CRUNK Berry

No way. We got ourselves the newest CRUNK!!! flavor yet, CRUNK!!! Berry. Berry can have many different 'moods' to it, and I've come across many that are bland and just the same, though there are a few that can impress by standing out. Out of the previous three flavors CRUNK!!! has released, I've noticed a slight flavor variation between the flavors they are meant to be. For example, the CRUNK Citrus was supposed to taste like just citrus, however, it came across as lemonade with a nice herbal twist to it. CRUNK original and Sugar Free are supposed to be pomegranate, though again, it was pomegranate with a great herbal twist. If you catch what I'm saying, you'll see why I believe this CRUNK!!! Berry, right here, will be one of the most different tasting berry energy drinks around. I want to put in an accurate prediction here: I'll say it'll have a smooth cherry, raspberry, and cranberry ensemble, with a hefty mixture of Original pomegranate and the 'trademark' herbal flavor. One thing I noticed here with this can is the deep color it brings out. Crunk has stayed with the same general can design, but just mixed up the colors, depending on the flavor. I see they went with a smooth purple, being that most berries are darker, like purple, and some blue. Well, thanks again Regis for supporting us and supplying us with some tasty CRUNK!!! This is for you.

Jeff's take: I wait a second to enjoy this spectacular moment. Coming close for a smell, I'm greeted by an overwhelming grape smell like very strong grape soda and grape juice and a little bit of cranberry in the background. Through all the other CRUNK!!! drinks, the herbal blend has had a prominent smell, but this is the first I've had that doesn't show it right away. As I take another moment to sniff it, I pay close attention for the herbal blend, but I fear that it may end up smelling like strong B Vitamins instead. As I pour it out to see the color, I observe an extremely dark violet/purple, that of concord grape juice. Excited to take the first sip, I only take a small one. There's the same grape, but it's preceded and followed by CRUNK!!!'s signature herbs which may be easily mistaken for B Vitamins. That worries me, and although CRUNK!!! is a wonderful drink, I can imagine how this would be redone. Similarly to the regular and sugar-free CRUNK!!!, this one's herbal blend distracts just a bit from the sweetness, making it a little less addictive than I would like it to be. Unlike the CRUNK!!! Citrus and very much like the first two CRUNK!!!s, this one is a bit of an acquired taste and I find myself warming up to the flavor gradually. After a few more sips, the proprietary blend fades into the background and the primary flavor takes center stage, making this a more addictive drink. One thought that runs through my mind is that this flavor is a little too similar to the original CRUNK!!! for my liking. Grape is a wonderful flavor, but when you pair it with the same Cranberry in the original drink, you get something only a bit better. I thought CRUNK!!! had a great hit with their CRUNK!!! Citrus, an absolutely delicious drink, because it was radically different than the original flavor. Well, as I'm warming up to this, I'm liking it more and more, but I would still suggest a more "berry" flavor to separate it a bit more from the original. Nevertheless, CRUNK!!! has fashioned an above-par drink and I am continuing to enjoy it more and more. The gumminess level is low as can be, the carbonation is set perfectly right, and I can't forget about CRUNK!!!'s powerful energy blend. In the end, I have to say this is still a winner and can easily be enjoyed by anyone.

Chan's take: Chilling for about 24 hours, I begin by popping open this nice, disco-like purple can and finding a scent almost entirely grape, with notes of original pomegranate and cranberry. I couldn't accurately say it's berry, but it sure is heavy grape, as well as the dark, dark purple color. As I swig the first few ounces, I lay down the taste as an intense prominent punch of blueberry and grape, with a secondary flavor of sour-sweet cranberry and original herbal pomegranate. Tasting more and more, I find some really nice nuances of acai berry, which counterbalances the dull flavor of the high fructose corn syrup. About mid-way through the can, it has an aftertaste unlike many other CRUNK!!!s there are. This one, instead of herbs, is almost like paint; I mean, the smell of paint, at least. Just like all of the previous CRUNK!!! drinks, the flavor tops off with a nice, sour berry bite to it, leaving you with a decent craving for more. All of this is notably different than almost all of the other berry drinks I've tasted because all these flavors I just typed in, seem to come from original sources, as apposed to added sweeteners. Now, many energy drinks are following the line of adding Sucralose into their drinks, and I know I can't find any Sucralose, but there may be some in there. Scouring the list, I'm pleased to say that there is not one gram in this energy drink. Another good thing about CRUNK!!! is their use of HFCS; being there not much gumminess, it's easier to drink than most other HFCS-filled drinks, though it still has the same, lame dullness it brings to the drinks. Overall, CRUNK!!! did make a tasty and flavorful twisted-up version of a berry energy drink, though I wouldn't say it's their best yet.

