Monday, February 9, 2009

Butterfinger Buzz (Caffeinated)

Butterfinger Buzz (King Size)Nestle has jumped on the caffeination bandwagon introducing their Limited Edition Butterfinger Buzz.

I got a hold of the king size version (I don’t know if it comes in the regular size) via Nestle’s PR company who offered me some samples. I’ve been looking for them for about a month, as the Butterfinger Buzz Facebook page says they should be available at 7-11 and Walgreen’s.

Butterfinger Buzz (King Size)The name pretty much explains it all, it’s a Butterfinger with extra caffeine. The king size version is two smaller bars - 3.75 inches long & 1.85 ounces each (a regular bar is 2.12 ounces).

The package is a little confusing. It says with as much caffeine as the leading energy drink. The whole package has 80 mg of caffeine (the same as an 8 ounce Red Bull). But the recommended portion is one half of the package which nets you 40 mg of caffeine. 40 mg is about the same caffeine as 3 ounces of brewed coffee.

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The little bars are less than attractive. The mockolate coating isn’t very chocolatey looking, it’s much lighter than most milk chocolate and has a chalky, matte appearance instead of a silky & shiny look. It does smell a bit like cocoa and peanut butter with a small whiff of Cap’n Crunch cereal.

The crunchy peanut butter candy center is rather different from the regular Butterfinger. First, it’s an unnatural red/orange color (thanks to Red 40!). It’s also denser. I’ve eaten three of these bars, just in case it was just that one bar that was a little off from the norm. The middle half of the bar is more like a hard candy than the flaky peanut butter crisp.

Other than the color & texture difference, I can also state that there is a definite bitter bite to this. (Who knows if it’s just the caffeine or and added contribution of the detestable red food coloring?) The bitterness lasts as a slight metallic aftertaste for several hours, at least for me. I don’t have this problem with coffee, which also has caffeine and can often be bitter, but will fade away after I’ve swallowed it.

I know these will likely generate lots of interest, especially from students, gamers and long-haul truck drivers. It is nice to have the option to get a little candy boost with some caffeine. This integration didn’t quite make the cut for me, though.

Mars introduced Snickers Charged around this time last year, which was 60 mg of caffeine as well as B vitamins & taurine.

Honestly, if Nestle wanted to impress me, they should make a gourmet Butterfinger, with some of their real Swiss chocolate. And I can have that with a cup of coffee and really a buzz going.

Related Candies

  1. Butterfinger Buzz (Caffeinated)
  2. Loud Truck Energy Gummies
  3. Caffe Acapella - Coffee Confections
  4. Butterfinger Stixx
  5. Head-to-Head: Butterfinger vs. 5th Avenue
  6. No Time & Black Black
Name: Limited Edition Butterfinger Buzz
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Nestle
Place Purchased: samples from Nestle PR reps
Price: unknown
Size: 3.7 ounces
Calories per ounce: 124
Categories: Mockolate, Peanut, Caffeine, United States, Nestle, Kosher, Limited Edition

POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:52 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. I’m with you on the gourmet Butterfinger!  I love these things and it’s too bad they had to find a way to ruin it instead of improve upon it.

    Comment by Liz on 2/09/09 at 9:59 am #
  2. bettyfelon's avatar

    I’d settle for a Buttefinger that doesn’t get stuck between my teeth

    Comment by bettyfelon on 2/09/09 at 11:11 am #
  3. I also tried the Snickers Charged and the bitterness was a turn off, so I probably won’t like this. 

    Also, that orange color reminds me of molten lava.

    Comment by Marvo on 2/09/09 at 12:08 pm #
  4. Blimey the colour of the filling is enough to put me off! It looks like it was dipped in some radioactive stuff!!

    Comment by Jim on 2/09/09 at 12:51 pm #
  5. Generally I envy you your job (and the creativity that enabled you to create it), but not today.  I don’t care if someone gave me this candybar for free, I still wouldn’t want to eat it.

    Comment by Megan on 2/09/09 at 1:27 pm #
  6. Wow, it looks like something radioactive got passed through the digestive system of my cat!

    Comment by Moy on 2/09/09 at 2:50 pm #
  7. Sera's avatar

    That looks….terrifying.

    Comment by Sera on 2/09/09 at 3:09 pm #
  8. Wow—that just looks icky.  This mockolate trend is bad enough, but adding caffeine and more food dye seems ill conceived.  I’m with you on the gourmet version of standard candy bar concept.

