ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME

Posted on July 25, 2016 | Last updated February 15, 2025

Released in 2015 as a limited edition at AMPM in the United States, Rockstar Cucumber Lime. From December 2015 to 2016, it became available at all stores after being freed from the AMPM exclusivity. It’s one of those mysterious energy drinks that, despite being so bad it likely didn't sell well at first, became a regular product.

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME

Manufacturer	ROCKSTAR
Country of Origin	USA
Price	2 USD
Flavor	Cucumber、Grassy & Melon
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.

Unpleasant Freshness and Half-hearted Sweetness, Horrible Aftertaste

Cucumber = cucumber and melon-type flavor, so many people must have had concerns about the taste from the moment it was released. And those concerns were not misplaced, as the moment it was opened, the fresh scent made me think "I don’t want to drink anything with this smell" (ヽ´ω`).

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME
When poured into a glass, it has an opaque white color, perfectly matching the cucumber lime can’s image. I expected it to be a bit more transparent.

The taste when drinking at room temperature is quite clear. The lime’s acidity is almost completely removed, leaving a feeling of drinking very thin, diluted sugar water. There's a slight lime taste, but it's like adding just one slice of lime to a liter of water — it's that weak.
The taste stops there. What’s more important is the scent.

The melon-like fresh scent lingers throughout. It's a scent you wouldn’t typically encounter in daily life, but to make it clearer, it’s very similar to the fresh scent of watermelon rind. If it were just the weak taste, it might end with the question "What is this...?", but the strong cucumber-like freshness really affects the taste, making it unpleasant enough to be hard to finish.

The Worst Energy Drink to Drink at Room Temperature

Back before the rise of energy drink enthusiasts, I always suggested drinking them at room temperature... As more people dive into the world of energy drinks, more fans are drinking them at room temperature, but this one is an absolute no-go. The lime, which should have made the cucumber’s freshness more refreshing, doesn’t work at all. Instead, it results in a drink that gives the impression of a weird, thin, cucumber-like taste.

By the way, cucumber water is a somewhat trendy or even classic drink, and it gained a bit of attention in Japan too. Rockstar's attempt to jump on the trend and offer it is, as always, admirable. So, let’s try drinking it in a more cucumber lime-like way, not just straight from the fridge.

How to Drink Rockstar Cucumber Lime Deliciously

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME
Not just for cucumber water, but flavored waters are usually best when ice-cold. I love it when the pot is covered with water droplets due to a lot of ice inside (●´ω｀●).

For Rockstar Cucumber Lime, the same principle applies. If you chill it properly, add ice, and drink it when it's really cold… it surprisingly becomes quite good, which is strange Σ(´∀｀；).

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME
The cucumber freshness significantly softens, and when the freshness fades after finishing the drink, it actually feels quite pleasant, which is weird.

Adding ice also helps the carbonation to kick in, and the refreshing feeling seems to increase dramatically. Naturally, chilling it boosts the lime’s freshness, but you can also really taste the artificial sweetener, which could be a matter of preference.

Still, the unpleasantness I felt earlier completely disappears, and I'm surprised at how refreshing it feels.

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME Energy Ingredients

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME
It contains 160mg of caffeine, 2000mg of taurine, guarana, ginseng, and milk thistle.

The calories are 20kcal, with a small amount of sugar and artificial sweeteners for flavoring. I didn’t notice this part because the overly weird taste took up so much of my attention...
Oh, it’s low-calorie, I realized this while looking at the ingredients while drinking it (^_^;).

High Level of Realization of Cucumber Water Concept

In typical summer cucumber water, there's obviously no massive amount of sugar. Rockstar Cucumber Lime also uses artificial sweeteners to adjust the taste while keeping it at 20kcal and less than 2g of carbohydrates. If they added a ton of sugar, it wouldn’t align with the concept of flavored water.

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME
When you think about it, you can actually see how much they’ve tried to replicate traditional cucumber water, and it’s strange that when you add a lot of ice, it feels like a typical flavored water. If it’s just a little cold, it’s hard to enjoy (^_^;).

Rockstar got a lot of harsh reviews this time, and it definitely has an overwhelmingly weird cucumber-like taste. However, the surprising change that occurs when you drink it the way it’s meant to be consumed makes a lasting impression. By the way, this cucumber-like freshness also appears in Rockstar Watermelon and SEMTEX CACTUS, but Rockstar Cucumber Lime has the strongest one.

I want to experience the ice magic again, so I’m planning to drink the stock I bought with plenty of ice from the start (●´ω｀●).

ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME Can Design

The matte white finish with a bright green reflecting light creates a fresh and cool design. It gives off a sense of luxury and cleanliness, making it one of those cans you’d want to pick up just based on looks.
ROCKSTAR CUCUMBER LIME
With a green top and silver tab, the overall can design is one of the most stylish in Rockstar’s range (●´ω｀●).