Since I adore them so much, the flavors of Jolly Rancher candies often act as a benchmark for when I taste other fruit flavored candy. As a group they make no excuses for not tasting at all like the actual fruits they represent. Jolly Ranchers are fabulous in that they are so fantastically, gorgeously artificial and yummy. The advertising tag line is “bursting with BOLD fruit flavor” and when it comes to hard candies, no truer words were spoken. Here’s a quick review of the five classic flavors:
Apple: This is far and away my favorite Jolly Rancher flavor. Sweet and tart, green apple is a classic for which there is no substitute. It sits on the knife edge of being too sweet, but balances nicely with the amount of tartness in it. Added bonuses are the bright green it turns your tongue and the fact that you can use it to make Jolly Rancher beer.
Blue Raspberry: I’m pretty sure Blue Raspberry wasn’t a classic flavor when I was a kid, but I love it all the same. The color is a fantastic electric blue, and of all the flavors this one is the most true to real fruit – though of course there is no such thing as a blue raspberry!
Cherry: Cherry is a classic flavor for all hard candies, and the beauty of this version is that it doesn’t just taste like red syrup. A strong, very sweet and distinctly cherry flavor does a little happy dance on your tongue. This is the way red candy should taste.
Watermelon: One of those flavors that people either adore or despise, watermelon is the furthest from actual fruit by far. It has a slightly medicinal smell and flavor, but the taste is great. Bold, strong, and not so sweet as to make you feel as though your fillings are falling out.
Grape: Grape is by far the most distinctive of the classic flavor mix. It smells very strongly of artificial grape, has the darkest color, and the flavor is quite bold. It’s as though someone boiled down a can of grape soda into a syrup and then solidified it. Not my most favorite, but I still enjoy eating it.
Jolly Ranchers are one of those candies I like to have in the pocket of my backpack or purse for a bit of a sweet pick-me-up at the end of the day. The colors are bright, the flavors delicious – there is nothing not to like in these little blocks of sweet candy goodness.
Buy Jolly Ranchers Online:
- at Old Time Candy
- at Amazon.com
- in bulk at Candy Direct
- in bulk at Candy Crate
There used to be a butter rum flavor. Olly Rancher sold out a couple of times, consolidated and Hershey’s ; the current owner plants and cut back to the few flavors currently offered.