Sheets Energy Strips Berry Blast Review

Here is another product I picked up from the near-by Walgreen's when I was in San Antonio - Sheets Energy Strips. I have wanted to try these for some time now, but just couldn't find a place to get them from and at $5.99 for a pack they are not exactly the most affordable ones. But on the other hand, if you have lower tolerance towards caffeine, the 10 sheets in the box will last you some time.

Taste

I am on the fence with this one. The moment I placed a sheet on my tongue, a minty-like tingle resonated across my mouth, followed by a moderately bitter note and finally some sugar-free-like flavour. The taste wasn't bad and had a healthy dose of berries, but the bitterness and the sweetener took the overall experience down a peg.

Once fully dissolved, the strips do leave your mouth feeling very refreshed and just a little tingly. The freshness is intense at first and lasts for about 10-15 minutes which makes Sheets act like a freshener. The bitterness is almost non-existent once the sheet dissolves so if you can suck it up for a few seconds when the sheet is dissolving, you will be a-OK. The berries are also present in the aftertaste, but are fairly weak compared to the minty-tingle.


Energy

At 50 mg of caffeine per strip, these Sheets are pretty damn powerful. I guess the little bit of bitterness is nothing compared to how much caffeine you are getting from such a small thing.

I decided to take 3 one after the other to see how the boost will compare to a regular energy drink. For starters I think the mintiness perks you up just a little almost instantly. Secondly, the first wave of energy comes in within 5 minutes and is enough to wake you up if you were a walking zombie like me.

I was expecting a wave of jitters to crash the party, but it never happened. The effects smoothly transitioned from the "wake up" jolt to "I feel energized" in about 20 minutes...no drama! The kick is comparable to 473 mL energy drink, except for the jitters, and lasts just as long. I felt energized and productive for the better portion of 3-4 hours and did not experience a crash at the end.

I wish these were sold in Canada.

Scores:
Cost - $5.99
Taste - 7.8/10
Energy - from 5/10 to 10/10 depending on the number of sheets you take

Overall - 12.8/20 to 17.8/20...depending on how many you take

Dream Water Snoozeberry Blueberry Pomegranate Review

Earlier this year on a layover at LAX I got this shot with a bunch of magazines I was buying...some sort of a promotional thing. Since then it has been sitting on my desk, hidden behind piles of paper and other energy and anti-energy drinks. Tonight I decided to finally try it before it expires...assuming it wasn't already too late.

Taste

The shot tastes like sour berries with just a touch of sweetness which quickly disappears amidst some of the watery character the shot has. The sweetness is mostly in the form of sweetener and lasts well into the aftertaste. The sourness comes from what I believe are the pomegranate flavours, which I think need a bit more definition.

I am a bit surprised how most of the flavours don't really sit on your tongue, they all just roll off as soon as you swallow. The only things that last are the sweet and sour characters...which don't really tell you if you just had something that tasted like berries, or apples, or oranges, or...anything. Perhaps I let the shot sit too long on my desk.

On the other hand, the watery character might be a good idea if this is the last thing you drink before going to bed. Once you are in bed, there are no flavours sitting on your tongue, teasing you to get up and get a snack.

Performance

As per the label I had the shot about half an hour before going to bed. Within 10 minutes I started to feel my eyelids getting heavy, but I didn't feel like sleeping until about another 20 or so minutes. Worked like clockwork...or so I thought. Dream Water did not make me have any exciting dreams or enjoy a long, uninterrupted sleep. I woke up a few hours later and was in an odd, half-awake state - too tired to get up and read, too awake to fall back asleep. This went on for what I thought was eternity...probably 5-10 minutes in the real world, before I fell asleep again.

So this didn't quite work that way I expected it to, or the way it was advertised, but its small volume did not give me the urge to go to the washroom in the middle of the night so that is always a plus. It works well enough to put you to sleep, but it didn't not do it for me.

