Jones GABA: Focus + Clarity
Jones Soda’s have always been a personal favorite.
From their unique holiday sodas rumored to taste like a delicious slice of turkey to their most basic green apple, the Jones Company has long enjoyed a prime spot in the soda market.
Up until recently however, they had limited success with their energy drinks. Although Jones Energy was one of the original drinks I discovered with a more than usual caffeine kick.
However, with the follow up Big Ol’ Can of Whoop Ass, Jones realized thinking within the box was only providing success in niche markets.
That being said, as of March 2009, Jones brings forth their prodigy child, Jones GABA.
Coming in four less than normal flavors, GABA can be found in Lemon-Honey Tea-Juice, Nectarine Tea-Juice, Grapefruit Tea-Juice, and Fuji Apple Tea-Juice. The entire drink is based off of a natural “brain-boosting” chemical called GABA. Although seemingly free of caffeine this GABA is supposed to relax, invigorate, and do whatever else you placebo yourself into believing, but the question really is, do we want relaxing, sedative-like chemicals in our drinks?
If anything, this drink left me too relaxed to want to finish this review. Good after a long day of work and stress, bad for getting anything productive done. You can decide if that’s what you’re looking for.
With the depression of caffeine withdrawals slowly nipping at my veins, I figured I’d evaluate this drink from a juice-soda-tea perspective. All the flavors except one lean almost entirely towards tea. The sole leader for taste is without a doubt, Fuji Apple. Taking a sip, one can barely taste the exotic pleasures of tea. The apple comes across distinctly candy-like, think green Jolly Ranchers. Though I’ll be the first to admit some might find the drink too sweet for their liking.
As a common drink, I can find very little wrong with Jones GABA. But this site isn’t dedicated to the common drink. This site finds the drinks people are scared to confront, the drinks that come with warning labels and toxic symbols.
Comparing Monster to Jones GABA is like, well, comparing Fuji Apples to Oranges. As an energy drink, this isn’t what caf-fiends are looking for, unless of course coming down from an unpleasant stimulant high.
Review By: Josh
14 Comments
I’ve always been interested in these “brain stimulants” and relaxation energy drinks. Some go so far as to add Yerba Mate, a drug commonly prescribed to those with ADHD.
i think your reaction to the drink may be the isolated case here. i know multiple people, including myself, who use this drink as a way to focus on a task, whether it be studying, before a workout, at work, wherever and none of us have ever had the “depressant” reaction you are talking about. instead of a caffeine rush, it enables you to focus on the task at hand with full clarity of mind. i’m not sure why you experiences mind-numbing, but i assure you that’s not the norm.
“do we want relaxing, sedative-like chemicals in our drinks?”
Calling an amino-acid a chemical is misleading. The product is natural and I’ve been pulling data on it from a blog I create. jonesgaba.blogspot.com
It’s definitely not a caffiene laced toxic drink that you sound like you prefer. However I’ve been drinking it for a few weeks now and have noticed some significant benefits as well as added natural focus.
Actually, in Japan, people take GABA with their morning coffee counteract the negative effects of caffeine and sugar.
GABA is Gamma-Amino-Butyric Acid, it IS a chemical, it is a slightly depressant chemical. But not very active orally…Enzymes in the stomach easily destroy it, and what isn’t destroyed can’t cross the BloodBrainBarrier.
Here’s some info on PharmaGABA… The ingredient that is in Jones GABA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y455O9NLPuA
Hope this helps to clear things up.
The blood brain barrier and enzymatic activity of the gut is highly variable among individuals. It affect some more than others.
this stuff better be good if the only price you can get it is $3. i stick to Guru for a natural energy drink. it tastes great, has a great kick, and the ingredient list doesn’t make you wonder if you’re poisoning yourself
um… it is actually normally almost impossible to get any meaningful amount of GABA to cross the blood brain barrier.
About TNT’s comment:
I think Energy Fiend should write something about Yerba Mate. It’s recently become a fad at my school to drink Yerba Mate instead of energy drinks. A friend of mine says it has 60 times the caffeine in Mountain Dew. I’m sure he’s wrong, but it definitely gives a lot of energy.
Word about the mate, Bella. For a couple weeks yerba mate was my drink of choice. It was great at first but then I had to drink like six cups to feel anything. Focus, ya’ll.
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Bella- we do have info about yerba mate in our database. It’s not true about the caffeine content. http://energyfiend.com/caffeine-content/yerba-mate. Besides if you do the math 60 times 55mg for a 12 oz serving would be. 3,300mg + you = Death………………………..
i am having one heck of a time locating this drink that i’m so determined to try. i have gone to several WaWa to no avail. where can i get this drink. I’m in the 19462 and 19132 zip codes perspectively. thanks
Just a little factoid, drugs that increase the amount of GABA neurotransmitters are used for the treatment of epilepsy and Huntington’s Disease.