Go Girl Bliss

Packaging: The can is a lovely orange-ish peach color.  It has the Go Girl logo with the flavor/name Bliss written in a very neat script. There is also a peach logo in the top right edge of the front of the can that tells us that there is only 35 calories in this drink. The blurb on the side of the can describes the drink, and the benefits of Yerba Mate tea in that is does not make you jittery like black tea does. At the bottom of the info is another ribbon. The proceeds from this drink also go to Breast Cancer research and awareness, which is very cool that they are doing that.

Taste: Upon opening the aroma of peach hit me. The taste is very much peach, and that of tea. It is made with yerba mate but the flavor is more mellow than what yerba mate tea I've tasted from just brewed yerba mate. It is very nice and light. It does not have that energy drink bite, but it gives notable energy.

Energy: I was much more awake after drinking this. I drank it around 1pm and was still going strong by 6pm or so. Then I kind of crashed. I am not sure it was the beverages fault though, as I am still recovering from some sinus allergies/cold right now. It did keep me awake and somewhat focused for a few hours, which was good. I really like the use of Yerba Mate to provide the caffeine. The energy blend in this is Taurine - 400mg, Garcinia Cambogia - 100mg, Inositol - 50mg, Caffeine - 65mg. So this is a little light on the caffeine, so it is not as strong as some energy drinks, but it is designed for women who may not want or need as much caffeine as guys do.

Overall Impression: I really liked the flavor of this one. It is easy to drink, and very refreshing. It provides less energy in the long run, but it is not designed to be overly caffeinated like some energy drinks. I will give this a 9/10. It is a solid drink with great taste and gives an energy boost about like that of regular soft drinks, without all the calories.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.gogirlenergy.com/

Go Girl GLO

 I grabbed this drink on the way to do some shopping. It was a little before lunch so I thought I would see how the Super Citrimax worked.

Packaging: The packaging is very simple. It is teal with the Go Girl logo and the name of the drink, stating that it promotes healthy skin. On the side of the can is a description of the beverage which says that GLO has less caffeine and calories than most other energy drinks to provide an "uplifting yet relaxing experience". Also, it is here we find that the flavor is a pomegranate and starfruit combination. A portion of the proceeds go to Ovarian Cancer research and awareness. That is pretty cool, since most people are not as aware of that as they are of breast cancer research and fundraisers and the like.

Taste: The taste is fruity. I could not place the flavor until I read the side of the can (I'm a open and taste first, read the label later kind of taster; this helps me not to make distinctions before I taste something so I can get a less biased review.) I have only ever had pomegranate and starfruit once before in my life, so I am not sure how closely it tastes like the fruits, but the flavor is light and fruity. The low carbonation helps the flavor. However, I could taste the sucralose a little more in this one than I could the Go Girl Sugar Free, which I found unusual.

Energy: I got a decent boost of energy from this drink. It kept me going through shopping, and into the afternoon. I did not notice any appetite suppression from the Super Citrimax though. I had drank this right before lunch time, and had not eaten breakfast, so it might have just been I was too lacking on food energy for the Super Citrimax to have any effect on me. That did not take away from the energy from it though. It is a very light energy though, as it only has 75mg of Caffeine in it. Other ingredients in the Energy Blend are Taurine - 500mg, Super Citrimax - 508mg, CoQ 10 - 10mg (generates energy on the cellular [biological] level), Aloe Vera - 10mg. There is also a 6% daily value of Vitamin E for skin health.

Overall Impression: I really enjoyed this drink. The flavor was good. The energy was light, but noticeable. I will give this a 9/10.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.gogirlenergy.com/

Molotov Explosive Energy - Mango

I really did not have an intro prepared for this one. I was going to say something about the Molotov Cocktail winning wars in history (Finland vs Soviets) but could not find a good way to word anything. I am a bit under the weather since late Sunday/early Monday morning, so I am just going to jump into this review. I tried the Mango Molotov over the weekend, prior to all this congestion. I've been busy with holiday prep, which is why I'm a little over due on the reviews.

Packaging: The first thing I noticed about the can was the Molotov Cocktail art. The fist that is holding up the bottle with a flaming wick below the textured "Molotov Explosive Energy". The lettering and name of the drink has a Russian influence, note the star on the O in Molotov, but the drink is decidedly Hispanic in flavor influences. On the side of the can with the nutrition information is a red square informing you that a portion of the proceeds benefits the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.

Taste: The flavor is a very crisp mango. It finishes like biting into a not-quite-ripe peach. Not a bad taste, but the tartness of it is what made me think of a peach. It is sweetened with sucrose and glucose, also known as table sugar and dextrose (grape sugar). I was glad that it was not artificially sweetened, or sweetened with HFCS. This did give it a syrupy sweet finish, but not overwhelmingly so.

