Here are some interesting new 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.
(Spotted by Rachel C at Trader Joe’s.)
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Rachel C at Walmart.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)
Just in time for Girl Scout Cookie season, Ben & Jerry’s put its own spin on the purple-boxed caramel-y classic Samoas. Chewy Gooey Cookie combines milk chocolate and coconut ice creams with fudge flakes, shortbread cookies, and caramel swirls.
It’s good, but not great.
The coconut ice cream is fantastic. I can’t recall the last time B&J’s used this in one of its dairy pints, if ever. It’s sweet and creamy with pieces of shredded coconut that add little pockets of chewiness to the predominately smooth landscape. I really like it. The milk chocolate base was the right choice over the standard, darker chocolate, as its milky sweetness doesn’t overpower the coconut’s gentler fruity and nutty notes. I don’t enjoy the chocolate nearly as much as the coconut on its own, but there’s no denying they’re a dream team when enjoyed in tandem.
The mix-ins do a great job of bringing the Samoas experience full circle when they’re present, but I wish there were more! Most notably, the caramel swirls are pretty thin, and I have to hunt to get some on my spoon. Surprisingly the fudge flakes are also relatively light, and as the least interesting inclusion, I didn’t think I would miss them. But I do wish I had more crunch.
The shortbread cookies are the most prominent of the three, and they’re crucial to realizing the cookie concept. That crumbly floury texture is pivotal to the Samoas, and while I wish their flavor had a bit more of a buttery and salty punch, I overall appreciate what they bring to the pint.
I know this isn’t Girl Scouts-branded, but I’m fixating on that because the homage jumped out at me when I read the description. Samoas are my favorite Scout cookie, oftentimes overshadowed by Thin Mints. Coincidentally last year, Ben & Jerry’s released an ice cream called Thick Mint, so someone at the company definitely loves these cookies, and I can get behind that.
Even though the milk chocolate base is good, I would have preferred a fudge swirl for a more interesting texture and dense flavor and to not take any real estate away from the excellent coconut base. There’s a ton of potential in this pint, but it’s lacking the pizazz that some of B&J’s more effective outings, like Phish Food with its legendary dual swirl, bring to the table. Is this ice cream chewy? Absolutely. Is it gooey? Eh, not quite, but it could be exceptional with a couple of tweaks.
Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 140g) 360 calories, 20 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 60 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 31 grams of sugar, 5 grams of protein.
Update: We tried it! Click here to read our review.
Flamin’ Hot will not Flamin’ Stop until it has coated every product in Frito-Lay’s portfolio. No flavor will get in its way. Not even extremely popular flavors, like Cool Ranch and Cheddar & Sour Cream. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
“The taste of limitless possibilities.” “The flavors of unknown stars.” “Tastes like magic.” While Coca-Cola Starlight’s promotional materials are pretty elaborate when it comes to capturing the soda’s galactic aesthetic, they’re surprisingly lax about, well, what it actually tastes like. Fortunately, I’m prepared to take one small step for reviewer, one giant leap for junk food fankind!
Pouring the drink from its adorably tiny, star-speckled can (it’s also available in the typical 20 oz bottle) into a clear glass showed that it’s as red as Mars. Okay, maybe more of a burgundy, but it’s certainly more colorful than your average Coke. I sampled the full-sugar version, though you can also get Starlight as sugar-free. It had the general taste you’d expect of Coke, simultaneously sweet and bitingly carbonated. However, there’s another note that, much like a UFO, wasn’t possible for me to immediately identify.
At first, I wanted to describe it as fruity, but upon further probing, I think that was just the influence of the berry-like hue. Starlight’s unique flavor — which was especially prominent in the aftertaste and even in the soda’s scent — is actually closer to that of a graham cracker. Coca-Cola also notes that a “subtle cooling sensation” is one of this drink’s features. When pressed, I could indeed vaguely identify a chilly feeling similar to when you drink water directly after brushing your teeth with mint toothpaste. But honestly, I didn’t really notice it until I looked for it, so I guess the “subtle” part is right!
Starlight’s theme is a bit unusual for a brand that usually determines flavors by slapping the name of a fruit in front of “Coca-Cola.” But I can make out a train of thought somewhere along the lines of “Space -> stars -> stargazing -> camping -> s’mores -> graham cracker, ergo space flavor = graham cracker.”
It may not be the most intuitive fit, but if you’re willing to think outside the box a little, it works pretty well, and I think the same can be said for Starlight’s taste. While I could still see this offering fitting in well with classic fruity faves like Cherry Vanilla in a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine, I, for one, praise our Coca-Cola overlords for making a new flavor that defies such simple characterization.
Starlight is also not just tasty but trendy, already rocking collaborations with singer Ava Max and fashion brand Staple. I felt about a million light-years old trying to figure out how to scan my can with my phone camera to pull up an augmented reality concert from a holographic Ms. Max, but the concept had me starry-eyed. Because Starlight’s release coincides with the launch of the new Coca-Cola Creations, a “global innovation platform” that will spotlight an array of Coca-Cola-branded products and experiences both physical and digital, we can expect more innovative flavors and applications to come.
Sadly, like many other stars, Starlight’s time in the limelight is fleeting, as it’s limited edition. Ultimately, I think the combination of curious concept, creative marketing crossovers, and, of course, uniquely yummy taste means it’s well worth jetting off for.
Purchased Price: $7.29
Size: 7.5 oz cans/10 pack
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 90 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of total carbohydrates, 24 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of fiber, and 0 grams of protein.
Update: We tried it! Click here to read our review.
For some reason, I want to stick a Girl Scouts logo on the pint somewhere. Or maybe the green hills are part of the Girl Scouts’ Trefoil logo? Are one of the clouds a Trefoil? Oooh, hidden meanings that I’m totally making up. (Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)
