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.
Friday, August 10, 2012
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/
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.
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/
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Marvelous Muffins!
I was walking through my local Target the other day and what should appear but some absolutely AMAZING new muffin mixes.
Betty Crocker must be some kind of mad genius, because these look great! Cereal muffin mash-ups; why hasn't this been done before?!?! And thank goodness they went for the fun cereals, can you imagine the Grape Nuts muffins, or the Wheatabix muffins... blech.
When I was a kid my parents never let me have sugar cereals, so I never got to know the joy of Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cocoa Puffs when I was little. Oddly, now that I'm grown up and have kids of my own I don't eat or let them have it either.
What's your favorite of the bunch here? I think I'd have to go for the Reese's Puffs. A chocolate and peanut butter muffin sounds pretty damn great.
Betty Crocker must be some kind of mad genius, because these look great! Cereal muffin mash-ups; why hasn't this been done before?!?! And thank goodness they went for the fun cereals, can you imagine the Grape Nuts muffins, or the Wheatabix muffins... blech.
When I was a kid my parents never let me have sugar cereals, so I never got to know the joy of Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cocoa Puffs when I was little. Oddly, now that I'm grown up and have kids of my own I don't eat or let them have it either.
What's your favorite of the bunch here? I think I'd have to go for the Reese's Puffs. A chocolate and peanut butter muffin sounds pretty damn great.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Do you Goo?
Have you ever had candy goo? I've had a couple different varities a few times and I have to say I'm never overly impressed. Sure I like novelty as much as the next guy. And sure I can get behind a bag of candy blood at Halloween, but for everyday candy? I just don't think its a great way to eat your candy.
My local Walgreens has three different kinds of goo.
Ok, so I love the Monster Goo packaging! Does the goo glow in the dark?! I don't even care I want it. I don't care that its SUgar Free and only 5 calories... Its TOO TART! and So intense its SCARY! now thats serious stuff. And just look at their mascot. That dude is awesome. I want to party with some Monster Goo now.
And then here you've got the other way to go. Its wacky, its colorful, but its also something mom might really get you as opposed to Monster Goo. I've had the Hubba Bubba SqueezePop before and I have to say it could be worse. It has the consistency of hair gel, but some pretty strong flavors, and you can't eat too much at a time... well you probably could but its so strong you probably wont want to, so at least in my experience, it lasts well.
Hopefully we'll get some new goo in before Halloween. Let me know what kind of goo you've tried or seen lately. And have a gooey rest of the week!
My local Walgreens has three different kinds of goo.
Ok, so I love the Monster Goo packaging! Does the goo glow in the dark?! I don't even care I want it. I don't care that its SUgar Free and only 5 calories... Its TOO TART! and So intense its SCARY! now thats serious stuff. And just look at their mascot. That dude is awesome. I want to party with some Monster Goo now.
Hopefully we'll get some new goo in before Halloween. Let me know what kind of goo you've tried or seen lately. And have a gooey rest of the week!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Milk Duds - video review
Another reader request today. Here's a look at the classic milk chocolate and caramel candy Milk Duds.
meh. For more, please check out the written review, or all of our reviews on the Reviews Page.
meh. For more, please check out the written review, or all of our reviews on the Reviews Page.
Milk Duds review
Here we are once again... And once again based on a reader request we are looking at a specific candy, today its the classic Milk Duds.
Made with chocolate and caramel, I had the impression before getting these that they were probably the most boring candy ever, and now that I actually have a box of my very own I can't say my opinion has changed much.Sure I suppose I must've had these before but they made absolutely zero impression on me. They seem old. old and lame.
I think we can all figure out that "Milk" in Milk Duds comes from milk chocolate. But according to the wiki they are actually from the '20 when they didn't have the technology down to make properly round chocolate covered caramel balls, so these lopsided flattened "Duds" became the candy... so hey, thanks for the rejects.
Not to be down on these. but seriously, look at that packaging. Its totally plain. barren mustard yellow and brown. I am not impressed. I get this is a classic, but they could at least try to update the look a bit.
The candy itself is exactly what you'd expect, somewhat flattened chocolate lumps, that presumably coat a caramel filling. They've got a good size to them I'll give it that, but there's nothing too exciting here. And while I don't get these at the movies I'm sure they could be a pretty messy theater snack. You just know that chocolate is going to come off on your fingers.
