UPDATE (Nov. 2020): After rising from $.69 to $.79, then from $.79 to $.99 within the span of a few months, these have now gone up to $1.09. The score has been adjusted accordingly, with updated notes in italics.

Well what is there to say about Red Thunder’s Extra Strength Berry Energy Shot that I haven’t already said in my previous review of their regular (as in, not extra strength) berry-flavored energy shot? I gave that one perfect marks, and so it stands to reason that I must give this one perfect marks, too. Why? Because it’s pretty much the exact same thing as the regular version, only with extra caffeine. 230 mg, to be exact, making this a huge kick in the pants if you need a quick boost.

In fact, having had the national brand recently (after stealing one from a co-worker…shhhhhhh), I can honestly say that I much prefer Red Thunder’s version. The NB (as it will be referred to from now on) has, in my opinion, a much more syrupy, over-the-top flavor. Not that Red Thunder’s is accurate to an actual berry in any way, shape, or form, but the sweetness is slightly muted and it tastes even better. If you have tried Red Thunder’s regular berry shot, then you’ve pretty much had this one, as the flavors are very identical, if not exactly the same.

Unfortunately, one of its biggest draws – cost – has been somewhat dampened by a series of steady but small increases, which has seen the price rise $.40 – from $.69 to $1.09 – within that time. Considering the cost seems to rise every few months, it begs another question: how high will it continue to go before it finally “settles”? Thankfully, the formula remains unchanged, and so they are still highly recommended, just not as enthusiastically as before; since other brands have maintained dollar price points, these are no longer some of the cheapest shots on the market.

Overall: 8.5/10 (-1.5). Thanks to sharp increases which have taken them from $.69 to $1.09 within a few months, these are no longer the best deal in the energy shot world. And considering the cost has consistently risen every few months, the main concern is: how high will it continue to climb? That being said, their formula hasn’t changed, meaning they still taste better than most competitors, and work very well; they remain highly recommended, just not as enthusiastically as before.  Wow, Aldi keeps stepping up their energy shot game! I called their regular shots “the best deal in energy”, and now that they offer extra strength shots for the exact same ridiculously low price ($.69), I have to now apply that saying to this, too! This berry shot tastes similar to the national brand shot, though a little less cloyingly sweet. It doesn’t taste anything like an actual berry, but the flavor is inoffensive, and goes down easy, while the resulting kick is noticeable and lasts for a while. Now if only Aldi would pay as much attention to the actual energy drinks they offer instead of just the shots, then maybe we could get rid of Gridlock, and replace it with something that doesn’t suck (or at least a tastier formulation).