Rockstar Energy got into the energy shot market by launching two flavors of their concentrated energy blend in shot form. The first thing I noticed about this product was the lack of a specific name for the shot. For example Monster Energy named their shot “Hitman.” But naming issues aside, the shot comes in a 2.5 fluid ounce tall plastic container with a screw on lid. The Rockstar logo is featured on the front, the color is either red and black or yellow and black depending on the flavor inside.
The Taste:
Energy shots have always suffered from tasting bitter due to the caffeine content and tasting too sweet due to the extra artificial sweeteners piled inside to mask the energy blend’s raw flavor. Rockstar Energy , and Monster followed suit, both made slightly larger shots than competitors in an attempt to further mask bitter tastes.
Rockstar’s shots come in two flavors: Tropical Punch and Wild Berry. But honestly they both taste about the same. You might notice a slight flavor difference if you really focus while shooting it down, but this isn’t a sipping drink so taste isn’t the focus anyways. It also tastes nothing like Rockstar Original.
The shot is a bit hard to drink down and it has a horrible aftertaste. But again, this is meant to be downed in one swift shot and not slowly enjoyed. I did find the taste slightly better than some other energy shots on the market; the taste stayed with me for a few seconds making me thankful that Rockstar added as much flavoring and sweetener as possible.
What really matters. Rockstar claims there is 200mg of caffeine per 2.5 ounce shot, which makes that more caffeine than one 8 ounce serving of Rockstar Original Energy drink. There is also the standard list of B-vitamins, Ginseng, Guarana, and Taurine. Basically it is concentrated Rockstar full size in a tiny package.
Taste aside, the kick hit quick and really hit hard. For those who aren’t sure how 200mg of caffeine in one gulp affects them, I recommend drinking half now and half later. I felt a bit hyper but the buzz was consistent and the crash was non-existent. I did feel a bit jumpy at first but this subsided and I felt alert and awake.
Overall:
Costs more than a can of Rockstar but about the same price as other energy shots. It is also larger in size than big name energy shots like 5 hour energy making it a decent value.
Unlike some of the Rockstar full size drinks, this shot has no carbs and no sugar which is a big plus. Also you get more caffeine in one small shot than you do in nearly an entire can of Rockstar energy. Worth a try if you need a quick energy rush but I recommend drinking it ice cold.