Scores:
Cost - free sample
Taste - 7/10
Performance - 7/10

Overall - 14/20...small format, works ok to make you fall asleep

Venga Relax Review

It is funny how long it has taken me to track one of these down. Out of all places I managed to find a bottle at a Bulk Barn across town and it cost me $2.59 to try this.

Taste

The taste is a blend of tea and juices with white grape and white tea dominating. The grapefruit flavour is light and does not truly appear until the finish and lasts well into the aftertaste. The orange flavour is rather odd because it reminds me more of tangerines and blood oranges than just plain oranges.

Though I love the blend of flavours and how light, yet defined they are, I think the sweetness is a bit too much for this type of a drink. It is not much compared to other anti-energy/relaxation drinks, but when you have white tea as your basis, every bit of sugar (and sweetener) counts and has a dramatic impact on the flavour. This isn't a deal breaker, but I just thought the drink could do with less.

Performance

Don't expect the same level of performance as a Marley or a Sippin Syrup, but do expect a noticeable effect. I had this drink before going to bed and not too soon after a large cup of earl grey tea. I started to feel the calming effects within about 10 minutes and they were very mellow yet effective at calming me down and making me even just a tiny bit drowsy.

For about 15 minutes I felt calm enough to focus on reading some boring articles I would normally just scan, yet not drowsy so that I entirely skipped them. I think the drink is a pretty decent balance between calmness and that tiny bit of drowsiness which could be enough for some people for an early sleep or even an afternoon nap.

Scores:
Cost - $2.59
Taste - 9.5/10
Performance - 6/10

Overall - 15.5/20...fantastic taste and an OK performance. Just don't expect this to put you to sleep

Awake Energy Chocolate Review

Here is a local product made by a company in Mississauga which sells for $1.99 at the corner convenience store.

Taste

The taste is pretty damn good. I was expecting something semi-bitter with an odd gritty texture, but what I got was smooth milk chocolate with just a mild soy finish which briefly appears at the finish. There are no bitter tones or odd medicinal flavours...at first.

Once I finished the chocolate and had a glass of water to wash out the buttery, chocolate feel out my mouth, a faint caffeine note appeared. The bitterness is very subtle, but it is an indication of the medicinal ingredients. Fortunately it only lasts for a brief period of time.

Energy

There are 101 mg of caffeine in the bar and its effects start kicking in in about 10 minutes. At first the effects are mild, but gradually they ramp up and in another 10 or so minutes it feels like you just had a Red Bull. Unlike having a Red Bull the effects are very clean and there are no jitters. I felt peppy, yet calm enough to focus on reading a few stories.

And like a Red Bull, the effects last for about 1.5 hours with a mild crash at the end. I think I will get a few more to keep around the house.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99
Taste - 9.5/10
Energy - 7/10

Overall - 16.5/20...tastes like a regular milk chocolate bar, but has a Red Bull-like kick

Marley's Mellow Mood Lite Half Tea Half Lemonade Review

It is finally here - Marley's Half and Half. I was promised a bottle of this drink many months ago by the company, but one never arrived. Nevertheless, I have a bottle and I am excited to try it.

Taste

The first thing I noticed about this drink is how sweet it is. Sure there is an earthy black tea note, but the sweetness overpowers it. The lemonade is a nice touch as it gives the drink a refreshing and sour lemon kick.

Since this is a light drink, there is the typical artificial sweetener taste which is quite pronounced in the initial stages of the aftertaste, but fortunately mellows out after a few minutes ("mellows out", get it).

Though this is an OK tasting Marley, I still prefer the older, original tea flavours which are more mellow, better balanced and just more enjoyable.

Performance

For those who find the regular Marley too strong, this might be the one for you. The drink kicks in within 20 minutes and the effects are a bit dialed back when compared to the regular Marley's. I relaxed a bit and became a tad drowsy, but I didn't quite feel the urge to fall asleep.