Size wise they're sort of like another classic movie theater candy, Junior Mints. No squish to them though. And really no discernible smell.Maybe its a little chocolaty but not much. I did read that as of '08 these "chocolates" don't technically have any real chocolate in them, instead featuring a variety of vegetable oils that taste like chocolate, but I definitely see cocoa butter listed on the back of my box, so I'm not sure if the interwebs are wrong on that one, or I've just got like a .1% level of chocolate.
No matter, lets get into this.
Biting into this I'm not sure exactly what to expect, certainly not something too gooey, but not really this. Milk Duds are made of that hard 'toffee-like' caramel. its hard at first and then softens in your mouth. The kind of individually wrapped hard caramel candies you would get thrown into the bottom of a stocking at Christmas time... or say at the hairdresser... never someplace normal, just randomly and out of the blue. But while I'd consider those caramels a treat, this is more bland than sweet and a harder chew. Its got a bit of a sticky quality too, but I've seen much worse on that front.
Are Milk Duds bad? No. Are they good? No, not really. Are they interesting? Definitely not. Will I have them again? Nope. Should you try them? Well, if you've never had them before, sure why not... but don't expect anything too special.
Walking the Candy Aisle rates Milk Duds - 3 / 5
That's a mild 3 too. I'm not offended by these chocolates, but not impressed. There are far better candies on the market to occupy your time and money than this.
Milk Duds are a Hershey product, find out more about them at this link.
Made with chocolate and caramel, I had the impression before getting these that they were probably the most boring candy ever, and now that I actually have a box of my very own I can't say my opinion has changed much.Sure I suppose I must've had these before but they made absolutely zero impression on me. They seem old. old and lame.
I think we can all figure out that "Milk" in Milk Duds comes from milk chocolate. But according to the wiki they are actually from the '20 when they didn't have the technology down to make properly round chocolate covered caramel balls, so these lopsided flattened "Duds" became the candy... so hey, thanks for the rejects.
Not to be down on these. but seriously, look at that packaging. Its totally plain. barren mustard yellow and brown. I am not impressed. I get this is a classic, but they could at least try to update the look a bit.
The candy itself is exactly what you'd expect, somewhat flattened chocolate lumps, that presumably coat a caramel filling. They've got a good size to them I'll give it that, but there's nothing too exciting here. And while I don't get these at the movies I'm sure they could be a pretty messy theater snack. You just know that chocolate is going to come off on your fingers.
Size wise they're sort of like another classic movie theater candy, Junior Mints. No squish to them though. And really no discernible smell.Maybe its a little chocolaty but not much. I did read that as of '08 these "chocolates" don't technically have any real chocolate in them, instead featuring a variety of vegetable oils that taste like chocolate, but I definitely see cocoa butter listed on the back of my box, so I'm not sure if the interwebs are wrong on that one, or I've just got like a .1% level of chocolate.
No matter, lets get into this.
Biting into this I'm not sure exactly what to expect, certainly not something too gooey, but not really this. Milk Duds are made of that hard 'toffee-like' caramel. its hard at first and then softens in your mouth. The kind of individually wrapped hard caramel candies you would get thrown into the bottom of a stocking at Christmas time... or say at the hairdresser... never someplace normal, just randomly and out of the blue. But while I'd consider those caramels a treat, this is more bland than sweet and a harder chew. Its got a bit of a sticky quality too, but I've seen much worse on that front.
Are Milk Duds bad? No. Are they good? No, not really. Are they interesting? Definitely not. Will I have them again? Nope. Should you try them? Well, if you've never had them before, sure why not... but don't expect anything too special.
Walking the Candy Aisle rates Milk Duds - 3 / 5
That's a mild 3 too. I'm not offended by these chocolates, but not impressed. There are far better candies on the market to occupy your time and money than this.
Milk Duds are a Hershey product, find out more about them at this link.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
How about a Hawaiiian Punch?
When I was a kid I loved the Hawaiian Punch commercials. If you don't remember them the little hawiian punch mascot guy, Punchy would ask if you wanted a hawiian punch then when you said yes he would punch you. It always seemed so cool that random acts of violence were being used to sell kids a fruit drink :)
I'm glad to see that Hawaiian Punch brand is not forgotten. Brachs has a line of Hawaiian Punch jelly beans, and I'm glad of it.
