This concoction of "Fruit, Nuts and Spices" hit me a little caddywhompus.
I am a big fan of the CLIF Bar flavors out there, but I can honestly say that this is not one of them.
Let's take a gander at why I am not the biggest fan of Gary's Panforte ...
The initial sight of this slab of fodder reminded me of just that ... fodder. This was a smashed up, squashed slab of fodder we fed to our horses. Rolled oats, molasses, grains and nuts all pulverized into this mass of dark, grainy horse feed.
Visually, this is a mess ... but then again most of the CLIF Bar products are.
Only after the spiced scent rose up to greet my nose did it make any sense ... at least to me it did.
This concoction reminded me of smelling my Mom's Mincemeat Pie that she would make during the holiday season. Mom, don't get all riled up now, but I have never been a fan of ANY mincemeat pie. Even yours ...
Back to the smell of this thing ... first and formost, there is the smell of ginger and allspice. the molasses aroma only hits after the first bite rolls back to the rear of your mouth and the full nasal effect is realized. A few chews and the ginger fades into a blend of sweet and earthy hints from the pistachios and almonds that pepper the mass.
I bought two of them at my Grocery Store just to see if I could enjoy them on separate days. Monday's snack was a failure because of mincemeat memories ... this is why I bought two of them. Wednesday's was easier to eat, but I am still not taken away with Gary's Panforte.
If you like mincemeat pie or a handfull of a raisin/tropical fruit filled trail mix sans the carob or chocolate, then this CLIF Bar will satisfy ... if you are like me, then no amount of eating this concoction will change your mind. Especially when there are quite a few other flavors of CLIF Bar to choose from. For me, it's a Crunchy Peanut Butter or Mint Chocolate that I try to carry with me. Even the Chocolate Chip manages to make my taste buds smile. These are the ones that I keep on hand during my rides.
Enjoy!
Ciao,
Darrell
