In earlier reviews, we here at BevReview looked at O.N.E. Coconut Water and O.N.E. Amazon Acai. In this installment we look at O.N.E. Coffee Fruit Drink. One of the unique features of the O.N.E. products is the TetraPak, which was discussed previously in the Coconut Water review.

This particular "Pak" has what look like acerola cherries in ice with a straw standing in them on the front. Of course these are coffee fruit, not cherries, but that raises the question: what exactly is a coffee fruit? In a handy picture on the back, there is a little cross section sort of image of the coffee bean inside of the coffee fruit. The fruit is the skin and outer covering of the bean. This is labeled with little "bubbles" that sort of remind me of a VH1 video that has trivia popping up during the song.

O.N.E. makes the point of letting us know that processing of coffee beans takes away a lot of the nutrients found in the fruit. Therefore, you are getting more with this drink. In fact, the front of the label tells us that this drink is a "Good Source of: Polyphenols", which actually caught my eye initially, because I didn't know what these were off hand. Apparently they are related to tannins, so you wine drinkers may already have heard of this. Thanks Wikipedia for the help!

Other notable health tidbits include the fact that this drink is gluten free, good news for many drinkers, and only contains 105 calories. Also, I'm sure a lot of our readers are curious about the caffeine content. I know I was. According to the label, it is similar in caffeine content to a cup of green tea. The ingredient list is as follows: "Water, acerola puree, red grape juice, pitanga puree, whole coffee fruit/bean puree, citric acid and natural flavors." The "Pak" contains 11.2 ounces, which is one serving.

Now, getting to the drink itself. Upon opening the seal, it smells extremely fruity, and the color is that of a dingy fruit punch, not uncommon in natural juice drinks. I smell a hint of coffee, but more so a stronger fruit base, maybe, in part, an acerola smell.

Getting to the taste, it is like a fruit drink with a coffee aftertaste. I think the coffee fruit cuts the sweetness of the drink overall, but that is not a bad thing. If you really hate coffee, you may not like this, because there is still a coffee flavor in there, but this is basically a fruit drink. The acerola hits you a bit also, giving it a slight tang. It is a thin drink, or more to say, not pulpy at all, but you can see some particles present, like many natural drinks would contain. The fiber content is much lower on this count.

Overall, this is a unique drink and if you like fruit juice and coffee, it may be worth a try. It is pretty much a combination of those two tastes. One might see it also as a bit of a caffeine boost without getting as much caffeine as you would in a cup of coffee or a mainstream soda pop. I like it, but think it is probably best as a stand-alone drink, although it would go OK with some foods. I don't know if this would be something I would drink regularly, but that is partly due to its uniqueness, rather than something lacking. This drink is a solid entry from O.N.E.

We recently had over 120 entries in our Starbucks "What's Your Story?" Contest, with folks sharing some pretty crazy stories about coworkers in their workplace. If you haven't done so already, give them a read. Some stuff that will just make you laugh in there!

Winners get this Starbucks Prize Pack

For this contest, we randomly selected 5 winners of a Starbucks Prize Pack, which includes:

• Stealth Switch™
• $5 Starbucks® Card
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

Thanks to everyone who contributed stories and spread the word about the contest. After analyzing our large pool of entries, the official BevReview Random Prize Machine has selected 5 winners:

• Drew Bartell (Milwaukee, WI)
• Tracy Beckham (Fresno, CA)
• Alan Colgren (East Lansing, MI)
• Kate Davis (Council Bluffs, IA)
• Bryan Sampson (Chicago, IL)

Hear are some excerpts from their submitted stories:

Drew Bartell (Read Story)

The other day I left the fryer basket down while I finished plating up a lunch for a waitress. She looked at me completely aghast and asked, "Don't you think you should take the basket out of the oil if there's nothiong in it?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, isn't that going to ruin the basket?"

Tracy Beckham (Read Story)

One of our employees learned a special lesson on why you don't put naked pictures of yourself on your work computer. In doing a computer check, I discovered that, at least, I had proof that he had zero body fat… though, that wasn't a way I really wanted to find out. It was so difficult to look him in the eye after that, and not start snickering.

