Fruit Riot Sour Patch Kids Sour Pineapple Tropical Mix Review

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Fruit Riot Sour Patch Kids Sour Pineapple Tropical Mix Pouch

Fruit Riot has never caused a riot in my house because, well, I’ve never invited any of its products into my place. I’ve known about Fruit Riot products for years, ever since the original version debuted, but never made room in my freezer for the pouches of sour-coated frozen fruit. All it took for me to finally open my freezer door to welcome a bag of Fruit Riot was a collaboration with Sour Patch Kids.

Before you question whether gummy candy freezes well, know that this Fruit Riot Sour Patch Kids Sour Pineapple Tropical Mix is freshly frozen pineapple with a Sour Patch Kids-inspired sour coating. So, no gummy candy shaped like kids were harmed in making this product.

Fruit Riot Sour Patch Kids Sour Pineapple Tropical Mix the different sizes of fruit

It appears the sugary, sour layer aims to replicate the flavors of Redberry, Orange, and Grape. However, the pouch mostly contained yellow-colored pieces, which made me wonder if they were lemon-flavored rather than orange. The next most plentiful were the Redberry chunks, and trailing far behind with only four purple bits was Grape.

It was surprising that there was no need to let the fruit thaw before biting into it. As someone who freezes fruit because I don’t eat fresh ones fast enough, I know how solid fresh pineapple can get when frozen. The varied sizes of the pieces also took me aback — some were standard pineapple chunks you’d find in a can, while others were noticeably smaller.

Is it lemon? Is it orange? It is definitely sour.

This is definitely Redberry.

Of the three Sour Patch Kids flavors in the pouch, the only one I could identify with certainty was the Redberry, which ended up being my favorite. Orange didn’t taste like orange, and I’m not sure the purple pieces were grape, but that didn’t take away from how much I liked them. The pineapple’s flavor, which can be a bit tart on its own, wasn’t overpowered by the coating. Instead, the sugary layer amped up the sourness, though not to a face-puckering level. The coating’s grittiness wasn’t off-putting either, adding a sugary crunch to the firm chew of the pineapple.

Is it grape? It is definitely purple.

I don’t know if these are as sour as Fruit Riot’s other products because, as I mentioned earlier, I haven’t had any of them. But I enjoyed the taste of every piece, even though with most, I was not sure what I was tasting beyond the sourness and pineapple. If you’re a fan of sour candy, these are a fun way to eat fruit, and definitely worth opening your freezer door for.

Purchased Price: $5.99
Size: 8 oz pouch
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 oz/about 3-5 pieces) 45 calories, 2 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 7 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 6 grams of sugar (includes 4 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

Dr Pepper Tic Tac Review

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Dr Pepper Tic Tac container

It took well over a century, but the good Doctor Pepper has finally released his iconic twenty-three flavored elixir in pill form.

That’s right, the long-awaited third flavor in the Soda Tic Tac trilogy is Dr Pepper. I was a fan of the Coke one, but hated the Sprite. If we’re just going off the drinks themselves, I like Dr Pepper better than both of ’em, so needless to say, I had high hopes for this collab.

Said hopes were… mostly met.

Dr Pepper Tic Tac's Dr Pepper color

There’s no debating that these are Dr Pepper just from the smell and sight of them. They have the familiar cherry-ish waft of the fizzy drink, and to quote the late great Bugs Bunny, “What a maroon.”

We miss you every day, Bugs. Hope you made it to the great Albuquerque in the sky. If only you said, “What’s up, Doc?” to an actual doctor more often.

But enough about real doctors, do these “mints” taste like actual Dr Pepper? Yes! And no!?

They do, but it’s not as uncanny (or unbottley if you prefer) as Dr Pepper collabs usually are. The candy shell has a vague cherry/cola sweetness, but once that’s gone and the mint turns white and gritty, it just tastes like a really watered-down Dr Pepper knockoff. Dare I say Mr. Pibbian – a far less educated soda.

Dr Pepper Tic Tac in a bowl

I was ready to say these tasted just like cherry Bottle Caps, but I ultimately landed on a particular black cherry soda. They remind me of a drink made by an old med school colleague of Dr Pepper’s — Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry. He’s not as celebrated, but still makes a solid pop.

So, I really like the flavor for about eight seconds, and then I only kinda like it. It reminds me of the delicious sweetness you get from Tic Tacs’ pill cousin, Advil, before you suck on them for too long and they just end up tasting like bitter medicine. That’s how you’re supposed to eat those, right?

Dr Pepper Tic Tac with actual Dr Pepper

With all that said, there’s a kicker here. A saving grace. These Tic Tacs have a fizzing sensation. Have you ever had Zotz, or similar fizzing candy? It’s like those on a much smaller scale, but still noticeable. I honestly don’t think every mint fizzes, only a couple per “sip,” but it adds a fun and creative element to the eating experience.

