"IBE Mood Enhancing Energy Drink" states the unique black plastic bottle ordained with chemical structures of what appears to be caffeine (I should know this, but chemistry was my shortcoming) and lightning bolts. Some bold text on the front reads, "MATRIX THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENERGY DRINKS". "Sugar Free" appears as well and "Best Served Chilled" is on here twice, perhaps we should serve it chilled. The side of the bottle recommends drinking 30 minutes before activity. Then comes a host of more concerning statements, after the standard recommendation of not exceeding 3 servings per day. The bottle warns, "Do not drink on an empty stomach, may increase body temperature and decrease appetite". Well, that seems harmless enough. I carried on reading, there was the warning about being for adults, and not for pregnant women, more of the standard announcements. Then my eyebrow raised again, "Consult with a physician before taking this product, particularly if you are taking prescription medications. Do not use this product if you have, or have a family history of heart disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure or if you are using monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) or any other dietary supplement, prescription drug, or over-the-counter drug containing ephedrine, pseudophedrine or phenypropanolamine (ingredients found in certain allergy, asthma, cough and cold, and weight control products). Exceeding recommended dose may cause adverse health effects. Individuals who are sensitive to caffeine or have a medical condition should consult a licensed health care professional before consuming this product. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN." After reading the warning I had one overwhelming feeling, this is going to be AWESOME! I've never seen anyone use all caps on the "keep out of children" warning.
I didn't follow many of the rules, I have a family history of heart disease and diabetes. I even drank one of these on an empty stomach, and lived to tell about it. After risking life and limb, all that matters is that this stuff works, and works as well as anything we've experienced while drinking around 200 different energy drinks to-date. For me, drinking matrix, compared to other energy drinks, is like watching a SONY LCD 1080p playing a Blue Ray disc compared to a Daewoo 19" tube television playing an old family video with it's partially functioning built-in VCR. Not only is the taste very much to my liking, it's even sugar free without tasting like artificial sweetener. It's tart, non-carbonated, and does drink fairly smoothly when (and this is the one place I followed the directions) served ice cold.
This drink offered me concentration levels I'd equate to descriptions I've heard of Adderall. I was able to meticulously examine the teeth of an orator for any period of time while they carried on about anything from their tea drinking hobby or how Bonita Maria is. My mental prowess was on the verge of dangerous. I felt John Nash, without the schizophrenia.
But with great power comes a rather hefty price. Our best find was around $3.19 for 8oz. of drink. My advice, find a way to free up $3.19 for 8oz. of energy drink. Think I'm crazy? Try one of these. You'll find yourself driving your gas guzzling SUV 8 miles less a day to squeeze an extra $3.19 out of your budget. Maybe if Hillary becomes president, she can magically find a way to make Matrix Energy Drink cheaper, the way she apparently magically plans to provide everyone health care and lower gas prices. Then, maybe she just assumes you're ok relinquishing 70% of your income to let the trustworthy government aptly manage every aspect of your life, just like they've so fittingly managed all the aspects we've already surrendered to them, you know, like Social Security and Medicare. I can't wait to get my gas and milk tokens. I'll be the most popular guy in my shanty town. In closing, buy the drink.
This drink hits hard, like an Apollo Creed-killing punch from that communist pig Ivan Drago. Stallone should have thrown in the towel before I finished this drink, and before making this new Rambo movie. I felt like I was getting more air than usual when breathing. I could imagine what touching parts of my head would feel like. I was more aware of my X,Y,Z coordinates and the space that my body mass displaced. I could picture the air moving around me as I walked. I paid no mind to things like temperature, ear-piercing screams of children, or Maria's Bonitaness. I call Matrix Energy Drink my spider sense. I very rarely consider the effect of an energy drink to be profound, this is genuinely a perfect 10, a designation we've only unanimously assigned to 3 other drinks, 5-Hour Energy Shot, Rockstar Zero Carb and Upshot Fruit.
I don't care as much for the taste; it's a little bitter for me, though not unpleasant. The aftertaste is a little too tart for me, but the effectiveness makes even talking about the taste seem ridiculous. It's like saying, "I heart Mt. Rushmore, but Jefferson was supposed to be on Washington's right".
At $3.19, I would make another Mt. Rushmore analogy, but costing too much is precisely why they didn't finish sculpting it. So, pony up the money, if you don't like the taste, get over it, and enjoy the energy rush!