Monday, July 28, 2014

Wonka Randoms Gummy Variety (and some Rowntree)

Wonka RandomsWonka, a Nestle company, has been trying get traction with some newer candies over the past decade. There have been many introductions, but none have the staying power of some of the classic candies under the Wonka label, like Runts, SweeTarts and Nerds.

The new Wonka Randoms are billed as an Endless Gummy Variety because there are dozens of different shapes and colors possible, each bag is likely to be a unique mix of possibilities.

There are five different colors/flavors and three different textures.

The easiest version to spot is the transparent molded shapes which come in yellow, orange, pink, purple and red. Some also have a foamy white bottom with a transparent fruity top layer. Then the third version is also a foamy bottom, but they’re usually dome shaped and have a dollop of goo in the center under the transparent layer.

Wonka Randoms

The variety of shapes is quite charming. Most are mundane and realistic, such as trains, crowns, ships, alligators, unicorns, pieces of candy (how meta), paintbrushes, footprints and bicycles.

The Pink are Strawberry, or something similar. It’s bright and tangy with a mellow jam quality instead of fresh fruit. They’re soft and with a balanced and dense flavor.

Orange are Orange. It was ordinary and a little disappointing, as it tasted more like an orange popsicle than a good, zesty orange gummy. The package says that the flavors and colors are all natural, and includes real orange and lemon juice.

Red is Cherry. This one was admirable. It had a light black currant note to it, a bit of tangy bite and less sweetness than the others.

Purple is Grape. I was rather surprised this was a flavor. I didn’t care much for it, as it was rather like eating generic purple jelly on toast at a diner. It was tangy and had a fruity note, but didn’t taste as good as some other grape gummis I’ve had from Japan.

Yellow is Lemon. It’s a very strong lemon flavor, with a blend of tartness, zest and sweetness. It had a concentrate note to it (which I always associate with aluminum, for some reason) but was very flavorful.

The Marshmallow Whip ones were very similar, but a bit bouncier from the aerated gummy base.It gives it a creamier note, but also dilutes the overall intensity of the flavor.

The Jam Filled were okay, the jam was mostly sweet, without much of its own flavor contribution. It definitely made the pieces a quicker chew, less dense.

Rowntree's Randoms & Wonka RandomsSince Nestle is a global company, they have a much larger presence in Europe. Many of the Wonka products we know in the United States are under the Rowntree brand in the United Kingdom and parts of Europe. I first saw Rowntree Randoms in London when was there back in March and picked up a few little bags.

The Rowntree packaging doesn’t state where they’re made, but the Wonka Randoms are made in the Czech Republic, which is also where previous Wonka gummis (such as the Squishy Sploshberries and Sluggles) were also manufactured.

Rowntree Randoms

The molds and flavors were the same as far as I could tell.

Overall, the idea of so many different shapes in a single bag is delightful. The actual flavor variety doesn’t quite float my boat - I like pineapple and a wider range of citrus flavors in my gummis. These look great in a bowl and are fun to share. Many parents will appreciate that they use naturally derived flavors and colors. They’re not gluten free and there’s no statement about other allergens like peanuts and tree nuts.

Related Candies

  1. Life Savers Berry Bites Gummies
  2. Sugarfina: The Gummis
  3. Wonka SweeTarts Gummies
  4. Angry Birds Fruit Gummies
  5. Wonka Springy Double Yummy Gummies
  6. Wonka Whipped Wingers Gummies
  7. Wonka Squishy Sploshberries Gummies


Name: Wonka Randoms
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Nestle
Place Purchased: Target (West Hollywood)
Price: $2.79
Size: 10 ounes
Calories per ounce: 101
Categories: Candy, Nestle, Gummi Candy, 7-Worth It, Czech Republic, Target

POSTED BY Cybele AT 11:55 am Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyGoo FilledReviewNestleGummi Candy7-Worth ItCzech RepublicTarget

Comments
  1. Along with the three types you described the Rowntree version in the UK has pieces that are all foam too, like snowmen and ice cream cones. I got the US version and I thought they were pretty good, but I feel like the UK version is just more random.

    Comment by sara on 7/31/14 at 1:40 pm #
  2. That was great that you laid them all out so we could see all the shapes and colors! Pretty pieces.

    Comment by Donna Barstow on 8/04/14 at 5:00 am #
  3. The randoms candy is the BEST candy EVER!!!!!!

    Comment by ciera rooks on 2/04/15 at 4:15 pm #
  4. I personally thought “Randoms” were really quite flavorless and overall not that great. The ones with the “foamy” bottom I ultimately gave to my friend because they were so bad. I didn’t get any with a gooey jam center, but because those apparently also had that foam I may have rejected any before properly inspecting them. My thought initially was this: “Randoms” are the just that… random extra flavors, unused product, and botched batches of real candy all thrown into different shaped gummy molds and packaged as something unique. The slogan “you’ll never get the same bag twice” is true only because they don’t know what the hell they’re going to put in them.

    Comment by Natasha on 2/26/15 at 9:00 pm #
  5. I like the different flavors and shapes.  Though I agree it would be nice to add additional flavors such as Pineapple and green apple, also lime would be nice.  How about key lime, sweet and tart.

    Comment by Jackie on 3/09/15 at 4:11 pm #
  6. Love these! So many different flavors!!!

    Comment by Taylor Kartes on 3/16/15 at 4:36 pm #
  7. These candies are so good and you can get them free from smiley360!

    Comment by Brittany daniels on 4/06/15 at 11:49 am #
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