Jolt Power Cola

Think back to the Jolt Cola review. That turned out to be part of some separate line of Jolt energy drinks. I was wondering why it came in the small can - 16oz instead of 24. Yeah, I miss the 24oz behemoth energy drinks. Even more, I miss the 24ozers with a cap, the resealable ones. Having a cap on a huge energy drink makes it so much better and enjoyable, in my mind. And, what's more, it makes that awesome "pop" sound I've missed so much. Now, I've read about the main line of Jolts and supposedly, they have a way better flavor than the last line. The can design is still pretty sweet and rugged, with the bold "JOLT" going up the side of the can and the intense lightning bolts over a red background. They call this a battery can because it does look a little like a battery. The top part is the positive end and the bottom is the negative. Then, they've got that stripe on the top part of the can, like a Duracell brand battery. Man, this is going to be such an awesome experience. I cannot wait to tear in.

Dude, that was awesome. The plastic coating came off in one piece and then I unscrewed the cap, yielding a loud "POP" that sounded like explosive decompression. Right after, wispy vapor that looked like steam vented from the opening. I took a big whiff straight from the can and sure enough, it was cola. The first distinct smell that I noticed was lime peel, driving the scent towards that of Pepsi-Cola. Behind that, there's another herb that reminds me of Coca-Cola. This is definitely not a generic or simple cola. No, this is a cola that tries hard to bring some complexity into the mix. The color is pretty dark, darker than other colas. 2-4oz in a cup looks almost black, rather than a lighter caramel color. This stuff goes down okay, but not particularly smoothly. It seems some of the unusual flavors slightly hinder this drink's chuggability as well as foamy, fine carbonation. After a chug, Jolt Power Cola leaves a moderate amount of gumminess in the mouth, but it's only mild and easy to remove. My least favorite kind of carbonation is the very foamy kind because I think it's the one that gets in the way of the flavor the most, lingering the longest. There's only a tiny, tiny aftertaste of plain old cola. I thought reviewing this would be more of a thrill, but the carbonation in this is just the worst. It's not painful, just annoying. If you're going to drink this, I suppose the best way to enjoy it is to let it go flat, chill it and then drink it. The only differences I could pin down between this and the Jolt Cola are that this one has more flavor, but troublesome carbonation. Overall, I'd say this is almost as good as Coca-Cola and way better than Pepsi.

From a 24oz drink, you can expect a pretty hefty boost, and with the Jolt, this is especially true. I hadn't even finished this mammoth when I just couldn't sit still and ran around like mad. You can't hardly beat the amazing lift you get from one of these. The kick will take you by surprise, getting you up and moving uncontrollably, and you won't want to stop for hours. Running constantly is a breeze because of all the energy I get from this thing. I needed the lift; just before I had this, I was too tired and lazy to do anything. So what does the ingredients list look like? There's Carbonated Water, HFCS, Taurine, Caramel Color, Phosphoric Acid, Caffeine, Natural Flavor, Citric Acid, Guarana Seed Extract, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate (Pantothenic Acid), Thiamine Hydrochloride, and Riboflavin. It's looking pretty solid, except I don't see any of the lesser energy ingredients, like Glucuronolactone, Inositol, and L-Carnitine. Apparently, Jolt chose to solely incorporate the big four: Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana, and a stack of Vitamins. For kick, Jolt goes with a simple energy blend, but the huge can delivers enough of it to send you soaring.

Taste: 7.7 - Better-than-average cola
Kick: 9 - You can count on a 24ozer for some serious power
Overall: 8.5 - Worth the boost

Reviewed by: Jeff

Activ Water Power

Well, a trip to Big! Lots pays off again, with the discovery of the Activ Water. I don't remember seeing any other varieties of the Activ Water over there, so I suppose I was lucky to find the Power. Power can always be assumed to mean that an drink is supposed to provide energy, I think. I just about had my fill with drinks that were too sweet, which is why I reached for this. Most canned drinks I had contained around 27-29g of sugar, which is a whole lot when paired with sucralose and the fact that the drinks warmed up. This energy water, thankfully, is going to be like a breath of fresh air with 6g of sugar per 8oz. There are 20oz total, meaning 15g only. This is going to be very refreshing with a small amount of sweetness and probably a light and sour kiwi strawberry flavor. Oh, wait a minute. The sweetener is something I've never heard of before. It's called Erythritol, and it turns out that it's a sugar alcohol that comes naturally from fruits and that is 60-70% as sweet as sugar. It has no side effects and is virtually calorie-free. Sounds like a miracle artificial sweetener, but I'll have to taste it first. The aftertaste may possibly make me wish for plain old sugar.

