VIV Energy Drink Review

Cost: Free Trial - $5.95 shipping
Cost Per Ounce:NA
Active Ingredients:Schizandra,
Taste Rating:8.3
Kick Rating:8.0
Final Judgment Rating:8.2
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

VIV Energy Drink Review:
Alright, so there are more and more types of Energy Drinks and Shots entering the market every day. Personally, I am a fan of the hardcore sugar free energy drinks and shots like 5-Hour Energy and Diet Turbo Tea. However, there are a growing number of people not only avoiding energy drinks, but caffeine in general. So every now and again I like to review caffeine free alternative energy boosters. For example, VIV Energy Drink is all natural and caffeine free and it contains anti-oxidants. Viv Energy drink, according to the company web Site, is also supposed to help increase metabolism, improve mental focus and help the body feel more refreshed. Well, I really have no need to increase my metabolism as I am fortunate enough to burn calories pretty quick, so I am just going to stick to reviewing the kick and taste of the Viv Energy Drink.

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VIV Energy Drink Review: Taste
First off, VIV comes in a nice handy ready to mix packet. So just add water. Personally, I have been seeing more and more of these ready to mix packets entering the market, and to me they are kind of handy. However, with VIV, I was a little apprehensive at first about the combination of being all natural, sugar free and coming in a packet as with my experience the taste is usually not the greatest. However, with VIV, it was actually very well received by this reviewer. The powder blended nicely and the distinct berry taste was pretty good. Since this is all natural and no artificial sweetners, I believe the berry taste was contrived from one of the main ingredients... the Goji berry, which is supposed to promote kidney and liver functions and plays a large part in the energy ingredients. Overall, very well received by this reviewer in the taste category for an all natural sugar free energy drink. Taste Rating - 8.3

VIV Energy Drink Review: Kick
So Viv was able to pull off a pretty good taste even with an all natural energy drink. But will they be able to provide this reviewer a good kick without the caffeine? Well, I was less than optimistic, as I have tried over 400 energy drinks to date, most of which have had caffeine (Some as much as 500 milligrams of caffeine) and caffeine is usually what gets me going. However, I was thoroughly surprised by the Viv energy drink. Now, it did not send me bouncing off the walls as if I had consumed a bunch of coffee or caffeine, but I did feel a nice boost in energy after leaving the gym. I would say it took about 30 minutes to kick in, but after that I was full of energy for several hours... and since it is sugar free, NO CRASH!! So I was a little confused as to how I could get a bunch of energy with out using caffeine, so upon further research it looks like Viv provides energy from the following forms: Schizandra, Rhodiola and Goji. So even after years of consuming normal and hardcore energy drinks, I still got a decent kick! Kick Rating - 8.0

VIV Energy Drink Review: Final Judgment
A good taste and a nice all natural kick. Now, Viv may not be for me as I prefer a caffeine kick (even though it's probably not as healthy) but for those looking for an all natural, caffeine free kick at a pretty decent price than give it a try. I know that Viv is currently offering a 28 day free trial where all you have to pay is shipping and handling which equates to $5.95. So a month's enegy for $5.95 seems like a pretty decent deal.

Vital Energy Drink Review - Acai Blueberry

Cost: $2.00
Cost Per Ounce:$0.10
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.8
Kick Rating:8.7
Final Judgment Rating:8.8
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Vital Energy Drink Review - Acai Blueberry:
Right from the start I could tell that Vital Energy from Enertia Beverages, was not your typical Energy Drink. This one is a vitamin enhanced energy drink, similar to Vitamin Water + energy... with the exception of a lot more kick! According to Enertia, "Vital Energy is formulated to help active people perform better and live healthier, more refreshed lifestyles. We are the ideal beverage for those long study sessions, morning pick me ups, or whenever you need an added healthy boost." So let's put Vital Energy to the test in the taste and kick reviews.

Vital Energy Drink Review - Acai Blueberry: Taste
Now, I have only tried one or two other Vitamin based energy drinks, and neither one has performed very well in the taste or kick categories (remember taste is subjective). So, I was a little apprehensive at first, but after giving the 20 ounce Acai Blueberry Vital Energy a try, I was more than satisfied. It was crisp, non carbonated and it did not taste sugary, which to me personally, is a big plus (There are only 32.5 grams of sugar in a 20 ounce serving compared to your typical 65-70 grams in a 16 ounce energy drink). Vital Energy tasted more along the lines of a sports drink...albeit with slightly more flavoring. To me, this beverage represented a nice before and after for use at the gym. Taste Rating - 8.8

