So, on a pit stop to my local gas station I got the bright idea to splurge on some energy drinks. I looked at the cold case of Monster, Red Bull, NOS — all the usuals. But I was struck by two new cans in the mix. The folks at Rockstar Energy have launched two new energy drinks in Cola and Lemonade form. Having never had Red Bull’s soda, I thought to give this and its yellow friend a try (plus they had a coupon for fifty cents off so what the hey!). I grabbed my new drinks and drove home to eat, drink, and play Bad Company 2.

Review

The can is sleek and almost stealthy, matte black on black with some gold for good measure. It comes in the standard size can and, aside from the paint job, looks just like every other Rockstar can I’ve seen. Once I got my pair home and sat down for a night of XBox fun and driving hordes of angry people everywhere into rage quitting Bad Company 2, I popped the top and took a nice big whiff of my war spoils.

The sweet smell of what could be described as a clone of Pepsi’s aroma met my nose. It smells just like the soda, but has a very subtle hint of a more classic energy drink smell. With that in mind I prepared my mouth for what could be a sweet rush of delicious cola flavored energy, or a shoddy mix of Rockstar with cola splashed in like a quickly made party favor. I took a deep breath and dove in.

Now, when it comes to energy drinks you often either get a sweet, pleasant flavor, or an unrecognizable mash up of what can only be described as cough medicine with carbonation. Sure these tastes can be easily overcome as you shovel more down your throat, but that aftertaste is always the killer. Rockstar’s Energy Cola doesn’t taste a thing like an energy drink. It tastes almost exactly like Pepsi, or a handful of other store brand colas. I enjoyed the overall taste of it, it wasn’t ridiculously sweet or overly bitter, and the cola flavor masked the underlying energy drink with so much perfection it can be hard to tell you’re drinking something meant to wire you for a few hours.

Kick is a big thing for energy drinks. Some peter out after a few hours, some stay strong and others have little to nothing to speak of. Rockstar Cola has a decent kick that I would liken to monster, or Rockstar (obviously) in that it comes on almost unnoticed and lingers for a good few hours. I didn’t feel overly jittery or wired but more awake and alert, with the spiral back down almost just as subtle. I was able to stay frosty until the wee hours of the next morning when I finally hung up my headset and controller and called it a night.

Rockstar comes priced at the industry standard tag, coming in at $1.99 for a dual serving. But the offer of a manufacturer’s coupon right on the display case window was an added plus. Sure, 50 cents isn’t a whole lot to save, but combine that with the rest of the change in my pocket/Jeep, and I had enough money to go by me a cheeseburger for a quick meal.

Final Words

While Rockstar Energy Cola isn’t the first into the energy drink/cola marriage, at this point it certainly has my vote for the best. The sweet, Pepsi-like aroma coupled with its smooth soda taste was enough to win me. The run of the mill pricing and the snazzy 50 cent off coupon only added to the favor. All in all if you’re looking for something different in your energy drink, I’d highly recommend the Rockstar Energy Cola to just about anyone who’s a fan of cola or energy drinks.

Score: 9.25/10 (Outstanding)

Aroma: 9.5/10
Taste: 9/10
Kick: 9/10
Value: 9.5/10