Wrigley's 5 Gum React: Mint

I've been staring at this pack of gum for about two months now. Oh, I am ever going to chew it? I would say to myself...and then promptly start a review of something else. Well, today is just a gum-chewing sort of a day, I think.



The two newest entries into the 5 line of Wrigley's are both simply called React. One is packaged in black and orange and is fruit flavored (and reviewed here). The other is this pack, which is black and blue and flavored with mint. I don't know why they didn't bother to actually give each flavor more of an individual name, but it is what it is. Maybe it was dreamed up by people who still think that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are the same person.



In any event, just like its orange sibling, each stick is wrapped in a spiffy black wrapper (which I love because it matches all of my clothing), and the gum itself is a pale gray that turns darker as you chew it. It also smells to high heaven of Ben-Gay. Seriously, why?!? Mint is a good smell -- so why muck that up and make me think of my own shriveling arthritic hands?

Smell aside, the taste is more to the wintergreen side than like Ben-Gay in stick form -- but there also seems to be a tiny hint of spearmint hiding in there that adds sweetness and takes away from the almost burning strong mint it stars off with. In fact, once the initial burst of wintergreen dies out, there is about a three minute window of sweet mellow mint. Then, once that wears off, it dies down into what can best be called generic mint.



The flavor does last an incredibly long time, and the look of the gum is interesting enough. If you are a fan of wintergreen flavor, this may be your dream gum. For me, I didn't love it. It's not Solstice (I just love that flavor), but it does taste better than I would have expected from the Ben-Gay smell.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.25

CALORIES:
-5 calories per stick.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains soy lecithin, phenylalanine, aspartame, sorbitol, acesulfame K.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
wrigley.com

Orbit Mist: Raspberry Lemon Dew

Orbit introduced the Mist line last year. The idea behind the gum is that it causes your mouth to get extra moist, giving you a "hydrating sensation" (aka more spit).

I have liked two of the other Mist flavors I tried; the Spearmint Spritzer especially.



When I saw the new Raspberry Lemon Dew flavor I had to try it. (Yeah, like I wasn't going to!) I love raspberry lemonade; and I figured that if the gum tasted even a little like that, I knew I would like it.



Smelling the gum -- because everyone smells their gum, right? -- it was like powdered raspberry drink mix. But chewing the gum, the flavor that you get is all bright lemon zest! I will grant you it's a pretty fake lemon flavor, but that doesn't mean it tastes bad. If you were really looking forward to the raspberry side of things, well...yeah, you can smell it, and it's sort of there for the aftertaste, but the flavor is nearly all about the lemon.



And that would be just fine-- we all know I love lemon -- except that the flavor wears off in less than five minutes. Not a beautiful thing if you're looking for a long chew.

A good enough flavor while it lasts, but there's just not enough staying power to make it worthwhile.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.69

CALORIES:
5 calories per piece.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains many chemicals.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
wrigley.com

Wrigley's 5 Gum React: Fruit

I have to hand it to Wrigley's with the 5 line. At one point in time my personal Top Five Fave Gums consisted entirely of Stride and Orbit. (To be fair, Orbit is also a Wrigley's product.) Orbit Sweet Mint used to hold the Number 1 spot, but was knocked down a rank last year by 5's Solstice (still Number 1!) .

There are two new 5 flavors, both called React, but one is a fruit version and one is mint. I of course have both, but we are doing the fruit flavor first.



There is next to no information out there about what makes React different from any of the other 5 flavors. On the Wrigley's website, the flavors are described as "A unique fruit/mint experience," but nothing tells you what it is that makes it unique.

So far, the only thing I can see that sets it apart from the rest of the line is that the individual wrappers are a stylish black, and the gum itself is the gray color of wet concrete. As you chew the gum, the color darkens to slate gray. But have no fear: unlike most extreme colored gum (or gum aimed at kids), it won't turn your mouth black as well. My tongue did darken a little. But as I was really looking for something different, I highly doubt most people would notice.



The sticks smell kind of like orange and mango -- and that is pretty much what they taste like. It's sort of a vague tropical fruit mixed with orange. The more lush tropical flavors wear off quickly (within the first five minutes). The orange hangs around longer, but after about ten minutes it starts to taste more like the aftertaste of Orange Tic-Tacs than the juicy orange-like tang it had at first.



This isn't a bad flavor, and I did in fact like it more than 5 Lush. It just doesn't have the WOW factor of Solstice.



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

PRICE:
$1.25

CALORIES:
-5 calories per stick.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Contains soy lecithin, phenylalanine, aspartame, sorbitol, acesulfame K.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
wrigley.com

Kosher for Passover Coke & Diet Coke

OK guys, this is the last post in our Kosher for Passover week. I told you I was saving my favorite for last. No, I was not in fact able to get my hands on a bottle of The Zohan's favorite soda, "Fizzy Bubblech." I got a hold of my favorite soda: Kosher for Passover Coke!

