Taste Testing the Sneak Energy Drink
There is no escaping that energy drinks are big business for companies. No matter where you are, sponsorships are all over the place for these products, from various sports, such as motor racing and UFC, to E-Sports gaming, there probably is not a day that goes by without seeing an energy drink brand someplace. Gamers seem to be a target for such drinks, being ideal consumers to drink the beverage, and promised by marketing campaigns that it will improve their reactions and perception. Plus, the bonus of being able to stay up later to continue playing their favourite game without feeling fatigued while keeping their attention elevated.
This leads me to Sneak Energy, the second energy drinks company where I have had the pleasure of tasting some of their products. Sneak Energy is a direct-to-consumer zero sugar brand which has created an alternative to many of the legacy energy drinks on the market. It was founded in 2018 by experienced consumer entrepreneurs Will Peirce and Jonny Teeling. They are mainly known for their low-calorie, zero-sugar energy drinks that are available in powder formulas but have begun branching out into canned fizzy drinks as well. Sneak Energy was created to meet that desire for the creative industry including us gamers, developers, producers, photographers and everything in between. I was offered the chance to sample 11 flavours of the Sneak Energy power formulas, something I was interested in doing after reviewing another brand’s options a couple of years ago.
The sample selection
Sneak Energy was kind to offer a wide selection of their flavours for the coverage. In the sample selection were two 400g tubs, one flavoured Blue Raspberry and the other Raspberry Lemonade. Along with this were nine single-use sachets containing the following flavours; Cherry Bomb, Sour Apple, Neon Punch, Tropikilla, Grape Crush, Bubblegum Millions, Purple Storm, Strawberry Watermelon, and Strawberry Millions. This is not actually all their available flavours, as a quick visit to the site also shows others, such as Electric Mango, Rhubarb & Custard, and Breakfast Orange. There are some exciting flavours within the sample set, and even the ones missing sound like flavours I would enjoy. A decent range on offer is good because it means that someone will possibly find a flavour they enjoy over the others. I can tell you I did, which you will find out soon!
Time to sip – the drink review
Grape Crush
My holidays in Japan made me a massive fan of grape-flavoured products, so I had to jump straight into tasting the Grape Crush sachet. Upon opening the sachet, that distinct grape flavour aroma arose from the packet straight into my nostrils. Dropping it into the mixer and giving it a shake made it turn into a wonderful purple colour with a little layer of white foam on top, which had a hint of purple hue. This flavour certainly brought back all those grape-tasting memories, with a similar taste to grape chews/gummies rather than fresh white grapes. It is a distinct taste that is straight to the point. This does not have an aftertaste, mainly the grape taste lingers around in the mouth for a while after swallowing without any surprise. I mixed this with 400ml of water and had no bits left in the bottom of the mixer. This is great because I always felt when drinks do this it spoils the enjoyment. As a fan of grape, this was not a letdown, and in fact, I think this would be amazing in their fizzy can format. This would help me not have to hunt down grape drinks from Japan when I want a fizzy grape drink. 9/10
Cherry Bomb
Next up was that red juicy fruit flavour, Cherry Bomb. I do enjoy cherries, but normally when it comes to cherry-flavoured things, it usually reminds me of the cherry Jolly Ranchers, those hard sweets that I used to enjoy sucking on as a kid. Interestingly, opening the packet, the smell was not much of a cherry hint. It is hard to explain what the scent was. It was not unpleasant, just not what I expected a cherry powder to smell like. It was also a pink colour rather than red, which made the water pink as well. There was not much foam to this one and there was no lingering powder at the bottom when I mixed it with 400ml of water. The scent of the drink when mixed was still like its powder form. When it came to the taste, it tasted sweet and with a hint of Jolly Rancher cherry flavour, but with an essence of flavourings that you expect to find in a bottle of cherryade. It is candied, which helps, as I have a bit of a sweet tooth, but I could not shake the artificial cherry, which is probably what makes up the less-than-natural cherry smell. There was no aftertaste either, in fact, unlike the Grape Crush, this one did not linger in the mouth as much. A fine flavour, but not exciting. 6/10
Sour Apple
