CBD drink haul
10 cans & 10 days
Lately, I have noticed numerous brands of CBD sparkling drinks hitting the shelves at my local grocery stores. I figured these drinks would be a great solution for a daily dose of CBD.
For 10 consecutive days in a row - I consumed a CBD drink during the most stressful time of my day. I recorded how the drink tasted and how it made me feel after consumption.
I wanted to figure out if these drinks are over worth it or over hyped.
Is the product worth the money? Did I feel an effect from the CBD? Do these drinks actually taste good?
Day #1 - Hilo Hibiscus-Acai Flavor:
25 mg CBD & 30 mg caffeine
The flavor was fruity but it had a very synthetic and questionable taste to it. Within 15 minutes a small wave of chill and calm washed over me. The flavor was not satisfying but the calming feeling I experienced helped me relieve some stress from work.
Day #2 - Hilo Citrus Mint Flavor:
25 mg CBD & 30 mg caffeine
This drink tasted like watered down green tea with a hint of mint. It was not a satisfying flavor. I would not buy this drink again for that reason. Once again, after 15 minutes I noticed that I felt very relaxed and calm during a stressful day at work.
Day #3 - Cruise Blissful Blood Orange Flavor:
25 mg CBD & 130 mg caffeine
The taste was mellow and sweet with a nice kick of a floral aftertaste. Once again, I felt a calming sensation after 15 minutes. Within an hour I began feeling like my heart was racing like a hummingbird. I had no idea there was caffeine in this drink but when I double checked the label and it said 130 mg of caffeine - I knew I was not going to be able to sleep that night. I felt caffeinated against my will.
Day #4 - Cruise Loosen Up Lemon Flavor:
25 mg CBD & 130 mg caffeine
The taste was very floral and slightly sweet. However, I did not feel relaxed at all. I felt severely caffeinated and did not like this experience. If you love highly caffeinated drinks, this brand might be a nice addition to your collection if you want to introduce CBD to your routine.
Day #5 - Recess Black Cherry Flavor:
10 mg CBD
The flavor had a nice herbal hint of cherry. It was very natural and not what I was expecting. Once the aftertaste set in, the drink was really not refreshing at all. I could not finish it because it left a weird film in my mouth that I couldn’t get rid of. The taste was questionable just like the Hilo brand. However, I did feel a calming effect after 20 minutes of drinking it.
Day #6 - Recess Pomegranate Hibiscus Flavor:
10 mg CBD
The taste was not satisfying, I wouldn’t call this a hibiscus flavor at all. The drink was herbal but I could not tell what this really tasted like. I began to wonder - why do CBD drinks taste so synthetic after a sip? Why do they seem to have an aftertaste that leaves a weird film in your mouth?
Day #7 - Mad Tasty Yuzu Citrus Flavor:
20 mg CBD
I wouldn’t call this flavor citrus although it was a bit sour. The taste was questionable and not enjoyable. Same story different brand. I have noticed that the effects of CBD have been taking longer than 15 minutes to kick in now but the feeling remains the same.
Day #8 - Mad Tasty Watermelon Kiwi Flavor:
20 mg CBD
The taste was not enjoyable, it was once again oddly synthetic. The flavor was what I imagine the color pink would taste like. After 20 minutes I did feel a nice calming effect take over my body which is the best trade off.
Day #9 - Mad Tasty Unicorn Tears Flavor:
20 mg CBD
I decided to try something new: a fruit infusion mocktail.
I cut up some kiwi and dragon fruit. I tossed the fruit on top of some ice then poured the CBD drink over it. I let the drink rest for a minute so the fruit would soak. The result was delicious!
I took a sip from the can without the fruit infusion and this flavor was the best of the three that I tried. It was a tolerable fruity sweetness but it still had a bit of a synthetic aftertaste.
The fruit infusion masked the odd synthetic aftertaste that I have been experiencing in most of these CBD drinks. It was the best experience I had with these drinks so far.
Day #10 - Kill Cliff Flaming Joe Flavor:
25 mg CBD (no caffeine content information available)
This drink is a Joe Rogan collaboration. It is pineapple and jalapeno flavored. Kill Cliff claims that their CBD drinks are the “best tasting in the world”.
The flavor was similar to a very sweet pineapple candy with a slight after spice tingle from the jalapeno. This was the only brand that didn’t have a weird synthetic aftertaste. I finished the entire drink and felt amazing.
The CBD effects were so soothing and the caffeine kick was just right.
I was very impressed by this drink and unique flavor. The CBD effects were much different. I felt as though the CBD soothing effects lasted longer than the other drinks.
Did CBD Effect Me?
As a chronic cannabis consumer, the CBD in every drink had a relaxing effect on me. I drank 8 of these cans at my very stressful job during my lunch break. The CBD took the edge off when I could not consume THC in the middle of the day.
The CBD also helped me focus when my ADHD was at its worst.
I was very surprised at how relaxing and calming the CBD effects are. The CBD was fast acting for me and I enjoyed the experience regardless of the odd synthetic flavors that I encountered.
Were The Drinks Worth It?
I would say that most of these drinks are over hyped products riding the CBD trending wave. I would not buy a majority of these tested brands ever again. The synthetic and questionable aftertaste made me want to steer clear of wasting my money on products that don’t actually taste good.
However, the calming and relaxing effects that I experienced made the not-so-great-tasting drinks “worth it” in the end. I’m thankful for the experience because it has changed the way I feel about CBD.
The power of the cannabis plant is amazing.
Recommendations
I recommend these trendy sparkling CBD drinks as a mixed mocktail to take the edge off. This will help get rid of that film that lingers in the mouth from the aftertaste of CBD. Throwing some fruit in the drink or mixing in some syrup will help make the experience even better.
I could see these mocktails replacing alcohol in my life. I used to have a drinking problem. It took me some time to realize my drinking problem was harrowing during stressful periods in my life.
I would highly recommend trying CBD mocktails as an alternative for anyone wanting to abstain from alcohol. Especially when you are stressed the F*CK out! Just be mindful that CBD can hinder the psychoactive effects of THC if you are consuming that as well.
Which Brand Tasted The Best?
The Mad Tasty Unicorn Tears flavor infused with fruit
Kill Cliff Flaming Joe flavor
The Mad Tasty Unicorn Tears flavor infusion was great when mixed like a mocktail. The fruit hindered the synthetic flavoring from the CBD. This was also the best of all three flavors and the only flavor I would ever repurchase again.
Kill Cliff’s Flaming Joe was the #1 best tasting CBD drink that I tried from this haul. It was the only drink I enjoyed without mixing with other ingredients. The Flaming Joe experience was yummy and uplifting.
I decided to go out and buy ALL of the Kill Cliff flavors available at my local grocery store. Stay tuned for another CBD drink haul coming soon!
