Review: Mint Untapped
Earlier this year Untapped, the maple syrup endurance sport nutrition provider, announced a new flavor being rolled out. Since one of our writers is an Untapped Fanatic (brand ambassador), we got an early sampling of the new product. We felt it would behoove us to let his words describe the hoovering of the newly-released Mint Untapped.
Described by Untapped as ‘cool fuel for hot pursuits,’ Mint rolled into the creakybottombracket.com office with an eye on summer temperatures. It was being sampled alongside the mint juleps being sipped during the Kentucky Derby. It was the go-to packet when sweat began to run after a winter of freezing outdoor rides. Mint is summer. Mint is refreshing.
Released by Untapped, Mint joins the line-up of their energy gels. It features exactly two ingredients: organic spearmint and organic maple syrup. Mint stands out from the other gels featuring caffeine or sodium. This is a gel meant for the early miles of the ride or as a pick me up well into the afternoon heat. Mint Untapped is that missing link in the hot weather workout.
It is unofficially agreed upon that mint in other parts of the food chain is often a processed ingredient. Call out mint amongst friends and people will wonder if Life Savers will be passed out. Or will bright green ice cream get scooped into bowls? However, mint in its natural form is less overpowering. Nature provides the refreshment, and Mint Untapped harnesses the natural refreshment of organic Vermont spearmint. Squeezing a pack of Mint Untapped is a balancing act of natural mint syrup blended with maple syrup. The gel doesn’t taste processed because it’s not- and that’s what keeps us coming back for more. Coming back for fuel is priority one when taking in calories in hot workouts.
Mint Untapped felt best served shortly before a ride. It was the gel of choice in the first hour when the body is warming up. It could be the second gel, too. Firing one off right after a sodium Untapped like Salted Cocoa Untapped could create a medley of flavors and a boost to the mood. These are all good things when the temperatures heat up. Mint was definitely opened in the final minutes of the ride in preparation for recovery.
The Vermont-based maple syrup endurance fuel company - Untapped - continues to offer quality products for athletes uninterested in synthetic nutrition. Untapped has produced a gel that fills a spot we didn’t know existed - a bit of encouragement under an ounce at a time. Mint has been added to the gel variety pack to help with a lineup to help every athlete through the next long workout. Mint provides the cool; summer provides the hot pursuits.
