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April 2009

Monday, April 6, 2009

Russell Stover Eggs (2009 edition)

Russell Stover makes so many chocolate eggs, it’s taken me more than three years to get through them. (Well, I tasted all of them, I haven’t necessarily photographed & reviewed them all yet.)

Russell Stover Truffle Egg

The Russell Stover Truffle Egg is a rather small one compared to the other whipped center eggs. Still it clocks in at a full ounce, so it’s just very dense.

It’s a molded egg with a shiny, rippled milk chocolate shell and a milk chocolate truffle interior.

It smells like a decent rich milk chocolate. Sweet and with some hints of vanilla and milky cocoa.

The bite of the shell is good and crisp. The center is soft and fudgy, but not the slightest bit grainy ... though it’s not quite a silky melt.

The immediate flavor I got was not of chocolate but of rum. It’s a bit sweet but also has a little salt to it.

Looking over the ingredients, I was expecting tropical oils and hydrogenated fats, but instead it was pretty clean:

Milk Chocolate (sugar, whole milk, cocoa butter, chocolate, soy lecithin & vanillin), whole milk, natural flavor, salt and invertase.

It’s very rich and rather satisfying, so much so that a single egg was more than enough for me (though it only clocks in at 140 calories, so it’s not even as fatty as some other real chocolate candy bars).

Rating: 7 out of 10

Russell Stover Caramel Egg

The Russell Stover Caramel Egg is also on the small side. This one is a squat little buddy with perhaps too much packaging around it.

It smells milky and malty.

The bit is smooth, the milk chocolate shell flakes only a little bit. The caramel is soft and has a slight chew to it, but for the most part is more on the saucy side (though it’s thick enough that when I left the half of it sitting for a while, the center didn’t ooze out).

The caramel is satiny smooth, no hint of grain at all. The toasted and boiled sugar flavors aren’t pronounced, nor is the butter, but the overall dark sugar notes are there and go well with the sweet milk chocolate.

As I’ve mentioned before, I prefer a stiffer caramel chew, but this was enjoyable and actually more appetizing to me than a Cadbury Caramello or Cadbury Caramel Egg.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Russell Stover Marshmallow EggsAnother set of eggs that I haven’t included on the blog specifically in this ovoid shape are the Marshmallow Egg and the Chocolate Marshmallow Egg.

The have other shapes for different holidays. Just a couple of weeks ago I reviewed the Russell Stover Marshmallow Rabbits. They’re available for Halloween as a Pumpkin (also in orange flavor), a Valentine’s Heart and these eggs come back as Footballs in the Autumn/Winter.

The nice thing about this version is that it’s an actual portion. The Rabbits are a bit big for one sitting, unless you’re voraciously hungry or sharing. And they’re bound to be around at deep discount after the holiday. But eat them quick ... I’ve found that the marshmallow items don’t keep as well as the Coconut Eggs.

Previous Reviews:

2008 - Creme Eggs (like Cadbury Creme Eggs):

  • Dark Chocolate Creme
  • Chocolate Creme
  • Vanilla & Chocolate Creme
  • Marshmallow & Caramel
  • 2007 - Russell Stover Eggs

  • Raspberry Whip Egg (Dark)
  • Pecan Delight Egg (Milk)
  • Peanut Butter Egg (Milk)
  • 2006 - Russell Stover Cream Eggs

  • Strawberry Cream (Milk)
  • Coconut Cream (Dark)
  • Maple Cream (Dark)
  • I think the only ones I’m missing in review are the Vanilla Cream Egg and the Chocolate Brownie Egg. I haven’t seen them this year at the stores I frequent.  But that means there’s something to look forward to next year.

