I think this is where I get off
Amp Energy Elevate (Amp mixed berry)
On to the second of the new Amp energy drinks. This one is Amp elevate and is supposed to be a mixed berry flavor. I’m hoping I like this one better than the Amp Traction. Mixed berry is the flavor a lot of energy drinks have so there is some competition there flavor wise.
Packaging: This Amp comes in the typical 16oz can. The can is a really sharp looking blue. It is not just one shade of blue but many mixed together in a striped type pattern. Moving the can around to catch the light you pick up some lighter metallic blue which really sets the darker blues off well. The can is black around both the top and bottom and has the Amp energy Elevate logo in the middle. Down towards the bottom is also the word “Focus” with “L-Theanine” below it. On the back are supplement facts and ingredients. On one side it has a paragraph that reads. “Bring your mind to a whole new level to keep connected. Focused and alert. Sharpen your game – the power of amp energy with a blast of mixed berry and a kick of L-Theanine” There is also the slogan as well. I will give them a grade of B+ for this can. It is a nice package.
Slogans” Amp Energy Elevate. More Power to you” is the slogan. More power to you is the same slogan as the Amp Traction. I would think since this drink has a different function that it would have a different slogan highlighting its function. I think they cut a corner here. I’m going to give them a D for this slogan. They should of come up with something that went along with the focus factor this drink is supposed to be about.
Taste ect: I opened the can and got a pleasant scent of berries. I pour some in a cup and it is a cranberry color with a good dose of carbonation. I was expecting it to be a blue drink considering the can is blue. Why not make the drink match the can like the Amp Traction. I drink some and it taste like a nice mixed berry drink should. Just lightly sweet and not syrupy at all. The mouth feel is a bit strange and kind of flat and the fizz dies out quickly. At the finish it leaves a bit of an aftertaste in your mouth. It’s is not a horrible after taste but not one you want to savor. It is kind of oily to me. As far as mixed berry flavors go this one is not going to be one of my favorites at all. I am going to give it a C- for taste.
Kick/Ingredients: Amp Elevate is pretty much the same as Amp Traction for the most part in the ingredients category. 160mg of Caffeine, 248mg Guarana, 296mg Taurine, 34mg Ginseng, and some B vitamins. There are 220 calories and 58 grams of sugars(from HFC!) The one different ingredient is L-Theanine. I was unfamiliar with L-Theanine but it turns out it reduces mental and physical stress and when combined with caffeine improves cognition. For a drink whose function is focus this seems to be a great choice. I got a decent amount of a boost for several hours and did seem more focused when doing mental task. I did not crash as bad as with the Amp Traction either. I will give this drink a grade of C. It does not last long and has HFC and has brominated vegetable oil. I did like the addition of the L-Theanine though and thought it worked.
Web presence: Amp has a nice official page at ampenergy.com and unlike when I reviewed Amp Traction they now have some information on all the new Amp drinks. it is a nice flash page with some basic information on all the Amp Energy drinks. There are some videos clips of Amp commercials but still a lot of the other links like “store” and “Action Sports” are all listed as coming soon. They have a facebook and a lot of hits on Google. I will give them a grade of C+ on web presence. Still to me they overkill the Dale JR. bit. It’s like they put all their eggs in one basket. Most all their website sections pertain to him. It is just too much for me.
This was a better drink than the Amp Traction. The L-Theanine was a nice ingredient to add but I don’t understand why they don’t loose the Brominated vegetable oil. There are plenty of citrus drinks out there that don’t have this. I did experience less crash than with other Amp energy drinks. I wonder if the L-Theanine contributed to that? Still for a drink with the line up of energy ingredients Amp has it just does not provide the kind of kick you expect. I say drink this Amp for the Focus and not the energy and you will be happy.