CRUNK!!! has always differed from other energy drinks, in terms of not only taste, but ingredients and kick as well. Following that, the full list of ingredients are here: carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural flavors, calcium lactate, fruit and vegetable juice for color, magnesium lactate, ascorbic acid, red grape juice form concentrate, Vitamin E, Acai juice from concentrate, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride (HCL), selenium amino acid chelate, riboflavin, thiamin HCL,and cyanocobalamin. I had forgotten that CRUNK!!! has two separate ingredients list, one for proprietary ingredients, and the other for "other" ingredients, or standard ingredients. Here's the proprietary blend: caffeine, inositol, green tea leaf, damiana (Whole Plant), licorice (Root), guarana, L-Tyrosine, Horny Goat Weed, N acetyl L cysteine, ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, grape seed extract, skull cap, white willow, ashwagandha, and milk thistle. This may be the main reason why CRUNK!!! is my personal favorite ingredient-pro energy drink. If you see, it's got every energy ingredient in any and every energy drink I've ever come across. Combined, ashwagandha, caffeine, and ginkgo biloba will create a focus so great, lasting for a good 5 hours, which I find helpful for getting some house work done, or working online. Grape seed and milk thistle is healthy and good for the body, liver especially. After everything, CRUNK!!! has the same amazing kick you'll find in just about every can of this stuff, however, I would recommend you pick yourself up a CRUNK!!! Citrus instead.

Taste: 8.3 - Good, strong grape-acai berry flavor that gets more addictive as you drink
Kick: 9.3 - Amazing, intense and focused kick and just about every energy ingredient I've ever seen
Overall: 8.5 - Not quite as favorable as the other CRUNK!!!s, but still a great drink overall

Remember, you can always get yourself some great CRUNK!!! at CRUNK!!!'s Energy Drink Store.

Reviewed by: Chan and Jeff

CRUNK Citrus

Oh, CRUNK!!!, what a company. I've really enjoyed their drinks and am really excited to dig into their newest flavor. Jeff and I were unanimous in deciding who to review this one; we decided to do a double review. Our last double review was the Monster Java Chai Hai, so it's been awhile as you know. Okay, here our both of our reviews:

CRUNK!!! is Lil' John's take on energy drinks; I mean, who hasn't made their own line of energy drinks nowadays. If you haven't noticed already, this CRUNK!!! is made in a 16 ounce can, rather than a measly 8 ounce can. I felt some monster kick in the ounce can, so I can already imagine what this one's going to be like. CRUNK!!! Citrus has a bright yellow background with some green and black dots surrounding the word CRUNK!!! slapped across the can. Citrus is placed in smaller font above that, which gets me thinking why it isn't below the can and in larger font. Perhaps they don't want to mess with the logo. CRUNK!!!'s motto is "Get CRUNK!!!," and I'll tell you, based on the CRUNK!!!s I tried earlier, I'm ready to get CRUNK!!!! I know this energy drink contains some weird ingredients that I'm eager to try, but then again, who knows what I'll get? Okay, okay, I'm done rambling here, let's get down to the review.

I couldn't control myself opening it, it cracked open and I nearly crumpled the can with my eagerness. Anyway, when I did, I got an herby CRUNK!!! aroma with some lemonade type smell. Out of the can, CRUNK!!! gave a pale lemonade color, which is some yellow and white mixed with a lot of fizzinesss. My first thought on this drink "Oh wow, this one definitely is going on the Best Taste List." I was very surprised to find a mild Sprite-like taste, with some more lemon presence, sort of like a stronger Sierra Mist. But then again, it does have some energy drink qualities, such as sourness (Not usually found in sodas), herbiness (Which gives it a rich taste), and not as carbonated. It has no aftertaste, which allows for easier consuming and enjoying. Oh, man this taste is completely and utterly amazing, you just have to get this. Also, I believe people who don't enjoy energy drinks (Trust me, I know quite a few) will love this drink. CRUNK!!! Citrus is moderately carbonated, just about as much as a Monster, or Rockstar. One thing about this drink is the amount of gumminess, pretty bad. Overall, I really really enjoyed this drink, the best one in probably 30 reviews or so.

Okay, let's check out the ingredients. A glance at the back of the can reveals two lists of ingredients. The first one being proprietary blend, or energy ingredients. In this one I see caffeine, inositol, green tea, damiana (?), licorice root, guarana seed, L-Tyrosine, Horny Goat Weed, Ginkgo Biloba, Grape seed, skull cap (Mushroom), white willow, ashwaganda, and milk thistle. The next set of ingredients are labelled "Other Ingredients." Fine. Don't recognize the ingredients properly, CRUNK!!!. I kid. There's some carbonated water and HFCS; hmm, I thought it was pretty nice for a dull sweetener, although it would have been that much better with sucrose and glucose. Besides some natural flavors and vitamins E and B, this drink has no special qualities to it, in terms of basic energy drink ingredients. Although I was pretty satisfied with the variety of energy ingredients, I thought they could have made better use with the sweetener. Overall, this is just another addition to our Best Taste Lise and another one you MUST try, no matter the circumstances.

