Wrigley
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, which I’m sure comes as no surprise as I run a candy blog. It’s not just the candy however. I love the costumes, the foliage (which I sadly miss out on now that I live in LA), the pumpkins, the stories….I could go on and on! So knowing October was just around the corner, I took a trip to Target to see what candy they had in for the season. I found a few things, one of them was these cute Lifesavers Gummis Spooky Shapes!
It has a fun Halloween styled package, using ooze green and purple color scheme what has gotten popular along with traditional orange and black. In the corner is Frankenstein, Dracula and the Mummy holding trick-or-treat bags. All smiling. Kinda creepy. The box has a strange triangular opening in the back where you pull out the sealed plastic bag that keeps the gummis fresh and safe.
The aroma of the gummis is unmistakeable. They’re Lifesavers all right. It’s the smell I remember from when I was a kid. It’s fruit punchy with a strong hint of cherry. The shapes are cute: smiling jack-o-lanterns, witch heads, black cats, ghosts.
The red flavor is the exact same as the red Lifesaver. It’s cherry, with a strong fruity flavor and a very heavy metallic edge to it from the food coloring. It’s somewhat bitter but full of nostalgia.
Light purple is berry. It starts off tasting like grape, but a floral sweetness takes over which reminds me more of raspberries and strawberries.
Green is bland at first, then the bright, somewhat tart flavors of green apple kick through. It’s tangy and apply, in the Jolly Rancher sort of way.
These gummis just reminded me how much I miss the 5 flavor Lifesavers from my youth: lemon, lime, orange, pineapple and cherry. Nostalgia aside, I liked these flavors and the came across as fun and the shapes were certainly in the spirit of Halloween. The jack-o-lantern one is my favorite!
Rating: Will Eat Again
Links Lifesavers Website
I often have a love/hate relationship with gummis. It really boils down to the fact that I’m really picky about them. My main complains come down to the fact that the texture often isn’t chewy enough to my liking and the flavors are too similar and bland for me to really enjoy them. There’s some that I do return to as they’re better than most, but often I find I am disappointed with gummi candy.
That being said, I’m a big fan of Lifesavers and I remember vividly the commercials in the early 1990’s when the first Lifesavers gummis were released on the market. I begged my parents to let me try them, and when they finally caved in and let me have them, I felt underwhelmed by the flavors. I was big into eating the rolls of the hard candy versions back then, and the flavor in the gummis were no where near a strong. I finished my package and never asked my parents for them again.
Lifesavers recently came out with a new flavor package for their gummis: Island Fruits. I’ve seen them around in two forms: one is a big bag like theo ne pictures above, and another in a single serving roll. The package is very fun and eye-catching, so it’s not a hard one to miss. Not being one to let past experiences to dictate my opinions, I knew it was time to give these another go.
The gummis themselves are adorable. They look like pneumatic Lifesavers, and in the roll they stand upright in a section tray. They’re bouncy and squishy to the touch and I couldn’t help but play with them in my hands before taking my first bite.
The texture is a very nice gummi: chewy, with a good structure so it doesn’t immediately dissolve in my mouth. They come off as very fresh and satisfying.
Strawberry Kiwi: red/pink: Light and sweet and immediately tastes of sweet, fake strawberry. Just like those fruit snacks you ate as a kid. The kiwi flavor shows up as a tart note towards the finish of the flavor.
Mango Melon: orange: Beautifully fruity, floral and of cantaloupe right away. I’m not sure of the mango part, but I’d say this is the best of the bunch. It’s punchy, yet not overpowering and the flavor is refreshing and real.
Fruit Punch: dark red: Starts off very fruity, then gets that slightly bitter and floral taste of Hawaiian Punch. It’s like your mom tried to hide your cough syrup in your morning orange juice. It’s tasty, yet strange as artificial punch flavors always are.
Pineapple: Yellow: Light and sweet, this flavor is very muted and mildly juicy. It doesn’t have that flavor explosion I expect with Lifesavers flavors, but it’s very authentic with nice sweet/tart notes.
I was impressed with these and my early childhood experiences with these are now replaced with this tasty experience. I shared these with my boyfriend who raved about them. He especially loved the Fruit Punch one.
Rating: Will Eat Again
Links Lifesaver’s Website (Candystand)
Last year Extra came out with a new line of “Fruit Sensations” gum, which toted smoother, more intensely fruity, and longer lasting flavor. I reviewed a few of the kinds here on TCE, and I was pleasantly surprised with them. I’m pretty picky when it comes to gum, so it has to be really good for me to enjoy it.
Recently Extra came out with a pair of new Smoothie flavors to the Fruit Sensations line: Mango and Berry. Considering I liked the originals so much, I wanted to give them a try since I felt a needed some fresh new flavors to my infrequent gum-chewing lineup.
Mango Smoothie: In a bright orange box, with images of mangoes and a strawberries. The inside flap of the package have sayings on them, and this one says the flavor lasts longer than it “takes to think of 30 new ways to use a straw”. Part of me wants to test them on that, but I guess it depends on how smart you are?
The gum itself is light orange in color. The chew is immediately thick, chewy and smooth. The flavor is…oddly creamy. There’s a nice milkyness to it. The taste is sweet and extremely fruity: lots of peachy and mango yet it lacks the tang I associate with mangoes. I do get a hint of berries in there, hard to say if it’s strawberry like the package image suggests, but it’s very tasty and I enjoyed chewing it for as long as I could. Which was until my jaw started to hurt. The gum also has a light, perfumey aftertaste to it.
