Straight from the Can:

All over Europe they’ve got these cool little coffee shops that serve killer espresso with creamy foam on top. Our madman in R&D figured out how to get that same smooth texture by injecting potent imported espresso with Nitrous Oxide. The we up’d the ante by adding out “tried and true” Monster energy blend.

X-PRESSO MONSTER has a rich creamy texture, imported espresso flavor, and a Monster buzz that just won’t quit. Made in Holland but only available in the USA. What a country…

X-Press yourself!

Nitrous Oxide in an energy coffee? Sounds interesting.

Review:

Popping the tab on my can of X-Presso, the first thing I noticed was the surplus of foam that bubbled over the edge of the opening. It was very light and foamy, which was exactly what they were going for with the Nitrousization. The next thing that hit me was the sweet coffee aroma. It’s a very light and creamy scent that is much more reminiscent of Big Black Java Monster than of actual espresso, which was slightly disappointing, but I can’t deny the appeal of the delicious aroma.

Taking my first sip, my mouth was tickled by the frothy top of the beverage as I took in the rich flavor. Again it is more akin to the Java Monster line of drinks than espresso with a subtle bitterness that gives it a weak bite. I was admittedly disappointed with how weak the espresso flavor was, but the drink does taste pretty good.

I also want to point out that the thought of having a nitrous-infused coffee drink sounds like it might yield the same results found in Nitrous Monster, which is a super-carbonated texture, the end result is simply a cap of froth that sits on top of the drink and there are no bubbles in the liquid at all. When I was telling someone about the drink, that was the impression we both had and I am happy to report that is not the case.

One thing that really let me down was that the frothy cap that once sat atop the coffee blend dissipated when I was about 3/4 of the way through the can, making the drink even less stand out when compared to Monster’s other coffee drinks. Though I guess that is exactly what happens when drinking a nice hot shot of espresso, I was saddened that the tickling sensation of the cool foam wouldn’t stick with me to the end.

Espresso is good for one thing. A nice kick in the ass to get your day started. Since there are several other similarities between X-Presso and Java, I was expecting the same soft kick presented by Monster’s other coffees. Not so. A can of X-Presso perfectly recreates the frantic kick of a double shot to a pretty impressive degree. I drank my can right after waking up to see how it would fare for a breakfast beverage, and I was pretty wired while running my errands. I was really pleased with the results, energy-wise, and would even suggest this drink as an evening supplement to close out your studying or while finishing up a shift at work.

X-Presso Monster is packaged in a single-serving 6.75 oz can for $1.99, which is hard to criticize since it is pretty close to Starbuck’s espresso drinks. Not only that, but introducing nitrousization to a drinks preparation process is an innovative introduction to the industry, and therefore helps warrant the high cost.

Final Words:

Hammer is pretty impressive on all fronts. It smells and tastes creamy and smooth, though bares more of a resemblance to its Java cousins than actual espresso. The kick is undeniably top notch, with 2,500 mg of Monster’s energy blend in a dinky 6.75 oz can. The new Nitrousization process creates an awesome frothy cap that provides a texture similar to actual espresso. Recommended to people with busy mornings, or students who need extra inspiration to get their arduous studies completed on time.

Buy a 20 Pack of X-Presso Monster Hammer

Pros

• Frothy cap
• Tastes and smells pretty sweet
• Great kick

Cons

• Tastes and smells almost too similar to Java Monster
• Two buck for 6.75 oz may be hard for some consumers to swallow

Score: 8.0/10 (Great)

Aroma: 8.0/10
Taste: 7.75/10
Kick: 9.0/10
Value: 7.5/10