🔌Review - C4 - Cosmic Rainbow

C4 - Cosmic Rainbow Performance Energy can in front of plants

The flagship brand of nutrition giant Nutrabolt, Cellucor and energy brand C4 are long-time players in the space, having launched their first energy beverage, C4 powder, in 2014 with a canned version following in 2018. Marketing has long been targeted directly to gym-goers and bodybuilders. Today, you'll see two varieties of cans: yellow which is aimed at athletic performance and endurance, and black, which focuses on brain function and concentration. Minority investor Keurig Dr Pepper provides nationwide logistics.

Cosmic Rainbow replaced a co-branded Skittles offering when a number of candy-themed licensing agreements expired in 2024, purportedly keeping the same flavor profile.

🛒Price: $1.75 each at Publix on sale, typically around $3. Website pricing is $27.99/12ct.

✨Calories: 5, 16oz. can

🍵Caffeine: 200mg, slightly more than the same volume of coffee

👅Flavor: They definitely nailed the whole Skittles-adjacent thing, tastes like a mixed mouthful of those candies plus the vitamin slurry I'm becoming accustomed to from C4. I found it to be less fizzy and carbonated than other editions, and that choice actually fits pretty well here.

🧪Ingredients:

Sweeteners: Sucralose & Acesulfame Potassium (Zero Erythritol Blend).
Energy & Nootropic Blend: Caffeine Anhydrous (200mg), L-Theanine (200mg), Taurine, L-Carnitine L-Tartrate, Panax Ginseng, Glucuronolactone, and Inositol.
B-Vitamins: B3 (110% DV), B5 (110% DV), B6 (110% DV), B7 (100% DV), and B12 (110% DV).

🏆Rating: 3 - Good - Definitely better than the Frozen Bombsicle edition, C4 Cosmic Rainbow still can't escape its pre-workout roots. The minerality after it hits your tongue stands in stark contrast to more balanced competition. That being said, I do like the base flavor quite a bit.

⚖️Scale:

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