There are just so many gums on the market right now that it’s hard to make any kind of decision on what you wanna chew. There must be at least 4 or 5 different mint flavors per brand from what I see in the checkout lines, not to mention all the fruit or combination flavors. I’ve even seen gum that’s supposed to taste like desserts. Now Stridehas come out with a new Wintermint gum sponsored by snowboarder Shaun White.

Unfortunately, this is just another one of those gimmicks. If you love snowboarding or you’re a Shaun White fan, Stride knows you’ll buy this gum. On the outside of the white package you can see there’s a partial face shot of Shaun White with his blazing red hair. On the inside of the package there’s all kinds of drawings of Shaun with comic book like talking “bubbles” along with some quotes from Shaun. Beyond that, this is just another mint gum.

The sticks are a decent size, as seems to be the standard with Stride gum and they are pure white. There’s nothing exciting or different about this “Wintermint” flavor. It really just tastes like peppermint. I’m a big fan of mint gum just because I’m always paranoid about my breath so that’s the flavor I’m always chewing. I tend to lean towards the softer mint flavored gums, that’s the mint I like. The really sharp mint gums just end up making me thirsty instead of feeling refreshed. This Wintermint is more of those sharper mint gums and even though it was a good strong flavor, it ended up making me thirsty.

As far as how long the flavor lasts, I’d say 30-45 minutes. That’s a decent amount of time, especially with a sugarless gum. And, we know Stride prides itself on its long lasting gum flavors. It does keep the breath fresh and I really didn’t have any stinky breath for awhile after throwing the gum out so it does have that going for it.

As for whether or not you should buy it, well I will leave it up to you. If you want to give it a try you’re welcome to it but I will warn you that this Shaun White gum will cost you more just because his face is on the package. I was at Wal-mart the other day and saw both regular Stride mint gum and the Shaun White Wintermint at the checkout line. The regular Stride flavors only cost 96 cents while the Shaun White Stride gum was $1.28. Must be more because Sean’s mug is on there, right?

• Stride Gum Website
• Shaun White’s Website
• Buy Stride Gum Online

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

I love how it seems like every company, including candy and gum makers, is producing iPhone applications. The latest entry is Falling Stars by Trident Vitality Gum. It’s described like so: “Create a world of music in seconds with Falling Stars from Trident Vitality. Then enjoy, share and expand your world whenever you want to.” So, I had no idea what it was when I tried it.

The basic premise: choose a vine type and draw onscreen to make the vine grow. Stars fall from the sky in a pattern that you can influence and when the stars hit the vines it makes a musical sound. As an action gamer, it sounds kinda boring as a game, but it’s a “digital toy”, not a game, and it actually makes some interesting “music”. You can unlock more vines by sharing the app on Twitter and/or Facebook (which I didn’t do because I never share iphone game info on Twitter or Facebook). My 10-year old loves music and thus loves to play with this app.

It’s interesting to me that the connection to trident Gum is subtle and not IN YOUR FACE. There is a splash screen when it loads and there is a small icon in the corner while playing and the app isn’t really even about gum or Trident.

Falling Stars by Trident Vitality Gum is available for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch.

• Falling Stars by Trident Vitality Gum

Candy Addict received an iPod Touch from Trident Vitality for this review.

Dentyne Pure

Dentyne Pure gum touts that it will “purify your breath” with natural botanical accents. The claim is that it “Neutralizes bad breath odors caused by bacteria and food.”

Mint with Melon Accents

The gum is a standard square shape, white with a harder candy coating over top of it. Upon the initial “chew”, the mint flavor is almost chemical in taste. This was almost a complete turn off from chewing it any more. But, as a Candy Addict, I must persevere. The candy shell breaks easily and the gum underneath is a good soft, but not too soft gum. The mint flavor is very sharp at first but does mellow off into a more natural mint flavor as I chewed. As for the “Melon Accents”, I never found them. Once in a while there might have been a hint of something other than mint but it disappeared just as fast as it came on. As for purifying my breath, it only did that so long as I was chewing the gum. Once I finished the piece, there really wasn’t any long-lasting effect.

