COFFEE MONSTER

Posted on October 4, 2014 | Last updated February 15, 2025

This is a review of COFFEE MONSTER, the coffee-flavored energy drink released on October 7, 2014, which is the Japanese counterpart to JAVA Monster.

In press releases and other sources, for some reason, the can’s label is read backward as "Monster Coffee." However, on the official Monster Energy website, it is written as "COFFEE MONSTER" in the correct reading. Therefore, I will follow that and refer to it as COFFEE MONSTER.

COFFEE MONSTER

Manufacturer	MONSTER ENERGY
Country of Origin	Japan
Price	190 JPY
Flavor	Coffee
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 Coffee Monster

The American JAVA series is known for its intense sweetness. While each flavor differs, the common perception among most who try it is that it's "sweet (too sweet)."
This Japanese-exclusive Coffee Monster, however, has a scent similar to the classic sweet coffee aroma of JAVA Monster, and the color is almost identical.

COFFEE MONSTER
As for the taste... Unlike its American counterpart, this one maintains a sweet coffee flavor with a bit of bitterness even when at room temperature, and it’s surprisingly mild, almost to the point of being underwhelming. It tastes just like a regular sweet canned coffee in Japan.
Even when it warms up, it's still easily drinkable, making it a flavor that would be well-received as a standard canned coffee in Japan. By the way, although it might seem like it contains carbonation, there’s no carbonation; it’s just regular coffee. (；´∀｀)

If no one told me this was a Monster Energy coffee, I wouldn’t be able to distinguish it from a regular canned coffee.
Especially since I had just drunk Powered Coffee’s Café au Lait before trying Coffee Monster, it left a strong impression of a sweet canned coffee with a coffee flavor.

Energy Ingredients of Coffee Monster

Looking at just the caffeine, it contains 160mg in a 250ml can, which is considered a high amount for Japan. The overseas coffee series typically contains around 180mg in a 473ml can, so in this regard, Coffee Monster is quite impressive.
In addition to caffeine, it also contains other ingredients like up to 325mg of arginine, up to 230mg of D-ribose, and 205mg of ginseng, all part of a domestic energy blend.
While the combination of ingredients doesn’t make it a particularly strong energy booster, it’s still a solid blend. (^_^;)

Now It’s Just a Regular Coffee Can (Steel Can)

COFFEE MONSTER
The can has shrunk to 250ml and is now a steel can. The pull tab is also a coffee-type tab. Unfortunately, the Monster Energy logo is gone, replaced with a regular pull tab. (´・ω・｀)

When opening it, even if you shake it and pop the tab, it doesn’t foam up, making it a safe, well-designed canned coffee in a steel can.
COFFEE MONSTER
I did miss the Monster Energy pull tab, but this type is definitely easier to open.
And that sparkling golden color... so beautiful... (a little bias from being a Monster Energy fan)

Why Didn’t They Use JAVA Monster? (Speculation & Daydreaming)

Monster Energy’s coffee-flavored drinks are generally part of the "JAVA MONSTER" series, with various flavors within it. However, in Japan, the product was marketed as "Coffee Monster" without any specific flavors.

It’s just a guess, but it seems like they didn’t want to make multiple variations of the coffee series just by tweaking the flavor slightly. What became clear after drinking it is that the flavor approach here is different from the overseas JAVA Monster. It’s not the typical sweet coffee flavor meant for international markets; it’s clearly designed for the Japanese market.

For example, if a suspicious-looking can with "JAVA MONSTER MEAN BEAN" appeared in a convenience store, no one would know what it was. After all, only a niche group of enthusiasts knows about Monster’s international offerings... So, maybe the decision was made to go with a simpler "Coffee Monster" to make it more understandable for the general public (this is pure speculation). And they decided not to make it a series. (Also just a guess.)

Interestingly, there are actually Monster Energy coffee drinks available overseas that don’t have "JAVA" in the name. (They only have two flavors, though.)
So the whole question of "Why isn’t it called JAVA in Japan?" isn’t a new issue, and it’s likely just a matter of country-specific differences.

At the end of the day, don’t overthink it. If you’re in the mood for a sweet coffee drink, just grab a Coffee Monster. (Monster Energy fan speaking)
And as the can says:

If it’s sitting next to the coffee shop offerings, just go for Coffee Monster!