Monday, March 30, 2009

Review: No Fear Motherload









When you've used the color red to denote No Fear Regular, and blue to mark No Fear Sugar Free, that probably would lead you to green… which is the color of No Fear Motherload.



No Fear Motherload


Now, one might be scared with the green color given our negative experience with another beverage that shared that same hue AND also had the word "Mother" in the title. We, of course, are talking about Full Throttle Mother. Luckily, this 16 oz. can of No Fear Motherload doesn't share much in common with that now-discontinued, disgusting drink.



The marketing angle of Motherload seems to be "300% Recommended Daily Allowance of Vitamins B6, B12, and C" while also having a "guanabara-berry flavor." Like the other flavors in the No Fear line (distributed by Pepsi), the can is black and highlighted by an accent color — which as we've previously noted, is green. The No Fear logo sits at the top of the can, right above the "skull with wings" logo. A green-colored banner proclaiming "Super Energy" is below that, followed by the bold, green lettering of "MOTHERLOAD".



Unlike the berry scents of No Fear Regular and No Fear Sugar Free, Motherload smells more like citrus when opened. The color skews more towards a orange/yellow rather than a yellow/green.



As for the taste, we're talking an experience more akin to tropical fruits… grapefruit, guava, kiwi… thrown in with an energy drink blend. There's a bitterness present, like the other No Fear drinks, but I found it a tad bit smoother. As I mentioned, this drink tends to have a tropical influence, but it's hard to pin point exactly just what that is. This drink hit the marketplace in 2008, and frankly, I think I like the flavor a bit more than No Fear Regular. As for what the self-described "guanabara-berry flavor" is, your guess is as good as mine.



Also of note is the inclusion of glycerol ester of wood rosin in the ingredient list. Wikipedia notes that this "is a food additive used as an emulsifier and stabiliser, to keep oils in suspension in water," and is common in soft drinks. The different, smoother texture of this beverage might be associated with that ingredient.



No Fear Motherload contains 182 mg. of caffeine, which breaks down to 11.4 mg/oz., one of the highest levels for a No Fear energy drink. (The regular flavor averages out to 10.9 mg/oz.). This compares to Red Bull's 9.64 mg/oz. and Monster's 10.00 mg/oz. Pepsi's Amp Energy features 8.875 mg/oz., while Coke's Full Throttle has 9.0 mg/oz.



Feeling thirsty? If you drink the entire can, it's going to cost you 260 calories, 200 mg of sodium, and 66 g of sugars. When you take a look at the inclusion of nutritional supplements, this 16 oz. can contains 100 mg of guarana extract, 2000 mg of taurine, 200 mg of inositol, 100 mg of ginseng extract, 50 mg of L-carnitine, and 20 mg of arginine. The big "300% DV" numbers are produced by 360 mg of Vitamin C, 12 mg of Vitamin B6, and 36 mcg of Vitamin B12.



Did I noticed an increased "buzz" or "boost" from this drink? Well, not more so than I previously experienced with the other No Fear flavors. Don't get me wrong, I liked the taste, but wouldn't go out of my way to drink it because it proclaimed to have a lot of Vitamin C. That's what a multivitamin is for! :)



A full ingredient list is as follows:

No Fear Motherload Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, taurine, natural flavor, sodium citrate, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), inositol, caffeine, monopotassium phosphate, gum arabic, grape seed extract, L-carnitine, glycerol ester of wood rosin, panax ginseng root extract, pyridoxine hydrochloride, L-arginine hydrochloride, zinc methionine sulfate, guarana seed extract, caramel color, selenium complexed with amino acids and polypeptides, beta carotene (color), folic acid, cyanocobalamin


No Fear Motherload is a rather tasty, tropical-influenced drink that has a smooth taste that is bookended by a harsh bitterness. For some reason, the smooth/bitter combo works, producing an energy drink that's bound to keep you bouncing off the walls with its 11.4 mg/oz. of caffeine!



Full Disclosure: This beverage was provided compliments of No Fear


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