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Sometimes, I regret buying something before I’ve even handed the cashier my debit card.
Sometimes, I am also wrong. [gasp!]
Happily, this is an instance where both applied.
I’ve actually been digging the Dentyne Splash line, which shocked me to no end, as I have not-so-fond memories of Tidal Wave gum. Remember that? If you were a product of the eighties you probably tried at least one piece of it or, similarly, Freshen Up. Both of these were gums that went “squirt” when you bit into them, releasing a torrent of sugary syrup into your mouth.
That crap hit me right on the tonsils and made me gag. Luckily, my brothers loved it and were happy to finish my pack.
To summarizee, seeing liquid-filled gums back in the impulse section was not a thrill for me.
But, for the edification of YOU, Dear Reader, I plonked down $1.29 of my hard-won cash (actually, I have no idea how much it was, and I likely used a card of some sort. Ease up. I was being poetic.) and bought it anyhow.
The exterior of the gum is just like Dentyne Ice (a personal favorite) – hard candy shell surrounding a medium-soft chicle. But this one hides a surprise inside.
Like ALL liquids of the future (or at least, how they seem to work in The Jetsons) – this liquid is not a liquid. It’s a gel. Much better for my sensitive tonsils.
The mint chocolate flavor features a gentle mint outside and a faintly chocolately gel. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts – once you combine the two flavors/textures together, you get something akin to an Andes candy that lasts more than 3.5 seconds. . . and that you don’t have to pay $20 at the Olive Garden for (or am I the only one who gets their Andes candies that way?). Don’t get me wrong – this does not have the longevity of an Extra or a Dentyne Ice, but it lasts longer than many of the fruit gum varieties I’ve reviewed on this site, with much less of a nasty aftertaste, to boot.
It’s a surprising favorite of mine! Definitely worth a try.
Rating: ♦♦♦♦ out of ♦♦♦♦♦.
“Violet! You’re turning violet, Violet!”
Watch out, Willy Wonka. As soon as Trident learns how to make tomato soup, roast beef and baked potato flavors, they will have fully cracked the magic formula. . . except that they managed to do it without requiring their customers to be juiced after finishing their chew.
Technically, this gum (according to the picture on the pack) is Blueberry and Pomegranate-flavored. And, evidently, they even market is as “Blueberry Pomegranate” in Canada (see picture at right). But we Americans either require fancier names or more accurate ones, and so they have chosen to call it “Wild Blueberry Twist” stateside.
After having KNOWN that there was a pomegranate flavor to the gum, I guess I could imagine picking some of that flavor out in the sheer acidity of the first few chews. But, for the most part, the blueberry flavor is what comes through here. And it’s a pretty good blueberry flavor, too.
The flavor lasts pretty long for a fruit gum, clocking in at almost an hour, and the Trident gum stays pretty uniform in general (unlike some gums, like Orbit, which can have a tendency to “melt in one’s mouth”, only not in a good way).
Overall, this is a gum I would actually buy again. Actually, technically, I did. I sampled the gum when a friend was carrying it, and liked it enough to buy my own pack.
You know. For “research” purposes.
Rating: ♦♦♦♦ out of ♦♦♦♦♦.
Fabulous Fruitini. Is there anything more gay than this flavor sounds? I assume they were trying to hit the Sex & The City crowd, but . . . well, maybe I’m biased. I do love the 10% Society, after all!
Having tried many of the Orbit summer flavors, you have to expect my skepticism in trying this oddly generic flavor of gum. I won’t ruin the surprise if you haven’t read the other Orbit reviews, but I will say this: Orbit’s flavor developers are having to churn out new items faster than quality control can test them!
Packaged in an appealing sunshiney-orange box, the little rectangles of gum themselves are pretty non-descript, but with a mildly pineapple-orange odor.
The flavor is reminiscent of a Mango Colada. A bit creamy, with a heady odor of coconut when chewed. The mango comes in with a VERY mild citrus-like flavor in the background, sweet and not sharp enough to be orange.
Of the Orbit flavors released this summer, this may be my favorite. The flavor lasts quite a while (at least an hour, which is not bad comparatively) without morphing too much, and the texture stays pretty chewable, too.
I’m not going to say that I would choose this over a classic mint or cinnamon option, but this is a flavor I could live with, or might even grab as a sweet, yet sugar-free, treat every now and then to “clean [my] dirty mouth”. Definitely worth a try!
