Oh Spike. Until the release of Cocaine and Blow – you were the proud leader in the category of “Scariest Energy Drink”. You had scary chemicals, a you-mean-business super strong taste and enough anhydrous caffeine to wake the dead. But now, after Redline and others boasting 500mg or more a can, and with the debates and legislation surrounding Cocaine and Blow drinks, the spotlight has moved off Spike and onto other shinier cans. Well, the folks at Spike LLC of Colorado Springs, Colorado have not taken this shift lying down, releasing one of the strongest and easily on of the most satisfying energy drinks in a very long time. Spike shotgun is a serious energy drink – providing a Very powerful boost and a great taste which will hopefully give this drink enough notoriety to limb into more shelves and coolers.

I was very wary of drinking this can. Spike Shooter is one of the few drinks out that scared me. The 300mg of caffeine in the little 8oz can was too much for me. The caffeine made me more than jittery- I actually felt medically unsound while drinking. I fond myself sweating a bit and getting a stomach ache along with feeling a bit too wired. I am pretty sensitive to caffeine (One of the biggest reasons I can write these articles is because I am very sensitive to caffeine – and can feel the effects of most drinks pretty quickly. I can tell the caffeine content in drinks from the taste and from the immediate effect on my system.) and Spike was just too much for me. I have even read reviews from other ED reviewers I respected who wrote for the public to just steer clear. Last morning I saw a big 16oz can of new spike, and even though I was a little trepidatious, I cracked it open.

Spike shotgun has a different flavor and makeup than the shooters. There is MORE caffeine per serving ( 350mg opposed to 300) but is also in a can twice as big! But 300mg in a 16oz can is no more per ounce than a 16oz coffee at Starbucks. The only real difference in this is the speed in which anhydrous caffeine punps into my system. So I drank this like a large coffee, taking my time drinking in this delicious no calorie can – and it tasted jus as good slightly warmer a half an hour after starting to drink up. The rush was STRONG, not at all jittery or too-intense, and lasted forever! not to mention, there was no sugar in this, so I had absolutely zero crash and was able to continue with my day. Spike has a winning drink here – and hopefully they can continue their marketing push to keep alive, as this is absolutely a drink worth buying.

Packaging:9
Spike Shotgun still has enough warning labels to be taken seriously. I’d love to see warning labels like these added to the sides of the paper Starbucks cups. Let’s see how these warning labels would work on even more caffeinated substances.
This mocha should not be consumed by people under the age of 18, the elderly, and pregnant women.
You should not combine Folgers with any prescription or over-the-counter medications, other stimulants or fat loss products, or using the product while being treated for any of a list of medical conditions such as psychiatric diseases, high blood pressure and asthma.
Drinkers of Grande Frappacino are advised to start with just half a glass to determine tolerance at first, and to never drink more than one Frap per day.
For some reason – it just does not work. But on this can, a person can really get scared. Another great marketing idea is that for this can, a whole can = 1 serving. Finally! how many people only drink half a can of anything?? This also means that this drink should be measured up to other drinks with their ingredients doubled. In all other cans, this drink would have only 175mg of caffeine per serving, and 62mg of sodium, which is really not that crazy. Kudos to Spike for considering a serving a serving!Also , labels, info on nutrients and product info, as well as company information and website are prominently displayed.

Buzz/nutrition:10
350mg of anhydrous caffeine – What more needs to be said? This drink has no calories, no carbs and lightly sweetened with sucralose. The only other nutrient added is beta-alanine, a non-essential amino acid used by bodybuilders to help with muscle mass and endurance. And while not something I would expect to see in an energy drink, it can’t hurt you. So far, scientific studies have shown that there is no side effects to serious beta-alainine use. There is also l-tyrosene, which is a proven stress reducer if you are under conditions of stress, cold, fatigue, prolonged work or sleep deprivation, and don’t harm you at all if you are not.

Other Ingredients: Carbonated water, citric acid, sodium citrate, natural and artificial flavors, sucralose, sodium benzoate, FD&C red #40, caramel color, FD&C blue #1.

Taste:9
This taste is wonderful. It is lightly carbonated and fruity, without being too sour or sweet. It has a light flavor that is the opposite of their shooters – making it just as easy to drink up when you open the can to half an hour later when you finish it up. The taste is also very original. It does not taste like monster or even their old formula – but a completely original taste.