Red Bull Editions Taste Test: Some Hits, Some Misses, Some Mixed Feelings

Earlier this month, 7-Eleven announced that it would be the exclusive retailer of the new Red Bull Editions until March, when the flavors will launch nationally. The new flavors -- lime, blueberry and cranberry -- represent the first deviations Red Bull has made from its original flavor.

While we often come to a consensus during our taste tests, this taste test was an exception. There was vast disagreement across the board, largely due to the fact that the original Red Bull is rather polarizing on its own. Here's what we thought:

Silver Edition (lime flavored): "Very refreshing & tart, with none of the heavy, gloopy texture or flavor that sometimes make normal Red Bull hard to drink. Tastes like 7-Up or even Gus Meyer Lemon, in a good way." "First taste masquerades as a pleasant lime soda. That illusion quickly fades into a sweet soda with an identity crisis."

Blue Edition (blueberry flavored): "Surprisingly fruity -- this one is the closest to a Starbucks Refresher." "Only if I were near death and it was a last resort." "My favorite. It was tart, fizzy and did not at all taste like the Red Bull that I know and hate." "Tastes like Dimetapp, in a good way."

Red Edition (cranberry flavored): "No worse than normal Red Bull, but no better either. Has a strange, off-putting cotton candy sweetness." "Overwhelmingly fruity, like Bubabilicious gum. It's almost too much, but you can't get enough."

Overall impressions: "I'm probably one of the few people on this earth who likes the flavor of original Red Bull. It is what I know to be Red Bull. I don't want them to muck with the flavors, just like I didn't want them to go from 8.3oz to 8.4oz, to try cola (UGH), to make a 20oz version, or to do whatever that 'Total' garbage is." "These three new Red Bull flavors are a vast improvement on the original flavor. If you are not normally a fan of Red Bull, you might want to give these a shot. While the flavors are still reminiscent of cold medicines, they aren't as sickeningly sweet."

So if you're a Red Bull purist, you might not be so keen on these new riffs. But if you're looking for a caffeine jolt but actually don't so much care for the original Red Bull, the brand might have found a new way to bring you in.