Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Simple 7UP

Alex 34 Comments

Simple 7Up Box

What is Simple 7UP?

7UP has employed the KISS principle (“Keep It Simple, Stupid”) and brought us all a pared down version of its lemon-lime soft drink. Simple 7UP is as uncomplicated as possible with only six real ingredients: filtered carbonated water, sugar, citric acid, lemon extract, lime extract, and stevia leaf extract.

How is it?

Simple 7Up Top

I was optimistic about this soda as I smelled it in the can since it had a much more distinct lemon and lime scent than I’m used to from 7UP. When I took a sip, it initially excited me with its exceptionally light and crisp flavor, reminding me of a sparkling citrus juice beverage. Unlike regular 7UP, which encases blended lemon-lime flavor in a rounded syrupiness, Simple 7UP had noticeably separate flavors of lemon and lime that were lightly sweetened and incredibly fresh in the carbonated water. And despite using extracts instead of juice, the taste of each managed to shine without being too strong.

Simple 7Up Glass

But then the stevia had to go and complicate things. The sip that started off so strong quickly turned bitter yet off-puttingly sweet, then had the audacity to finish on that terrible note. And so it went for each sip until I’d had enough about half of a can in.

The highs were so high and the lows were so low, I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this soda.

Anything else you need to know?

It seems like 7UP isn’t sure how they feel about it either, since there’s barely any mention of the beverage from the brand online; it’s conspicuously absent from the product section of its website. I found one article saying Simple 7UP was being test-marketed about a year ago, but couldn’t find any information about this rollout.

Additionally, I was surprised to learn the original 7UP also only contains six ingredients. So, keep in mind the simplicity here lies in the “real”ness of the ingredients themselves, not their quantity.

Conclusion:

Simple 7Up Can

Simply said, I’m torn. I loved how five of the six ingredients worked together, but the inclusion of stevia caused each sip to end on a flavor repellent enough for me to decide to not purchase again. Anyone who’s ever seen how much sugar is in a lemonade recipe can understand the hesitation to make sugar the only sweetener in a citrus soda, but it’s hard to not imagine how spectacular Simple 7UP could have tasted if they had kept it even simpler.

Purchased Price: $6.49
Size: 12 pack (12 oz cans)
Purchased at: Ralphs
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of total carbohydrates, 28 grams of total sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Mixes (S’mores and Peanut Butter)

Marvo 1 Comment

Ben Jerry s Cookie Dough Mixes Pouches

What are Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough Mixes?

They combine edible cookie dough bites with another mix-in you might see in a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream pint. At this time, there are two varieties you can find in the freezer aisle —- S’mores and Peanut Butter. The former features graham cracker cookie dough with marshmallow truffles, while the latter has peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough and mini peanut butter cups.

How are they?

Maybe it’s just me, but the dough pieces taste noticeably blander than previous cookie dough chunks I’ve had from Ben & Jerry’s. So much so that if I looked into these pouches and saw there were only dough pieces left, I might not want to finish them. Although maybe I feel that way because there’s a stark flavor contrast between the cookie dough and the candy pieces.

Ben Jerry s Cookie Dough Mixes Peanut Butter

The graham cracker cookie dough pieces are confusing because I’m not sure anyone would identify them as graham cracker anything. They taste more vanilla-ish and have a slight butteriness. While that makes sense in cookie dough, that doesn’t help me think of graham crackers. As for the peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough chunks, the chips buried in them don’t have much chocolatey flavor and whatever nuttiness they have is mild.

Ben Jerry s Cookie Dough Mixes S mores

The much sweeter candy pieces provide the flavor boosts that make these a worthwhile purchase, and thankfully the candy mix-in to cookie dough ratio appears to be almost 1 to 1. The mini peanut butter cups taste exactly like what you’d find in pints. They have a strong chocolatey and peanut butter taste that dwarfs the dough chunks’ flavor. As for the marshmallow truffles, they were as delightful as the peanut butter cups, maybe even better. They have the perfect balance of chocolate and marshmallow flavor, and the latter helps intensify the vanilla in the dough. Now, if only those chunks had some graham flavor.

