If you haven’t tried energy drinks yet, you would be curious about their taste. So let’s see, what do energy drinks taste like?
As a general rule, energy drinks taste sour or sweet and have a typical carbonation taste (specifically in the ones that are carbonated energy drinks). However, energy drinks’ taste can vary depending on the brand and the flavor you are drinking, as some can even have a medicinal aftertaste.
Read on to find out the taste of some well-known energy drink brands, factors that influence the taste of energy drinks, and other related information.
Decoding The Taste Of Energy Drinks:
#1. Taste of Red Bull
When it comes to energy drinks, Red Bull needs no introduction. It is one of the most popular energy drinks out there.
In general, the taste of Red Bull is citrus and tangy. The original Red Bull offers a less bitter taste than the caffeine-free and sugar-free versions. Whereas the blueberry and raspberry flavor of Red Bull provides a sweeter taste than the original.
Depending on the Red Bull variety you select, you will experience a distinct flavor. For example, you get a tropical fruit taste if you choose the Red Bull yellow edition (tropical). On the other hand, the Red Bull Zero tastes light with a non-caloric sugary taste.
It is essential to highlight here that although with Red Bull, you get a couple of flavor options, they also discontinue some of their flavors.
For example, they discontinued the orange tangerine and cranberry flavors.
We recommend you read more about discontinued Red Bull flavors here if you are interested in knowing more.
#2. Taste of Monster
Monster is another popular energy drink available in stores. It was created by the Hansen Natural Company (now known as Monster Beverage Corporation) in 2002.
In terms of taste, when the Monster Energy Drink hits your tongue, you experience a sweet and tangy carbonated taste.
The taste of Monster can also be expressed as fizzy apple juice. Monster offers you energy drinks in many different varieties, so you have a lot of options for selecting your favorite one. It has over 34 different flavors.
Here’s a table that shows the taste of some of the monster flavors:
| Monster Flavor: | Taste: |
| Ultra Sunrise | Lemon and a bit tangy |
| Mango Loco | A mixture of oranges and peaches |
| Ultra Red | A mild taste of berries |
| Dragonfruit | Black tea with litchi and passion fruit |
#3. Taste of G Fuel
G Fuel is a popular energy drink brand mainly targeted at gamers. As per the G Fuel website, G fuel has a delicious, sweet, and unique taste. It has 20 different flavors you can choose from, including Bahama Mama, Strawberry Banana, FaZeberry, Blue Ice, etc.
But to be honest, G Fuel doesn’t have that excellent reputation when it comes to taste. For instance, this Mashed article highlights that G Fuel doesn’t taste good enough to recommend.
All of the G Fuel products have a peculiar aftertaste that feels reminiscent of cough syrup. So even if there’s a wide flavor variety, the medicinal aftertaste may not give you the best sensation.
Some express the taste of G fuel to be like a non-carbonated lemonade with a chalky-like aftertaste.
#4. Taste of Full Throttle
Full Throttle is an energy drink brand by Monster Beverage. Originally, it came into the market in 2004 in Canada and US by The Coca-Cola Company.
However, in 2015, Monster Beverage gained ownership over Full Throttle when they closed a deal with The Coca-Cola Company to acquire their energy drinks line.
Full Throttle mainly focuses on two flavors: Blue Agave and Original Citrus.
Unlike other brands, they try to keep things simple when it comes to flavors. But this turns out to be a limitation of Full Throttle.
If you try out two of their flavors, you will expect more flavor options. Because the taste of both Full Throttle’s flavors is too sweet. Initially, you might like the taste, but gradually you :/ will be bored by the sweet taste.
#5. Taste of Celsius
Celsius is an energy drink brand that doesn’t have high sugar or fructose corn syrup. Also, they don’t use any artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Ingredients like ginger, green tea, and guarana are part of this energy drink.
In terms of flavor, you get a lot of choices with Celsius. And you get a crisp and refreshing taste with these energy drinks.
You can choose the sparkling orange flavor if you want to enjoy the carbonated and tangy flavor.
If we compare the flavor of Celsius with other brands, you will likely experience more delicate flavors.
The best benefit with most celsius flavors is that you don’t get any artificial aftertaste.
What Influences The Tastes Of Energy Drinks?
The main influencing factors of energy drinks are the ingredients and content. Here are some of the common ingredients in energy drinks and their attributed taste:
| Ingredient: | Taste: |
| Caffeine | Bitter |
| Sugar | Sweet |
| Vitamin C | Sour |
| Taurine | Super Bitter And Acidic |
So when you drink an energy drink, you get the combined taste of all the ingredients. In addition, whether or not energy drinks are carbonated can also influence the taste.
As per Scientific American, scientists have found that carbonation also has a flavor and our taste buds are capable of sensing the CO2.
What Are The Best Tasting Energy Drinks?
In terms of taste, Monster and RedBull are the best Energy drinks. Of course, the taste can be subjective, depending on how you perceive it. But overall, both of these brands offer you enough flavors and varieties to choose from that you can’t go wrong.
With monsters, you don’t have to experience any kind of chemical-like aftertaste. And also, they are readily available everywhere, from convenience stores to gas stations. Red Bull is also a delicious energy drink that offers you different flavor varieties.
Final Thoughts
In short, different energy drinks have different tastes based on the brand, the versions, or the flavors you selected. In addition, the ingredients they are made can also affect the taste.
Overall, you may experience something like a sweet or sour taste if you drink it. You may also experience the carbonated taste if you consume carbonated energy drinks.
Furthermore, you may also dislike the taste of energy drinks. Check our blog post on why some people enjoy the taste of energy drinks while others don’t. Hope that helps!
FAQs:
If you consume one energy drink a day (for example, one 8.4 ounce or 250 ml can of Red Bull contains 80 mg caffeine), it should be OK. Mayoclinic.org highlights that for most healthy adults, 400 mg of caffeine a day appears to be safe.
However, it is important to note that their short-term and long-term effects outweigh the benefits. As per Healthline, energy drinks have been linked to problems like obesity, cardiovascular issues, and high blood pressure.
Within the first few minutes of drinking an energy drink, your body starts absorbing the caffeine from the drink into your bloodstream. In response, your body’s blood pressure and heart rate increase, and eventually, as the caffeine level peaks, you’ll feel alert because of the stimulus effect of caffeine.
Without Caffeine, the taste of energy drinks would be less bitter because caffeine is what adds a bitter taste to beverages. So, in general, you would experience a slightly better taste by drinking an energy drink without caffeine.
We have written a detailed post about the taste of energy drinks without caffeine. Please check that out for further information.
Photo altered by dejittr.com | Photo attribution: Nathan Dumlao
