Hype's new energy shot is of the new ilk of 2.5fl. oz. energy shots (of which Monster and NOS, among others, also have offerings. Of course, Monster and NOS think they're too good to go out of their way to get some of these into our hands so we can review them). These are a full .5oz larger than the "industry standard" 2oz. energy shots, like 5-hour energy, and On Go Energy Shot. Hype's energy shot is about the same diameter as other energy shots, but the bottle is taller, and doesn't have the annoying plastic wrapping around the top (which can sometimes be problematic to remove). This has a regular twist off cap with a regular safety seal like you would find on a 20oz. Coca-cola bottle. The bottle itself is white, and everything else is silver/blue/red. The white text at the top reads, "Energy Supplement", the vertical text, in silver and red, reads, "Hype Energy Shot". On the sides, also in silver and red, in smaller text, "Marionberry Flavor". There is faint text on most of the label, which appears to read, "Love Hype" in a few different languages, also "The Energy of the Party", "Believe the Hype" and "Energy Drink".
Apparently, the Stig is unaware that a marionberry is really a type of berry. I find his ignorance equal parts amusing and pitiful.
In the packaging and ingredients, I've already noted several differences between Hype and the standard 2oz. energy shot. Another notable difference is that Hype's shot contains carbs and calories. Hype Energy Shot does contain Sucralose, but that's strictly supplementary to the 7g of sugar. I find the overtly synthetically sweet flavor of some energy shots a little unsettling. This is a very tasty energy shot.
Of course, 2.5fl. oz. isn't as convenient to carry as 2oz., so, I can't see this is completely ideal, as it's going to take up slightly more room in your purse, pocket, etc. On second thought, don't transport this in your pocket. On a positive note, in a pinch, you may be able to fool a would-be criminal into thinking it's mace or pepper spray. You may also be able to fool the would-be criminal into thinking that "Marionberry" flavor contains crack...especially if that would-be criminal is the Stig.
As the Stig stated, I would like to have had more than 1 of these to evaluate, with a $2.99 price tag, it's hard to recommend something you tried once, and it didn't knock your socks off. Some products are hit or miss for me. Sometimes I can drink a Green Monster and be more sickened by the sugar content than I am energized, other times, I'm on a sugar and caffeine high, dancing around like a fairy princess. On the other hand, products like DyanPep deliver an inane amount of energy every time. I speculate (but can't prove, since I only had one to drink), that Hype is more like Monster, and that a second ingestion may yield more complimentary results.
While I find the Marionberry moniker amusing, I hope there's no ill-will in its use. While I don't think anyone with a criminal record that includes smoking crack cocaine should be an elected official, it has been almost 2 decades since Marion Barry and his girlfriend (to our knowledge, his wife didn't smoke crack) smoked crack rocks on police surveillance video. We all make mistakes, it's just that most of us aren't elected officials who are cheating on our wives and hittin' the pipe. (Not saying that a great deal of elected officials, particularly the ones named Kennedy, haven't participated in a good deal of the aforementioned, and that Marion Barry was just one of the few that got caught). That being said, I chuckled when I saw it, and was thankful that the flavor was far more "berry"-flavored than what I'd imagine "Barry"-flavored would be.
In fact, this is one of the first drinks that really taste like berries to me. It's not artificial tasting, like suckers or candy, it tastes like naturally sweetened berries, and surprisingly pleasant. I enjoyed it cold, but I don't see where it would make a great deal of difference if you drank it warm.
The ingredients speak volumes for how energizing this drink should be. The noteworthy divergence from from how energizing it should be, is how energizing it actually was, for me. While I enjoyed it, I wasn't profoundly energized. I had exceptionally high expectations, because the day I drank it, I'd slept almost 10 hours the night before. While I hoped to attack the day, full force, and accomplish great things, I committed a performance that was par for the course. I would have liked to have more than one of these to sample, but, that's all that was made available to me. It very well could have just been a bad day, but I have to report my findings, and these are all the findings I have.
At $2.99, this is unquestionably the least appealing product Hype makes. I personally believe that Original Hype is one of the best drinks on the market, so Hype Energy Shot Marionberry Flavor was a vast disappointment for me.