    Comment by Julie on 2/10/09 at 5:46 am #
  9. It looks toxic. I think this item is geared toward extremely stressed out people who don’t look at what they’re eating, or care. Hey, it’s a busy world.

    Comment by Kim on 2/10/09 at 7:22 am #
  10. I don’t understand the craze for caffeinated candy - a cup of coffee has more caffeine, less calories (even with cream and sugar)and is a whole lot cheaper(provided you make it yourself or get it free from the office, like I do).

    Comment by Laurie on 2/10/09 at 10:58 am #
  11. I’m sure it’s your senstivity to red food coloring that’s giving you the bad taste.  I had one, it tasted exactly like a butterfinger to me.

    but that’s just opinion.

    As to eveyrone going “What’s the point?”  WEll the point is to get a buzz, what else?

    caffeene on its own, and if you ask me in coffee, is a pretty nasty thing.  Better if it’s coated over with mocklate and sugar.. smile

    Comment by bearfoot on 2/13/09 at 10:44 am #
  12. I dont understand why you willingly eat mockolate.  I wouldnt eat it if someone paid me to.  Its so gross!!

    Comment by Randi on 2/25/09 at 6:46 am #
  13. because that’s what goes on candy bars.  I don’t think of “mockolate” as chocolate.  I pretty much consider it a different beast entirely.

    If offered a choice between a chunk of mockate and chocolate I"d take the chocolate every time.

    But this is what a butterfinger is suppsoed to taste like to me.  It’d be just plain wrong to have it with real chocolate.

    In short, I guess I"m just used to it.

    Comment by bearfoot on 2/25/09 at 7:50 am #
  14. its the best candy caffiene bar ever

    Comment by jim m on 3/01/09 at 10:13 am #
  15. I bought two at my local Walgreens today.  They taste great, seems to be a little sweeter than a regular Butterfinger. The color of the center does look like molten lava and looks great! I’ve never tried a caffiene candy bar before. What kind of wimps are you people? It’s a candy bar, Not Haute Cusine, it’s supposed to be a little “one off” fun.  It’s called marketing!

    Comment by Tom on 3/19/09 at 6:01 pm #
  16. I loved it! Best candy caffiene bar i tried!

    Comment by Lori on 4/21/09 at 4:27 am #
  17. I disagree with the rating here. I am a butterfinger fanatic and eat one about everyday. I have tried the energy bar and find that it doesnt taste bad.While you can tell the texture is different and chewy and it tastes a little off its not as bad as the author says.

    Comment by Homer on 6/28/09 at 3:59 pm #
  18. Cybele's avatar

    Homer - yes, you’re a Butterfinger fanatic ... of course you’re going to like it. Good for you! (I happen to prefer real chocolate and no bitter aftertaste - if they don’t bother you, then go for it ... and you didn’t need a review of it.)

    Comment by Cybele on 6/29/09 at 9:14 am #
  19. oooh, oooh, oooh - How vicious !

    Comment by Tom on 6/29/09 at 8:17 pm #
  20. OMG,I love these things. I like them beter then regular butterfingers, i get ne everytime I go to the theater!

    Comment by AJ on 7/16/09 at 9:57 am #
  21. Are they still available ?  I haven’t seen them lately.

    Comment by Tom on 7/16/09 at 3:57 pm #
  22. The picture used to portray the Buzz is terrible. They look nothing like this and the poster of this article must not have the best taste-buds (everyone’s are different). The caffeine is virtually tasteless in the bar and although the color is different, the taste is still 100% like the classic Butterfinger. I recommend this if you like Butterfinger and a good buzz. Good job Nestle!

    Comment by Will on 7/21/09 at 4:23 am #
  23. Cybele's avatar

    Will - you’re funny! You’ve probably not been reading along on Candy Blog for the past four years as I’ve documented over 1,000 candies. Yeah, I can taste caffeine.

    And yes, that’s what the bars, sent to me directly by Nestle representatives, looked like.

    I think it’s great they made the bar, and even better that they found folks like you who are such fans of the bar that you need to defend it on a review at a site such as mine.

    Comment by Cybele on 7/21/09 at 4:47 am #
  24. These things need to be sold where the vitamins go, and they should be in a wrapper that is distinctly different from the regular candy version.  I do not want my 9 year old eating this. I can supervise him when he is with me, but not at school, or what other kids bring and trade in their lunches. Lord forbid any child gets sick on this and gets hospitalized.  I just don’t believe the candy company wanting to make speed junkies out of the kids.

