b:oost active energy

I walked into a big Mexican supermarket, determined to find a new exciting energy drink. All day long I wandered the little beach tourist shops, besieged with pleas to please buy this store's Monster energy drink plates, or another store's Monster energy drink T shirts. These little shantys had every possible Monster energy drink chatchka ( knick-knack), from belt drink holders to big black glazed pots with the big green M on the front. I finally figured it out when I was how they were trying to get me to buy some for my children. While you can try to force feed coronas and Tacate laden crap on us grownups, by using Monster's logo they open up their market to the same advertising for kiddies.
So when I went into the little tourist city's big supermarket, the last thing I wanted for refreshment was that Monster of over merchandising. Unfortunately, all I saw that got close was this small squat can of what I believed to be soda. It called itself b:oost, and looked in every way a Fey Supermarket brand of energy drink. Skeptically, I bought 2 cans of this so-called "active-energy" drink, expecting a sour not-close-to-tasty Red Bull clone.
That made me even happier when I poured out this very tasty and very powerful little can of Mexican power! Turns out this drink has been around a long time, since 2002, and have hosted a whole host of music festivals, outdoor sports and other big events, selling this little can everywhere in Mexico from Walmarts and Sams Clubs to little mom and pop grocery stores dotting the desert landscape I drove around in. While I am not sure of the real popularity of this drink , I can say that while it might not be worth a trip south of the border for it, be sure to grab a few cans if you find yourself getting sweaty and sleepy in the hot Mexican sun.

Nutrition/Buzz:8
The nutrition of this drink is not spectacular, with the usual energy drink characters. We have a host of inositol, Vitamin B complex, taurine and caffeine both scientific and through Guarana. The nice thing is this can managed to give me a pretty significant buzz - and for the life of me I can figure out how much caffeine is in the can. They list it clearly and in 2 places at having 0,02% caffeine, but also 5,8% guarana in the 235ml can. No matter how I try, I cant figure out if this has a ton or almost no caffeine in it. I do know that I got about 3 hours of some serious energy out of it, with no crash afterward. If anyone out there knows how to work this math it would be appreciated....
Taste:7
before I opened this, I really expected Red Bull. it seemed a very standard drink from the can, and after countless private brands the last thing I expected was a bright blue raspberry flavored treat - tasting like a berry flavor Kool - aid only a tiny bit more pungent and chemical.Still, this is light years beter than I would have thought. They were selling this drink as a 6 pack, like you would find a cold - and it is obvious why. This drink makes a great pop - and while no High Fructose Corn Syrup, it is a very tasty can to help beat the heat.
Packaging:5
This was one of the biggest drawback for me in the can. OF course, not actually speaking the language might be a little barrier, but I still got the basics from it. They listed the caffeine content and the calories, even if I cant figure it out. There is a list of the manufacturer, as well as their website. The thing is this can is designed with a ton of little darkly colored striped, and the word b:oost in an avant garde type. This drink does not scream energy, but in fact screams cheesy can. no lightning bolts, no fancy lettering or even a little icon. The closest you get is the little colon in the name. I like the overall squatness of the can shape - as it definitely stands out from the pack.