Review: Mandarin

El Rey Energia is a low-calorie, value-priced energy drink that is targeting Spanish speaking consumers. The product comes in a single flavor, Mandarin, and is sweetened with a somewhat unique blend of agave, sucralose, and Ace-K. From a flavor perspective, it loosely tastes like diet orange soda, but with a lighter level of sweetness and a sweetener aftertaste. To that end, it’s certainly a tolerable product to drink, but they haven't created anything that will have this product win on taste alone. In terms of energy ingredients, it has a pretty standard blend, including B vitamins, caffeine (80 mg per 8 oz.), and amino acids. The can, which is a 16 oz. can, features Spanish and English language translations for most of the text. The company states (on its website) that this is a value-priced offering. That’s a good idea -- this brand certainly isn't going to jump out unless it's at a lower price than the competition. There's something about it that feels sterile or generic. Giving it some personality, perhaps by utilizing the kind image that's on the back of the can, might help. Otherwise, we’'re not sure where this product, which is vying for a piece of the super competitive (and also lacking in loyal customers) value energy space, fits in.