Monster Nitrous Killer-B

Price: C$3.00 (current Exchange rate: €2,13)
Contains: 12 fl.Oz (340mL)

This one kinda came out of nowhere,
This time, my friend's mum went to Canada and when he asked her to bring a new Monster drink, we really weren't expecting this one.
We've heard a lot of the Monster Nitrous drinks and have been dying to try them ever since, especially the Kiler-B.
So when she said 'I couldn't find the Monsters you asked for, but will this do? They were on sale, you know', we were like 'HELL YEAH! This is Even better!'.

Packaging:
This can proves that Monster only hires the most skilled of craftsmen to design their cans, since this can really looks amazing.
The drink comes in a quite unusally sized 12 fl.Oz (340mL) can with what we like to call a resealable top à la Burn, meaning that it uses a resealing feature similiar to the larger Burn cans.
But the uniqueness doesn't end there; the design really managed to blow us away.
The eyecatcher is the orangish-yellow honeycomb pattern on the background; which really suits the Killer-B theme.
Within this pattern we can see the KILLER-B text and a black Monster Claw logo, which is slightly tilted and has a 3D effect.
The honeycomb pattern suddenly fades to black when we come to the bottom of the can, clearing an area to display some legible text.
Here we can read the MONSTER ENERGY we're all familiar with, but this time it's accompanied with the NITROUS text in an truly awesome font.
As I alreasy mentioned; the designers did a great job on this can.
They managed to put all of these elements together without making the can look over the top and that is a real accomplishment in my eyes.

Slogan:
No slogan can be found on this can, but we did manage to find one on the internet.
'Unleash the Nitrous Beast!' would be the slogan for all of the Nitrous drinks and we love how they added the Nitrous thing to the well known 'Unleash the Beast!' slogan.

Taste:
Of course, this was the part we all had been waiting for, so we removed the sticker, twisted open the top and poured the drink into some glasses and test tubes.
The very first thing we noticed was the color.
This drink is colored fluorescent yellow and I would't have been surprised if it glowed in the dark.
Also: a very strange thing was going on with the carbonation.
We know that this drink was carbonated with Nitrous Oxide, so that might have been the thing.
Anyway: even though we poured it into several glasses, only the first portion had a small layer of foam.
Weird...
The taste quite surprised us, actually.
We were expecting a very strong taste of honey, but instead, we could only vaguely taste a hint of honey in the aftertaste.
The main taste: citrus.
When looking on the internet we disovered that our drink used a new formula; a formula that switched the main taste from honey to citrus.
I have to say that's quite a bold move, considering that this drink is themed around bees and such.
Anyway: it tastes awesome and unique, but what can I say?
If it's made by Monster, you're in for a treat and that also applies for this bad boy.
I highly suggest that you give this drink a try if you can get your hands on it, because with Monster Nitrous Killer-B you're in for a sensation!

Kick:
Even though we shared this drink, we all felt a serious buzz going on after a very short amount of time.
It was like the 'Big Bad Monster Buzz' times two: an energy drink that can keep you going for quite a few hours.
Great job on the kick, Monster!

Price/Quality Ratio:
The drink is quite pricey, especially if you consider that the Killer-B adds C$1 to the price of the standard 16 fl. Oz Monster, while it contains less fluid.
Monster Nitrous Killer-B has it all, though; great can. great taste and great kick.
Needless to say that Monster has once again made a drink that lives up to the price.

Monster Assault

Price: C$2.00 (current Exchange rate: €1,49)
Contains: 16 fl.Oz (473mL)

We've been offline for a while and because of a very simple, yet understandable reason.
We ran out of interesting drinks to review!
Well, loyal readers; time has come for some updates.
You see: a friend of mine went to Canada for the past few weeks and he was kind enough to bring us one of these (along with some other cans, you'll see).
When he was in Canada; I went on a trip to Germany and another friend went to Paris.
So no shortage of drinks to review in the following month...

The CR crew was very pleased with this baby and a four-man testing squad (constisting of me, my brother, my friend and his brother) was put on this can...
We all are big fans of the Monster drinks and from the start we were expecting something awesome.
So, was the transatlantic trip worth the effort? Let find out, shall we?

Packaging:
Monster always blows us away with their can designs and yet again, they managed to make our jaws drop on the floor.
This can is a welcome variaton on the Monster cans we know and love.
The eyecatcher remains the Monster claw logo, which has a nice shade of red on this occasion, but this time there's another detail that really sets off this can: the camo pattern.
Yes, Monster cans always scream 'hardcore' and this is certainly no exception.
The camo pattern really adds to this theme; it's different than any other camo pattern we've seen, though.
It consists of shades of gray and has a rather pixelated effect on it.
Underneath the usual Monster text, 'ASSAULT' is written in silver with an army stamp effect.
Because this can is from across the atlantic, it also shows two minor differences to the Monster cans we got used to.
The first difference lies within the size; this can is addapted to the United States' fluid ounces system.
Therefore: the content of this Monster can is 16 fl.Oz, which is the equalivent of 473mL.
The visual difference? Well, the can has the same thickness as the half-a-liter Monster cans we got used to, but it's slighly shorter.
The second difference is the pull tab.
European Monster cans just have the regular, rather standardised silver pull tabs, which is nothing to be excited about really.
This Canadian can has a custom pull tab; it has the same shade of red as the Monster claw logo on the front and has a really nice and professional touch to it: there's a small claw logo on the pull tab!
First time in our lives that we've ever encoutered that, actually, so it's quite a shock to see how much more effort is spent on the American/Canadian Monster cans when compared to the European ones.

