The Consumer’s Corner

Okay, I hear what you’re thinking. ‘You just reviewed this a couple weeks ago.’ Well, I didn’t. I was informed that there are two Jolt Colas. The one I tried and reviewed was ‘Jolt Cola.’ This is ‘Jolt Power Cola.’ If you remember me reviewing the plain version, you’ll remember that I wasn’t particularly fond of it. Will Jolt Power Cola be any better?

Marginally.  This was more carbonated, and that alone helped it a great deal. The original was quite flat (nothing worse than flat cola), but the Power Cola was was considerably more peppy in that department. The flavor was similar, still nowhere near being in the same ball park as the big name colas, but at least it was drinkable this time around.

Like Jolt Blue Raspberry, the energy boost was ‘good enough.’ I’ve tried a whole bunch of energy drinks the past couple years, and this is in the middle of the road for energy enhancement. It’ll get you going, but wont leave you shaking. The sugar content may crash you though, should you drink the whole 23.5 ounce can. I prefered it in two 12 ounce servings; which is made possible by the cool can with resealable top.

Major selling point here is it’s a non typical energy drink, it’s flavored as a cola, and that is fairly unique. In fact, Jolt is the only energy cola I can find in my market. Calories are 300 to the can, or 100 per serving. It gets a mild recommendation; if you just want cola, you’re better off with the big guys, for cola with energy Jolt is hard to beat!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

After the Jolt Cola debacle, I had to give the company another shot to redeem themselves. So I tried the version that I thought would be most palatable to me, ‘Blue Raspberry.’ Real big fan of raspberries, and their candy flavored derivatives, so I thought this one would be a safe choice.

I was correct. Jolt Blue Raspberry isn’t exactly the most unique thing you’ll ever taste, this type of flavor is used in a multitude of products, but it still tastes good. Quite good, in fact. Maybe just a tad on the strong side; I enjoyed it more over ice, but Blue Raspberry lives up to it’s tag line, ‘The energy drink that actually tastes good.’

You get that energy from sugar, caffeine, taurine, guarana, ginseng, and some other really big words. Don’t have any numbers for you; they’re not required to print them, and they didn’t. 360 calories for the 23.5 ounce can; though I don’t recommend drinking it all at once. It has a resealable top, so I’d take advantage of it. One serving is 8 ounces. The boost is adequate, I’ve had better, and I’ve had worse. If you’re a seasoned energy drink consumer, you should have an idea what to expect.

I recommend Jolt Blue Raspberry if you can find it. It tastes great, gives a solid energy bump, is cost effective (as far as energy drinks go). Seems like a pretty good deal to me; I can easily see myself buying this again.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

These are becoming more and more popular, I’m seeing them everywhere. They’re basically an entire 16 ounce energy drink that’s had it’s ‘soda’ removed. To tell the truth, I’ve been scared to try one; I didn’t think there would be any possible way that they could taste all that great, and I thought the boost would be way to strong.

Jolt’s Energy Shot (grape flavor) doesn’t taste too bad. Not to good either, but with a product like this, adding a flavoring at all is just a courtesy. These weren’t designed for sipping; they made to get down the hatch as quickly as possible. All in all, the flavor resembles that of a cough medicine. Texture was much thinner than I thought it would be, expecting something syrupy. It’s not very viscous at all. I think that’s a good thing.

Upon reading the ingredient list, I had no doubt what so ever that it would work; my only question was if it would kill me or not. 2,500% of your daily recommended value of vitmain B6, 125% of folic acid, 750% of B12, and 200% of B5. 2,2oo milligrams of the energy blend, consisting of glucuronolactone, malic acid, caffeine, guarana, and ginseng. Easily, by far and away, the most potent energy boost I’ve ever received. I swear to God, I felt like time had slowed itself down during the first hour. It’s lasted as well, I’m writing this four hours after my dosage, and it’s still going strong.

I recommend these, but with limitations. People have been consuming garden variety energy drinks just to catch that little energy buzz, and they’re kind of the fad right now. This product is not for those people. Or kids. Or pregnant people, or people that are caffeine sensitive. I’d also avoid if you have issues with your heart. If you’re in a situation where you need a serious energy boost, aren’t terribly concerned with flavor, and have no desire to sleep for a good 6 or 7 hours, this is your stuff. $2.00 give or take, wherever you find a good selection of Jolt products. Or consider purchasing online.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

jolt, jolt energy shot, energy shots

I noted that Rockstar Roasted Light Vanilla wasn’t as thick, or as rich in consistency as the ‘Java Monster’ line of beverages. I assumed that was because the ‘Light Vanilla‘ variety was their low fat entry into the market, and I figured the other drinks would be a little heavier. I assumed wrong. After drinking the full fat, full calorie ‘Latte,’ I’ll now assume that’s just the consistency they were shooting for.

