Flavour: Minty, tart, refreshing, hints of citrus. Similar to a virgin mojito. Not overly strong as to kill your desire to finish it halfway through the can. Distinct enough to enjoy but not overpowering enough to be unable to drink more than one can. 9/10 would taste again.
Aesthetic Design: Yellow and black with a cute, stinging bee logo. Distinctly badass font. Some hexagonal patterns in the background. The packaging is very theme-based and strong. Easy to remember and unique. Distinct flowery smell to encourage bee theme. 10/10 would design again.
Health Impact (serious-boi hours): Made with honey, royal jelly and propolis (all from bees) and other natural ingredients. It contains maca extract and ginseng extract, both of which are known to fight fatigue and boost energy levels. (Kandola, 2018) (Semeco, 2018) Contains Vitamin B6 and B12 (which fits the ‘bee’ theme). Vitamin B12 keeps the nerve and blood cells of a body healthy. It also prevents a type of type of anaemia that causes tiredness. (National Institutes of Health, 2019) Vitamin B6 has many benefits but we will only be looking at those that are relevant to the ‘Energy’ factor we are looking at. It prevents and treats anaemia which in the long run causes tiredness. It can also reduce depression symptoms in some people which has been known to cause fatigue. (Streit, 2018)
It contains a moderate amount of caffeine. Not too much and not too little. It contains no sugar which is wild af. Seems to be pretty healthy in comparison to most energy drinks so… 10/10 would health again.
Energy Boost: Immediately after consuming drink, no obvious energy rush is felt (though at this point maybe I’m just immune idk). It did manage to keep me awake even though I had limited sleep. 2/10 would not energy again.
Price: R23.90 for a 355ml can. That’s rather expensive for not that much energy drink as it is 14.58mls per rand. But taking into account the health and taste... that ain’t the worst price. So... 5/10 would mayhaps buy again. (might require revision)
Overall Vibe: Great scores in the flavour, aesthetic and health sections with a moderate score in price, this would appear to be an excellent drink. However, the lack of a total energy boost brings the entire score down a lot. Would I buy this again? Totally. But only for an actual DRINK rather than an energy drink. I think this would be paired well with an alcohol like tequila or rum. This would absolutely make an excellent base for mojitos. 36/50 would drink again.
Kandola, A., 2018. Benefits of Maca Root. [Online]
Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322511.php
[Accessed 08 11 2019].
National Institutes of Health, 2019. Vitamin B12 FactSheet. [Online]
Available at: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/
[Accessed 08 11 2019].
Semeco, A., 2018. Ginseng Benefits. [Online]
Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ginseng-benefits
[Accessed 08 11 2019].
Streit, L., 2018. Vitamin B6 Benefits. [Online]
Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b6-benefits#section12
[Accessed 08 11 2019].
