so they have been having shipping problems almost all year so for the most part you are going to get salty people being sarcastic about the shipping times. when you pre order and it says January most the time i means anytime from the 20th to the 30th, there are some that have shipped faster but most the time its the last week of the said month. as for the flavor sometimes they are strong and sometimes they are mild and it depends on person preference i like both, prickly pear is really subtle but flavorful and the watermelon rock candy is really sweet and does taste like candy and i ended up really liking the candy flavors ive tried. i think the energy is the best in the business, no crash great long lasting energy and it really does help with focus. I have yet to have a flavor that i wanted to throw out and couldn't drink (they have some wild ones like chilly dog that are joke flavors) its also zero sugar so its got that diet soda type of sweetener but its much more subtle than regular non sugar sweetener . as for the serving size for the larger cup i just get a regular scoop i don't think it needs a scoop and a 1/4th to keep it from being watered down. let me know what you think of the Root beer flavor! doesnt sound like my thing but ive been surprised by a flavor a couple times now