Well, to be expected, there's little flavor. It's vague with hardly any strawberry and kiwi. Rolling it around on my tongue, I like the sour and unusual sweetness that isn't strong at all. During the same time I tasted that, I tasted just a small saltiness coming from the electrolytes. Good thing they're in here, because opposite of most energy drinks, this one is going to have a hydrating effect, instead of dehydrating. This would be way more refreshing cold, like Gatorade is, so I'm going to chill it.

...chilled, this thing is not much better. Still, it's like plain water with electrolytes and mild kiwi/strawberry with hardly any sourness. It's not even as sweet as a Vitamin Water. If you think a Vitamin Water isn't sweet enough, you won't enjoy the sweetness of the Activ Water. Still, it is very refreshing.

The Activ Water's kick can barely be called a kick. I realized soon after drinking it that there are no energy ingredients, actually. The only thing inside that could yield any energy would be Vitamin B12. Other vitamins inside may be healthy, but they won't necessarily give you energy. Those vitamins are C, D3, K1, Calcium and Magnesium. I can't say much about the kick except that this stuff really does hydrate you. I didn't feel thirsty for the rest of the day after I drank it. Please excuse the short review, but I don't find much to say about this drink. There's really nothing powerful about this drink and a Gatorade would probably hyrdrate you just as well if not better.

Taste: 5 - Lame almost flavorless kiwi-water
Kick: 3 - No kick, mostly hydration
Overall: 3 - Just a drink...

Reviewed by: Jeff

Rip It Power Sugar Free

Remember the first Rip It Power review? I have a hunch that particular drink was old, which lent itself to the chalky taste. I'm hoping this one will taste somewhat better, being that it's fresh. True, it will taste slightly different than how the regular Power should've tasted, but it can't be that drastic. Now I will get to find out the true taste of the Rip It Power. I'm not really that excited about the fact that this one is sugar free. The Supplement Facts say 0g of sugar, but that's kind of like lying because there's, no doubt, some sort of nasty artificial sweetener in here, perhaps multiple. Oh, yes, there is Surcalose (Splenda) and Acesulfame Potassium. I recognize Acesulfame Potassium from being in many diet tea drinks, and Splenda is what always gave Chan stomachaches. We'll see how it goes.

Rip It has always pleased me and I've really enjoyed their stylish and simplistic can designs. This one gave off a sort of weak berry smell. The color, however, didn't match the smell, being a light, soft yellow. Immediately, I could tell it was artificially sweetened. It's that unnatural metallic aftertaste and that sourness that just doesn't match the addictiveness of real Sucrose and Glucose. I'm not quite sure what they meant it to taste like... Perhaps pineapple? I'm really unsure about the flavor. It's something tangy and either citrus or berry. It's almost devoid of flavor, just tasting sweet and sour, at different times. I'm the kind of person that feels obligated to always finish something, whether it be a drink or dish, but I'm finding it hard now to take another sip. The gumminess is still lingering from my first few sips and is really bothersome. My attempt to chug this thing was shut down right away by the fine, stinging carbonation, which feels like it's chemically burning the back of my tongue. A little more than halfway through, I am still completely clueless about the flavor. I'm not even sure if what I'm tasting is sweet; it's like a sweetness substitute, being close to sweet, but not the same. It's even upsetting my stomach. This drink's taste phails, big time. And I was so excited to try it...

The kick was standard of most energy drinks. The 2000mg total of Taurine and 200mg of Inositol did do something, but frankly, it doesn't compare to a Monster. The ingredients are pretty weak, with only 180mg of Caffeine total and 20mg of Guarana. It was fine that I felt a kick, but I'm not satisfied with the ingredients. They're just too tame and too little for me. And the artificial sweetners were pretty sickening. Sure, I was pretty fired up while I played with my dog, but overall, this drink is a phail. I'm not sure what else to say.

