GungHo Energy Gel Shot Review

Cost: $3.99 (cheaper in bulk)
Cost Per Ounce:NA
Active Ingredients:Lot Going On Here
Taste Rating:9.0
Kick Rating:8.8
Final Judgment Rating:9.1
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

GungHo Energy Gel Shot Review:
Well I first heard about the GungHo Energy Gel Shot (Gung Ho in Chinese means “Work in Harmony”) a little over a month ago when I was contacted by the co-founder Danny Mason. My first impressions without even seeing the website or the product were very good. If GungHo was anywhere near as passionate or exciting as Danny, I knew I would be in for a treat. He immediately presented me with a white paper backing up their claims of increased focus, memory recall, and brain health... so when used several days in a row there should be an increase in physical and mental energy all without the crash. He went so far as to even offer to put me in touch with the author of the white paper Dr. Perry Renshaw who has an impressive bio to say the least. While I was tempted to take him up on that offer, I figured I would test the GungHo Energy Gel just as I did during my 400 + other reviews; I would try it out for a couple days and then relay my humble thoughts to you guys. While I am no longer in their core demographic (college and/or gamer) I am still a guy who goes to work...plays hard and could use all the energy and focus (ask my girlfriend about that focus part) that I can get. So without further adieu onto the review of the .75 ounce energy gel with Ninja like focus :)

GungHo Energy Gel Shot Review: Taste
As I said earlier I need all the focus I can get. I had high hopes based on my emails to Danny. Now the recommended dose is two packets per day with meals and you are not to exceed four per day. So my first test for Gungho was at breakfast before work. Being a gel and going by the recommended method of tearing the packet and downing the 0.75 ounce gel, I was more than pleasantly surprised. I thought about the flavor as I swallowed it. Then I immediately looked down at the packet... my first thoughts were no way. All these medicinal type ingredients and the flavor I get is orange with a nice hint of vanilla. I know I shouldn't have been surprised based on my initial conversations with Danny, but after doing 400 + reviews and hearing it all before I never really know until I try something. Anyways, pleasantly surprised with the taste and how smooth it went down just drinking it out of the packet. Now as I stated earlier, I am really not a gamer nor am I in college anymore but I do workout, bike, run etc (Did the Tough Mudder this summer) so I thought I would mix in Gungho into one of my favorite sports drinks. After all, it does say consume one packet as desired right on the package. My sports drink of choice was orange flavored (no need to mention brand) and mixing Gungho in was I have to say a stellar decision on my part. The hint of vanilla was definitely a nice touch. Overall, for a shot this size, having only four calories and being this concentrated I was very impressed. Taste Rating - 9.0

GungHo Energy Gel Shot Review: Kick
Now for the important part... the kick review. How does it stack up against the mountains of competition in both the energy drink and energy shot market? Well according to Dr. Perry Renshaw and of course Danny, I was in for a sustained treat of energy and focus. As I stated earlier, I tried tested this over several days and mixed in with other drinks (none had caffeine). The first day I tried one packet in the morning only. The energy I got was not immediate and by immediate I mean I didn't feel jittery like I would after drinking a hardcore energy drink. The second day I took one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Definitely noticed that I had two. The third day I just went all out and consumed four of them (two in the a.m. and two in the late afternoon). I mean, I have been drinking and reviewing energy products for years, so what's the harm. Well, with four I definitely crossed my happy medium of energy that I had on day two. Overall I think two in the morning and one in the late afternoon would have sufficed... and let me get to sleep at an earlier time. Either way, after three days I felt more energized for sure. Normally I touch on the ingredient in this section as well but I think it would be easier to send you to their Official Website to take a closer look at their 790 mg proprietary energy blend, or if you want refer back to the white paper link I posted above. The kick rating is a nice 8.8. Not over the top like some drinks which is exactly what Gungho seems to be going for... a nice kick that gets you going and keeps you focused. I think they accomplished this nicely. Kick Rating - 8.8

GungHo Energy Gel Shot Review: Final Judgment
Well what can I say... it has been quite some time since I have written a review, but I am glad that the first one I did in awhile was Gungho. The co-founder was enthusiastic (and rightfully so)... the science behind it seems solid and the product accomplished what it told me it would on the packet. As I said earlier, you can Get a Free Sample just pay shipping or you can take advantage of some of their other current offers like buy one 12-pack get one free for $29.99 with free shipping. They also have a "dojo" which is like a loyalty club where you get monthly shipments at a discounted price of 30% as well as incentives to refer friends and get rewards. Final Judgment - 9.1 (taste, value and kick are all present, hence the extra points).

