Nootrobox is a company that’s been making waves for their supplements, and overall, they’re among some of the best nootropics we’ve tried to date. But the Silicon Valley startup isn’t stopping there, and now they’re taking on an even bigger industry: coffee. Nootrobox’s chewable GO CUBES promise the boost and flavor of coffee (and then some) in a convenient, edible package.
Do Nootrobox’s GO CUBES live up to the hype, and will they replace your morning cup of Joe? Read on to get our full review, including whether they gave us a mental boost and how the flavor stacked up against real coffee.
[Get our exclusive discount coupon on Nootrobox products here.]
The Ingredients
Per cube; typical serving size is 2 cubes. Nootrobox is a company that values transparency in its supplements, so they list all ingredients and ingredient amounts.
Caffeine – 50 mg
The world’s most popular stimulant, caffeine is one of the more common ingredients in nootropic stacks because of its ability to reduce fatigue and enhance concentration and energy. Two cubes of GO CUBES is equivalent to roughly one cup of coffee (100 mg).
L-Theanine – 100 mg
A calming amino acid, l-theanine has been shown to enhance the effects of caffeine while reducing the jitters some people experience with caffeine consumption. This caffeine/l-theanine ratio is common in nootropic supplements.
Vitamin B6 – 10 mg
Vitamin B6 is involved in the production of neurotransmitters. When taken with phenylalanine, vitamin B6 can improve cAMP levels, and dopamine synthesis.
GO CUBES Nootrobox Ingredients Label
Vitamin B12 – 30 mcg
An essential nutrient, B12 plays an important role in numerous bodily functions, including neurological function and development.
Folate – 500 mcg
Often referred to as Vitamin B9, folate (a slightly different form than folic acid) is vital to neurological development in infants as well as a process called methylation for all adults.
This is a pretty high amount of folate for a supplement, as the upper dosage recommended is normally around 400 mcg, and there’s some evidence a high amount of folate could mask a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Go Cubes Nootrobox Pack
Glucuronolactone – 125 mg
Glucuronolactone is a common ingredient in many energy drinks, largely based off claims it can help “detoxify” the body and liver. Current research suggests few benefits to cognition or energy. This compound also found in Nootrobox’s SPRINT supplement (full review here).
Inositol – 125 mg
A compound with some anxiety reducing properties in amounts generally much higher than what’s found here. Also found in Nootrobox’s SPRINT supplement.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) – 25 mg
Vitamin B3 acts within the adrenal system to synthesize a number of sex- and stress-related hormones, along with serotonin, a neurotransmitter acting on the central nervous system and the GI tract. Some people experience a harmless “flush” when taking niacin-containing supplements.
Other Ingredients: Corn syrup, sugar, water, pectin, caramel color, natural and artificial flavors, citric acid, sodium citrate.
Usage Guidelines
We made coffee you can put in your pocket. GO CUBES are perfect for your purse, backpack, or briefcase. They’re the easiest way to always have coffee on hand with no mess & no stress.
Serving size: 2 pieces
GO CUBES Review on Flavors
GO CUBES come in three flavors: Pure Drip, Mocha, and Latte. There’s a mix of these in each pack (4 cubes), and while they’re slightly different colors, it’s tough to tell exactly which one you’re getting before you bite into them.
Overall, our testers enjoyed each flavor of GO CUBES, citing Mocha as the strongest flavor and very chocolate-y, Latte as relatively mild, and Pure Drip as the straightest coffee flavor of all (tasting a bit like a darker roast, not unlike Starbucks’ normal iced coffee).
What Our Testers Say
“I probably have the lowest caffeine tolerance of any BrainWiz tester, so I really appreciate knowing EXACTLY how much caffeine I’m getting, that’s one reason I don’t drink coffee that often, because it varies so much from cup to cup depending on the beans, roast, etc. I like the taste of coffee, though, and GO CUBES was definitely convenient. When I do drink coffee, I often pair it with 100 or 200 mg of L-Theanine, and I appreciated that they did this for me here. I’ll take GO CUBES with me when I do need a caffeine boost and want more control over exactly what I’m taking.”
“I’m a coffee snob, and GO CUBES will never replace coffee for me. But...they’re interesting. I think you start absorbing some of the caffeine while you’re chewing (probably sublingual), so you feel an almost immediate kick, then another as you digest. The flavors were all good, though I normally take my coffee black, and these were a bit too sweat for me to have every day.”
“I didn’t get as excited as some outlets about these. They’re not going to replace coffee for everyone, if only because they taste more like candy and have sugar in them. But they were convenient and they were pretty tasty, and the flavor profiles seem like they took a lot of work. The boost felt mostly like caffeine and l-theanine, not a ton beyond that, but they fit easily in a backpack, which my iced coffee does not.”
“It’s worth having a pack or two of GO CUBES at your desk. Sometimes coffee won’t be available. Sometimes it won’t be convenient, or you want to know exactly how much caffeine you’re getting. GO CUBES solve that, but they’re never going to replace a morning cup.”
BrainWiz Tips
- Nootrobox’s GO CUBES are sweet, and if you’re watching your sugar intake, save these for after a workout or just go with black coffee, these are definitely not calorie neutral, especially considering you’ll probably have between two and four cubes in a sitting.
- Our testers were impressed with GO CUBES flavor, and they do pair well with breakfast if you’d rather chew your coffee than drink it.
- A full pack is 200 mg of caffeine, more than you’ll find in some energy drinks. Stay aware of your caffeine intake when taking GO CUBES and other nootropics.
Supplement Summary
Just like SPRINT and RISE, Nootrobox’s GO CUBES sets out to bring transparency to a brain boosting industry; in this case, they’re trying to disrupt coffee as opposed to nootropic supplements proper. And they partially succeed: These gave us a good, jitter-free boost with the added nootropic ingredients to compliment caffeine. And with GO CUBES, it’s clear exactly how much caffeine you’re getting in every serving. They also fit in well with Nootrobox’s other supplements, including RISE, which is one of the top research-backed, caffeine-free, and transparent nootropic stacks we’ve ever tried.
We look forward to seeing what Nootrobox comes up with next, and we hope it’s a sugar-free version of GO CUBES. For us, they’re a sweet treat, but they’d be even more useful to more people without the sweetener.
Read our interview with Nootrobox’s co-founder and CEO Geoffrey Woo here.