In retrospect, it looks as if they’ve pioneered what has become a very popular business. Just like the Advocare and Nuvo-E products I’ve recently reviewed, Chi-3, the shot I’m reviewing for you here, is sold through average people who are trying to make an extra buck.

So, is Chi 3 just another marketing product for you to gamble your money on in sales, or does it actually work? The answer is yep, you guessed it, in the following paragraphs.

Taste

Chi 3 isn’t all too bad. It has a little bit of an energy shot bite, but for the most part it’s smooth and almost creamy. Kind of like chai tea milky-creamy. Is that making sense? No? Well it’s all I’ve got.

Ingredients

Chi 3 is working with 2,000% B6 and 8,333% B12 as the big guns. On top of that, we have two blends that contain the likes of 100mg caffeine from green tea leaf, taurine, N-Acetyl-L-tyrosine, L-Phenylalanine, and Glucuronolactone. I think they made that last one up.

Effect

If you wake up in the morning and are on the verge of collapsing at your desk; if you’re driving late at night with weighted eyelids; if you’re pulling an all-night study session – reaching for Chi 3 is suicide.

As Chi 3 reps will tell you, however, it’s not formulated to fight bloody battles with your lagging brain. I believe it’s made for the greater purpose of riding shotgun with a mind that’s already successfully performing basic operations. When I sampled the shot with this in mind, it was mildly impressive. My attention to my surroundings seemed a little more wholesome.

Verdict

Chi 3’s makers have done a good job picking a direction to differentiate themselves from other energy products. In reality, though, all this looks to be good for is making aggressive anti-*Red Bull etc.* statements that are polished with choice words. I say that because Chi-3 offers a boost comparable to a good breakfast or couple slaps to your face while listening to a favorite album. If that’s your thing, then just ignore my thoughts and give it a try.

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

I eagerly open it and begin reading through all their literature and whatnot and am being blown away by what I’m reading.

First, an energy pump? Hmmm sounds exciting… then I see it has a 400g energy blend, 50,000% vitamin B12, that’s not a misprint, I did say 50,000%, and 23 exotic fruits and herbs all packed into a one-ounce D-Mix energy pump, and it still tastes like coffee???

The world is fueled by coffee, yet some of us need more than just the standard coffee rush, and that’s when some of these coffee energy drinks can fill in that slight gap for us.  So let’s pump this “energy pump” and see what happens…

Taste

WOW! That wow isn’t directed necessarily for the taste, but for the strength.  This energy is potent!  Seemed a little to strong for my liking, but may be a perfect fit for the HARDCORE straight coffee drinker.  The “pump” gives you a direct stream which is more like a coffee syrup, then your normal watered down coffee bean mixture. D-mix is also available in mint and tropical punch for the non-coffee lovers.

Ingredients

Now someone much more educated than me will have to explain this to me.  This 1-ounce D-Mix  Energy Pump claims to contain all the following…  a 400mg energy blend, 14 vitamins including 5000 mg of antioxidants and 50,000% vitamin B12 as well as 21 amino acids and 23 exotic fruits and herbs.  Now how do they jam all of that into a 1-ounce energy drink?  Doesn’t seem possible!

Effect

Effect is tricky on this one.  You control the effect.  I took about 4 pumps and got a healthy energy rush going, yet you can take as many pumps as it takes to get you going.  Product claims to have 30 pumps, yet only a few will be needed to give you your desired rush.

Verdict

The “pump” part of D-Mix didn’t quite live up to my expectations, it’s simply a spray. Even though the coffee taste is a little to strong for my liking, I can definitely see myself keeping a D-mix Energy Pump in my desk drawer for that extra boost during the week.

Reviewed by Brandon Trouten

Nothing makes sense, I’m confused, and I’m cold.   So very, very cold.

It’s like I’ve stumbled into an alternate dimension.  Inside my latest energy drink shipment was a collection of shots with all sorts of confusing words on them.  Words like relaxation, chill, and stress relief.

I took the shots out of their box like a Cro-Magnon handling a potato peeler for the first time.  I fumbled them around, shook them close to my ear, assessed their structural integrity with a stick, and quickly threw them across the room out of a sudden realized fear spawned by severe misunderstanding.

I eventually warmed up to the purpose and intentions of the Mini Chill shots.  Do they succeed in legitimizing the alternate energy drink dimension?

Taste

With Mini Chill Shots, your taste buds have to wade through a dense thicket of fuzzy overtones to figure out what’s really behind the curtain.  Blueberry (maybe) seems to exist in the taste profile, but seriously, there’s something masking the taste that is downright fuzzy.  There’s no better way to put it in my own mind.  All in all, though, these shots don’t offend the least bit.

