Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry

Posted on October 2, 2014 | Last updated February 15, 2025

Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry
This is a review of Full Throttle's Red Berry flavor, an energy drink brand sold by Coca-Cola.
In Los Angeles, I didn’t come across it in many stores, even after visiting quite a few in 2014, so it seems like the availability of the product may be decreasing over time...

Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry

Manufacturer	Coca Cola
Country of Origin	USA
Price	2 JPY
Flavor	Red Berry
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 Energy Drink Red Berry

When you open the can, a very sweet aroma fills the air. It has a strong, sugary scent, almost as if it's been sweetened with a lot of sugar.
The drink itself is a vibrant, transparent red—just what you expect from an energy drink. The clear color and vivid red, along with the refreshing carbonation bubbles, are quite enticing (*´艸｀*)

Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry
Although the flavor is labeled as Red Berry, there is little to no tartness from the berries. It tastes more like sweetened cherries—so sweet that you can really feel the sugar. If you enjoy very sweet juice drinks that seem to use a lot of sugar, then Full Throttle's Red Berry is definitely recommended.
On the other hand, if you prefer a more natural fruitiness, even if artificial, you might want to skip this one (；´∀｀)

Bitter Aftertaste Like Green Tea Components

The aftertaste has a strong green tea-like flavor, which makes me wonder if this can is starting to deteriorate...
It seems like the bitterness might be coming from artificial sweeteners. This type of bitterness is experienced differently by individuals, so it's hard to say definitively, but the sweeter a drink is, the more likely it is that you'll perceive some bitterness.

Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry
No matter how many times I drink it, I keep sensing that green tea bitterness.

Energy Ingredients of Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry

The ingredients are the same as other Full Throttle drinks. It contains 160mg of caffeine, 197mg of D-ribose, and 40mg of niacin. In terms of ingredients, it's a fairly typical energy drink.
The 58g of sugar makes sense given the level of sweetness (ｕ_ｕ*)

Full Throttle Energy Drink Red Berry
If you look at the ingredient list, you’ll see that high fructose corn syrup is listed early on. It seems like there are quite a few artificial sweeteners in this drink, which might explain why I perceived the sweetness as bitterness. I checked the ingredients for other Full Throttle flavors, and they also include it.

This high fructose corn syrup has sparked some controversy, including concerns about genetically modified ingredients, so if you're interested, you might want to look into it. I don’t think one can will cause any issues though (lol)