KickButt Amped Energy Balls Cappuccino Review

KickButt energy balls resemble chocolate covered jawbreakers both in shape and size. There are two balls in each packet, but you can also get them in a tube. To be honest, they are a little too big for me to consider putting them in my bag to get a kick when I need one. I fear that they might be crushed under the weight of my laptop or notebook if things get shuffled.

Taste

Unlike jawbreakers, you can bite into these with very little effort. Sure, they look tough, but once you crack the chocolate layer, you are biting into the doughy, cappuccino flavored inside. Yes, the inside is doughy/chewy, which is kind of nice, but what is even nicer is the taste. I was expecting something bitter with a lot of chemicals and artificial flavorings, but what I got instead was a pleasant dark chocolate layer with a very cappuccino-like filling. The coffee taste is mild and well balanced with other ingredients which give KickButt the taste of steamed milk you get with real cappuccinos. I was expecting bitterness to kick in from the active ingredients, but then I looked at the ingredients and realized the caffeine comes from coffee. The aftertaste is just as enjoyable, though some soy notes do emerge. The immediate aftertaste is a blend of coffee and chocolate, but after some time, milk also comes into play for the real cappuccino aftertaste experience. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the cappuccino KickButt energy balls and look forward to trying their other flavors.

Energy

Each ball contains 40 mg of caffeine which means that each packet packs 80 mg, the equivalent of a can of Red Bull (funny how the unit measure is a can of Red Bull...I use it because it is the energy drink most people have had and can relate to). The effects are similar to those of black coffee - no immediate kick, since there is no sugar (there is some in the energy balls), but once the caffeine makes into your system, you feel stimulated. The effects of the energy balls are quite good. There are no jitters, and the kick is clean - I was able to focus at first without feeling anxious to do something physical. The end was without a crash or another negative side effect. I am quite pleased with these.

Overall, these energy balls were a pleasant surprise, though I am still a bit uncertain about their size.

Scores:
Cost - $1.99 for a 2-pack from ChemicalEvolution.com
Taste - 8.9/10
Energy - 4/10 to 6/10

Overall - 12.9/20 to 14.9/20...depending on how many of these balls you eat