Sugar (544 reviews)
Monster Dub Edition Baller's Blend Punch Energy
This morning Mike and I had a meeting at the local Coke bottling facility. Our new friends there told us about what they do and about the new products coming out. Once that concluded we were taken on a tour of the warehouse/bottling section. Everything was normal and on the up and up until we came to a make shift boxing ring tucked away in a back corner. When we questioned its existence, our tour guide gave us a sly smile and tossed us a can of this new Monster Baller’s Blend. He said it was a way to promote the new SKU inside the company. Every week the warehouse employees downed a can of this fruit punch flavored energy drink and had it out in the ring to see who would take the upcoming weekend shifts.
We were in luck because the week’s fights were just about to start. We sat there as approximately two dozen employees cracked open a case of Punch Energy and used their keys to pop holes in them and shotgunned the hell out of those cans. Mike and I watched on as we sipped our can. It was surprisingly good. We were actually taken aback by how decent it was. When we think of a fruit punch energy drink the only image in my mind was an overly sweet cheap tasting syrupy mess. Luckily the liquid inside has a nice fruit punch flavor that doesn’t seem too childish. I believe that was due to the fact that it’s sweetened with sugar, so it’s not too syrupy and the slight general energy drink flavor gave it a more adult taste.
We only had time to watch the first couple fights, but let me tell you those warehouse guys were no joke. This was an all out bare-knuckle brawl, with a bunch of grown men who were all sorts of amped up on energy punch. The second forklift operator lost at least one tooth that I saw. I guess when you’re weekend is at risk and the weather finally getting nice out, you’re gonna do what you have to do for some time in the sun. The invited Mike and I to go a few rounds against each other for the titled of Duke of the Dudes of Thirst, but we politely declined. There were tacos in our future and we didn’t want to take a chance of ruining that with bloody lips and black eyes. Instead we downed the last few sips of our tasty beverages, said our goodbyes and made our way out into the wild world of taquerias.
As you may have guess by that last line, none of this is actually true, except that we did have a tour/meeting and we drank this surprisingly good beverage. There are no real taquerias in Buffalo, and that is the shame of our city.
- Website
- http://www.monsterenergy.com
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Energy Drink
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 5/14/2013
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Ralph & Charlie's Carrot Cranberry
Sadly this is my last bottle of Ralph & Charlie’s. When we received a shipment of juices that were nearly all carrot based I did not expect to be taken on the wild trip that is concluding today. Carrots are great, but drinking them does not sound like something I would ever look forward to. This company has come up with the wonderful mixtures of carrots and other fruits and vegetables that are always interesting and leave me wanting more.
The idea of mixing carrots and cranberries has never crossed my mind. Sure both are staples at Thanksgiving, but I don’t think of them as a team. Never in a million years would I expect their combination to taste the way this juice does. It is very sweet, without crossing over the line of tooth decay. It’s also very fruity, which is due to apple juice being the second ingredient, following water. This is essentially a cranapple juice with carrots mixed in to give it just enough of a unique flavor to make you sit back and savor each sip.
I find myself wondering how this drink would fare if it didn’t have sugar added to it. Would it be even better, or is the sugar necessary to give the carrot juice the little push it needs to not overpower the rest of the flavors?
- Website
- http://ralphandcharlies.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 5/11/2013
- Comments
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Foco Mango and Passion Fruit Juice Drink
Get yourself a big ole’ bucket of water. Now dump a big ole’ bag of sugar in it. Squeeze some of those little ole’ passion fruits and those regular ole’ mangoes into that there bucket and what you get will probably taste a little bit like this. This only has 30% juice in it, but what amount of the remaining 70% is sugar? It’s ridiculously sweet to an extent that it takes away from the flavor of two of my favorite fruits. Both are present but the amount of sugar makes them taste candied. Too bad.
- Website
- http://www.thaiagri.com
- Country
- Thailand
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 5/9/2013
- Comments
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Master Cafe Espresso Tiramisu
I don't eat tiramisu because I'm not a big rummy. Yeah, those tasty ladyfingers are soaked in rum and you serve it to your kids. I don't mean to get preachy but that's bad parenting. Giving kids rum. Look, if you want to rub some on their baby gums so they can make it through the tough teething process that’s your call. I didn't and wouldn't but that's a freebee if you want it. Tiramisu, though: rummy. This is a Taiwanese coffee drink that tastes, or is supposed to taste like that dessert delicacy but doesn't really. As a coffee drink it's fine but as a cake flavored coffee drink it's just not there. It smells like cake but doesn't really taste like it. Sitting here with the empty can net to me wafting the coffee scented cake towards my nostrils is a constant reminder that it could have been good. I'm about to throw this can across the room since it smells so good but is about half as good as it is leading me to believe it is. This indestructible can is filled with disappointment and hype. It's good, but a let down. I wanted cake and coffee for breakfast. I only got coffee and the sensation of someone eating cake next to me and not sharing.
- Website
- http://www.uni-president.com
- Country
- Taiwan
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Coffee
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 5/9/2013
- Comments
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Sumol Original Passion Fruit
Your fruit, while technically proficient, lacks passion and in a world like ours, that simply won’t due. Stop being so wishy washy and step up to the adults table and get yourself some passion fruit. It’s the fruit of your dreams. It’s sweet and tropical, just like those previously mentioned dreams of yours.