Alan Colgren (Read Story)

One of my co-workers found a bun that had fallen behind one of the tables and had turned rock hard. What does one do with a rock hard hamburger bun? Exactly! Play Frisbee. We had been throwing back and forth for a while, the manager was in the freezer taking inventory, when we decided to play long range. We had made a few successful attempts from the front of the dining room all the way to the back of the kitchen when the manager stepped out of the freezer right into the flight path of the rock hard bun. A bloody nose, split lip, and an exploded case of milkshake mix later, we both got written up and were put on cleanup duty for 3 weeks.

Kate Davis (Read Story)

I once had a coworker who could not figure out how to work the coffee maker in the office. You would think it was rocket science or something. She would always ask "where do I put the water again" or she would forget to put a filter in, or forget to put the carafe back on. There would be a coffee emergency/mess in the break room at least once a week. It got to the point where the management had to have a talk with her and tell he she was banned from touching the new machine (they had replaced several others she destroyed). She was bawling after that, dithering about how she was just trying to be helpful.

Bryan Sampson (Read Story)

In our office there was this particular email that had gone through several iterations so to hide its true purpose… to turn up your volume all the way and yell, "Hey everybody, I'm watching porn over here!!!"

I work in cubicle land with only half walls, so there is aboslutely no privacy around. Unfortunately, it was accidentally sent to someones boss instead of a co-worker. This was the nicest man I had ever worked with… an older man with high moral value that did everything by the book since his days in the military… yes, your picture perfect grandfather.

So you can imagine the surpirse from the floor when suddenly, out of nowhere, this loud vocie begins to proclaim that someone is watching porn. His response… how did you guys know? The email was retired after that day.

Read the rest of the stories by clicking here.

Thanks again to everyone who participated and to the folks at Starbucks for making this giveaway possible!

Win this Starbucks Prize Pack

The kind folks at Starbucks dropped me a line the other day and asked me to spread the word about a new website they just launched called EnergyPlusCoffee.com. What's it all about? Well, it's a website designed for you to be distracted and entertained, keeping you from doing work while you are actually at work. (Wait a minute… isn't that why you are visiting BevReview? Hmmm….)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
(Click for review)

It's actually a pretty clever idea in that it looks like a standard news site, but has embedded features that do cool things (besides doing this beverage review thing, my "day job" is working with Web development, so I appreciate this stuff… trust me!) Of interest is the "Boss Cam" that activates any internal webcams you might have on your computer, creating an electronic "mirror" that you can use to see if anyone is walking up behind you.

Visit EnergyPlusCoffee.com

There's also some humorous video situations presented via webisodes (if you remember Sierra Mist's Summer 2007 campaign for Lemon Squeeze, you'll get the idea). You'll also find some embedded Flash games such as a version of Tetris called "Meeting Blocks" and a Breakout-clone called "CellBreak".

So, I know what you are saying to yourself. "That's great, Steve. But what's in it for me? And how come Starbucks hasn't gone after you like the folks at Monster?" Well, I'll just answer that first question, thank you very much. (We'll leave the 2nd question for our crack legal folks!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
(Click for review)

See, here's the idea… You are at work, yet who really wants to work? One way to stay awake during this whole process is by partaking of a Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee beverage (ah, see that product placement there… and we're not even as bad as The Jay Leno Show on NBC!) If you recall, we actually have reviewed all of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks before… and I actually found them to be pretty good. Of course, as I mentioned, I'm not a coffee drinker, so if they're pretty good to me, I'm assuming someone else just adores them! To recap the flavors:

• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Mocha
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Vanilla
• Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee

So, combine these drinks with EnergyPlusCoffee.com and you'll have a grand ole time!

But wait, what if you don't have any of these drinks? I'm glad you asked, because I'd like to hook you up.

Prizes

Starbucks has provided me with 5 Prize Packs to giveaway. And when you are in a recession, what's better than free stuff?

