The athletic energy food market just got a whole lot sweeter. UnTapped is made from Slopeside Syrup, a New England-based maple syrup company with a belief that maple syrup is nature’s ultimate energy supplement. Rather than being an energy gel concocted in a lab, maple syrup is all natural as it’s made by boiling maple sap directly from a maple tree, where it goes right into the package. This 100% natural, Vermont maple syrup contains potassium, manganese, iron, calcium, zinc, amino acids and antioxidants. Plus the natural sugars keep you from bonking on long runs or bike rides. I scored some samples and took them along on 18-mile+ mountain bike rides and have a few thoughts.
First off, I’m a big lover of maple syrup and I eat it every day at breakfast. Most mornings, I stir it into a bowl of steel-cut oats with dried berries and of course, who doesn’t love maple syrup on waffles and pancakes? So it’s not a stretch for me to take maple syrup along on outdoor excursions. UnTapped makes it convenient with gel-sized packets and maple waffles.
First, I downed a packet of syrup right before a particularly long uphill section in Park City that has endless switchbacks and punchy sections that drains me of energy almost every time I ride it. Plus, I’m usually spent before I even get to the bottom of this climb. Drinking the syrup goes down easy, and it tastes a thousand-times better than any synthetic, lab-created gel. On the climb, I felt a noticeable boost of energy as the sugars did its work. Still, I was pretty beat at the top.
Luckily, I had an UnTapped maple waffle in my pack to keep me going the rest of the ride. I’ve always liked to eat the Dutch stroopwafels, as well as Honey Stinger waffles. But maple is a flavor I like even more, and the combination of maple and waffle in one package is too much to resist. UnTapped says that the waffle is sweetened with only maple sugar and maple syrup, and lacks any artificial flavors or colors. UnTapped has me sold and at this point, I would rather have a maple waffle in my pack than any other energy bar on the market.
My only complaint is the cost. A 1.34-ounce packet of syrup costs $1.99. That’s about $1.50 per ounce. Sure, 100% maple syrup is expensive, but I can buy a 33.8 ounce jug of 100% Grade A medium amber syrup from CostCo for $18. That’s 53-cents per ounce. I can then pour a few ounces into a small container with a screw top and take it with me. The packet that UnTapped puts their syrup in is more convenient, to be sure, but I don’t think that’s worth the extra cost.
The maple waffle, however, that’s a different story. A box of 16 costs $33.99, which works out to about $2.12 per waffle, which falls in the middle in terms of energy bar cost.
The Good: Tastes delicious, 100% natural, totally unique to the energy food market.
The Bad: Expensive.
Final Word: While there are many other energy bar and gel options for less, none taste as good as the UnTapped waffle and syrup. I will absolutely be adding some to my energy-food quiver.
For more information, or to purchase, check them out at www.untapped.cc