Ingredients

You know a product’s good when its single primary ingredient has a trade mark symbol after it.  Right?  Mini Chill shots run on Relarian™, a proprietary blend of Valerian Root 4:1 extract, GABA, L-Theanine, and 5-HTP.

Effect

After downing at least 5 of these shots, I’m still lost.  Did they chill me out?  One time I think I yawned at a slightly higher frequency.  Did they improve my mood?  Don’t think so.  My baseline mood, however, has always been joyously close to the positive end of the scale.  Did they improve my focus?  I always find it hard to think back and answer that question.  Maybe it was because I was too focused on something to have a recollection?  Or maybe Mini Chill  didn’t work at all?

Maybe you’re getting the picture here.  Maybe I’m using too many maybes.  I’m just clueless as to what these shots have brought to the table for me.  Utterly clueless.

Verdict

To sum Mini Chill shots all up, I’ve got two sentences that I ask you to meld in whatever fashion you see fit:  These shots don’t work.  Results may vary.

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

Most of the good ones are already taken, including lightning and even cheetah piss.  What else could you drink that would energize you more than that?

Ooh I know, how about GUN?  Yeah, straight up, a gun theme.  Apparently, as shown with this .357 Super Magnum shot, it’s a totally invigorating experience to “shoot” bullets into your mouth.  Um, +1 for nonconformity?

Taste

Not keeping true to its name, 357 Magnum Shot tastes like neither base metals nor blood.  Instead, it’s actually quite the opposite.  Speaking freely, it’s a sweet little concoction of who knows what.  There’s a little berry something and enough sweetness to cover up evidence of the shot’s ambitious intentions.

Ingredients

I’m just going to impulsively skip to the great news: 250 disclosed mg of caffeine!  Actually, that deserves two more: !!  I love it when a shot honestly lists the caffeine content, even more when the figure is killer.  Everything else is just where you’d expect: 190% Niacin, 2500% B6, and 8333% B12.

Effect

So does 357 Super Magnum Energy Shot work?  It has 250mg of caffeine and a truckload of B-vitamins.  That’s kind of a stupid question don’t you think?  Of course it works.  Fantastically.  The caffeine doesn’t want to wait for the party to build up.  It wants to kick it off immediately, and it does just that.  When it’s about time for the caffeine to fade and give way to despair and misery, the B-vitamins come in and take the hand-off.

All in all, this shot offers a boost that’s twice as effective as Chaser 5 Hour.  Stick that in your chamber and cock it.

357 Magnum Verdict

Palatable taste?  Check.  Healthy and aggressive energy boost?  Check.  Expectations succeeded?  Check!

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

All Day is pretty laid back for a shot.

Most of the shots out there are “Extreme” or “Ultra”, yet this shot has a little flame in the background and simply All Day written across the front in ordinary lettering, with some benefits listed beneath, such as “improves focus and reduces fatigue”, typical energy sayings.

So will the boost back up the proclamation the name gives?  Let’s see…

Taste

Now here is where shots fail.  They jam so much “energy” into them, that they are disgusting to drink, yet All Day energy shot didn’t overlook taste as it seems everyone else does.  Taking the first sip, its potent as you would expect from a shot, yet surprisingly good and ultra smooth.

Ingredients

All Day has B-vitamins, folic Acid, vitamin C, and contains the  amino acids including D-Ribose, L-Arginine, and L-Carnitine. It has an undisclosed caffeine content.

Effect

Loved the effect from All Day.  Really could feel the effect nearly instantly and lasted about 5 hours.  Not jittery or over energized, but a constant flow of alertness and boost in my step.  Didn’t keep me excited the entire day as you would expect from a energy shot called “All Day” yet worked very successfully for a large part of my day.

Verdict

Wasn’t to crazy about reviewing another shot, since I haven’t really came across one that I’m a fan of yet, but All Day energy shot defiantly broke from that mold.  Taste was good and the effect from the shot was just what you’re looking for to get you through the slumps in our daily lives although the claims of “all day” may have been slightly exaggerated. If you’re looking for a quick pick-me-up, do yourself a favor and reach for an All Day energy shot.

Reviewed by Brandon Trouten

He was peddling his new energy shots that trump Chaser in the number game with an 8 hour claim and an accompanying slogan that reads “time in a bottle.”

I figured that any guy named Mr. Energy with that kind of literary prowess must be legit when it comes to this sort of thing  and it didn’t stop there.  He informed me that the shots have “crash-proof technology.”  I quickly placed one in the middle of the street and smugly turned around to him smirking after a truck pancaked the shot.  He said I missed the point.  Whatevs.

