Category: Reviews

REVIEW: Now and Later WTF and Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers WTF

Marvo 1 Comment

Now and Later WTF

If your taste buds like to play detective, there are two new mystery flavor candies from the Ferrara Candy Company — Now and Later WTF and Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers WTF. In these instances, the WTF doesn’t mean what the acronym has usually stood for — the World Taekwondo Federation. Instead, it asks, What The Flavor?

Now and Later WTF Closeup

Now and Later WTF consists of mixed fruit chews. Every piece is white, which, of course, gives no clues to what the flavors could be. It tastes as if there are four of them in the bag.

One is definitely pineapple, which is quite tasty. It’s not overly sweet, but I knew it was the tropical fruit the moment I put it into my mouth. Another one is watermelon, but it’s not as potent as a Jolly Rancher. As for the others, it’s either passion fruit, kiwi, or a strawberry Fruit Roll-Up, my taste buds can’t decide.

My taste buds also can’t recall the last time they’ve had Now and Later candy. They don’t remember how tough they are. “Hard Starburst” is what I’m going to start calling Now and Later from now on.

Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers WTF

Unlike, the Now and Later, the Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers WTF have color, which is a little disappointing. I wish they were transparent or white, making them look like albino snakes or gummy worm ghosts. But the colors do not give hints to what they may taste like. Also, unlike the Now and Later, the gummies are easier to eat.

Trolli Sour Brite Crawlers WTF Closeup

There seem to be three flavors. I’m positive one of them is peach because I love gummy peach rings and will never forget that taste. Another one, I think, is blue raspberry. And the last one, I believe, is lemon lime. Ugh. I’m a horrible flavor detective.

I’m a sucker for mystery products, but I’m a little disappointed by these. All the flavors, whatever some of them are, are tasty. But they all seem to be fruity varieties that have already been made. It would’ve been nice if there was at least one new or utterly wacky flavor (wasabi would’ve made me wail WTF).

I realize I should’ve started this review with a SPOILER ALERT because I might’ve ruined the mystery for all of you. It would be like me saying Avengers: Endgame involves [DELETED] going [DELETED], then they travel to [DELETED] in order to [DELETED], and then they figure out [DELETED]. Knowing that would’ve made you angry, like the Hulk in Endgame where he [DELETED] and ended up [DELETED].

A special thanks goes to TIB reader, and regular Spotted photo contributor, Robbie for sending me a bag of each candy.

Purchased Price: 2 for $4
Size: 5 oz. bags
Purchased at: Stripes (7-Eleven)
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Now and Later)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Trolli)
Nutrition Facts: Now and Later (7 pieces) – 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 18 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Trolli (8 pieces) – 100 calories, 0 grams of fat, 40 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Reese’s Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers (2019)

Vin 4 Comments

Reese s Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers 2019

I love me some Reese’s, but it’s been on a bit of a cold streak with me lately.

I can’t say I’ve “loved” any of the Reese’s products I’ve reviewed recently, (Thins, Good Humor Bars, Whipped Topping) and it’s left me wondering if I even still “love” the iconic brand I grew up on.

Previous disappointments aside, I figured there was no way Reese’s Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers Cups could let me down, right?

Reese’s Chocolate Lovers

I was tentative about these. I ranted in my Reese’s Thins review about how pointless having more chocolate than peanut butter is, but I’m happy to report Reese’s Chocolate Lovers Cups blow them away.

I initially thought these were dark chocolate, but according to Hershey’s official site, they’re an “extra thick layer of extra-rich milk chocolate.” Some may taste a difference with the “extra rich” chocolate, but it tasted like a thicker Reese’s cup to me.

Reese s Chocolate Lovers Innards

The chocolate shell (I don’t know what else to call it) has a similar crispy bite to Reese’s Thins. Since they have more chocolate, the candy’s texture is harder than a standard peanut butter cup.

There’s still plenty of peanut butter, but since the ratio is off, I felt like it melted in my mouth quicker and left me with an intense chocolate aftertaste that set this apart from regular Reese’s Cups. The back of my tongue still had that lingering peanut butter residue, but everywhere else tasted like I ate a Hershey bar.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Lovers

I didn’t think there was any way I’d like Chocolate Lovers more than these, but here I am, admitting I liked Chocolate Lovers more than these. That’s not an indictment – they’re pretty damn good – I just thought they were the runner-up.

The idea of having the cup itself made of peanut butter is a great idea – in theory anyway.

