Here we go with Starbucks entering the energy drink market again with its canned Iced Energy Sparkling Energy Drinks. Remember Starbucks BAYA? You don’t? Come on, it came out three years ago and lasted maybe two years before being discontinued. How could you not remember BAYA? It’s the best energy drink name to say ever. Okay, I liked saying Cocaine, so it may be the second-best energy drink name to pronounce ever.

Anyhoo, BAYA is bye-bye, so we’re stuck with this canned version of the Iced Energy Beverages that Starbucks serves up in its stores but doesn’t come in any of the flavors offered in stores. They come in skinny 12-fluid-ounce cans and three flavors — Blueberry Lemonade, Watermelon Twist, and Tropical Peach. Unfortunately, I could only procure the first two, so maybe the last one is a myth. All flavors, real and mythical, have zero sugar and 160 milligrams of caffeine per can.

What disappointed me about Starbucks’ BAYA Energy was how mild the flavors were when compared to the big guns in the energy drink market. These new energy drinks have a slightly stronger fruitiness but still don’t pop like Monster and Rockstar’s zero sugar offerings.

The Blueberry Lemonade one has a decent, mild berry flavor with a hint of tart lemonade. But sometimes that lemonade gets really weird on the backend. It’s a slightly off-putting twist that, I swear, kind of brings to my mind moldy bread. However, it’s so mild that I drank the entire can without gagging like I do when I actually accidentally bite into moldy bread (it’s happened to me multiple times at this point in my life).

While Blueberry Lemonade had a twist, the variety with the word “Twist” in its name didn’t have one. Watermelon is the main taste here, and I assume the “twist” is supposed to be the lime, but I don’t notice it. Instead, I only get a watermelon taste that reminds me of a less sweet and flavorful Jolly Rancher. If I had to choose between the two varieties, I’d pick this one, but it’s not by a wide margin.

Starbucks’ Canned Iced Energy Sparkling Energy Drinks are okay. While it has 160 milligrams of caffeine from green coffee extract and electrolytes from salt, it doesn’t offer the flavor intensity to convince me to choose it over other energy drink brands. I wouldn’t be surprised if we also have to say bye-bye to it two years from now.

Purchased Price: $2.79
Size: 12 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 5 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein.