's worth it. Archer Farms has never used high fructose corn syrup in their drinks, and looking at the can, I do not see HFCS in this one, which most likely means I won't find it in any more Archer Farms. I see no real sweeteners in this can, instead I see it's sweetened with fruit concentrates and artificial sweeteners like Sucralose and Acesulfame K. Well, seeing those two aren't so bad in a sugar free drink, but I can't seem to find a reason why they would put it in a regular energy drink.

As I break open the can, I note a scent of intense blueberry and pear, with a small amount of pomegranate in the background, but a potent scent in general. Pouring it out of the can, I see a golden amber color, similar to that of a Monster, looking like pear, blueberry, and pomegranate juice combined. Oh man, I would have never seen this type of flavor coming at me. You imagine blueberry, pomegranate, and pear as an insane blend, especially in an energy drink, but as I taste it, I find the artificial sweeteners have become a large factor to this energy drink. As soon as you were to take a sip, you find a usual and crisp blueberry and pomegranate flavor, but as soon as the flavor actually sinks in, you're hit with an artificial and bland pear flavor, that's bitter on the tongue, and just plainly has no fruitiness whatsoever. Tasting more, I struggle to find a better flavor, as this is seeming to be a poor attempt of a juice-induced blue pom energy drink. It's aftertaste is nothing really but a small amount of pear juice, and blueberry, which combined tastes slightly like apple. In terms of gumminess, I have not yet had half of the can, but only drinking a small amount, I find that it's pretty gummy, especially in the back of the throat. It's carbonation is nice and mild, just like all other Archer Farms energy drinks. I thought it would be smart to come back in a few and taste this at room temperature, it's a whole lot different. In fact, it's most subtle and less artificial, with also much more primary blueberry and pomegranate flavors. Overall, a lame drink chilled, and an okay energy drink at room temperature. It still doesn't impress me in general.

As for ingredients, Archer Farms is pretty nice, although there are a few I'm not liking up there. Here's the complete list: Water, pear juice concentrate, citric acid, calcium, pomegranate juice concentrate, magnesium, blueberry juice concentrate, ascorbic acid, caffeine, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, panax ginseng, guarana, zinc, taurine, niacin, Sucralose, natural flavos, acesulfame K, pyridoine hydrochloride, riboflavin, cranberry juice concentrate, glucose. cyanocobalamin, and caramel color, Well first of all, Sucralose and acesulfame potassium should never be in an energy drink together unless it is labelled 'sugar free'. I noticed cranberry juice concentrate is one of the last ingredients, meaning there's less of it. So if there's more Sucralose than cranberry, that's a bit sad, being that I can taste more of that than more cranberry. Per can, you get a small 80 calories and an even smaller 19g of sugar. The sweetness was all right for 19g of sugar, I mean, there's wasn't too less. I don't see any energy ingredients listed so I'll assume they're pretty small amounts, which brings me to the kick. The kick is weak, that's why I say what I say when there's small amounts of caffeine, taurine, guarana, and ginseng. I felt a short buzz, and a lame crash following shortly afterwards. All in all, this brought my hope in Archer Farms down a lot, I hope they can regain it with a few more drinks to come.

Taste: 6 - Lame blueberry and pomegranate flavor, with an artificial pear to follow
Kick: 6 - The kick is no better than the taste, both being below par
Overall: 6 - As much as a fun of juice I am, I can't say I was satisfied with this juice-induced energy drink

