4 Other Things I Consumed This Week: 10/31/2025

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Spylt Caffeinated Chocolate Milk

Spylt Caffeinated Chocolate Milk

Several folks recently sent me Spotted photos of this Spylt caffeinated milk that comes in several flavors, but it’s been around for a couple of years, so I didn’t post them. It seems only now has it seen a wider rollout.

I’m pretty sure somewhere in one of the thousands of posts on this site, I wished for a caffeinated chocolate milk, and the Caffeinated Chocolate Milk Fairy made my wish come true. But not only does this have 60 milligrams of caffeine, it also has 20 grams of protein, so it’s killing two birds with one Spylt for me. With that much protein, you might think you’re going to get protein shake vibes from this, but it tastes and has a creaminess like the chocolate milk I grew up drinking. It gets its protein from ultrafiltered milk, which is the same process used to make Fairlife milk.

But that’s not all with this chocolate milk. It also has no sugar and only 0.5 grams of fat, which is hard to believe given how good it tastes. Although, as it got warm, I could taste a hint of the sucralose and ace-K at the back end of a sip. Definitely worth a try, and I’ll probably give other flavors a taste.

Kirkland Signature Caramel Brownie Sundae

Kirkland Signature Caramel Brownie Sundae

I blame gravity for this sundae looking the way it does because when it was first handed to me, I could see the caramel syrup sticking to the sides of the cup. But stupid gravity did what stupid gravity does during the 15-minute drive home from Costco, and most of the syrup pooled at the bottom of the cup.

But that’s okay, gravity, because your involvement didn’t affect how much I liked this treat. First, it’s only $2.99 for ice cream, salted caramel sauce, and brownie chunks. That’s cheap. That’s cheaper than a mini Dairy Queen Blizzard, which is half the size of this sundae.

The salted caramel sauce wasn’t overly sweet, but it wasn’t salty or buttery either. The brownie pieces were chewy and chocolatey, but I wish there were more, since I felt like half the spoonfuls I took didn’t have a brownie in them. So I guess the Blizzard wins in the mix-ins department. However, despite those issues, this is a satisfying dessert, and I see myself picking it up again when I need something sweet to follow a salty slice of Costco pepperoni pizza.

Totino’s Buffalo-Style Chicken Pizza Ramen Noodles

Totino's Buffalo-Style Chicken Pizza Ramen Noodles

This wasn’t awful, but I didn’t even finish everything. Once I had eaten most of the noodles, I dumped whatever soup was left into the sink. The thought of drinking watered-down Buffalo sauce isn’t my cup of watered-down Buffalo sauce. There’s no mistaking the Buffalo flavor, and there’s a mild spicy kick, but I didn’t notice a chicken flavor.

The thought, “What should I expect for something that’s around a dollar?” popped into my head. But then again, I find 50-cent ramen packets better tasting and more enjoyable than this. Oh, I should mention that this was sent to me by General Mills, and receiving a complimentary sample did not affect my review. (Amber reviewed this earlier this year.)

Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice

Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice in a glass

We just posted Jenna’s review of this yesterday, but I also want to sing its praises. As I’ve mentioned above, I’ve wanted a caffeinated chocolate milk for a while now, but the thought of caffeinated apple juice has never crossed my mind. This drink isn’t 100% apple juice infused with caffeine and carbonation. It’s only 6 percent juice, but it tastes like apple juice. Actually, with the carbonation, I got more of a sparkling apple cider vibe from it.

Because there isn’t much juice, you aren’t getting the vitamins you’d get from apple juice.  Instead, you get the same B vitamins you’d get from any Monster Energy Drink. I do wish it were vitamin C-fortified, but the 160 milligrams of caffeine more than make up for it. I still haven’t had a bad Monster Juice flavor, and this Bad Apple continues that streak. 

REVIEW: Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice

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Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice can

I usually only drink energy drinks when I’m desperately sleepy and out of other options, but Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice caught my attention simply because it sounded delicious.

