jolt energy drink

Jolt is back again, after a close brush with death back in September of 2009. The company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and filed a motion to permit sale of the company's assets through a court-approved sale. It was a sad day for energy junkies.

Many of us were cuious as to why they failed. They tasted great - and the caffeine content was pretty fantastic too. My guess was that it came in these very nice expensive battery packages (one of the first that did so) and mostly found in the huge 24 ounce size. Why is any of this interesting? Because I just found Jolt again - and I think this one might be a winner...

Packaging:9
The biggest hurdle Jolt had was their awesome, but very expensive can. Now they have them in standard thin 12 ounce cans, found in functional and energy drinks everywhere. Without needing some special canning tricks, they can keep their costs way down. Also, they now have a pinted price of .99 cents, just like Arizona canned teas, so retailers can't jack up the price. This means that for half the price of a Monster, you get more caffeine!
Sure there are some issues with the can in this form, such as a lack for listing the caffeine content, the lid of the can and the high test printing job. So this can is not over the top with marketing. It does not have the catchy slogan and the super high quality print job. What it does do is find a unique way to keep one of the most lasting and enduring enrgy drink companies alive.

Buzz:8
Jolt now has 140mg of caffeine in their small 12 ounce serving. This is a very impressive amount - containing tons more energy than the original jolt, although it is about the same as their huge 24 ounce battery cans, but in a smaller and cheaper to produce package. For less than a buck, this is a real powerhouse of energy, with tons of vitamin B, ginseng and taurine. Let's not forget all the sugar, enough to make your molars shriek and hide back in your palate. One little can kept me rockin for a solid 4 hours.
That being said, it is not like this is good for you or anything. While I appreciate that this is certified Kosher from the Orthodox Union, it still is packed with High Fructose Corn Syrup, preservatives and artificial colors and flavors. There is over 180 calories in a 12 ounce can, More than what there is in Monster, Red Bull or even Coke Classic. As Jamie Oliver would say, think of this as a Sometimes Food. I hear somewhere out there there is a Zero Carb version of this drink - which might become a staple in my house if I can ever find it.

Taste:8
Yum! Seriously, this is some really tasty stuff. It opens with a faint scent of Jolly Ranchers candy. I pour the liquid into a glass, and admire the the translucent blue hue. On first taste, it seemed a little tart, but mixed with the flavor of cotton candy and a thick syrup. Really, this is one drink that could have done with a little less sugar. Still, this was a very tasty treat - much like their original big 24 ounce can. While I don;t see heading to this flavor on an every-day basis, it is certainly decent enough for a candy sweet occasional pickup.