Vital Energy Drink Review - Acai Blueberry: Kick
It was crisp and refreshing, but will it deliver a kick worthy of an energy drink? Well your typical energy drink contains around 150-200 milligrams of caffeine as well as some other energy ingredients... making Vital Energy a nice comparable alternative as there are 150 milligrams of caffeine, a bunch of b-vitamins and just enough taurine. So it is a nice comparison in terms of initial energy, but Vital takes the cake in terms of having little to no crash effect. As mentioned above, your typical energy drink has 65-70 milligrams of sugar, whereas Vital Energy has half the amount. The amount of sugar plays a large part in the crash effect. Kick Rating - 8.7

Vital Energy Drink Review - Acai Blueberry: Final Judgment
Crisp and refreshing, low in sugar and a nice kick makes Vital Energy from Enertia Beverage a great alternative to your typical energy drink. Now as I stated above, I have only tried one or two other Vitamin based energy drinks from Vitamin Water... but Vital Energy definitely has a leg up on them in terms of kick and taste. Distribution seems to currently consist of New York, but you can purchase them online through their website for about $2.00 a piece. Final Judgment - 8.8

FireStar Energy Booster Review

Cost: £7.50 for 5 Sachets
Cost Per Ounce:NA
Active Ingredients:CAFFEINE
Taste Rating:8.8
Kick Rating:9.0
Final Judgment Rating:8.9
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

FireStar Energy Booster Review:
So as I have said in the past... this isn't a bad gig. I get the luxury or reviewing Energy Drinks and Energy Shots from all over... And today is not an exception as I am delighted to give a new energy product from across the pond a try. Firestar Energy Booster is actually making waves across the pond, but I had not heard of it hear until I was contacted and asked if I would like samples. Of course I said YES. But honestly I was not sure what I was getting until a couple tiny 3 gram packets arrived at my door. And yes, 3 grams is correct and yes they are pretty tiny. Probably a bit smaller than a condom wrapper making them quite convenient to carry around (Firestar that is). Anyways enough fluff about FireStar Energy Booster... let's see what this bad boy from the U.K is made of.

Buy Firestar Energy Booster

FireStar Energy Booster Review: Taste
Upon opening the packet I see what looks like a bunch of tiny white powder, which at first makes me cringe, thinking how can these taste good at all? Well considering this gig is not bad and that I occasionally get a product I can't stand, I decide to untangle my panties and throw some of this powder into my mouth. And my gig still rocks. The taste was actually pretty sweet, almost as if it had been made for children, kind of like Fun Dip, you know that candy where you would lick the stick and dip it into the sweet goodness. Anyways, I digress... In FireStar Energy Booster tasted great and came in a sweet, but not too sweet lemon flavor. Taste Rating - 8.8

FireStar Energy Booster Review: Kick
From past experiences with out of state energy products, I have yet to find one that delivered a good kick. However, I was more than ready for a good kick from Firestar as right on the package it states "High Caffeine." 200 milligrams of caffeine to be exact which is right on par with the likes of the United States most popular 16 ounce energy beverages like Monster Energy Drink and Rockstar albeit in 3 grams vs 16 ounces. It took me all of five minutes to finish the packet and to enjoy a rush of energy which in deed lasted several hours just as the packet said. The fact that there are only 2 grams of sugar (vs 60 + grams in most energy beverages) meant that I could enjoy the kick without crashing. Kick Rating - 9.0

FireStar Energy Booster Review: Final Judgment
A fast kick and decent taste combined with condom sized portability makes Firestar a great choice for a quick pick me up (at least in this reviewers opinion). Although Firestar is not available in US stores, you can purchase them on the FireStar site in packs of 5 for a decent site. Also, shipping won't ding you like it would with liquid drinks as these are quite small. Final Judgment - 8.9

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Protegy - Protein Energy Drink Review

Cost: $2.99
Cost Per Ounce:$2.99
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Whey Protein, Ginseng, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.4
Kick Rating:8.5
Final Judgment Rating:8.5
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Protegy - Protein Energy Drink Review:
I have to say I was more than thrilled to find out that there is another Energy Drink packed with protein now available on the market. Protegy, comes in a 12 ounce can, has zero carbs, zero sugar and zero fat. It contains 110 calories (still less than your typical energy drink), but 100 of these calories come from the 25 grams of protein packed into the can. Now I have to say, that I am a huge fan of both whey protein and energy drinks, so when they combine the two, it not only saves me time, it saves me money as well as I no longer have to buy both, I just have to pickup one. The only problem that I had in the past with these protein packed energy drinks, is that they were hard to come by as there was only one other option on the market. Now that Protegy is here and gaining momentum, hopefully they will be more readily available to me and the rest of the general public.