And check out the flavor chart, that's some serious business. I think I'd go for Berry Blue Typhoon. its just fun!
I'm looking forward to having these soon. I hope the flavor punches me in the face...
I'm glad to see that Hawaiian Punch brand is not forgotten. Brachs has a line of Hawaiian Punch jelly beans, and I'm glad of it.
And check out the flavor chart, that's some serious business. I think I'd go for Berry Blue Typhoon. its just fun!
I'm looking forward to having these soon. I hope the flavor punches me in the face...
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Kool-Aid Memories
Oh how I love Kool-Aid...
For many years I've been a pop culture fanboy. And one of the things I've always really responded to is advertizing, especially 'pop' advertizing. The kind of advertizing that hits on that sweet spot of playful, fun, and cool geekery. Along with that came an appreciation for good design work. If you've watched my video reviews of candy then you know that I ALWAYS talk about the wrappers. That's because candy wrappers are important. They should convey what the potential buyer is about to get into, and if not maintaining a theme in the design, candy should always at least have a sense of what tone it wants us to take from it. If your wrapper isn't fun, then I don't expect the candy or the experience to be fun.
And that is one of the reasons I love Kool-Aid. The product hits
squarely into that sweet spot of pop advertizing, especially considering
the nostalgia I associate with the late 80s - early 90s Kool-Aid Man
commercials. They we're honestly a great example of creating a tone and
feel for a product. It clearly resonated with kids too, Kool-Aid was
massively popular back in the 80s.
Its unfortunate to see how far the product has fallen.... but I'd rather not dwell on that.
A few years ago I was reading one of my favorite blogs at the time X-Entertainment, and I came across his review for... I think it must have been Purplesaurus Rex, and I was hooked. Matt at X-E spent a time over a year or so reviewing a ton of Kool-Aid flavors. it was really a treat, and one of the first time I got a bit obsessive with a blog. In fact that is one of the reasons I started this very blog here.Kool-Aid is awesome. It has real power with kids, and I still love it to this day. One of the many things I love about Kool-Aid is the graphic design work. The packages and variations are very cool. I like the colors, and the evolving elements over time, but I especially love the Kool-Aid man himself. He graces most of the Kool-Aid packages and is possibly the best food mascot design ever.
So with that, lets have a look at my collection of Kool-Aid packets.
While these ones look old they are actally only from around 2009. I picked them up in Canada (hence the french). This shows off the current roster of flavors up in the great white north: Strawberry, Grape, Tropical Punch, Ice Blue, Cherry, Orange, Lemon-Lime, and Strawberry-Kiwi. At least this was the current roster the last time I was up there and checked. At least here in the States the market after 2010 has seen a steep decline in kool-aid variety. I will say about these packages though that I love the fact that right off the bat you know this is kool-aid. That face is all you need. Pretty impressive considering how the rest of their mascots body draws your attention. Oh Yeah!
Until a little while ago this was the roster of standard flavors available in the US. Grape, Tropical Punch, Black Cherry, Orange, Pink Lemonade, Cherry, Lemon- Lime, Lemonade, and Strawberry. These were, and are the standard packet designs you'll see around stores here. That said since around 2010 most stores seem to have switched and ONLY offer Tropical Punch, Lemonade, and Cherry. Sometimes if you're going for a larger size, say the tub of kool-aid, powder you'll find Grape or Ornage but mostly its just those very depressing three flavors. And I'm not saying Tropical Punch, Cherry, or Lemonade are bad, in fact they're all good. But my real favorites were always Black Cherry or STrawberry. Neither of which are readily available anymore :(
I definitely like elements of the design work on these packages though. Kool-aid man is in his dapper yellow coat, holding out your drink of choice. You get to check out some of the fruit above the logo, and it generally conveys what it should. I like how excited the kool-aid man is; he's actually spilling some of hismself outin his haste to serve you a tasty beverage. My only gripe is that I would love to see the Kool-aid man's body actually be the color of the flavor. Oh I know that was only saved for very special occasions in a few ads but I was always impressed to see them shake things up a bit.
Moving on, these ones above are some of the older packets I've got. just kool-aid man chilling out beside some gigantic fruits. I don;t understand why they wouldn't have put all that text on the back of the packaging, but they didn't and while what we're left with is a classic, it also features a pretty small version of the kool-aid man.
