I first tried crack gold from Ruesco as a sample back in the beginning of 2024 when it first sold out from its original run on Dark Labs. I got lucky in finding a distributor that had the last of that batch and was able to order it… and then a few months later it was rereleased and I was a bit miffed that I had gone out of my way for them to just release it again. From the reviews I read, that rerelease was nowhere as good as the original run. Nowadays there’s the V2 Crack Gold with only DMHA. As a proud owner of the original batch, I treat it likea fine champagne and only bring it out when the circumstances seem fit. This indeed one of those Dark Labs DMAA+DMHA hitters boasting 100mg and 209mg respectively. The intensity that this brew brings is unlike any other preworkout of its kind. Even in comparison to legit pre, Crack Gold has an intensity and dirtiness about it that I’ve never achieved off Legit Pre!

Crack Gold is one of those pre workouts with a laundry list of stims, nootropics and pumps. Each set is intense with intention to set PRs! The music sounds louder and stronger no matter what it is; the euphoria, intensity, and hostility that comes from crack gold seems almost emotional. Like you’re attempting to kill the weights through a crime of passion. Strength is seemingly born from this elixir that you had just ingested prior to your session and you are now enveloped in a world of strength and hostility… in a fun way! It’s also really fun! Each exercise makes you eager to continue and move onto the next exercise.

The flavor “rainbow candy” tastes neither like rainbow or candy. It tastes like sweetened delousing agent from WW2 with a hint of agent orange. The chemical warfare assault on your tastebuds is a clear indicator that you just ingested one of the strongest preworkouts known to man and are soon to become a super human parody of yourself as a PR setting nightmare machine.

One of my favorite things about this formula is how transparent and easy it is to read. Even going off the top of my head I can list it as 10grams citrulline, 3200mg beta alanine, 4grams tyrosine, 400mg caffeine, 300mg DMHA, 2mg alpha yo…. i’m sure I’m forgetting some but the fact that I can list that from memory is a big deal. I know what I’m getting with each scoop, and I know I’m in for a killer workout filled with euphoric aggression!

I have the first run Maniaco, I just happened to buy a tub, and then I won a dark labs giveaway on instagram which scored me another 2 tubs and some other goodies The formula between the citrulline, caffeine, and DMHA is a great package that really balances out the overall effectiveness of this blend. This is one of those workouts that come with increased mood with intensity, and motivation that allows you to set personal records and keep going! The last time I ran Maniaco was on a Tuesday where I spent an hour and a half in the gym which felt like 10 minutes. Time blindness is a comea on atrong where you lose yourself in a real mind muscle connection between you and the weights, balanced well between pump and stim.

This is not a traditional dark labs product that’s like having your head explode while trying to snap barbells in half. This is a happy, euphoric, “I’m about to fuck you up” feel that comes on as you get to your next set. The flavor is something else as well, I’ve been digging the cherry mango tropical style of the ones that I have opened. I have yet to open the more pina colada variant.

This is a good, no nonsense, solid hitting stim junkie pre workout; with intense euphoria, inspiration and determination that drives you harder than any other high stim pre that might have 1000 different ingredients. I can’t recommend this one enough, I’m just glad that a 2nd batch has come out so I can try new flavors if I ever get around to it

It’s really difficult for me to follow through with proprietary blends in 2025. It’s been long enough since pre workouts have become a part of fitness culture that the idea of a proprietary blend, especially loaded with stims is kind of laughable. In this case, I was gifted a sample from Ruesco and gave it a shot. What became an amazing and eye opening workout had turned me into a fan! I now no longer care what the label says (especially since my sample came in the form of a shady little black market style designer drug baggie).

So I ended up going with a tub and going only by the feel of the sample, rather than the label. Even today when I look at the tub and I’m just thinking “psshh… ok… creatine… geranium… caffeine alkaloids… some beta and some citrulline… some DMHA… who cares?” First off, the original mesomorph had been hammered pretty hard for having DMAA in it according to what I’ve read online. This version 4 is possibly far removed from that so don’t expect it to hit like it did a decade ago. I wasn’t fortunate enough to try the OG mesomorph, but I’ve tried this version and I can say with confidence that it’s a bonafide hitter.

