Caffiend: Liquid Blow

We've covered so many caffeinated products in this column over the past year that sometimes it's hard to find the next product for review. But whenever we're looking for the latest in high-octane sodas and energy drinks, we just stop by Pop the Soda Shop on 74th street in Scottsdale. Not only is the place like a warehouse of carbonated kick ass, but the associates there always have good recommendations.

So it was with Liquid Blow, a "hyper caffeinated" pop recommended to us by one of Pop's employees. He said this brand was his favorite because it lacks Taurine, the ingredient in many energy drinks that gives it a funky, semi-bitter flavor. So we tried it, and we've got to admit we were impressed.

Indeed, Liquid Blow doesn't taste anything like other energy drinks. The liquid is almost clear, and the taste is sweet and refreshing. It tastes like sipping a cream soda, rather than gulping battery acid. The caffeine in the blend is from Guarana, and there are only 26 grams of sugar per can (less sugar than a 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew). There's no Taurine or the usual B-vitamin overload of energy drinks -- just a lot of flavor, and a decent amount of caffeine.

The exact amount of caffeine isn't listed on the can, but we were perked up for a good two hours after drinking Liquid Blow ("perked up" being different from "cracked out," which is how some energy drinks make us feel). This is definitely worth a second try, if only to give us another reason to stop by Pop the Soda Shop.