Tiger: Poland's Most Aggressive Energy Drink

Energy Drink Inspired By One Tough Dude...

Name: Tiger Energy Drink
Category: Carbonated Energy Drink
Ethnicity: Polish
Brand: Maspex
 

Before we begin, I need to get something out of the way: I do not enjoy energy drinks. It's not all that complicated, really. Energy drinks alway feature extremely high levels of sugar, unnatural flavors, and strange additives that give off a rather foul taste. I just don't love them.  But still, I drink them sometimes because I respect the functionality of the beverage, which is of course, to send your body and mind into hyper-drive for around 16 minutes. I do think that energy drinks as a product category are interesting and I feel the need to explore a bit of their presence from other countries. For my foray into this beverage group, I present to you Tiger. I came across Tiger in my local Polish deli, liked the obsidian blue can and decided to give it the old Polish try (I'm Polish and I tried it). Tiger Energy Drink is a powerful drink to say the least. It is heavily caffeinated, loaded with sugar, and packed with thousands of tiny tingly carbonated bubbles. At first sip, I am reminded why I don't like energy drinks. I am just overwhelmed with the amount of sugar in this beverage; so much so that it hurts my teeth. I move forward. I get a blast of intensely acidic and bitter citrus flavors of orange and lemon, followed up by a stingingly tart cherry flavor. The strange taste and boost of Taurine is truly salient and I almost feel my tongue is about to dance around in my mouth. As I continue to sip, I am reminded that these energy drinks all share then same yolk and that I am not to hate on them simply because they don't agree with tastes.

They are immensely popular because 1) they taste different from standard caffinated sodas, 2) They are fully functional energy-inducing drinks meant to pump up your body and stimulate your mind and 3) their association with energy-empowered lifestyles such as extreme sports. Tiger here is no exception. This drink is named after famous Polish Boxer Dariusz Michaelczewski and branded as "Tiger", which is the fighter's nickname. Dariusz is a fierce, ass-kicking fighter that embodies the ferocious qualities natural to a wild tiger. It makes perfect sense that an energy drink is the perfect endorsement for this Polish warrior. Nothing is more fun than to consume something and immediately feel stronger, faster and more powerful. Maybe this sounds like drugs? Well sugar may seem like a drug but for now, but Tiger is Poland's response to the infamy the world-famous energy drink category. If I can be honest here, I will say that this drink doesn't taste that bad, really. It's not perfect but the small can ensures you won't be making whiskey face for very long. Best of all it makes you  feel a bit more energized than the moments preceding consumption. Isn't that burst sometimes the feeling we all need on a Monday at 2:30? I may just drink these voluntarily when I feel like making more moves. THE POWER IS BACK!

Rating: B- (Caffeinated Polish Pride Punch Proves Only Decent)