Return of the Hero, our Conquering King
Red Bull Energy Shot
Well we all know Red Bull is king when it comes to energy drink. When reviewing energy drink Red Bull is the base line for me. With the emerging energy shot market it was only a matter of time before the 800 lb gorilla in the room came awake. Sure 5 hour has been dominating the segment but will they hold on now that Red Bull has arrived with its shot?
Packaging: Red Bull energy shot starts out with a hard plastic clear bottle. The bottle is shrink wrapped in the familiar Red Bull packaging. It is silver and blue with the Red Bull logo in the middle. The screw on lid also has the Red Bull logo on it with the 2 bulls clashing. The shrink wrap has a nice feature that makes it easy to peel the portion off of the lid and after you take the lid off there is a secondary seal which keeps it fresh. I can only say so much but if you are Red Bull you have to go with the familiar label. RB is so well known that it will be instantly recognized by most everyone. That alone will be a big selling point. Grade A- for packaging. You have a huge brand recognition and you have to take advantage of that. It is also a top notch quality job with the look and feel.
Slogan: “Red Bull gives you wings” Nuff said. Grade B+ for slogan. Hell everyone knows this slogan so it is top notch. This is probably the best know slogan in the energy drink world.
Taste: So did they step out with a new flavor? Heck why would they. People know what to expect with Red Bull. I peel of the wrap and twist off the lid. Once I remove the inner seal I am greeted with a caramel colored liquid. I drink it down and it has that classic Red Bull taste but without the carbonation. It’s apple, white grape, with a hint of vanilla/caramel at the finish. It almost has a creamy taste to it that is very good. It’s not gummy and it is not overly sweet. No bitterness at all. This is a very drinkable shot with a great familiar taste. Grade A- for taste. Great job of getting the taste of the drink into the shot.
Kick/Ingredients: Ok so I drank this shot to get me past a moment of fatigue. I had been on a 2 hour bike ride in 90 degree weather but needed to get some remodeling done in my kitchen. We are talking removing cabinets and such. I was tired and needed a real boost. I drank down the shot savoring the flavor. I’d say it is like drinking a Red Bull on fast forward. It hits you faster and last just as long. It hit me in minutes and I got a mid level boost that lasted me 4 or so hours with no jitters or crash. No it is not an extreme shot but it easily beats out 5 hour and many clones of it. The buzz got me going quickly and I got some work done in good spirits with energy to spare. So what is in it? It’s pretty much an exact match for an 8.4 oz Red Bull. 80 mg Caffeine, 1000 mg Taurine, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, and B vitamins. All the amounts are the same. You get 25 calories and 6 grams of carbs and sugars. It is sweetened with sugar, Glucose, and sucralose. Sucralose is not in your regular Red Bull drink. I give this shot a grade of B for kick/ingredients.
Web Presence: Well the site at redbullusa.com has just a bit of info on the new shot. The shot has not been released to the general public so the info on it is limited. Still it is a really nice site. It is easy to navigate and has ingredients info. As far as content goes it has a ton of multimedia. Everything from extreme sports to music is represented in huge chunks. You could easily spend hours there checking it all out. I give them a grade of A for web presence. RB knows how to promote itself better than any other brand.
Recap:
I say look out 5 Hour energy since Red Bull has stepped into the ring. Red Bull will work well in the areas where 5 Hour really dominates like professionals, women, and the more mature energy consumer. On top of that Red Bull also appeals to a younger more extreme crowd which 5 Hour really does not. Red Bull energy shot has a great look that is very familiar. It also has nailed the classic Red Bull flavor in a shot. The flavor is comforting like that old t-shirt you refuse to throw away or an old friend. All of these thing combined will have many reaching for this shot when they see it at the store. I think once you try it then it will likely be your “Go To” energy shot. They took their time creating their product and it appears to me it was time well spent.
