Clif Shot Bloks Black Cherry Energy Chew Review

Not falling into my usual definition of a "shot," these "Bloks" are the first Clif product reviewed here, and my spellchecker absolutely hates them. Its packaging is long and thin, withholding six chews with a grand total of 100 milligrams of caffeine. It is a quantity far from the most impressive, but honestly more than expected when examined in the exercise section of the local Wal Mart.

These are cough drop sized lovelies with the texture of gummy worms, only a whole heck of a lot stickier. You have to literally pull them off of your teeth, deep purple candies that melt with little persuasion and behave much like you would expect a child's confection to. The flavor is strong with even a little tartness to boot, however all the sugar provides a dynamite sugary rush that sweetens the cherry almost too much so. There is caffeine from green tea, although you would never know so just by tasting it. This is a strict black cherry affair who's simplicity is brilliant, even if the flavor itself is not.

Twenty four grams of sugar and the aforementioned amount of my namesake make for a buzz most pedestrian. Maybe it lasts an hour, maybe a little more, but no caffeine-junkie is gonna get their fix here. If anything, it is a break from things stronger (see what I did there?! Ya know, fix, break- forget it).

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LiveWire Mint Chocolate Energy Chew Review

Unexpected considering the line's focus on fruity tastes, this mint chocolate variety comes as pair taped together, with far less text on its reverse side than the previous produce flavors. That is both a complement or complaint, considering all the words were unstimulating, but now you have just so little information this time around.

The chew chews with little persuasion, mildly resembling chocolate but with a much stronger emphasis on mint. They are complementing tastes but far from a balanced pairing, simple experiences that fortunately guise the other's elementary attempt. The texture is less grainy than some but still not as buttery as wanted, a candy very sweet but never overly so. Overall, LiveWire have produced better varieties, but not too many.

The caffeine content is the same as the plain chocolate one, 200 milligrams of caffeine with two chews. The kick lasts an awesome four hours and hit me swiftly, but there was something of a crash after. All in all, LiveWire Mint Chocolate Energy Chews are a large improvement over the mintless variety.

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LiveWire Chocolate Energy Chew Review

No plastic casing like the others, this chocolate variety of LiveWire tells even less outside its cardboard container at the store. But auspiciously there is ten milligrams more caffeine, 100 per chew, and with the quondam flavors veiling its bitterness well, we should be in for a treat.

The chew tears with ease at the teeth, however the sandy yet waxy texture is far from satisfying. It is actually reminiscent of Tootsie-Rolls in the mouth, however it is the flavor that truly suffers; never bitter but not quite a pleasant affair. The chocolate taste is artificial, burnt and not as robust as expected, lacking enough sweetness and the necessary lardaceousness. Even with only two candies a pack, you tongue knows the bland simplicity is far from ideal. Overall, with the former Buzz Bites Chocolate Chew flavor also floundering, we can conclude that the flavor just does not translate providentially into a candy.

The caffeine provides a nice buzz, however since the sticker on the unseen backside in the photo asks you to refer to the box for more information, we are just going with each two-pack having 200 milligrams of caffeine. On the whole, LiveWire Chocolate Energy Chew is the ugly, redheaded stepchild of the line (let us just hope the Mint Chocolate flavor is not a twin).

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LiveWire Sour Apple Energy Chew Review

Sour apple is a logical extension from the company, considering its history of fruity flavors. The emphasis on acidity should also guise the caffeine well, however we will find out how well it accomplishes that in a bit. Until then we must review the packaging, which is largely the same as past versions, and suffers from the same successes and pitfalls.

There is the moldy scent of plastic and rotten fruit, an unwelcoming scent that is thankfully nothing like the taste. The anticipated apple is far from the company's best though, a distracted and unexciting flavor that is not nearly as sour as hoped. There still is not any bitterness, but each of the few bites offered hardly resemble the autumn harvest. It is about as generic a flavor could be, void of any nuance or complexity. Although the chews are never unpleasant, they demonstrate just how difficult the fruit is to replicate in either the candy and energy realm, let alone when the two cross paths.

Each chew embodies: B vitamins, ginseng, and caffeine (ninety milligrams). Two candies kick competently, three to four hours of quick-hitting energy that did end with a bit of a crash. All around, with the LiveWire line just beginning to get good, this Sour Apple Energy edition is a big disappointment.

