BARK STRANGE

Posted on December 12, 2023 | Last updated January 30, 2025

BARK Series by Belk introduces a new energy drink, BARK STRANGE, released on December 11, 2023.

With its winter season launch, the packaging looks like Christmas colors, and the color of the drink itself—what kind of flavor could it have?

BARK STRANGE

Manufacturer	Belc
Country of Origin	Japan
Price	99 円
Flavor	Mango
Total rating	★★★★☆

Author information Author: Energy Drink-kun

In 2001, while living in the United States, I encountered energy drinks through the dance scene and was deeply impressed. After returning to Japan, I found that energy drinks were considered novelty beverages, so I established a comprehensive website in 2013 to share the true appeal of energy drinks. As an energy drink enthusiast, I began drinking them seriously again, collecting over 7,000 varieties of energy drinks from various countries. I am also active as a critic and expert, receiving media interviews.

Flavor of BARK STRANGE

Opening the can, a rich aroma of mango, orange, and tropical notes bursts out. When poured into a glass, the color of the drink matches the can's green hue. The choice to mismatch the color with the flavor seems intentional. Let’s take a sip.
Flavor of BARK STRANGE
When you take a sip, a sweet and tangy tropical mango flavor spreads across your palate. After drinking, a fruity and vibrant aftertaste lingers, giving it a nice, balanced fruity sensation.

The aroma might initially feel a bit overpowering, but once you taste it, the slightly excessive scent somehow matches the flavor perfectly, and instead of being off-putting, it lets you enjoy the authentic fruitiness of the drink.

As a non-fruit juice tropical mango flavor, the quality is impressively high. Given the flavor's quality, opinions might differ on how to evaluate the playful green color.

Personally, I love to savor every sense when tasting, so I would prefer to enjoy this flavor in a more fitting mango-colored drink. That’s how delicious it is.

Energy Ingredients of BARK STRANGE

Energy Ingredients of BARK STRANGE
It contains 100mg of caffeine and 362.5mg of arginine. It’s interesting to note that the amount of arginine varies between different products in the BARK series—what’s the reason for this?

Design of BARK STRANGE

The design features Christmas colors, with green as the base and red as the accent. The concept for this product was to create something that would be "entertainment-filled and impossible to predict, while being themed around Christmas."
Design of BARK STRANGE
The BARK logo has hands reaching from behind, which is inspired by a famous American Christmas monster. Perhaps it’s "The Grinch"?

Design of BARK STRANGE
At the top of the can, the BARK series slogan "KEEP BARKING" is replaced with "KEEP DOUBTING." If you just look at this green color, you wouldn’t think it’s a tropical mango flavor.

BARK STRANGE
The back of the can includes a mysterious story written in English for some reason. Even though it's a private brand product, the design, the color of the drink, and the cringeworthy story on the back show that the creators clearly love making energy drinks.

At the time of BARK STRANGE’s release, it’s amazing to see all the BARK flavors being launched together. It’s on par with major brands in terms of lineup. Given this momentum, it seems like there will be more new flavors added soon.