Mint with Herbal Accents

This one was almost identical to the Mint with Melon Accents. Honestly, whatever herbal accents are in this gum, I have no idea what they are. There is really no other flavors to this gum other than mint. This time, I chewed the gum after lunch. I had some of my homemade bruschetta which is full of tomatoes, red onion and garlic. I thought it was a good challenge for this breath purifying gum. I would say that about 80% of my bad lunch breath was neutralized. However, after I threw the gum away, my breath crept back. So, yes the gum does neutralize bad breath, but truly only while you’re chewing the gum. Once you’re done with chewing it, you’re on your own breath-wise.

Stride Spark Gum

This new gum from Stride boasts B6 and B12 vitamins to give you a boost of energy. Based on the amount of time I chewed this gum, I can say no boost of energy was experienced.

Stride Spark Kinetic Mint

The stick of gum was colored a brilliant blue and is a skinny rectangle in shape. I was actually grossed out by the initial flavor of this gum. It was obvious that there was some sort of vitamin in the gum. The flavor was so off it was offensive. However, after giving it a couple of minutes, that funky taste goes away and you’re left with this awesome mint flavor. It’s not super-sharp like some mint gums get, but rather a softer and sweeter mint. I rather enjoyed chewing this gum after that initial yuck factor. The flavor lasted longer than a half hour and gave my mouth that cool mint feeling (you know when you breathe in through your mouth and you get that cooling sensation).

Stride Spark Kinetic Fruit

The Kinetic Fruit gum was the same size and shape as the mint but colored a bright orange. As with its mint counterpart, the Kinetic Fruit gum does have that “vitamin” taste to it. However, it fares much better with this fruity flavor than with the mint. I could still taste it, but not nearly as much as that initial chew with the mint. The fruit flavor is pretty generic and is not much different from the other fruit-flavored gums out there. The flavor disappeared much too quickly. I would say after about 10 minutes of chewing it the flavor went bye-bye. I was more impressed with the mint and definitely would not bother with the Kinetic Fruit flavor again.

If I was to choose one winner from these four gums, I would have to pick the Stride Spark Kinetic Mint. Even though it had that initial yuck factor, the flavor ended up to be great and it lasted a long time. The gums only kept my breath clean and fresh while the gum was being chewed and not after. The energy boost from the vitamins in the Stride Spark just wasn’t happening for me. So, even though both these gums tout some great new feature and ability, I honestly didn’t find that to be true for me. I know I could find another gum that I’d enjoy more and spend less on it.

• Dentyne Pure Website
• Stride Gum Website
• Buy Dentyne Gum Online
• Buy Stride Gum Online

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

Everyone who walks down a city street has seen them, blobs of bubblegum spit out on the sidewalk. It’s not a very distinguished end to a tasty piece of chewing gum. Well, someone has invented a fine solution to littered gum blobs. There is a gentleman in England by the name of Ben Wilson who turns these gum blobs into works of art.

According to The New York Times, Ben was tired of all the litter in the city so he decided to take matters into his own hands. In order to turn these blobs into works of art, Ben will first soften the gum blob with a small blowtorch and then he sprays it with a lacquer and some coats of enamel. After that, he paints! He uses tiny paint brushes and then seals the painting with a lacquer to preserve it. He has painted “thousands” of these gum masterpieces all over London.

So, instead of looking at flattened gray blobs of ABC gum (already been chewed), you get to admire tiny works of art. Another great way to recycle, even if it is recycled, used gum.

• More About Ben Wilson’s Gum Art

• More Photos of Ben Wilson’s Gum Art

Skittles-infused vodka is sooo 2008. This year, it’s all about the bubble gum-infused vodka! Toss a few pieces of your favorite gum into some clear alcohol, and a week or two later, you have a light pink alcoholic infusion that reminds you of your childhood (but is only for those of legal drinking age of course).

