Candy Review: SweeTarts Jelly Beans

SweeTarts Jelly Beans Bag

photos in this post by Anthemic Tangle

For the fourth part in our Spring Jelly Bean Hunt, I bring to you SweeTarts Jelly Beans!

The first thing I noticed about these jelly beans was the texture. They’re a lot softer than other jelly beans I’ve tried and they aren’t as chewy. Not that this is bad, it’s just different. Overall, the flavors reminded me of regular SweeTarts, but with some variation in the intensity of either the sweetness or tartness.

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Candy Review: Lollipop Labs Lollipops

Lollipop Labs Logo

I had the pleasure of reviewing some of Lollipop Labs unusual lollipops this weekend. Given that they have flavors like “Dirty Martini” and “Earl Grey,” I would recommend these lollies more for the discerning Candy Addict than for, say, your five year old.

A couple of general notes: these lollipops don’t have a lot of scent when you open them, but don’t let that fool you. As soon as you lick them you get plenty of flavor. I thought one of the coolest things about them was the way the flavor nuances change as you eat them. Sometimes you’ll get more of one herb than another as you go, while still enjoying the overall main flavor of the lollipop. Neat! Plus, I love that I recognize and can pronounce every ingredient on the labels.

One more thing: if you don’t see a flavor below that appeals to you, Lollipop Labs will custom design the flavor and shape of their lollipops to your specifications. How cool is that?

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All Candy Expo 2009 – Part 4

So one of the biggest perks of coming to the All Candy Expo is the chance to see what products are on their way to market before everyone else. Here’s a brief list of the highlights of the show that you can expect to see in the upcoming year:

  • Baby Ruth Crisp from Nestle
  • Gummies (Sluggles and Puckerooms) and filled licorice (Kazoozles) from Wonka
  • Cranberry Raisinets
  • Tropical flavors of Chewy Lemonead and Friends
  • Bonobo Turkish Taffy (returns to the market after 20 years)
  • New Mike and Ike products by Just Born
  • New M&M’s Premium flavor and packaging
  • M&M’s Strawberried Peanut Butter and Snickers Nougabot from Mars (to tie in with the new Transformers movie)
  • M&M’s Coconut
  • Snickers Fudge Bar
  • Sweetriot Unbars
  • Banana Tootsie Pop
  • Hershey’s Pieces (think Reese’s Pieces, but with York Peppermint Patties and a variety of other Hershey’s brands)
  • Landrin luxury chocolates
  • Sour Berry Bears from Surf Sweets

Stay tuned for reviews of everything we could get our hands on!

All Candy Expo 2009 – Part 3

This trip is a first for many things for me. It’s my first time in Chicago, the first time at an expo, the first time I met Caitlin and Laurie in person (both so awesome), and the first time I have ever wondered if there is such a thing as too much candy.

I mean there is just a ridiculous amount here. After weighing my haul from yesterday, I came back with 38 pounds. 38! That’s like a small dog. And it’s only day one!

There’s a lot to talk about, but only so much I can write in brief, so here are a few highlights:

  • M&M’s coconut will be debuting as a limited release this summer
  • Snickers Fudge will be out in August
  • Newest flavor craze could be cherimoya/guabana
  • Smaller packaging is in

Those were the big things I think you should know before anything else, and when I get home this weekend, I’ll write something in length and mention the noteworthy products I sampled and what else to look forward to. For now, it’s back to the floor and even more candy!

All Candy Expo 2009 – Part 2

Well, Day 1 of the All Candy Expo is officially over, so I thought I’d share with you the most amusing part of the day. At the Mars press conference, we got to see this very funny “public service announcement” featuring Neil Patrick Harris. It’s part of the Real Chocolate Relief Act we reported on a couple of weeks ago.

Just to refresh your memory: from now until September, Mars is giving away 250,000 free coupons for full size chocolate on Fridays at realchocolate.com. That’s a total of 7 million bars of free chocolate! In addition, there will be special events at various cities, and some great savings on Mars chocolate at your local stores. So go check it out and enjoy some good Mars chocolate – still mockolate-free!