I’ve been negligent in my duties to all of you power mongers out there.  I recently felt the want to detoxify myself from energy drinks for a whee bit, and before anyone jumps to conclusions, no it is NOT because of any side effects of my energy drinks.  I just decided to switch to drinking fresh brewed tea for a bit and put the TBLC to the side for a couple weeks.  But I am back with a vengeance with reviews of Hydrive X – Triple Berry (Antioxidant Energy Drink) and Amp Energy – Overdrive.

Hydrive X – Triple Berry (Antioxidant Energy Drink)

Taste: I enjoyed the fact that the Hydrive X was non carbonated because it made guzzling it all the more easier.  It also didn’t hurt that the Triple Berry flavor was pretty damn tasty.  It was a bit tart with a hint of a vitamin aftertaste that was gone fairly quickly.

Boost: There was a nominal boost that was barely noticeable and left my eyes feeling just as heavy as when I first rolled onto the floor that morning.

Longevity: After an hour I’m pretty much ready to lay down under my desk for a couple Zzzz’s while no ones looking.  At 2 hours there was absolutely nothing keeping me alert, awake, or coherent.

Final Verdict: Of all the drinks I’ve had I’m pretty sure Hydrive X Triple Berry was one of the more healthier energy drinks I’ve consumed.  Other than that and the taste there’s really no real reason for me to suggest to drink to anyone of you out there.

Amp Energy – Overdrive (Energy Drink)

Taste: I was never a fan of the Mountain Dew Code Red and unfortunately Amp Overdrive tastes like an amped (yes, pun intended) up version of Code Red.  I’m not sure what exactly adds the harshness but as it went down reluctantly each time I let it hit my taste buds.

Boost: I imediately felt energetic with a really nice buzz kicking in after about 20 minutes.  I’d say the taste is worth what I felt, in my opinion at least.

Longevity: After an hour the same exact feeling is still going strong and I’m loving every minute of it.  At the 2 hours mark I was still feeling the buzz but it was a little more toned down.  Once 3 hours hit I had finally come down with no side effects whatsoever.

Final Verdict: If you like the taste of Code Red I’d have to wholeheartedly suggest Amp Energy – Overdrive.  It may have a bit of a kick going down but you’ll be fine with the trade off once you feel the Dew flow through your veins.

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Well, it’s time for another round of the TBLC ’09.  The 2 energy drinks I’ll be reviewing this time around are 5 Hour ENERGY (Extra Strength) and Sugarfree AMP Energy (From the makers of Mountain Dew).  I had also wanted to review Sparks (Alcoholic Energy Drink) but thanks to the urging by the roomies to stay true to my rules and my unwillingness to guzzle an alcoholic beverage first thing in the morning, I was persuaded to put that endeavor on the back burner for the time being.

5 Hour ENERGY (Energy Shot Review)

Taste: It really had no flavor to speak of other than the slight hint of liquid vitamins.  Thankfully as the drink laid on my tongue it kind of numbed it making downing the shot all the easier to accomplish.

Boost: Of all the drinks I’ve tested thus far I’d have to say 5 Hour Energy had the quickest turn around time between consumption and results.  It took about 5-10 minutes before I began feeling a bit more awake with anxious feeling following soon after but not enough that I felt uncomfortable in anyway.

Longevity: After an hour that anxious feeling was there but wasn’t enough to make me feel jittery or nauteous.  At around 2 hours that feeling went away thankfully and the alertness lowered to a nice mellow attentiveness.  Hours 3-5 went along the same lines and I would have to say the alertness lasted my full 8 hour work day.

Final Verdict: The only downside to this product was that feeling I had in the beginning.  I’m not sure if it was the extra strength or just my body, but I really did feel something a little “off kilter” during that initial 1 hour time frame.  But as I said that went away and it was smooth sailing from that point on.

AMP Sugarfree (Energy Drink Review)

Taste: If this wasn’t so bad for me I would seriously guzzle AMP on a daily basis.  It’s very much like Mountain Dew but there’s something about the AMP’s more citrus-y taste that I find more appealing.

Boost: Guzzling a full 16 oz. of anything is never advisable, having those 16 oz. be a highly carbonated acidic energy drink is downright stupid.  Thankfully I’m not the sharpest tool in the shed, so after I guzzled the 16 oz. of carbonated fury I almost immediately felt a bit of a rush which I will attribute to that guzzling.

Longevity: After an hour that initial rush had mellowed out into a sustained plateau of alertness thatfelt like the almost perfect centerpoint to get through the start of my day with.  After 2 hours it began to wear off but there was never a crash, just an empty feeling when I realized I didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to handle another one so soon.

Final Verdict: This is an extremely tasty drink, as long as you’re looking for something along the lines of Mountain Dew.  As I said before, I would personally love to have at least one of these throughout my day for simple fact of taste without even taking into consideration the boost these drinks can give.  Definitely recommendable.