Nitro2Go Firepower Extreme

I'm back, finally, after my Nos review and a mild cold. Now, I'm feeling much better and I'm ready to review yet another drink. This time, it's a Nitro2Go Firepower Extreme, and boy, these guys mean business. The background of the can is a raging inferno and the words Firepower and Extreme are bold and big. Below, it reads, "A Powerful Blast of Vitamins and Herbs," so I know to look for some kind of special plant or additive. I've had a Nitro2Go before, namely, the Nitro2Go Firepower Unleashed. I'm expecting something similar, maybe with a greater kick. I can only find out by taking a drink.

The smell surprised me. It's moderately herbal, I would say, with subtle fruit mixed in. It doesn't seem to be very potent and I have to take a sip to better figure out the flavor. I poured the drink out and the color didn't surprise me, being the popular amber-gold color that many drinks are. The flavor isn't very surprising, either, being plainly sweet and nothing else. It's such a shame that there are 26g of sugar in the drink, yet no flavor. Even though the taste is sub-par, the flavor is still quite addicting. I feel a little guilty for drinking this. It just seems like a load of sugar because there's no flavor. I can detect not a trace of herbs, as I had suspected there would be. The flavor is just disappointing. I doubt the kick will make up for the taste.

In the drink: Filtered Water, HFCS, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Natural (Yeah, right) and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Taurine, Caffeine, Ginseng Extract, Guarana Extract, Niacin, and a whole array of other minute ingredients. It's pretty lame; the amounts of the energy ingredients must be extremely little because they're not listed. And they're not very high up in the ingredients; Taurine is #7, below Caramel Color and HFCS. Overall, it's just a sad and lame drink with a misrepresentative cover. The Monster is more potent and flavorful than this and doesn't brag with the words "extreme" and "powerful blast." This drink phails.

Taste: 2 - Tastes like... sugar
Kick: 3 - Just like having spoonfuls of sugar
Overall: 2 - Skip this one; it's just sugar in a can

Reviewed by: Sugar... I mean, Jeff

Nitro2Go FU: Firepower Unleashed

I came across the Nitro2Go FU at the local dollar store for the price of about 2 bucks. It seemed to be the only thing they had there, so I decided to pick one up and test it. The can features a nice grungy "FU" above the words "Firepower Unleashed" in a the same font. It's a simple and interesting design, with the black can and the energy ingredients written across the top. I can hardly guess what the flavor might be, but from the red on the can, I'm thinking it's got some sort of citrus flavor. We'll see...

At the opening of the can, I can tell that it smells similar to a lot of other energy drinks, with that generic Apple/Berry flavor. I still can't imagine what the color might be. When I pour it out into a cup, the color is amber-gold, like a Monster, but darker. This color is also popular with many energy drinks on the market. The smell and taste is pretty close to the Jones Energy, with kind of a sweet, bubble gum-like flavor, but there's more of a generic taste. When you drink it, you won't immediately think of any one fruit. It's pretty much just sweet. The thing I don't like about the drink is that on the first pour, I get tons of gumminess and some bad carbonation. I believe it's about the same amount as in a soda. It's not one to chug, or even very good to take large sips with, which is bad because it's just the kind of boring taste you'd find in many drinks meant to be chugged. The carbonation just holds you back.

Looking at the ingredients, I don't see many great ingredients but Caffeine and Inositol, even though on the top of the can it lists Tauine, Ginseng, and Guarana. The amount of Taurine is standard, at 2000mg per can, and there's the normal B Vitamins in the mix. I'd say there's nothing special about the ingredients, or the drink. I'd rather have a Monster instead. Or even an 8oz, $0.50 Mad Croc. At least the Mad Croc really tastes similar to a Monster, with that crisp taste and smoooth texture. I really am looking forward to it.

Taste: 3 - Just your average everyday sweetness
Kick: 3 - I'm probably looking at a sugar high for a little while
Overall - 3 - I'd say don't waste your time and money on this one

Reviewed by: Jeff