The Starbucks Prize Pack includes:

• Stealth Switch™
• $5 Starbucks® Card
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee coupons
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee-branded white board

The Prize Pack is valued at $30, which isn't too bad given that you pay nothing to read this website, right? Oh, and you may be wondering about that "Stealth Switch" thing. I was too. Officially, it's "the World's first desktop cloaking device. StealthSwitch™ uses patent pending technology to instantly and completely hide applications with a press of the footswitch. The applications are not just minimized, they are made invisible." Seriously, go check out their website. (Note that it only works on Windows machines. Mac folks like myself are kinda out of luck, but hey, think of the profits you could generate on eBay!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
(Click for review)

So, I'd love to give you this stuff. But first you need to do something for me. Sounds fair, doesn't it? Let's get creative and go over the rules…

Contest Rules:

1. Reply to this post
   • Don't forget to include your e-mail address (which will be hidden) so you can be contacted should you win
2. Share an idiot-story about someone you have worked with
   • Obviously, you have, ahem, focused on work all the time, right? Others, not so much. So let the dirty laundry fly! Share the story of a coworker or boss that did something to just make your eyes roll. One story per post, please (which means you can share multiple stories, thus giving you multiple entries!)
3. Entries are due by Tuesday, November 3 at midnight CST.
4. Enter as many times as you'd like!
5. 5 winners will be announced no later than November 5
• We'll be using a random selection model, however you can improve your chances by being creative in your storytelling!
6. Contest limited to folks in the continental United States

Pretty easy, huh?

So, let's recap… new website to visit, opportunity to share funny work stories, and chance to win free Starbucks stuff. Sounds good!

Shameless Self Promotion
But wait, here's the plea from your humble little BevReview Editor. You see, the folks at Starbucks, they are kinda sneaky. Obviously, they want me to tell you about EnergyPlusCoffee.com and promote their energy drinks. But to sweeten the pot a bit, they've actually had the nerve to pit BevReview.com against other blogs in a blogger-vs-blogger contest to see who can get the most entries in our contests. (Those of you studying social media marketing, take note!)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
(Click for review)

So, for the 2 week period of the contest, the Contest Overlords at Starbucks will be watching the entries closely. Not only will they be providing you prizes for our contest, but they will also be awarding the Top 3 site owners with prizes as well based on contest volume. That probably doesn't mean as much to you, since you always have a chance to win. But as a person who runs these things, I always have to exempt myself from the prizes, so to get a chance to actually win something is rather cool. They're offering site owners the same Starbucks Prize Packs, along with a branded messenger bag and a pretty cool set of noise canceling headphones.

Care about the happiness and overall welfare of BevReview.com? Help us beat the pants off these other sites participating in the contest. Don't just do it for me. Do it for beverage-review-websites-that-always-feature-photos-of-trees everywhere! It's your duty (and thanks!)

The Fine Print
Believe it or not, sometimes review websites get into legal trouble. Thus, please pardon us while we rattle off this fine print that Starbucks asked us to post in regards to this contest:

• This promotion is solely sponsored by BevReview.com and has not been endorsed or approved by North American Coffee Partnership. By entering, you agree to look solely to Steve Tanner & BevReview.com for any claims in connection therewith, and not the North American Coffee Partnership.
• NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Subject to Contest guidelines. Open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends 11/3. Void where prohibited.
• Starbucks Doubleshot® Energy+Coffee sent me samples of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee drinks and here's what I think. All the opinions expressed here are mine.

According to the press release issued, this drink "drew inspiration from popular Latin flavors" and "combines the subtly spicy taste of cinnamon and vanilla with a supercharged blend of Starbucks coffee." It should also be noted that the term "Dulce" means "Sweet" in Spanish. Based on the good tastes we found in the original Coffee flavor and the smooth Vanilla, we were curious what the addition of cinnamon would bring to the mix. We talked about the positioning and history of this brand in that post, so if you haven't read it already, go take a look!

This new flavor is available in convenience and grocery stores like the previous 3 flavors, however I'm unsure if it will be available in Starbucks locations like the Vanilla and Mocha installments. As with the rest of the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee lineup, 15 oz. of beverage are found in a can typically associated with 16 oz. energy drinks. The can itself is primarily silver, with both dark and light brown accents gracing the front diagonally. The Starbucks logo is found on the top third of the front panel, with the rim denoting the flavor ("Cinnamon Dulce") and additional supplements (Guarana, Ginseng, B Vitamins).

Visually, the drink resembles a cup of coffee with a lot of cream added, light brown and thick in nature, just like the other 3 flavors in the Energy+Coffee lineup. Cinnamon Dulce smells sweet, with a hint of vanilla, but I had a hard time making out any actual cinnamon scent. There definitely was more present then the standard Coffee blend, but not as obvious as Vanilla.

