BAZI Energy Shot

In the realm of energy shots, there are essentially two categories: mediocre, simple, straightforward shots; and then the shots that really shine, the full-force, high quality, flavorful, powerful ones that make you wish for a larger bottle. I don't often make judgements on energy drinks prior to enjoying them, but I've done my research on this one. Today I've got BAZI Energy Shot to taste and experience. Many thanks to the company for providing me with a sample. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to be gracious when you receive a generous sample like this, but I don't praise BAZI for that reason alone. BAZI is a perfectly cylindrical, deep red 2oz shot and you can tell by its ingredients that BAZI has put some serious work into its creation. It's packed with eight, count them, eight (8) superfruits, including our beloved Acai and Goji. It's also got 12 Vitamins, an interesting mineral blend, and of course, an energy blend. I don't want to spoil all of the details in the first paragraph, so let's carry on with the tasting. Shall we?

I give BAZI a nice shake between my thumb and middle and twist open the cap. Check it out: underneath the cap, BAZI's placed a plastic seal, which tells me BAZI takes their shots seriously. The liquid inside is an opaque orange-red color like beets. I only use that as a color comparison. The smell is a rough sweetness surrounded in an earthiness like minerals and vitamins. However, it doesn't smell artificial. I'm thinking that earthiness is coming from the 8 superfruits, and I'm not afraid. Taking a sip, I'm glad to find more dimension in the flavor; it begins with a well-rounded sweetness with berry overtones, then a sourness meets the back of the mouth that's pretty satisfying and enjoyable. All the while, there's a chocolatey-ness to it that's gotta be coming from the smooth Acai. I can't make out every superfruit, considering I have never tried Jujube, Goji, Mangosteen, or Seabuckthorn. Despite this, I'll say that BAZI is a pretty tasty shot. The flavor is enjoyable in a different way than most shots, and it's not hard to down. It's going to be a new experience to first-timers, but if you're open to new flavors, you definitely want to give this shot a try. Now I wait to feel the effects.

I'm not going to lie; I'm very, very satisfied with BAZI's kick. Like many energy shots, you don't find yourself crashing after an overwhelming boost. After downing BAZI's two ounces I felt a gradual, gentle boost. Instead of a massive amount of energy, BAZI delivers a nice, constant pick-me-up with awesome vitality. You get a true sense of physical well-being and that's a great thing to have from an energy product. My guess is this comes from the plethora of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The vitamins present in BAZI include: biotin, folate, vitamin A, C, D, E, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. So there we've got a large part of the "vitamin alphabet," including a strong B-complex. BAZI also contains 1000mg of a mineral blend which includes a fulvic mineral solution. Bottles of fulvic mineral solutions are sold and said to improve absorption of nutrients, body toxicity, metabolism, and even oxygen absorption. These components, along with BAZI's impressive 25-gram 8-superfruit blend, must be what provide its incredible vitality and awareness. Finally, the energy blend consists of 80mg of caffeine, 50mg of inositol, 50mg of Para Aminobenzoic Acid, and 20mg of Rutin. Para Aminobenzoic Acid is said to assist with fatigue, depression, irritability, and a number of skin diseases. Rutin, like, Para Aminobenzoic Acid, is an organic compound and is not proven to, but may help with inflammation and the blood. It's also an antioxidant. The rest of BAZI's ingredients are as follows: purified water, fructose, pear juice concentrate, natural flavor, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate. I have to say I am very impressed by what BAZI's creators have put together here. Some might complain that it lacks punch, but I'm very glad BAZI chose to limit the caffeine and energy ingredients. This is a shot that will leave you comfortable and feeling good overall. And that's what I need half of the time, not some energy bomb that has me jittery and keeps me up at night. I applaud BAZI, and highly, highly recommend you give it a try.

Taste: 8.2 - A unique, exotic, and very tasty energy experience
Kick: 9.0 - BAZI delivers with a smooth, alert, vital boost
Overall: 8.6 - Perfect choice for a healthy, enjoyable pick-me-up

Reviewed by: Jeff

̈̈Übershot Energy Shot

When it comes to most energy products, you have your energy drinks, and then you have your energy shots: small, potent packages of high-power energy ingredients. Shots are all about the kick and the convenience. How much easier can it get than slamming down a few ounces of potion to get that extra boost? Usually, shots are sugar-free, advertising themselves as much healthier pick-me-ups than sugary drinks. While this may be true, most shots neglect one thing: the taste. Packing so many vitamins and energy supplements in a tiny 1 or 2 oz bottle isn't going to produce the best-tasting concoction. For this reason, shots will often have a bitter, sour, or terribly sweet, artificial flavor. Here, I hope, is an exception. Übershot comes from the United Kingdom, and has a very sleek ruby red color with a bold "Ü" on the cover and the tagline "Energy for life with no lows." From Übershot's beautiful, minimalistic website, I see that it promises no lows and lots of long-lasting energy and concentration. Its many ingredients, which I'll delve into later, already tell me this boost is going to be substantial. As for the flavor, I feel confident Übershot has something tasty in store, despite the energy shot blunders I've tasted before.

