Review: Kill Cliff Ignite Performance Energy Drinks

Let’s face it, we all need a boost sometimes. And, whether it’s a cup of coffee in the morning prior to tackling the day, or an energy drink after lunch to avoid the dreaded mid-day slump, there’s no denying the convenience that comes from the rush of energy in the form of a beverage. However, in today’s marketplace, it can become difficult to sift through all the different brands on crowded store shelves, but one in particular stands head and shoulders above the rest—Kill Cliff. We first brought you the story of Kill Cliff back in 2018 when we reviewed its Recovery line of energy drinks. To follow up, now we’ve tested the Ignite line, an alternative to traditional sports and energy drinks.

Kill Cliff’s Ignite is a performance-enhancing energy drink that contains no sugar and lots of electrolytes and vitamins, along with botanical extracts. So, it’s kind of like a mishmash of sugar-free Red Bull and Gatorade. Sweetening comes from stevia, as well as another natural low-calorie sweetener, erythritol, a sugar alcohol that contains only 6 percent of the calories found in refined white sugar, but with 70 percent of the sweetness. Avoiding sugar results in only 25 calories per 355 ml serving of Kill Cliff Ignite.

The rush of energy that Kill Cliff Ignite provides comes from 150 mg of caffeine—America’s favorite drug—and vitamins conducive to energy creation. To put the amount of caffeine in perspective, a standard 12-ounce can of Coke has 32 mg of caffeine, coffee has about 95 mg per 8-ounce serving and a large can of Monster Energy has 160 mg. Alongside the caffeine there’s a host of B vitamins, including a whopping 40 mg of niacin. Like all B vitamins, niacin works to transform food into energy by working with enzymes involved in cellular metabolism. Some scientists say that it can aid in brain function, and can even help to stave off neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Botanical ingredients like green tea leaf extract, ginger root powder and Asian ginseng root extract are included to enhance the performance effect. For example, green tea extract can amplify thermogenesis, which is the scientific term for the process in which the human body burns calories by digesting food to produce heat, plus it can delay muscle fatigue and reduce damage to muscle cells.

The full line of Kill Cliff performance drinks includes Ignite, Endure and Recover.

After drinking various flavors of Kill Cliff Ignite for a week, it’s safe to say that it works as advertised. Instead of my usual morning cup of coffee to bring me up to full speed for the work day, I replaced it with an Ignite energy drink. Despite the large dose of caffeine, I never go the jitters or the shakes. Occasionally I would imbibe one in the afternoon and let me tell you, this combination of ingredients really works well to beat the mid-afternoon doldrums. After downing a single can of Kill Cliff Ignite, I felt energized for a solid two hours. There’s no crash afterwards, either. As for the taste, Ignite is available in four flavors—cherry limeade, fruit punch, lemon berry and tropicool thunder. To me, fruit punch tasted the best, but all of them are very drinkable.

But don’t just take my word for it. Here are testimonials from two of my NRA Publications colleagues.

“I’m a big coffee drinker, but even with my morning cup or three, I still hit a low-energy wall in the early afternoon. After I tried the Kill Cliff Ignite in lemon-berry flavor, I felt alert and more engaged. Plus, it provided a refreshing taste that was better than most energy drinks I’ve tried.”
—Evan Brune, American Rifleman, Managing Editor, Digital.

“Instant energy. After the first sip of the lemon berry, it puckers your lips and then gives you the boost you need to get the job done.”
—Kristen Walter, Shooting Illustrated, Associate Editor.

MSRP for a 24-pack of Kill Cliff Ignite is $55.99. So, if there is a downside, it’s that Kill Cliff drinks aren’t exactly cheap. But you get what you pay for—and there aren’t many other drinks out there that boast the same combination of natural ingredients. What’s more, every purchase supports a worthy cause, because the company donates heavily to the Navy Seal Foundation. Since 2015, Kill Cliff has helped to raise and donate $731,000.

In addition to its Ignite, Endurance and Recovery lines of energy drinks, the folks at Kill Cliff debuted a line of CBD beverages last year, the first to do so nationwide. You can learn more about them by reading this article at the American Hunter website.