Red Bull Cocaine?

The Red Bull Energy Drink is usually in the news quite a bit; however, it is usually for some outrageous sporting event, event sponsorship or celebrity endorsement... That is until today when Red Bull was found to have trace amounts of cocaine in it by officials in Germany from the federal ministry of consumer protection. Now from experience, I know that Red Bull doesn't give the strongest kick on the market nor do I believe it is the Best Energy Drink on the market... combine that with the fact that they have been lagging behind the competition for quite some time... but Red Bull cocaine? I think they maybe could have added a bit more caffeine, or maybe just come out with a new flavor or something. I mean that makes more sense to me than Red Bull cocaine. Some people might enjoy it a bit more..ehh hem.. Winehouse? Anyways, onto the actual story.

Red Bull responded by saying they have always been up front with the ingredients in their Cola and that the coca leaves are used for natural flavoring and that the illegal property alkaloid is removed. They also go on to say that this type of natural flavoring is used worldwide.

Other experts have chimed in on the situation saying that the ingredients used are really not similar to cocaine as they have not been put through the intesive process needed... basically its not active... and the amounts found are so small it should not be an issues.

So because of the cocaine in Red Bull, the drink was banned in six German states, and they will be recommending a nation wide ban. Apparently it's not harmful unless you drink 12,000 liters of Red Bull Cola... Now come on, that's quite a bit of Red Bull. I have had quite a few Energy Drinks in my day but I haven't even had that many.

In my personal opinion the only thing this Red Bull Cola cocaine ban will accomplish is bringing a little attention to the lackluster product. I can just see the legend growing in middle schools now. Hey timmy, did you hear that Red Bull Cola has cocaine in it? Timmy... no way. Where do we get our hands on some of that stuff?

Ok, that might not actually be the case, but you never know. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts below in the comments section.

Ongo Energy Shot Review: Berry Blast

Cost: $2.99
Cost Per Ounce:$$1.50
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.7
Kick Rating:9.1
Final Judgment Rating:8.9
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Ongo Energy Shot Review: Berry Blast:
So I have reviewed several other Energy Drinks from Ongo in the past including my favorite from them the Ongo Lemon Lime. Although it has been while since my last review of an Ongo product I still remember enjoying the kick I received from the tiny two ounce shots not to mention a pleasant taste, especially for an energy shot. So let's see if the latest flavor, Ongo Berry Blast, follows the same high standards as the previous concoctions!!!

Ongo Energy Shot Review: Berry Blast: Taste
I know a lot of you are thinking, Berry blast... everyone has a berry flavor, why not something a little more original? Well berry blast was just added to the lineup to support the original lemon lime flavor and exotic mandarin orange flavor. Since it a a popular flavor, it makes sense. And if you are looking for something a little more exotic check out the mandarin orange flavor. Anyways, back to the berry blast review... No carbonation, no artificial sweetener in a tiny two ounce shot sounds like a recipe for a horrible aftertaste. However, that's far from the truth as berry blast gave a nice smooth taste, nothing over the top and not too sweet with a slight hint of medicinal aftertaste. I still prefer the lemon lime, but if you are a fan of berry and want a smooth taste then check this one out. Taste Rating - 8.7

Ongo Energy Shot Review: Berry Blast: Kick
So the berry blast flavor makes a nice addition to the ever growing Ongo lineup of shots, but does it adhere to the same energy pleasing formula as the previous flavors? Well the two ounce shot contains tons of B-Vitamins and an 1870 milligram energy blend containing caffeine, taurine and a bunch of other energy ingredients that seem to do the trick. So yeah, the formula holds true to the original which means the kick was above average which I am more than pleased about. Kick Rating - 9.1

Ongo Energy Shot Review: Berry Blast: Final Judgment
A strong yet smooth berry flavor makes a nice addition to the current lineup and the kick holds true to the original potent energy formula. And at $2.99 the shot is comparable to the competition price wise. So if you were a fan of Ongo in the past the berry blast should not disappoint. Final Judgment - 8.9

eFusjon Energy Drink Review: Edge

Cost: $2.50
Cost Per Ounce:$.030
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Vitamins, Acai
Taste Rating:8.3
Kick Rating:7.9
Final Judgment Rating:
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

efusjon Energy Drink Review:
Joining the ranks of other MLM based Energy Drinks like A.C.T Energy and bHIP is the new eFusjon Energy Drink which is poised to hop in to the healthy energy drink market with their two current products eFusjon raw (caffeine free) and eFusjon edge which I will be reviewing today. Both of these promote the Acai berry as a spotlight ingredient. It also looks like they have two new products on the horizon called Dawn and Breeze. So today I will do the taste and kick review for eFusjon Edge. Remember these are my opinions, if you have a different opinion feel free to comment below. Just don't plug your MLM website or post your contact details... you will be wasting your time as they will never go live because as I just stated I am doing a review of taste and kick so I won't cover the MLM aspect at all.