Berry Smoothie: A pretty purple package with blueberries and blackberries on it. The gum smells strongly like tart raspberries and is light mauve in color. It immediately tastes like berries. I get the sweetness of blackberries, the deep sweetness of blueberries and the fruity flavors of raspberries. It’s lovely. It’s also got that unexpected milky edge to it like the mango one, so it comes off and very creamy and smooth. Again, the flavor lasts a terribly long time and I had to quit chewing before the flavor petered out.
I liked these flavors, and I can add these to my list of gum I actually enjoy. I recommend them if you need something new to add to your gum chewing repertoire.
Rating: Will Eat Again
Links Extra Gum Webpage
Altoids Mints, the ones we all know as “Curiously Strong” have a line of “Smalls” mints. They keep to the same format at the regular mints, as you still get that cute tin and the promise of a powerful flavor experience. The idea is that they’re made for situations when space is an issue, which I appreciate because I’m a sucker for convenience.
These particular Altoids Smalls are the two new Sugar Free varieties, which come in both Wintergreen and Cinnamon. Lucky for me, these are my two favorite “breath freshener” flavors. Peppermint and Spearmint tent to be too strong and herbal for my tastes. Each tin hold 50 mints, so they should last me a long time. Especially since I use mints more to make my mouth taste better than to eat them because I enjoy the flavor. Some may argue that doesn’t make them candy, but like gum, I feel they’re a food item that crosses into many genres.
Wintergreen: Opening the tin I see it full of little blue square tablets, each have a capital letter A on them. The mints have no aroma to them, which I find surprising since I’m used to Altoids being very pungent. The flavor is very fresh and full of wintergreen. It does freshen my breath and feels nice in my mouth. it ‘s a very cooling feeling, and I do get that nice minty burn. The tablet isn’t too hard, I can easily crush it in my teeth if I feel like it. Which I often do.
Cinnamon: These tablets are the same format as the wintergreen, expect these are pink and smell very strong and spicy. These immediately have that strong, fiery burn of hot cinnamon, but it has a sweetness to it which makes it a little more bearable than say, red hots. It gives a nice warm feeling on my tongue, and thankfully never gets too intense for me. They’re tasty and also leave my mouth feeling fresh. The texture is the same, and you get a very strong burn when you chew them.
I liked these a lot. They deliver that fun Altoids flavor while not becoming overpowering like I sometimes find the regular mints. The small tin is cute and convenient and are easily stashed in my purse. I plan to keep these on hand as I find popping a few of these more suited to my liking than chewing a piece of gum when I need nice breath in a pinch.
Rating: Will Buy Again
Links Altoids Website
I have to admit that I don’t experiment as much with gum that I feel I should. It’s one of my candy Achilles’ Heels, as so to speak. I’ve never been a big gum chewer, but I have found myself reaching for it more often as of late. I don’t necessarily chew it for the pure enjoyment of it, but rather as a distraction when I’m battling a craving or I just need to have something to move around in my mouth. There’s a few people out there who’d argue that gum is not even candy, as the lines of the definition are often blurred. I don’t eat gum or seek it out like I would a good candy bar, true, but I do chew it because it tastes good. Which is really whole point when you get to the core of it, right?
There’s a few concrete things I feel make up a good pack of gum. Firstly, it needs to taste good and have a strong flavor. Secondly, it needs to have that flavor that lasts a long time. A stick that will peter out in 5-30 minutes is not good enough for me. Because of this, I have been working my way through all the different varieties in the store trying the find the one that will work for me. I do realize that my requirements are little in the grand scheme of things as gums now tote many cool advantages like more unique flavors, teeth and gum protection, and vitamins. Still, I had only a handful of varieties I’d return to, and I’ve gotten bored with my choices.
Then I noticed Orbit Mist.
This is the newest members of the Orbits line. What’s different with this variety is the addition of “micro-bursts (tm)” that are described on the front of the packages. I read that as fancy terms for extra pockets of flavor and deliciousness. But that’s just me. The flavors range from the classic Peppermint Spray to the fruity favorite of Watermelon Spring, and finally to the new kid on the block: Mango Surf.
The package design is very attractive. The blue color is cool and refreshing feeling, which is enhanced by a slightly metallic sheen. The packages open to reveal a the sticks wrapped in colorful paper, all lines up in neat little rows. I feel oddly stylish opening these packets to take out a piece to chew.
The texture with all of these is pretty standard and a big draw for me. the gum doesn’t start soft like most brands do. Instead, these are a little hard, almost like a Chiclet but without the candy shell, and they gradually get softer as you chew on them.
Peppermint Spray: A cool, light blue color with intense specks of cerulean. The flavor is immediately a burst of sweet peppermint in my mouth. Usually I dislike it when flavors are too punchy in gum, but this works beautifully as the flavor doesn’t hit you all at once right away. Instead it slowly stays in your mouth and seeps onto your taste buds as you chew. I chewed a piece of this for a good to hours and was still getting flavor from it. I’m impressed to say the least.
Watermelon Mist: The stick is lightly green with pretty flecks of pink in it. The flavor is very melon, thankfully not horribly fake like all the variations on the Jolly Rancher watermelon flavor out there. This is much smoother, sweeter and more mellow. I taste hints of cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew with a dash of peach in there.
Mango Surf: Pale yellow colored with red spots. Immediately it tastes tropical and ever so juicy. Strong notes of mango, peach and passion fruit flood my mouth. It’s sweet, but like a real mango has a tart edge to it that makes the gum so much more dramatic to taste. As hesitant I am around mango flavored candy, this one totally won me over.
These new flavors leave me wanting to be a more avid gum chewer. The flavors are interesting and tasty, but the staying power they have in my mouth is just incredible and what really wins me over. I haven’t gotten a stick of gum to stay so fresh in my mouth for so long, so I can’t but recommend you try them based on that trait alone.
Rating: Will Buy Again
Links Orbit Webpage
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