I shake the 58ml metal bottle for good measure and unscrew the top. A somewhat light and sharp grapefruit-like aroma jumps at me that smells pretty refreshing. The liquid inside looks almost clear with a rosy, peachy tint. My first sip lets me know immediately this is artificially sweetened, but thankfully, it doesn't taste "fake." The strong sweetness, which is expected of a shot, does very well to support a sharp, full-bodied flavor that has me flip-flopping between grapefruit and berry. Later on, the grapefruit fades away, and I decide the flavor is a well-rounded, natural-tasting mixed berry. I only get an artificial aftertaste when I sip it slowly; when taken quickly, Übershot has a perfectly delightful flavor and no aftertaste whatsoever. After both sipping and slamming, Übershot leaves my pallete satisfied.

I tested Übershot's energy-giving ability on two occasions: once after sipping and once after slamming it down. After taking it slowly, I found Übershot increased my alertness and gave me a very smooth, rounded boost, with plenty of endurance to sustain me throughout my jog. The second time trying it, Übershot was relentless. In less than five minutes, my eyes were wide, my alertness was doubled and I found myself blazing through my daily routine. Übershot offers consistent, smooth, non-jittery energy, perfect for a mid-day pick-me up or a morning jump start. The only time I don't recommend it is before vigorous exercise, because you'll lose the vitality and long-lasting energy. Without a doubt, this is Übershot's strongpoint.

Übershot's supplement facts is pretty different than what I'm used to seeing, since it's a British drink. I'll begin with the energy blend, which consists of:

Taurine - 1050mg
Glucuronolactone - 630mg
Caffeine - 210mg
N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine - 210mg
Malic Acid - 160mg
L-Carnitine - 50mg

Looking at that, I see the reason why this drink provides such a concentrated, vital kick. N-Acetyle-L-Tyrosine and L-Carnitine are both amino acids, powerful agents that provide concentration and vitality. The next thing that catches my eye is Caffeine, at a whopping 210mg. To be honest, that's a pretty big jolt of Caffeine, but Übershot is right when they say it's the about the same amount in a cup of coffee; a Starbucks coffee probably contains just as much, if not more. Taurine is present in a modest amount--1050mg. I never knew this before, but apparently, Taurine is helpful in absorbing fats and fat-soluble vitamins. Now I understand why it's in so many energy drinks. This I learned on Übershot's website, along with lots of other handy info about the ingredients. I highly recommend you check it out: http://ubershot.co.uk/

The rest of the ingredients include water, natural flavors, and sucralose. Overall, I must say, Übershot is a high-quality shot that I wouldn't mind using as a pick me up. Its terrific, fresh flavor coupled with hours of vitality and solid energy make it a no-brainer. Too bad it's not available around here.

Taste: 8.5 - Delicious, fresh-tasting natural berry or citrus
Kick: 8.8 - When it comes to vitality, Übershot excels and even relieves stress and improves mental clarity
Overall: 8.7 - Übershot goes above and beyond your average shots

Rockstar Tropical Punch Shot

With energy drinks on the rise, companies have to think fast for a new flavor. Once all the flavors are covered and being sold, they move onto the next generation of energy, 2-4 ounce shots. Shots are pretty convenient because they're obviously smaller, have less sugar, are more powerful, and are just less to drink if you need the energy right now, right here. So, when one company starts the trend, soon all the rest like Rockstar, Monster, and Amp fall in line to do the exact same, just their version of it. So far, I know Monster and Amp have created and released their energy shots, yet I have not spotted one. All I've seen is this Rockstar Tropical Punch, and the original Rockstar shot, so it's cool until I can find the other few out there. I also have word that CRUNK!!! has recently released their newest flavor, CRUNK!!! Berry; I really hope to find one of those too and review it with Jeff immediately. Well, following Rockstar's tropical 16 ounce energy drink's scheme, I see a design of just red, white, and black. Red, being on the cap and in the star; black being on the background; and white lettering. One thing I notice on the brim of the bottle is the caffeine content, 200mg. Some will argue that that is powerful, but I for one, believe that it is not powerful enough to sustain the same boost an energy shot would usually give.

