5 hour energy has a problem. First on the scene, they were the leaders of this market for no other reason than they were the first. Now, with others with the same design promising 6 or even 8 hours of energy, just keeping to 5 seems like a loser. 5 hour was even copied so closely on design that they took another energy shot manufacturer to court! When you have an emerging business already drawing nearly $100 million in sales this year, there is going to be some stiff competition. According to at least one beverage executive, by the end of the next year, energy shots could be a $500 million business.
Living Essentials, whose first product was their Chaser, launched 5-Hour Energy in late 2004. Putting out late-night commercials and selling in truck stops and convenience stores, they managed to push their sales to outflank many popular energy drink companies. So when they needed a product to compete with these shots promising more power, they released their new “Extra Strength” formula.
Buzz/Nutrition:7
More taurine and more caffeine, plus a bigger dose of niacin too. LIke all other 5 hour formulas, they do not list caffeine content on the bottle. But that being siad I found I had at least 3 hours of very solid energy, more than I usually get from a cup of coffee or the usual Red Bull clone. I did have a slight crash from this – more than I had from the original 5 hour Energy, but not one to stop me from getting this again.This variety still has the Citicoline(this is a psychostimulant, a substance that enhances locomotor behavior. Other psychostimulants are cocaine and meth) , a bunch of energy drink ingredients and stomach enzymes (amylase, protease, lipase, cellulase, lactase) like their original one does too. While it did not blow me off my chair, it did get closer to reaching the 5 hour goal it advertises.
Taste:7
like the other flavors, this is sugar free and only contain 4 calories. The extra strength 5 Hour tastes pretty much identical to the original berry flavor. If you forget to shake it before drinking, it is more harsh and less berryful. While stronger flavored than the original, it is still pretty close to the original.
Packaging:8
This time our poor sprinter is not running pell mell away from a glowing hot orange or berry sun. This time the guy is sprinting in the dark, toward a blood red thermonuclear sky. it looks like he is a superhero – dashing off to save whatever glowing red horrors are just over the horizon. The font choices here are superior, and the glow over the “extra” strength really help s sell the theme of power from this small shot.
The shot package design they have has become the defacto standard for shots. The size, the amount of liquid, the cap have all become more or less what you would come to expect from an energy shot. Like all their products, they leave you to guess at the amounts of caffeine in the little bottle. They do give you their website and phone number for information, which is helpful.