AriZona Rx Energy Herbal Tonic [Updated]
Hey CG readers! Check me out on Twitter and MySpace and make me feel loved! :P The Facebook page is coming too soon, and I'm still working on updating the Twitter and MySpace
I love AriZona Beverage Co and everything they make, and their Rx Energy beverage is no exception. AriZona’s Rx Energy isn’t like other energy drinks though, because the Herbal Tonic doesn’t contain carbonated water (or any carbonation for that matter) or artificial ingredients. This drink is made of: Green Tea, Mango (which gives this drink an amazing flavor), Pear and Lemon Juice, and Honey, so there’s no nasty aftertaste or weird chemical tastes in it like those low end, generic, energy drinks have. After drinking this stuff, I felt the effects of it right away. I became more alert, and was no longer tired. I became disappointed when I ran out of it, because the mango taste is absolutely amazing, and the fact that I cannot drink anymore of this until I go buy more upsets me. What makes this drink so great and interesting is the fact that it contains AriZona’s premium brewed green tea, which is found in their other products, giving Rx Energy a very distinct taste. Rx Energy comes in a 24 oz can, or in a 20 oz glass bottle (picture here) for .99 or 1.99, respectively. Buying the can is a much better deal, but the bottle is great if you are out and need to put it aside for a bit, which I would never do because I can’t not (hooray for double negatives) drink it. Herbal Tonic also contains Caffeine, Panax Ginseng and Siberian Ginseng, and Guarana, giving it the properties of an energy drink, which is why it’s labeled as a Tea and Energy Drink. I don’t know how much caffeine is in this, but I emailed AriZona earlier asking for the answer, so I’ll update this when they reply. A 24oz can of AriZona Rx Energy Herbal Tonic contains 90mg of caffeine (30mg per 8oz), which isn’t as much as some drinks, so it’s perfect for people that can’t handle too much caffeine that still want an energy boost. Arizona Rx Energy Herbal Tonic is absolutely amazing, it’s cheap, great tasting, natural, and delivers a good kick. This drink is something that everyone should try.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Monster Assault
Monster Assault is one of the original members of the lineup, and it’s about time we check it out. Monster Assault, like all the other Monster products, contains the same energy mix and caffeine content (10mg/1oz, 160mg in a 16oz can) so Assault isn’t going to give any more, or less, of a kick than it’s kin. However, it does have a nice packaging, and a different taste. Monster Assault has a brownish red color, and a distinct flavor. It’s hard to describe, as it’s not an identifiable one like other drinks, but it’s not bad. Monster Assault is also very aerated and carbonated and when I’m drinking it, it feels like I’m swallowing a breath of air along with each sip, which is fairly annoying. I’ve gotten this sensation with other Monster beverages in the past as well, which is why I’m not a huge Monster fan, but it may just be me. The kick of this drink was very pleasing though; the Monster energy blend has always been good and got me going this morning. Monster Energy contains 2500mg of their Energy Blend per 8oz of drink (so this has 5000mg of it). The blend consists of: L-Carnitine, Glucose, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, Glucuronolactose, and Maltodextrin. The beverage doesn’t say how much of each compound it contains, but that doesn’t matter, as long as it delivers a good kick. Monster Assault has a good taste, and a great kick. If it weren’t for the high amount of carbonation, I would like it a lot more. However, if you are a Monster fan, Monster Assault is the way to go and will not let you down!
Starbucks Iced Coffee
I stopped at the local Heinen’s (Ohio grocery chain) today to pick up an energy drink or two, and while I was there, I learned that this particular Heinen’s was seriously lacking in it’s caffeine selection. I also learned that they keep the dog food in the same aisle as the charcoal and insecticide. However, even though the selection of caffeine was mediocre and the dog food was by insecticide, the people were friendly and even the often angst-ridden, distraught, half-asleep teenager that bags the groceries as a summer job smiled at me, so I left content. The Starbucks Iced Coffee (Italian Roast) is an 11 oz can that contains: Coffee, nonfat milk, sugar, cream (to cancel out the nonfat property of the milk) and preservatives. It cost me a $1.99 which is a good price considering this is Starbucks. The can doesn’t label the caffeine content, but I was able to look it up and it contains 200 mg of caffeine per bottle. Not bad at all. It’s going to be difficult to describe this product, because it’s basically just watered down coffee with milk. It is very tasty, and went down well chilled, and it tastes like coffee with cream, milk and sugar after you put ice in it. It’s taste however, isn’t that distinct from the other coffee drinks out there, including the rest of Starbucks canned coffee beverages and competitor products. So, while this drink doesn’t stand out much from the rest, the price, taste, and caffeine content makes Starbucks Iced Coffee worth trying.
