Review of Bawls Exxtra Energy drink

Review of Bawls GuaraneXX Sugar Free.

Prices: $1.00-3.00.
Size: 10 ounce bottles, 16 ounce cans.
Availability: Limited. Usually sold in gaming stores and computer stores.
Website: http://www.bawls.com

Bawls has a few energy drinks under it’s product line, but unless you play video games, tweak computers, or know someone who does; it is unlikely that you have ever heard of Bawls Energy. It seems the company keeps it that way, they have been making energy drinks since 1996, and that was before Red Bull become all the rage. So this drink is a niche market brand, marketed to gamers and ‘geeks’ but how does it do as a giver of energy?

For this review I am looking at their Sugar Free offering known as Bawls XX, Bawls GuaraneXX, or simply Bawls with Exxtra Caffeine. I got a few of the 10 ounce bottles for 25 cents on clearance, a deal you can’t beat at a computer store known as Micro Center.

Kick:

We’ll take a look at the energy kick first. Bawls prides itself on being a simple mixture, there are no ‘advanced’ or ‘special’ energy blends in here, simply caffeine derived from guarana which is the case with all of their drinks. Being the sugar free variety, there is no sugar which is something that usually hurts the other sugar free energy drinks on the market when compared to their original counterparts.

But Bawls makes up for the lack of sugar with what they promise is “50 percent more caffeine” then Bawls Original drawn from guarana extracts which they claim is more potent than caffeine drawn from coffee beans. Caffeine wise there is 96mg of caffeine per 10 ounce bottle and 150mg in a 16 ounce can of Bawls Exxtra. Which is about the amount you would fine in a very strong cup of coffee.

I have to admit, the kick with this drink is very, very smooth. There was practically no jitteriness and there was no crash to speak of. Some other energy drinks tend to leave you bouncing off the walls and unable to sit still, useless if you are sitting at a computer all night. So that was a big plus, even though Bawl’s motto is ‘Bounce with Bawls’.

I felt that the kick from this drink made me more alert and focused without too much desire to get up and run around. Those not used to caffeine might be more likely to fidget and get some jitters, but nothing like that experienced with drinks such as Rockstar or Cocaine Energy.  

The energy came soon after drinking about half a bottle and remained steady for quite a few hours. Finishing off the bottle after about an hour after starting it ensured that I got a good 6-7 hours of steady but not insane energy. This will vary from person to person, but with no sugar crash I think the buzz here lasts longer than sugar filled drinks.

Taste:

Sadly the taste of Bawls Exxtra is terrible. There is just no way around it. Without sugar this is almost expected, but I’ve had tastier low or no sugar energy drinks. If you have ever had Rockstar Sugar Free, you know what a bad metallic aftertaste tastes like, this drink kind of does the same thing. I’m not sure if it due to artificial sweeteners or the lack of sugar, but the aftertaste leaves you feeling thirsty with a distinct metallic after taste.

I was reminded of some of the lower quality energy ‘shots’ when it came to taste. Bitterness mixed with a bad aftertaste, I suppose it is harder to mask more caffeine (which is bitter naturally) while cutting out the sugar.

Verdict:

As an energy drink, Bawls Exxtra delivers a great caffeine kick without jitters and without all those empty calories. It is a decent drink for it’s niche market, people who spend a lot of time at a computer and it gives a clear and focused buzz.

If you can drink it down and get past the taste, this drink will keep you awake and keep you focused. I think Bawls understands that the taste of this calorie and sugar free drink is pretty bad, to make up for it they have loaded it up with more caffeine. Worth a try if you need a quick caffeine fix without a bigger waistline and don’t mind the taste.