“A weak energy drink that lacks a strong flavor, kick, and appearance. While it may be moderately refreshing when ice cold, it simply does not check any of the boxes required to make a great energy drink.”
Cam’s full review
Introduction
When I first had the sugar free version of Uptime Blood Orange, I was honestly not sure how to rate it. Both of the other CaffeineSharks love Uptime, and when I said I did not enjoy it as much, they would make excuses saying “it must not have been cold enough” or “the flavor is better with/without sugar.” They need to come to terms with the fact that I really do not care for Uptime as a brand, and Blood Orange is no exception. It has a decent amount of carbonation, but is mildly bitter and lacks a bold flavor. The Orange flavor itself is fine, but other orange beverages are far superior. While I have been told many times “it needs to be freezing cold” to be a great beverage, any drink that has to meet certain qualifications to be at all decent is not worth a good rating in my opinion.
Upside
When you pull a sugar free Uptime Blood Orange directly out of the freezer, it is rather refreshing. It also does not contain high levels of artificial sweetener even though there is no sugar. While I think more sweetener would enhance the flavor, the gentle taste may be appealing to some. There is also no real crash, which is probably its greatest upside.
Downside
The flavor is weak, there is not enough caffeine in a 12oz can to get you going, and it needs to be ice cold to be refreshing. Uptime Blood Orange simply does not live up to any requirements I look for in a great energy drink. It has 142mg of caffeine per can (11.83mg/floz), which is a decent concentration, but not enough to get you revved up as it is usually sold in a 12oz can. I also like bold flavors in my energy drinks, and Uptime is just too light for me. I understand it may be nice to have while relaxing, but that is not generally my preferred setting to consume energy drinks.
Upshot
Sugar free Uptime Blood Orange does not check any of the necessary boxes for me. It is a weak flavor, needs to be ice cold to be refreshing, has a low kick, and will not rev you up for any occasion. The mouth feel is above average and there is no real crash, so that can be nice if you are looking to relax and casually drink something. When purchasing a new energy drink, I do not generally go out of my way to obtain something to consume while relaxing. I would prefer to grab something more flavorful in that setting either way. I would avoid Uptime as a brand, and Uptime Blood Orange is no exception.
