Natural Highs Adina Caramel Kick

A Fair & Honest Energy Drink Review

Natural Highs Adina Caramel Kick Retail Package Description

In the past, I've been most proud of my photography work with Adina products. Someone [cough] Jason [cough] decided to make sure the last can for photography looked like it had been dropped from a third story window. Normally, this is one of the most handsome cans on the market. Really professional. This color scheme is also reminiscent of 40's-50's automobiles, in fact, the beige/rusty orange are the colors of the Adina "drink no evil" bus. Very classic, interestingly, mixed with an avocado color, this color scheme would be equally welcome in the 70's. But, this review will be forever tainted by the can looking like it dated Chris Brown. I'll do my best to make out what's going on from looking at this domestically abused can.

A pleasant rusty orange color band and arch on the top and bottom, with some beige accent areas. The center features a tastefully shiny/unpainted area. The word "Adina" is in cursive and white. "Natural Highs" is in dark coffeeish brown on the banner-looking area above the hoodoo tribal face logo. Directly below the "Natural Highs" is the "Caramel Kick", which is an in interesting font, which unbelievably, I'm unable to identify. At the bottom, they tout (and rightly so) the key features of this product, "fair trade", "columbian coffee with milk" and "antioxidant booster". On the beige band at the bottom it reads, "coffee energy drink". And tiny text at the bottom, "NET WT 8 FL. OZ. (240ml)". Beside the frightning/friendly tribal face which will eerily haunt my dreams for years to come, is the "fair trade certified" logo.

Lastly, the back of the can features the same coffee emoticons as Natural Highs Adina Vanilla Nut Case.

Caffeine Addict's Natural Highs Adina Caramel Kick Review

Something about Adina just tastes natural. With Java Monster, and the myriad of copy-cat products, some alien chemical flavor stays resident in my mouth for hours after I consume it. To boot, the 15oz. of fatty/sugary mix available in other drinks sits in my gut like eating a Vermonster for breakfast. Adina drinks smoothly and has almost no persistently loitering aftertaste. Java Monster Lo-Ball doesn't sit heavy, but tastes a good deal more "synthetic" than Adina's offerings. Unquestionably, the price-to-quantity ratio is much better for Java Monster's line of products, and until you've had Adina's products, you'd swear a canned coffee drink couldn't get any better.

With slightly more caffeine than Red Bull, everyone except Red Bull fanboys (who are magically affected more by Red Bull than science can explain) should at least find Adina at least as affective at energizing them as Red Bull. I personally feel it's reasonably more affective than Red Bull. For people who claim, "All energy drinks tastes like carbonated cotton candy", this should be a welcome change. While I don't think any energy drink tastes like cotton candy, it's actually a commonly-asserted opinion, despite Rockstar clearly tasting like carbonated sweet tarts juice.

If you're a college kid eating Ramen noodles with mixed with Gualtney hot dog pieces, this drink isn't going to fit reasonably into your budget. On the other hand, I'd argue that no energy drink fits into your budget, and you should buy 24 packs of "Mountain Thunder", if you're going to spend any money on canned soda at all. But, if you're a college student with your hand out to the government or you're still attached to your mom by the cord, you can just spend their money (which you didn't earn and probably don't appreciate) on fancy energy drinks. In that case, I recommend buying Adina, because you're too good for work, and you deserve the best...and if anyone complains, the rich republicans are keeping all the magical money pile all for themselves, or your parents hate you...or both.

Energy Junkie's Natural Highs Adina Caramel Kick Review

Like other Adina products, I'm impressed from start to finish with Adina Natural Highs Caramel Kick. As a former graphic designer, I genuinely am impressed with the packaging. It's handsome, and speaks to precisely the same market as the contents of the package. Sure, Adina is only about 30 cents cheaper than a 15oz. Java Monster, and is 7oz. smaller, but I don't think the consumer of a fair trade, all organic with antioxidants coffee really cares about "value" over "quality". So, I do think it's important that the packaging projects that image of "quality".

I can't say with 100 percent certainty that this is my favorite flavor. All the flavors are light and smooth. None leave a heavy coffee aftertaste in my mouth (though Adina Xxpresso certainly has the strongest flavor). This particular flavor melts in my mouth like a caramel chew candy, but without the resulting furry teeth you might expect. Like any coffee drink, you may want to account for the resulting "coffee breath", but this is more a courtesy to those around you. I work alone all day, so I couldn't care less. Additionally, my BO crushes any other smells in my 10'x12', often 80-plus-degree office.

As with almost any drink, it could stand to have a 1/4 teaspoon or so more caffeine. To be fair, I don't think I've ever reported that a non-energy-shot had enough caffeine in it. On one occasion, I even reported, "This chili tastes ok, but it could use more caffeine". Yes, we made monster chili once, and at the Screaming Energy office we have a 500g jar of caffeine "for cooking".

Adina is a San Francisco-based company, and I can't think of a better place for a company like Adina to take root and grow. Adina has a good deal of additional products I look forward to sampling.