Solid Energy, But Disappointing Flavor and Big Crash
Although I typically subscribe to a "preworkouts are about performance, not flavor" mindset, I couldn't help myself in this case. The idea of a "Smarties" flavored preworkout just felt so awesomely fun and nostalgic. And since the formula looked decent (though neither as stim-heavy as some of the leading preworkouts nor as competitively priced since you only get 20 servings), I figured I'd give it a shot.<br /><br />The flavor is unfortunately a big disappointment. It's simply pleasant and non-descript, which is frankly OK by preworkout standards, but a problem when you're expecting it to taste like a specific candy of which you have fond memories. Knowing that it's meant to taste like Smarties, I can MAYBE see what they're going for. But if I gave you this preworkout as part of a blind taste test, you would never in a million years guess the flavor.<br /><br />Flavor commentary aside, it is solid as a preworkout. It's not legendary on the energy front, but the boost is on par with (if not better than) other products built around a 300mg caffeine blend. It also hits quickly.<br /><br />That said, I've also been noticing a far harder "crash" than is typical of preworkouts in 2020. It's great if you workout at night since you can get a full-caliber energy boost without having trouble falling asleep, but it's a problem if you workout in the morning and need to be functional later in the day. Every time I've taken it early in the day, I've either had to take a nap that afternoon - or take another heavy dose of a preworkout/energy drink. Not ideal.
Rating: 2 stars