Monday, January 18, 2010

Jelly Belly Honey Beans

Jelly Belly HoneyA few years ago Jelly Belly was taking suggestions for their new bean flavors. I was actively advocating honey. I know, it’s not dazzling like Juicy Pear or knock-your-socks-off like Buttered Popcorn, but let’s face it, honey is one of humans’ first candies.

Honey actually made it to the final cut of the flavor voting, but the trendier Acai Berry won (with honey as a close second). The good news is that honey made a good enough showing that Jelly Belly went ahead and made it anyway! Which is good, because I’d much rather have a spoonful of honey than of acai berry.

Jelly Belly Honey

The beans are dark amber and ever so slightly translucent.

They’re soft and mild - really like a less sweet globule of honey. The texture is smooth overall, though with that slight grain of the thin jelly bean shell. There’s a little bit of a fresh aftertaste, kind of like jasmine tea.

It’s too bad that they’re not all natural (there are some artificial colors in there) but they use real honey in them, and that definitely is apparent.

Honestly, I didn’t think much of them when I had them the first time, but the true honey flavor comes through and I found myself wanting more later. I can’t say eating a huge bag of them would be a goal, but they were a nice little mid-day refresher. My confidence level that these are going to appear in stores is pretty low. I don’t expect to see them at the grocery store, but perhaps in the stores that carry the single flavors in bulk ... so the Jelly Belly website is probably going to be the best bet. (A custom mix I’d make for myself would probably be to mix the honey and Citrus Mix for a special sort of cough drop if only they’d make a mentholated jelly bean.)

Jelly Belly are gluten-free, dairy-free and gelatin free plus Kosher.

Related Candies

  1. Cool Honey Altoids
  2. Boules de Miel (balls of honey)
  3. Palmer Bee Mine
  4. Melville Candy Company Honey Spoons
  5. Pure Fun & Yummy Earth Organic Hard Candies
Name: Honey Beans
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Jelly Belly
Place Purchased: samples from Jelly Belly
Price: unknown
Size: .50 ounces
Calories per ounce: 100
Categories: Jelly, United States, Jelly Belly, Kosher

POSTED BY Cybele AT 5:23 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. Your idea of how to mix these with other flavors of Jelly Bellies got me thinking. I came up with honey and peanut butter. I could have sworn there was a peanut butter jelly belly. And then I discovered, it is no more! (perhaps never was… but I have some recollection…) Peanut butter and honey is one of my favorite childhood treats, rats! I guess honey might also be good with the “buttered popcorn” flavor. But considering how honey complements certain sorts of flavors, I’m surprised they don’t have some better combinations lined up. (Almond would be good with honey too!)

    Comment by Candy Professor on 1/18/10 at 11:39 am #
  2. I wonder if they would be overwhelmed by the black ones.  Something about a bag of honey and licorice beans appeals to me—kind of an herbal feel, like Earl Grey plus honey.  Plus the colors would be great! 

    It occurs to me that a black tea flavored JB could be pretty excellent.

    Comment by JJR on 1/18/10 at 3:02 pm #
  3. Despite buying the Superfruit mix and being disappointed in the flavor of acai jellybean(It tasted too ‘earthy’ to me), I’m eager to try honey. I’ll be on the lookout next time I go shop for candy.

    Comment by Vanillaorchid on 1/18/10 at 5:37 pm #
  4. Awesome! I voted for Honey too, and I was pretty disappointed to see Acai Berry win because of the superfruit craze. I wish I wouldn’t have to order from the Jelly Belly website?shipping is expensive?but I’m really looking forward to trying this bean.

    Comment by Brandon on 1/19/10 at 4:53 am #
  5. Hey Cybele,

    You are right Honey Bean is in bulk bins initially, so look for it at candy stores who seem to take in the new flavors very quickly.
    The price will be the same as other flavors, in the neighborhood of $8 a pound.

    My favorite combo:  Honey Bean and Pink Grapefruit—sweet and tart together.

    And Candy professor, you are right there was a peanut butter flavor, but it was retired end of last year.

    Comment by Tomi on 1/19/10 at 6:31 am #
  6. Cybele, I just wanted to let you know that the Stained Glass Candy company came out with a new Honey flavor!  I immediately thought of you when I got the email this morning.  Link is above.

    Comment by Catherine on 2/01/10 at 3:14 am #
  7. HHHHNNNGGGGGG——

    I wanna try these!! TTATT Why haven’t I seen them yet!? *starts whining like a child*

    Comment by Vanillabean on 10/09/10 at 5:34 am #
  8. I love Honey flavoured Jelly Belly as I had ordered

    them off ebay. Hopefully there will be more new

    creations in 2011 excluding the peas and carrots

    that is.

    Comment by Ben Exworth on 2/17/11 at 1:01 pm #
  9. 10 years ago or so, Goelitz was making Honey Bears…gummy bears in, I think, 4 flavors (slightly different colors):  honey with lemon stands out in my memory…don’t remember the rest.
    I toured the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA where you could sample anything.  I’m not a strong honey fan, but I tried the honey bears on a whim and just loved them.  For a year or two they were available in some bulk locations, but then they disappeared.  So sad.

    Another bear I miss was a bubble gum flavored gummy bear.  I have no idea who made them, but they were wonderful:  just a little waxy, not too sticky or bouncy with a marvelous bubble gum flavor.  Those disappeared about 20 years ago.  My list of favorite discontinued products is disturbingly long.  Sigh.

    Comment by Heidi on 10/12/11 at 5:37 am #
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