Want to find candy from your childhood that’s still in production? Aside from Candy Addict links, try the very bottom shelf in the candy aisle at your supermarket. The bottom shelf usually has the less popular comestibles, or maybe it’s for the customers who know what they want and where to get it. Either way, that’s where I noticed a fun candy from my childhood: original Spree. (I said “fun,” not “delicious.”)

So, what’s so fun about Spree? Well, you have to know what these candies do when they get wet. That’s right: they bleed off their super bright colors like you’ve got your own personal dye factory. Apparently, some girls used them for makeup before they were allowed such stuff, but of course we boys had a much “better” idea. We systematically collected all the red ones and made fake gun-shot wounds on our white t-shirts. Obviously.

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Nestle/Wonka doesn’t have a lot on the way for us in 2008, but what they do have packs a punch:

• Wonka Giant Chewy Nerds – we reviewed Giant Chewy Nerds already and they are fan-freakin-tastic. In stores now for $0.69-$0.89.
• Wonka Tinglerz – Remember Nestle Buncha Crunch? They were small, bite-sized pieces (globs) of Nestle chocolate and crisped rice. Imagine those but now add in popping candy and you have Wonka Tinglerz. We tried them at the All Candy Expo and they were quite good. Look for a full review from us soon (we have pre-release bags of them in hand) and look for them in stores around the end of September, 2008 at a price of $0.69-$0.89 fro a 1.8 oz bag.
• Nestle Chunky Dark Giant – A 4.5 oz dark chocolate bar with peanuts and raisins and scored into four pieces. “Great to share.” Available end of September, 2008 for a retail price of about $1.29.

• Wonka at Candy Addict
• Nestle at Candy Addict
• nestle.com
• wonka.com

If I had a business card that stated the adjectives most appropriate for describing me, the first one would definitely be “Candy Addict.” The second? Nerd. I love sci-fi and computers almost as much as I love candy. Come to think of it, I’m happiest camped out in front of the TV watching Star Trek reruns and eating bonbons than I am anywhere else. Now, there’s a shirt that embraces both primary aspects of my personality.

From NerdyShirts comes the Nerds Rule T-Shirt. Featuring a nerd holding a box of Nerds, the shirt’s a great way to proclaim your or your loved one’s candy addicted nerdiness. At $20, though, I know I don’t have enough cash left over from my post-Easter purchases to buy one for myself. Ah well, at least my birthday is coming up soon…

• Nerds Rule T-Shirt at NerdyShirts

shirt, Nerds

Candy is serious business. Well maybe not exactly, but it’s generally thought to be a bad idea to muck with things that people are personally invested in. No matter what it is, someone out there loves it and they’re going to be angry when it changes.

Case in point: Willy Wonka substituted cherry and lime with pineapple and mango in its popular Runts candy this past year with less than stellar response. Mango is a highly unusual flavor to see as far as candy goes, although I found the Runts version to be adequately pleasing. Pineapple, while usually popular enough, is executed horribly for Runts. Both the shape and the flavor are crude representations of actual fruit and it is not very pleasing to the eye or the tongue.

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I know, I know, more jellybeans (I just reviewed the Starburst Sour Jellybeans), but can you blame me? When you find the right jellybean, it’s the perfect combination of crunch and chew and sugary goodness! So, when Candy Addict’s very own Brian professed that Nerds Bumpy Jellybeans are his favorite Easter candy this year, I knew I had to try them. First, if Brian says they are good, then the probability that this is true is extremely high. Second, I am a fan of Nerds, especially of Nerds rope, because you get that crunchy and chewy dual bang with the rope. Do you see where I am headed?

I won’t keep you in suspense – these Nerds Bumpy Jellybeans are keepers. They are kooky and bizarre and incredibly tasty! There are five flavors. The flavors aren’t listed on the packaging, but you can guess that they are the usual suspects: red (strawberry), yellow (lemon), orange (you guessed it, orange), green (watermelon), and purple (grape). As indicated by the descriptive title, these beans sport bumpy exteriors, which makes them a little odd looking and even a tad ugly, but who cares! They rock! The hard candy shell is crunchy but won’t break your teeth. The interior is chewy but smooth, and there’s a perfect balance between crunch and chew.

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