Clif Bar Builders: Lemon

The latest addition to Clif’s “Builders” lineup is a lemon variety, which has a flavor that’s very reminiscent of Clif’s Lemon Zest Luna Bar. Regardless, it’s a pretty enjoyable bar that has a chewy base of crisped rice. On top of that, they’ve given the bar a lemon glaze, which adds a touch of indulgence to the bar. It’s 2.4 ounces in size and has 20g of protein to it, which is extremely good considering the bar’s generally pleasing taste. The only bump in the road is the finish, which is slightly bitter before finishing off with an aftertaste. Label design is clean and appealing, with something that fits well with the rest of the Clif Builders lineup. Overall, it’s good, especially if you are looking for a lot of protein, but we’d love it more if the finish were a bit more smooth.

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

WildBar: Mountain Mint

Made with raw cacao and wild blue green algae, this gluten free, vegan, and USDA Organic bar is designed to be the “ultimate meal in a bar.” The bar, which is dark in color and has a dry but chewy consistency to it, has a lot of flavor to it, including cacao, mint, and macadamia nuts. Unfortunately, these flavors aren’t balanced well, resulting in a harsh, almost off putting, mint flavor that leaves a bad taste in your mouth (and a lingering aftertaste). Conceptually, we think it’s a good one, and some refinement to the recipe might make this a better tasting product. Otherwise, this bar is likely going to appeal to someone who’s really hell bent on adding blue algae (Crystal Manna and Blue Manna) to their diet. On the packaging front, this product’s wrapper design made us expect something very different than what was inside it. Specifically, the bright colors and emphasis on the mint leaf seemed to be somewhat of a head scratcher, while there are no visual aides to call out the other ingredients in the bar. That seems like a big mistake, especially since mint isn’t something that’s likely to whet the palate of too many bar shoppers. Overall, this bar needs work, both in packaging and flavor.

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Calories: 185
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 14g
Protein: 5.5g
Vitamins: Vitamin B5: 9%, Vitamin D 3%, Vitamin E 8%, Magnesium: 2.5g, Copper 26%, Zinc 12%, Selenium 16%, Molybdenum 37%, Phosphorous 60%