    Related Candies

    1. Elmer’s Dark Chocolate Heavenly Hash & Gold Brick Eggs
    2. Nestle Creme Eggs
    3. Lindt Lindor Truffle Eggs
    4. Princess Marshmallow Eggs
    5. See’s Egg Quartet
    6. Kinder Egg
    Name: Truffle & Caramel Eggs
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Russell Stover
    Place Purchased: Rite Aid (Echo Park)
    Price: $.44 each
    Size: 1.00 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 140 & 130
    Categories: Chocolate, Caramel, United States, Russell Stover, Easter

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:45 am    

    Friday, April 3, 2009

    Beechies Force Chewy Candy

    Beechies Force Chewy Candy - FruitFor some reason people want Energy. I’m not quite sure why they’re looking for products specifically labeled that way, as my understanding is that all food contains energy. Calories are available energy from food. If it doesn’t have calories, as far as I’m concerned, it’s not food.

    But consumers, I believe, have been duped into thinking that stimulants are actually energy. They’re not, they’re just, well, stimulants. Stimulants make you feel like doing stuff, as the general state of humans (if you believe advertising and general laws of physics) is to be inert and bored. Stimulants, though, don’t cure boredom or actually get anything done.

    Caffeine is the most common stimulant and is naturally found in a product that masks the bitter and unpleasant taste of it very well: coffee. Caffeine also works as an additive in other products in smaller quantities, usually products with natural alkaloids, like chocolate or perhaps strong fruit flavors.

    There are some other compounds which are also grouped into energy products: Taurine and B vitamins (Niacin, B6 and B12). These have their own distinct flavors, often known collectively as the “vitamin burp” taste. (You can read about these at Energy Fiend)

    All of this writing, however, is just vamping. After trying my first Beechies Force Chewy Candy, I didn’t want to continue.

    Beechies Force Chewy Candy - FruitLemon - it looks pretty good and the first crunch of the candy shell was a bright & promising sweet lemon flavor. But chewing it, well, I should probably start posting photos of my facial expressions. The first was something akin to “Wha? Is this really happening? Does this really taste like this?” kind of quizzical look. Then a bitterness set in, which caused me to furrow my brow. Then came a general distasteful look that someone might mistake for “May I spit this out in your hand please? Please! Right now!”

    And then I waited for a couple of weeks. I reviewed a bunch of other stuff, even avoided reviewing yesterday by posting a new products announcement list. I carried the bags around with me in my “to review” package. The wrapper does say recharge - refresh - renew so I thought I’d try again.

    Green Apple went a little better. The candy shell is tangy and has that comforting artificial apple flavor. Then ... well, it took a turn for the worse. The soft chew of the center, which is rather like a Mentos, had a bit of a bitter tingle. The flavor was that midrange bitterness that reminds me of dirty gym socks. But it was mercifully short

    Strawberry was a beautiful red. Much prettier than any Mentos. The shell flavor was soft and sweet. The inner chew was musty and tasted like generic chewable vitamins.

    Beechies Force Chewy Candy - JavaA serving (14 pieces) of Beechies Force Chews contain:

    935 mg of Taurine
    100 mg of Caffeine
    18 mg of Niacin
    2.5 mg of B6
    6.5 mcg of B12

    This combination of chemicals does not give me energy, it gives me angry.

    I emailed the company, Richardson Brands, to see if they actually still make these. They never responded. Their website doesn’t list them on a product page but includes them in the ingredients/nutritional section. I found record of them being offered at All Candy Expo in 2006, but under different flavors. The only place I’ve ever seen these for sale is at the 99 Cent Only Store, but I have seen them at multiple stores and the packages appear fresh and current.

    Beechies Force Chewy Candy - JavaThe next flavor was Java which made more sense as a masking flavor for caffeine.

    The chew itself was odd looking, it’s olive green. Really nicely done olive green, but just not a color I associate with rich, roasted coffee. (But I do associate with unroasted coffee.)

    The outer shell is sweet and has a mellow coffee flavor. The inner chew is rather promising. It’s sweet and has a latte taste - both creamy and with some good brewed coffee flavors. The bitterness is there, but rather believable because of the coffee flavor.

    I still had the aftertaste of bitter B vitamins, but it didn’t feel as strange because there was no tangy fruit flavor component. I wouldn’t call these great, but compared to the fruit ones, they’re actually edible. They reminded me of the Chewy Coffee Rio.

