The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Red Bull Blue Edition Ocean Blast Energy Drink (Japan)

Marvo / January 27, 2023 / Reviews / 4 Comments

Blue Edition?

I know Red Bull is supposed to give you wings, but I think Red Bull Japan was a different kind of high when it named this energy drink. You see, this Red Bull Ocean Blast is lychee flavored, and nothing about the fruit brings blue to mind.

If you’re unfamiliar with it, it looks like a strawberry covered with outies, and under that red skin is a white, sweet, and slightly floral flesh that I will rip off with abandon because it’s delicious. Under the flesh is a dark brown seed that annoys me when they’re too big because that almost always means less of that succulent fruit flesh.

Note that of all the colors I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I didn’t mention blue. So it’s a bit confusing that this is the Blue Edition. Look, I get it. The blue relates to the Ocean Blast name. But Red Bull has a long history of pairing whatever Edition color with a fruit that’s actually that color. Here in the US, Watermelon is the Red Edition, Tropical is the Yellow Edition, and Blueberry is the Blue Edition. In Japan, the Purple Edition is grape, the Ruby Edition is mangosteen, and the White Edition is white peach.

Well, at least the color of the beverage itself reminds me of what’s under a lychee’s skin.

Odd naming aside, this Red Bull has flown up to the top of my favorite Red Bull flavor list. Although, I might be a bit bias because lychee is my favorite fruit in the whole wide world. Opening the can brought out an aroma that’s similar to what rises from a freshly peeled lychee. Its flavor wavers between a sweet lychee and a slightly tart overripe one. I guess it’s hard to fully hide the flavors of the underlying Red Bull. The aftertaste that lingers in my mouth is like what flavors remain in my mouth after eating lychee. From beginning to end, it’s a wonderful experience, if you’re into the fruit as much as I am.

While I love this flavor, it might be awhile before I’m able to drink it again since it’s only available in Japan at the moment. If you happen to see it at a Japanese grocer in the US, I’d definitely recommend picking it up. If you want to buy it from one of the many online Japanese snack shops based in Japan, expect to pay a lot for quick shipping or to wait a lot if you decide to get it shipped via the cheapest option (I waited two months for mine, and I’m closer to Japan than 99 percent of y’all).

But I want more people to try this and I want to drink it regularly. So this is my plea to the powers that be to bring a lychee-flavored Red Bull to the States. I don’t care what color or season Edition it becomes. Even if it’s the Brown Edition, just make it happen.

Purchased Price: $5.99 (plus shipping)
Size: 250 ml can
Purchased at: NapaJapan
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (100 ml) 45 kcal, 0 grams of fat, 0.14 grams of sodium, 10.7 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of protein, and 32 milligrams of caffeine.

SPOTTED: 1/26/2023

Marvo / January 26, 2023 / Spotted on Shelves / 3 Comments

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.

Trader Joe s Maple Pancake Flavored Puffs — Trader Joe’s Maple Pancake Flavored Puffs

(Spotted by Sarah R at Trader Joe’s.)

(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

Herr s Jalapeno Cheddar Mini Pub Style Pretzels — Herr’s Jalapeno Cheddar Mini Pub Style Pretzels

(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)

Herr s Honey Mustard Mini Pub Style Pretels — Herr’s Honey Mustard Mini Pub Style Pretels

(Spotted by DJ at Redner’s.)

(Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)

(Spotted by Sarah R at Safeway.)

Happy Mama Sicilian Canolli in a Jar and Tuscan Chocolate Pudding in a Jar — Happy Mama Sicilian Cannoli in a Jar and Tuscan Chocolate Pudding in a Jar

Happy Mama Italian Cheese cake in a Jar and Italian Chocolate Vanilla Cake in a Jar — Happy Mama Italian Cheese cake in a Jar and Italian Chocolate & Vanilla Cake in a Jar

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

Happy Mama Cherry Chocolate Spread — Happy Mama Cherry & Chocolate Spread

Happy Mama Peach Chocolate and Apricot Chocolate Spreads — Happy Mama Peach & Chocolate and Apricot & Chocolate Spreads

Happy Mama Strawberry Chocolate and Pear Chocolate Spreads — Happy Mama Strawberry & Chocolate and Pear & Chocolate Spreads

(Spotted by Robbie at Central Market.)

SPOTTED: Fritos Flavor Twists Queso

Marvo / January 26, 2023 / Spotted on Shelves / 1 Comment

Hi there, flavor that’s currently a Dollar General exclusive. (Spotted by Robbie at Dollar General.)

REVIEW: Nestle Coffee mate Pop-Tarts Toasted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Creamer

Jenna / January 26, 2023 / Reviews / 1 Comment

What is it?

First off, it’s a mouthful to type, though that extremely long name does a pretty good job at describing exactly what you’re in for: a coffee creamer flavored after the best (yes, I said it!) Pop-Tart flavor. The past few years have seen all kinds of novelty coffee creamers – heck, I bought three new ones on my last grocery run alone – but as far as I can tell, this is the first java jaunt for the best toaster pastry (yes, I said that too!). Oh, and like seemingly all my favorite products, it’s available for a limited time only.

How is it?

SWEET. I guess that’s a given, but I feel the sweetness of a brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tart is mellower, balanced out both by the underlying toasty, almost nutty notes of the frosting and filling and the comforting blandness of the pastry itself. When the flavor is transposed into a liquid, there are no such layers.

Sipped directly from a shot glass seeing its first use since my college days, there was a lovely warmth and complexity to said sweetness that sets this somewhat apart from your run-of-the-mill creamer, though it tasted more caramelly to me than brown sugar-y or cinnamon-y. But paired with coffee, I initially couldn’t detect that intriguing nuance at all. It didn’t taste much different than any other cup of joe I’d previously imbued with a wacky creamer. So for science – and because this blog is the last place where I should be ashamed of my sweet tooth – I doubled the amount of creamer. The brown sugar cinnamon flavor finally started to shine, and it was delicious!

Anything else you need to know?

After removing the large lid to open the seal, I had difficulty screwing it back on completely, leading to a sizable leak when I made my first pour. I’m pretty clumsy though, so your mileage may vary!

Conclusion:

I had to ride a bus for an hour to find this creamer, and while I wouldn’t necessarily beseech you to do the same, if you can grab it more easily, it’s definitely worth checking out.

Purchased Price: $3.98
Size: 32 fl oz
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 tbsp) 35 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

Coffee Creamer Nestle Coffee-mate Pop-Tarts

SPOTTED: 1/25/2023

Marvo / January 25, 2023 / Spotted on Shelves / 6 Comments

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.