The bloggers at Taylor Takes a Taste recommend mixing bubble gum vodka with lemonade for a refreshing aperetif. They also recommend using your favorite vodka for this recipe, but being a cheapster, I would recommend using a less-expensive alcohol if you’re gonna flavor it like bubble gum. Choose your own adventure.

• How to make bubblegum infused vodka [via Craft]
• Lemonade Bubblegum cocktail recipe
• via Craft

It’s nice to take the occasional break from candy-eating and have a chance to try out some new gum. My two packs of Dentyne Pure couldn’t have come at a better time. I had just finished my morning latte and had an appointment with the eye doctor within the hour. I was a little apprehensive about having coffee breath and my mind wandered to all the terrible things people must deal with in their occupations. Massage therapists rubbing on a customer he would rather pay NOT to touch… Podiatrists with a funky-footed patient… an eye doctor treating a patient with medium-bold coffee breath. And now I’m back to reality.

This gum is made with NeutraFRESH, “a blend of natural botanical extracts”. Well, if anything can hide or eliminate the triple shot, I hoped this would be it. The packaging says it will purify my breath, so I’m game to see what its got. What is does have is some serious minty-ness, that’s for certain. The two flavors I received are Mint with Melon Accents and Mint with Herbal Accents. Now, I have to say “Mint with Herbal accents” is a bit redundant. Much like saying “This tastes like a blueberry with fruity accents”. I suppose that’s not so bad if that’s the biggest complaint, though.

On to the details…the gum comes in a blister pack with nine pieces. Each piece has a gushy center of minty-ness that escapes when you first bite into it. It’s not an overwhelming gush though and would be more what I’d call, subtle seepage. The Mint with Melon Accents was by far the better of the two. I usually prefer mint to fruit and was surprised I liked it so much. The gum did get a little mushy with time and the flavor far outlasted the firmness. Overall, I’d say it’s very good and left my breath fresh and pleasant. After I spit it out, I had that “just brushed” feeling and felt confident I wouldn’t offend anyone with coffee breath. I didn’t ask the doctor to smell my breath, of course, but I feel sure she would have approved.

• Practice safe breath with Dentyne

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

“Mega mystery” implies some serious mystery is about to happen. Considering a 10.0 on the Richter Scale is epic, I’d say “mega” would logically fall somewhere between a 7.0, known as “major”, and a 9.0, known as “great”, on the Mystery Richter Scale. Since Stride is known for it’s ridiculously long lasting gum, one can also assume that Mega Mystery gum has some seriously sustained mystery in store for us. All of these hypotheses hold true with this gum.

I don’t know what the heck is in it! The ingredients are of no help, either. I guess that would really ruin the surprise to have the mystery ingredient spelled out in plain sight, though, huh? “Natural and Artificial flavors” is the only clue we get. And, that’s no clue at all because, well, doesn’t that encompass every flavor that exists? The tie-died packaging also has every example of the color spectrum on it, so another dead-end.

Now, I’m left with only an educated guess. So, avert your innocent eyes if you don’t want to know what my two cents are or if you’re *spoiler alert* wary. It’s definitely fruity. Something like tangerine with a subtle mint undertone? Wait, I hear something at the door now. Uh oh, I don’t think I was suppose to tell you that… Yes, I’ve said too much already.

I can only hope that the good folks at Cadbury eventually tell us what flavor it is. The suspense is…

• Stride gum

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

PROVIDENCE, RI – September 22, 2009 — “Glee” is a word often heard these days, thanks to the most highly anticipated television show of the season. In celebration of the “Glee” series on TV, Glee Gum is delighted to join FOX in offering ELEVEN winning tickets inside select packs of gum this fall!

Beginning Sept. 23, 2009, the “Your Ticket to Glee” sweepstakes offers gum-chewers aged 18 years and older a chance to win one of eleven fabulous prize packages. Ten Glee Gum packs contain vouchers for big prizes of yummy gum and “Glee” show merchandise— from hats and tees to autographed cast pictures. The eleventh Glee Gum pack holds the ticket to the super grand prize: a trip for two to Hollywood! The grand prize includes roundtrip air transportation, two nights hotel accommodation, and a $250 American Express gift card. How Glee-ful!