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LiveWire Citrus Mango Energy Chew Review

There is very little to say here that was not already delineated in the Cinnamon Fire review; its thin plastic packaging and ochre brown trim not being a very good look. Visionally it is not worth more than its ninety nine cent price tag, although the small squares could find success if shipped like Starburst.

A pulpy orange juice color chew is unwrapped, a thick grainy candy who's "Citrus Mango" promise is not far off. There is definitely less of the latter, the taste hardly pinpointed in this fruit salad. Orange is fast noticed with some tangerine nuances and tart complexity. Lemon is equally discernible, the yellow skinned flavor demonstrating lime-like sourness and is sweet like lemonade. Actually, the entire experience is sweet, obvious with the first ingredient being sugar, however at only two pieces it is never cloying or sickening. And fortunately the participating produce in this never-bitter dessert all taste great super-saccharine, although it does mask some of depth the harvest could display.

The two servings contain: taurine, caffeine (180 mg), ginseng, and B vitamins. There is a great buzz from such a quick ingestion, four hours long easy with noticeable jitters. All in all, LiveWire Citrus Mango Energy Chew is a delicious candy that would hold its own even without the white stimulant.

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LiveWire Cinnamon Fire Energy Chew Review

Though only ninety nine cents, this cinnamon flavored LiveWire energy chew does not make much of an impression visually. The store bought from sells them out of a large box, cardboard that is much more of an optical treat. I would honestly not mind dropping a bit more for a tin or better transport.

The bright red sheer to the chew is surprising, and with ninety milligrams of caffeine each, the cinnamon disguises any bitterness. Instead the candy is a sweet pleasure, somewhat grainy but melts rapidly into a gooey gum that swallows easily. The taste is not as hot as the title suggests, however the spice burns just enough not to become a niche flavor. Real sugar brings great texture and saccharinity to each piece, something that was a minor criticism in Atomic Bites Cinnabomb years ago. Although not my favorite confection flavor, LiveWire easily makes the better cinnamon chew.

Each serving contains: caffeine, taurine, ginseng, and few B vitamins. The buzz from two lasts a quick hitting four hours, littered with jitters but absent of a crash. On the whole, at least concerning the store I purchased from, LiveWire Cinnamon Fire Energy Chews are a cheap alternative to energy drinks.

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Buzz Bites Mint Chocolate Energy Chew Review

My new lawyers, Itchy and Twitchy, inform me that my true identity is at risk unless I publish a raving review of Buzz Bites Mint Chocolate Energy Chews. What a dirty deed from such a despicable- huh, what, I can't say that? Okay, uh I mean, what a lovely gesture from such a lovely little company. Its packaging however, is a cluttered collage of stock images, an ugly- what, I cannot say that either? Well then just what can I say? Huh? Read this note, okay; "the tin is pretty."

The smell is concentrated mint with fake chocolate, not quite as aromatically decadent as a York Peppermint Patty or the such, but not unlike those Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies. The texture is firm and buttery and melts well in the heat of your mouth, where it is grainy and certainly not silky smooth. The mint does an admirable job keeping the bitterness of the original at bay, a cooling sensation also masking the shameful simplicity of the contracted chocolate taste. The former lessens but lasts longer enough to act as an aftertaste, slightly reminiscent of latter without the slightest herbal or bitterness. Perhaps this diet of mine is getting the better of me, as I quickly ate three before my fingers reached the keyboard. They are not the classiest mint chocolates in the world, but I do not need to be blackmailed to tell you they taste good, and that they are quite addicting (and thankfully are individually wrapped).

Each mint contains 100 milligrams of caffeine, less than a gram of ginseng, a touch of taurine, and a bunch of B vitamins. The buzz from these bites is impressive, fast to initiate and each lasts an hour plus or so. But there is some trans fat here, zero legal grams but nonetheless inexcusable this day in age. Overall, Buzz Bites Mint Chocolate are actually pretty good... but I will be damned if I let the company know that! Do not be fooled by this evil organization, do not fall victim, do not *SLAP* ... do not hire lawyers...

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Samba99 Guarana Energy Super Fruit Bar Review

This Brazilian made super fruit bar is caffeinated impressively, although one does wish the packaging did away with the rugged chick. She thankfully is not the focus of the box but she is distracting and quite out of place, and without her the cardboard would look far more sophisticated. Then there is the name, Samba99, which is not particularly catchy and reads rather choppily with what it follows and with what follows it.

