REVIEW: Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry Energy Drink

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Red Bull’s newest Summer Edition has an appropriately named berry as its flavor — juneberry.

What’s a juneberry? That’s what I wanted to know because I didn’t know it existed, and I want to have more uncommon fruit knowledge that I can whip out as an icebreaker when introduced to people who I want to discourage from talking to me ever again. If you’re like me and have no idea what this berry is but don’t want to go down a juneberry rabbit hole, I’ve gone down one for you.

It goes by many names that wouldn’t look quite right on a Red Bull can, like amelanchier, serviceberry, chuckleberry, sarvisberry, saskatoon berry, and the slightly giggle-causing names of shadbush, shadwood, or shadblow. The fruit’s appearance has been compared to blueberries, but it’s more closely related to apples and pears because it’s a pome fruit (a fruit with seeds enclosed in a tough core). It’s native to North America and can be found across Canada and in every US state except Hawaii (probably why I’ve never heard of it). OMG. This rabbit hole is getting deeeeeeeeeep. Time to climb out, Chucklebunny.

Oh, wait. Not so fast, Junebunny! I forgot to mention the way its flavor is described. Let’s go back down the hole for a bit. I learned from one source that they taste like “dark cherries or raisins.” While another said, “blueberries crossed with apples.” And another said, “strawberry, blueberry, and a touch of almond.” Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry’s deep purple color might make you think its flavor could be any of those, but those are not what I taste. The best way I can describe it is to say it was like a mature blue raspberry flavor, less candy-like and more tart, but not too tart. Although, it did have a less mature scent that reminded me of a Louie-Bloo Otter Pop.

Red Bull Summer Edition Juneberry’s flavor brings to mind a previous seasonal release — 2020’s Winter Edition Arctic Berry. It had a “cool raspberry” flavor that I wasn’t too impressed with it. This juneberry variety seems to do raspberry better, and it’s tasty enough that it’s worth a purchase this June, July, August, April, May, or September.

Purchased Price: More than one should pay on eBay
Size: 8.4 oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 90 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of sugar (including 27 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 80 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Nissin Breakfast Cup Noodles

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“Have a backup…” a friend advised when I told them about my plan to pack Nissin Breakfast Cup Noodles for lunch (or, considering their namesake, more like brunch). When they realized I wasn’t joking, they added, “Maybe buy some Alka-Seltzer and Pepto Bismol too.” But life is short, and how many chances does one get to try noodles that taste like pancakes with maple syrup, sausage, and egg? That being said, I did bring a backup lunch just in case, but to my utter shock and delight, I didn’t need it.

The design on the cup offered a sunny start. The bright blue backdrop and vibrant cartoony illustration of a heaping helping of syrup-soaked pancakes, with a side of fluffy scrambled eggs and plump breakfast sausage doesn’t resemble what’s inside at all, but it’s still lovely!

What you get after peeling off the lid, pouring water up to the fill line on the inside of the cup, and doing an excited/happy/”oh gosh, what have I gotten myself into” dance in front of the microwave for four minutes, is a pile of greyish-yellow noodles in a pool of greyish-orange broth, topped with pea-sized bits of greyish-brown sausage and egg that’s… actually a regular (if slightly fluorescent) shade of yellow. (Your mileage may vary, but my cup had SIGNIFICANTLY more egg than sausage.) Don’t let the murky appearance fool you, though: there’s a wonderful taste in store.

The first word that came to my mind to describe the broth was “mellow.” I was expecting it to be saltier, but this stuff was straight-up sweet: maple-y, a bit malty, and all in all, surprisingly so hearty that I almost forgot that it had been created by simply combining dry, seasoned noodles and tap water.

The handful of sausage pieces were certainly not the most beautiful specimens in terms of appearance or texture (they could be described as both “gristly” and “grisly”). But they did a nice job adding a burst of flavor—savory, again with a strong streak of maple, plus an interesting peppery aftertaste.

As for the fluffy but dense eggs, despite their abundant quantity, they didn’t really have much flavor on their own, thoroughly overpowered by the broth. Once more, their defining characteristic was mapleness!

The stars of the show, the noodles, were similar. They were warm and comforting, but I got the feeling that their sweet-and-a-lil-zesty flavor came more from the broth and toppings rather than the soft, gummy strings themselves. (Fun fact — and added bonus, if you’re anything like me — it also smelled exactly like Post’s Waffle Crisp cereal.)