And that’s fine, I’m sure there are quite a few people that prefer that; I’m just not one of them.  Monster’s coffee/energy hybrids were filling, and I’d use them almost like a meal replacement shake. Rockstar Roasted is just a bit too ‘milky’ for me, but this is going to be a personal preference.

‘Latte’ tasted pretty good. Little sweeter than I’d take my coffee, but they’re tryig to appeal to everyone, so that’s to be expected. The flavor (just ‘coffee,’ nothing extra) is strong enough to hide any bitterness from Rockstar’s energy blend. That blend works; it’s pretty much proven. Woke me up out of a sleep deprived stupor this morning, and I haven’t crashed. Good stuff there.  220 calories per can, as well as 6 grams of fat.

I’ll recommend it, but not over it’s Monster equivalent; unless you found Java Monster too thick for your tastes. Around $2 wherever other Rockstar’s are sold, but you might also want to check your coffee/dairy section; that’s where I found mine. Enjoy!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Found ‘em! Been on the look out for Rockstar Roasted for awhile now, and the three new versions of Java Monster. Then I found them, all six, lined up right next to each other in a Gate Station cooler. How awesome is that?

Starting off with Rockstar Roasted ‘Light Vanilla.’ I like the simple names; the Java Monsters (Loca Moca, Mean Bean, and Big Black) had names that made me want to chuckle, not take them seriously. All were great products though; how does Rockstar Roasted compare?

The ‘Light Vanilla’ is a half calorie, half fat product. So, it doesn’t have that rich creaminess that I’ve come to associate with these coffee/energy hybrids. I’m certain some would consider that a good thing, but I’m a bit indifferent. It tasted good, but just seemed to be missing something, and that was probably the other half of the fat and calories.

The flavor leans heavy on the coffee, light on the vanilla, and there’s no ‘energy drink’ aftertaste to be found. It’s not bitter, probably way too sweet for a lot of coffee drinkers, but should taste pretty good to the average consumer.

2 serving per can. Each can contains 100 calories, 3 grams of fat, 200$ DRV of B3-B6-B5-B12, and a general assortment of energy enhancers that work fairly well. Well rounded product that many will enjoy.

I’ll recommend this to folks who were looking for something in this category that is a little lighter. Rockstar Roasted Light Vanilla certainly fills a void. It wont be something I’ll pick up often, but it was good enough that I’m really looking forward to sampling the other varieties. Feedback is always appreciated!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

rockstar, rockstar roasted, energy drinks, coffee

Lost Cadillac Cantina Cocktail. I’m guessing they were shooting for a virgin margarita+energy kind of thing, but it just didn’t turn out so well. Nice try though! It’s very rare that I don’t gush over something lime flavored, I’m a bit biased, but flavor wise, Lost Cadillac didn’t do a whole lot for me.

Closest thing I could compare it to is a ‘Mikearita,’ the pre-packaged drink from the producers of Mike’s Hard Lemonade. Just remove the alcohol flavor, insert the ‘bubble gum’ energy drink profile, and Lost Cadillac is what you’re left with. It wasn’t bad, it’s just mired in mediocrity.

The energy boost was nice, and that is Lost Cadillac’s redeeming quality. It got me going, and kept me moving. The 16 ounce can (which is actually 2 servings) gives you 200 calories worth of sugar, always good for a boost. Then you have 2000 mg of taurine, glucuronolactone, ginseng, caffeine, inositol, B Vitamins, maltodextrin, carnitine, and guarana. Fairly common stuff in this industry.

Can’t say that I recommend this one. There are no strong feelings one way or the other, but I’m doubtful that I’ll ever buy it again. There are just too many other options; better tasting options. $1.99 wherever other Lost beverages are sold.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

lost, lost cadillac, energy drinks

‘The Energy Drink That Actually Tastes Good.’ If a marketer was able to pop that one out with a straight face, I’d be shocked. Further more, if he or she actually believed it, well, they suck.

