Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir
Fact: Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir is one of the most offensive drinks I’ve ever reviewed for this site, and I urge you to avoid it at all costs.
Sorry Reed, lucid honesty is priority #1 on this site. Let me elaborate:
Taste
You know that face that your mother demanded you stop, with shady threats of it getting stuck that way? This drink does you the favor of bringing you back to that nostalgic moment of your childhood. The taste profile is overflowing with confusion, the foundation is unstable, and the aftertaste burns. Wait, no, this drink burns even long after the taste assault fades. Burns. No drink should ever do this.
Before typing anything too rash like I just did, I even let a group of close friends try the drink. I did so without giving them any indication of my stance, and every single one of them could not even finish the can.
Ingredients
As given away by the title, this drink is also formulated to allow for unfounded health benefit claims. This is actually a pretty interesting list: Ginger, Green Tea, Goji, Jiaogulan, Camu Camu, Ginseng, L-Theanine, B-Vitamins (few hundred percent).
It’s Reed’s stance that traditional energy drinks hurt our health while doing the nasty. The Natural Energy Elixir, with these ingredients, is said to energize and improve your health. Don’t you just love a battle of claims that have zero credibility on both sides of the argument?
Effect
After committing oneself to muscling through one of these drinks, failure here is absolutely not an option. I was ready to chain the remaining pack of drinks to a cinder block and toss them in the lake after finishing a can. I reminded myself, though, that I must wait for effects. I did this three times. End story: the drinks are at the bottom of the lake after all. Metaphorically. These drinks are a dud, the natural ingredients just don’t pack the punch. Surprise, surprise.
Verdict
I hope evolution takes over and this strain does not replicate. It needs to be exterminated, now. A trimming of the energy drink gene pool, if you will. What’s that word? Ah, yes. Eugenics. Reed’s Natural Energy Elixir’s label is ugly, the taste is assaulting, and the energy is paltry.
Sure, it’s supposed to be an aid to your health – a medicinal “elixir.” Truth is, when I need medicinal interventions I go to my doctor for proven methods, so this feature to me is no consolation for the inexcusably poor performance of the drink. But that’s just all my opinion.
10 Comments
It’s a light spicy burn in the back of your throat, kind of reminiscent of Atomic Fireballs for me.
I bet the burning is from all the ginger they put in those drinks. The can (if you still have it) probably says how many grams.
Knut, I’m assuming you’re exactly right. Topping the content list is 23g of ginger root.
I don’t think I’ve ever had an energy drink I couldn’t finish because of taste. I now know a good bet for my friends. “I’ll give you $5 if you can drink this…” >:D
If you really want to win your bet, make sure it’s not completely chilled. I found out the hard way that drinking this one without letting it completely chill seriously amplifies all the scary taste experiences.
Another take:
I have to disagree. By no means drink this warm, but chilled it tastes a little bit lighter than ginger beer. If you don’t like ginger beer or ginger in general, stay away. But I don’t find the taste nearly as offensive as you say. Also, while I don’t for a second believe it is the “healthy” energy drink, I don’t feel like it’s stripping the enamel off my teeth. Most energy drinks I’ve had have caused lingering tooth sensitivity. Again, you won’t like this if you don’t like ginger. The “energy” hit I felt was equivalent to a cup of coffee. Nothing like some of the others I’ve had, but it did have some.
Pros:
Tastes like ginger
Doesn’t cause tooth sensitivity
Ingredients are natural (if not proven healthy)
Cons:
Tastes like ginger (strong enough to bother some)
Tastes terrible warm
Less energy than some others
Seriously, you make this sound like it’s worse than Sugarfree Sobe No Fear, Black Mamba Venom, or Mojave Rattler Venom.
Just another take, for those who like ginger a bit.
John, thanks for reporting on your thoughts! It’s great to hear other people’s opinions. I think we’ve got opposite taste preferences, because the Venoms don’t taste all THAT bad to me 
I had my first can of this today and came home immediately to see where I can get more. I absolutely loved it. Of course, I am a freak for ginger, and that’s probably the ‘burn’ you refer to. I thought it was absolutely delicious, and it did give me a boost without amping me out of my skull. I thought the balance of flavors was just right … not syrupy sweet, just enough carbonation to clear the taste buds, nice lemony tang somewhere in the mix, and no ‘medicine’ taste, as sometimes occurs when there are B vitamins in the ingredients. I also liked that it wasn’t an enormous can. Those can pack enough sugar to create a guaranteed crash. Yep, I’m definitely ordering a case of it.
I agree with Sylvia.
I thought it was great! Felt alert, but not jittery.
Much better tasting than most energy drinks and better priced, too.
That sounds worse than Full Throttle’s Bad Mother. What kinda burning is it? Is it like, hot pepper burning, or is it like Cocaine (the energy drink
) burning? Like heavy burning or light burning is basically what I’m asking.