Rip It – Stinger Mo

This is very interesting…. it’s basically what you’d expect from a normal energy drink. But… it’s not a Red Bull clone, it’s a Monster Energy clone! I don’t even have a category for Monster Energy clones because as far as I’m aware this is the first, so I’ll just have to mark it down on originality. Or is it more original because it has copied someone other than Red Bull? That aside it’s a great tasting drink and has all the sweetness and flavour of Monster Energy so if you like that you won’t be disappointed. What’s with the name though? Maybe I’m just too old now and don’t get it, but it would be nice to have a clue as to what the flavour of the drink is going to be written somewhere on the can, and the Stinger Mo name doesn’t give me any clues either.

React

Another big-time contender emerges, sponsoring Reel Big Fish from off-of scateboarding game sound tracks as they tour the US. It is a Red Bull clone, butgets the balance just right and for only 99p for a 500ml can it’s reasonably priced too. The can looks good (even if the logo is trying to be a little ‘Relentless’) and the drink tastes good. Sadly the main web site at time of writing doesn’t appear to house anything other than a logo of brand, so you may want to check out the Facebook page instead: http://www.facebook.com/reactenergy. This brand has potential – I’m keeping my eyes peeled for a sugar free version and I’m hoping they go the way of Crunk and Rip It and start to produce other flavours.

Crunk Citrus

Now, I’m not sure who copied who, but as far as I’m concerned the flavour of this drink is identical to Rockstar Recovery but slightly carbonated. It tastes amazing to me! It’s a little trickier to get hold of in the UK because it has been imported by the reseller, but if you do come across a can then go grab it.

Rockstar Punched Guava

This had a very refreshing fruity flavour and was a pleasure to drink, especially on the scorching day on which I did drink it. There was no sickly aftertaste, no artificial chemical taste, just nice and fresh and fruity. Rockstar have managed to get the combination of sweetness and energy blend just right and this drink, along with Rockstar Recovery are among two of my favourites of all time.

Crunk

At first I thought the drink to be quite watery, but it grew on me as I worked my way through the large can. This drink is not native to the UK and appears to be imported from the USA by the looks of the ingredients and nutritional information panels. I found it in a local independent supermarket along with three other flavours of the same brand which will all get their 5 minutes of fame on this site in good time.

Flavour wise, it’s very juiced up and fruity, but with no artificial taste to it. The can goes on about ingredients like Horny Goat Weed and so forth (check out the official site for full information on the ‘proprietary blend’) which may add to its potency, but as the can promises to invigorate and arouse me I decided to investigate a little further. It turns out a number of the ingredients are renowned for their aphrodisiac qualities. All I’ll say is you can definitely tell it has a very decent kick of caffeine or something similar because I was wide-awake!

Rip It – G-Force

A massive can yet again, but a very nice flavour somewhat similar to Crunk’s Grape-Acai flavour and had the same childhood memory restoring effects. Very moreish and refreshing especially in the hot weather but higher in caffeine and calories than the Crunk alternative. They both tasted very similar, but G-Force is also available in sugar-free so you can sample this without the sugar hit too. I’ll review the sugar free version soon, but in the meantime you need to get hold of one or both of these grape flavoured drinks – very different.

Rockstar Energy Cola

I expected this to taste like a very cheap cola but was pleasantly surprised. It’s quite a mild flavour which means it’s not too sickly at all. I know, it’s a cola and the rules of Fizzy Wake-Up say that colas/cokes etc can’t be reviewed on this site because they don’t officially count as an Energy Drink. Well this one is different because it contains a pumped up amount of caffeine along with guarana and taurine which basically means it’s like a cola blended with an energy drink. As colas go it’s expensive, but as premium energy drinks go it’s reasonably priced. I’m classing this as a one-off purchase as there are better tasting energy drinks and better tasting colas out there.

Rip It – F Bomb

I love this flavour! The front of the can shows a picture of cherries, blueberries, a pineapple, and some other indistinguishable fruits, but the overall flavour that comes through is the cherry. It’s not a natural cherry flavour by any means and is very reminiscent of double-dips in the same way that the Cougar Lifestyle Shot is. The higher than average caffeine content plus the huge can size make this very awakeness inducing and that strength along with my high scores on taste will probably push this drink near the top of the ratings chart for a long time to come.

Rip It – Citrus X

This drink definitely has orange in it. Probably loads of other citrus fruits too, but I’m sure it uses Orange as its base flavour. It’s very slightly sharp tasting, but mostly sweet and sickly. I wouldn’t suggest this drink if you’re after something refreshing, but it’s certainly filling and substantial! The taste is pleasant and the kick is decent so drink very early on in the day. This is only the second Rip It variety I have tasted so far and it was always going to be a downer from the superb Power flavour, but this is still a decent drink in its own right even if it can’t match up to its bigger brother.