Don’t get it twisted; while it definitely is still an energy drink, it also contains juice, so you can pretend that it’s a slightly more wholesome beverage! And fine, I’ll admit, I was also curious about the moderately edgy name and eye-catching can design, which features an intensely gazing woman dramatically holding an apple.

Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice description

This flavor was first released in the U.K. in March 2024 (though with “Juiced” in the name instead of “Juice”, a minor distinction that it’s likely only a total nerd like me would even notice). While I haven’t tasted the original, if the nearly identical imagery is anything to go by, the new U.S. version seems unchanged. In the spirit of the Adam and Eve imagery that the can evokes, I couldn’t wait to get a taste.

Monster Bad Apple Energy Juice in a glass

As soon as I cracked my can open, I was hit with a lovely apple juice smell. Upon pouring my Bad Apple into a glass, I noticed that the elixir was fizzy, but not overly so, with the bubbles quickly calming down to reveal a rich amber color. You may not be surprised to learn that, true to its branding, this thing sure does taste like apple juice!

To be a little more specific: while it is of course distinct from pure juice due to its carbonation, it reminded me more of an apple soda than a traditional energy drink. I detected only the barest hint of the chemical aftertaste I typically associate with energy drinks. Had I not already known what I was drinking, I don’t think I would have identified this as belonging to the same genus as the classic Shrek-green Monster Energy.

It was pleasantly more reminiscent of an actual apple than I was expecting (despite containing only 6% actual juice). This was probably helped by the fact that, while it was sweet, it wasn’t TOO sweet. If you’re curious, Monster’s website describes its flavor as “Fuji apple,” though as someone who spends much more time consuming junk food than fruit, this nuance didn’t mean much to me. I did concur with the additional adjectives in the description —“crisp” and “dry”!

While I tend to think the tinny tang of an energy drink can be abrasive, Bad Apple is impressively smooth. I found it to be not just an energy-booster, but genuinely refreshing. That being said, it also did its energizing job well; I was a bit groggy before having it, but afterwards I found myself noticeably perky, a fact that both I and, undoubtedly, my employer appreciated! If any of this sounds tempting, I implore you to bite (er, sip) into this forbidden fruit; it may be called Bad Apple, but it tastes great!

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 16 oz can
Purchased at: CVS
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 200 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 41 grams of sugar (including 41 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

5 Other Things I Consumed This Week: 10/24/2025

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7-Eleven Hawaii Pickle Juice Slurpee

7-Eleven Hawaii Pickle Juice Slurpee

This one came out at the same time as the Cinnamon Toast one I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. Oddly, I was more curious about this one because I’ve been enjoying all the pickle-flavored products that have crossed my taste buds. However, I will not be purchasing this Slurpee ever again, and I regret getting a medium size instead of a small.

Look, it tasted like sweet pickle juice. It was, as the kids I totally made up like to say, sou-weet. But I wish that sweetness was a bit stronger to tame that sourness, much like with the pickle mochi ice cream I had a few years ago. Even though I got a medium Slurpee, I did end up finishing it, but not in one sitting or two. After my initial tasting, I put it in the freezer and ate chunks over the next couple of days. But that cup was all I’ll be sticking into my mouth.

Slate Mocha Latte High Protein Iced Coffee

Slate Mocha Latte High Protein Iced Coffee

Protein plus calcium plus caffeine? That sounds like my kind of drink to give me a shortcut to reach my protein and calcium goals while still drinking my usual amount of caffeine. However, I’m not too high on this high-protein coffee’s flavor and texture.

Its consistency when I swirl it around in a glass doesn’t match what it feels like in my mouth. In a glass, it’s creamy, but in my mouth, it’s almost like water. The can states that there is no carrageenan, which explains how it feels in my mouth. As for its flavor, it doesn’t have a punch like other coffee drinks. I guess “flat” would be the best way to describe it, and I assume the stevia and monk fruit sweeteners are the reason for that.

