Candy Review: Jelly Belly Raspberries and Blackberries

Monday, November 17, 2008 - by Robby

I have always known that Jelly Belly manufactures more than their trademark jelly bean; however, my knowledge of the rest of their product line is rather limited. I attribute this fact mostly to price issues.

As anyone who sees Jelly Belly products already knows, they are considered to be a gourmet line of candy widely accessible to the public. And while their candy won’t hurt your wallet as much as designer chocolate would, you’ll still be required to lay out a few more dollars for a product you could easily find cheaper, but most likely at a lesser quality.

One such product is their gummy raspberries and blackberries. These confections have arcane origins that originate in Europe, and the most association I have ever had with them was that a former boss of mine loved to consume the Haribo version.

I never much cared for the Haribo brand, but when I saw these I was very tempted. I love me some berry flavors. And made by Jelly Belly… how could you go wrong? So when I noticed these on liquidation sale at my H.E.B. for 72 cents, there was no way to resist.

The pieces themselves are about half the size of the Haribo version, these being about the size of miniature gumdrops. Each is beautiful in its presentation, and I would expect nothing less from Jelly Belly, who are usually flawless with their presentation – sans Belly Flops. The candies are billed as fruit gems coated in candy seeds

Raspberry: The pieces are brighter than your typical raspberry. Biting into it, I am pleased to discover how soft and easy it is to chew on, and that none of it sticks in my teeth. The flavor is undeniably fruity, but not in a raspberry sense. It more resembles a floral, ubiquitous fruit zest that misses the tart and true essence of raspberry flavor.

Blackberry: If I had to choose between the two flavors, I would be inclined to want to eat blackberry simply because it is my favorite berry that isn’t really a berry; however, in this instance, it loses to its raspberry friend. These retain the same texture and chew as the raspberry, but the flavor is more obscure. It tastes of a general sweetness not indicative of any fruit, much less blackberry.

Sadly, even Jelly Belly couldn’t make me love this type of candy. Though it’s still a respectable candy, it never tastes like either of the fruits it both resembles and names itself after. Had they been called Reds & Blacks, I might be more inclined to like them.

• Jelly Belly Website

Buy Jelly Belly Raspberries and Blackberries Online:

• at Amazon.com