Jelly Belly’s line of Sport Beans are aimed at athletes. So of course, I have to review them! Wait. Um…whatever, I’m reviewing them anyhow. The concept with these beans is that you snack on a pack before, during, or after a workout to replenish electrolytes and minerals.
I have to admit, it strikes me as funny to make a candy for athletes, but I understand the concept: it’s no different than pounding a Gatorade or having some sort of energy something or other after a workout. These, however, are WAY yummier. Some of them contain caffeine, some of them don’t. Take a look at the beans though, they’re gorgeous.
Big, glossy, and all pretty much exactly the same shape. So how do they differ from normal Jelly Belly beans? They’re really not similar at all. This is going to sound weird, but you know how when you drink a vitamin supplement or put that powder in water to boost your vitamin C levels, that “taste” you get? That vitamin flavor? That’s present in all of these beans, and for some reason, I like it. There’s also a big time graininess in these beans that I also like. The flavors though, stand up well enough on their own. All of them are fleshed out, sweet, and just a bit tangy for good measure. The lemon lime were among my favorites. I could have eaten several bags of these in one sitting, but…since I was sitting, I decided my electrolytes didn’t really need that extreme of a boost.
Sure, I could go hike up the mountain behind my work and pound a bag of these and then…I still wouldn’t be able t tell you what they’d done to my system, god or bad. So instead of that, I think it’s logical only to comment on the eating experience. As far as that goes, I really like these. I don’t know why I dig the vitamin taste, but as far as everything else goes, it’s obvious: it’s just damned good eating.
If you are an athlete though, and you do imbibe electrolyte refreshers or things like that, you should for SURE check these out. I promise they taste better than any Gatorade you’ve ever had. You can buy from the link below, or at REI & many biking stores.
Some of the gels and bars made for endurance athletics are damned good. I’d put the chocolate flavored GU energy gels up against a lot of dessert toppings.