Lord knows I’m a voodoo child
Samedi
Wow this one came right out of left field. I had never even heard of it when someone contacted me about it and offered to send me a can. Just looking at the website had me very intrigued. Here we have a drink that was approved by the spirit Baron Samedi. The people doing the advertising for this drink actually flew from Australia to New Orleans to participate in a Voodoo ceremony that would allow the Baron Samedi to be consulted about the energy drink with his name.
Packaging: Well we start off with a 500ml(16.9 oz) aluminum can. The can looks pretty big and is taller than your usual 16 oz can. The can is printed all over with a grey staticky pattern that looks kind of creepy. Then right in the middle is a big red skull with a top hat. No it is not Slash from Guns and Roses.It is the image of Samedi. This drawing is in a blood red color that is spooky. Below this image is the name “Samedi” in black font followed by “Leve Sa K Deja Mouri” which means Raise that which is already dead. At the bottom it read “energy drink” in black font. On the back is a creepy background image that you just can’t make out what it is but you know it is scary anyway. There is also some cryptic writing and ingredients info. If you are going for a scary looking drink then you nailed it here. This blows away and scary drink (like Freak energy) I have seen. I really like the red skull, the cryptic writing, and the grey pattern. Grade A-
Slogans: I am going to go with “Leve Sa K Deja Mouri” which means pretty much energy that can awaken the dead. Now that is some powerful energy! Grade B
Taste: Ok so I pop open the can with anticipation. I pour some in a glass and it comes out black pretty much like your typical cola. The scent is pretty much RB clone but very pungent (no not pungent like the smell of the dead). You can smell this drink from across the room. It has a heavy carbonation. I take a sip and it taste pretty much like a Red Bull clone but it is different in some ways. It is not gummy at all. There is something else there at the finish though. It’s kind of herbal and reminds me of Jaggermeister a bit. It’s kind of like having your red bull with just a hint of Jaggermeister mixed in. A familiar taste to many of us. There is no aftertaste or bitterness. Over all it is pretty good and just a step above your usual RB clone. Grade C+ for taste
Kick/Ingredients. I drank it down while I was doing so physical work at the house. I was really dragging and needed some energy to get the job done. After drinking the whole can in about 30 minutes I was really buzzing along nicely with a bit of jitters as well. I got my task done in record time and probably talked way to fast and often to everyone around me. I would say the buzz lasted about 4 hours with a mild sugar crash at the end. So is there some mystical voodoo ingredients in this drink? Unfortunately not. There are however the following respectable ingredients. 160 mg caffeine, 2000mg Taurine, 600mg Guarana, 125 mg Glucuronolactone, and some B vitamins. This comes with 1030kj energy(245 calories), 57 grams of carbs and sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Not a bad line up. I will give them a C+ for kick/ingredients. It’s a lot to drink and energy wise it is just a notch above average.
Web presence: They do have a very entertaining website at samedisays.com. It may no be the easiest to navigate but that adds to the mystery of this unique drink image. You will find some cool video clips of the trip to New Orleans as well as the rituals performed to contact Baron Samedi. These videos are fun to watch in the dark. You will also find a Blog, and the ad posters written by the Baron Samedi during the ritual that are very funny and even a little inappropriate. You won’t find much beyond this entertainment though. No real drink or ingredients info at all. I even checked the Frucor Beverages site (parent company) and found nothing. Grade C for web presence. The site is worth visiting and I do recommend you check it out. I truly think you will enjoy the videos and such. Just don’t go there for real drink info.
Recap:
This was a very interesting drink and I really liked some things about it. The can design is awesome and I think the taste and kick are on par with most. I really think the idea and ad campaign which were very cool. I know in Australia the top dogs are Mother and V when it comes to energy drinks and I thing Samedi will match up well against those from what I have read anyway. I’d really like to get a hold of the Australian Mother and the V myself though so I can compare them. I hope maybe someday someone will hook me up with those drinks so I can really know how Samedi stands up.
