Full Throttle ORIGINAL

Posted on October 4, 2020 | Last updated February 7, 2025

Full Throttle ORIGINAL
The first-ever Full Throttle energy drink, released in 2007. While the flavor has consistently remained the same citrus flavor, the energy ingredients reflect the trends of the American energy drink boom at the time.

Full Throttle ORIGINAL

Manufacturer	Coca Cola
Country of Origin	USA
Price	2 JPY
Flavor	Citrus
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 Full Throttle ORIGINAL

The taste has hardly deteriorated, delivering a sweet and tangy lime-based citrus flavor. It's a familiar Mountain Dew-type carbonated drink, but what sets Full Throttle Original apart is its refreshing and juicy lime flavor.

Although the color appears darker, suggesting some degradation, the taste and aroma remain unchanged from the current Full Throttle Original. This experience reinforced how drinks without fruit juice can retain their flavor even after more than a decade of storage—quite a surprise! Σ(´∀｀；)

Energy Ingredients of Full Throttle ORIGINAL

Full Throttle ORIGINAL
It features a total of 3,000mg of an energy blend, including 141mg of caffeine, taurine, carnitine, sucrose, guarana, and ginseng—classic ingredients from the early days of energy drinks. This formulation truly embodies the essence of American energy drinks.

Design of Full Throttle ORIGINAL

This is the original Full Throttle design, a symbol of the early days of the American energy drink market.
Full Throttle ORIGINAL
Until around 2009, Full Throttle featured this design across multiple flavors. However, it later transitioned to a simpler design, reducing its flavor lineup. Eventually, after coming under the Monster Energy brand, it adopted the current bald eagle design.

Full Throttle ORIGINAL
Produced by The Coca-Cola Company. This marking was exclusive to this design era and is no longer seen now that Full Throttle is under the Monster Energy umbrella. The reason why this branding disappeared after this design remains unclear.

Full Throttle ORIGINAL: A Taste Comparison

This is a taste comparison between the latest 2020 Full Throttle Original and the 2007 version, with a 13-year freshness gap. Despite this, the condition was excellent, and the carbonation remained intact.

Full Throttle ORIGINAL
When placed side by side, the difference in color degradation is quite noticeable. The older one almost looks like it contains fruit juice due to the change in hue.

In terms of taste, the 2007 version has a slight astringency, likely due to natural aging. However, this difference was subtle and barely noticeable unless compared directly.

That said, the base flavor has remained unchanged over the years. Despite design updates and changes in production, the fact that the taste has stayed consistent is surely a delight for long-time fans.