Nerds Raspberry and Tropical Punch review

Nerds are back to Walking the Candy Aisle, this time with the Nerds Raspberry and Tropical Punch review.  From Wonka this is a classic candy, something that I always look forward to.  Check out my video review and decide for yourselves what you think. 

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Wonka Randoms review

Are you interested in how random Wonka’s Randoms really are?  I took a look and you can see what I thought in the video below.

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Wonka’s Spree Video Review

Here it is, The Wonka Original Spree review… not to be confused with all the unoriginal versions out there.  J  Does it include mystic surprises as Wonka’s message describes?  You decide!

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Fun Dip - video review

Today we've got another awesome review. Enjoy this look at Fun Dip.


Very nice. If you want more please check out the written review, or all of our reviews over on the reviews page.

Fun Dip review

Another review for you today, and this is a bit of an odd one. Not that the candy is odd, but thematically this is actually an Easter edition candy. Someone gave it to me and I'd guess that its been sitting around for a while... Thankfully I'm pretty positive that this kind of candy has a very long shelf life, so lets just put all the bunnies and springtime stuff in its place, and have a good look at the one and only Fun Dip!

Now for those of you new to the blog you might be wondering why I'm reviewing multiple flavors of Fun Dip at once. Well I'm not looking to upset those Fun Dip enthusiasts out there, but I kind of think there are a few candies that only warrant a single review. This will be a review featuring specific points on multiple variations of the candy, but will I hope cover the generalities that can be applied to all Fun Dip. (basically don't take it too seriously... its just candy).

Today I've got two different versions of Fun Dip to look at: Strawberrylicious Dip, and Wonderous Watermelon Dip. As I mentioned above these are both Easter editions of Fun Dip, so I'm not 100% sure if these flavors are available year round. These are labelled as Springtime dips, and the packaging certainly shows that. I'm a big fan of the Wonka imprints design work. They always do a great job showing the fun of candy. And really this is flavored powdered sugar in a bag that you eat with a candy stick. If you're not having fun, you're doing something wrong.

The colors on both packages are great and very "springy". I love the little touches too like the bubbling dip powder on the bottom of the F and P in Fun Dip. The blossoming flowers are a very nice springtime touch too. More awesomely on the back of the packages is a wonderful little note from Willy Wonka himself to all the kids out there. This could come off as cheesy, but I think its actually very sweet. And encouraging kids to check out the Wonka books is a great idea.

So for those of you out there still scratching your head. Fun Dip is essentially flavored sugar. If you know what a pixie stick is, then you know what Fun Dip is, although the main different here is delivery. This comes in a pouch and is accompanied by a hard candy stick called a Lik-a-Stix. In fact the entire product was originally called Lik-m-aid, but was re-branded Fun Dip to beter fit the Wonka brand. The stick gets licked and then when dipped into the powdered flavored sugar, it will stick to the surface, letting the kids essentially spoon the sugar down :) Its pretty fun!

Breaking into the package you'll see the powder down at the bottom of the pouch. It smells good, and very sugary, which makes sense since that's essentially what this is. the stick as you can see below, is simple and white. Usually it says Lik-a-stix on it but in this case they've actually branded one side of the stick for Easter as well with the words "Happy Easter", which is a nice touch. Licking then dipping the stick will give you whats going to become your basic mouthful of Fun Dip.

The taste is pretty much exactly like you'd imagine. This is sugar, fine ground with sweet flavoring mixed in. The flavors are both great, Strawberry and Watermelon are both good candidates for this kind of candy. There's not much to say about it other than that. Its good, and not as overly sweet as it could be, but you can feel that this is definitely a mainline of sugar.

I've heard tell that the stick is actually marshmallow flavored, but if it is I can't really place it. Its mild thats for sure. As you eat you'll eventually either on purpose of by accident break the Lik-a-stix. That's ok though, that's what its for.  This candy is equal parts for eating, and for playing. The stick has a chalky mint like quality. Not mint in flavor, but in texture and consistancy. Its fine, but nothing too exciting. The joy comes in licking off the sugar powder. It comes in seeing the sugar work into the Lik-a-stix lettering, and wondering how long you can go before the stick breaks.

