Candy Review: Black and Red Licorice Laces

Red Licorice Laces

Once again, it’s time for our monthly Licorice of the Month Club reviews. This time, the good folks over at Licorice International sent out some black licorice pipes which I’ve already reviewed (that didn’t stop me from loving them – again) and some red and black licorice laces.

I have to admit that I wasn’t overly impressed with the red laces when I first tasted them. I found them very hard to chew and overall not really worth the effort. With that experience, I put off tasting the black for a later date. A few days later, I returned to the package and resolved to try again. I was so glad I did.

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Candy Review: Fresh From the Factory Good & Plenty

FFTF Good & Plenty
It won’t surprise anyone to hear how excited I was to find out I was going to receive some Fresh From the Factory (FFTF) Good & Plenty to review. Previously, we’ve sampled Fresh From The Factory Hershey’s Twizzlers and Fresh From The Factory Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. As you know from reading Brian’s reviews, he wasn’t terribly impressed with the Peanut Butter Cups, and he was very happy with the Twizzlers. How would the Good & Plenty fare?

I was, needless to say, giddy with excitement. I expected this Good & Plenty to be awesome. Finding edible Good & Plenty in stores is a bit hit and miss. I’d estimate my luck at finding edible (meaning, not so stale as to be impossible to chew) Good & Plenty to be about 50%. I assumed immediately that Fresh From the Factory would be the ultimate in soft, chewy goodness, superior to anything I’ve ever found in stores.

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Candy Trivia: Black Crows Misnaming

Crows

I’ll admit, I have never actually tasted Crows candy since they are licorice-flavored (and I hate licorice), but I thought this bit of trivia was interesting about them: “Originally, Crows were to be called “Black Rose”, but the printer misheard the name as “Black Crows” and printed wrappers with the wrong name on them.”

Seems like they would have put the name on paper rather than just saying it aloud, but I guess things worked differently back in the 1890′s when they were invented.

Buy Crows online:

Candy Review: Liquorice Altoids

Liquorice Altoids

When I received an unexpected package from our erstwhile editor, Brian, I was naturally curious to find out what was inside. As I upended the envelope, two tins of Altoids came tumbling out. (editor’s note – thanks go to the gang at Altoids for the tins).

At first, I was a bit puzzled, since Brian is fully aware how much I hate things that are hot or spicy, and regular Altoids certainly fall in that category. On closer inspection, however, I realized these were actually licorice (or “liquorice” if you want to get all British on me) Altoids. I had no idea they even made licorice flavored candies, and I immediately opened a tin.

My first impression was unexpected. They actually weren’t bad. And curiously strong? I think not! In fact, these were downright tame! Heck, I might as well just chew them right up…

This is where you smack yourself in the forehead and mutter something along the lines of “moron.”

As the fire erupted in my mouth, I could be heard yelling “The fire, the pain! Help!” as I ran to the kitchen to drink directly out of the milk container. I may have run over two small children in the process; I really have very little recollection of the incident. I think my subconscious has blocked it out so I don’t spend the rest of my life curled up in a little ball mumbling about how evil Altoids are and how I should have known better.

Needless to say, I didn’t like these. In fact, I can say with all honesty that I loathed these. Not only do they not taste like licorice, but even if they did, you wouldn’t be able to tell because all the taste receptors on your tongue are being burned to a crisp. Ok, not really, but that’s what it feels like. I can easily say that anyone who likes regular Altoids should have no problem with these, since there is pretty much no licorice flavor and you must have no taste buds to begin with.

Buy Liquorice Altoids online:

candy, sweets, licorice, liquorice, Altoids, mints

Review: Golia Bianca – mint and licorice candy


Golia Bianca

Here’s another candy brought back from Europe by a coworker – this time it’s Golia Bianca, also made by the Perfetti Van Melle company. The Golia Bianca page says it’s “a deliciously fresh, Golia flavoured mint candy. Golia Bianca gives you a brisk sensation of well-being, and a cool, fragrant breath.”

The candy looks exactly like Mentos, which shouldn’t be all that much of a surprise as Perfetti also makes them. These, however, are far from the freshmaker Americans know and love.

The slogan for these candy is “Filled with freshness, a friend of nature” and feature a cute polar bear on the packaging. Well, they didn’t exactly fill me with freshness. It was more along the lines of “this is horrible” and “it’s burning my nostrils”. Why exactly? The flavor is the strongest mint and black licorice taste I’ve ever eaten. It reminds me more of medicine than anything I’d associate with candy. I can eat Altoids with no problem, but this was a bit much.

On the plus side, it cleared my nasal passages right up.

candy, sweets, mint, licorice, Italy, italian, liquorice, mints, altoids, minty, mentos