Twisting the cap open, I dig deep for a scent that's almost exactly like the regular Rockstar Tropical Fruit, but all the scent packed into one shot, thus making it much more potent. It's color
oddly clear, though I may have been over expectant for a red or similar to red color. Before I taste it, I have to remember that it's a shot, or in other words, it's not meant to be sipped. So, I'm just going to down the 2.5 ounces now and describe the flavor as best as I can. Bottoms up! Okay, so chugging it was not the greatest idea in the world...After swigging an ounce my face turned almost priceless, twisting and jerking. As I take a smaller sip, I analyze a smooth and up front wild berry/cherry flavor for just a split second, and shortly afterwards, you find an overbearing extreme bitterness. I'm not talking about just a mild bitterness you find in handfuls of energy drinks, I'm talking uncontrollable bitterness, like nothing I've come across so far. The flavor spreads quickly throughout your mouth and pinches the sides of your cheek as well as the back of your tongue and down your throat; it's pretty intense. If I may recommend one thing about this energy shot, it's to down this real quickly to avoid this fake, bitter flavor. As I top off the minute bottle, I surely find that same berry and bitter combination, but this time with a bit of citrus added to the aftertaste. All in all, I really don't like rating the taste of energy shots because that's just how they are, so I'll just let this one slide, like I do with most others.

Ingredients-wise, I haven't glanced at anything on the back of the bottle, so I'm not too sure what to expect, other than standard Rockstar ingredients. I would be extremely impressed if this had ginkgo biloba; let's find out... All it's ingredients are listed here: purified filtered water, taurine, natural flavors, malic acid, phosphoric Acid, caffeine, sodium citrate, benzoic acid, sorbic acid, L-carnitine, inositol, milk thistle, niacin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine hyrdochloride, acesulfame potassium, guarana seed, neotame, ginseng, Sucralose, red #40, and cyanocobalamin. Sadly, there is no ginkgo biloba, but knowing Rockstar, there's a legitimate reason behind it. All the main energy ingredients are listed as one of the last, which shows Rockstar focused mainly on giving what is called a "caffeine kick", which, as you may or may not know, gets you jittery for a short period of time and releases a crash. I truly hope this shot doesn't give that effect. For a sugar free drink, I was surprised to see all the artificial sweeteners listed near the bottom of the list, so that goes to show what kind of flavor you receive drinking this, natural-fruit flavors. Again, there's about 200mg of caffine for 2.5 ounce bottle, no calories, no sugar and an energy blend of roughly 1.44g (That's 1440mg). Coming back about an hour later, I determine this kick is about 60% jitteriness, 20% focus, and 20% alertness. Good statistics, though I'm pretty sure I'd find more focus with a hearty amount of ginkgo biloba in the mix. Overall, Rockstar nailed the energy shot, for the most part, until I can grab a Wild Berry Shot.

Taste: 3 - So what? The flavor in shots are usually neglected anyways
Kick: 9 - Great, steady kick so far; mild crash ~four-five hours later
Overall: 9 - To crown a winner of shots, I'll have to find the other major products...but for now, I recommend this one

Reviewed by: Chan

Extreme 6-Hour Energy Shot

All right, I have been waiting so long to finally review one of these. I received this while I was recently out of town. This is not a can, but a two ounce bottle. The bottle reads: "Extreme Energy 6-hour Shot. World's most extreme energy shot. Works blazing fast, No crashing, Zero Sugar. The background consists of flames along side a black color. I am a little nervous to try this, but I will anyway. So, let's get down to business.

As I untwisted the cap and peeled off the wrapper, I noticed a sweet, nectar-like scent. I got in for a closer smell; it smells like a super-sweet gatorade. As I pour this drink into a cup, a thin blood-red color caught my eye. This drink Is super bitter and does not go down easily. I can't put my finger on the taste. I think it is a mix between raspberry, cranberry, and blueberry. However, it is not how you would expect it to taste like. Imagine having all of those flavors in your mouth, but having the sugar taken out of it. I am glad that was a shot because I cannot bear the bitterness and aftertaste. Remember, this drink is to get you energized, not give you flavor and sweetness. This is extreme on kick.

Alright, this could be irrelevantly short, but here comes the ingredients: surprisingly, purified water comes in as the main ingredient. Next comes the organic ingredients: green tea and acai extracts are found in this drink as well as 1.6 g of taurine. I am happy to declare that this drink clocks in at 5 calories per bottle and 1 g of carbohydrates. Oh, and lastly I see that this drink has sucralose in it, most likely similar to sucrose. I noticed that this drink will get you focused instead of making you shaky and hyper. Overall, if you want a major kick and not a lot to drink, I recommend you try this shot.

*Disclaimer: As you may have read the comments below, this particular energy shot may produce some gnarly side effects such as: high-fever, vomiting, increased heart rate, nausea, severe stomach pain, and in some cases, violent shaking. However, some consumers, like myself, feel no side effects whatsoever. Drink with caution, and take the proper steps if you feel any or all of these side effects.

Taste: 3 - Once again, not meant for taste
Kick: 10 - I would give this at least a 25, but I know we have to be realistic
Overall: 9 - Awesome kick, but not good enough for a perfect score

Reviewed by: Chan