Power Tripping
NOS Powershot
Seems that energy shots are taking over. I think a lot of the major players have noticed this and are preparing to release their own shots. Monster, Amp, and Rockstar are all working on theirs. The first out of the gate though is NOS. NOS might not be up there with the very top companies but they are close. Let’s see if they took the time to come up with a quality shot. Being first is great but did they sacrifice quality for speed?
Packaging: There is no sacrifice here. NOS Powershot went all out and made a mini plastic NOS bottle that resembles their full size drink bottles. It’s a 2 oz blue plastic bottle that looks like a mini NOS cylinder. It has an orange twist off cap. The Orange label on the front has the NOS logo and then below that is a silver box. In the silver box(that looks like a warning label) it reads “Maximum Boost Formula”, “Caution: Powerful”, and “This is not NOS energy drink! Powershot is highly concentrated and much more powerful”. On the back it has nutrition info. I have to give them a grade of A+ for packaging. This shot really stands out and looks powerful and aggressive. I can see many people being drawn to this shot based on its look.
Slogan: Closest thing we have is “Maximum Boost Formula” maybe not really a slogan but I will give it a grade of C. It does draw you in to try this shot.
Taste: I twist off the top and get the familiar NOS passion fruit scent which is very pleasant. It does not smell medicinal at all. The liquid inside in not carbonated and is a golden color with a slight orange tint. I toss it back and I am hit with an unexpected bitterness right away. The bitterness is washed away by a very sweet passion fruit pineapple flavor but then finishes with more bitterness. I was left with this bitter taste in my mouth until a washed it down with another drink. I’m sorry to say that NOS Powershot gets a grade of D for flavor. I have had worse but not many. The flavor in the middle is pretty good but before and after it is just bad.
Kick/Ingredients: I slammed it down quickly since it was not very tasty. I’d say in about 15 minutes I was more alert. I was not jacked up and I had no where as energized as when I drink a regular NOS energy drink. I’d say the mild buzz I got lasted maybe 3 hours with no crash really (not far to fall). The key ingredients are Taurine 200mg, L-Carnatine 200mg, caffeine 125 mg, ginseng 50mg, Inositol 100 mg and a fair dose of B vitamins. You get 30 calories, 7 grams of carbs, and 6 grams of sugars. It is sweetened with HFC. Kick grade is a D+ This drink looks aggressive and says it is but if your powered by this NOS cylinder you’ll probably be smoked by some guy in a 76 ford pinto.
Web Presence: The website at drinknos.com is pretty sharp. It has the great racing theme that fits well with their racing themed drink. They have all kind of stuff to look at. Product info(nicely done), Promotions, NOS TV, Hot chicks, Press, Hot scantily clad chicks, Team NOS and NOS Girls. If you like hot chicks they pull out all the stops on this one. Might not want to let you girlfriend or wife catch you hanging out on this site too much. Don’t get me wrong. I love attractive women but it might just be a little over the top if your on the prudish side or browsing the site while at work. Overall though they get a grade of B+ for web presence. Much effort was put into this site.
Recap:
I could understand the low kick if they did not portray it as being so powerful. With all it’s warning labels and the statement “Caution: Powerful”, and “This is not NOS energy drink! Powershot is highly concentrated and much more powerful” it is just misleading. Regular NOS drinks are actually much more powerful. The NOS 8 oz bottle has twice the caffeine and much more taurine. This shot cost more than the regular NOS drinks and is weaker and bad tasting. Sure it is portable but there are many many more shots out there with better taste, more caffeine, more vitamins, more taurine, and just more kick. Buy this for your collection but pass on it otherwise. I only hope the other big companies don’t wimp out like this when they release their shots.
