Why do most energy drinks taste so terribly?

One reason could be that most of them contain lots of caffeine, which has a very bitter taste, and which therefore must be counteracted with lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners, which make the resulting liquid taste cloyingly sweet and unnatural. read more

Any energy drink is an acquired taste IMO, but here are my guidelines. Redbull is nasty and tastes really bad so don't try it your first time. Monster is pretty good and comes in a variety of flavors, but the only ones I have tried are Khaos, which is orange flavored, and Assault, which is fruit punch flavored. read more

For the most part, energy drinks don't actually need to taste very weird. They make it taste weird on purpose so you feel like it's effective. read more

Thus, every energy drink being tangy, tart, and sharp. Source: I use pure caffeine powder, and adding to a shot of lemonade masks most of the bitterness. Plus I've read it somewhere. read more