    The other trick I found is to actually chew it all up. When I ate my second Java, I left the candy shell dissolve. Bad idea, because that’s where the extra sugar was. The center chew is not as sweet, but if you let it dissolve like a hard candy, it’s not a bad either. They do end with coffee breath though, so have some real mint Mentos on hand for that (as a side note, there is a caffeinated version of Mentos available in Europe).

    An 8 ounce cup of brewed coffee (yes, I actually drink just an 8 ounce cup) contains about 100 mg of caffeine but no calories. Each bag contains two servings (140 calories)... and for only a buck, it’s a pretty good price for an easily metered amount of caffeine. I suppose you can swallow them whole.

    I can see these having their place. For travelers, especially those who don’t want to take in a lot of liquids, it’s a nice alternative to coffee or energy drinks. They’re extremely portable (although 14 of them do take up a bit of space).

    The package says a serving is 14 pieces, but it holds on 25 ... so it’s just shy of two actual servings. They’re made in

    Columbia

    Colombia, which knows a lot about coffee. I’m keeping the Java (4 out of 10) ones on hand for medicinal purposes but I’m throwing out the fruit ones (1 out of 10).

    Related Candies

    1. Butterfinger Buzz (Caffeinated)
    2. Fresh Cola Mentos
    3. Choco-Fudge Mallow Sundae
    4. Junior Fruit Cremes
    5. Loud Truck Energy Gummies
    6. No Time & Black Black
    Name: Beechies Force Chewy Candy
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Richardson Brands
    Place Purchased: 99 Cent Only Store (Miracle Mile)
    Price: $1.00
    Size: 2.5 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 100
    Categories: Chew, Coffee, Caffeine, Colombia

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:01 am    

    Thursday, April 2, 2009

    Candy Tease: Spring 2009

    While Candy Season is winding down with Easter less than two weeks from now, All Candy Expo is gearing up ... which means plenty of new product announcements.

    imageName: Dark Velvet - Champagne and Cognac
    Brand: Anthon Berg
    Description: Dark Velvet is two beautiful gift boxes with delicious truffles. Each one of them is filled with a smooth filling dominated by either Piper-Heidsieck Champagne or R?my Martin Cognac. A taste experience as dark as chocolate and with fillings as smooth as velvet.
    Notes:  I’m rather fond of the Anthon Berg liquor bottles, mostly because they make me feel like a giant alcoholic. The cognac sounds the most appealing, as I think that the earthy, leather & tobacco flavors of cognac go well with dark chocolate.

    imageName: Yogurt Coated Raspberry Soft Eating Liquorice
    Brand:Darrell Lea
    Description: Darrell Lea have coated their delicious Raspberry Soft Eating Liquorice with creamy yogurt. Containing only Natural Flavor and using colors derived from natural sources, it is preservative free to compliment Darrell Lea’s range of “Better for you” Australian Liquorice.
    Notes: Darrell Lea is really expanding in the US. They’re also going to bring out a version of Allsorts in US stores as well. I have zero interest in yogurt covered red licorice though I imagine there are plenty of folks who are going to be interested.

    Name: DOVE Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter
    Brand: Dove (Mars)
    Description: It’s the combination we’ve all been waiting for - soft and creamy peanut butter surrounded by silky smooth DOVE Chocolate. It’s the most indulgent way to experience the premium taste of 100% real, authentic milk chocolate and creamy peanut butter. Available in retail stores nationwide in May 2009.
    Notes: It’s about time!

    imageName: Kazoozles
    Brand: Wonka (Nestle)
    Description: Kazoozles Cherry Punch: Two Cherry Ropes with Punch Filling. Kazoozles Pink Lemonade: Two Lemon Ropes with Cherry Filling. June 8, 2009 release.
    Notes: Look familiar? These came out back on 2005/06 and were called SweeTarts Rope. I don’t know why both flavor versions have to have cherry in them. Why couldn’t the lemon one be lemon and raspberry?