Now lets give it up for the Island Twists.
Gotta love that ja-fakin accent! Well I don't recall ever having those originals but these are the older Island Twists I've got in my collection.
Seriously these are some of the best creations known to man. I am a big fan of the Island Twists in general and I was happy to see so many different flavors out there for a time. Almost all of them are great, and everyone is totally drinkable. My favorite of the bunch is probably Slammin' Strawberry Kiwi, but Soaring Strawberry Lemonade, and even the innocuous Berry Blue are great.
And talk about your different packaging. This "Solar" Strawberry Starfruit is actually my absolute favorite kool-aid flavor that I own. I mean just look at it! THE KOOL-AID MAN IS IN A FRIGGIN SPACESUIT!!! how awesome is that? its amazing! yeah... just chilling out in space. leaning away against this awesome strawberry and starfruit asteroid. and is he standing on the earth?! wtf is going on here! greatest packaging ever. I will blast-off thank you very much.
btw - how many Americans have every even had a starfruit? especially in 1990???
Ok, so here's a look at some more modern Island Twists.Very busy packaging. I'm not sure why but I always expect the Soarin' Strawberry Lemonade to highlight the Strawberry. With the package being yellow like that I keep thinking its all lemon. The rainbows are a nice touch on all of the packages though. And I especially like the blue raspberries.
Did you know there's magic in the air...These two above are some more Kool-aid packets I picked up in Canada. The basic idea here is you get it and the powder is one color but it turns a different color once the water is added and its mixed. Then on top of that it might taste like a different flavor than its colored. David Blaine eat your heart out...
The Americans got in on the magic action as well with these two. Actually there were three in the line but I only ever found two. Both here and witht he Canadian ones you've also got a secret one. I Don't know about that though... what if your kid ends up hating the flavor?
For the life of me I can't remember what the actual flavor of this Switchin' Secret flavor is but I'm sure its awesome :)
Just wanted to take a break for another awesome ad. Sharkleberry, alongside Purplesarus Rex were possibly the coolest side characters you could ever have. Seeing them pal around with the Kool-Aid man was just awesome. Also one was a shark and the other a dinosaur. thats pretty awesome on its own. Still great company. ok back to the pics...
Kool-aid has taken more than a few twists and turns over the years. These Ice Cool branded ones are a good example of how the people behind kool-aid really did s good job innovating flavors. As far as I recall these were characterized by the addition of peppermint, making them "cool". I believe the lemon ice ones were far better than the arctic green apple but both were pretty fun. And the drinks were both colored clear, always a neat trick.
Here the kool-aid man has ditched the yellow jacket in favor of a lab coat. These are some seriously great graphics. Check out how excited he looks to be concocting these brews. I'm not sure how mad he really seems but I LOVE the lightning bolt through the logo.
Woah, very Jekyll and Hyde there in that ad. Pretty cool stuff :)
Just like the Ice Cool branded kool-aids, these invisibles share the clear liquid quality. Watermelon Kiwi is great and all, but this is really one of the only places I've ever seen to get straight Raspberry flavor kool-aid. Why they felt the need to go invisible on us with it is anyone's guess but I'm glad they did.
Finally I've got two random ones. The tangerine looks like ti could easily fit in wit hthe older style Island Twists, and I really like how they did the bordering on the packet. The Pineapple I believe is imported from Mexico. I'm a collector, but never to the point where I bought anything online, I found this Pineapple in a store myself just like all the rest. I like the Mexican packet design, if only because that is one seriously big glass of kool-aid in the background.
And here's the whole shebang, I stopped collecting sometime in 2010 after they officially discontinued the points program. Tha's a whole other topic that maybe I'll get into in another post though. Suffice it to say I was extremely bummed out that they stopped that, and now that kool-aid is down to only a few flavors tucked away shamefully underneath the Crystal Light its almost an embarrassment.
Think about how awesome kool-aid really was back in the day, a huge jug of kool-aid smashed through the wall shouting Oh Yeah! I mean that's pretty flippin amazing. And look at all these graphics! they are awesome. Oh I get it, I understand that people can't possibly intake that much sugar and feel ok with themselves anymore, it's a different world now. It just makes me sad... no more Sharkleberry Fin, no more Grape Houdini, no more Purplesarus Rex, no more Kool-Aid man. At least not for me.
