Mars Refuel

Product name: Mars Refuel
Purchase details: £0.39 for a 180ml carton (B&M)

Calories: 139 per carton
Country of origin: UK

I bought this carton of Mars Refuel at the same time as the Milky Way Chocolate Milk but I’ve been a bit slow to drink it!

Although I loved the idea of a Mars bar flavoured drink, I suspected it was just going to be another chocolate milk, and since its ‘chocolate milk drink’ description was identical to the Milky Way's, my suspicions weren’t allayed.

However, the Mars Refuel was marketed in a very different way to the Milky Way Chocolate Milk – it was aimed at adults rather than children and made no health claims. In comparison to the latter’s 90% milk content, this Mars drink only contained 74% of the white stuff.

The drink came, once more, in a tall and slim carton that featured Mars’ signature black background and red logo. The product type was indicated by the splash of milk at the base of the carton, which also advised to chill and shake the milk before consumption.

The liquid came in the mid-brown colour that is usual for chocolate milk. However, whilst the aroma was also standard, it was a lot milder than normal.

Containing 0.6% cocoa powder, I found that the drink tasted a bit less chocolatey than similar products, although this aspect of the flavour was still very much present. However, it tasted sweeter, and there was almost a salty aspect which, I guess, hinted at caramel. As there hadn’t been any mention of caramel or nougat in the product description or ingredients, this was a pleasant surprise – general ‘flavourings’ and cane molasses were the only listings that had given me hope!

Texturally, the milk was very smooth with the same starchy feel as the Milky Way Chocolate Milk.

As anticipated, I didn’t think the Mars Refuel tasted much different to other plain chocolate milks. However, whilst the difference in taste was minimal, it was still a little nicer.

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 6.5/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.25/10