Overview:

Amp Energy has a lot of less-than-average flavors on its hands lately. With the exception of Focus, the best Amp flavor I’ve ever had, the Mountain Dew offshoot just keeps pumping out sub-par flavors. 3 Wide, reported on the other day as the limited edition Amp Energy drink made up of 3 distinct flavors and packaged inside of a collectible Dale Earnhardt Jr. can, attempts to blend three very distinct flavors together in order to create something unique and appealing.

Of course, I decided not to save my can and have it live on some shelf like the majority of people do. Heck, I’ve never even watched a single NASCAR race in my life. And since the only racing I care about is Speed Racer and Mario Kart, I had no trouble tearing into this limited edition can to see if the liquid inside was worth defiling the collectible container or not.

Review:

When I first heard of Amp 3 Wide. And after opening my can of Amp and getting a nice, strong whiff of what was inside, my opinion didn’t really change much. It has a scent that is very similar to the original drink, which I’m not too fond of. It also retains its ability to flood your mouth with saliva. Upon deeper aromatic examination you’ll be able to notice the individual scents in the drink, most pronounced is Berry with a slight Orange hit. The Lime is buried somewhere deeper inside.

When taking my first sip of 3 Wide, an eruption of different flavors took place in my mouth. At first it was overwhelming to have the three distinct flavors swimming around my mouth at once, as they are all equally balanced. The following sips yielded a far more pleasurable experience. Each flavor can be pointed out on your pallet and focused on, or you can open yourself up and lose yourself in the whirlpool of Berry, Orange and Lime.

Amp has never had a great kick, and this is no exception. With the same list of ingredients that are a huge step below the competition, 3 Wide puts out the same weak kick as every other Amp drink, which is really disappointing since this drink is so tasty. The weak kick is really the only thing keeping it from being successful. That and the fact that it’s only available for a limited time. That sucks.

Another thing that I hate about all Amp’s, this one included, is the high price tag. $2.39 is way too much to spend on a drink with an Energy Blend that is years behind its competition. This one is an exception of course, due to the fact that it is extremely limited in supply and availability. And the Dale Earnhardt Jr. can extends this promo item beyond energy drink collectors and into the realm of NASCAR fans as well. There is no doubt in my mind  this will make Amp millions, and I’m going to buy a couple more to drink and hold on to. But if this were a regular drink, I would hesitant to recommend you drop the cash for it.

Final Words:

I really don’t understand why Amp decided to make what is, with a few exceptions, the first good drink it’s introduced to the market in some time a limited edition beverage. It has a unique taste with distinct flavor that appeals to the hardened vet and is accessible enough to get the NASCAR fans addicted. I’m gonna miss this one when it’s gone, and I recommend you all pick up at least two. One to drink, and one to hold on to.

Pros

• Unique scent
• The 3 distinct flavors are perfectly balanced
• Dale Earnhardt can helps it appeal to more than just energy drink addicts
• An awesome energy drink collector’s item

Cons

• Weak kick, as usual
• It’s only available for a limited time

Score: 8.3/10 (Great)

Aroma: 8.75/10 (Makes your mouth water)
Taste: 9.25/10 (Delicious, flavors blend wonderfully)
Kick: 6.5/10 (The same weak Amp kick)
Value: 8.75/10 (Would be pricey, but it’s a collectible)