It’s been a while since I’ve had any drinks from the Venom Energy lineup of drinks, so today I decided to pick up a can of Killer Taipan, a mango flavored supplement from Venom. I’ve known about this drink’s existence for a fairly long time, since some time during the spring college semester of 2009, and have actually had it a few times before.

Straight from the can:

When you want cold-blooded clarity and the quick energy to strike when the time is right, you need the potent Venom of the Killer Taipan, delivered in mesmerizing Mango.

The Venom Potency Pack has a powerful does of taurine, glucuronolactone, L-carnitine and guarana, giving it piercing energy that strikes back.

When twisting the metal cap off the aluminum bottle you will be hit with a powerfully sweet, slightly tangy and kind of sour aroma that seems very heavily artificial, but is appetizing none the less. It’s one of those scents that really gets your mouth watering thanks to the subtle sourness, a trait which I’ve noticed to be commonly shared between all Venom drinks.

The first sip yields a very enjoyable mango flavor that is marred by over carbonation that you won’t easily get used to. Ignoring the carbonation issue, the flavor of the drink is astounding, albeit a little bit bit too sweet. The mango flavor is right on, and the flavor is very refreshing and extremely satisfying. After each drink you may notice your mouth is slightly dry, but at least there is no aftertaste to deal with. All in all the drink has a great flavor and a not so great texture.

As far as kick goes, Venom hits fast and hard. Yeah, like getting bitten by a deadly Killer Taipan. The sad thing, though, is that the kick seems to run out as quickly as it came. About 25 minutes after downing my bottle I felt absolutely fantastic. About an hour and half later, however, I was back to regular old, energyless me. I didn’t notice any crash, but I just wish the kick had stayed with me for about an hour or so longer.

In terms of value, Killer Taipan comes in a slick 2 serving, 16.9 oz can/bottle hybrid for $1.99. As is the case with all Venom drinks, a value of .9 oz is to be had over the leading industry standard-priced competitor. It’s not the best deal out there, but it’s a bit of value none-the-less.

Final Words:

Killer Taipan is definitely a step down from Death Adder, the fruit punch variation of the drink. That said, I do enjoy it more than the original drink thanks to the accurate mango flavor. I’ve come to learn that the can/bottles I used to be infatuated with are worthless pieces of metal that only work half of the time and aren’t reliable enough to trust in a backpack or computer bag. The deficiencies in texture may be too much of a turn off for some, so I only feel comfortable recommending this drink to fans of the other Venom products or people who like fruity energy drinks.

Pros

• Great mango flavor
• Powerful kick
• Snakes

Cons

• Some imbalances in texture
• Kick doesn’t last as long as you might like
• Snake bites

Score: 7.5/10 (Good)

Aroma: 7.5/10
Flavor: 7.25/10
Kick: 7.5/10
Value: 7.75/10