Monday, June 9, 2014
Short & Sweet: MentosThough Mentos are a little less boring in the United States than they used to be, some of the most interesting flavors come from overseas. I ordered a package of Mentos Tropical Rainbow from Japan (through Napa Japan, my new alternative to JBox.com). The flavor array is interesting, you get just two of each flavor, they’re all lined up with the flavors listed on the package. Of note: Passion Fruit - it’s a little bit on the metallic side. It’s quite tangy and has a sort of black currant note mixed with pineapple, but still a bit of authentic passion fruit flavor. Mango - less peachy than some others I’ve had, but still not convincing. It lacks that pine flavor that many mangos have, it’s more like a very sweet peach crossed with pineapple. Kiwi - a cross between green apple and strawberry. Kiwi is usually more about the texture than the flavor anyway, so a fruity candy that’s supposed to be a kiwi is at a disadvantage. Other flavors included were also: Strawberry - fresh and sweet, but less tangy than a Skittle. Green Apple - tart without too much of the artificial note in the American green apple candies. Grape - wonderfully round, tastes like a concord grape. Pineapple - an incredible mix of tart and floral. I can’t see myself ordering these again, but I do like some variety in my package from time to time ... still, I think the classic Rainbow Mentos suit my flavor preferences better. Mentos Lemon Cola (also from Japan) are just a little more tangy than the Fresh Cola Mentos that are already widely available. I like the hint of zest and more intense flavor. It would be nice to see these in a mix, perhaps Cola and Cherry, Cola and Lemon and Cola and Lime all in one cola rainbow package. Mentos Mintensity are available in Europe and are kind of like a Mint Rainbow, except that there aren’t just 2 of each flavor. Instead it’s like a sliding scale of intensity. None of the flavors are new, I’ve had them all in other packaging forms in the past. There are 2 Air Action, 2 Strong Mint, 4 Spearmint, 6 Mint chewy candies. Overall, the Air Action delivers a potent mix of menthol and mint. It’s not so different though, from the Strong Mint, which is also sold as Xtreme Mint in Southeast Asia. Strong is, well, a chewy Altoid. It’s refreshing but doesn’t exactly burn. The Spearmint were very good, and just the right amount. The Mint are, well, the standard Freshmaker. If you start with them, it’s a nice progression, if you end with them, they taste kind of like sugar. If you dump the package out, it’s hard to tell the pieces apart, they’re all white, grey or slightly tinted blue or green, but in low light situations, you’re not going to be able to tell. My final item is that Spearmint Mentos are now available widely in the United States. The flavor has been popular in other parts of the world for years, including Australia and Europe, but not here. So it was great to see them at 7-11 recently. I’ve picked them up on Europe before, and tried the Xtreme Spearmint version before as well. It reminds me of toothpaste but also has a good, fresh green tea note to it. They’re light green, so they do have some coloring to them, unlike peppermint Mentos. I’d definitely pick these up regularly. As much as I like Mentos, their freshness varies. Unlike most candies sold today, they’re not sealed in plastic, but instead just wrapped up in foil. So, I do get about a third of my packages where the candies are quite hard, often brittle instead of chewy. They’re still edible, but not quite as good as the fresh and chewy ones. POSTED BY Cybele AT 1:36 pm All Natural • Candy • Mentos • Review • Perfetti van Melle • Chews • Cola • Mints • 7-Worth It • Japan • Netherlands • |
||||
ABOUT
FEEDSCONTACT
EMAIL DIGESTCANDY RATINGSTYPE
BRAND
COUNTRY
ARCHIVES
|
Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
|
The lemon cola Mentos is actually sold in a mixed bag with other cola flavours (Fresh cola, lemon cola, and I swear there was another - sadly, no cherry cola) of individually wrapped candy that you can pick up in the Philipines and Singapore, and probably other parts of Asia. It’s a really good mix.
Mentos is good. We don’t like most Asian candy as you can see in our YouTube video. Our parents buy Mentos all the time though and that is definitely enjoyable.
Next entry: Peeps Minis Vanilla Creme
Previous entry: Dove Hazelnut Crisp Dark Chocolate Promises