Let's take a step back from this for a second. because in terms of taste its pretty decent, but nothing too unexpected. The thing that makes this a great candy is the form, the delivery, the sheer playfulness of it all. I am a fan of Fun Dip because of all that and more. This candy will definitely appeal to kids, but I think it speaks to all of us. This is a real reminder that candy can, and should be fun. I love the messaging hardwired into this entire product. Fun Dip is honestly a lot of fun, and I give it special props for keeping it real. Go get some and have fun!

Walking the Candy Aisle rates Fun Dip - 4 / 5

As I mentioned Fun Dip is a Wonka product, which is in turn a brand of Nestlé. Please find out more about all of it at this link.

Old Ads Candy

So many old ads so little time, as we roll on with our series check out these awesome retro candy ads :)

Well this Nerds ad can't be that old can it. They've go the Willy Wonka design on it. But I love the "Intense" design for this super Intense -tasting candy! Neon Nerds! Can you get any more 90s than that! I mean neon in general is awesome, but by making our candy neon you've stepped into truly radical territory. And to top it off, in true 90s fashion the ad features some totally 90s extreme sports. Skateboarding (note the old school board) and inline skating. Totally tubular! Below the graphic the cool neon pink sunglass wearing Nerd lets us know about the new flavors - Pinktricity and ElectricOrange! this is some truly amazing design and marketing work. Then to top it off you've got a rebate coupon, giving you absolutely no reason not to try these awesome new Nerds. My only real complaint here is Wonka showing up. As much as I like the guy, its conflicting imagery to have him stumbling into the middle of my Nerds ad. Still, overall this is an amazing 90s advertisment.

Next up, we've got Brach's Rocks candy. Honestly I've never had this before, in fact I don't even remember if I've ever heard of it before, but I definitely like this ad. Rocky D. Dinosaur is obviously a totally cool dude. I mean he's wearing a letterman jacket, and sunglasses! How could he not be cool. He's definitely the James Spader of 80s candy icons... kind of  a prick, but you love him anyhow. And look, he's actually chilling out on the hood of a pink Cadillac. I can't decide if this is more of a Denver the last Dinosaur ripoff or a Cadillac's and Dinosaurs ripoff, either way, its pretty awesome. Honestly the candy is secondary to the mascot in my opinion, Sure Rocky, you want me to eat rocks... ok, I'm down with that, lets just hang out and look cool together ok?

Finally today we've got a fun, and relatively simple Twizzlers ad. It takes the simple defacement of a poster to the next level. Fun, witty, devilish, and just the kind of play with your candy that every kid loves. I love the fact that Twizzlers are a playable candy. It just adds a whole other dimension to the fun of eating it. This ad is great at playing up that angle. I remember distinctly when the Twizzlers Pull-and-Peel was introduced and this was really a big deal in the licorice world. I'm not even a licorice fan and I knew about it. The one other thing that has to be noted here is something I don't think I would've noticed as a kid, but that guy, the face... its pretty funny to start with. Is that guy someone I should know? If he is I've missed it. He's definitely got a great look though, and defacing his picture makes it even more fun :)

These ads are from X-Men Adventures #9, and Jughead with Archie digest #124 respectively.

The Multipack

Well I'm still undecided about what to 'serve' the kiddies on Halloween this year, but I've certainly got a few options. I'm trying to think what we did the past few years in San Francisco... not too much I think. I lived in a condo complex and we really didn't get many (if any) kids to our door. You know I think we may even have headed out and gone to stay with friends in San Jose over Halloween. My kids are only now just getting to trick or treating age, but really next year I think will be the year.

Anyhow, I've got a choice to make since I'm now living in Canada where I think pretty much everyone gives out candy. I'm in a good kid neighborhood now too. So I'd better make my decision wisely...

Looking around the stores though I have to say I'm unimpressed. The candy multipacks seem to be all the rage, and the selling point isn't even about the treats inside; its actually all about number of items. Seems like a very analytical way of seeing things. Wheres the wow factor? Is it just because they know they are already proven candies that they don't have to try?

I'm also pretty disappointed on the graphic design front for pretty much all of this packaging. Makes me want to buy some of that licensed stuff I was talking about instead.


For your edification though here are some of the candy multipacks available in Canada.