In the end of course I still love Kool-Aid. I always will, but its a pale shadow of what it once was and that's sad. So instead of that, why not focus on the good. The joy that it brought to us all. Kool-Aid was a great brand. and even when I wasn't drinking it, it made me happy. That's a powerful brand, a powerful mascot. And for that I will always love and respect it.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews - video review
Today we've got a brand new candy under review for you, it's the Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews.
Yeah... not so great. For more on this please check in with the written review, or all of our reviews, not surprisingly over on the Reviews Page.
Yeah... not so great. For more on this please check in with the written review, or all of our reviews, not surprisingly over on the Reviews Page.
Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews review
Today's review comes via request, I'm having a look at the new Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews.
Since this blog is still a relatively new entity I haven't gotten too
many requests yet, but as always, I am definitely open to suggestions.
Please let me know if you want to see anything special here on the blog,
or on YouTube by dropping me a line at walkingthecandyaisle@gmail.com.
Just to peel back the curtain a little more for a quick minute as well, sometimes I do these reviews on the blog before doing the video reviews, sometimes afterwards, and sometimes concurrently. In this case I'm writing the blog after the fact but I've only just realized that I forgot to take any photos of the stupid stupid stupid packing debacle.... for more on that please reference the video. Did I say it was stupid? Ok, sidebar done.
One little preface before I get into the review properly, I have a real bias going in here. I am not, nor have I ever been a big fan of Jolly Rancher candies. I don't like the texture of their traditional hard candies. Its too hard, then breaks apart weirld in your mouth, oftentimes into dangerous shards, and is too damn sticky. Also it gets in your teeth in a super annoying way. I also don't like the flavors, they seem... artificial. They are certainly strong, but not in the same fruity way that Starburst or Skittles are. Jolly Rancher just totally taste wrong to me and always have. I know people love them but I am simply not one of those people. I honestly am trying to give these new Fruit CHews a fair shake, but I am not the target audience.
Ok, as for these Fruit Chews. To start with I am impressed. The packaging is great. I've always loved Jolly Rancher's sense of style. The art design from the ground up is great. Its got a logo that pops and is memorable, good strong colors, fun design. And I have to say in this specific case I love the cigarette style packaging. There's a tear strip on the back and then it opens exactly as a pack of smokes does. only inside its got a handful of individually wrapped fruit chews. I also am a fan of the fact that these are individually wrapped candies. I much prefer something like this that I can share, or eat slowly than your average theater candy box full of loose open candy.
I am disappointing in the mix though.Fruit chews come in four flavors: Cherry, Watermelon, Green Apple, and Blue Raspberry. In my box however I only got one Watermelon, and one Blue Raspberry. Whats up with that?! Even though I think its lame I can kind of forgive a 100 flavor bag of Jelly Bellies for being a bit short on its flavor mix, but this is pretty inexcusable. Getting a good mix should be easy here.
Ok, onto its candy time.... If I an get it open. Sure some of them seem to open alright, but my god, WTF happened in the video review? If you haven't watched it, you probably should, Of the three Fruit Chews I've eaten in my life, and yes just to let you know I've only ever had three. 2 for the video review and then one for this review, I had a hell of a time getting two of the packages off. A hell of a time. The fact that two out of three gave me trouble is pretty distressing. These should have been fine... Bad job Jolly Rancher.
As for the candy once you do get it open, well it's pretty much what you'd expect. its kind of like a big piece of Hubba Bubba gum. Only big a day glow green. The texture is tacky and only a little pliable. When you bite into it though you understand why. This is one of those candies that starts harder and then quickly goes soft in your mouth. What else it does though is get sticky pretty much right away. This candy will get stuck in your teeth. Badly. That is annoying.
The flavors as well are very intense in a familiar Jolly Rancher way. If you like the classic Jolly Rancher flavors, then you are in luck, the Fruit Chew definitely captures that spirit. But to me as I said above, thats always been too intense, in a way that i don't like. Its frankly hard to articulate why I'm really not feeling this candy, but suffice it to say I am not.
Are you the kind of person that likes Jolly Rancher usually? If you are then I think you'll like these new Fruit Chews. I'll give that I do prefer these to the regular Jolly Rancher candy, but not by much. Its not that its terrible, its just totally not for me and I know it. I am going to pass on these and unless you are a real Jolly Rancher fan I think you should too.