I swear there’s no DMAA in it but the label says “geranium” and for fuck sakes… I just want to believe there’s at least a smidge of actual DMAA in there! The 2-aminoisoheptane is in there and very clean feeling, very nicely sourced from my experiences.

The best way to describe this stuff is that it’s an eye opener! It’s a wake up call after you wake up, but it’s not an edgy, aggressive response. It’s a very smooth and clean, almost friendly feeling. The euphoria has me beaming with joy as I’m leveling up on each set. As unexpected as it was, it has helped me to hit some PRs through sets and reps!

I’ve tried it with and without pump formulas, I’d recommend with a pump formula if you’re going to lift heavy.

This V4 mesomorph is a perfectly clean and friendly hitter that will keep you guessing but it’s something you have to try to believe for yourself.

I have the tutti frutti flavor. It’s nice and kind of underwhelming. No chemical aftertaste, nothing overpowering. Not gritty or chalky, it’s smooth and enjoyable with some slight fruity banana like aftertastes.

I got hypermax 3d without sampling or reading any reviews. I was out of daily drivers and decided on this based on the price and the label. I was absolutely impressed by the results… the eria jarensis, b-PEA and theobromine have such good synergy with the caffeine. I always prefer more theobromine but at a full dose, 60mg is more than what some other formulas offer. 2mg of alpha yohimbine at full dose provides a nice driving force that just ties the whole formula together!

You have the choice between 1 and 2 scoops. I always go for the full dose which weighs out to 23grams. They got the scoop right in this tub because two flat level scoops make exactly 23grams. Every once in a while if I’m having a workout later in the day than my usual super early lifting sessions I like to use one scoop with a scoop of a pump formula. The pump profile on this one isn’t half bad and I feel at full dose, adding a full scoop of a pump formula could be overkill. The versatility is another positive factor, on some days I add on a capsule or two of eria plus by Xtremis cartel. 2mg of alpha yo is absolutely perfect for me so I feel like stacking extra alpha yo would be unnecessary.

As far as a daily drivers and is concerned, I like it when it comes in like a cup of coffee that has enough room for you to customize it with your own addition of milk/sugar. The other bonus is the consistency, I can always guarantee that I’m going to be primed and ready after going full dose with this. It brings a fair amount of mood elevation and motivation. It’s comparable to crack daily in this sense but personally I liked crack daily a little bit more even though it had less amount of alpha yo. The flavor is mango kiwi cooler, a very pleasant flavor that tastes like you’re drinking from a juice box. If you want to get a bit fancy, you can do like me and throw an ice cube in the shaker to make it even more pleasant.

Euphoria is without a doubt one of my favorite capsules to stack onto any pre workout or fat burner. Instead of reviewing it as is, I’m going to list ways that I have used it. Euphoria has 100mg of DMHA and 100mg N,NDMPEA which are two essential ingredients that you often see in high stim DMHA hitters.

This one is also a favorite of my wife’s to use (one time I accidentally gave her two ripper capsules instead of Euphoria… that’s a story for a different time. I do not recommend doing this ever if you can help it!). The way my wife tends to use it is with 2 capsules and a 200mg caffeine energy drink. She reports mood increase and increase in motivation during her early afternoon training sessions.

I’ve used this to stack on top of a daily driver to create an impromptu high stim hitter. Timing is a bit crucial with stacking, I find that these capsules take some time to take effect so taking the capsules 20 minutes before taking the preworkout is what works for me.

Aside from stacking this onto a pre workout, I found my favorite stack is one capsule of euphoria with one capsule of Ripper by dark labs. Ripper has 255mg of DMHA, adding that extra 100mg creates absolute tunnel vision and almost an autopilot type feeling. The tunnel vision on this stack is so intense, I often feel like a racehorse with blinders on. I’ve done this stack a few times during high intensity cardio days and recommend this route for experienced stim junkies that want a high intensity cardio workout with intense euphoria and a feeling like you can run across the map.

I have also used this to stack with Xtremis cartel capsules like eria plus and uncut alpha yo. I do 2 capsules of euphoria with 1 cap each of eria and alpha yo, along with a 200mg caffeinated energy drink for a mood elevated cardio or moderately intense exercise experience.