Energy: I had a good bit of energy from this for about half the day. I did not notice a sugar crash at the end of the energy either. If there was, it was not enough to notice. The mental energy was mild. It has 100% of the usual B-Vitamins (Riboflavin, Niacin, B6, B12). It contains 1000mg of Taurine, 200mg of Panax Gensing, and 2500mg of their Energy Blend. The amounts of individual ingredients in the energy blend are not listed, but the ingredients are: L-Carnatine, Glucose, Caffeine, Guarana, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, and Maltodextrin.

Overall Impression: I really enjoyed this drink. It has a great Mango flavor and gives a good boost of energy. I am going to give this a 10/10 because of its drinkability, and prolonged energy.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.molotov-energy.com/

Go Girl Sugar Free Energy Drink

My first thought upon seeing this can was that I would not like it as I tend to find sugar free drinks unfavorable to drink more than once. Well, I learned with this drink never to judge a book by its cover!

Packaging: The first thing I noticed was how pink the can was, and the "Sugar Free" label on the front of the can. I like the slant of the letters in "Go Girl" as it gives emphasis on it and encourages momentum. Along the top of the can is the tag phrase Beautiful Energy along with Serve Chilled and Lightly Carbonated. Along the side of the can is an explanation to the pink-ness of the can - A portion of the proceeds are donated to breast cancer research. Big props to them there! The drink is also certified Kosher.

Taste: The flavor of this drink is not listed on the can, but it reminded me of strawberries and cream soda. I'm not sure how close this is to what the developers of the flavor would describe it as, but that is the impression I got from it. Also, on the note of the "sugar free" that had me worried I would not be able to finish it without cringing... Well, I had no problem with this! I could not tell in the slightest that this was sweetened with sucralose! There was no strange aftertaste, no distinction I usually find with artificial sweeteners. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor of this drink. It is one that you can kind of tell it is a energy drink, but you cannot tell that it is a diet drink.

Energy: Before I popped open the can I was noticeably dragging in energy levels. From the time I opened it to the time I finished it was about half an hour. I was energized right away after only about a third of the can. I stayed energized well into 5 hours or so. There was no noticeable crash at the end. The lack of sugar helped there greatly. The vitamins containes has the usual line-up of B-vitamins Riboflavin (80% Daily Value), Niacin (100% DV), B6 (250% DV), B12 (80% DV), as well as Pantothenic Acid (B5 50% DV)), and Magnesium (10% DV). The Energy blend is listed as: Taurine - 800mg. Garcinia Cambogia - 200mg. This is a mild herbal appetite suppressant. I am not sure how it pertains to giving energy, but it is a diet drink, so it pertains in that way, I suppose. It also contains Inositol - 100mg. This is a carbohydrate, although it is said to not be a sugar. Then there is Caffeine - 100mg.

Overall Impression: I was very impressed with the flavor of this beverage. The noticeable lack of the typical sugar free taste was a plus. The light, fruity, strawberry flavor was very refreshing. I like it. I would drink it again. I have to give this a 10/10 because it gave a good amount of energy for a 12 oz can, and the flavor is pretty amazing.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.gogirlenergy.com/

More reviews for some other Nor-Cal Beverages products coming up in the next few days.

Golazo

This energy drink is inspired by soccer (or more properly futbol?). It is based out of the coffee capital of Seattle, WA. I was really glad to see something more than coffee coming from the great Northwest. The name Golazo is the word for "super goal" in Spanish. The creators say that this word is what describes their enthusiasm for the sport. Not being a super athletic person myself, I hope I can do this drink justice.

Packaging: The logo for Golazo is a reference to the Mexican coat of arms - An eagle holding a snake in its mouth. The white can with green and black highlights is very eye-catching. There is also a soccer ball, which helps Golazo to stand out, because it is geared towards footballers, as depicted below the logo, with a soccer player standing, pointing and looking up, as if to give props to the beverage for helping him play strong. Turning the can around and looking at the nutrition information, I noticed an annotation by the barcode stating that it is "WiMO ENABLED". I got the free WiMO app from the iTunes app store, and scanned the can. That's right, the logo, not the barcode, is what you scan. (Do not copy my mistake and try to scan the barcode a dozen or more unsuccessful times.) I will let you find out where it takes you. But that part of the packaging is pretty neat.

Taste: The flavor is said on the website to be a mango-lime flavor with light carbonation. On first taste I found the mango to really stand out above the lime flavor. The lime in it is slight, just enough to tell it is there, but somewhat overpowered by the mango. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it is a nice refreshing flavor. The drink is sweetened partially with sugar and partially with the Stevia plant. The Stevia brings down the sugars and carbs in it substantially, making it a health conscious beverage. I am sensitive to the taste of artificial/natural sweeteners because I do not usually drink many beverages with them in it. Anyone used to the taste of zero calorie sweeteners will not even notice this.

