The Impulsive Buy

SPOTTED ON SHELVES: Hershey’s Milk Chocolate & Reese’s Pieces Bar

Marvo / November 23, 2018 / Spotted on Shelves / 1 Comment

It’s the return of Hershey’s TwoSomes with Reese’s Pieces but without the sort of suggestive name. Or maybe it wasn’t suggestive and I should just get my mind out of the gutter. (Spotted by Keith at Citgo.)

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.

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.

QUICK REVIEW: Coca-Cola Clear (Japan)

Rachel / November 23, 2018 / Reviews / 7 Comments

What is Coca-Cola Clear?

I’m in Japan – the mecca of novelty junk food! Of course, I sought out some new and quirky offerings. Coca-Cola has introduced a colorless version of its signature pop – trailing a quarter of a century behind Pepsi in the clear soda arms race. Without all that pesky caramel-y cola, it’s billed as lemon-flavored and is a zero-calorie drink. It is currently only available in Japan.

How is it?

Right out of the bottle, the aroma veers away from the usual Coke. It’s milder with a low-level citrus smell.

I was expecting something with a strong lemon taste, ala Sprite or 7Up, but this was subtler – like squeezing a lemon wedge into your already-sweet seltzer water and adding a dash of cola. Despite the lemon base, it was identifiable as a Coke derivative and had the same sweeteness level, but was lighter and brighter than regular Coca-Cola. It didn’t have the neon citrus feel of other sodas.

While not unpleasant, Coca-Cola Clear failed to establish its own flavor personality. Hence, it’s easier to describe what it ISN’T – it’s not cola, it’s not un-cola. Because of this vagueness of character, I wondered why this? Why now? Is 2018 the right time just because Coke hadn’t done it yet?

Is there anything else you need to know?

Be prepared for the pop. The Coke products I sampled in Japan were packaged in a way that caused the initial rush of gasses out of the bottles to be downright explosive. My travel companion and I startled each other all week with the loud cracks of Coke bottles opening.

Conclusion:

Overall, an OK lightly lemon soda, but as Dr. Ian Malcolm would say – Coca-Cola scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should. Try it if you’re a hardcore noveltyist, but only one bottle.

Purchased Price: 48 yen (approx. 69 cents US)
Size: 500 ml bottle (17 oz.)
Purchased at: MEGA Don Quijote Shibuya, Tokyo
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (100 ml) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 0 grams of total sugars and 0 grams of protein.

SPOTTED ON SHELVES – 11/23/2018

Marvo / November 23, 2018 / Spotted on Shelves / 2 Comments

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.

Frito-Lay Southwest Flavor Mix

(Spotted by Dorothy at Walmart)

Great Value Mix Sprinkles

(Spotted by Dorothy at Walmart)

Popcorners Flourish Veggie Crisps Yellow Corn with Greens & Beans

Popcorners Flourish Veggie Crisps Chickpea & Rice with Brussels Sprouts & Kale

Popcorners Flourish Veggie Crisps Chickpea & Rice with Beets & Peas

(Spotted by Sarah D at Dillons.)

Sprouts Oven-Baked Cheese Bites Pizza Flavored

(Spotted by Sylvia at Sprouts.)

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.

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.

REVIEW: Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner

Marvo / November 22, 2018 / Reviews / 5 Comments

Snack scalpers.

They’re the only way you’ll be able to get your hands on a Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner Set. Because it sold out in under an hour after it became available for purchase exclusively on the online Kellogg’s Store.

That’s crazy, right?

It’s crazy there’s a Kellogg’s online store. I had no idea. You can get a box of Frosted Flakes or Pop-Tarts with your photo on it, Eggo waffle socks, Tony the Tiger slippers, and so much more. I want to get a box of Frosted Flakes with a photo of me holding up a box of Frosted Flakes that also has a photo of me holding a box of Frosted Flakes.

Oh, you’re wondering why I’m not amazed by Thanksgiving-flavored Pringles and the fact that it sold out in less than an hour? Well, there have been Thanksgiving-flavored chips before, I reviewed one. And, as someone who tried to purchase Perfect Pepsi from Amazon on October 21, 2015, I have experienced first-hand what it’s like for something to sell out in a matter of minutes and then later see snack scalpers on eBay sell it for 10-20 times more than its retail price. So I expected the quick sellout.

But, is it worth spending (checks eBay) $50-$100 to get your hands on these cans?

Um, no.

But you can experience these chips vicariously through me, which is completely free. Okay, not entirely free. If you think time is money, then this review will take up 3-5 minutes of your time/money.

The Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner Set features three flavors — Turkey, Stuffing, and Pumpkin Pie. Sadly, no cranberry, corn on the cob, candied yams, mashed potato, or tears shed from another Thanksgiving dinner fight. But the three in the set taste like what I’d expect from the obligatory portions of a Thanksgiving dinner.

Turkey Pringles are savory and herbaceous with the flavor of the bird lurking in the back. While they’re tasty and remind me of turkey, a couple of other thoughts popped into my head. Why do I sometimes think of soup while chewing on them? And, they could also be mistaken for Stuffing Pringles.

The Stuffing one is a little herbaceous with a slight poultry-ness and tastes exactly like that popular stove top-prepared dish — Nissin Top Ramen Chicken. It’s as if Pringles took last year’s wonderful Nissin Top Ramen Chicken flavor, did absolutely nothing to it, and relabeled it “Stuffing.” To be honest, I have no problem with that because the ramen Pringles are one of my all-time favorites.

Finally, we come to Pumpkin Pie, which has already exists in the Pringles universe. It hits all the right pumpkin spice notes — cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, etc. The spices hide the fact they are delivered on a potato crisp, but the pumpkin spice facade quickly fades, leaving your taste buds to deal with the underlying potato flakes. The flavor is good, but it’s too fleeting.

Besides daring you to spend $15 (its retail price) for what equals to the same amount of Pringles you can get for $1-$2, Pringles also dares you to stack all three into THE ULTIMATE THANKSGIVING STACK. Is it gross? Since turkey and stuffing being in the same bite is common at Thanksgiving, and the Pumpkin Pie spices are fleeting, it’s not.

Overall, Pringles Thanksgiving Dinner has some Willy Wonka-like magic on them. If it ends up in stores next year, it’s worth a try.

So there, I saved you $50-$100. You’re welcome. Happy Thanksgiving!

DISCLOSURE: I received a free sample of the product. Doing so did not influence my review in any way. After seeing the prices it was going for on eBay, I thought about selling it, but Kellogg’s would’ve been upset with me if I did.

Purchased Price: Received from Kellogg’s
Size: 3 1.4 oz. cans
Purchased at: Was available on Kellogg’s online store
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) Turkey – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 250 milligrams of sodium, 22 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Stuffing – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 260 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, less than 1 gram of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Pumpkin Pie – 210 calories, 13 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 130 milligrams of sodium, 23 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

Chips Pringles

SPOTTED ON SHELVES (SEASONAL EDITION) – 11/21/2018

Marvo / November 21, 2018 / Spotted on Shelves / 3 Comments

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