I spent my evening watching the Sunday cartoons, which I usually just have playing in the background while I play games or read news. This time I was mellowed out enough to be able to stare at screen without having to read words or pay too much attention. It was kind of nice...or so I thought. At the end of the cartoons, the effects of the drink had passed and I was back to feeling a bit too "not-tired" to be able to go to bed. This on Sunday night is not cool since I feel like crap Monday mornings if I don't get enough sleep. Also, on Mondays, I like to get up early and go to the office much earlier to organize a plan of action to tackle the week's work.

Check out the other Marley's for comparison:

• Berry
• Black Tea
• Green Tea
• Citrus

Scores:
Cost - $2.99 from Hasty Market
Taste - 7.2/10
Performance - 6/10

Overall - 13.2/20...might appeal to some people seeking a bit weaker than the original Marley's

Killer Buzz Dragon Spit Energy Drink Review

And the last of the revamped Killer Buzz energy drinks is the Dragon Spit - described as having an "exotic taste".

Taste

The taste is a sweet combination of citrus and tropical fruits as expected. At first you cannot distinguish between the individual flavours but after you drink a third of the can a few start to emerge. You have your creamy orange/tangerine notes at the start which then transition to something more mellow, something tropical that I cannot quite tell put my finger on. Then the finish is sweet mango with a lime kick. In between, though, there is a bit of an artificial, chemical note that comes and goes right between the mellow flavours and the mango at the end. The aftertaste is sweet and dominated by mango and limes.

Overall, this is an OK tasting tropical energy drink, but I think it would have been a lot better if the taste was focused on one or two fruits rather than a combination of many. This way the flavour can stand out.

Energy

The energy is the same as all the other Killer Buzz drinks (except the Zilch, which is sugar free). There are 200 mg of caffeine (as per a few Internet searches since the can does not list the caffeine content) and the sugar rush comes within 10-15 minutes.

The sugar rush comes with a side of jitters, which is expected, and lasts for about 10 minutes right before the real energy starts to kick in. After a night of drinking and very little sleep, I was feeling great within 20 minutes of consuming a can...of course I didn't forget to drink enough water to stay hydrated.

The kick lasted for about 4 hours and then I did experience a crash, but that was probably the combined effect of the drink and the lack of sleep.

Having tried all 5 of the revamped Killer Buzz flavours, I have to conclude that my favorite one is the Proto...the original.

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 8/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 16.5/20...OK tropical taste and a great kick

Killer Buzz Livid Energy Drink Review

Fourth in line from the Killer Buzz line-up is Livid - "a grape concoction that packs a punch".

Taste

This is also another flavour that starts off very generic, but after a few sips reveals some subtle, unique flavours. The classic Killer Buzz candy-Monster/Red Bull flavour lurks underneath the added grape, but only comes out near the finish and a few times in the aftertaste. A well defined concord grape flavour is also noticeable towards the finish and at the start of the aftertaste.

The drink also has a mild creaminess to it, which again, mostly shows itself near the finish.

Though the flavour is mostly generic, there are some unique characters that make it stand out. If you like the taste of concord grapes and not just generic grape flavour, you will probably like this energy drink.

Energy

As with all the other Killer Buzz drinks, there is no indication of the amount of caffeine, but a quick Internet search reveals that there are 200 mg of caffeine in the can. The effects show themselves within 10-15 minutes in the form of a sugar rush with a build up of a jittery feel which peaks about 10 minutes later and lasts for another 5-10 minutes.

Once the caffeine and the medicinal ingredients are fully absorbed, the kick is solid and lasts for about 4 hours. I did experience a crash at the end, but I sort of expected it and I had a large cup of black tea to try to get myself back to a normal operating state.

Scores:
Cost - unsure
Taste - 8.5/10
Energy - 8.5/10

Overall - 17/20...a bit of a generic flavour, but a few unique characters help it stand out a bit more from the rest of the grape flavoured energy drinks