I’m not sure what’s scary about Burger King’s Frozen Fanta Scary Black Cherry. But, if it’s like the Halloween Whopper and turns your poop green, then that could make it scary. The Frozen Fanta flavor is available for a limited time at participating locations.
The frozen beverage has 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 34 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 33 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.
If you’ve tried it, let us know what you think of it in the comments.
Maybe it’s just me, but I think more things need to be covered with cookie butter. (Spotted by Rachel C at Costco.)
Thank you to all the photo contributors! If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you do so, you might see your picture in our next Spotted on Shelves post.
Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if the product is old, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.
Except for starting with the third letter of the alphabet, there is no reason whatsoever for clams and candy canes to go together. But don’t tell that to the folks at Archie McPhee, a Seattle-based company that specializes in all things weird, including candy canes. They have unleashed a diabolical digestive debacle known as the Clamdy Cane (yes, it’s clam-flavored candy).
The company also birthed a sibling, a slightly less heinous mac & cheese-flavored variety, which joined a candy cane family that already included bacon, pickle, rotisserie chicken, coal (apparently smoke and cinnamon-flavored) and Krampus (also cinnamon).
For this review of the two new flavors, I tackled the challenge with equal parts excitement and fear. I consider myself to be open-minded about a great many things, including trying unique foods. Even so, it was hard not to be a little concerned that these would be biblically bad.
With that said, let’s establish that this review is not really about if these, particularly the clammy concoction, taste “good.” You don’t buy barf-flavored jelly beans or turkey and gravy soda because you think it will be delicious (trust me, it’s not), you buy it so you can say you did and that you tried it. So I did, and I did.
Clamdy Canes
The McPhee website says Clamdy Canes are “gray and white.” However, I found that woefully insufficient and humbly suggest a more accurate white and “dirty paint water.” I know, that probably won’t fit on a crayon, but I couldn’t help thinking the color looked like that nasty slurry after you’ve rinsed a paint brush a dozen times.
I’m happy to report that the Clamdy Canes do taste better than dirty paint water (don’t ask how I know), but it’s not exactly a convincing victory. Surprisingly, there was not much of a smell to these, at least at first. If you really try, you can get a whiff of something if you almost put it up your nose. I couldn’t place the smell, but I wouldn’t call it pleasant. Oddly, after a few licks, the scent comes out, and it’s still not pleasant. I wouldn’t say it smells like clams; it reminded me of warm, flat beer.
As for the taste, it wasn’t bad, and it was certainly better than I thought it would be. There was a hint of a fishy-like taste, but it wasn’t overwhelming or off-putting. It had a subtler sweetness compared to a traditional candy cane, and after you get past the initial thought of “ewww, I’m eating a clam-flavored candy cane,” it was palatable.
But I was a little disappointed that it didn’t taste a bit clammier and grosser. Instead, it was almost like one of those mucous-colored hard candies you see sitting in a bowl on a reception desk that you grab because you can’t pass up free candy. You pop one in your mouth but have no idea what flavor it is and would struggle to describe it to someone.
Did I finish the whole Clamdy Cane? No, but if I didn’t have the mac & cheese flavor to look forward to I could have.
Mac & Cheese Candy Canes
The mac & cheese variety had the same sneaky lack of smell at first until after my tongue caressed it. For this one, the smell is spot-on, at least for the fluorescent orange powered mac & cheese in a box, not your grandma’s homemade stuff.
But for as much as it nailed the smell, the taste was a letdown. If not for the aroma and the packaging, I’m not sure I’d even be able to place it as mac & cheese. Like the clam one, the flavor wasn’t bad. It had a nice, mild sweetness to it, but no real discernible taste and not one that reminds you of creamy, cheesy dish. The best description I can do is if you licked a regular candy cane and swirled it around Fun Dip-style in a bag of Cheetos.
Overall, it’s tricky to score these. On taste alone, they are not bad, but neither one hits the mark as far as what was advertised on the box, though it could be argued that’s a good thing, particularly for the Clamdy Canes. And I do give Archie McPhee points for coming up with a couple of new flavors that stand out in a crowded field of crazy candy concoctions. So as a tasty treat that satisfies your craving for mac & cheese or clams, these are a hard pass. But as a fun holiday gift or prank, even Santa might be tempted to have a box or two on hand.