Those of you who pay attention for such things are probably already well aware that Coke is always kosher. But the normal everyday bottle of Coke -- while still being deliciously tasty, is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup -- and if we've learned nothing else this week, we have still learned that certain grains are considered kitniyot, and yes, corn is one of them. So corn is OK most of the time, but not for Passover.

Kosher for Passover Coke:




Passover brings with it the one time a year that Coke itself keeps things real and sweetens the soda with actual real cane sugar. If you're old enough to remember what Coke tasted like in the days before the sugar was taken out and replaced by HFCS (circa 1985), this is what you remember.

Sadly, the production runs of this type of Coke are very, very small, and seem to be targeted only at the larger metropolitan areas -- and even there, it can be hard to find. For example, I live in a far eastern 'burb of Los Angeles and I couldn't get it locally. I even put a cash bounty out to my friends if anyone could find it and bring it to me. In fact, I got so desperate that I called my local bottler. (Never got a response from them, either. And in a rare lapse of customer service on the part of Coca-Cola's corporate end, I didn't even get an answer from them on where to find some locally to me.) Finally I ended just biting the bullet and driving to the San Fernando valley, which has a significantly higher Jewish population than my area. And there I found what I wanted. The ever fantastic Gelson's Market had more Kosher for Passover Coke than I could shake a stick at.

I know you are probably wondering how to tell the difference between the KFP Coke and the regular the Coke that is always on the shelf, since the label itself (minus the ingredients list) is exactly the same. The answer, my friends, is the cap. The cap for KFP Coke is always different. All of the KFP Coke bottle caps I have ever seen are bright yellow in color and contain Hebrew lettering along with the "U-P" symbol. To make life super easy, I have provided a picture to use for reference:



So I drank some. What more can I say? It was as good as it always is. It has that sugar "bite" that HFCS lacks entirely. This is really old school Coca-Cola, the kind that has otherwise been extinct in the U.S. for more than twenty years.



Do whatever you have to do to find the remaining supplies in your area this year, because it is that good! And now you know for next year. You can thank me by sending bottles to me.



PURCHASED FROM:
Gelson's Market

PRICE:
$1.50

CALORIES:
100 calories per 8 ounces.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Kosher, kosher for Passover.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
cocacola.com



Kosher for Passover Diet Coke:



I have to admit that I can't begin to tell you what's different between this version and the "normal" version. As far as I can tell, the ingredients are the same. And to be brutally honest, it even tastes the same.

Once again, I am going to point the short, stubby finger of shame at Coca-Cola. This was one of the questions I wanted to ask them, and neither my local bottler nor the corporate offices could be bothered to return my phone call or email inquiry. So if anyone out there knows what makes Diet Coke for Passover special, please leave a comment.

Given that I honestly can't tell the difference between this version and the normal version, I am not entirely sure how to review it, let alone rate it. If you have ever had one sip of Diet Coke, you have had this -- so I am just going to leave things at that.

PURCHASED FROM:
Gelson's Market

PRICE
$1.50

CALORIES:
0 calories.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Kosher, kosher for Passover, sugar free, contains phenylalanine.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
cocacola.com

Pepsi Max Cease Fire

This new Pepsi Max flavor completely flew under my radar until I saw it today while on a review hunt at Target. (I told you guys I look for stuff everywhere and always!) It might also be because I tend to be more on the lookout for new Coke products. I have to give Pepsi their due, however: as much as I may prefer Coke Zero over all else, when it comes to flavored colas (vanilla, lime, lemon etc) I have to hand it to Pepsi. In those cases I think they do the job far better job than the other guys. (I still love you, Coke Zero.)

Pepsi Max Cease Fire is a calorie free, lime flavored cola. (Pepsi in fact already makes a lime flavored version of the regular Diet Pepsi that is quite good.) The hook to this product is that not only is it the first of the flavored entry in the Max line, but if the Pepsi website and the package blurb are to be believed, it is supposed to be able to extinguish even the hottest of spices that can be eaten along with it.

Uh-huh! I will be the judge of that one.



First, the soda on its own:

It smells pretty much like regular Pepsi Max, but with the tiniest bit of lime. It tastes pretty much like standard issue Pepsi Max, too. The lime is subdued and comes mostly as an aftertaste -- an effect that, in some cases, can work quite well. (For example, DRY Sodas -- see my reviews here, here, and here.) What wasn't working for me was that instead of having a sharp citrus zing or bite, the lime aftertaste reminded me of cheap lime flavored lollipops. It's not bad, but if I want a really good lime cola I'll stay with the regular Diet Pepsi with lime. I am not sure why they went with such a sweet, artificial-tasting version of lime over something a little more authentic. I can see where people who like a sweeter taste would prefer this version, though.

The carbonation is on the low side, even for a Pepsi product. It's not a deal breaker for me, but I do like my soda to either be completely flat or at least as bubbly as a normal Pepsi.

So let's talk about the claim that the soda can ease the burn of hot (spicy) foods...

