Panel Unimpressed With Energy Drinks

Drinks don’t just quench our thirst anymore. The market is saturated with beverages containing added vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements, as well as claims that they will boost our memory, energy level and even our intelligence.

But, really, most of us want to know one thing: Do they taste good?

We put three different “energy drinks” to the test. None of them wowed our Reader Food Panel. Two products - Ora and Sobe - were separated by a mere fraction of a star in the taste category. The other, Gatorade’s Torq, ranked last in both taste and value for its price. None ranked higher than “fair.”

We served cheese between the drink samples to help our tasters cleanse their palates (just like at a fine wine tasting). Always looking for an opportunity to compare products, we used three different varieties of cheddar cheese and asked our tasters to rank them as well.

Overall, the cheese scored better than the energy drinks. Oregon’s Tillamook sharp cheddar rose above the competition - Kraft and Black Diamond - but not by much. We had to do a little rounding up to get to whole stars, but in the taste category, Tillamook pulled in 3.7 stars, Kraft garnered 3.3 and Black Diamond 2.9.

ORA Nutritional Supplement Beverage High Energy Citrus Punch

Taste: ***

Value: **

Price: $1.29 for 20 ounces (2.5 servings)

Nutrition information per 8 ounce serving: 90 calories (no fat calories) and 15 milligrams sodium

Comments: “Tastes like gummy bears, which is not a bad thing as far as I’m concerned. A little sweet for a drink, though.” - Mike Connelly

“Leaves a bitter aftertaste. I’d rather take vitamins than have to drink this stuff.” - Ann Finke

Gatorade Torq Energy Juice

Taste: **

Value: *

Price: $3.99 for 48 fluid ounces (412 ounce bottles)

Nutrition information per 12-ounce serving: 310 calories (no fat calories) and 210 milligrams sodium

Comments: “A very enjoyable, fruity drink.” - Hilde Schoonover

“Tastes like it has too many ingredients. Leaves a slight aftertaste. Very poor value.” - Larry Inman

SoBe Energy

Taste: ***

Value: ***

Price: 99 cents for 20 ounces (2.5 servings)

Nutrition information per 8-ounce serving: 120 calories (no fat calories) and 5 milligrams sodium

Comments: “Why do people buy and drink this stuff?” - Richard Clemson

“If apricot is your flavor, this is your drink, not mine.” - Dorey Fairchild

Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Taste: ****

Value: ***

Price: $3.79 for 10 ounces (10 servings)

Nutrition information per 1-ounce serving: 120 calories, 10 grams fat (75 percent fat calories), 170 milligrams sodium

Comments: “Strong cheese flavor; no aftertaste. I like it.” - Jenny Whittaker

“Delicious! Has a sharp, zippy zing just the way a sharp cheese should be.” - Ann Fink Kraft

Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Taste: ***

Value: ***

Price: $2.29 for 8 ounces (8 servings)

Nutrition information per 1-ounce serving: 120 calories, 10 grams fat (75 percent fat calories), 180 milligrams sodium

Comments: “Nice and mild cheese - perfect for those of us looking for an hors d’oeuvre platter of cheese that your wife won’t hate you for eating later.” - Skip Hubbard

“Weird feel. Kind of dissolves in your mouth without chewing.” - Richard Clemson

Black Diamond Extra Old Cheddar Cheese

Taste: ***

Value: *

Price: $8.79 for 16 ounces

Nutrition information per 1-ounce serving: 120 calories, 10 grams fat (75 percent fat calories), 190 milligrams sodium

Comments: “This has a hint of a smoky flavor, but it isn’t as creamy as the others. Grated and melted, it would be fine; otherwise it’s crumbly.” - Tina Johnson

“Perfect! Exactly the way sharp cheddar was meant to be. Crumbly, dry, thick texture makes your mouth pucker.” - Ann Fink