Wave Energy Drink

Wave Energy Drink is naturally flavored, lightly carbonated, and is a little bit different than most other energy drinks on the market.

Packaging: The design on this can is highly influenced by the name Wave. The font bearing the name has a little swirl coming off the top just like that of an ocean wave. The art work on it depicting the waves is done very well. The can is mostly a silvery blue with light blue, silver, and red highlights.

Taste: At first when I opened the can the drink smelled like it was a fruity flavor of some sort. I was not really sure. I had read the ingredients already, and knew it had vegetable juices in it. These are things I had never heard of before, too! It contains juice or extract concentrates from the likes of the black carrot, elderberry (which I had actually heard of before), purple sweet potato, and the (common) red cabbage. It kind of makes you furrow your brow in confusion, right? Surely all of that can not taste good together. Wrong. It is actually a very delightful flavor. Like I said above, it is more fruit like in flavor than vegetable. It has a bit of a veggie aftertaste, but not too much. I drank the sugar sweetened one for this review. It was not syrupy like many energy drinks are, which is a huge plus. 

Energy: I got a good amount of energy from this. I actually drank it well into the evening, and was still going strong by midnight, or even 1am while working on a project. The proprietary blend is listed on the can as being 1.14g altogether, but it does not list specifics on each item in it. The ingredients there include Taurine, Caffeine, Inositol, L-Lysine, Choline Bitartrate, and Guarana Seed Extract. It also has a lot of Vitamin B-6, but lesser amounts (not 100% DV) of B-1, 2, 3, 5, and 12. But given that there are 6 different B-Vitamins in it there is definitely a return there on energy and focus. Not to mention if you drink the whole can at once, like most people do, then you are actually getting a double dose of all the vitamins in it.

Overall Impression: I enjoyed this drink. It gave a good boost of energy, and tastes good too. I am going to give it a 9/10. I have to give them props for using real juices to flavor the drink. And while it boasts on the website of a lower caffeine content, it still manages to deliver on the energy.

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

*Photo edited from the Wave website (didn't have time to take one myself)

GEnergy Shot

My favorite experience with Green Tea was the traditional Japanese tea ceremony I attended at the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Diego. However, I have had many different kinds of green tea, brewed from a tea bag or loose leaf, with other flavors, including in other energy drinks. But today I am writing about the GEnergy Shot, a green tea energy shot.

Packaging: This, like the last two beverages I tried from Hard8, comes in an aluminum 2.4 oz bottle. The sealed plastic on the lid does not fit down below the plastic cap so it is hard to tell if it has been opened or not. The label is the same clear sticker with the art on it. I like the way it highlights the letters with the metal underneath instead of being painted straight on the aluminum. Below the logo and on the side of the bottle we are informed that this drink has Ginseng, Green Tea, and Ginkgo in it.

Taste: The flavor of this drink was strong, like a strong tea. It was a little bitter to my taste, but that can be expected with green tea that is not overly sweetened. If you have had matcha, the green tea powder that is traditional in Japan, you know how bitter green tea can be (which is why it is traditionally served with a hard sugar candy prior to drinking it). So while the drink is somewhat bitter, it also has a sweet aspect, since it has real sugar and also sucralose in it. It is not overly bitter, or overly sweet though, which is a good balance.

Energy: The energy return on this beverage definitely makes it worthwhile. I was energized for a few hours after drinking this. I was running some errands during the day and it got me through that quite nicely. I did not crash at the end of it really. This drink also has 120mg of caffeine. The energy blend contains Green Tea Extract, Ginseng Extract, Ginkgo Bilboa, Taurine, Guarana Extract, Carnitine, Glucuronolacrone, and Glutamine. There are also a lot of the B-Vitamins in it, which help, along with the Ginkgo with mental energy, focus and memory.

Overall Impression: Overall, this provided some really good energy. I am going to give this a 9/10. It is a really good drink and has promise on the market.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.hard8beverage.com/gshot.html

.50 Cal Energy Shot

OK, so I like themed drinks. Especially when they are energy shots in bullet/explosive themed bottles. To me, this never gets old. Hard8's new .50 Cal Energy Shot is no exception. Does it deliver the power of a .50 caliber bullet? Keep reading to find out.

Packaging: I love that Hard8 has bottled their beverages in aluminum bottles. This one is no different. It comes in a sturdy 2.4oz aluminum bottle. The major plus about this is that the cap is fitted with a top that makes it look like a .50 cal bullet. I really enjoy the theme of the bottle. The front of the bottle has a military font declaring .50 Cal Energy. Emblazoned across the bottom of the logo is an American flag and the flavor - Pomegranate Blueberry Warrior Blend.

Taste: This drink has a very smooth berry flavor. The pomegranate and blueberry is not overpoweringly fruity. The drink is sweet but not syrupy. I really like the flavor. It is very drinkable and light. It is sweetened with sugar and Sucralose but there is no artificial aftertaste. I would have to say that this drink hits the mark when it comes to flavor.

Energy: I was up earlier than normal today for some errands and I drank this as I was heading out the door. The energy I got from this was swift and long lasting. I made it through the early part of the afternoon, about 5 hours or so on the energy from this. I am not a morning person so I am usually only hitting my stride by mid-afternoon, and this was great for getting through the a.m. It has 120mg of Caffeine in it, so it really keeps you going. I was not jittery from it either. I was simply awake, and focused. This has a lot of B3, B5, B6, and B12 vitamins in it which are great for focus.