Slogan:
Sadly: we couldn't find a slogan on this can... anywhere!
We were a little bit disappointed with this; so many things within the Monster Assault theme can easily be converted into a cool or cheesy slogan.
It's a bit of a shame, really...

Taste:
We stood in awe when we cracked open this can and as soon as it was done, a strong raspberry and cinnamon smell filled the room.
We started filling some glasses and test tubes (yes, we have test tubes now, we've finally reached that level of insanity) to share the drink amongst the test squad and noticed a nice, deep red color.
And then the moment arrived where we all had been waiting for, you know: the bumping glasses, cheers and bottom's up moment.
As we expected from the smell: this drink tasted like raspberry, but we could easily taste the cinnamon as well.
We knew from the very start that this drink was going to be special, but this exceeded our expectations.
With the Lo-Carb and Juiced drinks, we still tasted the Original Monster flavour through it.
With Assault: even this familiar taste has vanished.
This really is a drink on it's own and if I would have to go through a blindfolded taste test, I wouldn't recognise is as a typical Monster drink.
At first, I wasn't completely sure about the cinnamon; I thought that it's presence was a little bit too strong but later on, I found it to complete this drink rather than spoiling it.
The sugar and carbonation also are really well balanced, so that's no problem either.
I noticed the drink has slightly less carbonation than the other Monster drink, but frankly, I don't really mind.
Pretty much saves you on gas, doesn't it?
Maybe it was just the excitement of having a new Monster again, but we all agreed this to be the best Monster drink yet, as it slightly surpassed Khaos in flavour and originality.

Kick:
We shared the drink, so we shared the kick.
Monster Assault gave us a decent buzz and I'm sure that if we all had one on our own, the four of us would all have the notorious Big Bad Monster Buzz experience, which basically means that disaster would have struck upon the testing room.
I noticed that the key ingredients, which are displayed on top of the claw logo as always, are different than the usual Monster key ingredients.
They are more or less the same, actually, but there seems to be a lack of l. carnitine and the ginseng magically transformed to panax ginseng (nah, just kidding; it's still everyday ginseng, nothing new here).

Price/Quality Ratio:
2 Canadian Dollars converts to €1,49 on this date, which is really convenient because that's what we always pay for a can of Monster.
Monster did it again, folks: they've made this drink live up to every cent we paid for it.
But this time; our favorite energy drink brand has accomplished even more: now we want to go to Canada!
No kidding: we, as energy drink lovers, are so jealous of the transatlantic countries, such as Canada.
They get the full line-up, whereas us Europeans usually can get only three.
Well, I guess we'll have to order from the States sometimes, for the sake of this site and for the sake of our collections of course.
Too bad that those shipping costs are outrageous...

Monster Khaos

Price: FREE!! (probably €1,50 or so)
Contains: 0,5L

Here it is: the Khaos our crew has been waiting for for so long!
A friend of mine got really lucky on this one; he was at the right time at the right place.
They were giving away this drink for free and when that friend told me he managed to get some cans, I felt extatic!

Packaging:
A typical Monster 500mL can; mostly black and very simple, with the Monster Claw logo being the true eyecatcher.
In this case, the logo is a very nice shade of orange, a colour that makes its return a couple of times on this can.
Furthermore; this can shares a lot of similiarities with the Monster Ripper can.
Monster uses the design with the grey metallic areas on all of their Energy+Juice drinks.
They also did the scope thing again; this time the little scope is through the letter 'O' which, in my opinion looks better than when they did it through the 'R' as with the Ripper can.
Overall this is neatly designed can by Monster; it's not very special for Monster standards, but it will still stand out in a supermarket or in your collection.

Slogan:
The same as with Monster Ripper: 'The Juice is loose'.
It still fits nicely; Monster always does this thing with their 'dangerous' image and they managed to get the juice in their slogan in a nice and original way.

Taste:
Immediately when I opened this can; a nice aroma entered my nostrils.
The smell made me think of all kinds of orange coloured fruits, such as orange and mango.
I poured the drink into a glass and noticed its orangy color, with a slight touch of yellow.
Both the smell and the looks of this drink reminded me a little of Rockstar Juiced Mango.
The taste, however, is far better.
When it comes to the taste; this drink is truly divine.
This drink is so good that I would kill just to get a tray of this holy fluid.
As I presumed from the smell and looks of this drink, it tastes like orange and mango.
It kinda reminded me of the Ripper (which is logical since it has a similar concept).
I would actually prefer Khaos over Ripper, but that's most likely because Khaos is a welcome change of pace.
I've had the 48 times before (yes I counted it), whereas this drink is only something I got to try once.
Oh well, just in case you didn't notice: I like this drink and I would recommend it to anyone.

