I previously reviewed all of the products from Surf Sweets, the gummi candy company that produces an assortment of organic, “healthier†candies that are also vegetarian and vegan friendly. At least, I thought I had reviewed everything they produce.
At the All Candy Expo, I approached the Surf Sweets booth and began chatting with the people there. It wasn’t long before they spotted my expo badge, clearly stating who I was and the publication I worked for. Being a writer for Candy Addict is like being a character on Saved By The Bell… some people will recognize Dustin Diamond and be amazed, but there are also a lot of people who will ask you to repeat exactly what’s the big deal.
Thankfully, the Surf Sweets people viewed me as the former. They put two and two together and realized I was the Robby who had reviewed all their products. Though it can be awkward interacting with people when you’ve written a negative review, I actually really enjoyed their products, and so it was a friendly chat.
Somewhere in our conversation, the mention of a new product came up. “A new what?†I asked to confirm I heard correctly. Yes, apparently between the time I had reviewed them and the ACE, they had released Sour Berry Bears. Because I could no longer claim I had eaten and reviewed everything they manufactured, I felt it essential to get my hands on some, which in reality was fairly easy since they gave me a complementary bag.
When I opened the bag, a strong fragrance of fruit greeted me. I couldn’t distinguish the smells to select a specific fruit, and much like my prior review, these bears share the same negative trait of being difficult to identify by color… there was red, pink/red, and red/pink.
The first piece I tasted was strawberry. It was very understated in sweetness, but beautiful in its flavor presentation, similar to a jar of strawberry preserves in that it had a concentrated burst of flavor in a very small serving.
The next flavor was cranberry, which I completely did not expect. It had a wonderful tartness, rounding out the sweetness with a complex flavor of juice and acid. I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten a cranberry gummi before, but it was delicious and my favorite.
The third flavor I am guessing is raspberry, but I am definitely not confident in that guess. It was very floral, but didn’t retain any significant flavor quality to accurately suggest which fruit it resembled.
None of these were sour, just like my complaint of Surf Sweets’ other “sour†products, but they were still tasty. I still believe it would do them a world of good to clearly indicate flavors by vastly different colors and a corresponding flavor panel on the packaging. Nonetheless, I’ll still gladly continue to eat anything they make.
