Every year, the end of July marks the moment I’m over summer and ready to be embraced by the sweet chill of autumn. Maybe it’s because my birthday is at the end of July (gifts are welcome), after which I have nothing to celebrate other than a full month ahead of sticky humidity and overly aggressive bees who have taken an unsettling interest in my daily activities. Regardless of the reason, now also marks the time that my favorite summer flavors—berry and lemon—enter the clearance aisle of my heart, making way for pumpkin, apple, and, best of all, maple.

Post Limited Edition Fruity Pebbles Waffles Cereal feels like the perfect product for this transition period, combining flavors of bright summer fruitiness with sweet maple syrup. Imagine two Post greats, Fruity Pebbles and Waffle Crisp, joined as one in the form of tiny waffle cereal pieces flecked with rainbow bits. Fred Flintstone has never given me a reason not to trust him, so I bought the (woolly?) mammoth Family Size box from Walmart.

I could smell the maple emanating from the box the moment I took it off the shelf. The scent was so strong that my cat inspected the unopened box for several minutes with a thoroughness he usually reserves for salmon. From the scent alone, I expected Waffle Crisp cleverly disguised by rainbow sprinkles, but I was surprised that the fruity cereal taste was at the forefront. That generic fruity flavor, which I find to be mostly citrusy with some cherry notes, is supported by a subtle toasted, buttery base. There is a slight maple flavor in the cereal, but, weirdly, it leaves a pronounced aftertaste.

While I would have loved a touch more maple, I could not stop eating this cereal. I particularly love its texture: crisp and crunchy without the airy chewiness of cereals that use primarily corn bases. (Fruity Pebbles Waffles Cereal uses both oat and corn.) Even in milk, the pieces keep their crunch. The texture alone makes me prefer this cereal to the original Fruity Pebbles and their tiny, sogginess-prone flakes.

Post Limited Edition Fruity Pebbles Waffles Cereal is a fun, novel twist on two old favorites. The flavors complement each other well enough to overcome the mash-up gimmick, resulting in a product that feels very much like its own thing worth trying while you can find it. Unlike the immortal Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble, this duo of flavors is only around for a limited time.

Purchased Price: $4.93
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 19 oz – Family Size box
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1 1/2 cup serving) 160 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 230 milligrams of sodium, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein

Before I start, I just wanna give Post props for keeping the Flintstones alive in the zeitgeist.

Before I continue, I just want to look the word “zeitgeist” up in the dictionary as I have no idea if I’m using it properly.

Okay, I’m still not sure. Fun word to say though. Zeit-geist.

Do kids these days even know who Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm are? I suspect they do thanks to the Pebbles line of cereals, Push Pops, and, of course, Flintstones vitamins. If we’re to believe the marketing they are taken daily by ten million kids strong, and groooowing. That being said, they’ve been playing the same commercials since the 70s. My guess is they’re at much less these days, and sloooowing.

Fruity Pebbles are one of my favorite cereals of all time, and I don’t believe they get their proper respect.

Far be it from me to say a cereal that has been on shelves for 45 years is underrated, but they’re underrated. Just look at them, they exist to brighten your morning. I know they aren’t much different than Froot Loops or Trix, but I’ve always found their size and shape more appealing, and their colors just seem to POP more.

Fruity Pebbles are the closest thing to candy you can eat for breakfast. That classic sugary, fruity mixture is something I’ve been enjoying for 20+ years. Now you’re telling me Post threw some Lucky Charms-esque marshmallows into the equation? Bring it.

Have you ever had a Fruity Pebbles treat? If so, to borrow a pretentious term I learned from Top Chef, this cereal is basically a “deconstructed Fruity Pebbles treat” and it’s fantastic.

The marshmallows are basically the same flavor and texture as the clovers, stars, and pints of Guinness(?) you know and love from Lucky Charms. When eaten dry, they have a nice crunch. When soaked in milk, they develop a delicious slime. When mixed with Fruity Pebbles, they form a match made in heaven.

I can wax nostalgic about the taste of Fruity Pebbles all day, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the smell. Fruity Pebbles are the best smelling cereal on Earth. I’m not sure I even know how to describe it. It’s like opening a box of Nerds – a bit fruity, definitely sugary, and you just know you’re in for a good time.

Just to squash my curiosity I tried each individual cereal color to see if they tasted different. They didn’t. I’m not sure if they claim flavors, but each color tastes the same. Myth busted?

Fruity Pebbles are a cereal that gets soggy quick, but I never let it get to that point. I Kobayashi’d each bowl before they even had a chance.

I’m not much of a cereal milk lover, but I did my yabba-dabba-due diligence here and drank the yellowy after-milk. While I clearly love the cereal, the liquid was a bit too sugary for my liking. I guess I gotta draw the line somewhere.

Getting back to the marshmallow shapes, nothing about the aquatic theme of this cereal makes sense. Maybe I need to brush up on my Flintstones lore (and brush my teeth after all that sugar), but how often did Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm dive into the ocean for turtles, starfish, giant clams, jellyfish, and Sharkasauruses?

And how is Sharkasaurus the smallest marshmallow?

Explain that, Post.

Explain that, Hanna-Barbera.

It doesn’t matter. The marshmallows could have been shaped like (use your gross imagination) and I still would’ve devoured this cereal because I love Fruity Pebbles.

(Nutrition Facts – 3/4 cup – 110 calories, .5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 160 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 13 grams of sugars, and 1 gram of protein..)

Purchased Price: $3.11
Size: 11 oz.
Purchased at: ShopRite
Rating: 9 out of 10
Pros: One of my favorite cereals ever. The smell. Cereal marshmallows never fail. Game on the back of box. Flintstones in the zeitgeist? The Flintstones Vitamins jingle stuck in your head.
Cons: No toy. Cereal milk sugar shock. Unnecessary elusiveness of Fruity Pebbles treats. Tiny Sharkasauruses.