NOS High Performance Energy
It’s time to take a look at NOS High Performance Energy Drink. You can sum this drink up with one word. Awesome. This fantastic beverage is one of my favorite caffeinated beverages (next to coffee) and definitely deserves a spot. Before we get to the actual drink, take a look at the packaging. You know that any drink with a bright packaging with a warning label is going to give you a kick, especially when it says to keep it away from pregnant women and children. NOS is no exception. With 343mg (about 2-3 cups of coffee) of caffeine per 22oz (entire bottle), this stuff is going to get you going. Remember, 343mg of caffeine is a lot of caffeine, so it would be wise to limit yourself to no more than 22oz bottle of NOS a day (I’ll admit that I didn’t finish the entire drink today) unless your body is used to getting more caffeine than that. NOS smells and tastes great as well. Its flavor and aroma is citrusy, and after checking the ingredients I realized the taste is Passionfruit. NOS is not too strong or bitter in taste like some drinks and doesn’t have a bad after taste. In other words, NOS is an energy drink that gives a kick, without sacrificing the flavor of the drink. NOS also comes in smaller bottles and in cans, but I prefer the bottles because a) They look a lot cooler and b) They come with a screw off cap, so you can save the rest of the NOS (as half the bottle is enough caffeine for most people) for later. This drink also contains 2750mg of Taurine, 550mg of L-Carnitine, 274mg of Inositol and 136mg of Panax Ginseng per bottle. So, unless you either really need the caffeine, or can handle it, the smaller bottle (11oz – 173mg caffeine as pictured here) might be better for you. Either way, NOS High Performance Energy Drink is one of the best tasting, and best delivering energy drinks on the market!
Citrus CRUNK!!!
I’m probably going to pass out any moment here from the heat, but before my internal organs fry and my body shuts down, let me tell you about Citrus CRUNK!!! As I said earlier, its pretty hot here, so I picked up Citrus CRUNK!!! because it claims to contain real lemon lime. Hopefully, this will taste like lemonade and cool me off. After buying this drink at the local BP, I noticed something odd about the top half of the can. It reads “Energize – Replenish – Stimulate – Refresh – Invigorate – Arouse”. Yes. You read that correctly, Citrus CRUNK!!! has Epimedium in it, which allegedly has the properties of a mild aphrodisiac. Strange. The bottom of the can lists some of the ingredients, including “Ashwaganda – Horny Goat Weed – Ginseng – Guarana – Skull Cap – White Willow”. Now, is it just me, or do “Skull Cap” and “White Willow” sound like street names for drugs? (don’t worry, they’re not drugs, just plants) Nevertheless, I am going to drink this. Pop the top and it smells just like Gatorade Lemonade, and it keeps its promise with its twist of lemon lime. It’s a little on the sour side, but it tastes fantastic! It’s also great for you because there are no artificial colors or preservatives. The can states that the energy blend consists of 97mg of caffeine, but doesn’t state is it’s per serving or can. There’s two serving per can, so I’m guessing that there is 194mg of caffeine in the entire can. So far, Citrus CRUNK!!! is doing quite well in my opinion. The taste, smell, and kick are everything I could ask for. As for the aphrodisiac, I doubt there’s enough Horny Goat Weed in this to do anything (if it actually does anything at all) as last I checked, Pfizer has yet to acquire CRUNK!!! Energy. Either way, Citrus CRUNK!!! really hits the spot, especially on a hot day!