GungHo Energy - Official Site

Cocaine Energy Drink - Cyber Monday

Looks like the Cocaine Energy Drink is offering a free 6-pack on Cyber Monday with purchase of a case of Cocaine Energy, or until the first 1000 six packs are given away. You can pick up the deal at their online store although it is really not very apparent as how to claim it. This offer brings the cost per can down to $1.33 (which includes free shipping). Not too bad of a deal.

That's really all the details that I have now. If anyone has tried this and been successful please chime in below.

5-hour ENERGY - Free Samples at Black Friday Bonanza

Well Thanksgiving is almost upon us. I know I have a lot to be thankful for this year, but in keeping with the site's theme I won't talk about all my personal triumphs and tribulations. Instead I will focus on what thousands of other websites are focusing on. Yes, I am going to talk about Black Friday.

No I am not going to be discussing the latest deals on LCD Televisions, Cameras or Laptops. Nor am I going to talk Black Friday strategy on getting the best deals. Besides, you won't catch me up later tonight participating in the madness. But for those of you who do, I imagine an Energy Drink would come in handy. Whether you are standing in line tonight or getting up really early, I imagine one would come in handy. Now if I was participating in the Black Friday madness I would opt for an Energy Shot... that way my bargain hunting self wouldn't have to miss a great deal because of a potty break.

Well, apparently Living Essentials, the makers of 5-hour Energy have the same idea. They are running a sampling event at participating Walmarts starting at 10:00 p.m on Thanksgiving Evening (11/24).

Here are the full details of the 5-hour Energy Black Friday Bonanza. But looks like, besides giving away thousands of countless energy shots to weary Walmart shoppers, they are also holding a contest where you can take a picture of yourself with a 5-hour Energy shot and submit it along with a short message describing your shopping experience for a chance to win a $50 Walmart gift card as well as even more free 5-hour product! Looks like they have the deal up on their Facebook Page as well.

Anyways, if you are crazy enough to venture out Black Friday, don't forget to at least score your free sample to help you power through.

Diet Turbo Lemonade Review

Cost: $1.99
Cost Per Ounce:$0.11
Active Ingredients:Caffeine (caffeine, tea, guarana)
Taste Rating:7.8
Kick Rating:8.5
Final Judgment Rating:8.4
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Diet Turbo Lemonade Review:
So about two years ago I did a review of another Energy Drink from ABB (American Bodybuilding) called Diet Turbo Tea. Overall I was quite pleased with the offering and it looks like others have been pretty excited about it as well since ABB has released two more flavors, Diet Turbo Lemonade and Diet Turbo Punch. If you are unfamiliar with ABB's Energy Drinks I do suggest you try at least one. While they are not your typical ED that you would find in the grocery store or your C-store cooler, they definitely do the trick. You can check out some of my past review of ABB products or continue reading for my review of their latest offering...

Buy Diet Turbo Lemonade - $40 for a Case

Diet Turbo Lemonade Review: Taste
The packaging is pretty much the same as the past Diet Turbo Tea products from ABB. Same 18 ounce resealable plastic bottle and same design. Only thing missing is the word "tea" which may have scared off some consumers (even though I thoroughly enjoyed it) in the past. Anyways onto the taste... I popped the cap 20 minutes prior to my workout (per recommended use) and drank throughout my cardio workout which was 7.5 miles on treadmill at 7.5 mph. Nothing too strenuous, just nice easy pace. Now the drink has zero calories and zero sugar, so needless to say artificial sweetners. Now to me, these type of drinks are perfectly suited for a workout as the taste just triggers something in my head that gets me motivated. Like I said above, it's not your typical Energy Drink, it's more along the lines of something you would see a gym rat drinking. Nonetheless, the taste to me is actually pretty good. Again, I attribute the taste to getting something in my body to get me moving. That in itself gets me through the fairly strong artificial lemon flavor. If you only like Monster's and Rockstar's then this drink is probably not for you. Taste Rating - 7.8

