Archer Farms Blueberry Açaí Granola Bars

I've been a fan of açaí berries ever since I had a smoothie made of them from Jamba Juice—circa 2005. I'm not sure why the "c" in "açaí" has a little goatee or what it means, but I've been taught to pronounce the word like "ah-sigh-yee."

They're tasty little buggers full of antioxidants and so are blueberries. However, the sweetness of both berries fails to fully come through in these bars. The bars have more of a grainy, granola taste. They're pretty small, but very dense.

Likewise, the texture of this product is more heavily influenced by its grains than by its fruits. I kinda wish the berries were more prominent, because what I can taste and feel of them is great. The overall effect of the bars is pretty dry and gritty. I certainly wouldn't put them in a sweet treats category. They'd be better for curbing hunger or tiding someone over until the next meal.

But then again, I do have a sweet tooth and many people might not mind the lack of sugary sweetness in these bars as much as I did. I'm not sure why they didn't qualify for Archer Farms' "Simply Balanced" label, but they seem like maybe they should fall into that realm. Their calorie count isn't excessive, they've got a significant amount of fiber, and both of the aforementioned berries are "good-for-you."

There's also a bit of an unpleasant aftertaste, too. It's subtle, but definitely there. I think with a little tweaking, these could be a decent snacktastic treat, but for now, they're not really winners in my book.


I give these bars 5 out of 10 stars.