This novelty really surprised me. Not only was I not expecting Nissin Breakfast Cup Noodles to genuinely taste like breakfast, but I was also not expecting it to genuinely taste good, and it delivered tremendously on both counts. I am slightly befuddled, slightly disturbed, and totally pleased to tell you that if you enjoy noodles, breakfast, convenient packaging, or the terrifying-yet-thrilling anticipation of a food that doesn’t taste how you think it will, you really should try this. Seriously!

Purchased Price: $9.32 (I bought online from a third-party seller, but the retail price is meant to be just $1.18)
Size: 2.93 oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 container) 380 calories, 15 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 1020 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (including 9 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Reign Storm Energy Drink

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UPDATE: Reign Storm released four new flavors in 2024, click here for our review.

Reign Storm is a new energy drink line from the Monster Energy spin-off that announces it has “clean energy.” What does that mean? Well, it doesn’t involve solar panels, wind turbines, dams, or heat extracted from geothermal reservoirs. Instead, each can gets its 200 milligrams of caffeine from plant-based sources, all of which are brought to us by the letter G — green coffee beans, green tea extract, ginseng, guarana, and guayusa.

The line is available in 12-ounce “slim” cans and has four flavors — Harvest Grape, Kiwi Blend, Peach Nectarine, and Valencia Orange. The can’s lip proudly exclaims it accelerates metabolism, provides immunity support, and increases energy. Along with the caffeine, Reign Storm has zero sugar, only ten calories per can, and no preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors. It also contains biotin, which helps support hair and skin health. It’s similar to caffeine in that both aren’t needed as much if you get a good night’s sleep.

To bring the sugar down to zero, Reign Storm has a downpour of familiar artificial sweeteners — sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and erythritol. With the first few sips of every flavor, those artificial sweeteners were highly noticeable in the aftertaste, which is a sharp contrast from the sweet, fruity, and delicious flavors that hit my tongue the moment the beverage ended up in my mouth. It was also confusing because Monster’s Ultra zero sugar line does a wonderful job hiding its artificial sweeteners, so why wasn’t that the case here?

However, after the opened cans sat in my fridge overnight, the artificial sweeteners weren’t noticeable the next day. It was like I was drinking Monster Ultra flavors. Even after opening the second set of flavors I purchased, I no longer noticed the weird aftertaste. I thought I should mention all this because I hope someone experienced the same thing so that I can prove I’m not going crazy.

But now, let’s talk about the sweet, fruity, and delicious flavors. I found all of them to be good or great. Harvest Grape smells and tastes like a grape soda, which excites me because I love grape soda. Peach Nectarine’s flavor is similar to Monster Peachy Keen, which reminds me of peach gummy rings and a flavor I adore. Valencia Orange is a pleasant combination of sweet and tart orange flavors, although there’s a burst of sourness that might be too strong for some. However, Kiwi Blend, a combination of kiwi and green apple, was my favorite. Its name is a little deceiving because while its sourness could be mistaken for kiwi, this has primarily green apple vibes to it.

My issues with Reign Storm are that they come in 12-ounce cans and are more expensive than 16-ounce regular Reign cans. Is shrinkflation going on? Is that possible with a brand new product line?

If you’re into getting your caffeinated fix from plant-based sources that start with the letter G or want some biotin to help keep your skin and hair luxurious, Reign Storm is an excellent option and maybe the only option. However, while tasty, their size and price make me hesitant to repurchase them.

Purchased Price: $2.59 each
Size: 12 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Kiwi Blend), 7 out of 10 (Harvest Grape), 7 out of 10 (Peach Nectarine), and 7 out of 10 (Valencia Orange)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 270-280 milligrams of sodium, 3-5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar (Valencia Orange and Harvest Grape have 2 grams of erythritol), 0 grams of protein, and 200 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Reese’s Crunchy and Creamy Peanut Butter Cups (2023)

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I – and likely you, too – have tried a lot of Reese’s products over the years. While the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup may be the perfect candy creation, its variations often taste just as delicious while keeping the spirit of the original product. Reese’s Creamy and Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups fall perfectly in line with this pattern, as both tweak the textures of their fillings just enough to generate distinctive taste experiences. Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter Cups offer smooth peanut butter filling, while Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups contain peanut pieces for an extra crunch.

