Former LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne released a cotton candy-flavored energy drink in collaboration with the brand Accelerator in April.

The flavor, available for purchase on Amazon and Rouses Market, was celebrated by Dunne and her former teammates on Monday at LSU’s local Rouses on Arlington Creek Center Drive.

In the spirit of the launch, the Reveille Staff was able to sit down and try the LSU alumnus’ new drink, so here’s what we had to say about it.

Gabby Gray, Sports Reporter

Having never had an Accelerator before, I didn’t know what to expect from Dunne’s drink, aside from the carbonation and the very sweet taste that one would imagine coming with cotton candy.

After opening the can, I could smell just how sweet it was going to be, and as soon as it hit my mouth, the taste matched the sweetness of the scent, which took me by surprise given that the drink doesn’t contain any sugar.

I didn’t think much of it except for the fact the goal was to make a cotton candy-flavored energy drink – and that goal was indeed met – until after about five sips within the span of twenty minutes, I was practically bouncing off the walls.

Being partial to caffeine sources like Alani and iced coffee, Accelerator took me by surprise for sure when considering how quickly the caffeine set in. On top of that, because of how sweet the flavor was, I couldn’t finish it.

With how hyper I became after just a few sips, I can’t say this is the energy drink I’d recommend to others, especially if you’re trying to keep your cool with final exams around the corner.

Ainsley Flood, Sports Reporter

As a caffeine addict with a sweet tooth, I was excited to get my hands on one of these.

While it smelled pleasantly like cotton candy, the drink tasted differently. There is almost a sourness when it first hits your tongue, followed by a very, very sweet aftertaste.

To me, this was like liquid candy – like Sour Patch meets SweeTarts –which I’m not necessarily complaining about. So, I was shocked to read there is zero sugar and only five calories for the whole can.

That said, something about this drink missed the mark for me. I can’t give it a perfect 10 – but I did finish the whole can, so it couldn’t have been that bad.

Payton Prichard, Photographer

I’m a self-proclaimed energy drink connoisseur. Monster, Alani, Prime – I’ve had it all. Caffeine doesn’t seem to affect me at all, and it’s something I definitely take advantage of.

That being said, I’ve never experienced anything like Dunne’s Cotton Candy Accelerator. When I tell you I was wired, I mean it.

I was not a fan of the cotton candy flavor or smell, and the aftertaste stayed ever-present for some time after my initial tasting. Dunne and her team aced the flavor, but it was a little too sweet for my palate.

I would recommend this drink to anyone who needs an extremely quick caffeine fix and doesn’t mind an intense sweet flavor.

Just be wary of the heart palpitations.

Jason Willis, Managing Editor

I’ll start by saying that I’m not a big consumer of caffeine. I don’t drink coffee or energy drinks. With that in mind, I had only a few sips of Dunne’s drink so as to avoid my body combusting.

The flavor was good and honestly spot-on for cotton candy. It was very sweet but had a nice tanginess to it. Could I have endured the sweetness for an entire can of that flavor? Definitely not.

I still have to commend the flavor. If sweetness is your thing and you were the kind of person who liked Pixy Stix as a kid, you’ll like this drink.