Protegy - Protein Energy Drink Review: Taste
For those of you who have tried whey protein, you know the taste is not always the greatest. You also know that not all energy drinks are the best tasting things... Combining the two seems like a disastrously bad idea when it comes to taste. However, Protegy does seem to hide any medicinal or poor tasting whey protein aftertastes (for the most part). The berry taste does have a slight bite to it, but it is not that noticeable. In fact, I would have to say that Protegy does this better than a lot of "normal energy drinks" on the market, even with the added 25 grams of protein. Taste Rating - 8.4

Protegy - Protein Energy Drink Review: Kick
So the taste is pretty good, considering the extra benefit from 25 grams of whey. But does Protegy provide ample kick? Well, I took this about 30 minutes prior to going to the gym after a full day of work. This did two things for me, it gave me a nice energy kick as well as curbing my appetite from not eating for the last five hours. The actual energy ingredients include 80 milligrams of caffeine, a bunch of b-vitamins and ginseng. No, Protegy will not blow you out of the water with energy but it will give you plenty to get you through a workout. And if you are like me, I don't enjoy downing a ton of caffeine right before a workout as it just seems to dehydrate me to fast. Kick Rating - 8.5

Protegy - Protein Energy Drink Review: Final Judgment
As I state above, I am a huge fan of Protein Energy Drinks, so I hope I was not too biased on this particular review. If you workout our exercise on a daily basis, I suggest giving one of these a try. Looks like they are starting to pick up distribution at 711 and GNC's across the country. If you have seen these anywhere else, feel free to let us know in the comment section below. Final Judgment - 8.5

5-Hour Energy - Grape Review

Cost: $2.99
Cost Per Ounce:$1.50
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.8
Kick Rating:9.5
Final Judgment Rating:9.4
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

5-Hour Energy - Grape Review:
Now I have reviewed all of the past 5-Hour Energy flavors, berry (original), orange, lemon lime as well as the extra strength and Decaf versions which is why I am extremely excited about the new 5-Hour Energy grape flavor.... oh and did I mention it is probably my favorite energy shot on the market. I take these tiny sugar free 2 ounce shots with me wherever I go...the gym, backpacking (watch out they freeze in the winter...yet still taste fine frozen), Euro Trips...etc To tell you the truth, I use them a lot and they are my go to shot of choice (that is when I am not reviewing another new Energy Drink for this site). But, I was a little disappointed when I didn't win the 5-Hour Energy Featured Fan Contest because it would have been nice to get a free one year supply of 5-Hour. Anyways, enough fluff, let's see how the new grape shot tastes and if it still has that great kick.

UpdateLooks like 5-Hour has two contests going on right now where you can win a free year's supply of 5-Hour Energy.
1) Maximize Your Energy Contest - offering two chances to win a year's supply of 5-Hour Energy.
2) Men's Fitness - Release Your Inner Superman - offering 3 chances to win a year's supply of 5-Hour Energy, including the featured fan contest which I am going to try for again!!!

5-Hour Energy - Grape Review: Taste
Although, 5-Hour has been innovative in the past and still continues to be the market leader in shots, it has been awhile since they came out with a new flavor. In the meantime several other energy shot brands have came out with grape flavored shots, giving me a good benchmark for the grape 5-Hour. Most of these shots in the past, had a grape kool aid flavor that tasted a little watered down topped off with a distinct medicinal aftertaste. Now taste is subjective, but to me, the 5-Hour Energy grape shot had a superb taste. The grape did not taste watered down and the medicinal aftertaste was far less prevalent. Don't get me wrong, there was a slight aftertaste, but that is usually expected when you cram a bunch of energy into a tiny two ounce shot. Taste Rating - 8.8

5-Hour Energy - Grape Review: Kick
Since I normally use energy shots during some sort of physical activity, I thought I would put 5-Hour to the test on the treadmill. Recently, I decided to train for a marathon. Now I am very active, but by no means am I a long distance runner and I usually cap my treadmill runs at about 5 miles, well short of the 26.2 required to finish a marathon. I know I have a long way to go, which is why I thought I would push myself today with the new grape 5-Hour. Since the Energy Ingredients are the same as the past flavors, I knew what to expect. A great kick that really helped boost my workout. Not only did it provide extra energy to help me run an extra two miles, but it also gave me the focus to do so because running on the treadmill is not my idea of fun, but it is more convenient than driving out to the nearest trail. Kick Rating 9.5

5-Hour Energy - Grape Review: Final Judgment
To sum up... glad they came out with a new flavor. Grape provide a great taste when compared to similar offerings by competitors along with the expected great kick. You can usually find these for $2.99, but you can get them at places like Wal-Mart for 2 for $5.00. Also, It looks like 5-Hour has a store where you can buy them in bulk for a little cheaper... and it is more convenient. I can't wait until the next flavor comes out! Final Judgment - 9.4