ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA

Posted on November 21, 2018 | Last updated February 14, 2025

This is a review of ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA from Australia’s Zero Sugar series.

The design is very similar to the UK’s Pure Zero Guava, but this one belongs to the Zero Sugar series, and the contents are completely different.

Australia’s Rockstar tends to follow trends from the UK and other countries, but it also has a unique approach, making it a special market. It’s one of the countries I want to visit repeatedly every year.

ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA

Manufacturer	ROCKSTAR
Country of Origin	Australia
Price	4 AUD
Flavor	Guava
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 ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA

The color is quite striking. When you pour it, you might be surprised by the rich red hue, which doesn’t seem like it would be guava. However, the scent isn’t as strong as expected, and there’s a noticeable gap between the color and the strength of the fragrance.

ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA
The first taste is a rich, sweet and sour flavor that doesn’t feel like it’s from a zero-sugar drink, and I was taken aback. Imagine a strong flavor that matches the color perfectly.

It has a mix of strong, sour fruits like guava, cherry, and acerola, with a hidden sweetness that makes you forget it’s a zero-sugar drink, creating a dense, flavorful experience.

Just like the UK’s Pure Zero Guava, it leaves a taste of artificial sweeteners in the aftertaste, but if you drink it quickly without stopping, you can enjoy the rich taste without thinking about the zero-sugar aspect. Although it doesn’t have the weight of a regular drink, it’s impressive that it’s been made to this level. The sweetness is prominent, and they don’t rely solely on fragrance to mask the flavor.

Energy Ingredients of ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR GUAVA

ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA
It contains 160mg of caffeine, 2000mg of taurine, 200mg of green tea extract, and 50mg of yerba mate extract.

As mentioned later, yerba mate is a unique ingredient in the zero-sugar line, likely used for flavoring rather than its energizing effects.

Zero Sugar Series

Australia has been offering the "Zero Sugar" line for a long time, and the ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA that I’m reviewing today is a revival of this series.

Zero Sugar is not exactly a series, but more like products similar to the American ZERO CARB and Canadian BURNNER lines. The inclusion of yerba mate is probably because it aligns with these types of products. Interestingly, Zero Sugar products have also existed in Germany for a while. It’s curious that Tropical Guava was released under the Zero Sugar name in Australia.

The big star branding makes it a bit difficult to identify the series name at a glance.

ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA
There’s a “ZERO SUGAR” logo on the side. The design closely resembles the UK’s Pure Zero Guava, but the contents of Australia’s Tropical Guava are completely different.

Comparison with UK’s Pure Zero

Since there’s the UK’s Pure Zero Guava, let’s compare the two.

The can designs are so similar that you could easily mistake one for the other. On the left is Australia’s Zero Sugar Tropical Guava, and on the right is the UK’s Pure Zero Guava.

ROCKSTAR ZERO SUGAR TROPICAL GUAVA
The colors of the contents are completely different. Despite the can design and flavor name being similar, the contents are entirely different. Normally, you would expect them to be similar.

Both drinks have a strong sour guava flavor, but the UK version has a more subdued sweetness with an overly prominent artificial sweetener taste. Personally, I prefer the Australian version because it hides the artificial sweetener flavor more effectively.

Naturally, the UK Guava Pure Zero doesn’t contain yerba mate, but the Australian Zero Sugar version does, which gives it a distinct refreshing bitterness.

If you drink the Zero Sugar Tropical Guava on its own, most people probably won’t notice the flavor of yerba mate, but if you compare the two and taste them carefully, even those who aren’t familiar with Rockstar Zero Sugar might detect the unique taste of yerba mate.