Castle & Cairn

Founded by NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (3 Super Bowls, widely regarded as the best wide receiver of all time), G.O.A.T. (Greatest of all Time) Fuel is a celebrity energy drink brand that aims for "sustained energy".  The side of the can has a list of some of Rice's many accomplishments as well as their impressive line-up of supplements. You'll find the usual B-vitamins, caffeine, and electrolytes common in other brands plus some novel new additions such as cordyceps mushrooms for boosting VO2 max and BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) for improved muscle function. As such, G.O.A.T. cans are designed more as workout aids than gamer fuel. Launched in 2020, the brand has quietly been gaining a following within the functional energy drink community, though it remains niche in the overall energy drink landscape. The signature Jerry Rice edition is a riff on tropical punch; how does it compare? 🍵 Caffeine:  200mg, around the same as a cup of coffee 👅 Flavor: Looks a b...

This watermelon iteration of Red Bull seeks to add a summer fresh flavor to their energy drink range. Coming in both 8.4 and 12oz services, Red Bull Red Edition Watermelon has the same b-vitamins and taurine as other offerings in the portfolio. Since its introduction in 2020, reception has generally been favorable and it has replaced the cranberry flavor as bearing the "Red Bull Red Edition" name. Note that it is typically a summer release, though you may see it on slower moving shelves throughout the year. 🍵 Caffeine:  114mg, less than a cup of coffee 👅 Flavor: Sparking and surprisingly juicy with a little bit of a citric acid tang. The flavor has both the pink melon flesh as well as a little bit of rind vegetative freshness, impressive for something that doesn't include any fruit juice whatsoever. You can definitely tell there are 26 grams of sugar ironing out any taste bumps, but they can't quite eclipse a sight metallic aftertaste.  🏆 Rating: 3 - Good, Decent ...

If you aren't already a big fan of Heaven Hill, the Evan Williams Vintage series might be just the thing to turn you onto them. Formerly a Kentucky exclusive, the Vintage series are all single barrels with the novelty that each iteration gets a "vintage" much like wine, noting the year in which the whiskey was barreled. They're usually pretty close to eight years of age, though it does vary +/- six months in my experience. The U.S. doesn't have access to a recurring high aged bottling under the Evan Williams Brand (the 12-year occasionally pops up at the distillery or Evan Williams Experience - but I've never seen one), so this is as close as many will get to that experience. These barrels are pulled based on being true to the Evan Williams profile and are remarkably consistent for single barrels, though you will find some fun nuance in the mix. I was a pretty big fan of the 2015 Vintage, having worked my way though a handful of them, and was excited to pick ...

Red Bull still feels like the brand that started everything in energy drinks. From extreme sports to clubbing to music, the energy juggernaut has combined signature skinny cans with zany cartoon marketing to bring wings to hundreds of millions worldwide. Red Bull Sugar free (old version without monk-fruit) attempts to capture the same flavor profile as the original Red Bull, a blend of pineapple and vanilla. It comes with taurine, the energy drink darling, and b-group vitamins Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12. While other brands have continued to add to the mix, Red Bull stays true to its original energy blend. Sugar Free is sweetened with Sucralose and Acesulfame K, both very standard in diet energy drinks though they are transitioning to monk-fruit extract. ✨Calories:  10, 8.4oz. can, typically around $3 per at quick service. 🍵 Caffeine:  80mg, less than a cup of coffee 👅 Flavor: Thin with tiny bubble effervescence. Predominantly citrus with...

Who doesn't like some lovely wheated action? I'm a pretty big fan of both Maker's Mark No. 46 and Bardstown's wheat bonded bourbon, and the two producers have some of the coolest facilities to tour in the state of Kentucky. Another interesting through line, Steve Nally, the "King of Wheat" was at points master distiller at both companies, though I believe he had retired from makers before the introduction of No. 46 in 2010. Origin Bottled-in-Bond  was the second of Bardstown's Origin standard lineup to be released, and I've only seen good feedback from others as well. The hope with this experiment is to vanilla bomb the creamy sweetness of the Bardstown using the French Oak from the Maker's. I get a bit of campfire charcoal in the 46 that I'm wondering if a little dilution will edge out (that and the fact that they were sitting next to one another on the shelf and I thought "why not?").  Vámonos! For the uninitiated, Whiskey Frankens...

Designed to mimic the same signature taste as the original, Monster Zero Sugar , introduced in 2012, is to Monster Energy as Coke is to Coke Zero. I'm a bit confused as Monster Energy lo-carb, which I love, already attempts to do that for a handful more calories (30), so you only net 20 less by choosing this can. Interestingly, only regular Monster, this can, and Ultra Zero (white Monster) were eligible for the Call of Duty promotion this year, so I figured I'd pick up a few to try. The only real difference in ingredients is the absence of glucose (sugar - 5g in Lo-Carb, Zero Sugar instead adds Erythritol) though both contain the artificial Sucralose & Acesulfame K in differing extents. You'll find the standard Monster Energy blend under both tabs.  ✨Calories:  10, 16oz. can 🍵 Caffeine:  160mg (20 more than Lo-Carb's 140) 👅 Flavor: Definitely delivers on the standard monster profile which is a sweet and salty citrus. I get lime, lemon, and a minor chaser o...