Upon tasting the drink, we found that it had a lot more in common with Vanilla than the other flavors we had tried. The creaminess was obvious. As I've noted before, I'm not a coffee drinker, but I found the taste to be attractive. It was smooth, a bit nutty, but still with a coffee base. I can't say that I actually noted the cinnamon specifically. In fact, if you didn't have it as part of the product flavor, I'm not sure I would have noticed it much at all. I was hoping for a stronger inclusion of this spice.

My wife, who is a coffee drinker, noted the taste of artificial sweetener sucralose, much like she did when reviewing the Vanilla version. This makes sense, given that from our tasting profile, Cinnamon Dulce seemed to have a lot in common with that flavor as well. Like the other Doubleshot drinks, this one is not carbonated.

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce contains the same amount of caffeine as the Coffee, Vanilla, and Mocha flavors: 146 mg., which breaks down to 9.7 mg/oz. This places it in the same energy drink ballpark as Red Bull (9.64 mg/oz.) and Monster (10.00 mg/oz.)

Per 15 oz. can, you'll find that Cinnamon Dulce provides 200 calories, 170 mg of sodium, 28 g of sugars, and 3 g of fat. Itemizing the nutritional supplements, you'll find 325 mg of ginseng, 90 mg of guarana, 1800 mg of taurine, 450 mg of carnitine, 2000 mg of maltodextrin, and 180 mg of inositol. Nutritionally, this Cinnamon Dulce flavor is pretty much the same as the 3 Doubleshot Energy+Coffee flavors.

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce
Starbucks® Coffee (water, coffee), reduced fat milk, skim milk, sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, taurine, natural flavor, cellulose gel, L-carnitine, panax ginseng root extract, inositol, sodium ascorbate (Vitamin C), guarana (paullinia cupana) seed extract, calcium phosphate, cellulose gum, niacinamide, sucralose, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), tricalcium phosphate, carrageenan, caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin D3

While proclaiming to be a combination of cinnamon, vanilla, and coffee, I was underwhelmed by Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce. The coffee and vanilla flavors are present, but cinnamon would appear to be a no-show. This is disappointing, as the blend offered promise, but doesn't seem to deliver. If you are fan of this energy drink and coffee line of hybrids, it's worth a taste… but could have been better.

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Other Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Reviews:

• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha

To a coffee drinker, I would assume that's a stupid question. However, to someone like myself who doesn't touch coffee, cappuccino, or espresso… well, I actually have to look this stuff up! So, for those who are clueless like myself, here's what Wikipedia has to say: "A Café mocha is a variant of a cafe latte. Like a latte it is typically one third espresso and two thirds steamed milk, but a portion of chocolate is added, typically in the form of sweet cocoa powder, although many varieties use chocolate syrup. Mochas can contain dark or milk chocolate." So basically we're talking about coffee, cream, and some chocolate. And that's what you get when you try Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha.

Like the original Coffee and Vanilla flavors, the Mocha entry in the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee lineup provides a very sweet combination of cream and coffee. We talked about the positioning and history of this brand in that post, so if you haven't read it already, go take a look!

The Mocha flavor, like Vanilla, is available in Starbucks locations as well as connivence stores. It's 15 oz. of beverage packaged in a 16 oz. can, so the packaging can be a bit deceptive, but that's probably not what you are caring about if you are downing a drink packed with coffee and energy drink components! The can is light brown in color (lighter than the Coffee flavor), accented by dark brown and tan diagonal lines. The Starbucks logo is found on the top third of the front panel. The rim of the beverage is silver and denotes the flavor ("Mocha") while also highlighting the additional supplements (Guarana, Ginseng, B Vitamins). The back of the can notes that this drink is "charged up with coffee and mocha."

As far as appearing, Mocha looks just like original Coffee flavor and the Vanilla version… creamy brown, just like coffee with cream. This time around, the aroma produced when opening the can was that of coffee highlighted by a deeper, chocolate powder scent.