“Glee,” the genre-defying new musical comedy series, follows an optimistic teacher who – against all odds and a malicious cheerleading coach – attempts to save McKinley High’s Glee Club from obscurity while helping a group of aspiring underdogs realize their true star potential. Embraced by critics and viewers alike, the uplifting show with biting humor features a soundtrack of hit music from past to present. Tune in to “Glee” Wednesdays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX!

While watching “Glee”, try chewing it too. Available in six sweet flavors, Glee Gum is all-natural chewing gum made without artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, or preservatives. The secret ingredient is chicle, a swell, sticky tree sap harvested from the rainforests of Central America. Using chicle is a sustainable way to keep the trees of the rainforest standing, and to help the folks who work there to make a living. Plus, that’s how gum was originally made – and you know what they say when it ain’t broke! Packaged in recycled cardboard, Glee provides a great, green alternative to artificial gums.

With national distribution in specialty grocers like Whole Foods and Cost Plus, Glee Gum can be found from sea to shining sea. Who knows where “Your Ticket to Glee” will be?

For more details on Glee Gum and the “Your Ticket to Glee” sweepstakes, including complete Official Rules, please visit www.gleegum.com. For more information on “Glee”, check out www.fox.com/glee. In the meantime, chew Glee, watch “Glee” and go Glee-fully!

About Verve, inc., Makers of Glee Gum
Verve, Inc. is an independent, certified woman-owned business, dedicated to linking world communities and creating environmentally and socially responsible products. In addition to Glee Gum, Verve produces a line of all natural, educational Make Your Own Candy Kits for kids. Verve is a dedicated member of 1% for the Planet and Green America. Chew with Glee, naturally!

About “Glee”
Starring Dianna Agron, Chris Colfer, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jane Lynch, Jayma Mays, Kevin McHale, Lea Michele, Cory Monteith, Matthew Morrison, Amber Riley and Mark Salling, GLEE is produced by Ryan Murphy Television in association with 20th Century Fox Television. Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan are co-creators of the series. Murphy, Falchuk and Dante Di Loreto serve as executive producers, while Ian Brennan serves as co-executive producer. Murphy also served as director of the pilot.

GLEE™ & © 2009 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

• Candy Addict Glee Gum review

Quench Gum is made by Mueller Sports Medicine Inc. (an even less appetizing-sounding association than regular sugarfree gum’s relationship with dentists). According to Quench’s website, Quench has been around for over 30 years, and this “sports gum” is chewed by athletes from teams like the Cowboys, the Lakers and the Packers.

We’ve previously reviewed the regular version of Quench, but it’s also available in sugarfree – after all, who wants to down a bunch of sugar right after a heavy workout? (Well yeah, me too, but it’s just so counterproductive, OK?) Both versions of Quench claim that they can actually quench your thirst and refresh you after a hard workout.

Gum can stop you from being thirsty? And here I’d been drinking water all these years like a chump! This could be the greatest breakthrough in candy technology since Willy Wonka’s meal replacement gum – and even that was a little iffy in the dessert area, or so I’ve been given to understand.

I decided to test this product’s claims under the optimum conditions: after biking home from work on the hottest summer day possible. Unfortunately, that day never materialized (it’s been a very cool summer), so I decided that today would have to do. Fortunately, despite the lack of cooperation from the weather, my two-wheeled commute left my throat as dry as a five-year-old stick of Juicy Fruit. Resisting the urge to grab a cold one out of the refrigerator, I reached for my pack of Quench instead.

This pack (courtesy of the All Candy Expo) is the Fruit Blast flavor, described on the package as “a mouthwatering explosion in every pack!” This is the chicklet-style blister-pack type of sugarfree gum. Unlike others of its kind, the rectangular, pink-speckled pieces are soft, without the usual crisp candy shell.