Hershey's makes a pretty strong showing with their selection. I like that they've got multiple skus on the bundles and that the one is nut-free. Pretty important with kids these days...Also note the rare Hershey's Caramel bar... have you ever seen that before???

Twizzlers are another Hershey brand candy, and I can't say if I've ever actually talked about them here on the blog before... Well I suppose I don't usually give them much thought. They're decent but I never got hung up on them like some people I know. My favorite is Strawberry pull and peel, and I HATE black licorice. This is another good Halloween option, Twizzlers are always appreciated and mix things up a bit from the standard Nerds and candy bracelets.

So here we have the Nestle multipacks. That's a good mix of very Canadian chocolate bars.

Interestingly I also came across this "American" Nestle multipack. Since Baby Ruth are not sold in Canada normally this may be the only way for lots of Canadians to get one...Although you may want to check out my review before rushing out.

Wonka, another imprint of Nestle, also has its own multipack. Now this is what really sells me on Halloween. All of these treats are exactly the kind of good old standards I want and expect in my candy bag at the end of a night trick or treating. Not as exciting as a chocolate bar, but everyone loves some Nerds. Great stuff.

Mars (ne Wrigley) makes a stong showing with this massive 100 pack! They win for most candy in a single box, and boy is it a good mix. I would be happy to get any of these on a Halloween night. Mini Snickers and mini Mars bars were always the most coveted of the Halloween candy growing up. This is a sure fire winner.

If you did not know, Skittles / Starburst are also part of the Mars (Wrigley) family. This is another good mix pack, although instead of Sour Skittles I wish they had Berry, or Tropical. Hopefully by now you know my feelings on Skittles.

And just look  at what Cadbury has to offer in their multipack. All good solid choices. I don't think we even had fun sized Caramilk when I was a kid. Man I could definitely go for a Wunderbar though. Great mix bag here. The one outlier is the Mr Big. Doesn't a 'fun sized' version of the candy bar reknowned for being big kind of defeat the purpose?

Finally I suppose I wouldn't be back in Canada if there wasn't some Maynards around. This seems like a pretty good mix. I wonder how many pieces you'd actually get in each individual bag...

Well thats all for the Multipacks. I suppose I'm still a bit undecided on what to get. Maybe the Mars pack, or maybe the Wonka one. I wish there were better themed candies around to give out. Well I guess thats just the breaks here. More candy content coming here soon. Until then have a spooky good time and let me know what candy you're giving out this year   :)

Hoppin Nerds Pink Rainbow road review

Another road review for you today. Its time to check out Hoppin Nerds Pink Rainbow.



Walking the Candy Aisle rates Hoppin Nerds Pink Rainbow - 5 / 5

Nerds are of course a Wonka product, which is an imprint of Nestlé. Find out more at

http://www.wonka.com/

Runts - video review

A quick video review for you today. It's time to check in on Wonka's Runts.

And before you watch YES I know I forgot the Orange ones!!! accidents happen.


For more on Runts, please check in on the written review, or all of our reviews over at the Reviews Page.

Runts review

Just a quick review today, and a bit stifled one since I don't even have a box to review, but today we're checking out the Wonka classic Runts.

At least I think these are a classic... I don't know that I've ever bought them before. Sure I've gotten them in the bottom of my Halloween bag and eaten them, but I don't think I've ever been really jonsing for a Runt.  Since I don't have the actual packaging today, only this little fun sized bag, I'll move quickly onto the candy. First I just want to say that these are normally sold in big theater style candy boxes. I guess they expect people to eat them in bulk.

The candy currently comes in 5 flavors: Banana, Strawberry, Grape, Green Apple, and Orange. YES if you've watched the video review you will see how I somehow totally forgot about the Orange flavor... Somehow it just escaped me even though it was right in front of my eyes. Sorry.

These are hard shell fruit flavored candies, essentially just compressed sugar. I appreciate that they made a vague attempt at getting these to be the right shapes though. That's a nice touch.

Biting into the candy brings me back. Honestly my first reaction was that the banana tasted like a candy cigarette. Yes a candy cigarette. Maye you're too young or from a country that didn't have these novelty candies, but once upon a time they made candy in the shape of cigarettes.Was there a banana flavored one that I liked best? I don't know, maybe. But this reminds me of that, only not quite as chalky. It's got the same texture though, and the same snapping, crunch to them.