Taste: 3 - Yuck
Kick: 4 - Substandard
Overall: 3 - I'm not having it again

Reviewed by: Chan

Rip It Power

This here is another dollar store energy drink, the Rip It Power. It's the red Rip It, and I believe it is to be berry flavor, but I have to test it to be sure. It's got 32g of sugar, meaning it's going to be really sweet, but perhaps that sugar will lend itself to a major boost. That's what I'm hoping as I go for the Rip It Power.

The smell was an interesting one. It's not very fruity, but it's more of a kind of designer flavor. It smells a little metallic, and the flavor is a little vitaminy. It's like dissolving a multivitamin tablet into some sugary water. It's a little chalky, as a matter of fact, and that's something that makes me think twice about taking another sip. Perhaps it's a better drink to chug rather than savor, with its simple sweetness and one-dimensional taste. The carbonation is moderate and doesn't hold you back as much as other drinks. The gumminess, doesn't appear very early in the drink, and that's something, considering the high amount of sugar. Or, wait, HFCS. And that makes sense, because HFCS is cheaper than sugar, making this one as affordable as it is. Overall, the taste is chalky and a little nasty, but just addicting enough to finish. Like steak.

Ingredient summary: carbonated water, HFCS, citric acid, natural flavor. Taurine, surprisingly, or maybe not, is not listed in the ingredients. However, listed in the Nutriton Facts, there are 2000mg of Taurine per can, as in most energy drinks and a slightly small dose of 180mg of Caffeine per can. Along with those two supplements are Inositol and Guarana in small amounts. I think overall, the ingredients are pretty standard and nothing special.

* I think this one was just old; look for a re-review in the future. A fresh drink won't taste chalky.

Taste: 4 - Chalky and just sweet
Kick: 4 - I'm not so sure I feel anything...
Overall: 2 - I'd call it a fail, don't drink it

Reviewed by: Jeff

Sobe Power Fruit Punch

As I was out today, I saw this, the Sobe Power Fruit Punch. I guessed from the name "Power" and the words, "Flavored Beverage with a blend of Proline, Guarana, & Taurine," that this was made to give energy. So, thinking it was worth a try, I decided to get it and save it for later. I know Sobe makes pretty high quality drinks, so I'm interested in seeing what this has to offer. Let's crack it open.

I didn't forget to shake it this time, so it's well mixed. At the opening of the clear glass bottle, I got an amazing trademark Sobe scent. Incredibly pungent fruitiness with a sour bite, but nothing that will make you pucker. It's like a bolder version of Hawaiian punch bringing some stronger and more citrus flavors into the mix. It's just a little gummy, with 30 grams of sugar, but overall, the gumminess isn't nearly as bad as some of the other drinks I've tried. As I tear further into this beast, I can tell it gets a little overpowering, yet it is still addicting at the same time. It makes me keep on coming back for more and more. In fact, by the time I finish this paragraph, I'll be nearly done. You may like this one more than the other popular drinks, because there's none of that "bubble gum" flavor, characteristic of energy drinks. It's just a smooth, fruity ride, yet I have to admit it tastes very sugary.

In terms of energy supplements, I see there are 50mg of Taurine, 50 mg of Guarana, and 25mg of L-Proline, pretty weak to energy drink standards. But I discovered something interesting about the last energy ingredient, L-Proline. L-Proline is an amino acid, found in your DNA, characteristic of Sobe soft drinks. It's the cause of that peculiar sweet aftertaste. It's unique to Sobes and I find it to be interesting. Moving right along, there's Caffeine, but it seems a very small amount, otherwise it would be listed in the Nutrition Facts. And, oh look! There's a whole day's recommendation of Vitamin C! Well, I'm set for half the day, now, with this drink. I don't feel much more energized, but a little. It seems this Sobe Power is more something to improve vitality, rather than energy, just like the Vitamin Energy. It's fine if you like Sobes, but I'm not really a big fan of this drink.

Taste: 5 - Unique and bold, but not insanely good
Kick: 3 - Weak on ingredients, I feel vitalized but not hyped-up
Overall: 6 - Fine if you like Sobes, but it's just not for me...

Reviewed by: Jeff