The candy giant Mars has put together authentic flavors of supplements and protein snacks for many years over in the UK and Europe, the latest of which saw it open up a whole new approach with Hubba Bubba protein powder. The company has turned its classic Blue Raspberry, Cola, and Atomic Apple bubblegums into flavors of protein powder and aminos, and we went ahead and got our hands on the Hubba Bubba Blue Raspberry and Hubba Bubba Cola Clear Whey Protein Powders to see how on point they are.
The details of the formula you get in Mars Hubba Bubba protein powders isn’t anything too out of the ordinary, with 20g of protein a serving, no fat, next to no sugar, and 300mg of carbohydrates in the Blue Raspberry flavor, and 1.6g in Cola, with 83 calories and 87 calories, respectively. All of that protein comes from premium whey isolate, like most other clear-style protein supplements, with a bit of maltodextrin in there, as well as the sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame k.
Review
We have tried many of Mar’s sports nutrition offerings through the years, and while we found the protein powders enjoyable, they never had any features that immediately had us thinking of the candy bar or treat that inspired it. The authentic Hubba Bubba Clear Whey Protein Powders got our attention as they are the first time the company has attempted any sort of taste in the clear protein powder format or put together Hubba Bubba flavors, so here we have Blue Raspberry and Cola in front of us for a hands-on review.
Mars has actually done a pretty convincing job on its Hubba Bubba Cola and Hubba Bubba Blue Raspberry Clear Whey Protein Powder, nailing their title tastes and even having somewhat of a sweet and smooth bubblegummy base to them. The company has also managed to succeed in the highly difficult task of not having an overly intense chalky, teeth-packing, or filmy aftertaste, which is barely there in Cola and only there in a minuscule manner in Blue Raspberry; both small enough to go unnoticed.
The Hubba Bubba Cola Clear Whey Protein Powder doesn’t hit you with a whole lot of sweetness, just that classic cola taste, and it has a downside where if you drink too much at a time or overly concentrate it, the flavor can have a tangy intensity at the end, so be sure to play with it to suit your liking. Blue Raspberry, on the other hand, is nice and sweet and isn’t as strong on the blue side, although that is replaced with a bubblegum base that complements the smooth raspberry. The more concentrated we had that one, the sweeter it got, with no increased aftertaste or bite, but that filmy feeling does become more prominent.
One other thing to note, and we usually only check this regarding pre-workouts where measurements and micro dosages are more important, you’ll want to get out your scale for the Hubba Bubba protein powders. The bag does say 27g per two-scoop serving; however, one leveled scoop using the scooper we received was 16g. It’s not a huge problem, but again, it’s worth noting that if you serve up two level scoops to 32g, you’re looking at almost 24g of protein, and in the 405g bag, you’ll get closer to 12 and a half servings than the expected 15.
Summary
Talking exclusively about the taste of Mars’ authentic Hubba Bubba Clear Whey Protein Powders, again, it’s done a pretty good job. Both of them deliver a flavorful experience, with Blue Raspberry probably being the one we’d go back to because Cola simply felt out of place as a protein shake, making it more preference than execution. We have had plenty of clear protein powders, many of them not being able to hide that chalky, filmy aftertaste, which the company has done, leaving us with nothing bad to say.
