The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Reign Storm Energy Drink

April 12, 2023May 29, 2024 Marvo 6 Comments

UPDATE: Reign Storm released four new flavors in 2024, click here for our review.

Reign Storm is a new energy drink line from the Monster Energy spin-off that announces it has “clean energy.” What does that mean? Well, it doesn’t involve solar panels, wind turbines, dams, or heat extracted from geothermal reservoirs. Instead, each can gets its 200 milligrams of caffeine from plant-based sources, all of which are brought to us by the letter G — green coffee beans, green tea extract, ginseng, guarana, and guayusa.

The line is available in 12-ounce “slim” cans and has four flavors — Harvest Grape, Kiwi Blend, Peach Nectarine, and Valencia Orange. The can’s lip proudly exclaims it accelerates metabolism, provides immunity support, and increases energy. Along with the caffeine, Reign Storm has zero sugar, only ten calories per can, and no preservatives, artificial flavors, or colors. It also contains biotin, which helps support hair and skin health. It’s similar to caffeine in that both aren’t needed as much if you get a good night’s sleep.

To bring the sugar down to zero, Reign Storm has a downpour of familiar artificial sweeteners — sucralose, acesulfame potassium, and erythritol. With the first few sips of every flavor, those artificial sweeteners were highly noticeable in the aftertaste, which is a sharp contrast from the sweet, fruity, and delicious flavors that hit my tongue the moment the beverage ended up in my mouth. It was also confusing because Monster’s Ultra zero sugar line does a wonderful job hiding its artificial sweeteners, so why wasn’t that the case here?

However, after the opened cans sat in my fridge overnight, the artificial sweeteners weren’t noticeable the next day. It was like I was drinking Monster Ultra flavors. Even after opening the second set of flavors I purchased, I no longer noticed the weird aftertaste. I thought I should mention all this because I hope someone experienced the same thing so that I can prove I’m not going crazy.

But now, let’s talk about the sweet, fruity, and delicious flavors. I found all of them to be good or great. Harvest Grape smells and tastes like a grape soda, which excites me because I love grape soda. Peach Nectarine’s flavor is similar to Monster Peachy Keen, which reminds me of peach gummy rings and a flavor I adore. Valencia Orange is a pleasant combination of sweet and tart orange flavors, although there’s a burst of sourness that might be too strong for some. However, Kiwi Blend, a combination of kiwi and green apple, was my favorite. Its name is a little deceiving because while its sourness could be mistaken for kiwi, this has primarily green apple vibes to it.

My issues with Reign Storm are that they come in 12-ounce cans and are more expensive than 16-ounce regular Reign cans. Is shrinkflation going on? Is that possible with a brand new product line?

If you’re into getting your caffeinated fix from plant-based sources that start with the letter G or want some biotin to help keep your skin and hair luxurious, Reign Storm is an excellent option and maybe the only option. However, while tasty, their size and price make me hesitant to repurchase them.

Purchased Price: $2.59 each
Size: 12 oz cans
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Kiwi Blend), 7 out of 10 (Harvest Grape), 7 out of 10 (Peach Nectarine), and 7 out of 10 (Valencia Orange)
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 270-280 milligrams of sodium, 3-5 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar (Valencia Orange and Harvest Grape have 2 grams of erythritol), 0 grams of protein, and 200 milligrams of caffeine.

SPOTTED: 4/12/2023

April 12, 2023April 9, 2023 Marvo 3 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

(Spotted by Jack B at Walmart.)

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

(Spotted by Breanna at Walmart Neighborhood Market.)

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Siete Maiz Blue Corn Totopos Tortilla Chips

Siete Maiz Sea Salt Totopos Tortilla Chips

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

SPOTTED: Blue Bunny Stuffed Puffs Frozen Dairy Dessert

April 11, 2023April 9, 2023 Marvo 12 Comments

These are currently Walmart exclusives. S’mores has marshmallow flavored frozen dairy dessert with fudge swirls, graham crackers, and chocolate chunks. Birthday Cake features cake batter flavored frozen dairy dessert with marshmallow swirls, yellow cake pieces, and colored sprinkles. Cookies ‘N Creme has marshmallow flavored frozen dairy dessert with marshmallow swirls and cookie pieces. (Spotted by Erin K at Walmart.)

SPOTTED: Entenmann’s Ice Cream Sandwiches

April 11, 2023April 9, 2023 Marvo 8 Comments

Entenmann’s Glazed Cookie Donut Ice Cream Sandwiches

Entenmann’s Chocolatey Glazed Cookie Donut Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches

Entenmann’s Chocolatey Glazed Cookie Donut Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

Entenmann’s Chocolate Chip & Brownie Cookies Ice Cream Sandwiches

Entenmann’s Brownie Cookie Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sandwiches

Entenmann’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

If you told me in 2022 that Entenmann’s was going to come out with ice cream sandwiches in 2023, I would-Ent believe you. (Spotted by Tommy at Walmart.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email ([email protected]) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

REVIEW: Reese’s Crunchy and Creamy Peanut Butter Cups (2023)

April 11, 2023April 9, 2023 Julie 3 Comments

I – and likely you, too – have tried a lot of Reese’s products over the years. While the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup may be the perfect candy creation, its variations often taste just as delicious while keeping the spirit of the original product. Reese’s Creamy and Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups fall perfectly in line with this pattern, as both tweak the textures of their fillings just enough to generate distinctive taste experiences. Reese’s Creamy Peanut Butter Cups offer smooth peanut butter filling, while Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups contain peanut pieces for an extra crunch.

Although both are returning products, I hadn’t previously tried either. I love peanut butter in all varieties, so I often refuse to take a side in the Team Creamy vs. Team Crunchy debate. If chocolate and peanut butter are involved, Team Me wins every time. So, upon finding both varieties in King Size packages at Sheetz, I thanked George Washington Carver for the bounty I was about to receive.

I started with the Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups, which pair Reese’s classic peanut butter filling with loads of crunchy peanut pieces. The balance of filling and peanuts is just right. The pieces are mixed well throughout the filling so that the candy holds together in one bite. They vary in size, but all are large enough to satisfy a crunch craving. They also provide an extra hit of saltiness that complements both filling and chocolate perfectly.

That’s one point for Team Crunchy.

Next were the Creamy Peanut Butter Cups, which taste almost exactly like standard Reese’s. The filling is thick and definitely smoother than the crumbly texture found in most Reese’s cups. The filling is still on the dry side, though. It cracks easily and isn’t creamy enough to spread. I can’t dock too many points from Team Creamy because the cups are obviously delicious.

But I’d hoped for a much creamier texture (in the realm of buttercream frosting), so these Creamy Peanut Butter Cups fell short of my expectations. If I had instead grabbed a package of standard Reese’s cups at the checkout, I probably wouldn’t have recognized my mistake until the creamy peanut butter lovers of the world showed up at my door chanting, “One of us! One of us!”

If this Reese’s taste test forced me to pick a side, I would choose the Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups. Their filling reminds me of what I would scoop from a jar of chunky peanut butter. Even though the Creamy variety doesn’t spark a similar comparison, it is the yin to Crunchy’s yang. It’s fun to have a choice of textures that only enhance an already irresistible peanut butter and chocolate flavor combination.

Maybe I’m Team Harmony after all.

Purchased Price: 2 for $5.59
Size: 2.8 oz (79 g) King Size package
Purchased at: Sheetz
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Creamy), 8 out of 10 (Crunchy)
Nutrition Facts: (per 2 cups) Creamy – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 120 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 20 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein. Crunchy – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 100 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

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