Reese s Peanut Butter Lovers Innards

They could have called these “Reese’s Chocolate Haters Cups” because outside of the thin layer coating the bottom of the cup there’s hardly any chocolate. I certainly didn’t taste much of it. The outer peanut butter and what’s inside have contrasting textures but identical flavors. That was fun for a couple of bites, but then the novelty wore off.

Without the chocolate, these are really dry. The peanut butter caked my mouth to the point I wanted to chug a bottle of water after eating one cup. It’s the Nutter Butter effect. Try eating a few of those without a glass of milk. Your mouth will turn into the Sahara.

Still, I can’t complain too much because I love Reese’s peanut butter. Just gotta remember to keep a bottle of water nearby.

So yeah, these are both winners. If only Hershey’s could find a happy medium between Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers, we’d be in business folks.

Sarcasm aside, Reese’s Cups are a ten, so I’m judging these off of them. They’re both worth picking up, but you can’t top perfection.

Purchased Price: $1.39 each
Size: 1.5 oz.
Purchased at: Quick Check
Rating: 9 out of 10 (Chocolate Lovers)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Peanut Butter Lovers)
Nutrition Facts: (1 package) Chocolate Lovers – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 135 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 21 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein. Peanut Butter Lovers – 200 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 150 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo Cookies (China)

Rachel 8 Comments

Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo

There comes a day in all novelty junk food reviewers’ lives when we must make the ultimate sacrifice for our craft. We boldly dash past others’ disgusted faces to taste the impossible snacks. We tackle the foods whose descriptions elicit not a single human response of “that sounds edible.”

Today is that day for me.

Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo Back Box

Eight months after reading about the release in China of Oreo cookies with Spicy Chicken Wing and Wasabi creme filling, I finally gave in to morbid curiosity and vastly overpaid to have a small box of each flavor make the 7,800-mile journey to my home – just so I could say I’d done it, and of course, to write about it.

Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo Content

I wasn’t completely convinced these Oreo cookies would be disasters. While most people turn their noses up at chicken-flavored snacks, I am drawn to anything that tastes like it was dipped in pulverized bouillon cubes (see Chicken in a Biskit crackers, Chicken & Waffles Lay’s Chips, and Chicken Pretz sticks).

We’ve also seen enough hot spice creep into candy recently that wasabi isn’t THAT much of a stretch. I had high hopes that these cookies would smash people’s expectations and be delicious. Okay, maybe not high hopes…a glimmer of hope?

Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo Stacks

I went for the Wasabi Oreo first. The smell inside the package was slightly cocoa – not at the usual Oreo level – and a faint trace of an earthy something. The first flavor to hit my taste buds was the chocolate, and again, not nearly as sweet as the O.G. American Oreo.

The wasabi jumped in immediately after, with a big flavor but just a tinge of heat – around a 3 (keeping in mind I’m a spicy wussy). The biggest problem was that the tastes clashed. It was the food equivalent of playing Slayer and Carpenters songs simultaneously – two things that shouldn’t go together, working independently to make an all-around unpleasant experience. I had no desire to take a second bite.

Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo Filling

And because one must always save the best for last, it was Spicy Chicken Wing’s turn. I was greeted by the familiar and comforting aroma of powdered poultry, and was ready to be enraptured. A cocoa scent was almost unnoticeable.

The flavor was the expected salty, fake chicken, but like the wasabi cookies, it did not work at all with the chocolate cookie. I usually love a salty/sweet combo, but these were too different to do either taste justice. I wondered if they would be better with a vanilla cookie and less salt. There was heat present, but even less than the wasabi filling. The worst part of the experience, however, was the greasy slick it left behind in my mouth that still haunts me.

Hot Chicken Wing Oreo Cookies and Wasabi Oreo Remains

Saying these cookies were bad doesn’t quite cover it. This was the first time in my life that I ate less than a single Oreo in a sitting. I ate half a package of Swedish Fish Oreo when it came out, fercryinoutloud. Unless you have the neurotic compulsion to try ALL the Oreo flavors (like me), don’t bother with these.

Purchased Price: $9.36 each (+ free shipping)
Size: 97g box (10 cookies)
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 2 out of 10 (Wasabi)
Rating: 1 out of 10 (Spicy Chicken Wing)
Nutrition Facts: (per 100g) Wasabi – 486 calories, 21.6 grams of fat, 580 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of carbohydrates, and 26 grams of protein. Spicy Chicken Wing – 486 calories, 21.6 grams of fat, 580 milligrams of sodium, 66 grams of carbohydrates, and 26 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Tastykake Scoop Shop Cookies & Creme Mini Donuts

Marvo 2 Comments

Tastykake Scoop Shop Cookies Creme Mini Donuts

What are Tastykake Scoop Shop Cookies & Creme Mini Donuts?