This can may contain only 6% juice, but it still is up to par with almost any sparkling fruit juice I’ve ever tasted. It tastes just like passion fruit. Slightly overly sweetened passion fruit, but passion fruit nonetheless. You could squeeze about 150 pieces of fruit (they are little, and you don’t get much out of them) and mix in some sugar and carbonation and you would be close to this drink. You’d only be missing one little thing, and it’s the only thing in this drink that is even remotely off putting; you need to add a little sucralose. Ugh. I don’t know why they put it in here. It takes a drink that easily would have gotten full marks and drops it down one notch. It doesn’t have a super diet taste, but you can definitely tell that there is something a little off. It’s still a monumental beverage, but we’re always reaching for the stars here at Thirsty Dudes
- Website
- http://www.sumol.pt
- Country
- Portugal
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 5/5/2013
- Comments
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Ducal Mango Nectar
There is a royalty in the world of nectars. There are kings, queens, prince and princes in the juice world. The chin of command goes all the way down to the serfs (aka gallon gas station jugs of brine). Somewhere around the middle are the dukes and duchesses. These are the nectars that are still very tasty, but they do not have a pure bloodline. Get it? They aren't 100% juice. Appropriately named, Ducal, falls in this category. It has 25% juice in the form of mango pulp concentrate. It may not be as spectacular as the crown wearing juices, but it's nothing to scoff at. Taking a sip is what I imagine taking a big bite into mango covered in sugar. It's sweeter than you really need it to be, but you still enjoy it all the same. There is no reason to take a knee for it, but show a little respect and give it a nod of recognition.
- Website
- http://www.florida.co.cr/
- Country
- Guatemala
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 5/5/2013
- Comments
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Iron Brew None
When you are a kid you make a drink that we locally call "The Lasertron Special" where you take one cup and run down all the flavors in the fountain drink machine. This drink might as well be called that because that's what it tastes like. It's got the strange bubblegum taste of Kola Champagne and the creaminess of a cream soda and a little bit of, I don't know, like a ginger ale or something in there.
I think this drink is someone related to Irn-Bru because they both come from Scotland and have a similar taste and I feel similarly about them, not enthusiastic and apathetic. Sorry, Scotland. It's nothing against you; it's just against your taste in drinks. I haven't written you off yet, my kilted friends, so don't worry.
- Country
- Scotland
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Soda Pop
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Mike Literman on 5/4/2013
- Comments
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Rubicon Sparkling Lychee
I recently started a new job designing/developing websites. I have been freelancing for a while so getting this job was a nice change. Seeing as I do a lot of reviews in the office, my co-workers have taken an interest in the drinks I bring in. Our project manager Carly mentioned that she liked lychee in the past so I knew she was going to be excited about this drink. Given the track record Rubicon has been having with us lately, I had a good feeling this wouldn't be disappointing.
First thoughts were it had a nice lychee smell to it, but there was something else in there that I couldn't put my finger on. It has a sour after taste, in a good way. Carly said it tasted like grapefruit and I totally agree. It really works well with the lychee, though mysteriously is not present in the ingredients. Keep up the awesome work Rubicon.
- Website
- http://www.rubiconexotic.com/
- Country
- India
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 4/26/2013
- Comments
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Ralph & Charlie's Ruby Red Grapefruit Pomegranate
Okay, let’s take the juice of a fruit that tastes like a tart insanely concentrated grape juice and mix it with the sour citrus juice of the grapefruit. That doesn’t sound too appealing does it? In my mind I imagined some sort of dull pain from drinking this, like it would just overload my taste buds in all the wrong ways. I guess I’m lucky that I am an idiot, because in reality it is more than pleasant. Both of the flavors are those fruits are extremely present, but in a dulled down way. I would never describe this as neither tart nor sour. It’s just a good, smooth juice. It’s probably due to grape, chokeberry and apple juice being listed on the ingredient list above grapefruit and cranberry, or it could be that there has been sugar added. Either way it all blends together in just the right way that leaves me wanting more. I always go on and on about how juice shouldn’t have sweeteners added to it, but in this case, I really think it made the drink. Sure it made it less healthy, but it made it way more enjoyable than the vision that danced on my brain’s taste buds.
- Website
- http://ralphandcharlies.com/
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Juice
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Jason Draper on 4/26/2013
- Comments
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Bulletproof Energy
I was all prepared to ramble about the movie Bulletproof starring Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler in this review, but then I tasted the drink. Let me preface by saying that I like sugar. I eat candy from time to time, prefer my iced tea sweetened, and put sugar (or sugar substitute) in my coffee. That being said, this is WAY too sweet. The phrase "terribly sweet" comes to mind, because nothing should be this sweet. I had 6 cavities filled 7 months ago and two sips of this makes it feel like I'm already developing another 6.
I would like to say that this would be better if it was sugar free, but Jay's review of that didn't fare well either.
- Country
- United States
- Sweetener
- Sugar
- Categories
- Energy Drink
- Rating
- Reviewed By
- Derek Neuland on 4/26/2013
- Comments
- View and Leave A Comment
