This limited edition bar is essentially a plain old Snickers with the addition of some chemicals that are supposed to “charge” you up. These boosters include caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins. Now, I understand the addition of caffeine to generate this effect – it’s a psychoactive stimulant. On the other hand, I’m disappointed they decided to add taurine. Despite being found in a bunch of energy drinks, it actually does nothing to boost energy. It was popularized by Red Bull (they like it because the word is derived from taurus – the Latin word for bull). Mars is using taurine for the marketing angle only.
In the end, if Charged tastes like a regular Snickers, but delivers a kick of caffeine, it’s a success. My concern however, is that caffeine has a notoriously bitter taste.
Structure
The center is a layer of nougat topped with a layer of caramel and peanuts; all enrobed in milk chocolate. Caffeine, taurine and B vitamines are presumably incorporated into the caramel (though I can’t confirm this).
Texture
Texturally, it’s identical to a standard Snickers, which means it’s really good. There’s chewy nougat and caramel with crunchy peanuts. All of the textures are perfectly balanced.
Taste
I was curious to see if my discerning palate would be able to catch a hint of the bitterness from the caffeine. Well, it turns out the bitterness isn’t subtle at all. A couple seconds after my first bite (which tasted great – like a regular Snickers), the aftertaste poked through. It was like the taste of chewing aspirin. I know because I could legally drink before I could swallow pills and so I chewed more than my fair share of pills growing up. Anyway, it’s not a good thing. It’s very bitter and takes about 10 seconds to go away. A real disappointment. Though, I will say that the positives of being a delicious Snickers outweighed the negatives of the aftertaste to the extent that I did finish the whole bar.
Verdict
I don’t know why anyone would choose to eat this over a regular Snickers. The benefit of a minor caffeine jolt isn’t worth the downside of the bad, bitter aftertaste. There are a number of good tasting protein bars (including Snickers brand ones) that are healthier and provide real energy – not just a kick.
Candy Bar Lab 