eFusjon Energy Drink Review: Edge Taste
So one of the main ingredients of eFusjon Edge is the Acai berry, which along with bringing health benefits also adds a fairly sweet berry flavor to the mix that is both light and refreshing. It is not overly sweet, not like your typical energy drinks you will find in gas stations or supermarkets, but rather a light mix of several berry flavors followed by a hint of apple blended together in a 8.3 ounce carbonated can. Not too bad at all but there does seem to be a slight medicinal aftertaste to the drink. Overall, one of the better tasting MLM style drinks on the market (in my opinion) but not one of the Best Energy Drinks taste wise... None the less not too bad. Taste Rating - 8.3

eFusjon Energy Drink Review: Edge Kick
As I stated above, there is a slight medicinal aftertaste which probably stems from all the vitamins. There is only 60 milligrams of caffeine in here, but this is supposed to be offset by all these vitamins as well as the acai berry antioxidant. To me the kick was a little lackluster. However, to get the full effects you probably have to utilize a daily regimen of these as your body needs to adapt to all the vitamins/minerals that you are probably not used to getting on daily basis. Not bad, I can see this appealing to the health segment as it does give a kick while providing a plethora of vitamins and minerals. Kick Rating - 7.5

eFusjon Energy Drink Review: Edge Final Judgment
I said I will stay away from the MLM aspect and I will. Based solely on my opinion of taste and kick I would rate this as an decent energy drink. However, the price tag of about $2.50 per 8.4 ounce drink is pretty steep (Associates have to pay $30/12pack so you will probably have to pay more buying through them) The taste is light and refreshing but the kick was only average. And remember what I said in the intro... don't waste your time trying to plug your MLM affiliate link in the comments section, it will just be removed as spam. If you have something productive to add to the review feel free. Final Judgment - 7.9

Check out the Efusjon Dream Team Web site for further info on Edge.

Revive Energy Mints Review

Cost: $2.99 (for 8 mints)
Cost Per Ounce:$NA
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Guarana
Taste Rating:8.7
Kick Rating:8.4
Final Judgment Rating:8.5
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Revive Energy Mints Review:
Well the latest craze in the Energy Drinks market is not the mass influx of more energy drinks...instead everything seems to be getting smaller. Now I am not talking about energy shots in this case, but instead today I will be reviewing Revive Energy Mints which are being toted as "nature's energy mints" and are supposed to revive your body and your mind. The reason these Revive Energy Mints are being toted as nature's energy mint is the fact that they contain some of the world's most powerful antioxidants (sometimes known as Super Foods) in the form of Acai, Mangosteen, and Goji. Well I will not really be raving or reviewing the super foods aspect, I will be scrutinizing the claim on the package that one mint is equal to a normal 8 ounce Energy Drink.

Revive Mints

Revive Energy Mints Review: Taste
As I state above one mint is supposed to be equivalent to one 8 ounce energy drink. Considering the mint was about the size of a nickel, is only 1.7 grams and has only 4 calories I was a little apprehensive about trying them as I feared they would be nothing but a chalky caffeine concoction. Boy was I wrong. Right after I put the tiny mint in my mouth I felt a nice chilling ice cold effect take place. The mints were extremely refreshing. Even though this is the first "energy mint" that I have tried, I find it hard to believe that another will come close to offering such a great taste while providing a rich source of antioxidants. Taste Rating - 8.7

Revive Energy Mints Review: Kick
The strong refreshing mint taste was better than I expected so I feared the worst for the claim on the package that one mint was equivalent to an 8.4 ounce energy drink. Upon further inspection I noticed the energy ingredient list included a 101 milligram blend of the following: Caffeine, Guarana (natural caffeine), Green Tea, Ginseng, Acai, Mangosteen and Gji. 85 milligrams of the 101 milligram energy blend comes from caffeine which is about the same as an 8.4 ounce energy drink (about the same as a Red Bull Energy Drink. So the statistics on the package are accurate and I have to say the refreshing taste combined with the stimulating effects from the energy blend led to a healthy kick. Not the strongest on the planet, but definitely noticeable. Kick Rating - 8.4

Revive Energy Mints Review: Final Judgment
Overall the taste and kick were both more than sufficient. The kick could have been a little stronger for this reviewer but then again, not everyone ingests as much caffeine as I do. Besides, at about $2.99 for an 8 pack of mints (or about $0.37 a mint), you really can't go wrong. Final Judgment - 8.5

Revive Mints

Hydrive Energy Chews Review - Orange Burst

Cost: $2.49
Cost Per Ounce:$NA
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.6
Kick Rating:8.7
Final Judgment Rating:8.7
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Hydrive Energy Chews Review - Orange Burst:
Well it looks like Hydrive, the makers of one of my favorite Energy Drinks have come out with a line of nutrient enhanced soft energy chews. The first flavor of the energy chews to be released by Hydrive is Orange Burst. Each pack costs $2.49 and comes with 4 chews. A serving size is 2 chews, so it looks like you get about 2 servings for the price of one energy drink. So immediately I liked the price of the new Hydrive Energy Chews, let's see if I like the taste and kick of the chews.