Taste

Mr. Energy 8 Hour Energy Shots offer a solid performance here.  There’s no missing the concentrated energy blend taste found in all shots, but it’s covered nicely with a berry flavoring (supposedly acai berry).  Is it pleasurable?  Hardly.  Can you get through it without gagging?  Yep, and realistically that’s a good performance by today’s standards.

Ingredients

Here’s the part you likely already knew:  8,333% B12 daily value and an undisclosed caffeine content.  On top of those wildly imitated figures, though, these shots contain a bunch of other funky things that sound like exotic herbs and plants.  I have no idea what they all are or claim to do, but I did notice that yohimbine alkaloids were mentioned alongside caffeine in the same sentence of the standardized energy drink warning statement.

Editor’s note: According to Drugs.com, “yohimbine alkaloids have been used in the treatment of organic and psychogenic impotence and for use as an aphrodisiac”. Be careful men……

Effect

Surprise, this shot works double time.  Does this mean it lasts for 16 hours?  No, it barely lasts for 4.  I was just using that statement to keep with the whole time theme.  For those 4 hours, though, you’re up and about, and almost jittery in the beginning.  Did an energy shot finally get the ratio right for jittery and natural energy?  No, but this one’s moving in the right direction (I’m still waiting for a shot that properly combines immediate intense energy and prolonged natural energy).

Verdict

Mr. Energy 8 Hour Shot is a great pick-me-up for any time of the day and doesn’t make your taste buds pay dearly for it.  Just make sure you don’t take the 8 seriously.  The number bickering between shot companies is ridiculous, it’s rare any of them ever come true.  Any bets on how long it will be before someone makes a 24 hour claim?  Probably well before a truthful “1-4 Hour Energy Shot” is made.  Also, yes, the shot really does claim to have “crash-proof technology.”

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

I’m referring to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a movie I’ve been awaiting as anxiously as a surprise return of Surge.

Problem was the midnight release was sold out. With that news, my friends and I did the next most sensible thing; we bought tickets for a 3:30AM showing. To ring in the event and pass the time, we started watching the original Transformers on DVD at 11PM.

The stage was set to put a new energy shot to the test. Lights, camera, action!

Taste

Red Fin Energy has a sweet berry taste that is honest up until you swallow. At that point, you’re reminded it’s still an energy shot you’re drinking. The standardized somewhat bitter experience is fairly short-lived, though. The show goes on.

Ingredients

As far as B-Vitamins go, this is just another Chaser 5 Hour clone. I was so disappointed the first time I read down the ingredients label and saw that magic 8,333% B12 content value. As I continued to read on, though, I saw something ridiculous: a disclosed caffeine content! On a B-vitamin shot! Red Fin bares no shame in listing their whopping 200mg caffeine content. Pair that with standard B-vitamin boost most of us have come to love and you may just have a winner.

Effect

Remarkably, I lasted through watching the original Transformers, standing in line for an hour, and watching the longest movie of my life, without EVER feeling fatigued or tired. We’re talking about sitting down from 11PM to 6AM, including all the driving in between.

Granted, I was ready to pee my pants with anticipation all night and the visual effects in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen constantly threatened the structural integrity of my occipital lobe. Without such stimulation, maybe Red Fin wouldn’t have performed so well, but so what. I needed energy for a 6 hour period and Red Fin did not let me down.

Verdict

I have no idea how Red Fin plans to keep itself alive in today’s energy shot market. The name and image doesn’t look like it will hit home with too many consumers and that’s everything in a market where everything looks the same. It’s a shame that the majority of consumers will never find a reason to give this wonderful energy shot a try. You though, the educated consumer, have no excuse to not try it if you see it!

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

They’re not meant to be a savory beverage you can sip on; they’re ’shots.’  Making a tasty shot is almost like offering different flavors of Tylenol gel caps, it’s just not an area that needs sincere attention.

Fast forward to today, though, and my opinion on this matter has changed.  Not sure if you know this (sarcasm), but energy shots are rampant on the market.

With so many shots replicating each other, taste is now more important than ever for sake of innovation. OnGo energy shots have recognized this state of affairs, and adjusted beautifully.

Taste

There are three different flavors of OnGo, each of them exhibiting their own unique and lovable personality. I will offer a short description for the taste of each.

• Lemon Lime: This is the pinnacle of what lemon lime flavoring should yield in the beverage market.  So many drinks claim to have it, but only OnGo delivers it.  It’s shockingly spunky and goes down without a fight.
• Berry Blast: After drinking one of these, you’ll want to just take the shot and hug it like a cute little furry animal, looking down at it affectionately to say, “coochy-coo.”  It’s incredibly sweet in a good way and completely lives up to its name.
• Mandarin Orange: Aww, things were going so good!  This one falls a bit short in taste compared to the others, but don’t forget this means it still trumps pretty much every other shot out there.  Ya, it’s orangey, but it just doesn’t have the same sugar-laden wholesomeness that the others do.