The fizzing actually made me incredibly thirsty, which might be a stroke of genius brand synergy now that I think about it.

I imagine most Dr Pepper fans will enjoy these just fine, but I’m still not sure they serve much of a purpose. They’re “mints” that don’t freshen your mouth, and not a top-tier “sucking candy.” They’re also not a candy that sucks, and the fizzing is undeniably fun, so I guess that still makes them worth a try. Nothing wrong with a twist on two old classics.

I’m still here for any and all Dr Pepper collabs moving forward. In fact, I have an open pack of Dr Pepper Peeps slowly maturing in the cabinet, and I can’t wait til they get to their maximum staleness to indulge. If only they came in bunny form to honor our old friend, Bugs.

Purchased Price: $4.52
Size: 3.4 Fl. Oz.
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Mint) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium,0 grams of total carbohydrates, for some reason they don’t even bother mentioning sugar, 0 grams of protein.

Snickers Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis Ice Cream Bars Review

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Snickers Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis Ice Cream Bars box

Why are these Snickers Minis Ice Cream Bars not called Snickers Fun Size Ice Cream Bars? They’re roughly the size of regular Snickers Fun Size bars, not the square-ish regular Snickers Minis. Calling them “Fun Size” would’ve been, well, fun — and more accurate.

Nomenclature aside, one of the genuinely fun things about these mini ice cream bars is the four varieties available. Along with these Snickers Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis, there are also Original Snickers, Salted Caramel, and Almond varieties. Sorry, fans of Snickers Butterscotch Scoop, Pecan, Hazelnut, or Fiery. Maybe they’ll show up next year, if these sell well.

Snickers Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis Ice Cream Bars individually wrapped

I think there’s a chance they will, because these Snickers Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis are good. Each bar features caramel, peanuts, and crunchy peanut butter ice cream in a chocolate coating, and there are ten individually wrapped bars per box. If you want to eat all ten in one sitting, the box has already read your mind, offering the nutrition facts for that scenario: 920 calories, 61 grams of fat, 31 grams of saturated fat, 5 grams of fiber, 68 grams of sugar, and 18 grams of protein.

While they taste great, with their strong nutty flavor from the ice cream and nuts (though mostly from the latter), with a hint of chocolate from the coating, they aren’t so compelling that I’d eat all ten in one sitting. With an actual Snickers Fun Size candy bar, because it’s denser, just one satisfies my sweet tooth. With these ice cream bars, it takes two to get that same feeling.

Snickers Crunchy Peanut Butter Minis Ice Cream Bars cross section

As someone who prefers crunchy peanut butter, I’m thrilled there are added peanut bits in the peanut butter-flavored ice cream in addition to the usual nuts on top, guaranteeing some crunch in every bite. What I didn’t really get enough of was the caramel. I could feel its gooey texture and see it ooze out from under the chocolate layer, but thanks to the strong nuttiness from the other ingredients, its flavor was nearly nonexistent. But I guess that’s okay since these are Snickers Peanut Butter Minis Ice Cream Bars.

Snickers Minis Ice Cream Bars cross section

While that’s fine, I also purchased the regular Snickers Minis Ice Cream Bars to compare, and there isn’t a significant difference in nuttiness and flavor between the two, even though the Peanut Butter version has more nuts and peanut butter-flavored ice cream. With the regular one, the peanuts stand out, while the caramel flavor is lacking, which sounds very familiar, if you read the previous paragraph, and not very Snickers-like.

A difference was somewhat noticeable when I was double-fisting them, but if you were the ruler of a country and I were your Official Snickers Ice Cream Feeder, and you had only eaten regular Snickers Ice Cream Bars, and if feeding you anything else meant I’d be thrown into a dungeon — I’m pretty sure sneaking in these Snickers Peanut Butter Minis would keep me out of a cage.

I guess that’s a long-winded and confusing explanation. A more accurate way to put it would be that these taste a bit too close to regular Snickers Ice Cream Bars to my liking.

Purchased Price: $5.49
Size: 9.5 fl oz box/10 0.95 oz bars
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 90 calories, 6 grams of fat, 3 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 40 milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 7 grams of sugar (includes 6 grams of added sugar), and 2 grams of protein.

Frankford KFC Colonel’s Favorite Jelly Beans Review

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Frankford KFC Colonel’s Favorite Jelly Beans packaging

Jelly bean season is upon us, and the folks at Frankford Candy have given us the unholiest collaboration of Eastertide: Colonel’s Favorite Jelly Beans.

The colonel is Colonel Sanders—the KFC guy.