Mountain Dew: Revolution
Looks like this is the last review on the new Mountain Dew products. The final of the thee new varieties is called Revolution. Mountain Dew: Revolution has a light, almost clear tint to it and has a smooth taste. According to the packaging it’s flavor is Wild Berry and Fruit. This is by far the most vague flavor of the three new limited edition Dews. Which wild berries are used? and which fruit(s) accompany them? This is indeed a mystery I will have to get to someday. Moving on now. The flavor is tasty and original like the other two candidates and the caffeine content, like every other Mountain Dew as well, is 36mg/8oz and 91mg/20oz and it has a shot of ginseng for an added kick. Obviously, this isn’t marketed as an energy drink, but it’s good none the less. Unfortunately it doesn’t have enough of a mystery-wild-berry-fruit flavor to make it my top pick. WHile it’s great and I would gladly buy it, I do prefer the other two, as they are a bit stronger tasting, which I liked. Now that I’ve tried all three new flavors, I can finally make my decision as to which I will vote for.
Here’s a brief overview of the three flavors:
SuperNova: Strong, fantastic, Melon flavor. I couldn’t put it down.
Voltage: Also a strong taste, Blue Raspberry flavor, put a little below SuperNova in my opinion.
Revolution: A smooth Wild Berry and Fruit flavor (still don’t know which berries and fruits) but not as stong as its too opponents.
I’m going to have to go with SuperNova on this one. I’m heading over to DEWmocracy right now to vote on it (unfortunately, Voltage is still winning) and I’d recommend that you vote for your pick too.
Mountain Dew: Voltage
Today we’ll cover the second of the three new limited edition flavors introduced to Mountain Dew. This second variety is called Voltage. Voltage, like SuperNova, also contains ginseng and the normal amount of caffeine in the other Mountain Dew beverages (36mg/8oz or 91mg/20oz). Voltage is tinted with a dark blue hue and is Raspberry and Citrus flavored (why are products always blue when they are flavored raspberry? Raspberries are RED not blue) and upon opening the bottle, I could already tell by the scent that I would like it. Unlike some sodas, whose scent and taste are on the weak side, Voltage has a powerful taste (almost as much as SuperNovas) and it tastes just like a Blue Raspberry ICEE (which don’t have caffeine by the way). If you don’t know what that tastes like, you need to go buy one, because there’s no better way to explain Mountain Dew Voltage. Being the lover of Blue Raspberry ICEEs that I am, I like Mountain Dew Voltage very much, and because it has caffeine It’s superior to ICEEs in every way. I would go and vote on this flavor (remember, you can vote to decide which of the 3 flavors gets permanently added to the lineup), but I still have one more flavor to try which, according to DEWmocracy, is the underdog in this race.
Mountain Dew: SuperNova [Updated]
Many of you may remember when Mountain Dew: Livewire came out a few summers back as a limited edition, only later to be permanently added to the lineup. Well, Mountain Dew is doing something like this again, only it’s much more democratic (or DEWocratic, get it?) . According to the Mountain Dew website, they called upon customers earlier this year to help decide what they would like to see in a new Dew product (they really need to work on advertising this because I never heard about it). They came up with three flavors, released them, and will keep one permanently depending on which one is the most popular. If you want to help decide on the new flavor, head over to http://dewmocracy.com and vote for your favorite.
I first came across these three flavors yesterday at the local BP and decided to give all three a try; the first being SuperNova. SuperNova is a ‘Strawberry Melon’ flavored drink with ginseng and is a light maroon color. This new version of Mountain Dew is very tasty. It has a strong, original taste and you can really taste the Strawberry and Melon.
To be honest, the taste is fairly subtle, it takes a few seconds for the flavor to settle in. It’s aroma and overall taste is similar to that of 7UP or Cherry 7UP (I still can’t decide) so while it is tasty, it doesn’t seem to be that individual of a drink, aside from being branded by Mountain Dew Edit: I don’t know what was wrong the first time, but when I tried this again it was so much better! I may have had a bad bottle or something, but I take back any negative comments about this stuff.
I was very happy with this originality, though I still believe that the Original Mountain Dew is the most original and best tasting. As far as the kick from SuperNova, it carries the average amount of caffeine in most sodas (36mg/8oz and 91mg/20oz), which can be seen on the label, as cola companies are finally starting to display the caffeine content (I believe it’s a regulation now) of their products. SuperNova is amazing! There’s no other way to put it. Hopefully the other two flavors will be to my liking as well, I’ll just have to wait and see.