Energy: The can boasts energy and hydration as key reasons why you should drink it. I drank a can of this yesterday morning when I had a short night, and an early wake-up call. I think it did well on the hydration portion. Because of the low sugar content it did not slow me down like a normal energy drink loaded down with sugar does. I really did not feel that much of a boost of energy from it, but I did not chug the whole can at once either. I drank it over a period of about half an hour or so. It was enough to wake me up to perform well at the computer work I was doing at the time. The desk is my playing field, so I assume that someone who has been doing the cardio required on a soccer field might drink this a little faster and feel a better boost of energy because they are getting it into their system in a shorter period of time.

Overall Impression: I really enjoyed this drink, even though I did not get as much energy out of it as I thought, it may have just been me. The energy I got was more calm energy. The flavor combination is excellent. Very refreshing. I would recommend this on flavor alone, because mango and lime are both popular flavors and they work well together. They also have that Latin influence that the drink is based around. On a scale of 1 to 10 I will give this a solid 9. I think it is a drink that can hold its own in the market. It is unique, and it is bringing in the genre of sports energy to the energy drink network.

Find them on the Web: http://www.golazoenergy.com/

12 Gauge Energy Shot

*UPDATE* DISCOUNT CODE: Nora1 will get you here a $5 discount per case! Head
over to the 12guage site and get your case today!

I really enjoy themed energy drinks. This is one that I saw on fellow caffeine reviewer Caffeine-a-holic's site (huge props to him since his site inspired me to do what I wanted to do for ages and start my blog here).

Packaging: This is what will sell this energy shot. I absolutely love that the packaging is designed to look like a 12 gauge shotgun shell (I like how it looks turned upside down on the cap too, like when you sit a real shell on a table). You can buy them in  The front of the label has the 12 Gauge logo with a pellet spray pattern, the flavor "Kick Ass Cola", and tag line "Kills Fatigue". The top of the plastic wrapped on the lid before you open it has some recipes written on it with how you can mix it with another cola or alcoholic beverages.

Taste: This drink definitely has a kick to the flavor. It did not strike me as cola like to begin with, it has an almost cherry like start to it, but definitely finishes as a cola. It is sweetened with sucralose, which I could taste, but was not bothered by it. It has zero calories/fat/sodium/carbs so there is no reason to feel guilty shooting straight, or if you are over 21, adding it to your favorite alcoholic beverage.

Energy: While the label does not tell how much caffeine is included in it, this drink contains four different B vitamins, which are superb in boosting your mental performance. I got up this morning ready to go back to sleep, popped one of these open and a little less than half an hour later I was wide awake both mentally and physically (which if you know me, that is hard to accomplish!) I felt energized throughout the brunt of today. It's been about 7 hours since I drank it and I have not felt like crashing, or dealt with the mid-afternoon drowsiness that usually comes on after lunch time.

Overall Impression: This is an exceptional energy drink shot. The packaging is unique enough to grab people's attention so they will try it. The flavor and energy provided is enough to keep them coming back for more.

Find them on the Web: http://www.12gaugeenergy.com/index.htm

*UPDATE* DISCOUNT CODE: Nora1 will get you here a $5 discount per case! Head over to the 12guage site and get your case today!

Theazine

This was my first time trying an energy pill. I've seen products like No-Doz and the like but never took any, although I got a sample of No-Doz one time, I have never had to pull an all nighter or anything recently so I have kept it around for if I will!

I got some samples from Theazine the middle of last week or so, and have tested it out over the weekend. My first batch of samples were the ones in the two pill packs. The post office machines were not kind to the package and the guys over at Theazine were kind enough to send some more for me to try for review. They sent over a bottle and more of the little packs.

The packaging is a simple red/silver/white design. The front of the packaging states that it is a "productivity enhancing formula" and that it is "Formulated for: Deep, Calm Focus and Concentration. Relaxed Energy." The ingredients back that up. It contains Vitamin B1 & B12, Folic Acid, L-Theanine, and Caffeine, as well as other ingredients for the filler and pill capsules.

Because Theazine has vitamins in it, you should take it as you would any other vitamin or dietary supplement containing vitamins. The serving suggestion is two capsules. The directions also say for a moderate energy boost to take one capsule, and not to exceed 4 capsules in a 24 hour time period. The bottle does not say specifically how much caffeine is in it, but it compares the amount to that of a regular cup of coffee.

The energy I got from it is exactly as promised. The B Vitamins really help to keep me focused while working on projects and even while gaming. I could feel the caffeine working too, getting me energized as well, which is more than I can say for some energy drinks I have had. It is not a jittery energy though. It really is a relaxed and more focus based energy than a hyper kind of leg bouncing energy.

All in all I would suggest this to anyone who needs more energy, especially those working in an office or for college students who need to study and be focused but also may need to sleep at night! Theazine does what most energy drinks can't, and that is give you energy that helps you focus instead of energy that distracts you. The energy is not coming from sugar or carbs like most energy drinks either, which is helpful on many fronts, including no sugar crash when it wears off.

This is an excellent product, especially for people who need to focus and do not want the crash of an energy drink.

Check out Theazine.com to try it out for yourself. The cost is $19 for a bottle of 60 pills, which is cheaper than 30 servings of energy drinks!