Briskbars are a new plant-based energy bar out of the San Francisco area. The company recently sent me a couple of bars to try out.

The dark chocolate and coconut flavor was bittersweet — emphasis on bitter. Not unpleasant, but definitely a bitter aftertaste. If you’re a dark chocolate lover, you will probably like this fine. If you buy Hershey’s milk chocolate bars by the crate, you are not the target demographic. Personally, I appreciate that Briskbars only contain 4 grams of sugar.

The info that came with my samples said people usually feel the 100 mg of caffeine from guarana in 15 to 30 minutes and that the boost lasts two to six hours. I’m afraid my tolerance must be high, because I didn’t really notice. But it tasted pretty good and gave me enough energy for snowshoeing on Mount Hood.

The website is currently advertising a special of four bars for $9.99. This sounds pretty pricey to me for small energy bars. But if you are a true energy bar connoisseur who appreciates high-quality vegan ingredients and low sugar content, Briskbars might be a worthwhile investment.