Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
The Pioneer Woman Sweet & Nutty Snack Mixes (Knock You Naked Brownie and Pecan Sticky Buns)
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)
Red Lobster Honey Butter Biscuit Mix
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)
Krusteaz Sweet Corn Muffin & Cornbread Mix
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)
Good & Gather Elote Inspired Mini EmpanadasGood & Gather Elote Inspired Corn & Cheese Masa BitesGood & Gather Beef & Jalapeno Mini Empanadas
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)
Virgil’s Zero Keto Dr BetterVirgil’s Zero Keto Root BeerVirgil’s Zero Keto Black Cherry SodaVirgil’s Zero Keto Orange CreamVirgil’s Zero Keto Vanilla CreamVirgil’s Zero Keto Cola
According to Herr’s website, the (215) Special Sauce chip “starts with tangy tomato flavors and finishes with a mild vinegary heat,” the Wiz Wit chips “are drenched in delicious cheesy onion flavor with a bit of meat to match the cheesy goodness that oozes out of the back of your roll after your first bite,” and the Long Hots chip “delivers a bold roasted pepper flavor combined with notes of provolone cheese in the background with a mild heat that builds with each chip.” (Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)
There’s something so important about this new Cinnamon French Toast flavor of Frosted Flakes that I have to establish it right off the bat: it smells unbelievably good. I would usually try to come up with an analogy to explain how this cereal is so magical that it’s probably what unicorns eat for brunch or something like that, but honestly, this scent doesn’t need a fantastical comparison. The smell is simply so extravagantly syrupy and sweet that I briefly forgot that I was just sitting in my kitchen with my face buried in a cardboard box. I felt like I ought to be tapping a maple tree in Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory (fine, I guess that’s a little fantastical). Suffice to say, the cereal’s taste had some big shoes to fill -— and it did.
Like your everyday Frosted Flakes, the Cinnamon French Toast variety has that satisfyingly malty corn base… which is, who am I kidding, almost completely obscured by a blanket of way more important, intense, and absolutely-not-dentist-friendly sweetness. While the smell struck me as undeniably maple-like, the taste really delivered the cinnamon. These are probably just as sweet as normal Frosted Flakes, but the warm, zippy twist from the cinnamon made that sweetness feel more nuanced. I usually leave my bowl of Frosted Flakes feeling, guiltily, like a sugar-crazed kid, but this flavor seemed mellower—cozier.
Of course, no bowl of cereal is complete without adding milk (and I will fight anyone who says otherwise!). I was impressed by how well these flakes held up, remaining admirably crispy for long enough that I could savor their experience-enhancing crunch. Perhaps controversially, I actually do love soggy cereal, so I wasn’t too disappointed when I ended up accidentally spending so long trying to come up with another way to say “crispy” that the word no longer applied, but there is still just something special about a firm Frosted Flake. Interestingly, dampening the cereal seemed to make it taste more like it smelled, maybe because that cinnamon-y complexity was washed away in the river of milk, which of course, was then transformed into a delicious dessert drink unsurprisingly reminiscent of Cinnamon Toast Crunch’s “cinnamilk.”
The one thing that didn’t feel quite right about this cereal was the French toast moniker. After an intense bout of thinking and an ensuing Google rabbit hole (I look forward to regaling future breakfast companions with the knowledge that French toast can also be known as “poor knights” and “eggy bread”), I realized that that’s probably because, to me at least, French toast is such a textural sensation. A spongy bread square that’s crunchy on the outside yet moist and fluffy on the inside is not exactly an experience that translates to a bunch of thin, jagged shards of sugar-blasted corn, even if they do share some ingredients.
But you know what? It doesn’t really matter. I’d argue that the components in the name “Frosted Flakes Cinnamon French Toast” are listed in order of importance, and this flavor definitely delivers on the “frosted,” the “flakes,” and the “cinnamon.” Even if it doesn’t exactly bring “French toast” to the front of my mind, I highly recommend tearing yourself away from its delectable smell long enough to pour a bowl.
Purchased Price: $4.29 Size: 22 oz box (“Family Size”) Purchased at: Target Rating: 9 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (1 cup – cereal only) 140 calories (200 with ¾ cup skim milk), 1 gram of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 180 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 12 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.
Mtn Dew Typhoon is a Dew with a blast of tropical punch, and it’s only available online via the Dew Store. It’s a returning flavor that made its debut in 2010. A 16-ounce can six-pack will cost you $12 (not including $8 ground shipping). Plus, to purchase it, you have to be a Dew Nation HQ member, which I’m not sure comes with a membership card you can flash to access some auDEWtorium if you sign up. Is it worth spending an Andrew Jackson and sharing your email and birthday to get your hands on something that initially existed over a decade ago?
Well, it’s much cheaper and easier than building a time machine from scratch, let me tell you. But if you’ve already got one, go with the time machine because sodas were cheaper back then. If not, I think it’s worth getting the six-pack of Mtn Dew Typhoon because it’s a mid to maybe upper-mid-tier Dew flavor.
Here’s what I wrote about it back in 2010, when the flavor debuted as part of the DEWmocracy promotion: “While those who live in the western part of the Pacific Ocean probably don’t like its name, I thought its pineapple and citrus flavor was the best tasting and most unique of the three DEWmocracy flavors. Although, as much as I liked it, I wasn’t completely blown away by it.”
After tasting it again in 2022, that last sentence still rings true. It has a tasty fruit punch flavor with a noticeable pineapple kick, but it’s not so great that I want it available year-round or in brick-and-mortar stores. It’s been over a decade since I last had the chance to try Typhoon, and over that time, I haven’t really thought about it, unlike Mtn Dew Pitch Black, which I dream about multiple times a year.
With that said, I do like the idea of getting the opportunity to go back into Mtn Dew history and try flavors from its past, even if that involves creating a password for the Dew Nation HQ website. I hope this leads to the selling of other discontinued flavors. Can you imagine trying Johnson City Gold or Mtn Dew Pitch Black I AND II again? That would be awesome!
So, I guess what I’m saying is, buy Mtn Dew Typhoon. By doing so, you’ll be getting a fine tasting Dew, and we all might get the chance to wrap our lips around more discontinued Dew flavors in the future.
DISCLOSURE: I received a free product samples from Mtn Dew. Doing so did not influence my review.
Purchased Price: FREE Size: 16 fl oz cans Purchased at: Received from Mtn Dew Rating: 7 out of 10 Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 230 calories, 0 grams of fat, 65 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of carbohydrates, 61 grams of sugar (61 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of protein, 72 milligrams of caffeine.
Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.
Favorite Day S’mores Soft Baked CookiesFavorite Day Lavender Shortbread Cookie BitesFavorite Day White Chocolate Chip with Macadamia Nuts Soft Baked CookiesFavorite Day Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip and Lemon White Chocolate Chip Cookie BitesFavorite Day Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Crispy and Soft Baked Cookies
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)
Kodiak Cubs Oatmeal (S’mores and Birthday Cake)Kodiak Cubs Oatmeal Maple Brown Sugar