XL Cranberry Energy

A Fair & Honest Energy Drink Review

XL Cranberry Energy Retail Package Description

The XL Cranberry Energy can is mostly red and black, it's the Red Bull-sized 250ml (8.3-8.4fl. oz) can. The colored dots fade in and out from red to black. On the front a red and black "XL" outlined in metallic, "Cranberry Energy" is in metallic, shadowed in black. Since this is an import, all the ingredients are listed in another language, and the English stats are added on a sticker. I didn't know what the sticker was for at first, but when I realized this was a worldwide export, it made sense for production cost purposes to just slap a sticker on there. Besides the can texture difference, you don't even really notice the sticker.

Caffeine Addict's XL Cranberry Energy Review

Since the beginning of the energy drink craze, approaching a decade ago now, the industry has been plagued by one thing, overpriced copies of a drink ignorant commenters on our site refer to as, "the original energy drink that was here before any other energy drink" and "king of all energy drinks", leading me to believe there are more Red Bull knock offs than there are people still making Charlie Sheen jokes. All the hype about Red Bull being the paragon of energy drinks, or being even remotely near the first-to-market is ridiculous. Moxie, now a synonym for energy was first available in 1876 and Coca-Cola started dropping 9mg of cocaine in their drink in 1886. Additionally, a $2 Red Bull is functionally (and nearly scientifically) equivalent to a 6oz. cup of coffee with a couple of teaspoons of sugar...what a value. Meanwhile, Bookoo Bite is the only functional clone of Monster we can recall.

Normally 1 of every 3 drinks we receive goes directly into the "Fake Red Bull" bin, likely never to be consumed, and certainly not reviewed. Such is the case with XL energy, within the blue "USA" can we found that old familiar foamy salty sea water Red Bull flavor that's so popular among the mindless sheep. In the white can, what appears to be a failed NutraSweet-flavored salt lick experiment. Then, in the bottom of the box, the proverbial diamond in the dog turd. An enjoyable variation on the old classic post-vomit acidic throat burn flavor of original Red Bull.

Everyone who sampled XL Cranberry agreed it was an improvement from Red Bull. A taste improvement in a generic? Other brands try to do that by adding a few more grams of sugar, but adding an entirely different flavor? Unheard of.

All the XL flavors are as affective, or unaffective as Red Bull, but even at half the price, I still only think XL's Cranberry Energy is a noteworthy value.

Energy Junkie's XL Cranberry Energy Review

XL Energy makes several flavors, and tout a new lemon-lime flavor that we'd be interested in trying. Unfortunately, the other two flavors they sent us are just Red Bull knockoffs. The whole line retails for $1 to $1.50, which makes it a noteworthy knockoff , particularly if you can get it on the low end. The regular and sugar free are seriously like Red Bull in a different can. If you like Red Bull, you should seriously switch to XL Energy right now. That is, assuming you want to continue to wallow in the mediocrity with Red Bull's "drinkable" flavors.

XL Cranberry Energy is noteworthy, not only for the $1 value price, but because the tart "cranberry" flavor (which we believe, based on the ingredients actually comes from elderberry, one of the delicious ingredients in Hype Energy), I consider it on par or superior to Red Bull in every way. Concerning it's energizing qualities, no new ground here, it's really just a Red Bull replacement, which is fine when the product tastes better and is a great deal cheaper.