Diet Turbo Lemonade Review: Kick
For a drink designed to enhance your workout, the taste was pretty well received. Now, will the turbo on the lemonade work as well as it has in the past. I sure hope it does as the old version was great! When looking at the ingredient list, the energy kick is derived from 90 milligrams of caffeine (caffeine, tea and guarana), making this a pretty light drink in the kick category and keeping on par with some of ABB's last drinks. However, the addition of electrolytes makes this drink more lucrative, especially for those that work out hard in the gym. It won't give you that off the wall kick like some hardcore energy drinks, but as far as I am concerned it is more than enough to get me through an intense workout without any cramping/gut wrenching feeling. If you are looking for something more intense, American Body Building offers several other products that would do the trick, but if you are just looking for a bit of extra edge to get you through the workout then this should do the trick. Kick Rating - 8.5


Diet Turbo Tea Review: Final Judgment
If you are not used to these types of drinks, then they are probably not for you... just stick to the normal sugar laden energy drinks you can buy at convenience stores, they will at least taste better. But if you are looking for a drink to boost you through your workouts, maybe something you can sip on the entire time, then definitely check these out. Remember there are two different flavors you can try out (Lemonade and Punch).

Buy Diet Turbo Lemonade - $40 for a Case

Hydrive Energy Drink Extra Strength - Black Cherry

Cost: $1.99
Cost Per Ounce:$0.17
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Taurine, B-Vitamins
Taste Rating:8.8
Kick Rating:8.9
Final Judgment Rating:8.9
Energy Drink Ratings Explained

Hydrive Energy Drink Extra Strength Review
Well I have reviewed several flavors of the Hydrive Energy Drinks as well as their chews. From all the reviews and flavors of hydrive that I have tried I have come to the same general consensus on all of them. They are very refreshing to drink. The only room for improvement was maybe a slight increase in the "kick" factor of the drink. All of the flavors come in a slim 15.5 ounce plastic resealable bottle, have only 30 calories total and are made with fresh spring water. The flavors are all nutritionally enhanced with either vitamins, antioxidants or electrolytes and are supposed to supply hydration and energy (a trend (hydration) that you have seen in both Monster Energy Drinks and Rockstar Energy Drinks. The thing is, that Hydrive has been doing this longer, and in my opinion much better. So let's check out the new Extra Strength Hydrive and see what it has up it's sleeve.

Hydrive Energy Drink Extra Strength Review: Taste
Ok, I did ask for an increase in energy ingredients in my prior Hydrive reviews, mainly more caffeine. But, when a brand/company changes the energy ingredients of their drinks, that does tend to have an effect on taste. So even though I asked for it, I was a bit pessimistic that Hydrive would mess with a good refreshing taste. But, to my delight the new black cherry taste is just as refreshing as the other flavors, it doesn't taste artificially flavored AND it has only 30 calories in the entire 15.5 ounce bottle. Taste Rating - 8.8

Hydrive Energy Drink Extra Strength Review: Kick
The low cal / low sugar extra strength black cherry taste is quite refreshing, yet will it provide that elusive pick me up you are looking for? Well the normal Hydrive's have 145 milligrams of caffeine (except the caffeine free version) and they delivered a pretty decent kick. But after each review, I was always wanting a bit more... Well, ask and you shall receive I guess. (Although I doubt they increased the energy formula just for me, I will let my ego believe that is the reason.) The new Extra Strength formula boasts almost a 35% increase in caffeine brining the level tp to 195 milligrams per bottle. Combine this with the other powerful ingredients like Yerba Mate and B-vitamins and you have a very competitive (yet still refreshing) kick. Kick Rating - 8.9


