Kronik Energy
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I came across Kronik around the same time I stumbled across X3000 on the west coast. Kronik boasts to be an ‘Unrelenting Energy Supplement’, and jokingly cautions a possibility of becoming psychologically addicting to consumers. We’ll see if it stands up to its claims. With a black can, and barbed wired labeling, this drink seems to be advertising itself to prison inmates, or maybe to farmers that use barbed wire to keep their cattle from running away. Who knows? But speculating won’t do anything; it’s time to try this stuff out. Kronik has a strange light blue color to it, the same color as the text on the can, but a little more translucent. It smells a tad like Sprite, but a little less fruity, so it has a very mild aroma. The taste is hard to describe, there’s not really that much of a flavor, it’s kind of like Sprite again, but more mild. I have to say that this stuff isn’t bad, it’s not bad tasting or anything, but there’s really not taste at all. Hopefully this stuff can redeem itself with its ingredients. One can of Kronik contains 2000mg of Taurine, 200mg of Guarana, and 50mg of Inositol. How much caffeine you say? The bottle doesn’t say, which normally means the caffeine content is average, as anything with a lot of caffeine is sure to plaster the amount all over the packaging in order to get more attention. Looks like I’ll have to Email them. One day later: They responded. A 16oz can of Kronik contains 150mg of caffeine, a little less than 10mg/oz, which isn’t bad at all. 150mg puts this drink in the same group as the average energy drink on the market today, not too weak, but not overflowing with caffeine. As for the kick, it’s okay, it didn’t get me wired, but it has enough stuff to help you get through the day. The taste is a little lacking in flavor, but other than that, Kronik’s not too shabby.
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Redline Ultimate Energy and Power Rush
Today we have a double review. Redline Energy is a drink that comes in an 8oz bottle and a 2.5oz energy shot. Both of the bottles are berry flavored and come in a blue bottle with a screw on cap.
Starting with the energy shot, this variant of Redline comes in the 2.5oz bottle and contains 350mg of caffeine per bottle, which is quite a lot! The bottle suggests only 1/2, or 1/4 at a time, as to avoid over stimulation. Because I’m checking out two drinks today, I think I’ll follow their advice. The Redline Energy shot smells fruity and ‘exotic’ just as the bottle advertises. The taste is pretty good at first, but after a few seconds, it becomes extremely sour, as there’s no sugar in this. The bitterness will go straight for your cheeks and cause a soft of an involuntary puckering. While the taste leaves a bit to be desired, the kick is worth the flavor. Redline Power Rush! also contains 2083% of your daily B12 (per serving, so double that if you have the whole thing). The nice thing about the Power Rush! is that there’s no sugar so there’s no crash after the energy boost.
Moving on to the Redline Triple Berry Ultimate Energy Rush (that’s quite a mouthful). After I opened this, I realized it smells just like the Power Rush!, but smells sweeter. Lo and behold, this drink is a lot less bitter than the other power shot. While this one is sweeter, and less bitter, there is still a small hint of bitterness that will make you pucker just a little. Once again however, there is a trade off; the Triple Berry Redline contains only 250mg of caffeine per bottle, 100mg less than the power shot, even though the Triple berry is 3x the size. The kick of Redline Energy Rush is still good though, as 250mg is still a hefty amount of caffeine.
Both of these products are worth it, while I don’t like the bitterness them, there’s not much else that can be done with their low sugar content and high concentration of caffeine. Both are worth it though if you need a quick boost during the day.
Buzz Bites: Chocolate Energy Chews
The folks at Vroom Foods were kind enough to send a sample of two of their products, Buzz Bites, for review (just a side note, that I don’t bias reviews even if the supplier provides the product). Buzz Bites are caffeinated, chocolaty, candy chews that pack a whopping 100mg of caffeine, some taurine, and some ginseng per piece. Each tin contains 6 chews (only 25 calories a chew for anyone out there watching their figure), and costs around 4.00, or less, depending on how many you buy. This makes each chew average to a little over 50¢ a chew, which is a steal considering the chews contain more caffeine than some energy drinks and as much as a cup of coffee. So while 50¢ may be a lot for a plain old piece of candy, it’s worth paying for 100mg of caffeine instead of paying 2.29 for a less caffeinated Red Bull, or 2.00 for a cup of coffee. Buzz Bites come in two flavors: Chocolate, and Mint Chocolate. The chocolate ones taste like chocolate and have an ever so slight hint of bitterness after you chew it, which is to be expected considering the amount of caffeine in each mint. The mint chocolate ones, in my opinion, are better than the plain chocolate ones. They pack the same kick as the chocolate ones and are the same in every way, except for the flavor. They taste a lot like those Andes Mints, and they don’t have any bitterness, as the mint masks it. While I do prefer the mint ones, I really enjoyed both of these products a lot! The chews melt in your mouth and you feel the kick right away, faster than the kick from a cup of coffee. The chews are individually wrapped and easy to open, making Buzz Bites a great product to keep handy for when you need a quick boost. Finally, Buzz Bites didn’t give me a crash, making this product one of the best I’ve come across. You can get these Buzz Mints here, and they are becoming more available as they increase distribution.