Reviewed by: Chan

Archer Farms Wild Berry

Ah, just as I thought I was finished reviewing Archer Farms drinks, Target's line of energy drinks, in other words, I find a whole new row of perhaps 5 or 6 new Archer Farms. These are just a bit different than that of the original three, being in a 12 ounce can, new blends, and just a tad more expensive. Now, I do recall getting 16 ounce Archer Farms for about 89 cents per can, but the mark-up on these 12 ounce cans substantial, being $1.79 per can. I can be pretty sure these are more expensive because, what really isn't expensive right now? Oh well, if the price is around reasonable, I'm likely to pick it up and review it, so that's what I did with this one, and a few others. I wanted to review Wild Berry first because Wild Berry is such a mysterious flavor, as if it's tough to actually make a good one. From past experiences with Wild Berry, I've found them to taste all different, and some being gummy, others not. Wild Berry really is a vague term to name an energy drink; wild berry could basically mean any or all berries out there, for which there are many types. When berry comes to one's head, usually they think of raspberries, blueberries, cherries, etc., when really those are a form of modified berries, which the fruit is formed from other parts of the flower. A true berry is a type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp, which include the tomato, grape, lychee, loquat, lucuma, plantain, avocado, persimmon, eggplant, guava, uchuva (ground cherry), and chili pepper. Hm, wild berry, well I think I get what Archer Farms means.

Opening up the can, I find a wild berry scent that's a bit plain and could be described as hard cherry, blueberry, raspberry, and a bit of blackberry. When it pours out of the can I see a shocking and questionable key lime/lime green color, which I see is more common nowadays, being that wild berry is a mixture of colors. Well, unlike what my nose picked up, I taste it and I'm decently surprised to find a berry flavor that Archer Farms did a darn good job on. It can be described as a very sweet blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, light notes of cherry, and just a bit of boysenberry, but with a certain brightness, as in, all the flavors are brought out and all attack the taste buds. Seeing this and basing on previous experiences, I'm nearly positive it does not contain high fructose corn syrup, and as I check, I'm right, it's sugar or sucrose. Tasting more of it, I grin as I find an aftertaste that's mostly burnt berry, as if it did have high fructose corn syrup. As if the aftertaste wasn't enough, it's extremely gummy, which leaves me wondering what triggers this gumminess: the sweetener, or the flavor? For the most part, Wild Berry energy drinks tend to be pretty gummy, and sucrose doesn't tend to bring gumminess, so I'm going to leave it at wild berry to blame. On a lighter note, the gumminess is mild and nicely done. Topping it off, I'll conclude the upfront taste was a tasty, irresistible mixture of modified berries until the burnt aftertaste comes in and sort of ruins most of the prominent flavors.

As for ingredients, Archer Farms really doesn't differ, between, say, a Monster. Looking at the nutrition and ingredients, it seems to copy everything about a Monster, calories, main ingredients, and energy ingredients. Here's the ingredients list, to start off: water (carbonated), sugar (sucrose), ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), citric acid, sodium benzoate,potassium sorbate, ginseng, caffeine, niacin, natural flavors, guarana, calcium phosphate, taurine, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, Sucralose, cyanocobalamin, and caramel color. Once again, seeing sucrose is always cool in an energy drink. Vitamin C, ginseng, caffeine, guarana are all good as well, especially as high as it is on the list. Of course, it wouldn't be a new energy drink if it didn't have Sucralose in it, but I guess it's okay if it doesn't make too much of a difference in the taste. Per 12 ounce can, you get an average 150 calories and a low 36g of sugar. I always like seeing a low sweetened energy drink with the perfect amount if sweetness. Energy ingredients are undisclosed, but that's all right, perhaps it's average if it gave me a nice boost. It lasted about a good 2 hours with mostly energy, not really focus. So, concluding the review, I'll say I was impressed and kicked off the start of a new line of Archer Farms drinks real well.

Taste: 8.4 - Nice, smooth wild berry flavor with a tasy zing and a snap to finish it off
Kick: 7 - Not bad for a 12 ounce can, also suggesting the energy ingredients are average
Overall: 8 - I can't wait to crack open a few more of these new drinks and review them...

