XL and XL Sugar Free

While searching around the internet for energy drinks, I ran across an older drink that I had not tried yet.  The name of the drink is XL.  I contacted the company and they were very kind and hooked me up with some samples.  They sent me 3 flavors all together I will be reviewing the original and sugar free in this review (look for the cranberry flavor review soon).

The Look:  XL comes in 8.4 oz cans.  The front is kept very clean with the letters XL in a red font on the front and a different color of can depending on flavor.  Turning it around there is nutritional information and the usual ingredient list.  Very simple can but it does the job fairly well.  I would like to see the caffeine content listed (I know I sound like a broken record) but other than that there are no complaints.

(7.5 out of 10)

Taste:  When I opened up each can I knew right away I was in for a Red Bull clone (this is not always a bad thing, some Red Bull clones kick ass).  The flavor for each is a bit sweeter than Red Bull and has a heavier amount of vanilla flavor to it.  I really enjoyed both of these and would easily reach for one over a Red Bull.  I haven't tried them as a mixer yet but I bet they would work great.  

(8 out of 10)

Does It Work:  Inside each can there is caffeine (undisclosed amount but likely 80 mg), riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and pantothenic acid.  After drinking one of these down I got a buzz that was dead on with a standard size 8 oz drink (ie Red Bull).  If Red Bull still does the trick for you then you will like these a bunch.  I had to drink 2 of them to really get going.

(7 out of 10)

Overall Thoughts:  XL is an example of how to take a flavor and make it better.   I have nothing bad at all to say about XL and I would easily grab one if they were available in my area.  If you run across one pick it up and let me know how you like it.

Official Website:  http://xl4you.com/en/index.html