Anything else you need to know?

I’m not going to take credit for the Cookie Dough Mixes idea, but a year ago, well before they debuted, in a review of Ben & Jerry’s The Tonight Dough Chunks, I wrote, “Ben & Jerry’s should sell bags of its edible cookie dough with its non-dough mix-ins. It could be called Mix-In Mashups (feel free to use that, Flavor Gurus).”

Also, it seems as if the marshmallow truffles haven’t been in any other Ben & Jerry’s products. Feel free correct me, internet.

Conclusion:

Despite the somewhat bland cookie dough chunks, I enjoyed popping Cookie Dough Mixes into my mouth. Well, um, after making sure there was at least one candy piece before doing so.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product samples from Ben & Jerry’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8 oz pouches
Purchased at: Received from Ben & Jerry’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (both)
Nutrition Facts: (2 Tbsp./28 grams) S’mores 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 14 grams of sugar (13 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein. Peanut Butter – 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 15 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 10 grams of sugar (9 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Banner Butter x Pop-Tarts Limited Edition Kit

Rachel 10 Comments

Buttertarts1 pkg

What is the Banner Butter x Pop-Tarts Limited Edition Kit?

Apparently, slathering butter on your freshly-toasted Pop-Tarts is a thing? I had no idea. As the person who believed for 20+ years that I had invented dipping Wendy’s fries into Frostys, I really should have known.

Buttertarts2 contents

Atlanta-based Banner Butter teamed up with Kellogg’s to make a combo kit of Pop-Tarts’ most iconic flavors and two small pats each of six Banner’s flavored butters. The packaging had suggested pairings, which is what I tried (with a couple of additional twists).

Buttertarts3 butter

How are they?

First up – Strawberry Pop-Tart with Sea Salt Butter. This was the basic proof-of-concept. And yeah, it was delicious. The butter gave the commercially-bland Pop-Tarts’ pastry the flavor of real, laminated pastry dough. (But did we need that?)

Buttertarts4 pats

Next, Strawberry Pop-Tart with Balsamic Fig and Caramelized Onion Butter. This was my favorite of all the butters – a nice sweet/savory combo. It gave the Pop-Tart a flavor complexity it usually lacks.

Buttertarts5 strawb

Then, Chocolate Fudge PTs with Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger butter and Honey Habanero butter. The Cinnamon/Cardamom/Ginger butter was great, but the chocolate overwhelmed it a bit. The Honey Habanero butter gave the chocolate a dark intensity and a little heat – similar to a chili-tinged Mexican hot chocolate.

Buttertarts6 fudge

Lastly, the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts with Strawberry butter and Dark Chocolate butter. These were both meh. The strawberry got lost in the cinnamon, and the dark chocolate just tasted like added cocoa powder.

Buttertarts7 cinnamon

Brown Sugar Cinnamon PTs are one of my favorites, so I also tried them with the Balsamic Fig & Caramelized Onion butter and the Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger butter. They both worked way better than the suggested pairing. Balsamic Fig brought the same complexity as it did to the strawberry PTs. The Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger butter added an “adult” feeling. Both great butters.

Overall, I really liked some of the flavors here, but wasn’t sure about the “upgrading” of PTs. I love Pop-Tarts in all their naked, untoasted glory. If I wanted something that tasted like a fine French pastry, I’d just go buy the real thing. Give me my pasty pastry in a foil bag. That being said, Kellogg’s, why aren’t you just doing this yourselves? Cinnamon Cardamom & Ginger Pop-Tarts? Spicy Chocolate Pop-Tarts for winter? C’mon.

Buttertarts8 combos

Anything else you need to know?

This kit sold out a while ago, but you can get the same experience ordering Banner Butter and purchasing Pop-Tarts at the store. Or buy other butters. Or make your own compound butter – just soften some butter, mix in the good stuff, and let it sit in the fridge.

