ROCKSTAR XDURANCE RIPPED RED KIWI STRAWBERRY

Flavor of ROCKSTAR XDURANCE RIPPED RED KIWI STRAWBERRY

As soon as you open the can, the carbonation bursts out, filling the room with a sweet strawberry aroma. The scent is so rich and strong that it’s hard to believe this is a sugar-free, calorie-free energy drink (*´艸｀*).

The liquid is a deep, vibrant red, and just as its color suggests, it exudes an intense, candy-like strawberry fragrance from the glass.

Now, let’s give it a taste!

The moment it touches your tongue, a wave of sweet, concentrated strawberry flavor spreads out! Just as the aroma suggests, there’s absolutely no tartness. The powerful fragrance ensures that from the first sip to the last, you can fully enjoy the rich and satisfying strawberry taste. Although the product is labeled as "Strawberry Kiwi," the kiwi flavor is almost nonexistent, and the sweetness is surprisingly deep for a drink made solely with artificial sweeteners (●´ω｀●).

Despite its rich sweetness, the aftertaste is unexpectedly clean, leaving no lingering residue in the mouth. As soon as the liquid is gone, the aroma fades away as well. The deep red color might suggest a bold, syrupy taste, but thanks to its zero-calorie formula, it retains a refreshing lightness.

Energy Ingredients of ROCKSTAR XDURANCE RIPPED RED KIWI STRAWBERRY

This fitness-oriented formula contains 300mg of caffeine, creatine, BCAAs, and coenzyme Q10. The high caffeine content combined with creatine is clearly aimed at competing with Bang. The exact amount of creatine is unknown, but it's likely not a significant amount. For comparison, about 5g of creatine is typically needed for muscle training, which is more than what’s usually included in energy drinks.

There's no taurine in this formula. With zero sugar and zero calories, this is a true "zero-zero" fitness energy drink.

Side-by-Side Comparison Reveals a Completely Different Drink

Since the can design and ingredient composition changed between the old and new versions, I decided to compare them directly.

Pouring them into glasses reveals a striking difference! At first, I thought this was just a minor update, but the two versions are completely different.

The older design has a cloudy, glowing red color, similar to Ultra Red, with a slightly weaker aroma.

When you take a sip, a strong tartness spreads alongside the strawberry fragrance. The sweetness is minimal, and the strawberry flavor is mostly implied by the scent and color rather than being strongly present in the taste. The tartness is quite pronounced, almost as if the sourness of strawberries was artificially intensified.

The aftertaste lingers with a bit of tartness and a slight artificial sweetener flavor, but the aroma surprisingly lasts. Even without a strong sweetness, the old version still provides a satisfying drinking experience.

I didn’t expect such a big difference in taste! The old design is best enjoyed ice-cold, as chilling it balances the tartness nicely.

There are also differences in the ingredient composition. The older version contains arginine and carnitine instead of BCAAs. Arginine is commonly used for muscle pumps, while carnitine is known for fat-burning, but since each is only included at 100mg, the actual effects are minimal. Additionally, the old version contains 1000mg of taurine, which is half the amount found in a standard Rockstar. It would have been nice to see 2000mg instead.

Both versions remain sugar-free, but due to ingredient differences, the older version has 20 calories. This is likely within a negligible range, but it seems the old design didn’t qualify for a "zero-calorie" label.

The can features a silver top with a red tab. Interestingly, there’s also a black-top version. This product was released in three variations all at once right after launch, making it quite unique (*´艸｀*).

Many consumers in the U.S. assume that the old and new versions taste the same. However, as someone who reviews energy drinks daily, I’ve realized that regularly tasting different versions heightens your sensitivity to flavor differences. In Japan, side-by-side comparisons have become a standard practice among enthusiasts over the past five years, but this isn't necessarily the case in other countries. Japan remains a uniquely dedicated and detail-oriented market in this regard (ｕ_ｕ*).

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