For all stim junkies, these capsules are absolutely must have whether you intend to stack onto a daily or if you are just looking for a nootropic boost with your caffeine intake. The cost is worth it being under $30 a bottle but if you’re using 2-3 caps to stack onto something, it’s worth it to get more than one bottle to keep around.

I finished my tub and peeled the label to plaster on my filing cabinet, that’s why the pic is not featuring a tub. It’s time to re-up.

The one downside to this pre is that it’s pretty heavy on the stomach. It took me a few times running it as a daily to really have it take hold of me. I had gone on a whim and saw a few reviews and before Nutricartel started selling samples I just figured to buy a tub. I’d say the first 3 or 4 times, I wasn’t really a fan of El Jefe. It’s one of those pre workouts where you have to figure out how to use it, once you have an ingredient profile that expansive and as a 2 scoop variety, it can be a challenging. The first time I ran this I did 2 scoops and found that it was a bit much. In fact, I thought I would puke not so much because of the high stim profile but more to do with the gassiness it was creating. I belched a few times and commenced with my workout.

After the first time, I began experimenting with doses and found that 1.5 scoops was the way to go. At 1.5 scoops it wasn’t too heavy but it was still heavy, but it seemed the more I was using it the less I was experiencing this god awful side effect. I eventually got to the point where I went back to doing the full dose of 2 scoops and found that if I just waited a bit longer for it to settle I would achieve the results I was expecting from this. I eventually had it down to a science where I would weigh my scoop to the 23gram dosage, take the drink, and then start my workout 30-40 minutes after the drink to the point of full activation. This was the first pre workout I was using where I didn’t just weigh my scoop and head straight to the gym. El Jefe (the boss) does command a little respect in this regard. The pump profile is within itself enough to be it’s own pre workout.

What I found to be so unique about this was the 500mg of theobromine. Sure it has a bunch of caffeine at 300mg but the synergy between 500mg theobromine, 500mg eria jarensis extract, 500mg DMEA and 200mg B-PEA make a very unique and feel good blend that dials in the euphoria once you’re activated and moving through the gym. Add on the 2mg of alpha yohimbine and you’re a flying, sweaty beast!

The best part was the consistency, each time I used the full dose of 2 scoops and each time I could expect to feel good, feel strong, and experienced motivation to achieve the goals I had set for myself in the gym. The pump profile was not only an added bonus but it’s the cherry on top of this high stim sundae! My thoughts when I first used it on a chest day was “wow, my chest feels full… like it just ate a 4 course meal with an appetizer and dessert!”

Sadly, I have run out of El Jefe. I’ve tried other daily drivers since then. Hypermax 3D comes close but it doesn’t scratch the itch. I certainly miss that hefty theobromine dosage in my daily. Writing this review makes me nostalgic to 2 months ago before I had run out of my El Jefe. I will surely get it again and next time, I at least know how to use it. The only thing comparable to this that I’ve experienced was El Jefe Guerilla that has more of a pump profile and slightly less stims (very slightly, EG: 400mg theobromine instead of 500).

The flavor I had was cherry pop and it was actually quite tasty! I’ve heard some negative things about other flavors but there was nothing offensive about the flavor I had. The one thing I did notice was the smell of the powder would sort of stain my fingertips after scooping. Handwashing hygiene is a plus when you’re going into dank and musty, viral laden gyms anyway!

This review is based off the exp:7/26 as it is the only batch of excelsior I have tried. This is a very versatile and very unique pre workout. In most cases when I review a product, I like to list the most noticeable ingredients or ingredients effects. In this case I don’t believe the label whatsoever. I believe the label is a work of fiction and I don’t even believe it has citrulline like the label says it does. With that being said, it is one of my favorites out there, definitely a top 3! When I take this one I almost always take it on a day where I can plan two separate workouts, or at the least I take it on a day where I can get a killer workout but expect a heavy workload.

