High Octane Energy Chews

High Octane Chews are another killer product found in kingofcaffeine.com's arsenal of sleep defying mail-friendly packages. In one beautiful pack you get three energy chews, equal to 3 energy shots or three cups of coffee - whatever that means. There is no end to the variety of energy chew on the market these days - so one must question why would they bother coming out with another one?

Packaging:9
The answer in this case is easy. There is a predefined market for High Octane, and would be the perfect thing for trendy teen boys who usually shop in Aeropostale , American Eagle, and just about any mall friendly store that sells T shirts with skulls, guitars and wings on them. I would not be at all surprised to find a brilliant advertising company behind this - as the packaging is what will make this sell.
For those not in the know - this is the perfect illustration of what to do to sell to Teen Trendy Boys. Trendy Teen Girls won't touch this, as it looks too extreme, and tastes too harsh and bitter.

• Only use distressed type. and if you are not using distressed type, go for retro typewriter fonts. Keep your graphics busy and grunge. Wings? Check. Frills? Check. The busier you make the package, the better you are - as long as your colors are few and vivid.
  
  
• Trendy Teen Boys hate bland colors - so forget using mauve, champagne or fuscha. Instead, use black, white and PURPLE.
  
  
• Make sure your text is XTREME, without being over the top. in this case, the directions tell you to "Power down one of these chews" that are "heavy duty fuel ...for intense encounters".

On the function end, I have to give this one point off for not listing the caffeine. using the measurements of 1 shot or 1 cup of coffee are completely meaningless. Other than that - this package could be canonical in a Marketing 101 class.

Taste:4
On to that harshness I mentioned before. Masking what amounts to 100 or so mg of caffeine is no easy feat, especially when you are not putting in any chemicals. I appreciate them using more natural ingredients, as well as warning the chewer on the package that these have to be "powered Down." Heed that warning well, as this isn't like popping in a Hydrive chew or a Starburst.
The flavor is not bitter as much as sour as all hell. Not pucker your mouth sour, but more like chewing on a mouthful of lemon drop sour. If you are not ready for the strong harshness it won't be a good experience. The texture of the chew is also not smooth and easy, but gritty. While I would have loved to let the chew dissolve in my mouth for a stronger and faster buzz, I could not take it and swallowed quickly. So like a 5 Hour Chaser, this one is best removed from your taste buds as quickly as you can. It's not nasty, but not very pleasant either.

Buzz:9
Here is where it gets fun. I ate one chew by itself and felt my energy levels increase somewhat in the afternoon, about enough to get me through work and into dinner. For the situation, I could not have wanted anything more. I had about 3 hours of energy and no crash.

SO then I tried eating two on a particularly hard morening. I was completely wired - and felt my heart rate definietly speed up. My eyes literally could not shut - like they were glued open. The power in these are amazing - and highly recommended! With Amino Acids, Taurine, Guinseng and a good dose of caffeine, popping two of these in your mouth will cause whatever sleepinesds inside you to run and hide. There was also very little jitters ( there were some - but I LOVE that feeling, myself) and no crashing but a nice mellow wearing-off three hours later.
All this, with almost no scary ingredients. This is sweetened with only good stuff, like organic sugar, maltodextrin and sucralose. color from fruits and veggies and a general caring about the ingredients (except palm oil - which my young daughter refuses for us to bring in the house because palm oil kills orangatauns...)
Overall, I am terribly impressed, even if I am too old for wearing Aeropostale out in public.