Rollin into energy drink town like a 40 from Shaft and a sports drink from the 30s. This hybrid energy drink/ sports aid does not know what do do – but it sure knows how to look good while doin it. Sure, this one has been around for a while, but this new awesome look is hopefully going to breaths some new life into a tired old brand. There is only one real flaw in this whole concoction, a flaw which makes this drink undrinkable as a sports drink. The lack of a cap.
For any of you who have drank Gatorade or the other ades, you know that you are not usually going to down an entire big PET bottle of it in one shot. You take 3 swigs, then get back on your bike and ride. No can do with this one though, where the soda can lid is popped and can not be sealed. That means you have to drink the entire 24oz without going anywhere, or you can slam the whole can and stagger around bloated and try to exercise.
Dr. Pepper just bought distribution rights to Hydrive, which makes a much much better caffeinated sports drink if you are looking for something in that direction. If you are into energy drinks, this is also a bummer, as it is a huge can for a measly amount of caffeine. Actually, if you add it up there would be more energy from drinking 2 cans of diet coke than from slugging this down. So without a clear direction and marketing, this is another amazingly cool looking dud from Hansen’s.
Packaging:8 – should have been a 10
THIS is how energy drinks should look like. I mean seriously, Big Star like a sherrifs badge, massive is stature, with the brand marketing looking like a mix between a tonic from the art deco period and a super freakin 40oz malt liquor. Really, I could have cared less how this drink tasted – I just needed this can. And I would have bought it again and again just so I could hold this bad mother in my hands. Hansen’s has some fantastic designers on their hands, from the Monster Java drinks, to Lost and Mad Joker, when they let their designers loose we all reap the rewards.
With all that said, I wish I could give this a 10. These is something so satisfying about holding such a gorgeous can in my hands. But the problem with the lid is too large to ignore. A soda can lid on a 24oz drink means that you plan on this to be a slamming drink – something you plan on drinking while hanging out in one spot being inactive for a short time. You don’t want this to get cold, because it is a regular aluminum can and will not hold the cold in like a plastic one would. Also, the can is not nearly as strong as a PET bottle, so you are not going to be taking this during a more extreme sports workout. So as a sportds drink, this one fails. As an energy drink, this works better – but the massssssive size does not work, as regardless of taste it is not so easy to slam a huge can like this, especially swhen the benefit is so small.
Buzz:2
Seems that for all the hype of the amazing package, there is not too much going on here nutrition-wise. The label lists this as being a 16oz sports drink and an 8oz energy drink – which means there is very little energy compared to potassium filled Powerade wannabe. And I can be OK with that, as long as the 8oz energy drink is like a Spike Shhoter ( weighing in at 300mg of caffeine and some very heavy nutrients to speed up your metabolism). Unfortunately, the energy drink in question is Monster – so it has about half of what you would usually get from a normal 16oz monster can. There is only 1000mg of taurine, and more than likely 80mg of caqffeine( about as much as half a can of regular Monster) – but definitely not enough to make you feel anything. Especially because you need to knock back 24oz of this drink in one go – so you will be very full and not at all feeling like moving around after consuming.
For a sweetener, they used an interesting combination of HFCS, sucrose, glucose,and Glycerol, so there is not as many calories (180 in the whole can) as one would usually find in a monster or its ilk. But with this kind of non-closing lid you are forced to drink this more or less in one go – so the 3 servings don’t count for anything and you have to consume the entire can. Sure, getting lots of vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins is nice, but overall this could have been handles much better.
Taste: 7
Well, like all sports drinks this one does not do the bubbles. Probably that is for the best as they are feeling the need to compete with the other Ades. It was very drinkable, and not too sweet or to sticky. It did go down easily, but the full size can still took a little while to finish. While this tasted good, it was not good enough to warrant buying it again.