THIS should probably start with a confession – I am, by my own admission, a Red Bull junkie. Drinking the stuff has become as much of a part of my daily routine as despairing about Everton or being told by people far older than me to get my hair cut.
Whether it actually works is another matter – my pair of wings must have got lost in the post, and unlike Peter Griffin, I’m yet to suddenly burst into a high-pitched rendition of Ray of Light after devouring one.
And yet I keep coming back for more. It’s my go-to mixer, I never prepare for a run without one, and no lunch at work is complete without a good old dose of rocket fuel.
You’d probably assume, then, that “Prime”, the new energy drink created by YouTuber-turned-boxer-turned-rapper KSI and compadre Logan Paul, zooming off Asda shelves and into the bloodstreams of those with far too much disposable income, would be catnip for addicts like me.
And so, while at a loose end in Llandudno last week, against my better judgement, I spent two hard-earned pounds on a bottle of blue raspberry-flavoured Prime.
And though £2 seems a bargain amid tales of £8 sales and black market deals, did this literal flavour of the month live up to the hype?
READ MORE:
'I tried a bottle of Prime to see if it's worth the hype (and the £8 price tag)'
Where you can find the new Prime energy drink in Denbighshire, Conwy and Gwynedd
Honestly, not really.
Perhaps I simply felt racked with guilt for turning my back on Red Bull, like cheating on an ever-faithful partner you’ll be shocked to know I do not actually have.
But aside from anything else, the fact that the drink comes in a fairly hefty 500ml bottle while tasting so terribly saccharine gave me less of an energy rush, and felt more like wading through a swimming pool caked in sherbet.
And though it does undeniably pack a punch, the novelty soon wears off. Whereas Red Bull offers a short, sharp shock, drinking a bottle of Prime ended up feeling like such a chore that it ultimately began to feel draining just nursing my way through it.
If anything, the highlight was the fact that only the sight of me drinking Prime was enough to cause the person sat opposite me on the train to lift his head otherwise buried in his phone.
Whether he was watching on with great jealousy or shame, though, is anyone’s guess.
Try it yourself if your morbid curiosity gets the better of you, just be prepared to clear your afternoon – and potentially your bank balance - if you do.
Prime can be bought at the following locations in Denbighshire, Conwy and Gwynedd:
• Asda Rhyl: St Asaph Avenue North, Kinmel Bay, LL18 5EQ.
• Asda Llandudno: Conway Road, Llandudno, LL30 1PJ.*
• Asda Bangor: Farrar Road, Bangor, LL57 1LJ.
• Asda Caernarfon: Bangor Road, Caernarfon, LL55 1AR.
(*Note: the drink is not available at the Asda store in Llandudno Junction, also on Conway Road.)
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