GFuel Brimstone review - Cranned with flavour

Gfuel is a bit of a strange phenomenon. I distinctly remember Call of Duty YouTubers plastering Gfuel codes onto their videos a decade ago but, living in a country with huge shipping costs and without my own income, I could never really try it.

This is why buying a few tubs was one of the first things I did when I got money as an adult. A way of paying back younger me, I liked the ritual of buying things I never could. Gfuel Brimstone is a flavour I absolutely would have bought as a kid. Giving a raspberry kick and plastering the Binding of Isaac on the side - this is exactly what I would have wanted.

Unfortunately, though I like the flavour, it doesn't quite live up to its potential. Binding of Isaac is a weird game filled with weird creatures and this gives plenty of room for something special. Brimstone is a nice flavour but not quite as special as the game itself.

The look

The Gfuel Brimstone flavour has deep red packaging, with symbols from the game plastered all over it. There's a certain edginess to it that accentuates the spiritual themes of the game itself. It has "The Binding of Isaac" written on the top but this comes off when you open it up, making it a bit of a guessing game for those unfamiliar with the series.

It honestly looks great on its own and on a shelf. Though I didn't get the shaker myself, the sleek black shaker with a small red insignia is surprisingly tasteful for Gfuel. It's nice to not see "GFuel" plastered on the side of it. When you mix it with a little water, it makes a slightly brighter red colour that works well for the feel of the product.

This is a good collaboration as The Binding of Isaac is definitely one of those games you stay up until 2 AM playing. Getting a sip in between rooms is pretty good and this makes it a great fit. As far as the look is concerned, GFuel has nailed it.

The flavour

Gfuel Brimstone is a "Cran-Raspberry" that is very forward on the cran part. It's very sweet, so I prefer to put 80% of a scoop in for the perfect ratio. On first sip, you are immediately hit with that dry tart flavour that comes with cranberries, only for the raspberry to kick in near the end. In this sense, the aftertaste is a lot more refreshing than the first note.

It isn't quite as sharp as the Only Crans flavour which could be quite nice for some but I'm not entirely convinced of how well the two go together. There's a bitterness in there that isn't fully balanced by the sweetness of the raspberry.

As well as this, neither of the two flavours are quite as strong as the generic sweetness underlying it all. Rather than playing into the natural flavours of the fruit like the rather great "Sonic Peach Rings" flavour, there's a generic syrupy flavour that never quite allows the flavour to shine.

When given other flavours without knowing what they are, you could make a reasonable assumption as to what Gfuel is trying to approximate. I don't know if the same can be said here. It's definitely a refreshing flavour but there are much better choices out there.

Verdict

GFuel Brimstone has perhaps a better look than taste. Though decent in execution, there are many better flavours that hit the same notes

A review unit of GFuel Brimstone was provided by Gamma Labs