When drinking Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha, the sweetness was obvious, as most in this series seem to be. It wasn't as creamy as Vanilla, but definitely less of a bite than Coffee. As I've noted in previous reviews, I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do like chocolate quite a bit. I've been pretty impressed with the drinkability of the Energy+Coffee lineup from my non-fan perspective, and Mocha was no exception. I liked it quite a bit, enjoying the coffee element, but also the other flavors present. Like the other Doubleshot drinks, this one is not carbonated.

My wife noted the taste of artificial sweetener sucralose in the Vanilla version, but didn't sense it as much with Mocha. She liked this far better than that flavor, ranking it as one of her favorites. Coming from a coffee drinker, that's a good thing.

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha contains the same amount of caffeine as the Coffee and Vanilla flavors: 146 mg., which breaks down to 9.7 mg/oz. This is just a little bit more than Red Bull (9.64 mg/oz.) and little less than Monster (10.00 mg/oz.)

Per 15 oz. can, you'll find that Mocha provides 200 calories, 160 mg of sodium, 26 g of sugars, and 2.5 g of fat. Itemizing the nutritional supplements, you'll find 325 mg of ginseng, 90 mg of guarana, 1800 mg of taurine, 450 mg of carnitine, 2000 mg of maltodextrin, and 180 mg of inositol. Nutritionally, this Mocha flavor is pretty much the same as the Coffee and Vanilla flavors.

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
Starbucks® Coffee (water, coffee), reduced fat milk, skim milk, sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, taurine, natural flavor, cellulose gel, L-carnitine, panax ginseng root extract, inositol, sodium ascorbate (Vitamin C), guarana (paullinia cupana) seed extract, cellulose gum, calcium phosphate, niacinamide, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), sucralose, tricalcium phosphate, caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin D3

Packed with a hearty, robust, and somewhat chocolate-infused flavor, Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha is the energy drink you never knew you wanted, assuming that you might have wanted an energy drink that tasted like a cold cup of coffee. Still, an abundance of flavors make this a smooth, yet refreshing experience.

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Other Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Reviews:

• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce

As I noted in my review on the Coffee flavor of Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee, I'm not a coffee drinker, but I thought the Doubleshot Energy+Coffee beverage wasn't that bad. We talked about the positioning and history of this brand in that post, so if you haven't read it already, go take a look!

The Vanilla flavor is available in stores, as well as Starbucks locations. It comes in a can that is typically associated with a 16 oz. energy drink, however in this case, you are only getting 15 oz. of beverage. The design follows a tan color scheme with brown diagonal accents. The Starbucks logo is found on the top third of the front panel. The rim of the beverage is silver and denotes the flavor ("Vanilla") while also highlighting the additional supplements (Guarana, Ginseng, B Vitamins). The back of the can notes that this drink is "charged up with coffee and vanilla."

Like the original Coffee flavor, this drink is brownish in color, similar to what regular coffee looks like when loaded with cream. The smell produced when opening the can is that of a sweet beverage, with some hints of vanilla present with the prominent coffee aroma.

As far as taste… very sweet! The Vanilla version of Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee definitely is more appropriate for sweettooths when compared to the Coffee version. Like similar beverages in the carbonated soft drink world, the vanilla flavoring adds a smoothness and creaminess that typically is not there. As before, this drink is not carbonated, but thicker than a standard soft drink. Overall, it was a positive experience, though it actually might have been just a little too sweet for my tastes.

My wife Amy, who is a coffee drinker, also tried this Vanilla version of Energy+Coffee. She liked it as well, but noted that she was able to detect the inclusion of the artificial sweetener sucralose (typically known as Splenda in retail markets). Neither of us are fans of artificial sweeteners, but for some reason Amy was able to sense it more in Vanilla's aftertaste this time around.

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla contains the same amount of caffeine as the original Coffee flavor: 146 mg., which breaks down to 9.7 mg/oz. This puts it on the same level as the "biggies" in the energy drink world, Red Bull (9.64 mg/oz.) and Monster (10.00 mg/oz.)

Per 15 oz. can, you'll find that Vanilla provides 210 calories, 180 mg of sodium, 25 g of sugars, and 2.5 g of fat. Itemizing the nutritional supplements, you'll find 325 mg of ginseng, 90 mg of guarana, 1800 mg of taurine, 450 mg of carnitine, 2000 mg of maltodextrin, and 180 mg of inositol. Nutritionally, this Vanilla flavor is pretty much the same as the Coffee flavor.

