Sunday, March 05, 2017

Energy Supply Co. Review

Mail delivery services have gained a lot of steam over the last few years, and, with caffeine as popular as ever, Energy Supply Co. decided the idea of energy drinks sent to your door would be a wise idea. It turned out to be, in my opinion, a success, but the service is not without its flaws.

For roughly $25 (US$, including tax and such), Energy Supply Co. will send you six generally hard-to-find energy drinks every month. In my box for February was the following:

Bawls Root Beer
DaVinci
Electric Monkey
Liquid Ice
MSP
Purps
A bonus powder energy packet, which I have yet to have.


The first one I decided to crack open was the Liquid Ice, which, goes without saying, really, is the absolute worst name for any energy drink. The drink itself was pretty solid, but for some reason, it gave me a weird buzz from it -- maybe it had something to do with the launch of Pokemon GO's biggest update since July (yes, I still play it), and the frustration I had when the servers were crashing. As for the flavor, I enjoyed it, considering it was zero calories. Liquid Ice has the flavor and smell of Pixy Stix, with an after-taste that isn't so terrible for a diet version of an energy drink. Not a mind-blower, but in the realm of sugar free energy drinks, it was tasty. 4/5

MSP was next -- a horrendous looking can seemingly designed by a middle schooler circa 1999... it truly looks like a failed Tron design. This drink hits the tongue with a strong blue raspberry candy flavor, not unlike a blue raspberry Ring Pop. Sweet and smooth with a not-too-assertive amount of carbonation. This was one of my preferred drinks from my pack, but I really am struggling to get over that Microsoft Paint looking can. 4.5/5

One of my favorite drinks from high school was Bawls, so I was excited to see Bawls Root Beer in my box, since I hadn't had it before... there's not a lot to say about this one, as it tastes exactly like you'd expect -- like root beer. More precisely, I'd say it tastes more like a Mug or A&W root beer rather than something like Barq's. 4.25/5

Next up was the sole healthy energy drink in the pack... Purps. Being a connoisseur of energy drinks -- but also trying to give a damn about my health -- I appreciated the inclusion of Purps. This one tastes a bit strange. I found that this tasted very weird at first because I brushed my teeth. But, after a little while, I just found out that Purps just sort of has a bit of an off-putting bitterness. I'd say it's a bit of an acquired taste. The best I can say is that it has a flavor of dark fruits and perhaps an essence of dirt. The "essence of dirt" flavor wasn't helped when I finished my can and noticed sediment... and then saw on the can that it says to shake the can before drinking. Well, to be fair, who would think to shake a carbonated energy drink before cracking it? Ah, well. User error. For what it is, I enjoyed it, and I had a great, productive caffeine buzz from it. My can was a couple months past its best by date, but I don't believe that that affected its flavor at all. 4.25/5



DaVinci I probably looked forward to most out of my pack just because the can was so awesome looking. As it turned out, the juice inside wasn't too bad either. DaVinci has a flavor of blackberry, raspberry, and grape, which is very pleasant. Unfortunately, its all pretty damn sweet, and any can bigger than the one in my box (either 8oz or 12oz) would have been a bit much, and DaVinci would have become cloying. 4.25/5

The last drink from my pack was Electric Monkey, which was one of the most interesting flavors in my box... not so much because it tasted unique, but because I couldn't tell if I really enjoyed it or not. Primarily, Electric Monkey tastes like Rockstar Original with vanilla added with a high level of acid that feels pretty abrasive. One sip is pleasantly sweet, and the next is super harsh. The acidity doesn't exactly play well with the vanilla flavor I get out of this (it's almost like vanilla and lime?), but I don't hate it. I will say I'd much prefer this in a smaller can, as it did get a bit hard to finish the last quarter or third of my 16oz can. 3.75/5

At the price of about $4 a can, Energy Supply Co. isn't a bargain of a subscription (they gotta make money!), but you're really paying for the convenience of 1.) getting energy drinks you can't just find at your local grocery store and 2.) having them sent to your doorstep.

Since I'm just a lowly college student, I won't likely continue my subscription of this for much longer, but I was pleased with my box. While I think I would like to be able to go on Energy Supply Co.'s website and select which drinks I would like sent to me (just to avoid constant duplicates), I do like the element of surprise the boxes provide.

If you enjoy energy drinks and trying new flavors, this is a great way to go about it. The price is more than fair for anybody with any sort of disposable income, and you get the opportunity to guzzle some stuff you may not ever get the chance of guzzling if it weren't for Energy Supply Co.

Verdict:
DO IT!