Taste: 9.3 - An awesome tasting drink; I thought it could have used a better sweetener, due to the gumminess and the slight dullness
Kick: 9.6 - The ginkgo and caffeine played a HUGE part in hitting a grand slam in your body
Overall: 9.4 - CRUNK!!! makes no mistakes when it comes to making a great energy drink

Reviewed by: Chan

I enjoyed the regular CRUNK!!!, with its herbal qualities and subtle and smooth pomegranate flavors. Now, I'm pretty psyched to try the totally new citrus variety. I haven't seen a new flavor come out since I found out about CRUNK!!! so this is a really cool experience for me, getting to test a new flavor. The name says Citrus, but I think the colors on the can hint to a possible lemon-lime flavor. I'm predicting a fresh lemon and lime taste, hopefully as good or better than Sprite. What will make it better, undoubtedly, will be the kick, and the added bonus of a boost in libido, which the drink promises. I can't wait to open it, so I'm going to end the paragraph now.

Chandler and I just had to open the can in our dramatic can-opening ritual. The first thing I did was take a sniff. I couldn't help but notice the similarity in aroma to the FRS Lime. What I mean by that is there's the lime, and then lots of herbs and b vitamins. The taste, however, is much more enjoyable. First, you are met with a the taste of b vitamins and then a very, very nice, fresh, and delightfully sour lemon-lime. The herbs linger in the background, giving the drink a bit of a rich taste. I've been enjoying it so much that I forgot to pour it out of the can! To be expected, the color is a pale, cloudy translucent color, like lemonade, or lemon pulp. Getting toward the end of the can, the flavor only gets more irresistible with the taste of good 'ol sugar. Actually, the sweetener is HFCS, but Crunk somehow doesn't let the dullness come through. I'd say this is definitely worth the Best Taste list. Through the duration of the whole can, virtually no gumminess has held me back, and the carbonation is very subtle and pleasant, not painful like a soda.

It'll be lots of fun going over the ingredients list. Since this drink is designed to enhance your libido, there are some funky ingredients and herbs in here. There are two ingredients lists, which isn't very commonly seen. 194mg total of Caffeine are present, then Inositol, and Green tea. The next ingredient is an odd one: Damiana, which I know is an aphrodisiac. The following ingredients include licorice, guarana, L-tyrosine, horny goat weed, N Acetyl L-Cytesine, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, grape seed extract, skull cap, white willow, ashwaganda, and milk thistle. It's a very exotic list of ingredients, which contribute to a boost in libido. In the whole can, there are 526mg of the proprietary energy blend. In the regular ingredients list, there is HFCS, natural flavors and a bunch of vitamins. Overall, the ingredients seem pretty strong, with all the regular energy ingredients and some neat ones you don't regularly see. With the great taste and the awesome kick this drink offers, you can't afford not to try it.

Taste: 8.7 - A great lemon-lime flavor that anyone could love.
Kick: 8.5 - With more than the regular amount of energy ingredients, this packs a serious punch
Overall: 9 - You can't afford not to try this one

Reviewed by: Jeff

CRUNK Sugar Free

Wow! I cannot believe I actually have a CRUNK!!! Sugar Free in my hands right now. I have admired CRUNK!!! for as long as I have known them, and I cannot believe I found one. Jeff reviewed the regular CRUNK!!! so don't miss that review either. Well, CRUNKS!!! are known for their amazing kick and natural taste, so this good be the 'ultimate' drink, in my terms. I'm predicting a hopefully natural sweet pomegranate, with a bit of tart strawberry, possibly. This drink is crazy; its got Ashwaganda, green tea, ginkgo biloba, milk thistle, and white willow. On top of that, this drink only has 5 calories, pretty amazing. It has a metallic silver background as well as red bubbles on the sides of the can. You then the words "Sugar Free CRUNK!!! Energy Drink" going diagonally across the can. I'm ecstatic to actually drink this one, and I do hope that it'll be as good as the original CRUNK!!! I tried earlier.

It disperses a pomegranate aroma, with little sweetness, almost the same as a real pomegranate. I also notice a bit of grape and strawberry behind it, somewhere. Out of the can, it has a faded pink color, with some red hues, but it's pink for the most part. It has the same base CRUNK!!! taste, but is a bit original. CRUNK!!! will give you a sour pomegranate flavor, with a bit strawberry. It'll then fade away with an artificial grape flavor, most likely due to the amount of sucralose in the drink. Luckily, it has no apparent aftertaste, which allows you to not be hesitant to go in for more. It has a pretty solid taste, but gets a bit old and somewhat plain after about 4 ounces in. It's unique, and I like it. All in all, I can conclude that it has a mild fruity flavor, with noticeable artificial sweetener. The carbonation in this drink isn't actually too bad as it hits your tongue, but tends to be a bit painful going down your throat. Overall, this one wasn't too far from its original flavor, but it could use some fixing up because the flavor got a bit plain. The fellas at CRUNK!!! could make this sugar free drink have a bolder pomegranate taste, and less tartness.