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
Starbucks® Coffee (water, coffee), reduced fat milk, skim milk, sugar, maltodextrin, dextrose, taurine, cellulose gel, natural flavor, L-carnitine, panax ginseng root extract, inositol, sodium ascorbate (Vitamin C), guarana (paullinia cupana) seed extract, cellulose gum, calcium phosphate, niacinamide, sucralose, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), tricalcium phosphate, caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin D3

If looking for a creamier, sweeter, and smoother cold coffee drink experience, Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla is a solid bet. Its energy drink attributes provide an uplift for those looking for such, while the use of vanilla flavoring makes it appealing for both coffee and non-coffee drinker alike.

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Other Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Reviews:

• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce

My marriage is the same way. My wife loves coffee. Me, not a fan. Don't get me wrong, I really love the scent of coffee, but have never bought into the taste or the seeming addiction that most folks seem to have to java. Thus I was at a crossroads when it came time to review Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee: Coffee flavor ready-to-drink beverage. I'm not a coffee expert, just a beverage enthusiast. So I've decided to provide that perspective in this overview. I'm sure you'll be able to find more detailed analysis and coffee snobbery elsewhere on the 'net if you so choose!

Starbucks introduced their ready-to-drink (or RTD as the industry likes to call it) beverages back in 1994 with their bottled Frappuccino products. This was done as part of a partnership with PepsiCo via a joint venture they called the North American Coffee Partnership. In case you are wondering why Pepsi hasn't gotten more into the coffee or coffee/energy world (at least with their own brand name), this is most likely why… they are already in bed with Starbucks. The partnership actually seems to be doing quite well. Back in 2006, the Pepsi/Starbucks combo owned 90% of the RTD coffee market, per the folks at Beverage Digest. The joint venture followed up their Frappunccino rollout with the canned Doubleshot product, which was basically a creamy, cold version of espresso.

Then in June 2008 came the product line we're reviewing today, Doubleshot Energy+Coffee. While they are RTD coffee products, this lineup would seem to also match up against Monster's Java line, Rockstar Roasted, and Full Throttle's Coffee offerings. The Doubleshot Energy+Coffee line features coffee (duh!) with additional inclusion of B-vitamins, guarana, and ginseng. According to December 2008 stats out of Information Resources, Inc., Starbucks owns 3 out of 5 of the top sales spots in this category. These drinks are available at convenience, drug, and food stores across the country, with two of the flavors (Mocha & Vanilla) also available at Starbucks locations.

We tried the original Coffee flavor, which comes in a 15 oz. can (same size as the typical 16 oz. energy drink cans, but obviously with less product inside). The can features a brown color scheme with a prominent Starbucks logo on the top third of the front panel, supported by diagonal streaks of light brown accenting the look. The rim of the beverage is silver and denotes the flavor ("Coffee") while also highlighting the additional supplements (Guarana, Ginseng, B Vitamins). This follows a pattern that Pepsi also used on their Amp Energy lineup. Per the can labeling, this is positioned as a "Premium Energy Coffee Drink".

Upon opening the can, you can see a light brownish, somewhat thick liquid inside, resembling coffee with cream added. The scent is sweet, obviously hinting at coffee. There was no bitter aroma. As for the taste, again, please remember that I'm not a coffee drinker. But this was actually pretty good! It's very sweet, which is probably what appealed to me. The drink is not carbonated. There was definitely a coffee taste present, but it was tampered by the creaminess found in the rest of the beverage, creating an overall smooth experience. Now I don't know enough about coffee to tell you if this was weak/strong or dark/light. All I do know is that this beverage seemed to provide a comforting taste with a coffeeish experience that didn't make me want to run like normal coffee does.

My wife, who is the coffee drinker in our family, delighted in the taste. She remarked that it did seem to taste very much like Starbucks' bottled Frappuccino drink. The overall taste was pleasant, but she did note it was very sweet. She is a person who likes both cream and sugar in her coffee, so I can see how this fit with her experience better. Overall, she liked the drink and would welcome another. This was in stark contrast to the experience she had with the now-discontinued Coca-Cola Blak debacle.

