Rockstar Sparkling Peach

Found at: Circle K

Price: 2 for $3

So there's obviously been a big push for energy drink companies to cater to a wider audience than the 13 year olds that lock themselves in basements and play Xbox all day. Enter the evolution era of zero-zero options galore! Zero sugar, zero calories, while still providing a strong punch from a manufacturer's "proprietary energy blend" of strange things ending in -ine that no one knew existed.

Without further ado, Rockstar's new Sparkling line is pretty perfect. Not much I could say to knock this aside from wishing there were more flavors. Aside from that, awesome taste, doesn't taste strongly of artificial sweetener, very easy to drink (almost dangerously easy...), and it has the standard energy kick that everyone looks for in an energy drink. Pretty happy about this find...despite it only being available at gas stations by individual can...for now...

The inevitable return...

So after a hiatus, my wife has convinced me that if I start blogging again I'll become a movie star. And it makes perfect sense. I'm not sure how, but I'm sure my celebrity coupled with my inability to stop drinking energy drinks, that it'll come to fruition. That being said...watch for the next and newest reviews, coming to you with regularity barring cardiac arrest from over-caffeination!!!

Welcome to Sleepless Nights!

This is exactly what it seems. A minimally-sponsored site from Amazon and Google with reviews of energy drinks. As I find new ones, I'll be posting the picture of the can and an honest to God, uninfluenced opinion of how good, or how crappy the drinks are. If (for some reason) you are reading these reviews and you are from a company that makes an energy drink I have not reviewed, feel free to e-mail me at mikesullivan4 at gmail.com and I can arrange for you to send me a sample. I'm even so nice that if it sucks and is terrible, just for being nice and sending me a sample I'll leave the poor review off my site! What a nice guy I am...


Also, this review site really began with me getting every 16 oz can I could find. I have obviously since expanded my horizons to other sized containers. I'm not into glass yet, so if you're waiting for a review of an energy drink offered in a glass bottle, it may take awhile for me to get there. Patience, grasshopper, this is an expensive endeavor.


Hope everyone enjoys, and I don't have comment postings for a reason, because these are my opinions. If you don't agree with them, I don't care. Any chain mail or hater mail sent to my e-mail address will be promptly deleted without being read in full, so you may as well not even waste your time. Welcome one and all!

Oh, and I forgot to mention, that there are labels at the end of each post. If you were interested in the company or the region that that drink is from, just click on the label and arrange all of them by that title!

Milo

Name of Drink: Nestle Milo

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: $0.49

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 1

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: Unk

Overall impression / comments: Couldn't drink all of it, only a few sips. It tastes pretty much like a skank version of Yoo-hoo. And I don't know if it's supposed to be Milo like Mee-loh, or Milo like the name My-low. If they named this thing after a human named Milo, I should never have consumed this. If its Mee-loh, I don't wanna know what it's named after.

Guarana Antarctica

Name of Drink: Guarana Antarctica

Venue found at: Pop the Soda Shop

Price at said location: $1.19

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 5+

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: I could drink this forever. It's not a soda that will leave a thick sugary coating in your mouth like Coke or Pepsi. Probably one of my favorite energy drinks or any soda drinks I've ever had. Order/buy this. A lot of this.

Guarana Brazilia

Name of Drink: Guarana Brazilia

Venue found at: Pop the Soda Shop

Price at said location: $1.19

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 5

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: I love guarana. Companies need to use it more often, it tastes great, and gives a steady buzz rather than a spike and crash. Every time I go to Pop the Soda Shop and they have a new Guarana beverage, I always have to try it. It's a naturally occuring stimulant, too, so that means it's healthy...right? Oh well, read about it here.

C+ Swiss Iced Tea

Name of Drink: Swiss Iced Tea Refreshing Hemp Tea

Venue found at: Pop the Soda Shop

Price at said location: $1.89...again, I think...

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 2

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 0

Overall impression / comments: In all fairness, this isn't even an energy drink, but I figured, "Hemp Tea?" Oh, that's definately going on the site. It's basically iced tea. Only one real difference...it tastes like you're chewing on...umm...marijuana seeds. Not that I would have any idea what that tastes like, just making the assumption. This would be a great gift for that college friend who...you know...

Wild Tiger

Name of Drink: Wild Tiger

Venue found at: Pop the Soda Shop

Price at said location: $0.99...I think...

