When I read the email that said Awake Caffeinated Chocolate was on its way to my doorstep, I laughed and kind of said, “Noooooo!” at the same time. Oh man, I thought. This product is not for me.
Each bar contains 101 mg of caffeine. According to their product information, it has the same caffeine as a 20 oz cup of coffee or a 250 ml drink. I am not entirely sure that is correct, according to this site it sounds like energy drinks have at least twice that amount of caffeine.
Arrival
When the box arrived, the marketing and packaging were so darn cute I was happy it did come to my door. I knew because of my allergic tendencies to all things caffeine that it may not be the product for me but it may be for someone else.
Although I do adore their official spokesperson Nevil, “the intelligent, wry and energetic owl who never sleeps.” Hey, even owls need to sleep though! Poor Nevil.
Holy crap! A whole box of chocolate bars?! Again, I was impressed. The documents said it was a gift to be shared so that is exactly what I did.
Due to my dedication to food testing, I could not ask other to try it without trying it myself. So I ate the “A” and braced for impact. Which came later. The chocolate was what Reg called “Easter bunny quality.”
There was no weird chemical taste from the additional caffeine. All I know is two hours later, my brain hurt. Not a huge migraine but definitely a squeeze to the capillaries in my head. That was enough for me. I did notice a slight boost to my energy though which was impressive, considering I have chronic fatigue. The chocolate was OK but not worth a potential headache!
Foodie Results
I shared the chocolate with Reg, Mike and Jen. All of whom loved the idea of a chocolate treat pick-me-up. At first, Reg seemed to really enjoy the chocolate and the caffeine. Then the idea of using it to put that much caffeine into his body kind of freaked him out. He is eating them less often now, with more caution.
Jen, did not like the chocolate and so she gave all of it to Mike.
Mike is doing shift work and enjoyed the Easter-like-chocolate and it did help him get through the night and keep him awake.
I do think that creators of Awake Caffeinated Chocolate achieved their goal: keeping Canadians caffeinated in a tasty and totable fashion. I personally think adding caffeine to products is a bad idea, especially since it means I can no longer enjoy them. Caffeine has terrible repercussions for me but some people are immune so this may be just the treat they are looking for.
If you want to try this product you can now find them across Canada in major convenience stores, drug stores and gas stations. They are sold at Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Mac’s Convenience West, Shell, Husky, Pioneer Gas and Canadian Tire Gas at the suggested retail price of $2.49.
We all had different experience testing this product so I leave it up to you to decide what you think of Awake Caffeinated Chocolate.
Interesting concept for those who need that little “jolt” in their day, but I’m a coffee gal all the way and I’ll stick to my beans. My concern with this product is it will get in the hands of the younger teens or pre-teens who don’t understand what too much caffeine can do to them and it can be harmful. I always cringe when I see really young kids drinking things like Red Bull and Monster Energy drinks, because they think it’s cool. This is just another product they may be attracted to. I hope these at least come with a warning on the label on them.
I like both chocolate and caffeine but moderation is key. Sometimes I eat those chocolate-covered coffee beans as a treat, but after awhile I feel “buzzy” from them. So I will probably not try the Awake bar for the same reason.
Teenagers will love them though!
It’s true, teens and older students will love this but I really think from what I researched that this will have less calories than some of the caffeinated energy drinks out there. Still, I’m not a caffeine person. I did my degree without it! Debra, I do love those chocolate covered espresso beans, damn, I miss those.
I like the caramel ones better than original and I think the awake chocolates are safer than a full can of say Monster Energy
I had no idea they had a caramel version. I LOVE caramel! Good to know and it’s true, those energy drinks are evil. I would much prefer their chocolate any day. Thanks for letting me know and for commenting!
Please read what Awake Chocolate advertises online, word for word:
“Consume one AWAKE bite and you’ll be ready to send a fax, or possibly several emails. Two bites and you’ll be ready to demand a raise, arm wrestle a swole bro, or bench press a small coworker. Three bites and it gets real—you could possibly create the greatest spreadsheet known to humankind. Eat four bites and you’re in hurricane territory. We pity the fool who gets in your way.”
Awake Chocolate does not reveal the caffeine content in their bars until AFTER you have placed your order and the shipment is on its way. Again, this is word for word:
“Thank you for your purchase! In about 24 hours, your order will begin its fantastic journey from our nest to your door. In the meantime, here are a few things to get excited about: 1 bar = 1 cup of joe”.
Have you ever consumed 1 cup of Joe and have it make you “In hurricane territory?”
This is false advertising. I left several voice messages, plus emailed them several times and received no response. Please do not give this this company your business.