Conclusion:

If you’re a Buttered-Pop-Tarts stan, this fancy-butter-combo is definitely for you. If you’re just hearing about it, give it a whirl with whatever you have on hand. If you like your Pop-Tarts lowbrow like I do, try it for fun, but don’t expect it to become your regular thing.

Purchased Price: $25.00
Size: (3) 13.5oz / 8-pastry boxes of Pop-Tarts, (12) 2 tbsp. pats of butter
Purchased at: bannerbutter.com
Rating: 7 out of 10 (although the Balsamic Fig and Cinnamon Butters alone are 9 out of 10!)
Nutrition Facts: (For butters – 2 tbsp or ½ of a pat) Sea Salt – 100 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 0 grams of sugar, including 0 grams of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein. Balsamic Fig & Caramelized Onion – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 75 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including less than 1 gram of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Cinnamon, Cardamom & Ginger – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including less than 1 gram of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Honey Habanero – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, less than 1 gram of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, including 0 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Strawberry – 110 calories, 11 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including 0 grams of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein. Dark Chocolate – 110 calories, 12 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of dietary fiber, 2 grams of sugar, including less than 1 gram of added sugars, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Ben & Jerry’s Dublin Mudslide (2022)

Sean 1 Comment

Ben Jerry s Dublin Mudslide 2022 Pint

Following 2020’s “Fan Favorite” resurrection of Gimme S’more, Peanut Butter Half Baked, and Cannoli, Ben & Jerry’s has once again taken a trip to its Flavor Graveyard and used ice cream voodoo to summon a heralded classic from the dead. Previously RIP’d in 2012, Dublin Mudslide is Irish cream ice cream with chocolate chocolate chip cookies and a coffee fudge swirl.

Irish cream is one of those flavors that seems to have been around my entire life in various forms, from Milano cookies to (more recently) Starbucks drinks, but I’ve never fully understood what it’s supposed to taste like. In its purest form, it’s a mixture of whiskey and milk, but I’ve had iterations that taste more like vanilla, coffee, or even chocolate. So I went into this pint not knowing what to expect.

The base tastes like a really rich sweet cream with a hint of whiskey. The booziness is mild but it’s definitely there, and adds a faint smoky oak note that brings a little depth and intrigue to the otherwise good but tame ice cream. Its main strength is its silky smooth and dense texture, a result of the mere presence of alcohol in the mixture, and it’s fantastic. I wouldn’t mind more punchiness like I’m taking a straight liqueur swig but I can’t deny the velvety richness of the mouthfeel.

Ben Jerry s Dublin Mudslide 2022 Booze

For this reinvented version, Ben & Jerry’s teamed up with Wheyward Spirit, a new liquor derived from whey, the liquid co-product of cheese and other dairy products. By partnering with domestic dairy producers they’re able to reduce waste and lower the environmental footprint of production while simultaneously creating a unique and sip-able booze. The Wheyward’s flavor is like a slightly fruity cross between sake and tequila, but in Dublin Mudslide it does a solid job of conjuring mild whiskey.

Ben Jerry s Dublin Mudslide 2022 Top

The mix-in density is excellent, and I’m really happy with the quality control compared to this year’s Chewy Gooey Cookie. The cookies add a rich chocolate flavor with hints of butter and a perfectly soft chew, accented by the crunchiness of harder chocolate chips.

Bringing some sauciness to the equation, the coffee fudge swirl is abundant and tasty with a 60/40 split of chocolate to coffee that does well to add a touch of bitterness to the succulently smooth and mild ice cream. The two components work well in a coffee-meets-chocolate mocha tandem that tastes perfectly familiar and comfortable next to the alcohol-tinged base.

Ben Jerry s Dublin Mudslide 2022 Spoon

It became clear to me while scooping this pint that the confusion around what an Irish cream flavored product tastes like stems from the fact that something like Baileys is often mixed with other components. You can drink Irish cream straight, but it feels so much more common in an Irish coffee, White Russian cocktail, or even hot chocolate, so this Ben & Jerry’s creation kind of taps into all the components that could be found with Irish cream and brings them together as one.