Ingredients

They’re just another face in the crowd, with ~10k% of your B-vitamins and undisclosed caffeine content.
Editor’s note: We just heard from the vendor and they disclosed a caffeine content of 177mg, along with American Ginsing and Electrolytes.

Effect

Pretty much all of the OnGo eggs were placed in the taste basket.  There’s nothing too significantly innovating to acknowledge in this department, just some good ol’ b-vitamin boostage.  I wouldn’t say these shots are as effective as the iconic Chaser 5 Hour, but they’re dang close.

Verdict

I’ll sum up this review with what you really want to know.  If you walk up to a counter and see these shots next to Chaser 5 Hour, should you choose OnGo?  In all honesty, I would.

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

As I sat down and started to contemplate what my introduction for the Red Bull Energy Shots would be like, I realized something. These shots need no introduction.

If you are not familiar with Red Bull and feel an informative introduction is warranted, I’m sorry but you must have your lost your way. The blog for shut-ins is just down the hall and to the right.

Taste

From my experience, it seems there is no room for significant taste innovation with energy shots. They all seem so overcome with cramming in a zealous energy blend that there’s little room left for tasty content. While energy shots do vary in taste, there is always a foundation that carries across platforms. That common ground in taste between all energy shots is, in a sense, the identifiable taste of this shot. Nice job, Red Bull, you just made every shot out there taste like they’re copying you. However, to get to the point, this shot will not offend you if you are fine with the regular Red Bull taste.

The sugar free version? Just as you’d expect. Exactly like the unedited version but with less flavor commitment.

Ingredients

The regular Red Bull says to the Red Bull energy shot: “And I shall call him, mini me.’” The composition of the shot is no different from the popular 8oz can (including 80mg of caffeine). I hear it took years of creative planning and dedicated execution; a real breakthrough achievement for the R&D division at Red Bull.

Energy

Hear me now, hear me clear: Red Bull has officially made a functional product for the caffeinated majority. Woah. The effect does not barge in with a jolt, in fact it’s quite difficult to refer to a point in time where the shot starts to take effect. You’ll also be challenged to mark a point where the effect wears off. So, what kind of effect is there to be had if you can’t feel it come or go? It’s a very quiet effect, but the beat behind the soothing music is undoubtedly techno.

Verdict

These energy shots were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. If they behave, their success is in written in stone. These shots do not make any statements and they shouldn’t. All they have to do is avoid turning away consumers and they will do just that. Those high on the Red Bull corporate food chain should have a much more extravagant Christmas this year.

Reviewed by Dusty Smith

Now it’s a sea of multicolored bottles, the energy shot. I have never found the energy shot so amazing that it demanded my $3; I prefer the slow release of a 16oz can. So I’ve eye-balled the counter, watching as new products have popped in and out, usually nameless derivatives of one another.

I’ve had the 5 hour energy, and the 6 hour energy, and the 7 hour extreme energy, I’m still waiting for the 10 hour extreme explosion energy that will inevitably come. None of these have any personality and seem to be marketed towards truck drivers and third shift nurses. It wasn’t until I saw Monster and Rockstar jump into the ring that I had any interest at all. The original Monster Hitman was strong and pretty tasty for a shot. There are now two new flavors available so I took Sniper out for a test drive.

Taste

One of the unifying characteristics of energy shots is that they taste terrible. Energy ingredients taste terrible and when you only have 2 ounces of liquid to counteract their awfulness, you’re not likely to succeed. I’m sure somebody out there craves the taste of 5 hour energy berry, but it’s definitely not me. Monster added an ounce to their shots, presumably to add some sugary fruit flavor and the result is much easier on the palate. Sniper has a kind of children’s cherry cough medicine vibe to it that isn’t half bad.

Ingredients

Sniper is loaded with energy goodies. B Vitamins, Taurine, Glucose, Guarana, Ginseng, etc… The primary energy blend is 5000mg with an estimated 240 mg of caffeine!

Energy

POW! The preceding has been a textual simulation of the fast acting surge of energy one gets from consuming a Monster Hitman Sniper shot. It really hits you right in the face. I was tingling all over moments after inhaling it and didn’t settle down for many hours after. This little bottle will light you up, I don’t recommend it for those who have to sit at a desk all day.

Verdict

I would absolutely say this is the best shot I’ve ever had. The taste doesn’t gag me and the energy is STRONG. I don’t get as much enjoyment for my $2.99, but if I’m looking for a pure energy rush I know right where to look. Bravo, Monster. You’ve outdone yourself with this one.

Reviewed by TNT

You can buy Monster Hitman in bulk here for 2.25 a bottle.