People say that an apple a day will keep the doctor away. I am not sure if that applies to energy drinks, but either way, next up was Sour Apple. I quite like sour sweets, but boy, the smell that came out of the sachet when I opened it was pungent. It does not smell like apple, but just something unexplainable, maybe it is the sour essence that is added to give the flavour its sour taste? This time around I decided to mix 350ml water, which might have helped with strength of the flavour, but as I only have one sachet for the Sour Apple, I cannot 100% confirm. After a shake, the smell was better, giving off more of that apple that was missing in its powder form. As for the taste, it certainly has an sour apple tang. Reminds me of sour apple gummy rings I used to eat when I was a child. The sour taste is not strong, so people who grimace at anything that is overly sour might still enjoy this. Not much of any after taste, and not that sweet to say it’s apple flavour, but refreshing and better than Cherry Bomb. 7/10
Purple Storm
Purple Storm was fascinating when I got the sample set, because of its name. What is a “Purple Storm?” I could not piece together what that flavour could be, so there was no assuming what to expect from it. The other three tested so far gave you an idea (grape, cherry, apple). After opening the sachet and giving it a quick sniffle, it reminded me of diluted blackcurrant juice, something like Ribena. I went back to 400ml of water for this one, gave it a quick shake in the mixer and popped the lid for a sniff. Now this was interesting, because while it might have reminded me of Ribena in powder form, it now smelled like a mixed berry sherbet sweet. There was a scent of blackcurrants and raspberries coming from the container. The smell was close to the taste, because this might as well be called Vimto Sneak, as it tastes just like drinking Vimto. It is a fantastic taste, sweet and fruity, and it does not linger in the mouth long after swallowing. I think I just found another favourite to go along with the Grape Crush. 9/10
Strawberry Millions
I was told the next two flavours were Sneak Energy’s first ever collaboration with a brand known as Millions. In the UK, Millions are tiny chewy ball shaped sweets. These sweets come in a variety of flavours, but only two have been made into Sneak Energy flavours. The first one is Strawberry Millions, which was interesting because on opening the sachet, the first thing that came to mind when sniffing was strawberry bonbons. It was not until mixing with 400ml of water that the drink then became to smell more like Strawberry Millions. On drinking, I can say Sneak has managed to capture the taste of those tiny sweets. It tastes like after you have just chewed a mouthful and the aftertaste that is left in your mouth from the juices after swallowing the sweeties. It is an artificial taste, but one that makes sense as the sweets are the same. In all, this was a decent drink, but one suited for people who like those sweets rather than a natural strawberry flavour. 7/10
Bubblegum Millions
Bubblegum Millions is the second of the two collaboration flavours. Ripping the top of the sachet, I was quickly met with a strong bubblegum smell. Even when I used the mixer with 400ml of water, the aroma was rising out of the shaker and into the air. None of the other flavours so far had done this. Its scent is lovely, if you enjoy the smell of bubblegum, of course. The flavour hits sweetly with a hint of bubblegum. One thing to note is the Strawberry Millions has a stronger taste of the Millions flavour, but this one has a little something else to it. This brought back memories of when I was a kid and I would buy the ice cream called Screwball from the Ice Cream Van, which had a bubblegum ball at the bottom of the packaging once the ice cream was finished. Maybe there is a hint of vanilla in this. Overall, not the biggest fan of it, it’s pleasant enough, but sits in the middle of the park. 5/10
Tropikilla
Tropikilla was another one of the flavours that had an unpleasant smell before it was mixed. I was expecting the fruity smell of pineapple, but I truly could not decipher what the smell was. Maybe the sweeteners used to give it the sweet taste? Mixing it with 400ml of water changed that, as gone was the strange smell, replaced with that hint of pineapple, akin to a pineapple soda. The water had changed colour to what was a mixture of yellow-orange. The taste is supposed to be a mixture of pineapple and mango, but I could only really taste the pineapple in this, like a jellybean pineapple flavour. This is wonderful for anyone that is into the refreshing taste of pineapple juice or Monster Ripper. A nice and energizing palate that hits all corners of the mouth and does not linger long after swallowing. 7/10
Neon Punch