Within the first time I tried this, I didn’t think too much of it. I was disappointed at first and couldn’t tell what all the fuss was about. That was until it fully kicked in! Once it kicked in I didn’t want to stop! The euphoria, the feeling of wellbeing made this in fact very unique! I knew this was unique because I had a solid workout for an hour and a half, and then when I got home I cleaned my house, and even after that felt like I should go back to the gym for another round. On a separate occasion, I did just that. Another key factor is versatility. Going by feeling alone, I don’t feel much for pumps so I’ve tried this both with and without a pump formula. I’ve used this for high intensity cardio workouts and in those cases will use it without a pump formula. On most cases when I am training in the gym, I pair it with a half scoop of bloodsport or a scoop of Maniaco pump for a well rounded, hard hitting workout.

Appetite suppression is for real with this. Although I take my pre workouts around 4:30am and am in the full swing of exercise by 5am, I’m usually ready for my protein shake by 8am. In the case of excelsior, I need to remind myself to take the protein shake. Aside from that, I can’t think of much else for side effects. Even the crash is manageable for me, perhaps since I take it so early in the morning by the time it wears off is about 12 hours later in most cases when I am just about finishing up my day. On that note, it would be foolish to take it in the afternoon and I never have even risked such a thing.

Even the flavor is amazing! It tastes like Hawaiian Punch without any bitterness or aftertaste. There is some slight issue with cotton mouth but I always try my best to stay hydrated in the gym anyways. My biggest complaint is probably what you would hear from anyone else that has a tub of excelsior. It’s really expensive and really hard to get. There is also a very tempting element to re-dose which tells me that the unique, unnamed ingredient on the label is a bit more illicit than what we may know.

Crack primal has a special place in my heart because it was the first Dark Labs product that I tried, and the first dark labs tub that I got. Right away you can tell from first sip that it’s a strong one. The flavor I have is “pineapple sangria” but it tastes more like some type of oven cleaner. I’m not sure what kicks in first, whether it’s the caffeine citrate or the synephrine but it starts off strong every time. Barely 15 minutes in after drinking the drink there is a strong sense of urgency that has you wanting to get started with your workout. I’ll always remember the very first time I took it, I was leaving for the gym as it was already activating and just the simple fact that I got to the car without my car keys had me in a very quiet fit of rage. Not so much about the irritation of forgetting my car keys but more to do with wanting to be in the gym lifting already. When I finally got my car keys and was back at my car, I noticed a slight lump in my throat. Every once in a while when I take this I will still get that feeling of having a lump in my throat which is why I said that I am not sure which ingredient is hitting first.

The buzz is phenomenal, as everything sets in place with this pre workout I experience that tunnel vision. Like I have blinders on and am only focused on that moment and my exercise. This is one of those pre workouts that seem to lasts for a good few hours… I can take this, complete a heavy workout, and even after working out for an hour or two, I sometimes walk away feeling like it’s never enough. I certainly suggest taking this on a day where time is not a factor and taking your time with the workout. It’s easier said than done because once everything is activated it feels like you want to do everything at once! After taking this pre a number of times, I’ve learned to pace myself in the gym and work at a reasonable pace. It may feel natural to want to move from set to set and exercise to exercise, but that’s when I tell myself to “slow it down a little bit”.

It seems like it makes you a bit impatient where waiting to recover between sets seems harder than lifting the actual weight itself. There’s just this long lasting sense of urgency and need to push where it feels like you may gas yourself out before completing your exercise.

From what I’ve seen people talk about, there are allegedly two batches. The first batch is the one I’m most familiar with and instead of an expiration date on the bottom of the tub, there is a manufacturing date. I can’t speak for the 2nd generation but on the 2nd tub I have there is a different lot number and there is an expiration date instead of a manufacturing date. My biggest takeaway from using this pre is definitely to approach your exercise with patience. It’s always best anyway to have a set menu of exercises but in this case it’s important so that you can get the best outcome between your workout and pre workout.

I’ve tried various doses of Crack Barbarian because on first attempt, 1 scoop was too strong. I completed a killer workout but afterwards felt like I was still ready for more and probably too stimmed for the day to start. After that I tried a half scoop and it felt like it just wasn’t enough. I completed a workout at 3/4 of a scoop which seemed perfect to me. After a few uses of 3/4 scoops, I found myself back at a full scoop and came to really enjoy this pre workout. What sets this one apart from the other varieties of crack is the DMBA. At 100mg it’s a hefty dose that brings in the physical euphoria, almost like you’re working out from a 3rd person perspective.

