Gives you wings! (Red Bull)

Member Name: shaneo632

Product:	Red Bull
Date:	29/06/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Potent stimulant

Disadvantages: Expensive when alternatives taste just as good

Red Bull was the first major energy drink to roll out in the UK, and the adverts proudly proclaim that "Red Bull gives you wings". The urban myths and rumours about the drink's detrimental health effects are a dime a dozen - I most fondly recall the rumour that a basketball player in the US drank 7 cans in a row, then went for a slam dunk during a game and his heart exploded!

Nevertheless, Red Bull is an exceedingly effective energy drink that's totally vital to get you through the grind of a tough deadline or all nighter of revision. It has admittedly lost a lot of its prominence since the release of the likes of Relentless at a far cheaper price, but it remains a mainstay for sure.

My main complaint is that they just don't sell it in big enough cans - it's easily possible to down a can in a number of seconds, and considering how often these cans cost over £1, it doesn't really spell out value to money. When the likes of Relentless and Monster sell for about £1 per 550ml can (which is double the 275ml that Red Bull cans hold), there's little reason to even bother with Red Bull anymore.

If Red Bull had an astounding taste, then I could understand occasionally choosing it over cheaper alternatives, but it's very sweet, and you can practically feel your teeth eroding as you drink it. That's not to say it tastes bad, but simply that it doesn't exactly taste healthy.

It does have applications on nights out, and is frequently paired with Vodka, although one must be careful when consuming lots of it, because combining a depressant with a stimulant can be pretty dangerous - you can get very drunk without even really realising.

Do I like Red Bull? Sure, but since the advent of similar tasting stimulant drinks at FAR cheaper prices, is there really any point anymore? I personally will not pay the extortionate prices these cans cost on their own (upwards of £1) when I can get a can of Relentless or Monster for often less than that.

Summary: A pricey, but effective stimulant