Minty
Tic Tacs are a candy that I don’t eat too terribly often. They’re both candy and mints (and you can argue that all mints are candy), so they hybrid nature of these candies always left me confused. If I wanted a candy I’d go after something like Starburst. If I wanted mints I’d look for something intense and minty like drop or gum. So poor Tic Tac is left in the strange purgatory for me. I like them, I really do, but I never find myself buying them. Until this month, where I saw this adorable holiday themed box of Tic Tacs.
The box is so festive with a blue label that has a happy snowman on it and is accented with pretty white snoflakes. The candies themselves are a bright red and green. So even if you are not a big candy eater (if so why are you here?) and yet want to have a festive sweet, these fit the bill.
The red cherry flavor is very metallic and perfumey at first. Its only until I have sucked on it for a few moments where the sweeter, more rounded flavors coeme forward. Somewthing about this tastes very herbal to me, and I can’t wuite lay my fingre on it. I get those fruit flavors, but it’s partly ruined by a strong hit of cough syrup every now and again. Only when I started chewing the Tic Tac did I get more “juicy” fruit flavors.
The green one’s flavor is very mild to start. It’s light, juicy and very floral and reminds me of more guava and topical flowers than it does apple. The flavor reminds very sweet and mild, with it’s light fruity notes. I like it, as it really doesn’t read as apple to my tastebuds. Tasty!
So I really only found the green half of these Tic Tacs to my liking. Which is ok, you can’t be perfect every time. I prefer to traditional orange flavor the most so far, but I plan on trying more Tic Tacs to see if any other flavors rival that. These are so cute, and if you’re a fan of Tic Tacs I encourage you to give these a go. Just because I didn’t like them doesn’t mean you will! That’s the beauty of candy.
Rating: Might Eat Again
Links Tic Tac Website
Tootsie Pop Drops are a candy I really enjoy and definitely don’t buy enough. I spotted these Candy Cane Tootsie Pop Drops in Target and eagerly snatched them up. Holiday candies are so much fun! I was excited to see these since Tootsie came out with the peppermint Tootsie Pops a few yard ago, and those were really awesome. I haven’t seen them recently, nor have I really looked for them either, but I have hoped they’d bring them back since they were a wonderful flavor combination. So seeing these Candy Cane Tootsie Pop Drops made my little candy heart happy. It’s good to see something you feel is classic on the candy shelves.
The box is pretty with a nice red/green color motif with images of candy canes and the actual Tootsie. The background to the box is pink, which I find to be an odd color choice, but I will admit that it really works well with the holiday motif of this package. They have a beautiful illustration of the candies in the bottom corner that I find appealing, and after seeing the candy firsthand, I feel they’re an accurate depiction of them. The box has a foil package on the inside that keeps the candies safe. I was happy to see them taking this extra step in making sure these drops are well protected from moisture and brute force.
The candy candy drops are adorable. They’re about the size of a nickel and are around 1/2 inch tall. They’re white with beautiful red stripes on them, and no two look a like. Th candies are well protected too, most were pristine and there wasn’t too much “dust” in the foil packet from candy damage.
The flavor is exactly like a candy cane. Fresh and full of that intense peppermint flavor. The shape s very pleasing in your mouth. After sucking on them for a bit, or if you’re me you swish it around in your mouth because candies like this are fun) you get it to soften and eventually break so you can get the tootsie interior. The Tootise inside is soft, chewy and chocolatey. It blends well with the peppermint flavoring adding a nice sweetness, yet the peppermint is still very powerful and is still the dominant flavor.
I really enjoyed these. I’d certainly go for a box of these over traditional mints or a candy cane. They’re small enough to feel like a quick little sweet, but big enough to feel like a treat if you’re just looking for a mint.
Rating: Will Buy Again
Links Tootsie Website
One thing I love about See’s Candies and what I very much look forward to with the passing seasons is their releases of limited edition flavors of their popular lollypops. They have root beer in the summers, pumpkin in the fall, and this past Easter they had orange cream which I sadly missed out on. Next year! I was super excited to find some of their new Christmas Mint lollypops in my box of samples which included the Victoria Toffee that I reviewed the other day. These lollypops were a surprise because they have a limited edition Cinnamon flavor they release this time of year, and I had no idea they planned to do another. So without further delay, the Christmas Mint Lollypop!
The lollypops are beautiful. The have a bright pine green metallic wrapper, with white and red lettering. The pops are all a nice, uniform size with a rectangular shape. Removing the green wrapper to my surprise, the lollypop is white. For some reason I imagine it green or brown, as my mind concluded that it possibly be mixed with chocolate. But, no. They’re a beautiful white, much like Christmas snow.
It smells sweet and not at all minty. I’m more reminded of vanilla and white chocolate.
My first lick produces at first a sweet flavor, then the growing familiar and delightful taste of mint. It’s mind and sweet, and not at all overpowering like most gum and toothpaste is. Instead this is subtle, elegant, minty flavor that has a slight peppermint sharpness to it. It’s extremely enjoyable and I much rather have this as an after meal dessert.
