AMP Traction Energy Drink Review

This is the last of the new AMP Energy Drinks and I can’t say I’m sad about it being the last. The new line which also includes AMP Elevate and AMP Relaunch has been disappointing on energy production and mediocre on flavor. AMP Traction is AMP’s grape energy drink and brings a functional aspect of sustaining energy. Traction is a good name for that and I really hope that it lives up to the name by giving me long lasting energy. It’s supposed to do this with the inclusion of an “intense combination” of maltodextrin and D-Ribose. Long-term focus and energy would be great for AMP. Hell, even short term energy would be great for AMP at this point. Let’s see if AMP Traction can deliver where it’s fellow AMP compatriots have failed.

AMP Traction looks like grape soda with a somewhat opaque carbonated purple color. The color is not as nice as the deep dark purple of Chronic Buzz or Beaver Buzz Black Currant, but how important is color anyway. It’s a weird grape flavor, but actually one of the better grape flavors beating out PJ Purple Label. It’s not as good as the grape Freek Skitzo, but is definitely a decent grape soda and reminds me quite a bit of Mountain Dew Pitch Black. What distinguishes the flavor here is a healthy dose of lime that prevents the grape soda from tasting too sweet or feeling too much like grape medicine. The downside to the flavor is that it is very thick in the mouth and you can sick of it by the time you have had a third of the can. I found AMP, AMP Overdrive and AMP Elevate to all be pretty light on the palette, but this makes me want to sink. Although it does leave you feeling a bit sticky, it has acceptable taste and is a middle of the pack grape energy drink that isn’t going to wow anyone, but probably won’t make you hurl either.

AMP Traction has 220 cals, 58 grams sugar, 296 mg taurine, and 160 mg caffeine. As for its special ingredients it has 144mg of D-Ribose and 292 mg of maltodextrin. Other notable goodies inside AMP Traction are HFCS, citric acid, taurine, maltodextrin, guarana, sodium hexametaphosphate, caffeine, d-ribose, gum Arabic, B vitamins, ginseng, EDTA, and BVO. Although I do think AMP Traction gives the best boost of any existing AMP drink, it's still not a huge boost. The energy buzz you get will last a little longer than other AMPs, but we are not talking orders of magnitude. Also after drinking AMP Traction you do tend to experience a bit of an energy crash, which is not pleasant. Still if you are willing to trade some taste for a bit longer energy boost than AMP Traction is the best bet of the AMPs.

So now that AMP has corresponding flavors for MT Code Red, LiveWire and Pitch Black, will they make a tropical AMP to match Baja Blast?

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