Hydrive Energy Chews Review - Orange Burst: Taste
A lot of times when Energy Drinks are stuffed into tiny chews the taste suffers as the medicinal aftertaste ends up being overwhelmingly bad. However, after popping one of the 20 calorie Hydrive energy chews into my mouth I realized that this stereotype does not seem to apply to all energy chews. In fact, the Orange Burst from Hydrive reminded me more of a Starburst then anything energy related. After a minute I had the first chew done and I did not hesitate popping in the second 20 calorie chew to get the same slow orange release flavor (2 chews are a serving size). Overall I was pleased with the flavor. I mean, it was exactly what it said on the package and I was not stuck running for a bottle of what to get rid of a crummy aftertaste. Taste Rating - 8.6

Hydrive Energy Chews Review - Orange Burst: Kick
So the Orange burst flavor was pleasing, but will Hydrive deliver a "Rapid Release" as stated on the package? Well, elapsed time for me to consume two energy chews (a serving size) was about 3 minutes. Consumption was faster than your normal energy drinks, but I think a energy shot would have been faster. Either way, the convenience factor of these chews does seem to beat out the energy shot. Anyways... back to the kick. The energy ingredients of two chews (one serving) is 160 milligrams of caffeine, 132 milligrams of taurine and 200% of your daily allowance of various b-vitamins. Overall, not bad at all considering the size and price. Two chews gave me an ample kick, but I was still dragging from the weekend so I decided to pop the other two as well. Definitely a huge boost of energy and at $2.49 for all 4 chews it was still a good deal. Kick Rating (2 chews/one serving) - 8.7

Hydrive Energy Chews Review - Orange Burst: Final Judgment
Quick, convenient, good tasting and strong, definitely a good example of what an energy chew should taste like. At $2.49 for 2 servings it is also a pretty decent price and it gives you the option to pick how much caffeine you want at one time. Oh and did I mention that 1 chew gives you 100% of your daily allowance of vitamin C! Not too shabby... Final Judgment - 8.7

Lightning Rods Energy Beef Sticks Review

Cost: $1.69
Cost Per Ounce:$1.69
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Protein, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.5
Kick Rating:7.5
Final Judgment Rating:8.0
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Lightning Rods Energy Beef Sticks Review:
So I normally stick to reviewing Energy Drinks or Shots but every once in awhile something unique comes along where I just have to try it. In the past I have reviewed things like energy patches, caffeinated breath spray, energy strips... you get the idea. So when I heard about the Lightning Rods Energy Beef Sticks I had to get a hold of some samples. With a Minotaur as a mascot the one ounce 60 calorie sticks seem to be a decent deal at $1.69 per stick or even less when bought in bulk. I guess there is only one way to find out if these power charged meat sticks are the real deal...

Buy Lightning Rods Here

Lightning Rods Energy Beef Sticks Review: Taste
Obviously, the taste review is not going to be like my normal Energy Drink Reviews; however, I along with a ton of other people have tried beef sticks, or maybe even a Slim Jim or two, so I will base the review on how close it tastes to an actual beef stick. That being said, the taste of these Lightning Rods are very similar to your normal Slim Jim style beef stick. The only difference seems to be that there is a bit of medicinal aftertaste, albeit it is not that noticeable. As for me personally I like spicy beef sticks, so I wouldn't mind if Power Hungry foods spiced them up a bit as they were a tad mild for me. Nonetheless, if you like Slim Jim style beef sticks and want a little bit of extra energy to boot, give one of these a try. Taste Rating - 8.5

Lightning Rods Energy Beef Sticks Review: Kick
Tastes like a beef stick (no shit right), but will it give the kick promised on the package. Well the energy ingredients includes 60 milligrams of caffeine (about 3/4th of a typical energy drink) as well as proteins/amino acids and b-vitamins. The delivery method (via digestion) does seem to be a little slower than a typical energy drink (maybe 30-45 minutes); however, the sustained effects where quite nice. The energy ingredients are not the strongest, but by no means was I disappointed as Lightning Rods not only supply you with energy, they also are a nice snack. Kick Rating - 7.5

Lightning Rods Energy Beef Sticks Review: Final Judgment
Similar taste to your typical beef stick with energy to boot. If your looking for energy and a snack to boot, look no further. Besides, at $1.69 they are priced almost identical to you normal beef stick... and you get a pick me up as well.
Two birds with one stone... Final Judgment - 8.0

Buy Lightning Rods Here