(Nutrition Facts – Not listed on package.)
Purchased Price: $5.95 each (plus $4.95 total shipping) Size: 3.8 oz. box for a 6 pack Purchased at: mcphee.com Rating: 5 out of 10 (Clamdy) Rating: 4 out of 10 (Mac & Cheese) Pros: Not nearly as disgusting as you might expect. Would work well for those stupid gift exchanges at work or among family.
Cons: Bad wordplay on the McPhee website for the Clamdy Canes, including “your family will clamor for them” and “one shell of a candy.” The dancing clam with a Santa hat is a bit disturbing.
Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.
Wild Friends Chocolate And Vanilla Collagen Peanut Butter
Wild Friends Vanilla Collagen Almond Butter
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Sprouts.)
Gourmet Holiday Cocoa Collection
(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)
Chobani A Hint Of Willamette Raspberry Greek Yogurt
Chobani A Hint of Clingstone Peach Greek Yogurt
(Spotted by Rachel C at Meijer.)
World Market Chocolate Coconut And Peanut Butter Crunch Snack Mixes
World Market Caramel Macchiato And Pecan Pie Snack Mixes
(Spotted by Sylvia at World Market.)
Mrs. Thinster’s Dark Chocolate Coconut Cookie
(Spotted by Rachel C at Costco.)
Godiva Masterpieces 2018
I think it’s new because it’s a new shape that looks like a baby bottle’s nipple. (Spotted by Rachel C at Costco.)
Jonny Pops Root Beer Float & Cream
Jonny Pops Cold Press Coffee Chocolate & Cream
Jonny Pops Cherry Chocolate & Cream
We covered two new Jonny Pops flavors back in March. Turns out there were five total. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)
Spongebob Squarepants Pineapple Cups
(Spotted by Carla at Walmart.)
Starbucks Caramel Sauce and Caramel, Hazelnut, and Vanilla Syrups
I’m not sure if this is just a repackaging of the other Starbucks syrups that have been sold or a whole new product. (Spotted by John at Meijer.)
If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found it and “Spotted” in the subject line. Or reply to us (@theimpulsivebuy) on Twitter with the photo, where you spotted it, and the hashtag #spotted. If you’ve tried the product, share your thoughts about it in the comments.
Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if the product is old, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.
Soooooooo…I know I gave Super Snack Time’s Biscuits in a Box a bad review.
But I hope that doesn’t deter you from entering this prize drawing to win them. Consider them to be, um, like that free shirt you just happened to have because the person shooting the t-shirt cannon pointed it in your direction. You don’t really want or need it, but it could come in handy someday. They are simple to make. All you need is water.
Walmart sent me extra samples to give away to our readers. They also sent me Super Snack Time’s Bacon in a Bottle Seasoning — Original and Cheesy.
So, for this prize drawing, TIB will be giving away two (2) sets that include both Biscuits in a Box varieties and both Bacon in a Bottle flavors. I still have Uptime Energy Drinks, so I’ll also be including a few bottles of those. We will also be giving away one (1) set of both Biscuits in a Box varieties, but WITHOUT the Bacon in a Bottle. I’ll also include a few bottles of Uptime Energy Drink with it.
RULES:
To enter The Impulsive Buy’s Biscuits Prize Drawing, leave a comment with THIS post. You can write whatever you want, but please don’t forget to fill out the email field because we’ll be emailing the randomly selected winner for his or her mailing address.
We will stop accepting entries on Sunday, October 14, 2018 11:59 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time. Only one comment allowed per person, and it’s only open to U.S. residents 18 years old or older.
Good luck!
FINE PRINT: The Impulsive Buy promises your email address will not be used to send you emails about how you can save on your TV package by bundling. The Impulsive Buy also promises your mailing address will not be used to send you mailers about how you can save on your TV package by bundling. Bribes will not be accepted. The Impulsive Buy will not be responsible for lost mail, damaged mail or limp biscuits.