Overall Impression: I have never really been a huge fan of berry/fruit flavored beverages, but this is one of those drinks that is winning me over to the fruit flavored side. Hard8 has done a stellar job on the flavor of this drink. It is so smooth I was kind of sad it was only a energy shot, but it will definitely keep people coming back for more. That plus the energy it brings will make this a competitor with the popular brands. I am going to give this a 10/10.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.hard8beverage.com/50cal.html

CaffeB Energy - Italian Coffee Mocha

I like coffee. I also like coffee energy drinks, usually. That is why I was pretty exited to try the new coffee energy shot from Hard8. It is an Italian Coffee Mocha. 

Packaging: This coffee shot comes in a sleek aluminum container. It is sturdy, and keeps the beverage cold if you end up sipping it instead of chugging it. The label is a sticker, designed mostly clear to show off the bottle.

Taste: The taste of this is a little bitter at first, but it is Italian coffee, so it is strong and bold. It has a hint of mocha, and finishes pretty sweet. It is sweetened with 2g of sugar and sucralose, so there are not as many calories as if it was solely sweetened with sugar. The sucralose almost makes it super sweet, but that also helps balance out the strength of the coffee. If you are a fan of strong coffee you will enjoy this. It is only 2.4oz so it does not last long drinking it.

Energy: I got a really good amount of energy out of this. I was pretty wired for about six hours. I was not really jittery, but I was awake. The energy blend includes: Ginseng Extract, Ginko Biloba Extract, Taurine, Guarana Extract, Carnitine, Glucuronolactone, and Glutamine. It has 120mg of Caffeine. It also has a lot of B vitamins in it, more than 100% DV, which is great, because they help you focus and improve on mental tasks.

Overall Impression: CaffeB Energy provides a strong energy. The coffee flavor is really strong too, so just know that if you try this but you do not like strong coffee. I have to give this a 9/10. It is strong and sweet, but it really gives you a great energy boost.

Find Them on the Web: http://www.hard8beverage.com/caffe.html

NERD - The Focus & Energy Beverage

I've been told I'm a geek. I've also been told I'm a nerd. Both of these, for me, are complements because I enjoy technology and learning new things. So when I discovered NERD - The Focus & Energy Beverage, I was pretty excited.

Packaging: The can is a sleek black with NERD across the front with a piece that looks peeled away to reveal a brain in the bubbly liquid, symbolizing the brain power you get from the beverage. It is very simply colored - black background and white/silver and green or blue highlights depending on which flavor you have. I had the green can for my review. The supplement facts are to one side of the can. On the other are descriptions of the things in NERD that make it different from other energy drinks.

Taste: I really like the flavor of this. As I said I had the kind in the green highlighted can. They also have a blue can, which I have not tried. This flavor is something like a blue-raspberry/fruit punch. It is sweet, but not too syrupy. I was reminded of some candy from my childhood, though I cannot remember what it was to be able to describe it better.

Energy: This beverage provides both mental and what I like to call "awake" energy. In the supplemental fact we find that NERD has 100% of the four most common B-vitamins. The energy blend contains Taurine - 1000mg, Caffeine - 80mg, Glucuronalactone - 600mg, Guarana Seed Extract - 25mg, Inositol - 25mg, L-Carnitine - 15mg, Ginseng Panax Extract - 25mg. The Focus, Concnetration, Memory formula contains a 250mg blend of Vinpocetine, Huperzine A, DMAE, and Chinese Ginko Biloba. Each ones function is described on the back of the can. When I tried it I was pretty tired from not sleeping much the night before. I found that I was more mentally alert, but was not quite over being tired. It did not make me jittery at all. The mental energy was calm and helped me focus while working on computer troubleshooting for a few hours. The energy from it was not quite what I had expected but was a calm energy.

Overall Impression: Although I did not get as much energy for being awake and alert as I would have liked, I got a good amount of mental energy from it, which is more what it is geared toward. The flavor is great. It does not taste like an energy drink. I am going to give this a 9/10 because it delivers on the mental energy and the flavor is great.

Find Them on the Web: http://nerdbeverage.com/

Molotov Explosive Energy - Tamarindo

Tamarind. I think I've only ever had one or two things that were tamarind flavored. I recently saw an old episode of Julia Child where a guest chef used Tamarind in the recipe. I had no idea that it was a type of date. Now I like dates. Especially the ones in chunks covered in powdered sugar. The tamarind has a little different flavor than that. Short history lesson: The tamarind is originally from near the Sudan in Africa. It has made its way around the globe to where it is now popular as a flavor in Mexico and other tropical countries. This goes back to the Hispanic influence that Molotov has.

Packaging: This can comes in a almost bronze colored can. It is a metallic medium dark brown, similar to the color of the tamarind fruit.

Taste: The flavor is a combination of fruity and earthy. It is quite sweet, but also sort of tangy. There is a bit of a molasses flavor to it, but that is more the flavor of the tamarind, being a sweet fruit in general. It is also sweetened with sugar, so it is a little syrupy, but not any more than other energy drinks, or even some regular soft drinks. I really liked the flavor. It is different, which is refreshing. Again, this is going to be a more recognized flavor with the Hispanic culture.

Energy: I got a good few hours of energy out of this. I drank it around 2 in the afternoon and was still quite awake by bedtime. It was a good energy boost, not extremely jittery, but just a little. Like the Molotov Mango that I reviewed earlier, the label does not list the specific amounts of ingredients in the energy blend. We just know it has a total of 1100mg of the various ingredients: Caffeine, Taurine, D-Glucuronolactone, L-Carnitine, Inositol, and Guarana.

Overall Impression: I really enjoyed the flavor of this. The energy was good. It lasted a long time. I liked it and would recommend it. I enjoy the difference in cultural flavor. They are also charitable in their giving a portion of the proceeds to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. I am giving this a 9/10.

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