Reviewed by: Chan

Archer Farms Energy Fortified Pink Grapfruit

Being wiped out after a long day usually doesn't feel too good, but that's why energy drinks are around right? Sometimes you want the energy, minus the carbonation, and minus the jitteriness it most likely produces. This is why, after a long and tiring day, I'm going after something light on flavor, and with just enough energy to get me alert and somewhat focused. I didn't think I'd find anything good over at Target the other day until I took a glance at the Archer Farms water-based beverages and I found one that's actually energy fortified. I though, "Eh, why not? I mean, it's technically an energy drink, right?" Most of the time, I enjoy finding beverages I consider energy drinks because in reality, they are on the better-tasting, most refreshing, and fresher flavor side. But then again, I sometimes do crave and enjoy searching for those mean carbonated energy drink because they are tough and they do pack a punch. The bottle design is cool being connected diamonds that produces a design matching with the nice bright pink color in the background. There's also the tiny little suspicious Archer Farms chicken sitting right in the middle of the bottle. Well, let's see how this compares to energy fortified water beverages around.

I have no trouble twisting off the simple twist-off cap and find an aroma that's a bit light and has that natural-tasting bitterness from the grapefruit mixed in that tells me it's not all artificial. I mentioned before, the color is a nice bright pink grapefruit hue with quite some cloudiness towards the center of the drink. Hm, the flavor threw me off pretty well, as I was expecting a flavor guided more towards the aroma. Instead, I'm finding a taste that's mostly earthy and then a very small amount of grapefruit seems to be lurking around going down the throat. Gulping this drink down, the pink grapefruit flavor is being brought out a bit more and diminishes most of the earthiness within, but it's not that great if you're looking for even just an average amount of flavor. Being extremely diluted, there really isn't much of an aftertaste, perhaps some bitterness from the natural extracts of pink grapefruit. I wouldn't say a bottle of this is too gummy, but that's because it's sweetened well, whether it be acesulfame potassium, or what they call "sucromalt."Overall, I'm getting a bit fed up with all these extremely light/diluted drinks coming onto the market. I mean, sure, they are refreshing, but it gets annoying after a few consistent bottles of it.

I like change, and I'm glad Archer Farms changed up their ingredients list, differing from other top companies. They read as following: Water, sucromalt, resistant maltodextrin, citric acid, gum arabic, natural flavor, ascorbic acid, caffeine, Sucralose, acesulfame potassium, Vitamin E, sucrose, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, and niacin. I see the problem with this drink was all the various amounts of sweeteners tied in with each other and created a mess which blocked all the flavors. But, I was impressed by the fact that they masked the acesulfame potassium and the Sucralose very well. I hardly even tasted it. Per 16 ounce bottle, you only get about 50 calories, which after everything, isn't bad considering the light taste. There's also only about 6g of sugar in the whole thing, wow that's really good. For caffeine, I was surprised to see as much as I did, 75 whopping milligrams in one bottle. 75mg gave me some great alertness, no jitteriness, and gave me the power to actually walk around without dropping to the ground. All in all, I nice pick-me-up energy drink, but just not enough flavor I was expecting came to me.

Taste: 5.5 - Man, I was really let down with that little amount of flavor in the bottle
Kick: 7 - A nice kick lasted for about an hour with no crash later on
Overall: 6.4 - Actually, it's not bad for a water based beverage, but I prefer it cold for refreshment purposes.

Reviewed by: Chan

Archer Farms Sugar Free Grapefruit Energy

Wow! I'm so happy to get a review in. It's been awhile, huh? Well, as I move along with part III (and the final) of my Archer Farms reviews, I decided to review the sugar free one. As you know, these drinks are pretty cheap over at Target, but you gotta get over there fast because I believe they raised their price to $1.00. Anyway, this can has the same basic design as the Fruit Punch and Tropical Fruit drinks, but this one has a light green color to it, similar to a Monster. I guess this light color is supposed to resemble the fact that it is sugar free...who knows? Well, I'm finished writing this paragraph up, so let's see how this beast tastes...