The DMHA at 200mg along with 500mg of eria jarensis, and 750 of BPEA really bring in such a euphoric head buzz that brings about a giddiness when coming up to challenging sets of weights. This pre workout is one that delivers on performance and productivity. I’ve found myself saying things like “this is what they need to be feeding the troops in front line combat zones” and “this is perfect for committing war crimes!” I feel myself being extra aggressive with the weights where failure is never an option. I often find myself murdering the weights in cold blood but in a harmonious and rhythmic manner with the music because this is one of those that really makes the music more enjoyable, in combination with the workout.

The pumps are pretty good, 6000mg of citrulline malate but it’s supported by a gram of agmatine sulphate. I wouldn’t be the best to review the clinical 3.2grams often found in pre workouts because I feel like I’m too accustomed to the tingles at this point. The alpha GPC at 500 mg each don’t really mean too much to me. I definitely get more from the three types of caffeine, especially the fast acting caffeine citrate. That long lasting stimmed up effect that I mentioned is likely due to the alpha yohimbine, the DMBA and DMHA. I feel like DMBA especially, seems to last me for a long time. I’ve compared this to Euphoria by star lab nutrition because of the DMBA content and that “third person” feeling while working out. The difference is that I crash pretty hard from Euphoria, I still don’t know if I’ve ever come down from the first time I’ve taken Barbarian.

The flavor is grape and it’s probably the least offensive tasting Dark Labs product out there.

There is something in Smash AMF that is not on the label. A strange ingredient that is not like any other ingredient in any other pre workouts. A lot of people like to compare this one to excelsior, myself included. I like to consider it as the dirty biker crank version of excelsior. There are quite a few things that make this one unique as a pre workouts so I decided to break this one down into segments.

Flavor: I’ve got two different tubs, two different flavors, but the flavor I am currently working through is tiger’s blood. Let me just say that this is probably the nastiest pre workout I have ever experienced. The taste is something I like to characterize as “caffeinated cheese water”. It clumps very easily and has the consistency of parmesan cheese. As you first open it, it has a foil seal that you have to break. Once I broke that seal it stank up my kitchen and made my house smell like a small time Italian delicatessen for a whole day. At first sip I didn’t know if the flavor was right or if it had been expired so I made sure to look at the label. It smells, looks, and feels like parmesan… it tastes like Parmesan or Italian dressing that has expired. As I worked my way through the tub, it has become less offensive since that first day.

Stim killer:Ii cannot take this the day before an anticipated high stim day. I once saw a theory that the secret ingredient was 4-fluoromethylphenidate. I cannot confirm this to be true but what I can say is that this rumored secret ingredient was researched as a potential type of suboxone for cocaine use disorder. Meaning that if you took 4f-mph, you would not yield the effects of cocaine. If this were true, that would make sense. On two separate occasions I have taken this pre the day before a high stim saturday and on both occasions, both experiences were ruined. I specifically remember that one time was zeus and the other time was legit pre. Both times after having taken Smash the day before, those pres seemed to only provide me with a barely manageable caffeine buzz.If you’ve taken Legit Pre, you would think this is unfathomable. Since then I make sure to throw this in the middle of my daily pre rotation so that I could experience the appropriate effects of whichever high stim pre workout I plan on taking that week.

Gym performance: the star of the show, top notch gym performance happens with this stuff! It does elevate heart rate quite a bit so I reserve this use for moderate intensity gym workouts. A few times I’ve taken this with cardio in my regimen and I was hitting peak heart rate on my fitbit, so I keep this one limited to weight lifting.

Label: I don’t believe anything on the label whatsoever. You can’t sneak an ingredient into a pre workout and then expect me to trust that this formula actually has 4G of citrulline or 1.5G of beta alanine. First of all that doesn’t even make any sense and second, the trust factor is broken with the secret ingredient.

Strange side effects: I have to wonder if the secondary secret ingredient is something akin to a low dosage of cialis because without fail, every time I take this, it produces awkward erections that I seemingly have no control over.

Pumps: non existent, it’s a pefect formula to stack with a pump formula as it just feels like a stim only pre workout.

Scoop: this one clumps easily so it takes me two scoops to reach the 10G dosage.