CAFFEINE CONTENT
142 mg/16 oz. can
213 mg/24 oz. can
EASE IN ACQUISITION—10
Amp Energy can be found wherever energy drinks are sold. Seriously, you can pick this up anywhere (24-oz. size is far less common, about a 6 out of 10). If you’re looking for it at one store and can’t find it, don’t worry—you just happened to be looking at the one store in the nation that doesn’t carry it; you’ll be able to find it everywhere else you go. Wouldn’t surprise me if Victoria’s Secret had a refrigerator full of them. Well, the sugar-free version, anyway….
APPEARANCE/PRESENTATION—8
Amp Energy has a nice design—the Amp Energy logo is prominently displayed front and center, with a background looks kind of like a green aurora borealis. I don’t know how else to describe it; what I can say is that it looks pretty dang nice.
TASTE—7
The taste is hard to describe, but easier to place than Red Bull or any of its multitudinous clones—one of which this drink is not, I’m pleased to report. It’s kind of a passion fruit/orange blend, and seems a good deal more interested in the sweet aspect of those flavors than the sour, which in my mind wasn't the wisest decision on the company's part. In addition, it’s not the smoothest thing in the world going down, and I must dock a point or two for that, but hey—nobody’s perfect.
16 OZ. CAN
KICK (INTENSITY)—6
The intensity of this particular energy drink was moderate—I was awake, I was alert enough, but the effect wasn’t something especially worthy of note. I’d recommend it for situations such as when a minor jump-start is needed, but if you’re falling asleep at the wheel and need something strong and need it fast, I’d bypass the Amp.
KICK (DURATION)—6
In addition to being of a moderate intensity, the kick of Amp Energy is of a moderate duration. I felt it for a little while, including for my 4½ mile run, but after that, I was back to normal, and was able to get to sleep just fine a couple of hours later. Just like you’ll need something stronger if you desperately need to stay awake, you’ll need something stronger than this if you need to stay awake for a while.
THE DRINK OVERALL—6.33
I seem to be using “moderate” a lot in this review…and I guess it’s appropriate, because the drink itself is just adequate. Not exceptional, just adequate. It’s good for a moderate buzz of a moderate duration, and if that’s what you need, the 16-oz. Amp is a good choice. But if you need more than that, you’d be better served with something stronger.
24 OZ. CAN
KICK (INTENSITY)—10
Given my unimpressive experience with the 16-oz. can, I honestly wasn’t expecting a major improvement from the same product in the 24-oz. size. Those expectations, however, were exceeded in a large degree—Amp in this size packs a very potent punch, providing a substantial dose of energy manifest in large part as a surprising amount of jitters. If you like Amp but found the 16-oz. can lacking as far as the kick is concerned, give the 24-oz. can a shot—it possesses energy to spare.
KICK (DURATION)—10
Reflecting on the time I spent energized after consuming the 24-oz. can, I can find no fault in it. This is not one of those drinks that shoots you full of energy, then sends you crashing to the ground an hour later—you should plan on remaining energized for a very long time. To illustrate this point, I put forth my recommendation that an individual avoid consuming it at least six hours before they plan on sleeping—it works that well.
THE DRINK OVERALL—8.67
If the energy boost is all we are to take into account, Amp Energy’s 24-oz. can earns my highest recommendation. The taste isn’t my favorite, but it’s not at all difficult to drink the full 24 ounces, and is in my mind a small price to pay indeed for such a pronounced effect. To the health freaks out there: there’s a lot of sugar to deal with. Check out my other reviews for low/no-sugar alternatives as they come along.
WEBSITE: ampenergy.com
KEYWORDS: Amp Energy Drink review, Amp 16-oz. can review, Amp 24-oz. can review, Amp 16 ounces, Amp 24 ounces, Amp tall boy, Amp big rig orange, passion fruit