Your teeth sink into the dark depth of the firm bar with ease, obesely sweet and tasting indistinctly of fruit, an unspecific cocktail of ambiguous citruses and apple varieties. There is a slight bitter burn that soothes the saccharinity somewhat, and it is more so apparent following the swallow of each bite. It is an herbal pungency who is appropriately noted and does not weigh heavy on the tongue. The bar is made up mostly of pulp, with a pleasant crunch, likely of a seed, occasionally found hidden within the otherwise evenly stiff jelly. Everything surprisingly affable, with the flavour resembling its ingredients without ever becoming a niche experience.

Each bar contains roughly 150 milligrams of caffeine, though it really should specify this on the label. The kick was three hours at most, and the strength was up to snuff with anything containing near or identical amounts of the stimulant. Overall, Samba99 Guarana is a novel product that does eventually stand tall once it finds its feet.

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Atomic Bites Cinnabomb

It was not long after I reviewed Atomic Bites Orange Raspberry that I received a mysterious package in the mail. This package was a sample pack of Atomic Bites Cinnabomb. Now I hadn't ordered the chews, so how I got them is a mystery. Hopefully these chews weren't sent by a competing energy drink review site and are poisoned. Jealousy is such a cruel emotion.

FIRST IMPRESSION: I like the box to Cinnabomb much more than Orange Raspberry. While red and black are somewhat of a cliche when it comes to energy products, it still looks good. The box isn't cluttered and unlike Orange Raspberry this sample box has the nutrition and ingredient list. This is a little more easing. Personally, I'm not too excited to review Cinnabomb. While the lines history has been excellent, I can't see a cinnamon chew tasting good.

TASTE: I took out one of the chews and popped it in my mouth. The flavour really surprised me. The initial taste is a sweet cinnamon flavour that slowly turns very spicy. The texture is smooth but somehow grainy and is really easy to chew. With each chew a gush of cinnamon is unleashed but never gets overwhelming. There's a slight sugar free after taste, but thankfully it's overpowered by a lingering cinnamon flavour. Though it's not a very complex flavour, I am impressed with how good these tasted. While I may prefer Orange Raspberry, Cinnabomb is still a dang good tasting chew.

KICK: Three chews contain: 100mg of caffeine, 1000mg of Taurine, twenty five mg of guarana, L-Carnitine, ginseng, inositol, twenty mg of milk thistle extract, 200% of your daily intake of Riboflavin, and 100% of your daily intake of Niacin, Vit. B12, Vit. B6, and Pantothenic acid. This blend of ingredients gave me an above average buzz. While it was far from the strongest kick I've ever had, it was still good. For three to four hours my alertness was raised and I felt more mentally focused.

FINAL WORD: All in all I have to say that Atomic Bites Cinnabomb is a excellent energy chew. While I'm not too sure that everyone will enjoy the flavour, those who do will surely find Cinnabomb to be a near perfect product. Though I would like to see the potency raised, this mild blemish is hardly enough to ruin this product. From start to finish Atomic Bites Cinnabomb looks great, tastes great and provides a good enough kick for a recommendation...4.1/5

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Atomic Energy Bites Orange Raspberry

When I had the opportunity to receive some Atomic Energy Bites free to review, I was at first a little hesitant. My history with energy chews, while brief, hasn't been the best. I've only reviewed one other energy chew, and that was Buzz Bites Chocolate, and we all know how they turned out(2.7/5). Will Atomic Energy Bites turn out better than Buzz Bites Chocolate, or will it end up being a bitter old man?

FIRST IMPRESSION: Personally, I like the box to Atomic Energy Bites Orange Raspberry. The design isn't cluttered with pointless text, stating only what is important. If there was one thing I could improve upon it would have to be that there is no nutritional facts nor ingredient list on the box. This makes me a little cautious about these chews even if it is probably because of its tiny box. The only thing the box tells me is that three chews equal one energy drink, which while Buzz Bits may be more potent, I'll bet that Atomic Bites will be less bitter.

TASTE: I unwrapped(good show) one small bites and popped it in my mouth. The flavour starts out a rich orange flavour that slowly turns into a creamy raspberry taste. The consistency is very smooth if not velvety. In fact, you could dress from head to toe in this stuff and I'm sure it would be comfortable. Though Atomic Bites Orange Raspberry may not be the most original flavour, the sheer way that it is delivered makes it one of the best tasting energy product I've ever tried.