Although both are returning products, I hadn’t previously tried either. I love peanut butter in all varieties, so I often refuse to take a side in the Team Creamy vs. Team Crunchy debate. If chocolate and peanut butter are involved, Team Me wins every time. So, upon finding both varieties in King Size packages at Sheetz, I thanked George Washington Carver for the bounty I was about to receive.

I started with the Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups, which pair Reese’s classic peanut butter filling with loads of crunchy peanut pieces. The balance of filling and peanuts is just right. The pieces are mixed well throughout the filling so that the candy holds together in one bite. They vary in size, but all are large enough to satisfy a crunch craving. They also provide an extra hit of saltiness that complements both filling and chocolate perfectly.

That’s one point for Team Crunchy.

Next were the Creamy Peanut Butter Cups, which taste almost exactly like standard Reese’s. The filling is thick and definitely smoother than the crumbly texture found in most Reese’s cups. The filling is still on the dry side, though. It cracks easily and isn’t creamy enough to spread. I can’t dock too many points from Team Creamy because the cups are obviously delicious.

But I’d hoped for a much creamier texture (in the realm of buttercream frosting), so these Creamy Peanut Butter Cups fell short of my expectations. If I had instead grabbed a package of standard Reese’s cups at the checkout, I probably wouldn’t have recognized my mistake until the creamy peanut butter lovers of the world showed up at my door chanting, “One of us! One of us!”

If this Reese’s taste test forced me to pick a side, I would choose the Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups. Their filling reminds me of what I would scoop from a jar of chunky peanut butter. Even though the Creamy variety doesn’t spark a similar comparison, it is the yin to Crunchy’s yang. It’s fun to have a choice of textures that only enhance an already irresistible peanut butter and chocolate flavor combination.

Maybe I’m Team Harmony after all.

Purchased Price: 2 for $5.59
Size: 2.8 oz (79 g) King Size package
Purchased at: Sheetz
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Creamy), 8 out of 10 (Crunchy)
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 cups) Creamy – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Crunchy – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Frosted Banana Bread Pop-Tarts

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I bet it’s really fun to work on Pop-Tarts. The brand is iconic, the average consumer understands it’s not a “better for you food” (unless influenced by Spencer Sheehan… side eye), and the product mimics any manner of other sweet food types you can think of! Like the ocean of available potato chip varieties, I’ll always be curious to try a new Pop-Tart. This is especially true about its latest — Frosted Banana Bread Pop-Tarts.

I love banana bread. It’s basically cake for breakfast. But more importantly, I think banana bread is a very authentic fit for a Pop-Tart emulation. I decided to try these in the two standard preparation styles — toasted and un-toasted. I am not dedicated to either camp. I think each flavor has a best preparation method, but neither is best for every variety. For example, I think Cherry Pop-Tarts are freaking incredible toasted. A lot of the chocolate versions are better, in my opinion, un-toasted.

Anyway, I decided to try the Frosted Banana Bread Pop-Tart un-toasted first because, well, I had to wait for the other one to toast. I know, rocket science. Its crust is visibly more brown than Pop-Tarts’ core fruit flavors, and I could see many little cinnamon speckles throughout. The crust was subtly sweet with brown sugar/molasses notes and a hint of cinnamon. Pretty tasty and plenty reminiscent of banana bread.

The flavor of the center and insides was complicated. The filling on the inside had a more realistic banana puree taste, while the icing was like artificial banana candy. It wasn’t overpowering, but they were distinct flavors. I don’t love that artificial taste, so I wished they’d released this one as an un-frosted variety. But the filling, while delicious, was just way too mild to carry this breakfast pastry alone. That would have been very boring. What a conundrum!

Around this time, my toaster oven dinged, and I got to try the whole experience again with a toasted Pop-Tart, and WOW that made a WORLD of difference. Once toasted, the crust was far more pronounced, bringing a nice cinnamon-y base layer. But the filling! The filling, when toasted, just exploded with real banana flavor. I peeped the ingredient line and realized there is actual banana powder in these, so maybe that’s what was doing it? I still could have done without the super sweet frosting, but wow. That filling and crust combo (when toasted) was great.

Overall I thought this was a fun Pop-Tart that seemed like a long time coming. The banana candy frosting isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy that flavor, grab a box of these as fast as you can and definitely put them in the toaster.

Purchased Price: $4.29
Size: 13.5 oz box / 8 pastries
Purchased at: Mariano’s (Kroger)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 pastries) 360 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 360 milligrams of sodium, 71 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 34 grams of sugar (including 34 grams of added sugar), and 4 grams of protein.

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