    Comment by Mary on 8/04/09 at 1:59 pm #
  25. If that’s how little you trust your son or how little he respects your wishes or obeys your rules maybe you should consider taking some parenting skills classes.  Why should your local store, candy manufacturers or society in general make adjustments just to keep YOUR kids actions above board. Get a grip.

    Comment by Tom on 8/04/09 at 4:46 pm #
  26. U need to get a grip or have a kid, do you follow your kid around every day? do you put medicine in reach of your children and hope you parented them well, do you put pills and toxic substances near your little ones…you need to get a grip. NO ONE can follow thier kids around 24 hours a day at school and school events, NO one’s kids are perfect, not even yours if you have them. Kids no matter how well parented do have minds of their own, and do get influenced by other peoples kids, and when its shoved right in their faces what do you expect, its advertising its good for you.  I don’t see cough syrup at the registers, or razor blades. We do all kinds of things to protect our children, maybe not you, but as a society we do. Cigarettes and liquor are housed separately, those speed pills at 7-11 are not in their reach, so gimme a break you lib freak and go get your buzz on, and I hope to god you dont have any kids with the way you think. If so I hope god watches out for them cuz you sure the hell wont.

    Comment by Mary on 8/05/09 at 12:41 am #
  27. Cybele's avatar

    Tom & Mary - this is not the venue for this discussion. The comment policy on this site does not allow for personal attacks.

    For the record, the package has 80 mg of caffeine, hardly a toxic dose, even for a toddler.

    Comment by Cybele on 8/05/09 at 6:45 am #
  28. I think that any candy maker that would delibertly put a large portion of caffine in a candy bar shoud be hung out to dry.  The news has often reported adolescents/teens who have ended up in the hospital (some have even died) with heart problems because of the caffine in energy drinks (I think the purchasers of those drinks should be carded to ensure they are adults).  Candy bars are especially made for people of all ages - including children and since the adult body processes caffine better than a non adult, there will probably be a lot more health problems because of this.  I hope the parents of the first child who ends up in the hospital because of the amount of caffine in this bar sues Nestles!!!!  If Snickers is making a high caffine product and it is available in the candy isle, I hope they get sued also.  I am aware that some candies have alcohol in them but you don’t see them put in the candy isle where children can easily pick them up!!!

    Comment by Judith M. Costello on 8/21/09 at 7:56 pm #
  29. It Looks Like someone had a Herniated Turd…XD

    Comment by Lynne on 8/26/09 at 5:20 am #
  30. I concur with the bitterness and questionable texture of the outside coating, what ever that is made of. I have a taste for Butterfinger bars and have bee trying to find them. yes, Walgreens and 7-11 for my next shopping visit. Thanks. Improvements? Get rid of the red food coloring, although probably done to differentiate from the orginal candy center. Get real with the chocolate in the coating, yeh, economics 101, but not good for savoring the flavor. Coffee? Too much oils and acids to upset the stomach. I use Enerjets! 75mg caffine in a hard candy. Check that out for a buzzzzz!

    Comment by Tom on 10/07/09 at 6:45 am #
  31. I bought 1 yesterday at blockbuster, and they taste pretty good!

    Comment by Matt on 3/31/10 at 11:20 am #
  32. Bit of an old article here, but I’m going to have to disagree with your opinion.  Might wanna have your taste buds checked.  I think all those free samples over the years have short circuited your tongue XP (especially if you can’t taste the pungent aftertaste that coffee leaves).

    Now here’s the part where you all get to laugh at me.  Half a Butterfinger Buzz was the only thing to ever give me a boost of energy without leaving me in a crashed state 20 minutes later, and quite frankly it didn’t taste much different than a regular butterfinger (poor man’s gold, that stuff is).  Call me weak sauce all you want, I just want this candy bar back.

    Comment by Mason on 3/27/12 at 12:05 am #
  33. Boy, what an argument Mary and a few others above back in 2009 had going…Unlike competitors like Clark Bark (aside from Clark Bites which I purchased yesterday,12/30/15, at a local store along with Circus Peanuts by Spangler) or 5th Avenue (for which I’ll have to go back again through this here entire blog), seems like Butterfinger’s (which I had today at a gas station) gone through as many variations (this Buzz, peanut buttr cups a la Reese’s or Butterfinger Wafers.mmm) as owners (old enough here, raising hand, to recall when CURTISS first owned it!)

    Well, Happy New Year’s Eve and Happy New Year’s Day!

    Comment by SJCarras on 12/31/15 at 10:34 pm #
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