KICK: According to Atomic Bites official web site, every three chew contains: 1000mg of Taurine, fifty calories, seven grams of sugar, 100mg of caffeine, twenty mg of milk thistle, ginseng, guarana, 200% of your daily intake of Riboflavin, and 100% of your daily intake of Niacin, Vit. B12, Vit. B6, and Pantothenic acid. This blend of ingredients gave me a pretty good buzz. For around three and a half to four hours I was noticeably more perked up and I didn't get a case of the jitters. Once the three to four hours was up I drifted back to my usual state of being.

FINAL WORD: Despite initial skepticism, I feel that Atomic Energy Bites Orange Raspberry is a great overall energy product. In every category, Atomic Bites Orange Raspberry exceeded my expectations. The box was clean of unnecessary text and still looked cool, the taste was amazing, and the kick was great. If I had to pick one area to really praise, it would have to be the taste. Atomic Bites Orange Raspberry's taste is almost candy like, in fact, it could be considered the official candy for caffeine junkies. All in all, unless your jaw is broken and the only way you can get caffeine is by sucking it through a straw, buy Atomic Energy Bites Orange Raspberry...4.5/5

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Buzz Bites Chocolate Energy Chews

Today I awoke ready, but not excited, to review Sol mate Lemon-Lime, when I noticed a plastic wrapped tin sitting next to my wallet. It was Buzz Bites Chocolate Chews. My eye's opened wide. How could I've not reviewed them, as I got them around two months ago. In a panic, I threw the bottle of Sol mate Lemon/Lime at the wall, grabbed the tin, and rushed down the stairs. As I log in to my computer, I remember I have to go to Portland to see my sister's graduation. Frustrated, I got dressed and headed off. Now that I'm home some several hours later, there's nothing left to do but review Buzz Bites, well, except maybe put off the review in favor of playing some Wario Land: Shake It.

FIRST IMPRESSION: I like the tin of Buzz Bites, though not as much as Foosh Mints. The tin is clean and has minimal text, which leaves focus of the fact that each chew contains 100mg of caffeine, just like Foosh Mints before it. 100mg of caffeine in a small chew is a pretty impressive feat by a rather small and unknown company. I don't, however, like the fact that the front of the tin doesn't say that each chew contains 100mg of caffeine. I think just saying "contains 100mg of caffeine" is better than the equation that the tin has. Either way, I'm excited to see how Buzz Bites turns out, maybe because of my love of chocolate, or because of getting 100mg of caffeine in a small chew is the ultimate caffeine-gasm.

TASTE: I unwrapped the chew and popped it in my mouth. Initially, the flavour was a sweet chocolate, similar to Tootsie Rolls, but then a strong bitterness took over, completely destroying the initial flavour. The bitterness really builds up over time and becomes too much for me, to the point that I divided it up in small pieces and downed them with water like I do with No-Doz. There's a mild bitter aftertaste, which makes drinking water afterwords important.

KICK: Each chew contains: 100mg of caffeine, ten% of Thiamin, Niacin, Panto. Acid, twenty% of Vit. B6, Taurine, ginseng, and seventy five% of Vit. B12. This potent mix gave me a powerful kick that lasted around three or so hours, and was filled with jitters and a raised alertness. One surprising thing is that I began feeling jittery about fifthteen or so minutes after shoving one of these down my throat. After the three hours I collapsed from exhaustion and just felt like sleeping. Though this is not the most powerful kick I've ever gotten, nor is it the longest lasting, it sure is one of the fastest.

FINAL WARD: Overall, my reaction to Buzz Bites Chocolate Energy Chews is a mixed bag. Here you got a chocolate energy chew in an good tin, and has one hell of a quick buzz, but the taste is so bitter that I couldn't eat with out washing it down with water. These factors make Buzz Bites Chocolate one of the hardest energy products I've ever had to review. I can't say that the kick and tin make up for the horrid taste, but at the same time I can't say that the bitter taste is bad enough to keep me from recommending the chew as a whole. All in all, if you don't mind strong bitterness and are looking for a convenient and quick form of energy, pick up Buzz Bites, but if your in it more for the taste than the kick, avoid Buzz Bites...2.7/5

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