Monster: Ultra Violet

December 17, 2023

this post has been sitting in my drafts for MONTHS. I honestly don't remember when I originally wrote this. part of it can be blamed on my computer being out of commission, but the rest can just be blamed on my laziness. oh well.

the description on the can reads as follows:
"Welcome to the 70's. A hazy purple funk all dressed up in a kaleidoscope of bell bottoms, bandanas, and tie-dye. A time when psychedelic, glam and heavy metal rock blasted from mega speakers at fairgrounds, stadiums and garages. Can you dig it? The take a good long pull of Monster Ultra Violet. Crisp and refreshing, with a sweet and tart pixie dust flavor powered with our Monster Energy Blend. Hop on this magic carpet for the ride."

the flavor profile, as defined on website, is "Light Citrus and Grape"

RATING: Sure
the description on the can is incredibly hard to read. I can’t tell if it’s because of the low contrast between the purple background and silver text, or because the font is too thin. maybe a bit of both. also, on the website, the last line of the description is, "Hop on this Purple Monster for the ride!" 🤔

on the topic of can design, the can is a very nice shade of purple and all the decals are silver. we’ve got some music notes, peace signs and mandalas, a scepter holding a crystal ball (???), and a bloodshot eyeball or two. not the most imaginative stuff, but at least some effort went into it.

obligatory disclosure of potential conflicts of interest: I had one (1) sip out of this flavor from an almost-empty can like two years ago, though I can’t remember how it tasted. also grape fanta is my Autism Drink Of All Time (thanks kokichi)

  1. it certainly smells….powdery. the pixie stick comparison is not inaccurate. in my review of the khaotic flavor, I said it smelled like a hugs juice carton. this is sort of like that, but definitely more akin to smarties or bottle cap candies. 7/10
  2. my initial impression is that it tastes like pop rocks ??? surprised and intrigued. 10/10
  3. probably my grape fanta bias, but I think it’s a really pleasant flavor. 10/10
  4. the aftertaste more closely resembles actual grape juice (not actual grapes though) (specifically the white grape nonalcoholic champagne my family always gets to celebrate new year’s eve). it is Very Sweet (of which we’ve established I am a fan). 10/10

overall rating: 10/10. it’s an oversaturated purple, it’s sickly sweet, and it’s even artificially grape flavored. what’s not to love? this drink made me very happy. I will absolutely be drinking this again.