If you’re like me, you might be getting bored of the energy drink scene. Red Bull, Rockstar, and Monster were cool at first, but the allure wore off. Then new challengers like Reign, Adrenaline Shoc, Celsius, and Bang spiced things up with novelty flavors and crazy caffeine content.
So what’s next? How many more desserts can Bang turn into energy drinks? How many summer, winter, and color editions can Red Bull release before running out of ideas?
Enter the Fission Fuel Kit. Designed to be cheaper, more customizable, and tastier than the status quo, with adaptogens, antioxidants, and BCAAs, Fission is not your mother’s energy drink.
The verdict: Highly recommended. Flavors average 7.2/10, and the water-to-caffeine dial is the killer feature.
How it works
Fission doesn’t come in a can. A starter kit, available with a plastic or metal bottle, ships with the bottle, a cap, and flavor cartridges.
The flavor stays in the cartridge and never enters the bottle, so you can switch seamlessly between water and caffeine while keeping the bottle clean. Using the Cirkul system, you dial anywhere from 0 (plain water) to 10 (full blast).
And the flavors? I ordered the starter pack, so keep reading. You might think I’m kidding, but these names are very, very real.
Ordering
There are two versions of the Fuel Kit, Plastic Bottle ($35) and Metal Bottle ($50). The only difference is the bottle, so I cheaped out and went plastic.
I ordered on DrinkFission.com on October 30 and got an estimated delivery of November 3–8. The package was delayed and arrived November 10, so keep slow shipping in mind if you want instant gratification. I chose free shipping; there’s an expedited option for the less patient.
Unboxing
Flavor reviews
Each cartridge dials from 0 to 10: 0 is plain water, 1 is a hint, 10 is sensory overload.
| Flavor | Taste | Jared |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Magic | Blue raspberry | 8.4 |
| Florida Man | Orange | 7.8 |
| Send It | Fruit punch | 7.0 |
| Nocturnal | Grape | 5.5 |
Florida Man: 7.8. It doesn’t live up to its chaotic name, but it’s an excellent flavor. At 4 or 5, the juicy, vibrant orange comes through nicely. At 1 it’s LaCroix with a hint of orange. At 10 it’s like squirting orange MiO Energy directly into your mouth. Would not recommend.
Blue Magic: 8.4. This one does live up to its name. Think of the best artificial blue raspberry you know, like light blue Gatorade, blue Gushers, or blue Kool-Aid. It’s up there. At 1 it’s a hint of blue raspberry (I like Florida Man’s 1 better). At 5 it’s really sweet; I can’t imagine drinking it any higher. At 10 it’s like drinking syrup straight from the fountain.
Nocturnal: 5.5. Not the best, but grape is one of my least favorite artificial flavors, and this tastes really artificial. Like the others, 1 is extremely light and 10 is a blast. I liked it best at 3, which also made it last much longer than the others.
Send It: 7.0. Send It, a.k.a. fruit punch, slots in third. As usual, 10 is insane, but I drank this one at 4, 5, and even 6 more than the others. Maybe, as my last flavor, I’d become desensitized to Cirkul and needed my fix. Kidding… maybe.
Random thoughts after finishing the kit
- The plastic bottle feels high quality: sturdy, with a premium-feeling Cirkul cap.
- The Cirkul system is impressive. There’s a quick hint of flavor when you dial back to water, but that’s a minor, expected gripe.
- Switching quickly between water and Fission is the clear advantage over something like MiO Energy.
- Since the formula never enters the bottle, cleaning it is a breeze. Each cartridge also has its own drinking nozzle, another hygiene win.
- Each cartridge lasted 3–5 days for me, alternating between water and levels 3–6. That lines up with Fission’s claim of about four energy drinks per cartridge.
- I’m usually good about drinking water, but with Fission I was even better. Having the bottle around made it easy to hydrate without debating when to crack a can.
Energy blend analysis
By Caffeine Shark’s Cameron Copeland
The four headline ingredients on the packet are antioxidants, caffeine, BCAAs, and adaptogens. All but adaptogens are common in energy drinks. Taurine, an antioxidant, is in Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster, and almost every energy drink you’ve tried. Leucine is a common BCAA, and caffeine is on every can.
Fission actually has fewer B vitamins than most energy drinks and mostly replicates the rest. It’s also a bit lower in caffeine, at 139 mg per serving. Two ingredients make it stand out: Panax ginseng and Alpha-GPC.
Panax ginseng is an adaptogen, and Alpha-GPC is considered a nootropic. Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt to stress; nootropics are compounds said to enhance cognition. Both are aimed at stress, memory, and focus (much like caffeine, itself a nootropic).
A long list of scary-sounding ingredients can be intimidating when caffeine is the only one you recognize. Just know the only ingredients that differ from most energy drinks are Panax ginseng and Alpha-GPC, both generally considered safe and theoretically good for stress, memory, and brain function. If you want something new, the Fuel Kit may scratch that itch.
Final verdict
I highly recommend the Fission Fuel Kit. The pros are impressive: the flexibility to switch between water and caffeine, fun and tasty flavors averaging 7.2, good value, and an easy-to-clean bottle.
My only gripes were slow shipping, which may have been a one-off, and flavors that are simple and predictable despite their wildly creative names. Replacement cartridges were $4 each with free shipping when I ordered, and I’m planning to try Jackpot and E.T. next.
Using Fission with a powdered pre-workout? See my C4 pre-workout review.