The flavor itself is alright, I'm not going to say its anything super special, but it works for the most part. The strawberry tastes like a strawberry, and so on, but none of them have any kick. There's nothing about this candy that strikes me as anything more than mediocre.

Runts aren't bad but they're not great. If you like hard candy with a snap to it, and fruit flavors that aren't particularly overpowering then this is something you should check out. Everyone else can probably pass on it.

Walking the Candy Aisle rates Runts - 3 / 5

Runts are a Wonka candy, which is of course an imprint of Nestlé. Check out more about them at http://www.wonka.com/

Laffy Taffy review

Ok, so this review may be coming out a bit backwards in line with the video review, but at the end of the day, as long as the info's getting out there it probably doesn't matter too much. For now why not kick back, relax, and enjoy this review of Laffy Taffy.

I have two kinds of Laffy Taffy with me here today: Sour Apple and Strawberry, and while I know I normally only try to do  reviews for one flavor of candy at a time. This one seemed like there could be at least a few generalizations made.

 Laffy Taffy is a fairly unique product. While most people will have had some local salt-water taffy at some point in their lives (perhaps your local county fair?) There aren't too many nationally packaged taffies on the market. In fact I can only think of this one.

Will it stand up to county fair / artisan comparisons? No probably not, but this sure is interesting.

Laffy Taffy, and indeed all Wonka candy has a lightheartedness to it that I love. The design work on the packaging, the advertizing, everything about the way they imprint their candy makes it seem genuinely like a lot of fun. I was happy to see Laffy Taffy incorporated into the Wonka brand (after Nestle launched it) because this is such a different candy it fits well into the oddball universe of Willy Wonka.

Speaking of irreverent fun, Laffy Taffys all have jokes actually written on the packaging. Sure Bazooka Joe may do it as well, but this is pretty fun. The jokes are not great, but since they're (at least theoretically) submitted by customers they are fresher than the average joke you'd find in a Bazooka Joe, or a box of Cracker Jacks.

 Honestly "Owlgebra" is kind of awesome.

As for the candy, I have to dock Laffy Taffy on the ease of opening. If you watch the video review you'll see a sad state of affairs trying to get through what should be a simple wrapper. I know it doesn't happen everytime, I get that, but it did happen this time, and unfortunately during a review.

The candy itself is slightly tacky to the touch, but its bursting with smell and the colors, especially on the Sour Apple Taffy, totally pop.

Biting into the candy is very different than you might get biting into your local artisan taffy. This feels processed, and sugary. but not in a  really bad way. In fact I honestly like how manufactured this feels. Laffy Taffy has intense flavors and that's a good thing, but it comes at a cost. You'll need to give the candy a good chew or two to get the full effect. This won't be melting in your mouth. My recommendation if you really want to get the most out of it... put a whole piece in your mouth at once. The you get a very full mouth of tastes in a slightly complicated but enjoyably chewy situation. And not to get gross here, but this is the kind of candy that while eating you'll find a lot of salivating over. Its necessarily a very wet eating experience.

The taffy can get caught in your teeth, and probably will. That's unfortunate as well because the flavors are really pretty decent. I'm not a huge Sour Apple fan but I actually thought this was good.The gumminess and pull of the taffy is close to bubble gum (rather than say like caramel).

In spite of my few gripes I want to be clear, Laffy Taffy is really good. It's interesting and different, the flavors a strong, and I've found through experience that even flavors I don't like in other contexts (like banana) can work well in Laffy Taffy form.

Walking the Candy Aisle rates Laffy Taffy - 4 / 5

You should definitely check this out if you have not before. For the video review of Laffy Taffy you can look below this post, or check out all of the reviews over on the Reviews page.

Laffy Taffy is a Wonka candy, and made by Nestlé, please check them out online at http://www.wonka.com/

Laffy Taffy - video review

Review time!



So you may be asking yourself what gives. A review posted yesterday, but no video. Well there was some unfortunate technical difficulties on the video for the Crunch Thin Mints and I ended up with half a video file :(

So to make it up to you I'm posting another new video. This one for Laffy Taffy. I'll send up the written review for this one soon. Thanks for understanding everyone.