Now for the ingredients. On the back of the can, the ingredients list are listed into two categories: proprietary blend and other ingredients. In the proprietary blend, we see 100mg of caffeine added into the can, inositol, green tea leaf, damiana, L-Carnitine, licorice, guarana seed, Horny Goat Weed, Ginkgo biloba, panax ginseng, grape seed extract, white willow, Ashwaganda, and milk thistle. In the other ingredients, we have carbonated water, citric acid, natural flavors, black carrot extract, pomegranate juice, sucralose, acesulfame, and riboflavin. Now that's a true energy drink blend, if you ask me. Per can (8oz.), you get only 5 calories, not bad for all you dieters out there. You obviously get no sugar, but you get all that artificial sweetener. Odd enough, I haven't seen taurine in this mix, but I'm still getting a gnarly kick. I guess they're right, taurine really doesn't do much. For an 8oz can, this drink packs one huge punch, so beware if you are getting ready to crack one of these beasts open. If you had to choose between this one and the regular CRUNK!!!, I'd advise you get the regular.

Taste: 8 - I enjoyed its natural flavor, but it just didn't have enough for me to thoroughly be pleased with it
Kick: 9 - Major kick on these beasts, but it results in a pretty sick crash
Overall: 8.5 - Not too shabby...

Reviewed by: Chan

CRUNK

Nice! I got the Crunks today and I have been so excited to try them all day long. I heard about these online at http://www.crunkenergydrink.com, and thought they were quite unique, being very herbal and different than most energy drinks. It's not only an energy drink that will give you energy, but also one that increases libido. With ingredients like Ashwaganda and Horny Goat Weed, this should have some effect other than energy-giving. The can design is pretty wicked and sleek, the background being black with red on the top and bottom and a nice, modern transition to red. The top of the can includes many adjectives to describe the kick: Replenish, Stimulate, Refresh, Invigorate, Arouse, Energize. I like the drink's look and theme. I'm really eager to pop this one open, after hearing Chan tell me how good it is.

My first words after opening the can: "Mmm... This smells good." I really like the smell. It's like pomegranate juice with the seeds included and some definite herbalness. It tastes much less herbal than the Sugar Free CRUNK!!! I tasted earlier today. And it seems also not as sweet, containing HFCS. At first, your tongue is met with sour and slightly sweet pomegranate juice. That same taste follows through and then the herbs kick in. It tastes almost minty and like eucalyptus and it's very pleasant, I think. It doesn't take as much of a trained and acquired taste to enjoy as the sugar free version, which I, frankly, liked more than the regular. I think I do for a few reasons: The Sugar Free has a stronger herbal taste, which I liked, and the sweetness was actually not bad and very nice for a sugar free drink. There's very little carbonation in this one, and for the first time ever as well, I wish there were more. It's not my favorite drink, and I think it could be improved with Glucose and Sucrose instead of HFCS. It's not that there's any gumminess, which is very good, but I just believe it could taste crisper and more refreshing than it is. Overall, it's a decent drink, but I thought it would be better. It's not often that I prefer a sugar free version of a drink over the regular. Now, I'm waiting for the kick.

Well, after really trying hard to feel the kick, I admit, I don't really feel what the can promised. I know, though, that I am feeling a bit more sensitive. I feel like mingling with a group of guys and girls and having some fun chatting. It sounds like a lot of fun right now. It's due to the proprietary blend, which consists of Caffeine, Inositol, Green Tea Leaf, Damiana, L-Carnitine, Licorice, Guarana, L-Tyrosine, Horny Goat Weed, N Acetyl L-Cytesine, Ginkgo Biloba, Panax Ginseng, Grape Seed Extract, Skull Cap, White Willow Bark, Ashwaganda, and Milk Thistle. Quite an extensive ingredients list! Though there are a lot of very unique energy supplements, I have to admit, it didn't do much in terms of libido or arousal. It did, however, absolutely glue my eyes open and give me intense focus. It's a great one to have if you're pulling an all-nighter. Even 8oz had a large effect. I would not count on it so much for its promised effects, but rather for a powerful pick-me-up or a drink to share with friends.

Taste: 7.2 - An okay herbal pomegranate
Kick: 8.5 - Intense focus and alertness
Overall: 7.5 - A good one for mingling with friends

Reviewed by: Jeff