MAD DOG Energy Lemonade vs. Red Bull - The Old and the New
Following recent articles about new developments in the energy drink space, we thought we would expand upon one growing favourite and make a direct comparison with Red Bull to highlight the differences and developments in this sector. We look at comparisons across three key areas: taste, constitution and energy. Before we start, it's good to have a quick run through of the products on the block today.
We have MAD DOG Energy Lemonade which is a fairly new drink coming out of the UK from MAD DOG Drinks Limited. It's a light and zesty flavoured energy drink which tastes just like a classic lemonade but still has the key caffeine and taurine ingredients.
And for those that don't know Red Bull (!?) (www.redbull.com) is a classic energy drink sold in many countries over the world which includes both taurine and caffeine. Both drinks come in slimline 250ml energy drink cans.
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TASTE
This has long been an area of criticism of the classic energy drinks such as Red Bull and so it's no surprise that this is the key area of developments for new competitors.
The MAD DOG Energy Lemonade drink has a much lighter taste and taste just like a zesty classic lemonade. It has a genuine fruity flavour to it and the claim that it's made with real organic lemons seems to come through in initial tastes. The mid and after taste is also smooth and it seems almost impossible to taste the taurine and caffeine components. The sugar levels are mild and this drink really does in fairness do what it says on the tin in that it tastes just like a traditional soda drink.
Red Bull in comparison comes with it's famed more heavy syrup like taste. The flavours are more powerful and artificial and have been likened in blogs and post to gummy bear sweets or even cough medicine. The Red Bull drink certainly has a stronger aftertaste and produces quite a uniqiue but artificial sugary taste of a soda drink.
MAD DOG Energy Lemonade certainly has the edge from a taste perspective - taste like a smooth soda drink and good lemonade product irrespective of the energy components
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CONSTITUTION
The MAD DOG Energy Lemonade is lighter in taste and lighter in make-up. It's way less like a syrup and has more fizz in the drink which further lightens the taste on the tongue. The colouring is also more clear and more like a watery liquid. When pouring the Red Bull in a glass you get this distinct orange type colour and the carbonation is light in the first place and soon dies off quickly.
Sugar levels in the MAD DOG Energy Lemonade also seem to be lower. Although the carbohydrate count is indeed the same, experts say the make-up of the drink produces and significantly lower sugar taste.
MAD DOG Energy Lemonade produces most of its sugar from more natural sources like lemons and fruits whereas the synthetic nature of the Red Bull produces a far sweeter texture. This can be evident in the extraordinarily long shelf life of the Red Bull.
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ENERGY
Here's where the proof is really in the pudding. Energy drinks have come and go with their promises of natural energy lifts or energy from natural sources but in the past many of those drinks have failed to produce the punch of the Red Bull drink. MAD DOG Energy Lemonade doesn't boast alternative sources of energy for its drink - it uses exactly the same ingredients of taurine and caffeine to power its drinks. They claim on their website that through unique matching processes they are able to extra caffeine and taurine in such a way as to avoid any of the classic aftertastes.
Both drinks include 80mg of caffeine and 1,000mg which is suitably enough to get a tired worker going and unsurprisingly they both produce similar energy boosts. If anything the MAD DOG Energy Lemonade drink also has the added benefit that its zesty lemon type flavour produces a more immediate boost as the sharp flavours helps to focus the mind and give the body an immediate jolt into action.
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SUMMARY​
So there we have it - the new generation of energy drinks are really something different and provide tangible benefits to old classics like Red Bull. The tastes are far more genuine and the make-up of the drink is less syrup like whilst at the same time producing identical or potentially enhanced energy boosts. MAD DOG Energy Lemonade as discussed here is one of a unique brand of drinks that can credibly produce fresh flavours without sharp aftertastes whilst generating sound energy boosts.​
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Free samples were sourced for the purposes of this comparison.
Further information is available on: www.maddogenergylemonade.com or www.redbull.com​