Wrigley
The Lifesavers jelly beans are one of the flavors I looked forward to trying the most. Unlike Jolly Ranchers and SweeTarts, I’m actually a big fan of Lifesavers, ever since I’m a little kid. I ate every flavor in the roll when I was treated to one, even the green one that most people would try and trade away for another flavor. This was back in the day when the Five Flavor roll consisted of cherry, lemon, orange, pineapple and lime. Ah, those were the days.
There’s a large flavor variety of flavors in this one bag, eight to be exact. I like the fact that there’s lots to choose from, but at the same time, I feel a little overwhelmed. I think it’s funny how there’s flavors included in this mix that you can’t find in the normal Lifesavers hard candies, like the Peach. I could be mistaken though, as it’s been a bit since I last examined the rolls in the checkout lane in the supermarket.
The beans are a nice shape and are very bright and colorful. They are very glossy, and therefore I find them very attractive.
Strawberry (pink): very tart, fruity and jammy. It’s very syrupy sweet and really reads as a “pink” flavor.
Apple (green): Right away this flavor is very sour and zesty with strong apple flavors. It tastes like a tart apple cider with a slight artificial edge to it.
Peach (light orange): This flavor is very perfumey and juicy. It has an intense, and surprisingly authentic flavor.
Grape: The flavor is mild, but comes across as very rich, deep and jammy flavors. My thoughts immediately run to concord grape jelly.
Pineapple: This is like the real Lifesaver with a very authentic pineapple flavor combined with a good tartness.
Cherry: So loyal to the cherry Lifesaver, it’s incredible. Tart, fruity with a very acute fake metallic flavor.
Orange: Also very faithful to the Lifesaver candy, this is so bright and juicy. I love it! The flavor is so zesty I want to call it Tangerine as opposed to orange.
Lemon: So zesty, sweet and flavorful of juicy fresh lemons. Wowoza. This is what all lemon candy should taste like.
I really, really enjoyed these. I liked the ability to get some of my favorite Lifesavers flavors in a new texture. It’s exciting and makes me fall in love with Lifesavers and jelly beans all over again.
Rating: Will Eat Again
Links Lifesavers Website (Candystand)
Since I went out and found the regular Lifesaver Gummi Sours, naturally I came across the Wild Berry Sours Mix. I already went and explained them yesterday, so I won’t repeat myself. Let’s just cut to the tasting, shall we?
This mix was a little hard to pick out the flavors, are they’re either red, purple or white. From the listing on the front, three are the red color, two black and only leaves white grape as the light yellow colored one. I finally, under a bright light, was able to pick out subtle variations on the color enough to guess at the flavors.
Cherry Berry (darkest red): This is just like the cherry Lifesaver. Heavy on the floral and fruity notes with a thick, syrupy taste.
Red Raspberry (red): I think this is the raspberry? The flavor is just red, I get no special fruity, floral, sweet notes at all to make a distinction. It was tasty nevertheless.
Strawberry (light red): Hmm, this does taste berry-like. Has some slight floral notes, but again, just tastes “red”. There were moments where I was sure this was strawberry and moments where I thought I was mistaken and this was the red raspberry. I’ve since given up trying to decide.
Black Raspberry (dark purple): This one had a very deep, but mild berry taste to it. It’s mainly just tart. It was different from the blackberry just by being more fruity and less intense.
Blackberry (mauve): It tastes like blueberry, which to me, is berry flavors with a strong, sweet, floral jasmine note to it. It’s very refreshing and works well with the tartness.
White Grape: My favorite. It really tastes of white grapes which are light, a little tart and have a lime/wine like flavor to it. Really unique and beautifully executed.
I liked these better than the regular Sours mix, but they still leave something to be desired in my mind and palate. If I want sour gummis I’ll go for Sour Patch and if I want Lifesavers I’ll go for the hard candy roll.
Rating: Might Eat Again
Links:
Lifesavers Website (Candystand)
I remember when the Lifesaver gummis were first introduced into the candy world sometime when I was still in school (around the early 1990s in case you’re interested). The had a very sassy ad campaign with the new Lifesaver gummis dancing in a very colorful nightclub. Or should I say Gummisavers? This was also about the same time as Lifesavers Holes were on the market. I kinda wish those survived over the gummis, but I digress….
These are the sour variety of the Lifesavers Gummi line, which is made up of the new set of the “Five Flavors”. This one comes in one of those grab bags, as opposed to the roll you normally see in the checkout counter. I like the design of it, it’s very eye-catching and enticing.
