This isn’t gonna be pretty.
We were contacted by a company who wanted to send us their “candy” to review. Hell yes we say, bring it on. OLways. When they arrived, I saw that they’re packaged like your garden variety single serving mints, albeit in a funkier package: Revive Energy Mints.
The deal on these is that they’re energy boosting mints with natural antioxidants up the yin yang: green tea, ginseng, acai, goji, mangosteen and guarana. Say that even ONE time fast.
Here’s where things get murky. We review candy, and these aren’t candy. Sure they are, you’re saying! They’re a mint, which is sort of a candy! You’d be kinda right, but here’s the problem with that: when I’m sitting on the couch, brain dead, watching an episode of “Rescue Me”, my first inclination isn’t to reach for mints as candy refreshment. And even if it was, I sure as hell wouldn’t choose these, as I’m not partial to being up all night due to my candy choices.
OK then, let’s just call this what it really is: an energy supplement. Fine. I’ve had my dalliance with Mr. Red Bull, so I was game to try this one. I love energy. I need energy. Seriously, I have none.
Cut to: this Tuesday. Took the day off work to help with some family issues, and I also had a concert to go to that night (Sunny Day Real Estate at the Filmore, and yes, it did rock balls thank you very much). At around noon, I was hanging out with my son as he pretended to take a nap.
Cute little bastard.
Anyhow, as I could barely keep my eyes open, I thought that would be a good time to test out the Revive mints.
The package says that one mint is equivalent to one energy drink. So I popped only one mint in my mouth. The taste? Uh…not great. It’s more or less your basic mint taste, but there’s something else going on there that isn’t so super terrific. Almost a chalky, residual…medicinal flavor. Regardless, I chewed it up and started playing the waiting game.
I can’t say that I ever felt its affect. However, I also didn’t fall asleep at the wheel driving my kid to the library either, so…there’s that. In the past, when I’ve had a Red Bull, or a cup of coffee, which are supposed to be more or less equivalent in caffeine levels, I don’t so much as feel an energy burst, but more of an all-over alertness. I didn’t feel that this time. I’m guessing that if I had taken two, I might have had better results, but I also happen to be slightly sensitive to caffeine, in that I sometimes feel like I’m having a Grand Mal seizure or heart attack if I suck down too much. So…I wasn’t really eager to keep popping these things in my mouth until I “felt something”.
I want to stress that we appreciate being sent samples of new products, and truly do want to try everything we can get our hands on. I know that this product will find a lot of customers who love the antioxidant angle, mixed with a slight energy boost in their normal mint: I’m just not one of them.
Revive Energy Mints are available at Amazon.com among other online sites, if you’re so inclined. Me, I prefer my candy the old fashioned way–late at night, in great quantities, so I can hide my shame from the world.
I dig the flavor, there seems to be a decent hint of chocolate to me. But a couple minutes after eating one, my chest feels tight, like someone is squeezing my heart. It doesn’t hurt, but the pressure is somewhat disconcerting.