    imageName: Gummy Puckerooms
    Brand: Wonka (Nestle)
    Description: Sour Sanded Gummies in different mushroom shapes and four yummy flavors (cherry, grape, lemon/orange, and grape/cherry). June 8, 2009 release.
    Notes: These feel like a return to the Wonka whimsy. It seems like moving into gummis is a natural extension for the Wonka line as well. I find the flavor selection a little odd ... but I guess Wonka must think that everyone loves cherry.

    imageName: Gummy Sluggles
    Brand: Wonka (Nestle)
    Description: Classic, sweet gummies in three fun slug-like shapes, and four yummy flavors (lemon, strawberry, grape, and orange). June 8, 2009 release.
    Notes: I don’t know if these are going to be distinct enough from other gummis already on the market, but hey, there’s no cherry in it, so I’m definitely down for a try.

    imageName: Tic Tac Melon Mango, Holiday Twist & Pina Colada (Limited Edition)
    Brand: Ferrero
    Description: Tic Tac Melon Mango uses an innovative combination of fruit flavors and vibrant colors. Starts shipping in June 2009. Tic Tac Holiday Twist
    will spice up your holiday with the combination of our Freshmint & Cinnamon flavors. Starts shipping in September 2009. Tic Tac Pi?a Colada combines the flavors of coconut & pineapple in a single mint to create a unique tropical flavor sensation. Starts shipping in March 2010.

    Notes: I know Tic Tac comes out with these limited editions, but I’m never able to find them in stores. (Not that I couldn’t make my own Holiday mix myself.)

    imageName: Impulse Chocolate Bars
    Brand: Valor Chocolates
    Description: Now you can enjoy all the flavor of Valor chocolate anytime, anywhere. Our new 1.59-ounce chocolate minibars give you that little bit of extra pleasure whenever and wherever you want. Adult pleasure any time, any where.
    Notes:  I didn’t write that copy. Valor is a great Spanish brand of chocolate that I seem to have neglected on the blog for many years. These little bars may change that, as I often find the 100 gram bars a bit daunting (and expensive).

    imageName: Skipjacks
    Brand: Wolfgang
    Description: Skipjacks are delicious, light Oyster Crackers covered in Wolfgang’s natural, creamy milk chocolate. The crispy, salty cracker, and the sweet milk chocolate make this new product as irresistible as fresh popcorn at the movies.
    Notes: I can’t tell from the product info if these are the saltine stile oyster crackers or the big crunchy lump style. Either way, I’m ready to give these a try.

    Name: Gourmet Flavored Candy Corn
    Brand: Zachary Confections, Inc. 
    Description: We are pleased to introduce three more flavors of Gourmet Flavored Candy Corn! Candy Cane, Gingerbread, and Egg Nog will join our successful line of 1 lb. “candy dish” tubs.
    Notes: Zachary already makes an interesting array including Raspberry, Caramel Apple, Cherry, Cinnamon, Tangerine and Raspberry Lemonade (see list here). Flavors like Egg Nog and Gingerbread actually sound more in tune with the mellow texture and flavor of fondant, so I’m willing to give them a try.

    Related Candies

    1. Candy Tease: February 2009
    2. Candy Tease: Autumn 2008
    3. Candy Tease: All Candy Expo 2008 #5
    4. Candy Tease: All Candy Expo 2008 #4
    5. Candy Tease: All Candy Expo 2008 #3
    6. Candy Tease: All Candy Expo 2008 #2
    7. Candy Tease: All Candy Expo 2008 #1

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:34 am     CandyNew Product Announcement5-PleasantFeatured News

    Wednesday, April 1, 2009

    Necco Paas Gummi Baby Bunnies

    Necco Paas Baby BunniesI picked up this package of Necco Paas Gummi Baby Bunnies at the Dollar Tree. I was a bit miffed even before I purchased it. As you can see from the photo, the bag is mostly empty. The product takes up, at most, a third of the bag ... though I have to say it did weigh a hefty nine ounces, which is a generous amount of candy for a buck. (The back of the package says “this product is packed by weight”, which I’m guessing means they’ve gotten some comments.)