Rating: ♦♦♦ (and a half) out of ♦♦♦♦♦.
Artificial banana flavor, thou art my nemesis.
I’ve always been the person who gives away the yellow Runts and Laffy Taffy, because the flavor of fake banana has not been mastered by science, and its facsimilie makes my back teeth ache with repulsion.
So it’s a bit nutty that I would bother trying the Strawberry Banana flavor of the Extra Fruit Sensations line, huh? These are the lengths I go to for my readers.
As I mentioned in a review of another flavor in this line, “Extra Fruit Sensations is one of the better fruit gums I’ve had recently, mostly because the flavor lasts a long time. Or at least, some of it does.”
This sentiment holds true for the strawberry banana version, as well. The immediaste flavor is that of strawberry banana yogurt – not too artificial at all! So far, so good. However, the strawberry flavors drop off within about 20 minutes, leaving you with a mild but fairly realistic banana flavor.
While this residual flavor is a pretty decent rendition of the banana flavor profile, it’s still not something I really like to chew for hours at a time. And, honestly, after about an hour, the flavor became a tiny bit chalky – like Maalox – and continuing to chew it made me seriously nauseous.
So, Wrigley scientists, thank you for making a believable banana flavor. However, please keep it our of my gum. Thank you.
Rating: ♦♦ out of ♦♦♦♦♦.
There has really been an explosion in the arena of fruit flavored gums recently. Perhaps it’s because it’s summer, or because the mints have all been done? Either way, I could really go for some good spearmint right now.
But I digress.
One of the major problems with fruit gums is that the flavor never lasts as long as mint does. Apparently the tingle of mentha is hard to recreate. However, Extra Fruit Sensations is one of the better fruit gums I’ve had recently, mostly because the flavor lasts a long time. Or at least, some of it does.
The immediate flavor when biting into this gum (which comes in sticks – a bit novel for a fruit gum!) is of pear, with generic mixed berry flavor filling in the background. However, within about 20 minutes, the pear flavor is gone, and you’re left with a mildly pink flavor. But THAT flavor can last for a couple of hours, no sweat.
The texture of Extra gums is, as always, eminently poppable, much to the chagrin of my coworkers (blowing and popping bubbles is a guilty pleasure of mine, especially when tense!), and stays that way without seizing or melting. Which means I can pop for hours. Score!
Rating: ♦♦♦ out of ♦♦♦♦♦.
Well, I finally got my paws on a pack of Orbit’s Sangria Fresca. And I must say, I am underwhelmed.
I know sangria. I enjoy sangria. This is not sangria.
The gum does not taste wine-like at all (probably a good thing in a gum, especially if one chews when driving). It tastes mostly of citrus (notably orange and lime), adding the “fresca” bit to the name, and making it a refreshing summer choice. But the top notes are indecipherable – vaguely plummy. Or perhaps like some yet-to-be-discovered red fruit of the rainforest.
Definitely not like any one fruit I can put my finger on.
It has the same issue of the previously-reviewed Maui Melon Mint varietal of Orbit, namely that it disintegrates from gum to mush in less than an hour.
Yeah. I won’t be missing this flavor when it gets switched out for the season.
Rating: ♦ out of ♦♦♦♦♦.
Orbit certainly has been working hard to keep their novelty quotient high this summer. In addition to Strawberry Mint, Mojito Mint (both of which I’ve yet to try) and the scary-seeming Sangria Fresca, they are churning out weird flavors of gum faster than I can chew them.
I suppose summer dehydration is a good time to get some extra shelf space.
The Maui Melon Mint variety is not bad. Not great, but not as weird as it may seem. A fairly gentle honeydew flavor, with an equally gentle, yet refreshing spearmint flavor has made me and the three people I’ve coerced into trying it say “Hmm. That’s interesting,” and continue chewing.
The downside? The gum-to-goo time with this is not very long. You know, some gums turn to rocks, others turn to a pulpy goo in your mouth with continued chewing? This gum melts into a weird mess before the hour mark.
Given that, and the non-crave-inducing flavor mean that I won’t be stockpiling this limited edition flavor before it leaves the shelves. But it was worth trying once!
Rating: ♦♦ out of ♦♦♦♦♦
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