This is a well executed flavor that does everything it tries to do as quietly but effectively as possible. There’s a little bit of whiskey, a little bit of coffee, and a little bit more chocolate. I can see why this would be considered a fan favorite, and kudos to Ben & Jerry’s for the excellent quality control. I would personally enjoy a stronger handed boozy flourish but I can’t deny how lovely this one is to scoop.

DISCLOSURE: I originally purchased a pint, but also received a free product sample from Ben & Jerry’s and attended a virtual tasting hosted by the company. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: $4.99
Size: One Pint
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2/3 cup, 134g) 340 calories, 18 grams of fat, 11 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of trans fat, 65 milligrams of cholesterol, 170 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 34 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Gatorade Fit

Marvo 7 Comments

Gatorade Fit Bottles

What is Gatorade Fit?

It’s “Healthy Real Hydration.” I’m not sure where Gatorade is going with that because plain ol’ water could also be considered healthy real hydration. But does that also mean all of Gatorade’s other hydration products aren’t healthy?

What makes Gatorade Fit “healthy”? Well, it has no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners or flavors, no added colors, has only ten calories and one gram of sugar, and is an excellent source of vitamins A & C. It’s available in five flavors — Cherry Lime, Citrus Berry, Tropical Mango, Watermelon Strawberry, and Tangerine Orange. But I was only able to acquire the first four via a variety pack sold on Amazon. The line is available in 16.9- and 28-ounce bottles.

How is it?

Well, the short answer is they taste like Gatorade. If you’ve chugged the various colors of the Gatorade rainbow during your lifetime, you’ll be familiar with these four. With every flavor, I thought to myself that I had this before.

Tropical Mango and Watermelon Strawberry stood out to me among the four varieties. Their flavors mirror what I remember from their BOLT24 counterparts. The former has a pleasant strong mango flavor with a pineapple kick. Watermelon Strawberry leans more towards strawberry than watermelon, and that strawberry flavor reminds me of candy.

While those two are great tasting, Cherry Lime and Citrus Berry are also tasty. The former has a nice cherry and lime balance, while with the latter, the berry dominated the flavor so much that if you told me it was a mixed berry variety, I’d believe you.

Anything else you need to know?

Much like the skin under my shirt, Gatorade Fit has no color.

Gatorade Fit Glasses

Reader Josh G, who sent in photos of the new line for our Spotted post, mentioned that Gatorade Fit seems like a rebranding of Gatorade’s BOLT24. Because both lines get their electrolytes from watermelon and sea salt, provide 100% daily values of vitamins A & C, have no artificial sweeteners or flavors, and share some of the same varieties — Cherry Lime, Tropical Mango, and Watermelon Strawberry. But BOLT24 still exists because several types show up in my “Inspired by your purchases” section whenever I visit Amazon.

There are several differences between BOLT24 and Gatorade Fit. The latter has fewer calories (10 calories vs. 80 calories) and less sugar (1 gram vs. 19 grams). While BOLT24 used sugar and stevia, Gatorade Fit has only stevia. Much like when I tried BOLT24, I was surprised this has stevia. But I was even more surprised that it’s the ONLY sweetener because it doesn’t have any of the blechness that I’ve experienced with other beverages with it.

Conclusion:

If you enjoyed Gatorade BOLT24, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy Gatorade Fit. Heck, maybe it should’ve been called Gatorade BOLT24FIT.

Purchased Price: $19.99 (12-pack)
Size: 16.9 oz bottles/12-pack
Purchased at: Amazon
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Tropical Mango), 8 out of 10 (Watermelon Strawberry), 7 out of 10 (Cherry Lime), 7 out of 10 (Citrus Berry)
Nutrition Facts: (1 bottle) 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 230 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of sugar (0 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.