The Good: Seems to do what it promises for hydration
The Bad: Salty taste, Not a thirst quencher, Proportionately expensive (economically and environmentally)
The Basics: With a fairly vile taste, Powerade Mountain Blast leaves me gagging more than refreshed or feeling like I'm stocking up on electrolytes.
It is amusing to me what sticks with me and I take a while to get around to reviewing. Last summer, my wife and I visited Michigan and I tried a lot of different things, some of which I reviewed at the time. Others, like the Powerade Mountain Blast beverage, it was only be recently re-encountering that it occurred to me I ought to review it! I am not generally into the energy drinks, even when they are catchy like the Duff Energy Drink (click here for my review!). Even so, I recall generally liking the Powerade Mountain Blast. Unfortunately, having retasted the Mountain Blast, I am convinced Coca Cola (which owns Powerade) either changed their formula radically or my palate has matured dramatically in the past year!
Basics
Powerade is a sports drink, a type of beverage designed primarily for sports participants to quickly replace nutrients the body loses while working out. Powerade Mountain Blast comes in a 32 oz. (fluid ounces) plastic bottle that is bulky to the grip. Contoured not to slip, the #1 recyclable bottle is filled with the translucent blue liquid that is Mountain Blast Powerade. Powerade is produced by the Coca Cola Company in their effort to compete with more established sports drinks, like Gatorade.
The 32 oz. bottle is intended to give consumers four servings, though the eight oz. serving size seems unrealistically small. Having recently had this while out at the beach, it was ridiculously easy to go through this after an hour swim!
Ease Of Preparation
Powerade is a liquid in the 32 oz. bottle (I've not yet found a powdered version, but it would not surprise me if it is available elsewhere). Preparation is as easy as opening a plastic bottle. Powerade has a plastic cap that easily twists off and can be put back on in order to reseal it. It is important to note that this is supposed to be refrigerated after it is opened, so quality of the beverage may degrade if it is left out at room temperature or in summer heat after the bottle is open.
Taste
Powerade Mountain Blast has a very neutral bouquet. The blue liquid smells more like chemicals than it does like fruit of any sort. One usually assumes that a blue liquid is supposed to be blue raspberry flavor, but I didn't get that from the aroma of the Mountain Blast Powerade.
Powerade Mountain Blast is remarkably indistinct in its taste. This flavor tastes unlike any known fruit and tastes like how it smells, vaguely like chemicals and minerals. Powerade Mountain Blast is salty and watery more than sweet and fruity. There is not a single distinct fruit taste that I could pick out of the drink, though the closest fruit analogy I could make is that this is like a watered down version of a blue raspberry icee after salt has been added to it. But more than anything that resembles a blend of fruit tastes, the drink tastes watery and slightly salty.
As well, Powerade Mountain Blast bears a very strong aftertaste. This drink has a very dry aftertaste that is anything but refreshing.
Nutrition
As a sports drink, Powerade Mountain Blast is designed to replenish sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium quickly. This might restore electrolytes, but it does nothing that makes the consumer feel refreshed or energized. In fact, I've no proof that the drink actually restores electrolytes at an accelerated rate, only the assertion on the bottle that that is what the drink does.
Nutritionally, Powerade Mountain Blast is mediocre. It is primarily composed of water, high fructose corn syrup, and citric acid. It contains no fruit juice, so it is unsurprising that it is not rich in a variety of vitamins. However, it is not the worst beverage one can drink (though there are some fairly chemical-sounding elements in the ingredient list) as it has no fat and only 14 grams of sugar. Still, there is 100 mg (4% RDA) of sodium in each serving. There is also 10% of the RDA of three different B vitamins and 25 mg. potassium.
Storage/Clean-up
Powerade Mountain Blast comes in a plastic bottle and it keeps almost a year. The one I had at the beach expired early in 2011. Stored in a cool place, it ought to be fine at least until its expiration date (whatwith having all sorts of preservatives).
This drink is a clear blue color, but if it gets on light fabrics it will certainly stain them. Consult a care guide for your clothes, though I suspect light clothes would need bleach to get this out. Still, the drink wipes off surfaces easily with a cloth, assuming they are impermeable.
Overall
I was unimpressed by Powerade Mountain Blast and actually grossed out some by its salty taste and dry aftertaste. There are better ways to get electrolytes restored than this awkward and undelicious beverage.
For other beverages, please check out my reviews of:
Stash Double Bergamot Earl Grey tea
Bigelow Sweet Dreams tea
Celestial Seasonings Candy Cane Lane tea
4/10
For other beverage reviews, please check out my index page for an organized listing!
© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment