Quite a while ago, I reviewed Eternal Energy’s Tropical Punch energy shots, and was pretty impressed with them. I also had a nagging concern that I feel is still relevant today, so I’m going to repeat it here.

Almost 10 years ago, the company released a 10-hour energy shot. It promised to deliver 222 mg of caffeine up front, which is actually under the roughly 250 mg of most “extra strength” energy shots. But then, it supposedly delivered an additional 200mg over the span of about 6 hours. Despite being available at Walgreen’s, the product came and went with little notice or fanfare. I’m mad I didn’t get to try it, and that it’s no longer available. 

What went wrong? Certainly, it could be a dangerous product in the hands of the wrong person, but the same can actually be said for any caffeinated product. Was there pressure from the government or other agencies to shut it down? Was the product met with indifference and a lack of sales? Or did they just decide to eliminate potential liability and stopped making it on their own? I could not find any lawsuits or injuries linked to it, so I’m just genuinely interested. The use of “extended release” caffeine seems revolutionary, and is an idea I’m surprised no one else has jumped on in the years since.**

At any rate, let’s regain our focus. Eternal Energy’s grape version delivers 222 mg of caffeine all at once. That’s a respectable amount of caffeine, higher than most name brand energy drinks, and on par with other non-extra strength shots. It’s available only in six-packs, which retail for an astonishing $4.68. That’s way less than a dollar per bottle, which is an excellent price for a shot these days, what with the increase in pricing across virtually all industries. 

But the real question is, how is it?

Well, I’m happy to say the grape version follows up on the success of the punch to deliver yet another winning shot. As with every other brand, it’s about as loosely grape as you can get. I suppose a case could be made for it to be along the lines of a “concorde grape”, but even that is an incredible stretch. Anyone who’s had one before knows what I’m talking about, and Eternal Energy doesn’t buck that trend. For those who haven’t, I’d compare the accuracy to the popular brand of powdered drink mixes that feature a large glass pitcher with a face on it as a mascot. It doesn’t quite taste the same as those – in fact, I’d say these are better – but it misses the mark by just as wide of a margin. It’s got the implication of grape, but very few of its actual characteristics.

It doesn’t quite have the “punch” (haha*) of the other variety in terms of taste, but that’s probably because this is the laziest possible energy shot offering. Every energy shot brand has one. It has to be one of the most widely offered flavors on the planet in this category, along with “berry”. If a company only offers one or two flavors, there’s about a 100% chance it will be one of those two. That being said, this is one of the better iterations I’ve tried. It goes down smooth and easy with a sweet flavor and no medicinal aftertaste afterwards. That’s a feat most shots fail to accomplish.

My biggest gripe (or “grape”, haha*) is that these aren’t extra strength. A brief perusal of the company’s website reveals they do offer extra-caffeinated options, in the same flavors, but for some reason Walmart has never carried them. I’d be interested in seeing if there’s any difference in terms of their effectiveness, and it’s a shame no other options are carried in-store.

At the same time, it’s kind of a moot point because these do seem to work. It always gives me a little kick that lasts for a little while. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s “five hours”, like the main brand claims, but not even that one lasts that long for me. I’d say this provides a solid 1-2 hours of noticeable energy boost, but thanks to the sugar free formula, it’s devoid of the typical “crash” afterwards found in most drinks.

This definitely will tick most of the boxes for fans of energy shots. It’s just a shame stronger options aren’t readily available.

Overall: 7.5/10. Eternal Energy’s grape option isn’t quite as memorable as their “tropical punch”, but part of that is because “grape” is the most-offered energy shot flavor on the planet. While it’s just as inaccurate as every other such energy shot, it’’s nevertheless one of the better ones I’ve tried. It’s sweet, goes down easy, and most importantly, works. I got a noticeable kick for a couple hours with no sugar crash afterwards. The $4.68 retail price (for six 2 oz. shots) is one of the better deals on the market. It’s just a shame that Walmart doesn’t offer their “extra strength” shots, or their other flavor varieties. 

*I’m well aware this wasn’t funny at all.
**I’ve sent an inquiry seeking information from the company, and will update this post when (or if) I receive a response.