I think I have been craving tropical-flavored sweets all this week simply because graduate school applications are starting to be due; whenever I am stressed, I usually return to the sorts of candy that bring me back to a state of tranquility. And if you can’t go to Hawaii to relax, you can at least enjoy its flavors.
Tropical LifeSavers have been a staple of my tropical obsession since I was in elementary school. I never cared much for the other flavors of Lifesavers, but these were different. They sported an assortment of flavors that were nuanced for the candy world at age six because for the most part they avoided the clichéd strawberry, cherry, etc….
I mention the color of each flavor because it’s not readily apparent until you taste each piece which flavor is which.
Fruit Punch: This piece is an opaque pinkish-red. The fruit punch flavor is spot-on in regards to what fruit punch made from concentrate tastes like. Very reminiscent of Hawaiian Punch. If you, like me, were a fan of the stuff they doled out at junior high dances, then you’ll enjoy these too.
Banana: This piece is an opaque light yellow. The taste is strongly artificial banana, but creamy. It more resembles a Circus Peanut than a Runt, so if you like the flavor of those orange blobs, but not their texture, this should be up your alley.
Mango Melon: This piece is an opaque pink-orange. The flavor is not mango, more hitting notes of melon, but still not a specific melon in my mind. Somewhere between Crenshaw, Cantaloupe, and Honeydew. It’s pleasant, but I’d prefer a more tangible flavor with accurate notes of mango.
Piña Colada: This piece is a translucent clear color. At first, there seems to be no flavor, but after about ten seconds, it builds. The coconut and pineapple notes are subtle, but accurate, even hitting the slight milkiness true coconut brings to the party.
Tangerine: This piece is a translucent light orange. With a tangy citrus zest, the tangerine flavor is pretty on the mark for what a tangerine tastes like, and it impressively avoids the pitfalls of being too sweet or too sour.
So there you have it. Not a single flavor I dislike. I wish more candies were open to experimenting with the flavors found in this roll. It’s not that banana is a novel concept, but it’s rarely marketed, and even rarer to find it done well. Until then, these suffice to save your life from tedious candy, graduate school applications, or a regular case of the Mondays.
Buy Tropical LifeSavers Online:
- at Amazon.com
Sadly, I still have not found a mango-flavored hard candy that really tasted like mango. Must be a difficult flavor to produce, I guess.
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:16 amcoconut is the best flavor!!!!
p.s. get mango lucas lollipops and wash of the lucas (unless you like it)with water
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:58 pmI had some generic Halloween candy at work that were mango drops, and they were startling good. I doubt I’ll find them again. They tasted like real mangoes. And when everyone else heard about how good they were, they disappeared quick! I would guess that they came from Mexico (I live in Texas, so that kind of thing is common here)…
December 3rd, 2008 at 1:50 amive never been a big fan of tropical candy, but from what you said, they sound great. Especially the punch! *licks lips*
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pmI think my favourite flavor so far is the fruit punch, the only flavor I haven’t yet tried is the Pina Colada.
May 1st, 2012 at 11:58 am