As soon as the can opens with a loud crack, I get a bold grapefruit aroma, similar to that of Squirt. I am so excited now because I recognized this scent, the Bookoo Zero Carb! However, I do get that scent you get when having a low calorie drink, you know, that artificial scent. Right when the cup gets filled with a grapefruit-like energy drink, I notice an odd, bright pink color. I would never have guessed that would be the color... The first thing I notice in this drink is the sweetness and sourness fighting for flavor. What this drink reminded me of is if you've ever had a grapefruit and dipped it in sugar, you get that exact taste. I don't why this says sugar free, because I can taste a noticeable amount of sugar. Unlike what I said, this drink tastes nothing like the Bookoo Zero Carb; instead, it tastes like Squirt, with quite a lot of sugar, most likely artificial. The grapefruit in this drink is hardly noticeable, after a few ounces. This artificial sugar has taking over the drink, and started a reign of terror, which is starting to bug me because I kinda wanted a fruit drink, not a sugar-filled drink. This drink does contain a lot of gumminess, like the two other Archer Farms Brand energy drinks. The gumminess, to me, doesn't effect me too much, simply because I am used to many drinks being gummy, but this may effect you. There is also a quite large amount of carbonation, similar to a soda. Overall, this drink just tastes like a diet soda. I mean, it has no real flavor, just artificial sugar.

I now turn the can around to see the ingredients and take note of the important facts. Citric acid is number 2, no surprise there, considering there is no sugar to be listed. Taurine then comes in at number 3, an astonishing move by Archer Farms. Oh, hm, let's see, what's this? ASPARTAME. Aspartame is a dangerous, artificial sweetener placed in sodas. I guess I was right, this is basically a diet soda, with taurine. Per can, you get only 20 calories, similar to the Lo-Carb Monster. If it were up to me, however, I would choose the Lo-Carb over the this because you get a healthier sugar placed in, as well as more flavor. Obviously, you don't get any sugar whatsoever; this has advantage over other low carb/calorie energy drinks because, although they are low on that, they have sugar...You also get 2,000mg of taurine, a standard dosage for almost all energy drinks out there. As you have read in my review, you're better off getting a Low carb Monster, or a sugar free Amp. This leaves me wondering why Archer Farms would even bother making a sugar free energy drink if it isn't gonna taste good, compared to all the other low carb energy drinks out there.

Taste: 5.5 - It wasn't too good, way too artificial, and frankly, no flavor
Kick: 8 - These do pack a kick, though
Overall: 6 - Eh...

Reviewed by: Chan

Archer Farms Fruit Punch Energy

Hey, I am finally reviewing this drink after it being chilled in my fridge for a few days. Like the Tropical Fruit, I purchased this drink at Target for about .85 cents. I'm telling you, these drinks are the real deal. I mean, for .85 cents, why not? If you recall, my last Archer Farms review explained how good the Tropical Fruit was, so I am excited to crack this one open. This can has its Archer Farms logo, a small red rooster, just above a pinkish fruity color; most likely resembling the drink's color. I have noticed some frost on the can, that'll make it really cold, and in my case, better Other than that, this drink has a pretty basic design to it, mainly what Archer Farms usually does with their products. So, here comes the pitch.

As the can cracks open, I get some of this drink everywhere, due to the carbonation. However, the smell is similar to a mixed berry aroma. I smell a blend of raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, and strawberry. It comes out of the can a dark orange color, similar to the Full Throttle Fury. Hm, that's an odd taste. Imagine strawberry soda, with a hint of wild berry...I wouldn't call that fruit punch. As soon as it hits your mouth, you get a sour strawberry taste, and the aftertaste is a sweet blueberry and raspberry blend. However, you do get a lot of carbonation, which draws you away from the real flavor, so be aware of that. This drink reminds me of the Summer, where you aren't really doing anything but hanging out in your front or backyard, and just drinking a soda. The good part of this is you don't get a lot of gumminess, which I, and many other people prefer not to have. After about 5 ounces into the drink, I start to notice a great amount of melon, almost instantly after it touches your tongue. Now, you do not want to chug this because you will get a weird feeling in your throat like you get after drinking some cranberry juice; the carbonation will hurt you as well if you are trying to take big sips, so please savor and enjoy this drink. Overall, I guess it was alright, it tasted a bit natural and a bit artificial. If you want to make a drink with many flavors such as strawberry, melon, and various berries, you need to support it with less carbonation and no artificial sweeteners. Enough said.

