When reviewing a product, there are a number of aspects that need to be taken into consideration: appearance, presentation, convenience, price, and most importantly – does it meet the needs and therefore the expectations of the consumer. Fortunately for me, U.S. Patriot Tactical provided me an opportunity to review all four Strike Force Energy drink flavors and tell you guys what I think. It is important to know that I am enthusiastic about clean and natural food in order to properly fuel and prepare my body and lifestyle for all possible outcomes. This aspect of my life played a huge role in the review of this product.
BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
This review included input from several other people, some of whom are familiar with competing products and others who don’t use drink additives at all. The overall view of this product from a collective standpoint is the concept and look of the product are great, and the convenience of use is outstanding. While certain flavors are up for individual debate, the actual ingredients with zero calories and sugar is a huge plus. The overall grade out of a 1-10 scale for this product is a 7.
Strike Force Energy – Unboxing
When I found out I was to review this product, I refrained from looking at the website to avoid any preconceived opinions of the company or their products. I wanted to see what my natural reaction would be from opening the box and seeing their product and brand for the first time. When opening the box, the first glimpse of the Strike Force brand was very appealing. First, their logo is fantastic. Second, they are veteran-owned. With a number of companies out there that have the veteran-owned approach, it was great to see a company that keeps the veteran appeal but has their own ideas and concepts.
It was extremely easy to tell the difference in the flavors and which boxes contained each flavor based on their coloring. The next thing that stood out after the packaging design was the messaging in the top left corner. With the clear and concise statement of zero calories and zero sugar, I was immediately intrigued at the concept of these drink packets being a better choice than the typical high sugar energy drinks sold in every grocery and convenience store.
Next, the box design is very handy. The front of the box opens like a door, instead of the traditional tear-open box top that doesn’t reseal. This concept was interesting and quite useful and added to my initial satisfactory view of the product.
Using Strike Force Energy
The next step was to actually open and use the drink mix. When opening the packet, one of the aspects the group didn’t care for was the “tear open from the top to the side” like a ketchup packet. With more traditional packets, you normally tear across from side to side, and then pinch and pour. Strike Force uses the method of tearing from the top and transitioning to the side, so you get one side of an open package instead of the entire topside. This is not a deal breaker by any means, just a preference, since I always use scissors to cut open individual packages due to having many drink packets spill on me in the past. What happened next though was a huge surprise!
Pouring the mix into my cup of water was very quick, and I didn’t even see any mixture pour out. After stirring the water and taking a sip, it was evident that the mixture was in there. Still surprised and trying to sort out what happened, I opened another and examined closer. The mixture is a clear liquid! This is fantastic – no gritty powder! Between all of the protein shakes, zero sugar drink packets, and other mixtures, I am so sick of the powders that don’t mix completely. This is a huge upside when compared to other drink mixtures that always have a gritty residue towards the end of the drink. None of that here. A quick pour, a stir or shake, and you’re ready to go with your enhanced drink. And another bonus – no artificial coloring!
How Does Strike Force Taste?
With each box containing ten packets each, I was able to make plenty of drinks to spread around for everyone to taste and rate. Personally, I enjoyed all four flavors (Original, Orange, Grape, and Lemon) with one obvious standout. The downside of taste testing product is, who am I to know and decipher what everyone else likes? The group rated them from 1 through 4, with 1 being the least favorite and 4 being the best. It is also important to note that the participants were not told which flavors they were drinking until after the test, so preconceived opinions were avoided. Here is how the flavor profile came out:
Original
The lowest rated flavor was the Original. Going by the directions, one packet was mixed with 17 ounces of water. The general consensus was that it was slightly too sweet. Although bearable for most, when compared to the other three, Original was the least favorite.
Lemon
Next highest rated was the Lemon flavor, which came in slightly better than Original because it’s not as sweet. A few participants stated that it tasted similar to the Original flavor, but not enough to make a huge difference in the ratings. It is important to note that the folks who didn’t like the Lemon flavor are also the same people who do not care for lemonade. So if you enjoy lemonade, you might like the Strike Force lemon flavor.
Orange
Third highest was Orange, which was liked by almost everyone. Just about every single person rated this flavor as better than the previous two, and they enjoyed the overall taste.
Grape
And finally, Grape was the winner by a long shot. Every single participant enjoyed the Grape and marked it as the best flavor out of all four. Not one person had a negative review for the grape, and almost everyone finished the entire drink and highly enjoyed it.
Strike Force Energy Price Comparison
Lastly, I want to talk briefly about the price of these packets. With their slogan of #kickthecan, they have done a great job on branding and marketing their products. With their promise to buy a can, donate a can, you can’t help but salute their support of the military community. Not to mention, at $9.99 for a box of ten, you are basically paying $1 per drink. Unless you’re buying a Ripit, (which most of us Iraq vets have moved well past) you’re not able to buy a can from the local commissary for anything less than $1.30. And nothing in that price range tastes as good, is sugar-free and calorie-free, is a liquid water additive, and has no artificial coloring. Not a bad deal!
Overall Conclusion
All that being said, I firmly believe that Strike Force Energy is a great company, with a great brand, that’s dishing out a superior energy drink product. With a variety of different flavors that should meet every consumer’s palette, the entire line receives a well-deserved thumbs up. With the liquid form, open-in-the-front box, and more natural nutritional profile, I will definitely continue using this product and recommending it to others in the future. I hope to experience new and improved flavors in the future and look forward to whatever new and exciting products they may have to come!
Disclaimer: The content in this article is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of US Patriot Tactical.