Kick:
The kick actually let me down a bit.
I didn't really get the Big Bad Monster Buzz of this one, but still the kick was decent.
Probably I couldn't get the right impression of the kick.
I was not the only one who was dying to try it, so I had to share it.
I guess that the kick would have been up to Monster standards when I had tried a full can.

Price/Quality Ratio:
My friend managed to get this drink for free.
For that 'price'; it is truly divine.
But even if you put all of the standard Monster prices on it (€1.40-€1.50 in the supermarkets and €2.50 in those greedy gas stations), it would still be totally worth it.
I'm almost willing to order some Khaos drinks from the States.
I said 'almost' because I can hear my wallet protesting with the thought of having to pay up for those rediculously high shipping costs.

Monster Lo-Carb

Price: €1,19, €1,39 or €1,49 (depends on where you get it)
Contains: 0,5L

This drink is the 'Lo-Carb' blue 500 ml. Monster. At first: the can. I really love the looks of the Monster cans, they kept it pretty simple but they still look great. The drink is really good as well; it's certainly not a Red Bull clone and has it's own, unique taste. I don't know what makes it so different, but it is good. It has a slight lemon flavor, but not the Red Bull-lemon. It's different. The only thing that disappoints me about the Monster Cans is the price.
Sadly, they're €1,50 a piece.

Monster Ripper

Price: €1,19, €1,39 or €1,49 (depends on where you get it)
Contains: 0,5L

Monster Ripper, this is certainly my favorite drink by my favorite energy drink brand.

Packaging:
The can is how we know it from Monster: it's mostly black and the most striking feature is the yellow claw logo.
Underneath that claw logo is the standard 'Monster' writing in white, and more at the bottom 'RIPPER' is written in yellow, with a little scope through the last 'R'.
One thing I noticed that different to the Monster and Monster Lo-Carb cans, is that the can is not entirely black.
It has some subtle grey area's on the front with an iron effect.
I really like the Monster cans, and this one is certainly not an exception.

Slogan:
The slogan for the Ripper is 'The Juice is Loose'.
It fits perfectly in the Monster+Juice theme and I really like it.

Taste:
I poured this one in glass, and I saw the drink was colored yellow.
In fact, it has the exact same color as the claw logo on the front!
The taste of this drink is something special.
It's very unique and pineapple-like.
The drink is subtally carbonated, which really completes it.
The juice is certainly noticeable, and that's what I like the most about this drink.

Kick:
I really got the big bad Monster buzz of this one.
Last time I drank it was when I just came out of bed (yes, that's right; the first thing I do in the morning is drinking energy drinks).
Immedeately I didn't feel sleepy anymore, I was ready to go.
Too bad I didn't have anything to do that required energy that day...

Price/Quality Ratio:
The most common price for this baby is €1,49, that might seem a little expensive, but the drink certainly knows how to live up to its price.
I don't mind paying one and a half euro for this drink, in fact, I think I should do it more often.

Monster

Price: €1.19, €1.39, €1.49, €2.29, €2.50 (depends on where you get it)
Contains: 0.5L

Let's review the regular version of this kick-ass energy drink brand.

Packaging:
The 500mL can is almost entirely black and the only 'decorations' are logos and nutrition facts.
It has a striking simplicity over it that I really like.
Monster's cool green claw logo is the eyecatcher on this can.
On the top the active ingredients are displayed, seperated from eachother by green plusses.
Underneath the claw logo there's the 'Monster' writing, which is present on all monster cans, and 'Energy' written in green.
I like how everything fits within the three-color scheme (black-green-silver) and the simplicity completes this can.

Slogan:
Monster's slogan is 'Unleash the Beast'.
It sounds cool to me and it fits within the Monster theme.

Taste:
When I poured this drink into a glass I noticed the classic caramel color (maybe a bit lighter, but I don't know for sure because I was stupid enough to pour it into a blue-tainted glass) and it had a small layer of foam on the top.
Even from the smell I could already judge that the drink would be very sweet.
I was right, when I took the first sip the first thing I noticed was the sweetness of the drink.
It does not taste like any other energy drink I've tasted so far (aside from the other Monsters).
The drink has it own unique taste and it certainly does not go with the flow by trying to taste like a Red Bull.
It's also subtally carbonated, but though it's kept subtle you'll still belch loudly after 4 sips in a row.
Sadly, I think it's the combination of the carbonation and the large amount of fluid that makes you feel sick when you're having more than one can.
But still, this drink really is something different, in a positive way.

Kick:
Monster never seems to disappoint me when it comes to the buzz.
The drink certainly gets me up in the morning and gives a nice, constant amount of energy.
I think it's the guarana that does the trick; you feel energy, but it's subtle so you will not act hyperactive or something.

Price/Quality Ratio:
As you can read on the top of this review the variety of prices for Monster is rather big.
The most common price is €1.49, and that's fine with me, since the drink lives up to the price.