Mountain Dew Voltage, The Winner
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You may remember back to Summer 2008, in CaffeineGuru.com’s early days, when Mountain Dew had their promotional election (the DEWmocracy campaign) of a new flavor. We gave each a review: SuperNova, Revolution, and Voltage, and Dew fans around the world voted their favorite of these three flavors to the top. Well, Voltage won, and Mountain Dew has just finalized it as a new addition to the lineup! That’s right, Mountain Dew Voltage has hit the stores, and will stay around with the rest of its kin. While we already gave Voltage a review, we figured that in honor of its new status as a full time flavor (and the fact that we haven’t had any in a few months), that it deserves attention again.
Voltage arrives in an all-new bottle, with a bright, electric logo. The packaging proudly proclaims it as the winner and mentions that Voltage contains ginseng and it has a bright blue color to it. Upon opening this new Dew specimen, I was overcome with an aroma of raspberry; this stuff really smells fantastic! The raspberry smell has a hint of other citrusy fruits in it too, so it’s an interestingly good smell. The taste too is amazing, I can see why this won the competition, and I am no longer bitter about SuperNova losing to it. MD Voltage has a taste that’s as good as its smell, it’s rich taste is smooth, goes down well, and is consistent. While some drinks only give you a lingering moment of flavor after you drink it, Voltage provides a constant source of flavor. I’m really impressed with what Mountain Dew came up with, and I thank all of you that voted for this specific drink last summer.
This drink contains the same amount of caffeine as the rest of the Dews do (try saying “Dews do” ten times fast). The 20 oz bottle contains 91mg of caffeine, which amounts to 36mg per 8oz. Voltage contains 290 calories and 76g of sugar (wow), and a diet version should come out down the road. The bottle doesn’t say how much ginseng there is in it though.
Overall, Voltage definitely takes one of the top spots of drinks I’ve covered. I’d recommend everyone trying this at least once, whether you’re a Dew fan or now, it’s the only drink I’ve come across with this unique of a flavor, you won’t find anything else like it.
If you want more info (and prizes) relating to Voltage, then head on over to DEWmocracyVoltage.com
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GURU Full On: Lemonade
GURU Full On is an “all-in-one energy drink and isotonic sport drink that will let you push it to the max while staying perfectly hydrated.” Think of it as a caffeinated Gatorade, only a lot better. Like the Green Tea variety, Full On comes in a bubbly looking, blue and green can, and is non-carbonated, making this beverage stand out from the rest. Currently Full On only comes in one flavor, lemonade. Before I sampled this drink, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that it was marketed as a sports drink, and that it was non carbonated, so I knew I would in for something different. What I didn’t know was how it would taste, as the only hint I had was that it’s lemonade. With clues like that, the only thing I could conclude is that it wouldn’t be mango flavored.
Upon opening Full On: Lemonade, I instantly recognized the lemonade scent. Having it be that GURU Lemonade is USDA organic and all natural, it’s smell is exactly like that of organic lemonade: a strong lemon one that is not overpowered by artificial sweeteners and sugar. As a fan of organic lemonade, I realized that Full On would woo me with its fantastic smell and taste. If you’ve had organic lemonade before, you know exactly what Full On tastes like. If you haven’t, it’s like normal lemonade, but a little more bitter and lemony. Don’t think of bitter as being bad in this case, it’s not unpleasant; it’s just not overly sweet. The lack of fizzy in Full On makes for one smooth drink that’s great for any occasion, especially sports. It’s not too sweet like other sports drinks, it has salt (electrolytes) in it, and the lack of carbonation won’t upset your stomach while you wipe the field with your awesome skills, or whatever you’re doing at the time.
It’s an interesting concept, really. It’s just like organic lemonade, but it has 145mg of caffeine per 12oz can, guarana, panax ginseng, ginkgo biloba, and Echinacea flower extract; it’s everything a normal energy drink is without the additives and carbonation, which makes this a great drink.
If you want some for yourself, you can use GURU’s store locater, or you can buy it through their online store. If you use he latter of the two, be sure to treat yourself to a sweet 10% off and free shipping! Just use the coupon code: Caffeine_GURU10% at checkout.
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Kronik Energy
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.
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.
Power Up!
Mamma Mia! As if it isn’t enough to appear in 200+ video games, Mario now has his own energy drink! Power Up! (produced by Boston America Corp) comes in a blue can with a picture of Mario and a mushroom. Power Up! is clear and smells like raspberry with a hint of a Red Bull like scent (kind of like Sweet Tarts) to it. Power Up has a fairly tart taste to it, a bit of a sour (like Nerd) raspberry taste, again with a hint of a Red Bull like taste. Power Up! costs 2.99, so it’s more of a novelty drink than a mass marketed drink, maybe something to appeal to the young gamers, but ironically the can reads, “not intended for children”. Mario’s new drink also seems a little more carbonated than other drinks, but it goes down smooth without any problems. The kick is pretty good as well, with 120mg of caffeine per can (8.4 fl oz.) this drink gets you going and you’ll be stomping Koopa Troopas and Goombas in no time! To sum things up, Power Up! is a small drink that comes with a big boost of energy. It has an interesting taste, and is a fun idea (and I expect a Luigi drink in the near future Boston America Corp). However, for 2.99 for an 8oz can, I won’t be buying too many of these in the near future.
AMP Energy: Elevate
Mountain Dew has a brand of energy drinks called AMP Energy, and one of their varieties, Elevate, gets the spotlight today. AMP Energy Elevate promises to help you keep focused, connected and alert, in addition to make your reflexes more sharp. When I first opened Elevate, a familiar aroma over came me. AMP Energy Elevate smells just like Mountain Dew Revolution! So for those of you upset by the fact that Revolution is only going to last a short time, you can just get AMP Elevate. While AMP Elevate does taste a lot like Mountain Dew Revolution, it seems to taste a little more artificial, there seems to be a hint of a chemical taste (possibly the L-Theanine?), not bad, but noticeable. There’s not much of an after taste either, so you can only get the flavor while drinking AMP. This drink is a dark purple in color, the color being very similar to SuperNova. AMP Elevate has a nice kick though, 160mg of caffeine per bottle (10 mg caffeine per fl oz.) so it’s the average amount found in most energy drinks. AMP Elevate also contains Guarana, Taurine, Ginseng and, in addition, L-Theanine (has been shown to help boost T-Cells in immune system) in it. Overall, AMP Elevate delivers the benefits it promises, but the taste is mediocre, so it doesn’t stand out. As only one flavor in the entire AMP lineup, I can’t make any assumptions about the other AMP varieties yet, but I do look forward to the rest of them.
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!
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.
