When I got that package from the great dudes at Energy Drink Heaven (if you have not been to their site yet, it is definitely worth the trip) I was Stoked – literally. Deep inside my care package was this beautiful black can of Stoked Energy, emblazoned with an awesome orange dragon. Now, they probably look less cool hanging out with the other duds at Big Lots and the other discount places, but I would still grab them up if you can find them. This is now the time to hoard, as the company who makes them, Leading Brands Inc. , stopped all production of these and are making only functional, healthy, non-caffeinated, boring beverages now.

Taste:8
Stoked Original is a cool bright greenish yellow – giving away hints at the citrus flavor within. The taste is similar to Red Bull, but far better. The flavor profile is based on Red Bull, but then they added a good deal more citrus, and the sugar used, instead of high fructose corn syrup gives much more sweetness and leaves a little bite on your tongue. Really a shame they stopped production on these, as the taste was delicious and unique.

Packaging:9
This is truly a gorgeous package. The black with a big Chinese dragon is great – followed by a little dragon lore on the side of the can. I am not sure how Stoked means Dragons, but with a can this pretty I really don’t care. If you are a can collector, this is one to hunt for. Te font choice is unique, and works very well, everything is very easy to read, and they even list the caffeine content on the can. The other big plus for me is when they take the time and care to position the lid so the label faces outward while drinking – that way you could show off the brand while you have your drink. All around, this package is stellar.

Buzz/Nutrition:6
Totally a non-stunner here – with a slightly higher score than average for using sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. The rest of the can is a regular energy drink vitamin mix – with 160mg caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, ginseng, inositol and B Vitamins. I would have appreciated something, anything , to separate this from the usual RB clone. Unfortunately, Leading brands went with a me too mix that no doubt killed the brand. You just can not go after the big companies and not give the consumer something better that what they had before – and this is just the same old thing in a much cooler can. even the buzz was a very normal couple hours that you would find in a Monster, Red Bull or what have you.