When did you last see a blue raspberry? (Jolt CX2 Blue)

Member Name: edinburgher

Product:	Jolt CX2 Blue
Date:	26/04/09 (168 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious soft drink with extra caffeine, ginseng, guarana and B vitamins

Disadvantages: Fairly unhealthy, not very economical to buy

*When did you last see a blue raspberry?*

Jolt CX2 is a flavoured and highly caffeinated cola from Jolt, a company who have been producing slightly more hardcore versions of family favourites in the United States for roughly twenty five years now. I steadily worked my way through the CX2 range after my lovely girlfriend bought me a crate last Christmas, with the sort of glee normally reserved for female Dooyoo'ers with a Lush sampler!

This drink is a tasty addition to the range, although I really can't see the fascination that junk food manufacturers have with releasing blue products which are raspberry flavoured. After all, when was the last time you saw a blue raspberry?

*Where to find this curious drink?*

Not commonly available in this country, importers include:

www.cybercandy.co.uk
www.americansoda.co.uk
Some cash and carries, but they're a less likely source

A can will set you back in the region of £3 allowing for average postage costs and if I'm honest, this is perhaps a little bit much to pay for an albeit delicious drink. The can is 16 fl oz (~475 ml) and used to be much better value at closer to 700 ml. You'll still get two portions from a can, but the previously massive size was a selling point for energy drink junkies everywhere...

*Neon blue, tastes like happy*

While I shuddered a little at the vibrant blue hue of this drink, the fact that it looked like the Med on a sunny day doesn't detract from the fact that it's delicious.

It's incredibly sweet, actually tastes very strongly of raspberry and has a smooth taste with no unpleasant after taste, slimy mouth or any other of the common problems with soft drinks that contain sugar. It's definitely less carbonated than UK soft drinks, or maybe this is just a side effect of the vast distance it travelled before I drank it? Either way it was a good thing, as this is a fruit based drink and not a cola as such.

The drink sits between a regular soft drink and an energy drink, as it contains a fair whack of caffeine and a lot of sugars. Any more than half a can will provide a nice buzz, ideal for tired commuters, students, those watching TV all night and anyone else who doesn't have the time or inclination to get their energy from a balanced diet and regular exercise. This achieved thanks to twice the caffeine in a can of Red Bull, guarana, ginseng, and B vitamins.

*I love the packaging, but I can't help but feel this isn't very good for me...*

Like the other products in the CX2 range, CX2 Blue is housed in a cool resealable aluminium can shaped like a battery. With the bold lettering and electric blue design on the packaging it has a certain nerdy B movie charm about it. The can is completely recyclable and will keep your drink in airtight slumber until you decide to finish it. Opening the can is a fairly unique experience, as it's both noisy and involves a burst of escaping gas - think any scene from a science fiction movie where someone comes out of a cryogenic tube!

On the nutritional side, there's no escaping from the fact that this drink is fairly unhealthy. It contains a range of different types of sugars (including high fructose syrups that aren't even used in the UK). Don't expect this to make you thin. If, on the other hand, you're looking for an occasional pick me up or a sweet treat, it's relatively not much worse than drinking a half litre bottle of Coca Cola from a vending machine. So enjoy, but remember that doctors don't recommend drinking too many of these sorts of things...

Summary: A strong addition to Jolt's CX2 range, this raspberry marvel is a good treat in moderation