The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Limited Edition Watermelon and Cherry Haribo Gold-Bears

January 20, 2017August 25, 2023 Margaret 5 Comments

What is it about Haribo gummies?

They’re always especially fruity. It’s as if a Fruit Roll-Up got bitten by a mutant Gusher, morphed into a carnivorous mammal, and had its DNA enhanced with fruity powers that allow it to shoot delicious, sugar-laden laser beams from its squishy eyes.

So mark me excited when I saw that there were not one, but THREE new flavors out: Cherry, Green Apple, and Watermelon, all in a race to be the next Haribo Bear.

Now, before we get into tasting, I would regret not mentioning how difficult these gummies seem to be to find. The Green Apple? Seems to not even exist within a 30-mile radius from Los Angeles, proving itself more obscure and elusive than a 1979 Boba Fett action figure. If you find them, stock up and watch as you make yourself a mini fortune on eBay. (Yes, I will be your customer.)

In good fortune, I finally tracked down the Watermelon and Cherry at the checkout aisle of a fringe Walgreens. Let’s see how they stack up.

Right out of the package, the beary gems have a perfect stretchy, squishy bounce. For a second there, I wasn’t sure if I should eat them or pile them together and make a mattress to sleep on.

(You should eat them. Just FYI.)

Behold! The Watermelon bear!

This guy tumbles from the pack, pinker than a flamingo wearing a cotton candy muumuu in the Barbie aisle. A little sour, a little tart, a little flowery, and a little I-don’t-knowy, the taste of this bear must be what happens when a Watermelon Jolly Rancher gets squishified with a Strawberry Starburst.

It’s got a bit of sourness without veering into the “Warhead” zone and has a lightness, sweetness, and unseasonal summery joy that’s welcome in this January chill. Good show, Watermelon bear!

Now, to our next contender: Cherry.

Witness the Cherry. He is a simple fruity ursine. Squidgy and soft like his Watermelon brethren, he comes in a humble shade of mahogany that would make Franken Berry blush. The taste is reminiscent of what might happen if a bottle of grandma’s cranberry juice got sneezed on by a box of Cherry Jell-O: extremely tart, a little bitter, a smidge cough-syrupy, and barely sweet.

I had been hoping for a brighter, more sugary riff closer to a Sonic Cherry Limeade or a Cherry Jolly Rancher, so this version hinges toward being too tart for my tastes. I’d also like to pretend I have a more sophisticated palate than someone who adores sugary, maraschino-laden flavors, but who am I kidding? I’m more likely to have a flying magical moose drop a diamond-encrusted Dyson vacuum on my head.

So, at the end of the day, while the Cherry did fine, I’m giving my vote to Watermelon. It’s a bright, summery flavor, doesn’t taste like cough syrup, and will go smashingly with the lemon, raspberry, orange, strawberry, pineapple, and, lime they’ve already got rolling in the line.

But I also have an astronomically high tolerance for sugar. At $1 per package, I say give them a go and see what you think. You may love them. You may throw them against the wall. You may have profound revelations equivalent to kissing the philosophy of Albert Camus in the candy aisle. Who knows? Go forth! Find out! The great unknown awaits!

(Nutrition Facts – 17 pieces – 140 calories, 0 calories from fat, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 33 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.)

Purchased Price: $1 each (on sale)
Size: 4 oz. bag
Purchased at: Walgreens
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Watermelon)
Rating: 4 out of 10 (Cherry)
Pros: Squishy enough to make a mattress with. Cherry could make Franken Berry blush. Watermelon is sweet enough to provide summer in the middle of January. Fruitiness is equivalent to a Fruit Roll-Up bitten by a mutant Gusher.
Cons: Cherry tastes like Cherry Jell-O and grandma’s cranberry juice. Being unable to find Green Apple. Realizing that I have the palate of a 3-year-old. Having a flying magical moose drop a diamond-encrusted Dyson vacuum on your head.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 1/20/2017

January 20, 2017March 7, 2023 Marvo 2 Comments

Here are some interesting new and limited edition products found on store shelves by us and your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of the products, share your thoughts about them in the comments.

Post Honey Bunches of Oats Pecan & Maple Brown Sugar Cereal

Yeah, Honey Bunches of Oats with Pecan Bunches wasn’t very good. (Spotted by Rachel C at Walmart.)

Limited Edition Dreyer’s Touchdown Sundae (2017)

Old flavor. New packaging design. (Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)

Ella’s Gluten Free Chocolate Silk Pie and Peach Berry Pie

(Spotted by Carla at Walmart.)

Smash Mallow (Toasted Coconut Pineapple and Cinnamon Churro)

Smash Mallow (Mint Chocolate Chip and Strawberries & Cream)

I want to put those cinnamon churro ones in my hot cocoa, Rice Krispies Treats, and mouth. (Spotted by Carla at Fred Meyer.)

Jelly Belly Trolls Hugfest Mix

(Spotted by Rachel C at Macey’s.)

Noosa Cherry Vanilla Yoghurt

I thought we already covered this flavor, but I was confusing it with Noosa’s Tart Cherry Yoghurt. (Spotted by Rachel C at Target.)

Dole Organic Salad Kits (Apple Dijon and Caesar)

(Spotted by Blaire at Giant.)

Jason’s Deli (Tomato Basil Soup, Broccoli Cheese Soup, and Southwest Chicken Chili)

I’ve never heard of Jason’s Deli, but now I know it’s a chain that has 260 delis in 29 states. Thanks, photo of packaged Jason’s Deli soups that are an H-E-B exclusive. (Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

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 ([email protected]) 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.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Van de Kamp’s Nacho Fish Sticks

January 19, 2017March 7, 2023 Marvo 2 Comments

I don’t usually crave fish sticks, but I kind of want to try these. That, my friends, is The Magic of Nacho! (Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)

If you’re out shopping and see an interesting new product on the shelf, snap a picture of it, and send us an email ([email protected]) 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.

COMING SOON: Ben & Jerry’s Oat of this Swirled Ice Cream

January 19, 2017January 7, 2021 Marvo 7 Comments

Ben Jerry s Oat of this Swirled Ice Cream

Update: We reviewed it! Click here to read our review.

Are you a fan of Ben & Jerry’s discontinued Oatmeal Cookie Chunk Ice Cream? Wait, let me rephrase that. Are you mad at Ben & Jerry’s for discontinuing Oatmeal Cookie Chunk? If so, do not read the rest of this post because it may make you angrier.

Earlier this month we covered a couple of upcoming Ben & Jerry’s flavors, but there’s a third and that’s Oat of this Swirled. The new flavor features buttery brown sugar ice cream with fudge flakes and oatmeal cinnamon cookie swirls.

It’s somewhat similar to the beloved Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, which had sweet cream cinnamon ice cream, oatmeal cookies, and fudge chunks. So Oat of this Swirled is maddeningly close to the flavor that now sits in Ben & Jerry’s Flavor Graveyard.

If you’re not familiar with the story about the discontinued flavor, it was taken off shelves because Ben & Jerry’s couldn’t find a replacement supplier for the oatmeal cookies who could produce cookies as good as the original. So instead of putting mediocre cookies into their ice cream, they discontinued the flavor in 2012.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Tootsie Roll Mini Bites and Fruit Chews Mini Bites

January 19, 2017March 7, 2023 Marvo

Candy-on-candy action! (Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)

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