Here are some interesting new 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.
(Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Not new, but it’s got a tie-in with Jurassic World this time. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, it ain’t summer until Red Bull says it’s summer.
Well, folks, I’m thrilled to tell you that Red Bull says it’s summer.
Play that theme music!
(NOTE: That theme music is “Rebel Rebel” by David Bowie, but instead of “Rebel,” it’s “Red Bull,” and it’s just that line, over and over, for four minutes. I won’t lie, it gets old pretty quickly.)
I’ll tell you what doesn’t get old pretty quickly, the flavor of this year’s Red Bull Summer Edition – Strawberry Apricot.
This has gotta be one of the more exciting energy drink flavor profiles I’ve seen in a while, and that’s because apricot is a criminally underutilized fruit.
I wracked my brain and couldn’t think of a single drink featuring apricot. I guess Red Bull has gotten so far down the fruit list that it decided to finally dip its toe in uncharted waters, although I do think they wussed out a bit by cutting apricot with the way more familiar strawberry.
Upon cracking the can, the scent of sour strawberry candy smacked me in the face. That was kinda what I feared would happen. I had very little faith that the apricot would rise above or even run parallel to the strawberry.
Well, unfortunately (but not really…), I was right, and the strawberry flavor popped right out of the gate. That’s not to say I didn’t get a hint of apricot.
The fruit has a distinctive aftertaste to it. When they’re ripe, they start sweet and finish with a little sour kick. That was pretty much what happened with this drink.
I think apricot pushed through in another way because I don’t know how to describe this flavor as anything other than “soft.” Perhaps I’m being influenced by the texture of the fruit itself, but this was one of the more delicate Red Bull varieties I can ever remember drinking, and I think I’m gonna give credit to the apricot there. It wasn’t harsh at all, and that supporting flavor did its best to mute the more dominant strawberry in a way I found super light and refreshing.
Actually, I’ll tell you what this ultimately reminded me of – Strawberry Fruit Roll-ups.
After a little while, that’s all I could think of, but it wasn’t just Strawberry Fruit Roll-up, it was also apricot fruit leather. I guess that makes sense because when I think of the more “upscale” fruit leathers, three flavors come to mind – strawberry, raspberry, and apricot. I always enjoyed those as a kid, and I rode a little nostalgia wave with each additional sip.
As for the “energy” aspect, this could’ve just hit me on the right day at the right time because man, it gave me a serious energy boost. That rarely happens anymore, so I considered it a huge bonus. I feel like the electric orange can also had a hand in hyping me up.
Overall, I think most loyal Red Bull drinkers will dig this year’s summer edition, even you weirdos who call apricots, “Ape-ricots.” There’s a lot to like here.
Ok, the review’s over. You can go ahead and kill the theme music now.
Purchased Price: $2.50
Size: 12 fl oz can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 125 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of total carbohydrates, 38 grams of total sugars, and 0 grams of protein.
Would it have been weird if there were Nerds candies floating in these? I don’t think I’ve had frozen Nerds before. Also Strawberry Nerds > Grape Nerds > Watermelon Nerds. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)
Here are some interesting new 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.
(Spotted by Robbie at Sam’s Club.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)
(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)
(Spotted by Robbie at H-E-B.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)
(Spotted by Sarah R at Sprouts.)
ICEE has launched a new line of sandwich cookies that are meant to evoke the flavors of its iconic frozen drinks. The press release states that “fans can enjoy the classic pop and fizz of their favorite carbonated beverage in a delicious crème filled cookie.” This intriguing concept seems to indicate that the crème contains pieces of popping candy. The cookies feature cherry or blue raspberry crème sandwiched between vanilla wafers.
I decided to try the cherry flavor first, as that would be the most familiar to me. In my youth, I always drank the cherry or cola-flavored ICEEs. I opened the package and my sense of smell was walloped by an intense artificial cherry aroma. It was shockingly potent.
I pulled a cookie out and twisted it apart, exposing the fluorescent crème. I jumped right in and pulled the crème off with my tongue. The flavor immediately reminded me of an actual cherry ICEE. It was saccharine, but not overbearing. It was an artificial cherry flavoring, but never veered into cough syrup territory. There were tiny crunchy bits integrated throughout the crème. I could feel a very mild sensation of effervescence, but it was much more understated than expected. It wasn’t exactly “fizzy.”
The cookies themselves had a faint vanilla flavor, but not nearly enough to be considered a “vanilla wafer.” They tasted closer to a nondescript shortbread, but it doesn’t particularly matter since they exist solely as a vessel for the crème. The cookie allowed the crème to take center stage.
I then opened the blue raspberry package and was greeted with a softer yet still immediately familiar aroma. I employed the same approach and tried the crème on its own first. It was a standard blue raspberry flavor, but was noticeably sweeter, stronger, and more artificial tasting than the cherry. I’m not sure if I’ve ever had a blue raspberry ICEE, so I can’t speak to its accuracy. Oddly, the blue raspberry cookies seemed to have more popping candy in the crème, which helped to make them feel slightly fizzier. When eating a whole cookie, it felt like a somewhat disjointed experience. The crème filling was just too domineering.
For me, the cherry-flavored ICEE cookies feel like a more cohesive presentation. The vanilla-esque wafers work better with the cherry-flavored crème. I will be the first to admit that my judgment could be clouded by nostalgia, though. Had I consumed blue raspberry ICEEs by the bucketload as a child, perhaps I’d have a different opinion.
The ICEE cookies are a unique idea with an underwhelming execution. If the crème filling had more (or more effective) popping candy, these would be even better. An improved wafer would also elevate the experience. If you’re a big ICEE fan, then these may be worth your time for flavor alone. I would steer clear, though, if the only appeal is the popping candy in the crème.
Purchased Price: $3.28 each
Size: 13 oz. package
Purchased at: Fry’s
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cherry), 6 out of 10 (Blue Raspberry)
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.