Tangy Cherry (red): Very cherry and reminds me of the Lifesaver right away. It has that bright, syrupy taste and the following sweetness all paired with the sourness of the granular sugar coating.
Tangerine (orange): Immediately reminds me of the orange Lifesaver. Very citrusy with a hint of lemon in it so it’s a little more zesty than the standard orange flavor. The sourness pairs perfectly and it tastes terribly juicy. It even leaves that slight sour numbness in the mouth afterward. Easily Best of the bunch.
Watermelon (green): The most sour and artificial of the bunch. It’s that Jolly Rancher flavor, all the way. What more do I need to say?
Strawberry (pinkish red): A little lighter in color than the cherry and it’s hardly noticeable at first. It’s odd because it tastes more general “berry” to me than strawberry. It’s very fruity with a well balanced sweet/sour.
Black Raspberry (purple): Starts off sweet and gradually turns a little tart, like a real blackberry. I get more “juicy” berry flavors than “floral” ones, but it tastes very authentic with a deep sweet blackberry essence.
I like these, I felt they improved on the flavor of the regular Lifesavers Gummis which always came across as bland to me. I look forward to trying out the other kinds now.
Rating:Might Eat Again
Links:
Lifesavers Website (Candystand)
Musk? Musk? What exactly is musk? And why is it a Lifesavers flavor? When I think about the word “musk” things like old houses, grandmas, skunks and deodorant come to mind. Not something edible, and certainly not something tasty. So what does such a candy exist? Is it some sort of cruel joke?
Obviously, I have many questions in regard to these odd Lifesavers from Australia. That was reason enough for me to buy them. I had to taste what “musk” was for myself. Surely, there must be something redeeming about it, otherwise, why bother producing it? Granted, candies like circus peanuts, spice drops, NECCO wafers and spearmint leaves still exist yet no one really seems to eat them. Musk Lifesavers seem to fall outside that mysterious circle, since not only did Wrigley’s manufacture them, but some company imported them as well. I’m now curious to see what the demand for musk is here in the United States.
Opening the roll and taking out my first ring, I notice right away that these are compressed dextrose and not hard candy like traditional Lifesavers are. Interesting. They are pale pink in color, speckles with darker pink spots which is oddly pretty to look at. They smell floral, but that’s all I can get before needing to taste one.
Oh, and how do they taste? The flavor is like how the hand soap from country bed & breakfasts smell. I detect lavender, rose and a sweetness that’s similar to bubblegum. It’s odd at first, but by the time I got to my third one, I started to find them somewhat addicting.
To make sure I wasn’t going crazy, I shared a few with friends who were willing enough to try them. Those who did were pleasantly surprised, and admitted to finding them strange, yet tasty.
The best way to describe it is they must be like black licorice: sort of an acquired taste that you either love of you hate.
Rating: Will Eat Again
I’m not a big gum chewer. I don’t know what it is about the stuff: the excessive chewing, the transient flavor, or the lack of swallowing. There’s just something about gum that doesn’t sit right with me. I’m not even that interested the potential breath freshening that so many chew gum for in the first place. I’d rather have a mint.
I cannot really explain why I picked these up. Morbid curiosity perhaps? I can’t remember the shopping trip in detail, as it easily could have been an act of desperation since I didn’t find anything in the candy aisle that was new. Looking at the boxes once I was at home, I felt better about my purchase. With words such as “New!” and “Sensations” written on it, how bad could it be? Artificial sweeteners aside, the design coaxed me into thinking I’d actually enjoy this gum.
The packages are set up unlike any gum I’ve had before (even though that doesn’t say much). The flap opens at the top and folds nicely inwards, revealing the rows of full sized sticks of gum. They’re immediately fragrant, just begging to be chewed.
Strawberry Banana: Very powerful on the banana end with the tell tale starchy sweetness. The strawberry is fresh and adds a nice tart berry edge.
Berry Paradise: I was pleased by how flavorful this was. I got strong notes of pear and blackberries and enjoyed how distinguishable they were.
Sweet Watermelon: Wow, this flavor is so juicy! It has that standard artificial watermelon flavor with those odd tangy floral flavors, but it’s mellowed by the rush of saliva that the chewing creates.
I liked the watermelon best out of the three even though the flavor isn’t unique to the Fruit Sensations line, which is usually a big selling point for me. The flavors lasted a decent length of time in my mouth, so I felt satisfied in that regard. Still, as nice as the flavors were, something about this still doesn’t catch me. I feel I am forever doomed in regard to gum appreciation, so I encourage those of you who do love the stuff, these are worth giving a try.
Rating: Not Worth It
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