If you think that sounds terrible, you are correct. These jelly beans are not AI, but I wish they were.

The flavors are fried chicken, sweet corn (maybe we should call him Kernel Sanders?), and gravy. I didn’t expect these to be good, and yet even my low expectations remain unmet.

Frankford KFC Colonel’s Favorite Jelly Beans fried chicken

When I open the bag, I get a strong, off-putting savory smell. I often enjoy mixing savory and sweet (pineapple on pizza, Pumpkin Spice Cup Noodles), but this is not one of those times.

Frankford KFC Colonel’s Favorite Jelly Beans gravy

Even the beige color palette is unappetizing. The corn flavor is yellow, the gravy flavor is orange-yellow, and the fried chicken flavor is Caucasian skin with freckles. At least the texture is pretty typical for a jelly bean.

Frankford KFC Colonel’s Favorite Jelly Beans corn

The flavors aren’t all that different from each other; they are all strong umami, savory flavors with a fruity sweetness. If I concentrate, the fried chicken flavor does make me imagine juicy meat inside a crispy batter, but that’s not something I want in a jelly bean. The corn bean has a very faint corn flavor; it’s the best (i.e., least disgusting) of the three. And I detect an onion note in the gravy bean.

Even after I have eaten them, a weird, unpleasant aftertaste lingers in my mouth. I think these are worse than the notorious turkey dinner candy corn.

Taste the KFC Rainbow

It is difficult to find anything to enjoy about these. So why am I rating them a 2 out of 10 instead of a 1 out of 10? Well, they’re not so repulsive that I need to spit them out. They’re close, but they’re not quite there. And also, I’m pretty sure they’re meant to be amusing and ridiculous, and they’re probably meant to be a little gross. In that way, they’re a roaring success.

Don’t put these in a plastic egg for the annual egg hunt unless you want to ruin a kid’s Easter.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 4 oz bag
Purchased at: Five Below
Rating: 2 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (22 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 28 grams of carbohydrates, 27 grams of sugar (includes 27 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.

Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bar Review

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Reese's Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bar orange box

Over the last year or so, there has been a growing line of Reese’s frozen novelties — almost more than you could shake an ice cream bar stick at. You’ve probably seen them with their striking orange boxes. The latest addition is the Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bar, featuring Reese’s peanut butter-flavored sauce, ice cream, peanut pieces, and a milk chocolate-flavored coating. Yes, it’s made with 100% real ice cream, but it’s not keeping it 100 because that coating is decidedly not 100% real milk chocolate.

Reese's Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bar milk chocolate flavored coating

It’s shaped like a standard candy bar — a Snickers, a Milky Way. That got me thinking: wouldn’t it be infinitely cooler if these were shaped like Reese’s peanut butter cups, like those frozen novelties that were available several years ago? It would give the packaging some shelf appeal beyond the already shelf-appealing Reese’s orange boxes.

What about a stick, you ask? HA! Don’t make me laugh. A peanut butter cup-shaped ice cream bar doesn’t need a stick. The only stick to be concerned with is sticking it in your mouth.

Now, I know some of you might be put off by the milk chocolate-flavored coating because that makes it sound cheap. But I assure you it tastes, melts, and shatters fine — for what it is. However, if this not-quite-chocolate showed up on an actual Reese’s peanut butter cup, I would take back my pitchfork from Lucifer, make my way to Pennsylvania, and turn Hershey into Hellshey. I will not stand for that. But on an ice cream bar that’s already working with a Reese’s peanut butter flavor that doesn’t quite taste like the stuff in the actual candy, I can extend the same grace to the coating.

Reese's Crunchy Peanut Ice Cream Bar peanut pieces, ice cream, and peanut butter sauce.

The smooth peanut butter sauce and the crunch of the peanuts do a great job of making me not care about the chocolatey coating, and the combination of all the components makes this genuinely enjoyable. After eating a couple of bars — not in a row, I should clarify — I’m not entirely sure that the ice cream itself is peanut butter-flavored or something else, but the bar’s nutty flavor as a whole is quite strong regardless.

The combination of peanut butter and chocolate is one of the great flavor pairings, and even a product with a milk chocolate-flavored coating can still be pretty good. What this Reese’s product need more of, though, is the sweet-salty contrast that makes an actual Reese’s peanut butter cup so addictive — the thing that makes me want to eat the second cup in a regular pack and all four in a King Size. These are good, but not that kind of good. If you want the peanut butter and chocolate combo in ice cream bar form and you’re okay with the trade-offs, this will 100% do the job.

Purchased Price: $10.99
Size: 12 fl oz box/6 2 fl oz bars
Purchased at: Safeway
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 bar) 140 calories, 4 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (includes 8 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

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