Tag: Mystery Flavor

REVIEW: Pop-Tarts Mister E Flavor

Rachel 35 Comments

PopTartsMisterE 1 pkg

What is Pop-Tarts Mister E Flavor?

Pop-Tarts is rolling out its first-ever mystery flavor, and since it’s really into humanizing its products lately with hair, eyewear, and backstories, we have Mister E — a mustachioed investigator in shades who’s hellbent on cracking the case of who broke into the Pop-Tarts factory to create this new flavor. Vigilante P.I. tracking down off-hours criminal pastry enterprises. Mmmmkaaayyyy…

PopTartsMisterE 2 back

How is it?

The aroma in the package didn’t give much away, but the filling was white, so I started thinking coconut. But the second I bit into Mister E Pop-Tarts, the word BUTTER shot through my brain. They were sweet and savory in a really strange way – both tastes were competing for the spotlight. Maybe they were Terrible Buttercream Frosting flavor? I had to drag someone else into the mystery – their guess was swiss cheese. Now when I re-tasted, that seemed closer – a mild cheese flavor. But it still felt wrong – a wrong guess AND a wrong flavor to exist in the world.

PopTartsMisterE 3 fill

There’s a related contest website where you can get clues and enter your guess to win prizes. I’ve figured out the flavor based on the clues, and I will say it’s NOT any of the guesses above. But I’ll let you make the call…

Anything else you need to know?

These were very crumbly and started falling apart the moment I opened the foil wrapper. Once toasted, they broke into large and small pieces that promptly fell into the unreachable crevices of my toaster (ugh). I hope Mister E can solve the mystery of how to get melty, funky Pop-Tart crumbs out of small appliances.

PopTartsMisterE 4 toast

Conclusion:

Not the best Pop-Tart flavor I’ve ever tried – in fact, maybe the worst, but I loved trying them! This is exactly what mystery flavors should be – the questionable stuff we definitely wouldn’t buy if they called it what it is.

PopTartsMisterE 5 design

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from Kellogg’s. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 27 oz./16-pastry box
Purchased at: Received from Kellogg’s
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 pastries) 380 calories, 10 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 500 milligrams of sodium, 68 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 24 grams of total sugars, including 24 grams of added sugars, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sour Patch Kids Mystery Flavor

Vin 25 Comments

Sour Patch Kids Mystery Flavor Bag

I don’t believe I put forth a good showing in my Mystery Flavor Twizzlers review.

I tried to solve that flavor conundrum to no avail for days, and it left me a broken man.

I vowed to leave the snack detective game, never to return! I retired my houndstooth hat, my magnifying glass, and wait… Sour Patch Kids has a new mystery flavor?!

Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in!

Ok so, unlike the typical bright and vibrant Sour Patch Kids, these mystery pieces are all white. I tried my best not to let that somehow influence my guess.

As we all know, Sour Patch Kids are sour before they’re sweet. These took extra long to get to the latter. The typical sour sugar punch felt especially pronounced this time around.

Sour Patch Kids Mystery Flavor Bowl

Once the sour crystals melted away, I was left with a shockingly mild sweetness. I was instantly stumped and starting to regret my decision to return to the mystery game. I don’t really know how to describe the flavor other than “confectionary.” I know that’s a broad description, but it tasted more in line with a flavor you’d get in a pastry than the usual fruity Sour Patch fare.

My initial instinct was mild coconut, but then realized I broke my rule and let the color influence my guess, so I settled on… banana, which is also white. Maybe the color actually is a hint?

The flavor isn’t strong at all. It’s tasty, but it’s far and away the weakest Sour Patch flavor I’ve ever had. I think I might be right with banana, but if you wanted to tell me there might be something like vanilla, or marshmallow, or the aforementioned coconut, I’d believe it. Pina Colada? Maybe? Some kind of multi-ingredient dessert concoction? That seems more like a Jelly Belly thing than Sour Patch, no?

Unlike Twizzlers, these Sour Patch Kids came with clues on the bag. My bag had one, and I was able to snap a pic of a different hint as well.

Sour Patch Kids Mystery Flavor Clues

“It gives laughs and can be a riot, cause when it flies nobody’s silent.”

“Across the pond it has a different name, but there’s an extra ingredient in the game.”

Putting aside the fact these hints stink, I landed on Banana Cream Pie.

I would say the first hint means some clown is hilariously throwing a pie, and while this is happening, everyone else is making a ruckus and laughing up a storm.

The second hint makes a little more sense. In the UK, a banana cream pie is called “Dame Madeline’s Stupendous Yellow and White,” and as we all know, the extra ingredient is baked beans. It’s an acquired taste, but is it the flavor of these Mystery Kids?

