The Redfin Energy bottle is mostly blue and oceany, which makes a great deal of sense, if you're not a dullard, since redfinned sharks live in the ocean. To a lesser extent because most energy shots live in the ocean, and only migrate upstream to spawn. The label predictably features a large red fin, in case interpreting painfully self-explanatory pictographs isn't your strong suit, it also has the text, "Redfin Energy". Also textually spelled out for denser portion of the assemblage, "Up to 6 hours of Energy - Attack Fatigue - B Vitamin Power - Only 4 Calories - Works Fast, Long Lasting, Stay Alert & Focused, No Sugar, No Crash". Who knew you could get this much text on a 2oz. bottle? The author continues, "Shake Well - Sports (you'll be good at them...sorry, I couldn't resist) - Recreation - 2nd Wind - Work - Travel - Evenings Out - 2FL OZ (59ml) - Energy Supplement - Tamper Evident Do Not Use if Seal is Broken - Wildberry Natural and Artificial Flavors". That just about covers the front half of the Redfin Energy bottle. [Brief Intermission - insert elevator music and a funny cartoon drawing of popcorn fighting a sugar daddy here] Now that everyone has returned to their seats, "Suggested Use: Drink entire bottle at once for maximum energy. Do not exceed more than 1 bottle every 6 hours. Drink 1/2 bottle for moderate energy. Discard remaining liquid within 3 days of opening. No refrigeration required. Store at room temperature. Use only as directed. CAUTION: Contains the equivalent caffeine of two cups of coffee. Avoid combining with other sources of caffeine to avoid nervousness, sleepiness and occasionally rapid heart beat. Do not take within 6 hours of bedtime. This product is not recommended for use if you are pregnant or nursing, or children under 18 years of age. Consult with your physician before using if you are sensitive to stimulants. You may experience a niacin flush (hot sensation, skin redness) that lasts a few minutes. This is caused by niacin (Vitamin B3) increasing blood flow to the skin. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN. www.redfinenergy.com." We're heading into the homestretch, "Manufactured Exclusively for: Boston Ideas, LLC Thomasville GA 31792 (229) 225-1462. Copyright 2008 Boston Ideas, LLC All Rights Reserved. Made in the USA. Individual results may vary."
When we reviewed 925 Energy, we raved about the taste. The in-house consensus was that you couldn't aspire to make a finer tasting energy shot, which would affectively mask the taste of 120mg of caffeine. It received perfect 10s from both reviewers. Just a few months later, I'm in awe that RedFin has not only been able to make the taste of RedFin (which has a similar taste to 925) equally enjoyable, but done so with an implausible 200mg of caffeine. While I don't want to take away from the accomplishments of 925, this drink skews the scales, and practically begs for a reevaluation of 925s perfect 10 taste rating.
200mg of caffeine is serious. In fact, I've known people who regularly consume sodas like Mountain Dew, who were adversely affected by that much caffeine at once. So, I strongly recommend you start with drinking a half a bottle, then determining your need for the other half after 15-30 minutes. Like DynaPep, this product is profoundly potent, and is never even remotely intended to be consumed more than one at a time. As with most energy shots, drinking half for your first experience is also wise to determine the probability you will have a niacin flush, which could be more frightening with RedFin, as the 200mg of caffeine will likely contribute to increased heart rate, which could heighten the chances of having a panic attack. The aforementioned warnings are not to discourage you from buying this product, by no means. If you're a serious caffeine junkie, or are intimately familiar with how you react to niacin and caffeine, then simply order RedFin now. The above warning is for people who think they're "experts" and write comments on our site about how they've "tried about every energy drink there is", and think all energy drinks are as defanged and declawed as Red Bull or 5-hour energy's current offerings.
The price, which ranges somewhere between $3 each down to $2.25, depending on the quantity you order, is a tad rich for my blood, but this is a pleasant tasting drink that is strong enough to make your palms sweat. To put that in perspective, I dare say that RedFin Energy Shot is twice as strong as many other energy shots on the market.
I'm scared of Redfin sharks, since my cousin got attacked by one when we were Narwhal hunting off the coast of Greenland.
Despite my Erythryselachophobia, I was easily persuaded to imbibe something that was free, and purported to increase my energy level. The 200mg of caffeine brought me around to the here and now like a sobering duel-challenging gentlemanly glove slap in the face. On top of that, even with a healthy dose of caffeine (equivalent to around two cups of coffee), they've managed to almost completely neutralize the pungent taste of caffeine.
Red Fin tastes like something akin to a mixture of Hawaiian Punch and Tropical Punch Kool-Aid. In case that doesn't sound that impressive, let me quantify that statement by saying that any 2oz. beverage with 200mg of caffeine should taste like 2 tablespoons of cough syrup, mixed with 2 extra strength Goody's headache powders, and a tablespoon of pureed gritty orange zest...something like the original 5-hour energy (not the toothsome nerfed version they're peddling in convenience stores for $3 a pop now).
At the time of this review, if you order Redfin Energy Shots from the Redfin website, you get free shipping and deep discounts on orders of 4 cases or more. Reducing the cost to around $2.25 per energy shot. Particularly if you're accustomed to parting with $3 for an inferior 5-hour energy product at the store counter, you'll be elated with the quality of this product and the convenience of having it delivered to your door for around 2/3 of that price. I'd, of course, like to see this more in the price bracket of Crakshot or the prices currently available for OnGo Energy in our online store, but simply stated, this drink just delivers more caffeine, and more energy, and when you need that extra boost, you have to ask yourself, "is it worth an extra 75 cents to know I'm going to have that extra energy?".