I really loved this lollypop. Not only is it beautiful but its flavor is amazing. Not too minty and not too sweet, just a harmonious middle ground. I also have to give props to See’s for using the word “Christmas” in this candy’s name, as many prefer to use the more PC “Holiday”. There’s nothing wrong with calling something “Christmas” and I’m glad See’s did so. It’s a great lollypop and I can easily see these as a tasty stocking stuffer.
Rating: Will Buy Again
Links See’s Candies Website
I was contacted some time ago by Palmer’s Candies in regard to reviewing some of their products. I was a little worried at first, because the previous experience I’ve had with Palmer’s chocolate is the “mockolate” candies you see sold in large bags at the holidays. They come in adorable packaging and the flavor isn’t very chocolatey at all, it just tastes very sweet. I decided to give Palmer’s Candies a chance, since one look at their website and you see they do lots of other confections besides the stuff you see during the holidays. I was excited to give their other offerings a try, so here we go!
Kiddie Chow:Like the “Muddy Buddies” Chex cereal recipe. Crispy square cereal with chocolate and powdered sugar. The flavor is crispy and sweet. You don’t’ get any flavor from the cereal, but you do get a hint of chocolate and a nice, refreshing sweetness from the powdered sugar. The cereal is perfectly crispy and gives a great texture. The sweetness isn’t too overpowering as one might think. the chocolate flavor isn’t as intense as I’m used to, but that is a difference in the recipe I’m sure. There aren’t messy either, the powdered sugar sticks to the pieces really well.
Peanut Butter Crispy Yums: Little mounded treats with a coating of chocolate and peanut butter stripes. They’re very soft, and the chocolate sticks to my fingers when I handle them. they smell sweet and peanutbuttery. The peanut butter inside is smooth and creamy ,with bits of crispiness to it, as if it has a crumbled up Butterfinger n it. It’s a delightful texture contrast. The peanut butter is salty/sweet and has a nice roasted peanut flavor. I don’t taste any of the chocolate, which, makes me wonder if it’s really mockolate. But since there’s not ingredients label I can only surmise. Still, they’re tasty and can see peanut butter fans enjoys these a lot.
Caramel Swirl Pretzels: Pretty looking with white chocolate base covering the pretzel with caramel stripes. They smell tangy and sweet like yogurt raisins. They taste tart, of the yogurt coating on the pretzels. They’re sweet and tangy. I don’t get too much of a caramel flavor in there. Its a nice sweet/salty combination, and therefore it’s a satisfying snack. The pretzel is fresh and crunchy and really is a great texture element.
Peanut Butter Swirl Pretzels: The smells sweet, no scent of chocolate or peanut butter. They’re pretty to look at, dipped in chocolate and drizzled with a line peanut butter. The pretzel crunches nicely so it’s good and fresh. The flavor is a nice mix of sweet and salty. I taste the starch and salt of the pretzel, and the sweetness of the chocolate coating. It doesn’t really taste much like peanut butter to be honest. It jut comes across as a sweet coating on a pretzel, which, is tasty, but not as the description really lends one to believe.
Peppermint Skippers: They’re little domes of chocolate with a peppermint center. They look like little mountains, actually. Pretty cute. They smell sweet and of peppermint oil. The peppermint interior is a think, sticky fondant. It’s very dense and grainy and extremely tasty. The chocolate exterior compliments it perfectly with a nice sweetness that depends the peppermint flavor. These taste like a richer, more intense York Peppermint Pattie.
I admit I was a little hesitant about these free samples at first. I knew I’d be sent something I’d appreciate, but these exceeded my expectations. It’s good to know that my old opinions were challenged. My boyfriend was a big fan of the Peanut Butter Crispy Yums, as were the friends I shared these with. Personally my favorite were the Peppermint Skippers, as I really loved the creamy center of those. Which, may I remind you readers, peppermint is a very hard sell for me. Overall I was impressed with this sampling and I look forward to trying the Twin Bing that Palmer’s also sent me. That review coming soon!
Rating: Will Eat Again
Links Palmer Candy Website
Next flavor out of Godiva’s Ice Cream Parlor series is the Mint Chocolate Chip flavor. This I think was an obvious but wise choice on Godiva’s part. Or, at least that’s my first instinct as mint chocolate chip ice cream has always been a favorite of mine. Although, according to this page, it’s not even in the top 15!
Regardless, mint and chocolate have always gone well together, so it seems fitting they’re made into an ice cream themed candy. The packaging for these truffles is different from the flavor mix I reviewed earlier. Those came in a bag, and these mint chocolate chip truffles came in a tightly packed container that’s similar to the plastic drink cup you use when you get a cold drink at Starbucks. Where the bag had tons of empty space in it, this cup version is just the opposite. All the truffles are tightly packed in so there’s no room for them to shift around.
Has a dark chocolate shell, and you immediately smell the mint in it. It’s very pungent.
I take my first bite and I’m immediately reminded of a very strong Andes mint. The chocolate doesn’t deliver much taste, just a sweetness to round out the mint flavor. The mint is fresh and it leaves you feeling like you’ve just brushed you teeth, as it’s quite strong. The chocolate is soft and the mint center is extremely creamy. So it’s a nice flavor and one truffle is just enough since it’s quite potent.
These were tasty and are great if you’re a big fan of mint. I think I prefer it in ice cream more, but that’s just my personal preference.
Rating: Will Eat Again
LinksGodiva Website
