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Rockstar Original
A very average energy drink used for a quick pick-me-up. Cheap and ubiquitous, but nothing to write home about.
Overall
5
Taste
5
Appearance
3
Kick
6.6
Intro
Rockstar reminds me of college as it completely encapsulates the essence of my college life. It was easy to access, by far the cheapest option, and gave sort of a kick that would keep you alert for at least a couple of hours. There was always a definite crash, but that’s when you have another one and the cycle continues. I personally associate Rockstar with having a good time and keeping me revved up when I need it. Even though the caffeine content is the same as most other standard energy drinks at 160mg/can (or 10mg/floz), it definitely delivers more of a bite.
Upside
Rockstar can be obtained at pretty much every gas station or 711 out there. As I said earlier, it was always significantly cheaper for me than the other brand names in college. If you want a kick to stay awake, chug one of these babies and it will do the trick (especially if you get one of the 240mg cans, but that’s a different review). It is relatively sweet, smooth, and I enjoy the flavor, but it falls short in all three categories when compared to the other name brands. I enjoy Rockstar enough to get it repeatedly when it is available for a low price, but it has never been something I am really looking forward to drinking.
Downside
Rockstar is everywhere and everyone has heard of it, but there is a reason that it is not as popular as Monster or Red Bull despite its ubiquity. It always seems to sit a tier below the others for many reasons. The taste is sweet, but it is not as sweet or flavorful as Monster. It is relatively smooth, but not as smooth as NOS. There has always been a crash for me after drinking these, even though they have what I consider to be an average caffeine content. The crash is usually due to more sugar in combination with the caffeine, but this crash seems more severe than other beverages with similar qualities. The appearance is quite mediocre to me as well, and the brand name Rockstar definitely does not have the same recognition as that of Red Bull. I am doing a lot of comparing here to demonstrate why Rockstar, although still a fine option, sits a tier below the others to me.
Upshot
If Rockstar is your beverage of choice, I would recommend the 240mg can to keep you buzzing. If using it to stay alert, you may as well give yourself that extra 50% boost of caffeine. I rate it a 5/10 because while it does the job of keeping you energized (hence “energy drink”), it sits a tier below the others in terms of overall quality to me. If you want a cheap drink to keep you going, Rockstar is a fine choice. If you are drinking for leisure or want a seemingly high quality beverage, I would look elsewhere.
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