To make my five-year-old son feel like he has some control in my life, I let him pick which Monster Ultra Energy Drink flavor I’ll drink to give me the energy to play with him for the rest of the day.
He can’t read most of the names yet, but he can easily point out colors, so he tells me which Monster Ultra to choose by pointing to the color. Take that, Cocomelon! If you’re unfamiliar with the Monster Ultra lineup, they come in different cans that span the color spectrum in a Kindergarten class. But now there are two purple cans: Ultra Violet and the new Ultra Wild Passion Energy Drink.
Granted, Ultra Violet is a dark purple can, while Ultra Wild Passion is a light purple can, and my son knows the difference between light and dark. When daddy doesn’t have caffeine, he’s Dark Tired Daddy, and when he does, he’s Light Awake Daddy.
While there’s a flavor difference between the two purple Monster Ultra Energy Drinks, after drinking Ultra Wild Passion, I can’t help but think it tastes oddly similar to another in the Monster Ultra Rainbow — the Monster Ultra in the white can. The energy drink company describes Wild Passion’s flavor profile as “passionfruit with citrus,” while the white one is “light refreshing citrus.”
I’m very familiar with Ultra White because my kid has chosen it for me many times, and it’s a default when my body goes into decision paralysis and can’t make up my mind between the gazillion flavors. The two energy drinks aren’t identical taste twins; I think Wild Passion is slightly more tart and fruitier, while the White one is a bit sweeter. But from the moment I took a sip, I realized the newest flavor might be just a slight tweak of one of the oldest.
Does it bother me that they taste similar? Not anywhere as close as it bothers my son that he absolutely can’t have any of the energy drink he picked. Since Ultra White is one of my most consumed flavors, I don’t mind a slightly tweaked tasting version. Besides, since there are now two purple Monster Ultra flavors, I can teach my son the difference between violet and lilac the next time we play Choose the Caffeine.
Who’s the teacher now, Cocomelon!
Purchased Price: $2.69
Size: 16 fl oz can
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 400 milligrams of sodium, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 2 grams of erythritol, 0 grams of protein, and 150 milligrams of caffeine.
I might be willing to try this at least once, but my 3 favorite Monster flavors are currently Ultra Fiesta Mango (can only find at Walmart), Mango Tango (?) and Viking Berry.