I'm sensing a pattern here with the 3 new Amp Energy flavors. First, we had Traction, which tasted like Mountain Dew Pitch Black. Then we had Elevate, which brought back a lot of memories from Pepsi Blue. And now we have
Amp Energy Relaunch, which quite frankly, seems to be very similar in taste to Mountain Dew LiveWire.
This is the orange incarnation in the Amp line, sitting alongside the new grape and mixed berry flavors. It's probably my least favorite of the bunch. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad. In fact, I was surprised that the orange flavor didn't suck, given the use of HCFS and the fact that it's so hard to get a non-fake-tasting orange soda these days.
Relaunch's marketing angle is "Revive", which means the inclusion of electrolytes and B vitamins. Translation: there's a lot more sodium in this drink than the other Amp flavors. Quick breakdown (
more details in my full review):
- 110 mg - Amp Energy Relaunch
- 70 mg - Amp Energy Traction
- 65 mg - Amp Energy Elevate
- 65 mg - Amp Energy Overdrive
- 65 mg - Amp Energy
I think that saltiness sort of hampered my appreciation of the drink, because there was something about the flavor, namely the aftertaste, that didn't taste quite right.
Overall, not a bad entry in the line. It was mild in flavor, not too artificial, and compared to other energy drinks on the market, didn’t taste gross. But I'd probably choose Traction or Elevate over Relaunch if given the choice.