    The package design is rather lame. The illustration of the Easter Bunny with his basket of baby bunnies isn’t really very contemporary, and I don’t even know what’s going on with the yellow fluffy duck with red hiking boots in the background.

    The package promises gummi bunny shaped candies in six creamy flavors. I’m accustomed to transparent gummis, these are opaque, but also apparently creamy.

    All my other confusion and miffed-ness aside, these were a pleasant surprise.

    Necco Paas Baby Bunnies

    These juvenile lagomorph confections are a little bigger than a gummi bear, clocking in at about one inch high. They’re soft opaque colors, matte and a little milky looking. The bag smells a bit like marshmallows and maybe a hint of circus peanuts.

    Though the name says they’re gummis, they’re really not. There’s no gelatin in there (so I guess they’re vegan as long as you’re happy to eat modified corn starch, partially hydrogenated coconut oil and titanium dioxide). They look like mellocremes (fondant like Candy Corn), but they’re much smoother than that. They’re firm but give easily when bitten, not as sticky as a gumdrop, not as hard a Jujyfruits.

    Banana - Yellow - I think this is the one that overpowers the bag. It’s a plastic-like fingernail polish flavor that wafts like some sort of VOC emission from an auto body shop. Still, I rather liked them, because I like fake bananas even though they made my lungs hurt.

    Orange - Orange - rather like the lime one, the orange flavor is quite subtle. Reminds me of a creamsicle, or maybe the distant memory of the last creamsicle I ate about three years ago.

    Cherry - Hot Pink - when I looked at this, I wasn’t scared of the cherry flavor, I was immediately turned off at the thought of all that Red 40 dye. The cherry flavor is stronger than the other flavors in the set. Then there’s a bitter component that I find pretty off-putting even if the cherry was rather nice.

    Grape - Lavender - this was a baffling little rabbit. It tasted like the only one with a bit of a tangy bite, kind of like yogurt. But the grape flavor was barely there. It also had a bit of a bitter aftertaste.

    Marshmallow - White - a rather believable toasted vanilla flavor. Smooth chew ... these are kind of what I’d always hoped Bunny Basket Eggs would be like.

    Lime - Green - mellow lime flavor that lingers for a while, a bit of vanilla and it’s definitely smooth. A little bitter aftertaste.

    They candies are soft and dry to the touch, so throwing them in the Easter grass out of the packaging like jelly beans is a decent option. They’re also cute enough to display in a jar or dish. (Really, anything is better than leaving in the lackluster package.)

    Overall, I had no problem eating whatever I drew out of the bag, instead of picking through. (Though when given the opportunity, I threw the grape and cherry back.) The chew is soft and pleasant, not too sweet. They did tend to stick to my teeth, but not as much as something like Dots. They’re definitely worth the dollar I paid for them, but I really urge Necco to make the bag smaller by half, if only to save themselves some space & plastic costs.

    Related Candies

    1. Easter Novelty Toys (with candy)
    2. Peeps Chick & Bunny Candy
    3. Kisses Coconut Creme
    4. Peeps Mash Ups
    5. Jelly Belly Deluxe Easter Mix
    6. Peeps Lollipop Rings
    Name: Paas Gummi Baby Bunnies
      RATING:
    • 10 SUPERB
    • 9 YUMMY
    • 8 TASTY
    • 7 WORTH IT
    • 6 TEMPTING
    • 5 PLEASANT
    • 4 BENIGN
    • 3 UNAPPEALING
    • 2 APPALLING
    • 1 INEDIBLE
    Brand: Necco
    Place Purchased: Dollar Tree (Harbor City)
    Price: $1.00
    Size: 9 ounces
    Calories per ounce: 85
    Categories: Jelly, United States, Necco, Easter

    POSTED BY Cybele AT 8:51 am    

    Page 5 of 5 pages ‹ First  < 3 4 5

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