As for the "energy" element of this beverage, I did notice a slight "buzz" prompted by the inclusion of stuff usually found in energy drinks. Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee contains 146 mg. of caffeine, which breaks down to 9.7 mg/oz., on par with leading energy drinks — Red Bull (9.64 mg/oz.) and Monster (10.00 mg/oz.)

If your day is looking bad and you decide that you need to ingest this entire can to keep going, be aware that you'll be taking on 210 calories, 170 mg of sodium, 26 g of sugars, and 2.5 g of fat. When you take a look at the inclusion of nutritional supplements, this 15 oz. can contains 325 mg of ginseng, 90 mg of guarana, 1800 mg of taurine, 450 mg of carnitine, 2000 mg of maltodextrin, and 180 mg of inositol.

A full ingredient list is as follows:

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Coffee
Starbucks® Coffee (water, coffee), reduced fat milk, skim milk, sugar, natural flavor, maltodextrin, dextrose, taurine, cellulose gel, L-carnitine, panax ginseng root extract, cellulose gum, inositol, sodium ascorbate (Vitamin C), guarana (paullinia cupana) seed extract, calcium phosphate, niacinamide, sucralose, ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), tricalcium phosphate, caramel color, pyridoxine hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), riboflavin, Vitamin A palmitate, cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin D3

Overall, this Coffee flavor of Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee was actually quite good. Even I liked it, and I hate coffee! It's rather sweet and creamy, while loaded with a ton of calories, so enjoy in moderation. However, if you are looking for a coffee-like buzz along with the pick-me-up associated with an energy drink, then this is the beverage for you!

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Other Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Reviews:

• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Vanilla
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Mocha
• Review: Starbucks Doubleshot Energy+Coffee Cinnamon Dulce

In the mid 1990s, the big craze for soft drink companies was to combine their beverages with coffee. Thus we saw a ton of products with this odd combination: Pepsi Kona, Pepsi Cappuccino, Java Cola, Café Cola, and others (mostly in isolated test markets). The initiative failed miserably. Apparently, Coke never got the memo.

Well, it took a little over a year, but it appears that Coca-Cola finally figured out what everyone else already knew… cola/coffee drinks don't work. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Coke is pulling the plug on Coca-Cola BlaK here in the States.

Coke has discontinued U.S. sales of the blended Coca-Cola and coffee concoction it introduced 17 months ago in 8-ounce bottles wrapped in mocha-brown plastic, the company confirmed Thursday.

Coca-Cola spokesman Scott Williamson said the company's bottlers will continue making and selling Coca-Cola Blak until concentrate supplies run out. He said he didn't know how long that will take.

Sales are expected to continue in France and other counties overseas. The drink also is available in Canada.

Coke spent two years developing Coca-Cola Blak in hopes of making inroads into consumers' growing taste for coffee and a booming premium beverage market.

The company didn't announce the move; it was first reported in a trade newsletter, Beverage Digest.

Why the niche beverage didn't catch on, Coke won't say for sure.

But Coca-Cola Blak, which has sold for as much as $1.99 a bottle, may have been too pricey for its target consumer, described by a Coke marketing executive last year as the over-30 "savvy, sophisticated achiever."

Or maybe it was the taste.

"It is not for everyone," Coke marketing executive Katie Bayne told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution when the drink launched in April 2006. "It is an adult Cola taste."

You just hate to say "we told you so," but I think that's pretty obvious here.

When you first visit the Coca-Cola BlāK website, a voice quotes the following:

Welcome intrigue.
Welcome sophistication.
Welcome BlāK.

Coca-Cola BlāK is a premium beverage that will inspire your mind and refresh your mood.

With that in mind, you get the feeling right away the Coke is full of themselves. This drink was announced in late 2005 and was actually released in France back in January before the U.S. debut on April 3. It's branded as a "carbonated fusion beverage", but really it's Coke flavored with coffee.

Apparently not learning anything from the crash-and-burn of the mid-calorie drinks (Coke C2, Pepsi Edge), Coke decided to make Coca-Cola BlāK… a mid-calorie drink! (Are the folks in Atlanta really that dumb?). Along with the use of high fructose corn syrup (remember, this is America… we don't use sugar), BlāK is sweetened with aspartame and acesulfame potassium (also known as Ace-K). This results in an 8-oz. bottle having 45 calories vs. the 100 for a regular Coke. However, at a price point of $1.50-$2.00 a bottle, it's a pretty big ripoff. I've only seen it bundled in 4-packs so far, but I would assume that you could buy it individually as well.