Following the taste test, we have the ingredients. I first see carbonated water and and HFCS, no surprise. You will find HFCS in almost any food or drink out there, you just gotta be careful. Taurine comes in at a whopping number four, pretty good for a generic brand. Per can, you get 220 calories, which is almost average for your every day energy drink. You also get about 52g of sugar, which is about average as well, so you can count on this as being your average drink on the market. You will get supplied with 2,000 mg of taurine and 100mg of inositol. I know I never mention inositol in a review, but this is an exception. This drink was alright to me, I thought the Tropical Fruit was a lot better, but you can't beat it for .85 cents. If you want a drink that'll give you a punch of various fruits, you can get this drink, but why when there's better fruit-like drinks on the market?

Taste: 7 - I won't give this drink a bad rating only because I like fruity drinks, artificial, or not
Kick: 8 - Just like the other one, I get a great kick
Overall: 7 - It was pretty good, not as good as your genuine fruit drinks, though

Reviewed by: Chan

Archer Farms Tropical Fruit Energy

Wow! I didn't know Archer Farms made energy drinks. That's pretty cool. Anyways, I purchased this drink the other day for only .85 cents at Target. They make Fruit Punch and Sugar-Free Grapefruit as well. However, I will review those later. I was excited to get my hands on one of these because to me, it sounded really interesting. This can has the Archer Farms Logo in large letters, along with its little red rooster. Below it, is a simple yellow background with the words Energy Drink in capital letters. Basic.

As the can opens, I immediately smell a weak blend of mango and raspberry. Not a lot of scent, but a powerful color. As it rushes into the cup I notice a dark orange/light red color, with a lot of carbonation. As I sip it, I get a nice mango taste and as it fades away, I get a sour raspberry aftertaste. This is one flavorful drink. The mango is sweet and natural tasting, like your eating a mango, fresh picked from a tree. The aftertaste is the kind of sour taste you get from a lemon drop, pinching the sides of your mouth. It's the tasty type of sourness, not the unbearable, nasty sourness. However, the raspberry isn't as strong as the mango taste, but that's fine because good drinks usually try to get a lighter aftertaste that fades slowly and gives you a pleasant "goodbye." One factor that most energy drink companies lie about is the amount of carbonation that is placed in a drink. Some brands, like Red Bull, Pit Bull, and No Fear will note that their drinks are "lightly carbonated." Like this one, they are indeed heavily carbonated. Like I said in my Rip It Citrus review, these drinks are meant to be enjoyed and drunk slowly, so I don't really mind the carbonation. Next, I want to say that this drink does contain a noticeable amount of gumminess that takes over your entire mouth, so be aware of that. Other than that, this drink was pretty tasty. Overall, you need to stop over at Target to get this drink if you want a tropical punch for a low price.

Now the ingredients list. First, I notice carbonated water, in most every energy drink. After that, High Fructose Corn Syrup. Ah, HFCS, we meet again... Taurine then comes in at a whopping number four. Per can, you get 200 calories, the common amount in a lot of energy drinks out on the market. You also get 2,000 mg of Taurine, also standard dosage. You know, someday I will find an energy drink out there with more than 1,000 mg of Taurine per serving. You also get around 52g of sugar, which is standard as well. I guess, ingredients wise, this is a pretty standard energy drink. For a price of .85 cents, you get a flavorful boost of the tropics and a monster kick. This is way more than I expect from a brand like Archer Farms; all I can say is, great job.

Taste: 7.5 - It was pretty good, it kind of upset my stomach after a bit
Kick: 8.5 - All of the sudden...boom a large kick
Overall: 8 - I recommend you purchase this drink, even if you don't like it, it's .85 cents

Reviewed by: Chan