Sour Patch Kids Mystery Flavor Alone

Ya know what? I’m stumped again. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this snack detective game. Don’t hire me to find your lost donut.

I’m saying it’s probably banana, maybe banana cream pie, and I’m also saying that despite being hard to decipher and pretty weak, they taste just fine. I’m gonna be super bummed if these are just another in the long line of “birthday cake” flavored snacks. Am I overlooking the Kids’ birthday?

Sour Patch Kids Mystery Flavor Mix

You can buy Mystery bags or regular Sour Patch Kid bags with some mystery flavored pieces mixed in, but be warned, the OG flavors will dwarf the mystery flavor.

You can submit your guess on their website, but if you somehow win with “Dame Madeline’s Stupendous Yellow and White,” you owe me a cut of that $50k prize. I want at least $3! I accept Venmo, Paypal, and whatever crypto is hot at that precise moment.

Best of luck with your guesses!

Purchased Price: $2.89
Size: 8 oz.
Purchased at: 7-11
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (12 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 mg of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of total carbohydrates, 23 grams of sugars, 0 grams of fiber, 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Mystery Flavor Twizzlers

Vin 25 Comments

Mystery Flavor Twizzlers Package

What are Mystery Flavor Twizzlers?

Uh, I have no idea. That’s kinda the point.

How are they?

I think this may be the most successful “Mystery” flavor gimmick of all time, because these Twizzlers taste like… nothing. I’m mystified. The mystery is how anyone could possibly come away from these with an idea of what they just tasted.

I’m gonna try to explain, but I’m not sure I’ll be successful.

Mystery Flavor Twizzlers Closeup

There are really no clues on the boring packaging to go off of, so let’s start with what we know, these probably aren’t a flavor that Twizzlers has done before. Just going off the purpley-brown color rules out Strawberry, Cherry, Chocolate, Grape, and Raspberry. I can’t help but feel like a standard fruit wouldn’t be worthy of a mystery flavor anyway.

The smell, which is infinitely stronger than the taste, reminded me of something familiar. I ultimately decided it was Hawaiian Punch.

Tastewise? Man, these just taste like bad Twizzlers.

Twizzlers don’t really bash you over the head with flavor as it is, they just taste like twisted leathery plastic more than anything. If I was blindfolded, I would think I was eating a regular red Twizzler from a bad batch. I tried really hard to concentrate, but my brain just kept thinking, “Oh, this is a Twizzler!”

They’re not sweet, they’re not especially fruity, and there’s just nothing distinct about them.

This could be fruit punch, but it literally packs zero punch, and I don’t think that’s unique enough to base a Mystery Flavor campaign around. Fruit Punch isn’t exciting, and this was, frankly, more like a fruit slap. Nah, it was more of a “poke,” to be honest.

Perhaps I was swayed by the color, but I thought maybe it could be a soda-based flavor. Perhaps cola or Dr Pepper? Ya know what, my final guess is Cherry Cola.

Mystery Flavor Twizzlers Package Closeup

Anything else you need to know?

Nope, scratch that, Wikipedia claims Twizzlers briefly had a Cherry Cola flavor in 2006. Unless this is a rehash of that, I guess I’m just gonna stick with Fruit Punch Poke.

I honestly feel like this could be a prank, with the flavor being “nothing.” That would actually be hilarious.

I’m not kidding. I waited a week to write this review because I wanted to keep eating these while my taste buds were fresh. They always tasted like a sugarless red Twizzler with ZERO aftertaste.

Conclusion:

Mystery Flavor Twizzlers Question

So, like all great mysteries, this one ends… with zero resolution?!

Twizzlers were a perfect brand to try the mystery thing – they’re literally twists! I don’t know how they failed so miserably.

Please try these and help me understand what the heck I’ve been eating. I’ll revisit them after every guess because I’m definitely gonna have these lying around for a while. At least I’ll have some environmentally safe drinking straws to sip cherry cola through if I could actually manage to tug-o-war another one out of the sticky bag.

Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: 16 oz bag
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (3 Pieces) 120 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 gram of saturated fat, 70 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of total carbohydrates, 14 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition 2020 Mtn Dew VooDEW

Marvo 51 Comments

Limited Edition 2020 Mtn Dew VooDEW Mystery Flavor

SPOILER ALERT!!!

If you don’t want to know what the 2020 edition of Mtn Dew VooDEW tastes like, since it’s a mystery flavor, I’d suggest you do not scroll down. Although, there’s an excellent chance what my taste buds think is absolutely wrong. Because last year’s Mtn Dew VooDEW mystery was revealed to be candy corn, which many drinkers didn’t guess correctly.