Walking the Candy Aisle rates Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews - 2 / 5
Jolly Rancher are made by Hershey's. For more on them please check out http://www.hersheys.com/jolly-rancher.aspx/ Also note that these fruit chews come in a Tropical variety, and they also just launched the Crunch 'N Chew line alongside these Fruit Chews. If you like these then they may be of interest to you :) Stay tuned for next time when hopefully I'll find something I like a bit more...
Just to peel back the curtain a little more for a quick minute as well, sometimes I do these reviews on the blog before doing the video reviews, sometimes afterwards, and sometimes concurrently. In this case I'm writing the blog after the fact but I've only just realized that I forgot to take any photos of the stupid stupid stupid packing debacle.... for more on that please reference the video. Did I say it was stupid? Ok, sidebar done.
One little preface before I get into the review properly, I have a real bias going in here. I am not, nor have I ever been a big fan of Jolly Rancher candies. I don't like the texture of their traditional hard candies. Its too hard, then breaks apart weirld in your mouth, oftentimes into dangerous shards, and is too damn sticky. Also it gets in your teeth in a super annoying way. I also don't like the flavors, they seem... artificial. They are certainly strong, but not in the same fruity way that Starburst or Skittles are. Jolly Rancher just totally taste wrong to me and always have. I know people love them but I am simply not one of those people. I honestly am trying to give these new Fruit CHews a fair shake, but I am not the target audience.
Ok, as for these Fruit Chews. To start with I am impressed. The packaging is great. I've always loved Jolly Rancher's sense of style. The art design from the ground up is great. Its got a logo that pops and is memorable, good strong colors, fun design. And I have to say in this specific case I love the cigarette style packaging. There's a tear strip on the back and then it opens exactly as a pack of smokes does. only inside its got a handful of individually wrapped fruit chews. I also am a fan of the fact that these are individually wrapped candies. I much prefer something like this that I can share, or eat slowly than your average theater candy box full of loose open candy.I am disappointing in the mix though.Fruit chews come in four flavors: Cherry, Watermelon, Green Apple, and Blue Raspberry. In my box however I only got one Watermelon, and one Blue Raspberry. Whats up with that?! Even though I think its lame I can kind of forgive a 100 flavor bag of Jelly Bellies for being a bit short on its flavor mix, but this is pretty inexcusable. Getting a good mix should be easy here.
Ok, onto its candy time.... If I an get it open. Sure some of them seem to open alright, but my god, WTF happened in the video review? If you haven't watched it, you probably should, Of the three Fruit Chews I've eaten in my life, and yes just to let you know I've only ever had three. 2 for the video review and then one for this review, I had a hell of a time getting two of the packages off. A hell of a time. The fact that two out of three gave me trouble is pretty distressing. These should have been fine... Bad job Jolly Rancher.
As for the candy once you do get it open, well it's pretty much what you'd expect. its kind of like a big piece of Hubba Bubba gum. Only big a day glow green. The texture is tacky and only a little pliable. When you bite into it though you understand why. This is one of those candies that starts harder and then quickly goes soft in your mouth. What else it does though is get sticky pretty much right away. This candy will get stuck in your teeth. Badly. That is annoying.The flavors as well are very intense in a familiar Jolly Rancher way. If you like the classic Jolly Rancher flavors, then you are in luck, the Fruit Chew definitely captures that spirit. But to me as I said above, thats always been too intense, in a way that i don't like. Its frankly hard to articulate why I'm really not feeling this candy, but suffice it to say I am not.
Are you the kind of person that likes Jolly Rancher usually? If you are then I think you'll like these new Fruit Chews. I'll give that I do prefer these to the regular Jolly Rancher candy, but not by much. Its not that its terrible, its just totally not for me and I know it. I am going to pass on these and unless you are a real Jolly Rancher fan I think you should too.
Walking the Candy Aisle rates Jolly Rancher Fruit Chews - 2 / 5
Jolly Rancher are made by Hershey's. For more on them please check out http://www.hersheys.com/jolly-rancher.aspx/ Also note that these fruit chews come in a Tropical variety, and they also just launched the Crunch 'N Chew line alongside these Fruit Chews. If you like these then they may be of interest to you :) Stay tuned for next time when hopefully I'll find something I like a bit more...
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