However, it tastes okay and thankfully its texture isn’t gritty, so I could turn a blind tongue to its lacking taste and texture because of the 20 grams of protein, 550 milligrams of calcium, and 175 milligrams of caffeine.

Celsius Spritz Vibe Snowball Frost Energy Drink

Celsius Spritz Vibe Snowball Frost Energy Drink

This is the second Celsius flavor I’ve ever had. I don’t even remember the first one I had. With that said, I’m not saying Celsius Energy Drinks are unmemorable, because I do remember that first one was tasty.

I will not forget this Snowball Frost seasonal flavor because I’m writing about it here for posterity. But I also won’t forget about it because this flavor seems weird to me. With a name like “Snowball Frost,” I expected it to have a wintery flavor or a taste that matches the colors of winter, like a blue raspberry or blueberry to convey cold weather. Instead, it’s citrusy, which I do not associate with winter. I usually think of anything citrus as a summer flavor. However, I’m not quite sure what citrus fruit I’m tasting. I’m thinking possibly tangerine. It’s not OMG delicious, and I won’t cry tears of sadness when it disappears in spring. If you do see me tearing up, it’s because of my allergies.

Joyride Sour Blue Raspberry Strips

Joyride Sour Blue Raspberry Strips

I’ve been rolling my eyes at Joyride candies ever since they came out because of how little sugar they contain. How can CANDY with little sugar taste good? But after tasting these sour strips, I’m going to have to eat my words, which I’ll substitute with more Joyride candy. 

Because I didn’t give this candy the time of day, I didn’t know it had fiber. This package, which has just six sour strips, has 12 grams of fiber, which is 40 percent of your daily recommended amount. DANG! Yes, it’s much better to get fiber from actual food, but it feels like magic to get it from candy.

But the candy doesn’t taste like it has much fiber. It’s one or two levels of sourness below Sour Patch Kids, but it has a flavor that’s almost as good. And it does it with only 5 grams of sugar. As someone who’s trying to sneak more fiber in my diet, I think I’ll be taking more Joyride flavors for a joyride.

Cove Smurfberry Probiotic Soda

Cove Smurfberry Soda

Bacillus subtilis DE111 is a probiotic. It’s also now in my search engine history with “bison vs buffalo,” “Jason Statham catchphrases,” and “[REDACTED].”

I bought this soda for the probiotics and the Smurfs, but was a little smurfed at the lack of fiber since, as you’ve read above, I’m trying to find ways to sneak the nutrient into my body. I’m also extremely smurfed that this beverage is clear, with no hint of Smurf color. What the smurf is up with that?

According to the can, Smurfberry is supposed to taste like blue raspberry, and it does give me Louie-Bloo Raspberry Otter Pop vibes, but it’s subdued like it’s been watered down a little. It tastes good enough that I’m slightly curious about the other flavors in Cove’s cove. 

REVIEW: Monster Electric Blue and Orange Dreamsicle Energy Drinks

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Monster Electric Blue and Orange Dreamsicle Energy Drink cans

If there were a Monster Monster, it would probably say the full-sugar Monster Electric Blue and Orange Dreamsicle Energy Drinks are sometimes beverages. The energy drink brand describes Electric Blue’s flavor as “shockingly smooth blue raspberry popsicle” and Orange Creamsicle as “wickedly creamy orange vanilla ice cream blend.”

If your memory recalls another Monster Orange Dreamsicle, remind me to never play Concentration with you, because, yes, there was the Monster Reserve Orange Dreamsicle from 2022. Both flavors seem to be flavored versions of the original Monster Energy Drink, and both have a tasty flavor that brings to mind the ice cream truck favorite.