Neon Punch was the next sachet to try, looking at me with its pink and green colouring, very electric on the packaging for this flavour. On opening up and giving it the sniff, it smelt like apple-flavoured pencils, those long strips with gummy green texture on the outside and soft white fondant in the middle. This only got stronger during the mixing phase, as the scent raised out of the plastic shaker. It sparks with an electric colour when mixed with 400ml of water, due to its bright, pale green, looking more like the colour of a pear. The flavour on the other hand is a fascinating one. It has a sweet taste but with a tarty sour towards the back end of its aftertaste, less than Sour Apple, which might appease people who prefer the sweeter side to their drinks. I assume this combo is what the flavour’s name is alluding to, being punched from both sides of the spectrum. There is the taste of apple and a slight hint of pear. I could not taste kiwi, which is the third fruit in this mixture. Neon Punch is a solid flavour that people who like apples and pears will enjoy, notably the refreshing taste it provides. 7/10
Strawberry Watermelon
The last sample sachet was Strawberry Watermelon. The packet design presents itself with a washed-out pink colour surrounded by green, in reference to how watermelons look after they are sliced open. From all the taste testing so far, I think it is safe to say that sometimes the odours of the Sneak powder formula smell nothing like the taste and at times they do. Strawberry Watermelon has a weak smell of strawberry bonbons in its powder state, but as soon as I mixed it with 400ml of water, the aroma became more watermelon than strawberry. The mixture goes a very bright pink, could almost be worth calling it Neon Pink due to the colour. Sneak Energy advertise this flavour as “Light, juicy and delicious, like being washed over by a mountain stream.” I can understand the statement, as the watermelon does overpower the strawberry. It is the aftertaste that brings in a hint of the strawberry. It is refreshing, and the watermelon flavour does well to mimic chomping on a triangle cut-out of the fruit, and due to this, it comes across a bit more like flavoured water than an energy drink. 7/10
Blue Raspberry
For the next two flavours I am doing something a bit extra, because these two came in 400g tubs, which means 40 servings, but what that means for the taste test is that I can try various levels of water to see how much it alters the taste of the drink. Blue Raspberry was first up, a classic flavour of Sneak Energy, as I have heard many people enjoy this. The smell in its powder form reminded me of a mixture of sherbet and liquorice, a very bizarre aroma. It began to smell better once mixed in the water, giving off a fruitier scent, but still not quite sure what of. At least it looks cool, a sort of ice blue. For the taste, it has a tangy note, but the flavour tastes similar to the blue raspberry ice pops from a local shop. I guess nowadays something similar would be the Tango Ice Blasts at the cinemas. It’s a pleasant flavour, not really one aiming for a natural flavour, but one that excites and tangs with a hint of sweetness. At 300ml water with the same amount of recommended Sneak, the taste became much sweeter and stronger, and the mixture was foamier after shaking. I do prefer 400ml, as there is a nice balance between the flavour and sweetness. I tried 700ml (the maximum my shaker goes up to) with the same recommended amount and this made it less sweet and less flavoured; like dilute pop. The flavour was still there, so it’s possible to drink it this way if you want a duller version of its strong flavour. I found I could not help but think of blue raspberry ice pops as I drank it, close to one of my favourites, but not quite hitting those heights. 8/10
Raspberry Lemonade
Lastly in the sample is Raspberry Lemonade. This powder had a refreshing and lovely fragrance to it, but interestingly, once mixed with water the scent became more dominant, very razor with its tarty element coming through more than anything else. Mixing with my typical 400ml amount of water and taking a few swigs, the taste was sharp, mainly the lemon flavour, with the raspberry coming in after the lemon has passed to bring a bit of sweetness. It is not overly sour, so I do not think people will mind the taste; if you don’t like lemons, then that might be more of an issue here. I got vibes of Twister lollies or Refresher lollies from this drink. This mixture is another one where the colour is bright, a neon pink that stands out in a clear cup. Following the same pattern as the Blue Raspberry, the same scenario came through with 700ml and 300ml mixtures, so it appears that the water amount results in how sweet and strong the flavour is. Overall, this is a great, sharp, refreshing and enjoyable drink. 8/10
So did Sneak Energy work?