They are chocolate cake donuts with a crunchy cookies and creme coating. It’s the first offering under the Tastykake Scoop Shop label, an ice cream-inspired line of snacks.

How are they?

The donut and coating won’t make you think of cookies and cream ice cream.

Tastykake Scoop Shop Cookies Creme Mini Donuts 2

Although there are a lot of white bits, the dark chocolatey ones outnumber them, and with the donut itself being chocolate, what we end up with is a chocolate-dominant treat. This is unlike cookies and cream ice cream, which has a better balance between the vanilla ice cream and chocolate wafers. If these were vanilla donuts with the coating they currently have, then I imagine they might taste closer to the popular scoop shop variety. But the way they now are, I don’t recognize much of anything that I’d consider “creme.”

If Tastykake decides to come out with a Bakeshoppe line of mini donuts, it could repackage these as Double Chocolate Chip Cookie Mini Donuts.

As for their texture, they’re slightly chewy, which is what I’ve come to expect from packaged donuts. The cookies & creme coating adds a pleasant crunch, but it’s not like a cookie. Actually, no cookies were harmed in the making of these. Instead, it’s a sugary coating like Peeps. As someone who likes the crunchy exterior of Peeps, I have to say I’ve been enjoying the donuts’ texture.

Is there anything else you need to know?

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is the first flavor from Tastykake’s Scoop Shop line, and I imagine there will be more varieties based on popular ice cream flavors. Perhaps chocolate chip cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, or Neapolitan?

The donuts leave an odd mild aftertaste, but it’s not so bizarre that it prevents me from eating more. Also, I really liked eating these with coffee.

Conclusion:

Tastykake’s Scoop Shop Cookies & Creme Mini Donuts are tasty packaged chocolate donuts with a nice crunch. I wish the “creme” aspect were a bit more prominent, but they’re still a nice, sweet snack.

DISCLOSURE: I received free samples of the product. Doing so did not influence my review in any way. Although, it totally seems like it. But I assure you it did not.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 9.5 oz. bag
Purchased at: Received from Tastykake
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (4 donuts) 270 calories, 11 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 41 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 27 grams of sugar, and 3 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Jack in the Box Spicy Chicken Strips

Marvo 4 Comments

Jack in the Box Spicy Chicken Strips

Burnt or ominously seasoned?

Those were the two thoughts in my head when I opened the clamshell container holding my three-piece order of Jack in the Box’s new Spicy Chicken Strips.

After trying them, I realized it might be an equal amount of both as the 100% white meat chicken inside the coating was a little dry, and the menu item as a whole ended up being spicier than I thought it would be.

I expected these strips to be as peppery as Jack in the Box’s old spicy chicken sandwich, which I’ve consumed numerous times. But they’re hotter. Oh, I wrote, “old spicy chicken sandwich” because Jack has updated the menu item by using these chicken strips in it. I also think they do a better job at bringing the heat than Wendy’s spicy chicken. Don’t @ me.

Jack in the Box Spicy Chicken Strips White Meat Chicken

These also have a nice taste and crunch. The coating is crispy, most noticeably on the edges. Their flavor reminds me of Jack in the Box’s tacos for some reason but enhanced and much spicier. They’re tasty enough that they don’t need a dipping sauce, but my order did come with a container of ranch dip.

Jack in the Box did a great job with these Spicy Chicken Strips. They’re hotter and taste better than I expected. But with all that said, I’m not sure I can wholeheartedly recommend these.

Jack in the Box Spicy Chicken Strips Burnt

While I like them, the amount of trans fat they have is alarming. I got the three-piece order, which, according to Jack in the Box’s website while I was writing this, has 4.5 grams of trans fat, and the five-piece option has 8 grams.

Jack in the Box Spicy Chicken Strips Trans Fat

It might be a mistake on the website because Jack’s regular chicken strips don’t have trans fat and the updated Jack’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich that uses these strips also doesn’t have trans fat. But the nutrition for the sandwich might be for the old version, and no one changed it yet. I dunno. I hope it’s an error because I don’t want to go back to the early 1990s when the trans fat flowed as freely as crack cocaine.

Purchased Price: $4.99*
Size: 3 pieces
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 450 calories, 20 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 4.5 grams of trans fat (seriously?), 70 milligrams of cholesterol, 1970 milligrams of sodium, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 30 grams of protein..

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll most definitely pay less than I did.