Monster Orange Dreamsicle in a glass

One of the issues I had with the older version was that the sucralose in it gave the drink a citrusy artificial sweetener aftertaste that reminded me of orange vitamin tablets, which hurt the drink’s initial citrusy, sweet, and creamy flavor. This new version also has sucralose, but there’s no funky aftertaste. Maybe there’s less sucralose? Or perhaps it’s because this version’s 51 grams of sugar brute-forced the aftertaste away, which the Reserve’s 28 grams of sugar couldn’t do?

Oh, speaking of the sweet powder, these use real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup.

Monster Electric Blue in a glass, but not the same glass as the Orange Dreamsicle

When I first tasted the Electric Blue one, the blue raspberry Pedialyte ice pops I give to my son when he gets sick immediately popped into my head. I also misremembered Electric Blue being the name of Debbie Gibson’s second album. Like music on Ms. Gibson’s pop album, this energy drink is bright and sweet. It’s also a bit syrupy, but it’s a familiar taste that I enjoy immensely. And just like the Orange Dreamsicle, it also didn’t have a sucralose-tainted aftertaste, perhaps thanks to its 46 grams of sugar.

With all that said, if I’m standing in front of a wall of Monster Energy options in a refrigerated case, the chances of me pulling out one of these flavors are significantly lower than me picking up something from Monster’s Ultra line because of its lack of sugar. While I enjoy these flavors equally, I agree with Monster Monster and believe these flavors are sometimes beverages for me, much like regular Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper, and Mountain Dew are.

Purchased Price: $2.69 each
Size: 16 fl oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Orange Dreamsicle), 8 out of 10 (Electric Blue)
Nutrition Facts: Orange Dreamsicle – 200 calories, 0 grams of fat, 370 milligrams of sodium, 50 grams of carbohydrates, 46 grams of sugar (including 46 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine. Electric Blue – 210 calories, 0 grams of fat, 250 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 51 grams of sugar (including 51 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, and 160 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Alani Nu Pumpkin Cream Energy Drink

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And so it begins: Pumpkin Season.

But not just any pumpkin season, an extra pumped-up, super caffeinated pumpkin season.

For the first time in its short and successful history, Alani Nu released a limited edition Pumpkin Cream sugar-free energy drink. Growing from a supplement store darling in 2018 to one of the most sought-after and competitive drinks in the entire market, Alani Nu is going where few companies are willing to go: cold, bubbly, sweet pumpkin.

Pumpkin-flavored drinks are nothing new. Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte is the origin of the last two decades’ worth of pumpkin spice obsession, but cold and carbonated is a different story than warm and milky. After the massive success of Alani’s Witch’s Brew, a slightly sour caramel apple-flavored energy drink, I’m not surprised the company is willing to take a big, spooky swing and attempt a new release that could be polarizing for consumers. And indeed, divisive this one will be.

Alani Nu Pumpkin Cream is good, but there’s no doubt that it’s kind of weird. The flavor has that immediate vegetal quality to it. It’s kind of round and slightly funky — unfamiliar, but not bad. This isn’t just merely bubbly spices; it’s pumpkin, akin to jarred or canned pureed pumpkin, and I respect that. Especially when combined with the very present cream quality, it tastes a lot like a scoop of pumpkin ice cream, which is pleasant, but no doubt, again, kind of weird.

The taste is quite sweet with just the slightest dash of cinnamon to support the profile without any other notable spices like nutmeg or ginger, which makes sense as it is pumpkin cream, and not pumpkin spice. Aside from ice cream, this drink also reminds me of another true-to-taste pumpkin product that arrives this time of the year: Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Joe-Joe’s.

It is not a flavor for the faint of heart or part-time pumpkin lovers, and it is far from a crowd pleaser. However, it executes what it is aiming to execute, and that is a pretty autumnally admirable energy drink that’s fun for an occasional seasonal sip.

Purchased Price: $7.99 (I overpaid for an early release, single can)
Size: 12 ounces
Purchased at: Energy Drink City Website
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can, 355mL) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of total sugars, 1 gram of sugar alcohol, and 0 grams of protein.

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