I stand alone
Vigilant
Sentinel Vigilant energy
Quite a while back I got some samples from Jump Beverages. I reviewed their Recon Coffee Cola right away and was impressed. Their other drinks kind of got lost in the shuffle ( ie my huge stash of drinks). Then the other day I got a request from a reader to review Sentinel. So I went back the stash and after a while I found it. Lets see if it as good as the recon was.(side note) after my review Jump contacted me and sent me a fresh reformulated can. I have revised this review to reflect the impressions of their current version)
Packaging: Pretty similar to the package Recon came in. Slim 12 oz camo can. It has a nice military look to it. I like the fonts and logo and the clean overall look. There is not a lot of clutter but it is clear this is an energy drink. Grade B( this is the old can in the picture)
Slogan: I guess you could go with “Vigilant Energy” although I am not sure if it is part of the drink name or more of a slogan. Either way it is a nice fit with the military theme. Grade C
Taste: New formulation. The new formula has a much more pronounced citrus scent. The flavor has a lot more lemon lime taste and is much more crisp than the old version. It still has a hint of the smokiness but not as much and the increased citrus taste with it's tarness makes it much better. I am upping my grade to C- for taste Not the best but much improved. Just don't buy a can that looks like the one in this review and you will be getting the better version
I had no idea what to expect. I popped the top and got a slightly unpleasant citrus smell. I poured some in a cup and it was a brownish cloudy yellow color with heavy carbonation. I took a sip and it was awful. I hate to say it but this drink is just nasty. It was a citrus with hints of grapefruit and orange flavor but then it has a smoky taste. Yes I said smokey like if you licked one of smokers from a barbecue joint that has been serving quality smoked meats for 50 years. On the plus side it was not bitter. The smell was like that as well. I actually started to not drink more than the initial sip. Then I soldiered on and drank it all. I did this for you my readers! Grade F
Kick/Ingredients: So after I choked this down as fast as I could (it was being on that Fear factor tv show) I started to get amped up in about 15 minutes. This stuff really delivers energy wise. I was pretty wired with slightly jittery energy and yet is was smooth and focused. I was rolling like one of those tanks hauling butt across the desert. Ever seen that video clip where the guy steals a tank and goes on a rampage. My brain felt kinda like that. This stuff powered me through every thing that came my way and lasted a good 4 hours with no crash. This drinks ingredients are a little different most with Caffeine in undisclosed amount, 1000 mg Taurine, 120 mg Ribose, Citrus Aurantium, Inositol, Glucuronolactone, Choline, and a fair amount of B vitamins. The Citrus Aurantium is the unique ingredient here and it is similar to ephedrine. It all comes with no calories, carbs, or sugars. It is sweetened with sucralose and ace k. Grade B+ for kick/ingredients
Web Presence: Like I said in my other Jump beverage reviews the website at jumpbeverages.com that is not too shabby. It does not offer a lot besides the ingredients labels for their various drinks and a store. There are some images and a page about their support for the military. It is easy to get around on and looks fairly nice. They do have a Facebook now though and it has a list of locations. I give it a grade of C+ for web presence.
Recap:
Updated for new formulation! The new formulation was a lot better taste wise and I increased my score for kick because this stuff really deliver in the kick department. I can now recomend you give it a try and judge for yourself the taste. As for the kick you really need to try it for that. It is well above average.
(Old drink wrap up)Ok so this was a real chore to drink down. They really need to work on that. It was not crisp and refreshing it was foul and smoky. I had to chew some gum to get rid of the taste after I finished drinking it. If you can stomach drinking this then you will find a pretty good and unique kick though. I really can’t recommend you drink this. They make another drink called Hot with similar ingredients which I will review soon that may be a better option.