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 3

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 4

Overall impression / comments: The taste was nothing special, kind of a Red Bull-ish taste, just the generic energy drink aftertaste. The Buzz was good and the duration was good, too...especially for a "bullet" can amount. Would make a great mixer or if you were supplying an office's fridge.

Frappio

Name of Drink: Frappio

Venue found at: 7 Eleven

Price at said location: $2.99

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 4

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 5+

Overall impression / comments: Usually I wouldn't spend this much on a non brand name coffe based energy drink, but I had a hunch. Good thing I got it, because to date, this is the strongest energy drink I've had. I was shaking and running around my office for a good 2 hours afterwards. I don't know if it was because it was on an empty stomach or what, but I'd use this pre-sporting events, not necessarily pre-long night of studying.

Everlast

Name of Drink: Everlast Citrus Blend

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: 99 cents

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 5

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: While the boast & buzz weren't terribly memorable on this one, the taste was GREAT. It kind of reminded me of Squirt, that soda with the grapefruit taste. But a little lighter. Almost like the illigitimate kid of Fresca and Squirt. There. That's the best description you'll get.

Full Throttle Fury

Name of Drink: Full Throttle Fury

Venue found at: Circle K

Price at said location: $1.49 on sale

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 4

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 2

Overall impression / comments: I'm thinking that Coke just put their orange soda into a bigger can and gave it a fun label...just speculation...

Coolah

Name of Drink: Coolah

Venue found at: Circle K

Price at said location: $1.49 on sale

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 3

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 2

Overall impression / comments: Didn't feel much of a boost or kick on this, but it had a unique taste. Reminded me of a carbonated lemonade, but not really good lemonade. Not that the drink was bad, just took a few sips to let it grow on me. Not something I would really go out of my way to get.

Her Passion

Name of Drink: Her Passion (its sugar free, too!)

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: 99 cents

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 4

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: It's good. A little over-carbonated, but the taste makes up for it. Tastes like a liquid cross between a Jolly Rancher and Sour Warhead. It's a fruity flavor, but it's good. My wife, who hates energy drinks, is addicted to this one in particular. Not an overkill on the buzz either, like having a couple cups of strong coffee, but with a longer lasting boost.

Redline

Name of Drink: Redline

Venue found at: GNC

Price at said location: $2.49

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 2

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 4.5

Overall impression / comments: Tastes similar to the Speed Shot Purple Frost I did a review on. It tastes like the purple Dimetapp from back in the day. This drink even has a warning that you should start with half the bottle to see how your body reacts before drinking a while bottle in one sitting. They were right. I drank just one little bottle after a night of about 5 hours of sleep, and I was bouncing off the walls for about 3.5 hours straight. Gave me the jitters, but it certainly did its job. Added bonus: it claims to freeze and "drop" fat! Dunno if its true, but I sure had a lot of diarrhea afterwards!

Speed Shot, Purple Frost

Name of Drink: Speed Shot, Purple Frost

Venue found at: GNC

Price at said location: $1.49 on sale

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 1.5

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 4

Overall impression / comments: This stuff admittedly did not taste very good at all. It reminded me of the purple Dimetapp I used to get as a kid when I was sick. Non carbonated, which is a nice change from typical energy drinks. If you're not used to energy drinks though, this little bottle will have 2 solid doses for you. I drank this one in conjunction with one other on the same day and I got a terrible headache was was nauseous for the next 1/2 day. Not to mention the sweats and chills. Wow...maybe I was just going through heroin detox...

Pimp Juice

Name of Drink: Pimp Juice

Venue found at: K-Momo

Price at said location: $1.89

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 4

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 4

Overall impression / comments: This drink is a beautiful creation. It's bright green, not over-carbonated like many other energy drinks, and if poured over ice it waters the syrupiness down to the perfect consistency. Got this one on a trip to Flagstaff, AZ, and my wife and our two friends all tried this and the "lite" version, and as a general consensus, everyone loved it. It doesn't have the normal harsh "energy drink" taste. It's made in Saint Louis, so I have no idea if Nelly had anything to do with the creation, but it's still delicious.

Raw Dawg

Name of Drink: Raw Dawg

Venue found at: 99 cent store (you would think I live there...)

Price at said location: 99 cents

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 3

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3.5

Overall impression / comments: I have no idea what Horny Goat Weed is supposed to be or do, but it did the trick in this can. It has kind of a weird, sour taste, but like a candy store sour, not a "milk in the sun for 4 days" sour. If you got a dollar and a dollar store, its worth getting a couple. Kind of a fruity taste to it, almost tropical. Now that I think of it, the name doesn't match the taste at all. It wasn't mean or raw, and I'm not a horny goat.