Always a point to make with energy drink reviews is that I am not a researcher/doctor/professor with any degree about the human body or how it uses all these ingredients to convert into energy function. All I can do is say how I felt after using Sneak Energy over the last month. My first day came with a massive mistake of having a drink after 6 pm, as that night, going to bed at my usual time of around midnight, I simply could not get to sleep and the last time I remember looking at the clock was close to 3 am, which is not great for a work night. On the weekend though, it was brilliant, and I was hammering out long sessions without feeling fatigued. In that regard, I can say it does the job of keeping your body in a state where it does not want to go to sleep, a state of alertness that help kept me feeling awake.
Sneak Energy specifies itself as a “clean energy formula – it improves your performance without the junk. We’ve packed Sneak full of amino acids, vitamins and minerals – and with added caffeine, your energy levels will increase, your focus will be sharper, and you’ll feel refreshingly hydrated“. The lack of sugar in Sneak’s formula means no sugar crash, no suddenly getting tired and needing to have a nap or eat more sugar to fend off the crash. I never once felt off or had any headaches or other side effects that can come with drinking energy drinks. Of course, one has to be careful with caffeine intake. It states not to have more than two servings, that is 2 x 10g scoops/sachets, a day. Each serving of Sneak Energy contains 150mg of caffeine, which is about the equivalent of two cups of coffee, which means a third would push it over the recommended caffeine intake.
Sneak Energy Verdict
The last month has been a fun experiment going through all the Sneak Energy samples. With only a couple of flavours coming across as okay, and none awful, it was pleasant to drink them all. Most flavours were tasty and I would personally go out and buy myself a tub of Grape Crush or Purple Storm once the sample tubs are depleted. I think that is a fair validation of a product if I would buy them after sampling them, especially if they keep experimenting with flavours, as I love it when companies come up with something different, as I just have to taste it.
I find the trend to go to powder formula for an energy drink makes for a good alternative to fizzy drinks, especially ones that are packed with sugar. Sneak Energy seem to have cracked this formula by offering great and unique flavours that mix well with water (I highly recommended 400ml), which do not leave any mess at the bottom. The only side effect was that some of them would foam up after being shaken, but this does not spoil the overall taste of the drink, as the main concern in powder mixtures is the granules sinking to the bottom, making the last sips gritty on the teeth. Thankfully, Sneak Energy never once did this. In the end, the price for a 400g tub is £39.95 for 40 servings, a 150g tub is £20 for 15 servings, and a pack of taster sachets is £9 for six sachets of one serving. The selling price is not any more than other brands, and I feel £1 a drink is a fair exchange for having to mix it yourself with water.
I highly recommend giving Sneak Energy a go for anyone who drinks energy drinks, especially canned ones, to see if this can offer you a healthier alternative. Sneak Energy is low in calories, about 12 per serving, fitting great into a low-calorie diet, and the pricing, especially for the 400g, seems affordable. You can find Sneak Energy’s full range by following this link.
About Sneak Energy
Sneak are on a mission to inspire you to create, with their clean energy alternative. Their sugar-free formula is a different kind of energy drink, with natural colours and flavours to give you a powerful, sustained energy boost.
Sneak’s strong and vibrant brand identity resonates with its core customer-base of new-media creatives, creators, and gamers, as demonstrated by its range of merchandise and lifestyle apparel. Featuring an instantly recognisable rabbit logo, and an engaged customer base that is fully invested in Sneak’s ethos and exclusive unique flavour and limited-edition drops.
Suited to the next generation of consumers that care about the ingredients in their products, Sneak Energy has grown a loyal following in the gaming and creative industries. Sneak’s loyal consumer base now has over 20k active Facebook and Discord community members, where Sneak drops exclusive products, prizes and more for the most dedicated Sneak fans.
Amassing over 100K 5* reviews online, as well as being championed by over 200 Sneak ambassadors, and celebrities of the gaming & creative world including Mark Goldbridge, Jack Joseph and Have a Word Podcast.