Candy Review: Brach’s Sugar Free Lemon Drops

Brach's Sugar Free Lemon Drops

I was excited review the Brach’s Sugar Free Lemon Drops. Lemon drops aren’t really a sexy candy to review. But it’s a hard and sour candy – both of which are right up my alley.

I liked that the candies are individually wrapped. That’s helpful for grabbing a few and dropping them into your purse/pocket/lunchbox.

In the end, it’s a good lemon drop. It’s not as good as a full-fledged made-with-real-sugar lemon drop. But it’s got quite a bit of flavor. I missed the sparkly sugar coating that you get on some lemon drops. But I guess an isomalt coating wouldn’t have been a hit either.

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Candy Review: Ice Breakers Frost mints

Ice Breakers Frost

A powerful mint with a pleasant taste can be difficult to find. Too much “minty-ness” will leave a mouth burning – a sensation I seldom welcome in general. Particularly, I have this problem with peppermint mints. I like the peppermint, but it’s almost too much of a good thing. I also don’t like Big Red gum or Atomic Fireballs for this same reason. It’s like there’s no middle ground with mints. You either get super-minty-burn or a lackluster, vague mint flavor. Psshh, I don’t want that! I’m not particularly fond of mints in general because I can’t find that happy balance. Or so I thought.

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Candy Review: Simply Lite Milk, Dark, and Dark Chocolate with Almonds

Simply Lite Chocolate

It’s been many years since I last tried sugar-free chocolate, for good reason… it was disgusting. I would rather have had no chocolate than gross chocolate. I guess one of the many things that have improved with time and technology is sugar-free chocolate. Simply Lite’s Milk and Dark Chocolate bars are all the evidence I need to know science is awesome.

Now, sugar-free does conjure up some negative feelings to some folks, myself included. I’m not going to get into a philosophical debate about sugar vs. sugar-free, but I have been privy to concerns being raised about sugar substitutes. So many concerns that my little mind – tuned in by all the marketers trying to sell us the next best thing – was a little curious about the ingredients. I read the nutritional packing with some scrutiny and red lights started a-flashin’ when I read the warning “excess consumption may cause a laxative effect”. But, like all things, excess can cause long-lasting effects, no? Moderation, they say wisely. So I threw a little caution – along with a wrapper or two – to the wind because I did, of course, need to eat some of three different bars to tell my little tale of Simply Lite chocolates.

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Candy Review: Sugarfree Quench Gum

Quench Gum Sugarfree

Quench Gum is made by Mueller Sports Medicine Inc. (an even less appetizing-sounding association than regular sugarfree gum’s relationship with dentists). According to Quench’s website, Quench has been around for over 30 years, and this “sports gum” is chewed by athletes from teams like the Cowboys, the Lakers and the Packers.

We’ve previously reviewed the regular version of Quench, but it’s also available in sugarfree – after all, who wants to down a bunch of sugar right after a heavy workout? (Well yeah, me too, but it’s just so counterproductive, OK?) Both versions of Quench claim that they can actually quench your thirst and refresh you after a hard workout.

Gum can stop you from being thirsty? And here I’d been drinking water all these years like a chump! This could be the greatest breakthrough in candy technology since Willy Wonka’s meal replacement gum – and even that was a little iffy in the dessert area, or so I’ve been given to understand.

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Candy Review: Trident Splash Orange Swirl

Trident Splash Orange Swirl

Disclaimer: I don’t really chew gum. I’m not really sure why – I enjoy the flavor (while it lasts) and the chewing action, and it’s nice to have something in my mouth to fiddle with while I do other things. When I do chew gum, I’m partial to the old-school bubblegum-style – big, soft pieces that yield face-sized bubbles and pack more sugar than some small chocolate bars. Unfortunately for me, though, it’s the skinny sticks or Chiclet-style pieces of sugar-free gum, usually heavily mentholated and bearing promises of tooth-cleaning action, that are most popular these days.

All that being said, Trident Splash Orange Swirl is definitely not a product I would have bought for myself, but nonetheless, I decided to try and approach this All Candy Expo freebie with an open mind.

Like most Chiclet-type gums, this comes in a foil-backed blister pack. Unlike most Chiclet-style gums, it also comes with the gimmick of a liquid center – something I remember seeing pretty often back in the day, but always in products aimed at kids rather than adults. Inside the blister pack, the little tabs seem thicker than usual – probably due to the extra “burst of sweet indulgence,” as the package calls it.

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