Ultra Red Ginseng

Name of Drink: Ultra Red Ginseng

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: 2 / 99 cents (I'm out of jokes about a dollar being split in half)

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 0

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: unknown

Overall impression / comments: The worst food product I've EVER put in my mouth. This thing smelled like someone picked ginseng root from the ground, didn't rinse the dirt off of it, and put it in carbonated water. Guess how it tasted? Just like dirty ginseng. Never pay money for this. Never let people pay you for drinking it. I couldn't get past two sips, so I have no clue what kind of kick it has. It just wasn't worth the sacrifice of my taste buds. If you have a choice between being stabbed with a rusty nail or drinking a can of this, take the rusty nail.

El Sol

Name of Drink: El Sol..."regulár" if you will

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: 2 / 99 cents...somewhere around half a dollar, give or take 42 cents.

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 3

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: A bit unhealthier than it's "No azucar" counterpart, but still just as tasty, and just as good, if not better, kick than the sugar free version.

El Sol, Sugar Free

Name of Drink: El Sol, "No Azucar"

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: 2 / 99 cents (umm...50 cents?)

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 3.5

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: It seems good things can come in smaller packages! The amount of drink you get is less, but the taste and the kick make up for it. Light, refreshing, and no bad aftertaste! Someone knows how to run a chemistry lab, and they work at Lotte.

Diet Arizona Green Tea Energy

Name of Drink: Diet Arizona Green Tea Energy

Venue found at: 99 cent store

Price at said location: 99 cents

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 2.5

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: The idea of carbonated green tea is a new concept to me. And not a friendly one at that. I love iced tea. I was considering making an iced tea blog. But that would be boring as hell. Back on track: bubbling iced tea is weird. The taste isn't bad, but the "texture," if you'd like to call it that is unsettling. A good pleasant buzz though, a great combination of quick boost and prolonged buzz.

Steven Seagal's Cherry Charge Lightning Bolt

Name of Drink: Steven Seagal's Cherry Charge Lightning Bolt

Venue found at: Wal-Mart

Price at said location: $1.00

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 2

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 2

Overall impression / comments: Let's be honest, movie stars are poor politicians and food/drink manufacturers. The drink is sweet, no bitter aftertaste, which is great. The overpowering goji berry taste mixed with cherry however? Not so nice. And keep in mind, those "natural asian enhancers" will never hold a candle to crazy mad-scientist designed chemicals. The boost on this one is mediocre at best.

99 Degrees, Sugar Free

Name of Drink: 99 Degrees, Sugar Free

Venue found at: 99 Cent Store

Price at said location: 99 cents

"Taste test" out of 5 Rating: 2

"Energy kick" out of 5 Rating: 3

Overall impression / comments: Kind of a burning sensation. The taste isn't terrible, especially for a sugar free energy drink. I assume the 99 degrees is supposed to refer to the hot feeling in your mouth. It's kind of like liquid "Red Hots" candy. Not bad for 99 cents, but there are better options out there. Oh, and an extra warning - this stuff stains ANYTHING. Countertops, fingers, tongues...so beware.

Arizona Green Tea Pomegranate

Name of Drink: Arizona Green Tea Pomegranate

Venue found at: 99 cent Store

Price at said location: 99 cents

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 3

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 2

Overall impression / comments: I'm still trying to get into the whole green tea enegry thing, but the carbonation really throws me. The taste I would say is a little better than other green tea energy drinks, but the pomegranate gives it a little something extra. Maybe the taste just hides the fact that it's tea, and maybe that's why I like it better. Who knows...but this is the best in the AZ tea lineup.

180 Goji

Name of Drink: 180 Goji

Venue found at: Circle K

Price at said location: $1.99

“Taste test” out of 5 Rating: 4

“Energy kick” out of 5 Rating: 4

Overall impression / comments: *Sigh*...it's always about crazy marketing ideas. Like an upside down label. They ALMOST had me this time, and I ALMOST opened the can upside down all over myself. Ignoring that however, Anheuser Busch pretty much has this soda down to a science (meaning the 180 line). This tastes more like a soda than an energy drink, but doesn't loose any of the buzz or boost. I know a lot of times I try and go against the big labels and brand names, but this is a really solid one. If I could find this one a bit more easily, I would drink more of it...