Energy drinks have become a huge hit for local stores as well as coffee shops, the biggest example being Dutch Bros. These beverages come in handy when it comes to getting through those long, challenging days. 

Due to the popularity of these drinks, the prices have risen significantly. I had a friend, Morgan Vogt, join me in my attempt in trying these drinks. Instead of going to coffee shops to get overpriced drinks, we sampled some of the brands carried inside of a local Walmart. 

While sampling the drinks, we narrowed down our critique on these simple categories on what makes up a good energy drink. The drinks were analyzed on their taste, energy, fizz, and acidity levels with the flavor also taken into account. We rated each category out of 10 and then accumulated our ratings for an overall rating. 

6. Redbull 12 oz (114 mg caffeine per can)

Flavor: Tropical Yellow Edition 

Taste: 3/10

Energy Level: 7/10

Fizz Level: 3/10

Acidity: 7/10

Our take:

“I can’t get myself to like it. It has a long lasting aftertaste that I am not very fond of. All you can taste is the energy drink base and it is very super flat,” Fernandez.

“The fruit flavor does not work with the energy flavor. The aftertaste in my mouth was not super pleasant. Also I do not feel super energized which defeats the purpose of energy drinks,” Vogt.

5. Monster 16 oz (150 mg of caffeine per can)

Favor: Ultra Fiesta Mango

Taste: 4/10

Energy Level: 7/10

Fizz Level: 4/10

Acidity: 10/10

Our take:

“It tasted super funny. Simply, I do not foresee myself getting a Monster ever again. I could not get myself to swallow the entire sample cup worth. My jaw immediately clenched and it was not an enjoyable experience,” Fernandez.

“Not my favorite. This drink will no longer be my go to. It was too acidic for my liking and I was also disappointed that the mango flavor did not shine through as much as I wanted it to,” Vogt.

4. Kickstart 16 oz (90 mg of caffeine per can)

Flavor: Pineapple/Orange/Mango

Taste: 7/10

Energy Level: 6/10

Fizz Level: 8/10

Acidity: 2/10

Our take:

“I suppose this one is not too bad. I love how the base of the drink is coconut water because it counteracts the intensity of the energy drink flavoring. The juice comes through at the end which is a pleasant and delicious surprise for those who are fans of fruity flavored drinks. One unfortunate aspect of the Kickstart was that it caused my stomach to feel bubbly,” Fernandez.

“Overall it has a very good flavor and you can really taste the pineapple towards the end. There is a lot of fizz when you take a sip. However, my stomach did not feel the greatest. I probably would not be able to get myself to have a whole can,” Vogt.

3. Bang 16 oz (300 mg of caffeine per can)

Flavor: Peach/Mango

Taste: 8/10

Energy Level: 10/10

Fizz Level: 9/10

Acidity: 6/10

Our take:

“I like it for what it is. It was enjoyable across the board. The flavor was there to tower over the strength of the drink and I was not overwhelmed with the intensity of the caffeine and sugar level,” Fernandez. 

“This drink gets the job done. There is plenty of energy inside this one can. The peach came last which was nice considering I did not feel the need to wash down the taste. I definitely would have this for late nights,” Vogt. 

2. Rockstar 16 oz (240 mg caffeine per can)

Flavor: Fruit Punch

Taste: 9/10

Energy Level: 9/10

Fizz Level: 8/10

Acidity: 3/10

Our take:

“Mainly tastes like fruit punch with a little bit of kick! Personally, this is one of my favorite energy drinks that I have ever had. There is definitely way too much sugar for my liking but I can get past that thinking of the delicious flavor that takes me back to my childhood,” Fernandez.

“Fruit punch is very prominent with only a little ‘energy drink flavor’ at the end. I felt super energized moments after consuming. It fizzed a good amount in my mouth after my first initial sip. I would buy this for an all nighter. The fruit punch flavoring made it super enjoyable,” Vogt. 

1. Reign 16 oz (300 mg of caffeine per can)

Flavor: Orange Dreamsicle

Taste: 10/10

Energy Level: 10/10

Fizz Level: 10/10

Acidity: 4/10

Our take:

“I have personally never heard of this brand of energy drink before. I purchased it going into this taste test blind but surprisingly it came out on top. It was the best tasting and the flavor fits perfectly with the energy drink base. The cream flavoring distracts from the caffeine inside,” Fernandez.

“Woah! This was super good! I like the cream aftertaste a lot. It also has a good amount of kick, feeling super energized. I would buy this again, in fact, this is my new favorite and I see myself getting this from here on out,” Vogt.

Everyone’s taste buds are different yet, my partner and I came to about the same agreement on most of them. The outcome of some of these were super surprising and it made me realize that there are better options out there than I originally intended there to be. I am excited to see that the underdog came out on top and surpassed all these big names. The Reign came out on top for its good balance of energy and taste. My thought process and decision making has been heavily influenced by this taste test.