Hydrive Energy Drink Extra Strength Review: Final Judgment
It has been quite a few years since I first heard of Hydrive. In the years following my initial review they have only gotten better with more flavor offerings, increased kick and a strong nationwide presence. If you don't like my three reasons to like/try Hyrdrive then check out their Facebook page as they have a humorous "top 10" list you may like. Final Judgment 8.9

But don't take my word for it... go out there and try it yourself. Feel free to leave your thoughts on Hydrive below in the comments section. (comments are moderated, so don't waste your time with spam)

Demolishing the Land Speed Record - Calling All Energy Drink Manufacturers

Some friends are looking to demolish the land speed record with a 50,000 Horse E J-79 turbo-jet engine driven by none other than Leslie Porterfield (who is already the world's fastest woman on two wheels). They need some help. So all you Energy Drink and Energy Shot aficionadas need to get on the horn and tell your favorite or best energy drink manufacturers to help these guys out. Hit them up on Facebook and Twitter and let them know about this rare opportunity to sponsor the fastest woman on earth. Don't disappoint!

From the Press Release: It is rare that an opportunity comes along where millions of people around the world will be following a series of events and one company can have exclusive sponsorship to these events and have its name associated with these records for the rest of time. You can check out the full article here.

Monster Energy Rehab Review

Cost:$2.39
Cost Per Ounce:$0.20
Active Ingredients:Caffeine, Taurine, Ginseng, Guarana
Taste Rating:9.0
Kick Rating:8.8
Final Judgment Rating:8.9
Energy Drink Ratings Explained


Monster Rehab:
Normally I start out a Monster Energy Drink review with it has been awhile (since I last tried one)... However, last time I tried the Extra Strength Monster I was fairly impressed. Albeit left with a question as to "Where does the Extra Strength Come In?" Anyways, last time I was at my local Kwik Trip (c-store), as always I meandered over to the Energy Shots and Energy Drinks section and took a look. Low and behold, another drink from Monster that seemed intriguing. A 15.5 ounce Monster Rehab with only 10 calories (per serving) and claims of rehydration. Being intrigued I bought the Monster Rehab for a somewhat reasonable $2.39. Anyways, enough fluff, onto the review.

Monster Rehab: Taste
So as I previously mentioned there are only 10 calories per serving (20 total) which comes from 3 grams of sugar. The drink also contains 5% juice, which to be honest, most seem to include somewhere on the label. Anyways this non-carbonated Monster Energy Drink has a very refreshing lemonade flavor with a hint of sweet tea flavoring. I know what a lot of you readers are thinking... he said refreshing and Monster in the same sentence. Yes, I actually did. In this reviewers humble opinion, this is Monster's best tasting drink to date (taste is subjective though). They have come a long way since the original Monster Energy Drink. I also like the fact that they have a non-carbonated offering that tastes great and that is refreshing. Taste Rating - 9.0

Monster Rehab: Kick
This particular creation from Monster seems to have one of the larger Energy Blends (at least from Monster). The Original Monster has a 2500 milligram (per serving) energy blend where as Rehab has 3227.5 milligrams(per serving). So where does the extra energy come from? The only real difference seems to be coming from the addition of Black Tea Extract which does have a pretty decent amount of caffeine in it. So what's the actual amount of caffeine in Monster Rehab? No idea, but the original has 80 milligrams (per serving), so I would GUESS that Rehab has slightly more, maybe 100 milligrams (per serving). Regardless, I was not only pleasantly suprised with the taste, but the kick lasted several hours as well. The fact that there are only 20 total calories, hence, almost no sugar, there was no sugar induced crash after. And where does the "rehydrate" come into play you may ask. Well after looking though the ingredient list, it looks like the "rehydrate claim" is coming from the fact that it contains potassium and coconut water, both of which are good for rehydration. But I am not a doctor, so consult your doctor before taking my advice on the rehydration claims. Kick Rating - 8.8

Monster Rehab: Final Judgment
I am starting to change my mind about offerings from Monster. They have come a long way since their first drink hit the shelves. The latest one I tested, Rehab performed well in both the taste and kick categories. I guess I should keep Monster a little closer on my radar and check in with them more often. Final Judgment - 8.9