The Xyience Xenergy drink is "the official energy drink" of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). That factoid, combined with all the "x" references in the brand (as in "extreme," we assume), had us thinking that this drink was gonna either majorly kick our asses or help us kick some major ass.
Unfortunately, it did neither. Usually, we don't mind if a drink touted as some sort of super-charged elixir doesn't live up to its hype, so long as it tastes good.
But taste is not a virtue with the Xyience Xenergy drink. Blame the taste of aspartame. These sugar-free drinks won't tell you they have aspartame in them (because aspartame has gotten such a bad rap as an artificial sweetener), but a look at the label reveals the presence of "acesulfame potassium," which is similar to aspartame, and leaves the same bitter aftertaste.
We got the "cherry lime" flavor, which tasted more like pixie sticks mixed with water -- sickeningly sweet. In terms of energy boosting, the Xenergy made us a bit shaky and flushed (what could you expect with 500 percent the recommended daily allowance of B vitamins?), but did not provide the sustained energy we've come to know from brands like Monster and Rock Star. Without sugar, Xenergy can't even provide a proper sugar rush.
In the end, Xyience's energy drink tastes like a bad attempt at getting something on the market for the current energy drink craze, with no regard for quality whatsoever. We can't be too mad at them, though -- everybody seems to be doing it.