But if you still want to know what this year’s Mtn Dew VooDEW could be, follow the list of Mtn Dew VooDEW’s ingredients, which give no hints to what it could be.

Carbonated water.

High fructose corn syrup.

Citric acid.

Natural and artificial flavor.

Sodium benzoate.

Gum arabic.

Caffeine.

Sodium citrate.

Glycerol ester of rosin.

Calcium disodium EDTA.

Sucrose.

Acetate isobutyrate.

Limited Edition 2020 Mtn Dew VooDEW Mystery Flavor Closeup

So I understand VooDEW’s opaque white color helps with the mysteriousness. Kind of a hint when there’s color involved. I also think the cloud-like hue makes it look like there’s a ghost in a glass. Though, a clear DEW would’ve been even more mystery-like. That’s something PepsiCo should look into next year. Let me know what you think, PepsiCo. Even though I’m pretty sure no one there will read this. So that’s what this year’s VooDEW tastes like to me.

Oh, I didn’t share my guess, you say? As I’ve done with previous mystery flavors, it’s hidden in the paragraph above using the simplest cryptography.

Even though I think it tastes (and smells) like what I’ve hidden in the paragraph above, I’m probably wrong. Because some folks believed last year’s VooDEW flavor was what I think this year’s is. Since 2019’s version ended up being candy corn, I imagine this one is also supposed to be something sweet related to the fall season. Maybe it’s Candied Yams Dew, Pumpkin Pie Dew, or Caramel Apple Dew, and my taste buds are completely broken.

Whatever the flavor ends up being, it’s wonderful. Although, if this was in a blank can, I wouldn’t be able to tell it’s a Mountain Dew variety. It’s definitely worth trying if you love mysteries or the particular food item I believe it tastes like.

Purchased Price: More than anyone should pay for a can of soda
Size: 12 oz can
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 55 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 44 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Snapple Name the Flav Juice Drink

Rachel 5 Comments

Snapple Name the Flav Juice Drink Bottle

What is the Snapple Name the Flav! Juice Drink?

Get out your Nancy Drew magnifying glasses – it’s another mystery flavor! This time, iced tea and juice slingers Snapple are dropping a nameless, unidentified juice with an associated contest – buy a bottle, guess the flavor, text in a proposed name, go to their website to vote for your favorite. The prize? Well, keep that magnifying glass handy…

Snapple Name the Flav Juice Drink Glass

How is it?

Enjoyment-wise, it’s a pretty good juice. Not too heavy, not too sweet, but bright and refreshing for summer. The coloring is deeper than the actual flavor.

Now, for The Case of the Mysterious Juice Flavor. I grabbed my bestie Ned Nickerson and we headed out to the old mill to investigate. Definitely fruity, but what kind? I leaned towards cranberry mixed with strawberry, perhaps…how about a combination of the two – CranBerry?

This guess still didn’t sit right with me, so I checked the ingredients list. Pear and grape juice concentrates. Yeah, I guess? It’s not your standard-issue snack food/juice grape flavor – it’s far more subtle. And pear is a tough flavor to make stand out. I think in a blind taste test, we would all come up with totally different guesses, because it’s not CLEARLY anything.

Snapple Name the Flav Juice Drink Ingredients

Anything else you need to know?

It’s a contest, but the prize is also a mystery. Wait – shouldn’t I know the endgame so I can scale my work accordingly? Are we talking about a 12-pack of Diet Peach Tea? Or a lifetime supply of Bret Michaels’ Trop-A-Rocka? That’s two very different levels of engagement for me.

The official rules are an interesting read. There’s a “Bragging Rights Winner,” aka – the public vote winner – with two caveats: 1) Snapple may or may not name the product after the winning entry! “Actual use of the Name is not part of the benefits for winning the Promotion,” and 2) “Entrants acknowledge there is no monetary value associated with receiving the most votes and winning the Promotion.” – hmmmmmm. So, no prize money?

There are also “surprise and delight” random prizes mentioned, with no indication of what they are or how they’re determined. Vague…

Snapple Name the Flav Juice Drink Winner

Conclusion:

If you’re into contests for the sake of contests, you’re gonna LOVE this. If you love mystery flavors or a big Snapple fan, you’re gonna like this. Everyone else, it’s worth a try. It’s a tasty juice without all the naming hoo-ha.

Purchased Price: 2 for $2.00 (on sale)
Size: 16 oz bottle
Purchased at: Duane Reade
Rating: (juice) 8 out of 10, (contest) 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (16 oz bottle) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 10 milligrams of sodium, 26 grams of carbohydrates, 25 grams of sugar (including 20g of added sugars), and 0 grams of protein.