As far as colas go, this ranks somewhere near the bottom of every one I’ve ever consumed, even counting multiple store brands. Simply awful.

Not going too deep into the details on this one; I’m just going to tell you to avoid it if at all possible. Sugar content is astounding, energy boost isn’t that great. Packaging is all it has going for it.

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–Jeremy Hobbs

Lost Perfect 10 Energy Drink. Cool looking can. Catchy name. But the originality stops there; this is Monster Low-Carb with a different label. That’s okay I suppose, it’ is made by the same folks that produce Monster’s beverages, but Lost Perfect 10 needed something to help it stand out. It doesn’t.

Not that it’s bad; Monster Low-Carb is a favorite of mine. So, being that the difference is negligible, I have to like Lost Perfect 10 as well. Same(ish) energy boost, same calorie content per can, same price; hell, it’s in the same door in the fridge at my convenience store. By the way, ’10′ stands for calories per serving.

I guess I recommend it; even though I feel forced into it. I recommend it by default; how about that? $1.99 should get you on the road with 16 ounces. Enjoy?

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–Jeremy Hobbs

I’ve been avoiding Amp Energy Overdrive for awhile; never was all that big on Amp. I prefer Mountain Dew’s other energy offering, MDX. Much tastier, better value, and similar kick. But, sales figures tell me that my opinion on the two energy drinks is a bit skewed from public opinion. Oh well.

Amp Overdrive is a wonderful tasting beverage though, much better than it’s big brother. Sold as Amp with an ‘intense cherry hit,’ it doesn’t bear a lot of resemblance to it’s base product in my opinion. The cherry flavor in dominant, and then some. Should I compare it to anything, I’d say it tastes a lot like Rockstar Punched. As you can see in my review of that product, I was gushing in my enthusiasm for the flavor.

Flavor. When reviewing energy drinks, you can say one of two things when complimenting a given beverage. ‘It tastes great for an energy drink,’ or, ‘It tastes great!’ Amp Overdrive, like Rockstar Punched, is something really tastes great, regardless of it’s class. Nothing harsh, medicinal, or any of the other traits common to energy drinks. It could easily be an ‘every day’ beverage if you’re not sensitive to the energy enhancers.

Complete nutritional info can be found here. I recommend it, greatly. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

amp, amp overdrive, energy drinks, soda, mountain dew

Just for the purpose of clarity, the one I’m reviewing today is the ‘green’ one on the far right. I’ll get to the rest of them too, they’re in my fridge, but I wasn’t able to find individual images, and the ones I took looked really, really bad.

‘Volt Lemon-Lime’ tastes just like your average sports drinks that have been available for years, almost indistinguishable when compared to a Gatorade, or Powerade. ‘So then, mister Super Consumer, why should I bother switching?’ Well, my dear reader, Volt is an energy drink as well, or at least contains a lot of the same ingredients that are generally found in energy drinks. So, you’re not only getting all the benefits of re hydration, you get a fairly nice nice ‘pick me up’ to go along with it.

The Lemon-Lime flavor was enjoyable. Everyone that’s going be interested in Volt has probably already sampled the ‘other guys’ version, and Volt can certainly hold it’s own. There is an ever-so-slight medicinal taste, but it’s not anywhere near bad enough to negatively affect the beverage. Also, when compared to Gatorade/Powerade, the Volt seems a bit more ‘concentrated,’ which I consider a good thing. Coke and Pepsi’s products, minus Gatorade Fierce, have always tasted a bit too watered down for me. Volt doesn’t have that problem.

The energy boost was decent. You’ll get 2.5 servings in your 20 oz bottle, and each serving will contain 50 calories, 12g of sugar, 15% of your daily recommended value of vitamin A, 15% of E, 100% of B6, 100% of B12, and an undisclosed percentage of taurine and gluconoronolactone. It didn’t have me bouncing off the walls after drinking 10 ounces (give or take), but I could tell I had drank something with some kick.

I will recommend it. It’s more ‘useful’ than the big guy’s products, no drop off in flavor, and I’m all for a small company to give Coke and Pepsi a run for their money. I only paid a buck for mine, but Volt is just being introduced to my area, so I expect that to rise a little bit in time. There a ‘ballsy’ little outfit too, check out the marketing material on their website. Bottoms up!

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–Jeremy Hobbs

volt, energy drink, sports drink