The good stuff: Tourine, L-Carnitine, Arginine, Ginseng, B Vitamins
Monster is one of the first Energy Drink if not THE first of the large energy drinks to hit the market. At about $2.00 for twice the volume of the normal energy drinks out there you definitely get more for your dollar…That alone is a big perk, but Monster tastes damn good as well so you get quality and quantity which can be a rarity in the energy drink arena. Monster’s flavor is kind of a tough one to describe…it’s sweet, kind of honeyish, kind of fruityish, kind of mellow, kind of bubble gumish, and pretty damn smooth…seriously, there really isn’t anything quite like it at all. You get no bad after taste, no offensive medicinal flavor, and nothing to sharp or harsh…just a nice easy drink in a big ass can. Monster is my drink of choice on hot days, or for boat trips. It really quenches your thirst, and goes great on a sunny summer day to help pick you up a bit. Monster was probably the biggest factor in getting me into the energy drink world because it showed me there was a lot more out there than the typical RB flavor , and some of that was really damn good stuff that I might enjoy even without the need for a pick me up. I have downed more cans of Monster than anything else to date and I still pick it over many of the smaller cans I may enjoy a bit more due to its size…it’s and old friend that never lets me down. Aside from tasting good, Monster delivers a pretty good punch. Given the size, you’d expect to get a hefty boost of energy, and it delivers no problem. On can gets you moving for sure…two cans will put you far over the edge with some serious jitters and nervous energy…be sure you space these guys out. 2 cans in 2 hours made me so jumpy last time I hit a gun range that the only safe area on my target was the damn silhouette. Oddly enough though, Monster is our group drink of choice before and during Skeet shooting…we get a nice little reaction boost from it that keeps us alert and focused without any shaky side effects. The extra jolt Monster gives you lasts quite a while as well…not sure if it’s the overall strength, or the fact that 16oz’s takes longer to drink so the effect is spread out a bit more instead of a little shot can that you can down in 15 minutes. Whatever the case, Monster is a drink that tastes good, picks you up, gives you more, and doesn’t disappoint….very much worth a try if you have never had it before!
On a side note, Monster looks just like beer when you pour it in a glass….even gets a white foamy head. 🙂
Bawls
Bawls is one of those beverages that I have heard a lot about, but never got around to trying. There has always been a lot of hype surrounding it especially within the gaming community so I was quite happy to finally get my hands on a bottle for review. I must say that it is quite worthy of its reputation… The flavor of Bawls can best be described as cream sodaish with a bit of Sprite added for some kick. REALLY smooth stuff overall that has quite a bit of flavor with no offensive after taste at all…nothing medicinal or artificial about it, just tastyness. Even with all the flavor there is something very light and simple about the drink…it’s not heavy and doesn’t seem like it would fill you up like some of the other drinks out there….it just kind of tastes good, quenches your thirst, and wakes your ass up.
Power wise, Bawls does not disappoint. I can definitely see why this would be so popular at LAN parties and gaming sessions. Bawls woke me up, got me alert and kept me running very nicely. It’s not what I would call extreme powered though…nothing nervous or twitchy, just a bit sped up. I know that playing games on some of the other drinks on the market has proved to be unfavorable. Given the fact that they can make you kind of over alert and jumpy it’s actually distracting and a bit of a hindrance while trying to be competitive….not so with Bawls. It seems to be designed just right. Something else I really dug about Bawls was its bottle. It’s a bit smaller than normal beverage bottles since it is 10 oz’s so it fits a bit better in your grip. What is interesting about it though is the texture of it. It is coated with BB sized glass bumps that really feel damn good on your hands. You can get a good grip on it and kind of get a little hand massage at the same time…we’ve kind of been fascinated by it’s simple and highly effective design….definitely different from the other beverages out there in taste and packaging….Bawls is highly recommended by us.
As far as altering Bawls goes….I don’t think I’d want to. I like it how it is and for me adding alcohol to it would detract from it more than anything…wow…I never imagined I’d ever think or write that last sentence…