The U.S. and French versions of this drink differ. According to reports, the U.S. version is sweeter and more caramel-like, leaning more towards the soft drink side of the spectrum. In contrast, the French version has a strong coffee flavor, which many say balances the drink better. It also uses sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. The French also got a cooler looking bottle, which has been used in a lot of the marketing in the States. The primary difference is the bottle smoothness and cap. The French bottle is sleek with an old-school pop-off cap. The U.S. version uses the 8-oz. glass bottles you always see Coke packaged in around Christmas… with a shrink-wrap decal around it to give it a distinctive look. It has a twist-off cap.

As I don't drink coffee and am not a fan of diet soft drinks, I asked Amy to review this beverage, since she's the coffee lover. She took the 4-pack to work with her and shared the drink with some of her coworkers. Their reaction? "Why would you buy this?" For the price and size of the beverage, you are better off purchasing a cup of coffee if you really need that fix. If you are a cola drinker, you probably would buy a real bottle of Coke or something. While blending the two worlds is a unique novelty, most felt it wasn't something that they would go out of their way to buy. This opinion has been shared in reviews by others as well.

Additionally, given Amy's passionate hatred of any drink that contains artificial sweeteners, she was put off by the aspartame and Ace-K. The drink was enjoyable at first, but once those associated aftertastes kicked in, forget it! Apparently these views don't jive with what Coke wrote in their initial press release:

Press Release: December 7, 2005

Coca-Cola BlāK is an invigorating and stimulating blend that has a perfect balance of the effervescent taste sensation of Coca-Cola and natural flavors, with real coffee. The lightly carbonated, mid-calorie beverage, which is designed to appeal to adult consumers, is yet another example how The Coca-Cola Company reaches out to new audiences and addresses new beverage occasions.

"Coke effervescence with coffee essence"… what the… ?

"Coca-Cola BlāK is not just a flavor extension. It is a blend of unique Coke refreshment with the true essence of coffee and has a rich smooth texture and has a coffee-like froth when poured. We believe we have created a new category of soft drink – an adult product in a carbonated beverage – and a whole new drinking experience. This brand is ideal for any part of the day when people are looking for renewed energy or simply to take a break," said Marc Mathieu, vice president, Global Core Brands, The Coca-Cola Company.

I ended up trying the drink as well, just to see what it was like. It was… different, to say the least. The coffee taste was there, but it wasn't very strong. In fact, in my experience it somewhat masked the artificial sweeteners. Then again, since my taste buds aren't really used to coffee, how would I know? It was a drink that felt like it should be warm, not cold. It was just an odd blend of flavors in your mouth. Didn't hate it. Didn't like it.

Overall, I scratch my head at the whole thing. Coke is trying to be "cool" with the way the beverage is marketed (or even spelled: BlāK). They have seen market share drop on their core beverage over time (as has everyone else). But unlike Pepsi, which has diversified businesses to boost revenues while soft drink sales decline (such as Gatorade, Frito Lay, Quaker Oats, Tropicana, etc.), Coke is relying on turning around their beverage component to make things happen.

Coca-Cola BlāK isn't going to help that effort.

Coke to launch coffee-infused Coke Blak in 2006
Wed Dec 7, 2005 7:55am ET143

NEW YORK, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Coca-Cola Co. (KO.N: Quote, Profile, Research), the world's No. 1 soft drink company, on Wednesday said it will launch a coffee-infused soft drink called Coca-Cola Blak in various markets around the world in 2006.

The news of the launch came hours before Coke Chief Executive Neville Isdell was scheduled to address financial analysts and investors in New York.

The new drink, a combination of Coca-Cola Classic and coffee extracts, will be first launched in France in January before being rolled out in the United States and other markets during 2006.

A Coke spokesperson said Coca-Cola Blak will be a mid-calorie drink, similar to Coca-Cola C2, which was launched in April 2004 and contains half the sugar, calories and carbohydrates of regular colas. The formula for the new beverage is expected to vary based on local tastes.

Analysts have said one of the keys to the company's future is capturing more consumers who have moved away from sugary soft drinks to diet versions, or to healthier low- or no-calorie beverages.