Fairway Fuel Protein Bars

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Samples on the way.

[Darkfrog]

I received my box of peanut butter cup, and two sample bars each of blueberry and pb&j on Saturday.

I normally don't eat before my round because I am leaving my house at 530-545am, so it is a wakeup, get dressed, and go routine. If I prepared the night ahead (which often doesn't happen), I will take an apple and bag of nuts to snack on...but lately more often than not I get a breakfast sandwich/burrito at the turn if I am hungry.

On Sunday I had a blueberry bar for breakfast before my round, and then a pb&j bar making the turn. My energy levels were consistent through the round, and there were no moments where I felt fatigued walking a very hilly course. I can't entirely attribute this to the bars, as I have recently embarked on some fitness changes in my life, but there was no feeling of heaviness or energy crash during the round, and I did not feel hungry at all.

I agree with others that the flavors are understated. I haven't tried the peanut butter cup yet, but it would have been nice if there was more pb flavor in the pb&j. In spite of this, the taste is quite pleasant, definitely better than similar products I've tried. If I had to guess why the flavors are understated, it might be a manufacturing challenge to add extra flavor containing ingredients while trying to keep the desired nutrient profile.

I like the texture and chewiness of the bars, which makes the experience of eating very satisfying (I wonder if there is any evidence linking chewing to satiation). Sometimes these types of protein bars suck all the moisture out of your mouth, but these didn't, a major plus in my book.

My main holdup with these bars is the cost. Without the TST discount code, a box plus shipping comes out around $40, which feels a bit pricey. I'd probably be willing to order in bulk if there were bulk discounts available (5 boxes, 10 boxes).

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Well I received my sample pack, 2 of each flavor in a nice box. 3 decals, and what appears to be a handwritten note. That's a pretty good sample pack IMO.  I really wanted to like the peanut butter cup one but it neither tasted like chocolate or peanut butter. The hint was there but meh. The blueberry one is the one for me. Just enough taste of the blueberry that makes it nice. These things rate about a 7 on the chewy meter, a little jaw work but not caked in your teeth to bad afterwards. My fat ass ate both blueberries in one sitting, they are good. The PB and J, I'll pass.  I'm ordering a case of the blueberry, its a small business just starting out, they do offer a flavor I like and they answer your email so price is fair.  If you haven't yet, order the sample pack and give them a try. Shot Scope, Snell Golf balls and now Fairway Fuel bars all learned about on TST. Somebody around here would make a killing selling cars. 😃

[dennyjones]

I received my samples a few days ago.    I was excited to try the different bars in spite of the reviews here saying they lacked flavor.   I usually take raw almonds and a peanut butter Nature Valley bar with me along with an Arnold Palmer to drink.

The bars definitely are chewy, my initial comparison is taffy.   I tried the PB&J first and although I believe it definitely helped keep the energy levels maintained,  it was a stretch to compare it to anything related to PB&J.   I tried the Peanut Butter Cup later in the day and found it difficult to distinguish between the two previously mentioned.   The Blueberry had a hint of blueberry although it felt like the flavor was added as an aftereffect.   It was the best of the three flavors and didn't seem as chewy as the previous two. 

Although I can't really compare the energy levels between these bars and my usual, there wasn't enough taste to convince me to switch.  

A big thanks to Fairway Fuel.   Their donation was more than generous.   @AnthonyFF, I hope your venture is successful.  Good luck

[Darkfrog]

To quote myself:

23 hours ago, Darkfrog said:

If I had to guess why the flavors are understated, it might be a manufacturing challenge to add extra flavor containing ingredients while trying to keep the desired nutrient profile.

I tried a peanut butter cup flavor bar yesterday to break a 24 hour fast. This one is the most understated of the three in terms of flavor, particularly the chocolate. I had to chew for a long time, while at the same time search my mouth for the chocolate flavor. It wasn't bad by any means, but it is more like a peanut & cacao bar.

Flavor names like "Peanut Butter and Jelly" and "Peanut Butter Cup" evoke an expectation of a certain taste.

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are an American lunch classic, and many Americans will have strong taste memories associated with this. Mine is from visiting my Grandma in Baltimore every summer where I got to eat "unhealthy" food - white wonder bread, JIF, and strawberry jelly.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have heavy weight food scientists and tons of R&D to create that flavor profile, and it's junk food, so there are no constraints for nutrients.

I guess what I am saying is that I think it is hard for these bars to live up to the expectation of their namesake flavors.

All in all, I still think pb&j is my favorite flavor of the three. Once I finish my box of peanut butter cup, I will probably order a few more boxes of the pb&j, and maybe try a blueberry too.

[klineka]

I reached out and received a sample pack with 1 bar of each flavor.

I have only tried the blueberry so far but will be trying the other ones in the next few days.

Personally I would have preferred a bit more blueberry flavor, had I been blindfolded and ate the bar I don't think I would have been able to guess that it was blueberry.

That being said, I thought the texture and chewiness was good, wasn't overly chewy but wasn't melty or crumbly either.

Looking forward to trying the other two, if one of the other two has a stronger flavor I'll probably end up ordering a box.

[Yukari]

Only thing that keeps me from trying is the amount of sugar in each bar.

[phillyk]

I got 2 of each flavor. I like the packaging the bars came in. Waterproof as far as I could tell. Easy to open. Bars are a good size and they have a good amount of chewiness, @iacas said thick fudge consistency and I would agree. I guess I’d prefer a bit grainier on the consistency, but that’s me.

For how simple the ingredients are, they have reasonable taste. My least favorite is the blueberry. It didn’t taste like blueberries and the flavor that was there was off and seemed to stick around too long. The peanut butter cup was my favorite flavor. With the protein and calories, it keeps me going for a couple hours. So, that works. 

Overall, they are nice. If they get to grocery stores, I’d buy. But if online only, meh. I wouldn’t place them far above everything.

For me, I’d want a bit grainier and at least a chocolate chip flavor, as that’s my typical go to. 

[klineka]

I tried the Peanut Butter Cup and the PB & J ones from my sample and Peanut Butter Cup is by far my favorite.

I think it has the most flavor and I liked that it had chopped up peanuts in it too, helped break up the texture and added some crunch. 

I'll probably scoop up a box of the Peanut Butter Cup here soon. 

[boogielicious]

I have not received mine @AnthonyFF. My mail has been spotty though.