In my last post I wrote about Tubi’s Black Tire Tread, and I’m happy to inform you that Tubi makes a Tire Tread Red too. I didn’t know of the red variety for some time, and it wasn’t until I discovered it at a rest stop on the way home to my parent’s place. My boyfriend is the one who I pointed it out to, and since he loves good red licorice, we decided to try it. We immediately loved it and wished we had bought more.

The Red is made the same way as the Black, of a row of ribbons, piled three layers high and cut into squares.

The red flavor has the same wet, thick, chewy texture. The flavor is indeed “red” but I mean that in the best way possible. It’s sweet, and has nice notes of berries, mainly strawberry and cherry. It’s very juicy, with an edge of tartness.

This is a very well crafted and well flavored red licorice. It really tastes of something, as opposed to the likes of Twizzlers and most other main stream licorice chews. I like my candy to taste like

Rating: Hoard

Tubi’s Tire Tread Black Licorice is something I discovered back at the All Candy Expo, now the Sweets and Snacks Expo, back in 2007. I was immediately smitten and I now scoop the stuff up whenever I see it, which sadly isn’t very often.

First off, the name is very descriptive of the candy itself, and you have to look at it to figure it out. The licorice is made of little laces, which are lined up in rows to make a big ribbon. These ribbons are stacked three high and then cut into squares. They do look a lot like tire treads, with their black color and texture due to the ribbons stacks. It also provides a fun way to dissect the candy when you consume it. It’s very interactive and fun.

The licorice slice is very slick and thick. The chew is very dense and soft and the flavor is very rich of molasses and licorice. It has very rich sweet notes, with a very sweet aftertaste and herbal flavor to it. The taste is so lovely, I could eat it all day.

I highly recommend these if you’re a black licorice lover, or if you’re looking to try some awesome black licorice to see if it’s something you’d like. You really can’t go wrong with Tubi’s as far as I’m concerned.

Rating: Hoard

I was totally excited to hear Panda was coming out with a nice Cherry Licorice flavor. I love Panda’s licorice flavors, and aside from the standard black licorice, their discontinued Strawberry is sorely missed within my candy repertoire. So here’s a new red licorice that could possibly take the place of the strawberry? Sign me up.

I love the packaging design. The licorice comes in a resealable 6 oz bag, which as the iconic Panda illustration on it, along with a clear image of the licorice and red cherries. It’s really a pleasing design.

The first thing that told me right away that this cherry licorice is different from all the other kinda I’ve had before is the ingredients list: Molasses, Wheat Flour, Cherry Puree, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Licorice Extract.  See that? Cherry puree! None of those wonky medicinal tasting artificial flavors. This is the real stuff.

The pieces are a deep maroon color with a sticky texture to them. I feel a film on my hands when I handle them, but part of that could be the humidity. They’re about an inch long and have that star cross section pattern to them. The pieces smell starchy with a hint of black cherry.

The texture is surprisingly thick and chewy. They dissolve after maybe 20 chews, which is a lot longer than what I was expecting. The flavor is wonderful, way more intense than I expected. It has that iconic black cherry flavor to it, not that fake “red” flavor you get with most licorice. It’s oddly moist and the chew isn’t sticky at all. Really lovely.

If you’re into red licorice, you must try this stuff. It’s awesome. My boyfriend loves it and has since polished off the bag. Try some of this and never look back at Twizzlers, I’m serious.

Rating: Will Buy Again

I admit, I’m a sucker for Starburst candies. Something about their chewiness and their intensely juicy flavors gets me every time. I’d choose them over fruit gummies any day as a kid, and that pretty much applied today as well. So when I saw this new roll of “Summer Fun Fruits”, I had to give them a shot!

Kiwi banana: The flavor is punchy with a big hit of kiwi banana right away. The kiwi is more sweet start and come forward first, and the banana is more subtle with it’s starchy sweetness and supports the bright kiwi flavor. It’s lovely.

Lemon-limeade: This starts our sweet with a lemony flavor that is fresh, juicy and zesty. The lime is more of an accent, it lends a bitter edge to the lemon which reminds me of key lime. there’s no hint of floor cleaner here, which is typical of some lime flavors, which makes me happy. It’s a wonderful flavor, and I loved it more than I thought I would. It’s yummy.

Cherry splash (tm): Not sure how this is going to be different from the normal cherry flavor in the other Starburst roll. Popping it into my mouth, I find out. This flavor is more…black cherry, than cherry. It still has that sharp fruitiness to it with a tart edge and that bitter red flavor to it, but this one is somehow more juicy and “real” than the other flavor. It’s very good.

Strawberry watermelon: I first taste the watermelon which is less artificial than I anticipated. The strawberry lends a bubblegum flavor to it, so the watermelon flavor tastes more authentic and sweet. It’s lacking that tart “Jolly Rancher” edge to it, and it’s most welcome that way. This is delightful with its flavors that are more sweet and delicate.

Usually when new set of flavors are released I’m pretty underwhelmed by them. That is not the case with these, I really enjoyed this roll of flavors. If you’re a fan of fruit chews, I recommend them.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Starburst Website

Goetze’s is a company who’s caramel cream candies have always have a place with my sweet tooth. As a kid I would frequently choose one of their Cow Tail candies, as a treat. If you’ve never seen one, it’s like their traditional caramel creme, with the caramel chew on the outside and the creme filling, but in a slender, straw-like shape. It was great for long car rides.

Anyways, while I was at the All Candy Expo back in 2007, I tried these Strawberri Creme’s for the first time. I was impressed to say the least and sad to hear it was their least popular flavor. Which confused me since I really, really liked it. Since then I hadn’t seen it in stores at all. That is, until now.

The texture is wonderfully chewy with the center melting as soon as it hits your tongue. The texture is soft and thick and the chew is wonderful, as it doesn’t last too long to make your jaw hut, or dissolves too quickly.

The flavor is strongly of strawberry. I do get that same “flour” like flavor with this one as the original caramel creme, but it’s accented with a wonderful note of bright red berry flavor. The center is just sweet, and adds a wonderful creaminess to the candy. It’s simple, yet to the point. The berry flavor isn’t too artificial and the chewy exterior delivers the flavor and texture well.

I was pleased with it as much as I was when I first tried it a few years ago. I’m going to get my hands on another bag and I don’t see this around too much, and I want some on hand for when a craving strikes.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Goetze’s Website