Spike Energy Drink Review: Better than Monster and Red Bull?

I’m always trying new energy drinks for fun, but when I find something I like I tend to stick with it. As a bit of a caffeine lover, I’ve had most of the canned, carbonated energy drinks on the market today.  Throughout the years, Spike hardcore energy has been the one that I’ve consumed most consistently. It’s been my go-to unless I’m purposely looking for something a little bit weaker. This sometimes happens later in the afternoon when I want a pick-me-up without having something so strong that it would disrupt my sleep.

The Monsters and Rockstars of the world are fine, but I find myself getting tired of the taste rather quickly (particularly with monster). Spike is something I can have almost every day and still look forward to it. What separates this from the rest that is outlined below.

Taste 9/10

Some of you may remember the original Spike which came in a black can. That stuff was amazing, not only because of the energy but because of the taste. It came in a cherry flavor that I love. But somewhere along the line they changed their packaging and reformulated the product. They now had multiple flavors, and had altered the taste of their flagship cherry flavor.

Needless to say I was devastated and apprehensive about trying the product after the reformulation. The new cherry was good, but not as good as the original (ironically, it doesn’t even say cherry on the label anymore, it says ‘the original’ even though it’s clearly not). If I were to guess, they probably altered the artificial sweeteners in some way. Over time I got used to the change, and I still stand by the fact that this is my favorite energy drink. I’ve come to grips with reality and no longer yearn for the old black can (okay maybe I still do).

Spike comes in numerous flavors, but the cherry in the red can leads the pack by a mile.  Strawberry lemonade is tolerable, blue raspberry is below average, and watermelon is downright awful. Luckily cherry, which I assume is their best selling flavor, is the easiest to find.

According to their website, they also offer a flavor called Purple surge (whatever that means) and orange. I don’t know if these are exclusive to online shoppers, but I’ve never seen them in stores.

The taste gets 9 out of 10 because it’s really good, just not as good as the original. The entire product line would bring down the average if I took them all into account, but in most cases people are going to buy the cherry flavor.

Profile 9/10

You’ll have no shortage of energy if you start your day with a Spike, unless you have a ridiculous tolerance to caffeine. One can contain 350 mg of caffeine, which is more than enough for almost anyone. By comparison, your average Monster, Rockstar, or Red Bull of the same size will yield about 150 mg to 200 mg of caffeine. So in some cases a Spike will more than double the caffeine content of a typical energy drink.

Spike also contains 2000 mcg of vitamin B12 in the form of methylcobalamin. This is worth noting because methylcobalamin is the more bioavailable form of B12. Most supplements or energy drinks containing B12 will have it in the form of cyanocobalamin, which is the less absorbable form.

Some people may be taken aback when they see the daily value content of Vitamin B12 as 83,333%. There’s no reason to worry however, since B and C vitamins are water soluble. Anything that the body doesn’t use is simply expelled through the urine. Vitamin B and C toxicity is rare.

Additionally the product contains and n-acetyl tyrosine and beta alanine as part of a proprietary blend. A proprietary means that those ingredients are in the product but they don’t tell you exactly how much is in there. My guess would be that the beta alanine is very low. The reason is because beta alanine is found in many pre-workout supplements. It provides a tingling sensation that I’m usually very sensitive to. Since I don’t really feel that sensation when drinking Spike, my assumption is that the dose is very low.

Price 8/10

A single can of Spike runs for $2.49 in my area, which is along the same lines of other brands’ 16oz. cans (sans for Red Bull which is obscenely expensive for some reason). Buying a case will bring the best value, with 24 cans going for a little over $2 a pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9TgZ6V8ygE&t=1s

Conclusion

Whenever someone goes out of their way to write a review, they usually have very strong feelings about the product, whether it’s positive or negative. This is my favorite energy drink, and there’s not really a close second. What I will say is that it’s very hard to find in stores.  I get mine at 7-Eleven, and from my experience most 7-Eleven locations carry it.  But aside from that, I can’t think of one other store where I’ve seen it in recent memory. I recall seeing the old version in GNC and Vitamin Shoppe locations but I’m not sure if that’s the case anymore. But if you have a 7-Eleven nearby odds are you’ll be able to find it there. If not it’s quite easy to obtain online.