After enjoying Muscletech’s protein bar release from last year so much, we figured it’d be well worth getting the protein bar it released this year in for review. We are of course talking about the Nitro-Tech spin-off, Nitro-Tech Crunch, which was launched just a few months ago in September. It was originally introduced in five flavors, although as per usual we’ve selected our two favorites for today’s Nitro-Tech Crunch review.
For those didn’t know, the main thing that separates Muscletech’s Nitro-Tech Crunch from its other protein bar competitor Mission1, is that it’s more of a gourmet, candy style protein bar. It matches up better against a bar like MusclePharm’s Combat Crunch rather than the well-known Quest Bar. Coincidentally Nitro-Tech Crunch is a lot like the two-year-old Combat Crunch especially with its consistency, however the two flavors we’re talking about in our review today do take things much further in the flavor department.
Covered in creamy white chocolate
Our first of two favorites is the Cookies & Cream Nitro-Tech Crunch, which is actually a bit of a surprise as it isn’t the usual cookie taste that wins out in this one. It is the bar’s thin, outside layer that really comes through with a good amount of creamy, white chocolate flavor. It is of course the outside layer that also starts the whole experience off, then from there it mixes in very nicely with Nitro-Tech Crunch’s thick, doughy center. The result is more of a white chocolate coated fudge cookie combination than cookies & cream, although either way the overall flavor is still quite the treat.
The creamy, white chocolate outside is truly the highlight on this one as it gives the bar a sweet side that a lot of protein bar competitors lack. The chocolate crunchy bits do also play a role outside of reinforcing the Nitro-Tech Crunch name, as their crunchy consistency does help make the flavor feel more like a Cookies & Cream bar.
More peanut butter than chocolate
Our overall favorite flavor from the Nitro-Tech Crunch menu is Chocolate Peanut Butter, and it’s mostly for the same reason as we like the Cookies & Cream. While the Chocolate Peanut Butter does have a dense center like all of the others, Muscletech makes the whole experience that much better by getting its peanut butter coating spot on.
The outer peanut butter layer is actually so strong and sweet that you could almost call the flavor peanut butter with a hint of chocolate. It does mix in with the bar’s dense chocolate center, however even then it manages to keep a strong, but sweet peanut butter taste. The crunchy pieces don’t really do much to the whole flavor, just add a bit of crunch to its consistency like with Cookies & Cream.
Solid candy bar style competitor
Overall Muscletech’s Nitro-Tech Crunch is a solid, candy style competitor in the protein bar category. It’s right up there with some of the better entries, and as mentioned it’s a step beyond MusclePharm’s well established Combat Crunch, which says a lot as that bar has delivered in all seven of the flavors we’ve tried. From here it’s all going to be about what options Muscletech adds to its Nitro-Tech Crunch menu, as the more well put together flavors it has, the better competitor it will be.