The gum has a refreshingly tangy, sour fruit punch flavor, with little crunchy crystals that quickly dissolve for a sort of juicy, moistening effect in your mouth. The tangy flavor was long lasting, and unlike the last sugarfree gum I reviewed, Trident Splash Orange Swirl, not just because of aspartame’s impossible-to-get-rid-of aftertaste. These are sweetened with acesulphame potassium, a milder-flavored sweetener that doesn’t have that characteristic aspartame flavor. (That stuff is also the reason I can actually stand to drink diet sodas these days.)

So it’s pretty tasty stuff, but was I any less thirsty afterward? Well, that’s difficult to say. The tangy sourness and dissolving crystals did seem to stimulate the flow of saliva in my mouth, helping to rehydrate my parched throat and taste buds. It goes without saying that it didn’t actually introduce any new liquid into my system, making it no replacement for actually drinking something if you’re actually dehydrated, but in terms of reducing the sensation of thirst, it does what it’s supposed to. It couldn’t hurt to throw a pack in your pocket for extended workout sessions – as long as you have a big cold glass of water waiting for you once you’re finished.

• Quench Gum Website

Buy Quench Gum Online:

• at Blair Candy
• at Candy Favorites

Disclaimer: I don’t really chew gum. I’m not really sure why – I enjoy the flavor (while it lasts) and the chewing action, and it’s nice to have something in my mouth to fiddle with while I do other things. When I do chew gum, I’m partial to the old-school bubblegum-style – big, soft pieces that yield face-sized bubbles and pack more sugar than some small chocolate bars. Unfortunately for me, though, it’s the skinny sticks or Chiclet-style pieces of sugar-free gum, usually heavily mentholated and bearing promises of tooth-cleaning action, that are most popular these days.

All that being said, Trident Splash Orange Swirl is definitely not a product I would have bought for myself, but nonetheless, I decided to try and approach this All Candy Expo freebie with an open mind.

Like most Chiclet-type gums, this comes in a foil-backed blister pack. Unlike most Chiclet-style gums, it also comes with the gimmick of a liquid center – something I remember seeing pretty often back in the day, but always in products aimed at kids rather than adults. Inside the blister pack, the little tabs seem thicker than usual – probably due to the extra “burst of sweet indulgence,” as the package calls it.

Removed from the package, the tabs have an orange-vanilla scent, which sounds appetizing enough. However, there’s something a little mediciney about it that actually turns my stomach. You know how when you were a kid, the dentist would let you pick your flavor of that fluoride foam? And the flavors all sounded really yummy, like bubblegum and Creamsicle, so you always picked one of those, conveniently forgetting the important kid rule that the tastier the flavor of a medicinal product sounds, the nastier it’s actually going to be? This gum smells exactly like Creamsicle-flavored fluoride treatment foam. And that stuff was pretty darn vile.

Fortunately, though, the flavor doesn’t resemble said dental product at all. I was expecting menthol, but it’s actually just a bright orange soda flavor, almost sickly sweet. The crisp candy shell, soft gum, and gooey center make a nice texture contrast, and they don’t skimp on the goo either, but as is usual for this type of gum, I find the pieces too darn small.

As you chew, the sweet orange flavor wears off fast, leaving just a mild sweetness – and a strong aftertaste of aspartame. The flavor does last for a pretty long time – but it’s the flavor of artificial sweetener rather than delicious orange. I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but I think some menthol might actually have helped, since it seems to cover up the flavor of artificial sweeteners better than fruit flavors do. A second piece was admittedly better than the first – the aspartame shock seems to wear off a bit after the first piece.

Like other products marketed more as dental aids than candy, the flavor of this gum left a lot to be desired. When the best thing you can say about a product is “it tastes better than fluoride treatment foam,” there’s not really very much to recommend. Thanks but no thanks – I’m sticking with my Hubba Bubba.

• Trident Website

Buy Trident Gum Online:

• at Candy Direct
• at Amazon.com