I may just be -- depending on your point of view -- either the best person or the worst person on the planet to tackle this. As is well documented on this blog, I looooo-o-o-ove spicy hot food. I love hot sauce. I have yet to find anything that has been hot enough to make me cry for water. (And yes, I can even eat Dave's Insanity sauce by itself by the spoonful.)

Looking around my house, I tried to find something up to the challenge. To keep it in the Pepsi family, I decided on testing this on a packet of Taco Bell FIRE sauce (which, for the record, I personally do not find to be very hot, but I know a lot of people do). This may be why I am also the worst person to try this test -- I have a really high tolerance for what I consider spicy, so maybe read my results with that kept in mind.



I just squeezed the contents of the packet directly onto my tongue and held it there for about 20 seconds prior to swallowing the sauce. We did attempt photos of this event, but there was just no way to do it with out it looking like something from the world's most messed up porno, so you will just have to use your imaginations. (Y'know, that thing we played with before we had cool stuff to play with...?)

So did it cool my mouth? Honestly...since on my personal scale of hotness I consider Taco Bell FIRE sauce to be mild, no, I didn't notice a cooling effect. What I did notice is that the lime flavor seems to become more pronounced, and it did seem less sweet than it had before the hot sauce.

It's a neat idea and it's not a bad soda. I just don't think it was nearly as good as it could have been. The lime is just too sweet -- which I don't understand, because the lime in the Diet Pepsi is so good. It also just seems under-carbonated. If anyone with less of a tolerance for heat/spice tries this experiment, I would love to hear your comments.



PURCHASED FROM:
Target

PRICE:
$1.69

CALORIES:
0

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine. Sugar free.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
pepsi.com

Stride Eternal Melon Gum

Stride rings in 2010 with another new flavor.

If the last new flavor -- Mega Mystery -- made me think about Scooby Doo, then Eternal Melon made me think of teenage girls circa 1985. I am not sure why. It just sounds like something a crimped haired, neon legginged, Madonna listening (you know, before she started drinking the blood of virgins to stay "young"), Facts Of Life watching, Lisa Frank loving girl would chew while fantasizing about waking up in Molly Ringwald's body à la one of those zany "switch" movies that were so popular in that era...

Not that I ever did any of those things, mind you. I am far cooler than that and always have been. Just so we're clear on this, understand?



Wrapped in bright lime green paper lies an equally green stick of gum. The gum smells like a cross between powdered fruit punch and one those canned car air fresheners that have names like "California Sunset."



But how does it taste?

You know those little blocks of sawdust-looking stuff inside of those cans of air freshener? I've never felt the need to lick one, but I can't help wondering how close the taste would be to this. True to the name, there is a melon flavor -- but it's vague and hard to identify. If I had to guess, I'd say it's kind of like a cantaloupe. But I am only guessing. There is another flavor there that I couldn't identify at all. I want to say pineapple, but I am nowhere near sure of it.



It's also a little tart at first. I am not going to lie to you: it starts out tasting pretty nasty, but as the flavor wanes ever so slightly, it seems to get sweeter and better tasting. It's a Stride gum, so the flavor lasts a ridiculously long amount of time...it takes a good ten or fifteen minutes to mellow out. If you can ride out the weird flavor it opens with, it actually does end up tasting all right. And therein lies the problem with this gum -- the strangeness of the initial taste. If it actually started the way it ends up, it would have gotten a much higher rating.

Now if you don't mind, I have to go switch sides on my Debbie Gibson tape.



PURCHASED FROM:
Stater Brothers supermarket

hint Water: Hibiscus Vanilla

I really like hint products. Sadly, until recently I didn't have a local source, so I only got to have it on my New York trips (now that's a heck of an excuse to go to New York!).

What I like about hint is that the flavors are really pure and clean. Even if it's something I don't end up loving (like the apple), it's hard to knock something that actually tastes like the natural version of what it's supposed to be.

That's what intrigued me about the Hibiscus Vanilla. Granted, it sounds like a faux-Hawaiian air freshener. It also sounds like some sort of exotic drink that would come in a bright color with way too many garnishes, probably including a little plastic mini-umbrella. It doesn't sound like a flavor of water. And that made it more interesting to me.



It's clear water, so there's not much in the way of color going on there. And since I spend my days garnishing drinks anyway, I wasn't about to do it at home. Besides, you wouldn't pull out little umbrellas just for bottled water, either. And if you do: WOW, just WOW. So, skipping appearances...

The smell is vaguely floral. I can honestly say I am not 100% sure what hibiscus smells like, but even if I were I don't think the smell is strong enough that I could pin it to one particular flower. There's another aroma in there too, and try as I might, I just couldn't place it. It was kinda like strawberry, kinda sweet and sort of like cheap candle. Not unpleasant, but not what I was expecting.

The taste: Also not what I was expecting. I had an idea of what it would taste like. I thought the vanilla would be the stronger flavor, and that the hibiscus would float in the background like a happy water fairy (or something like that). What I got was different.

First, much like with the scent, I couldn't really detect the vanilla. The water initially tastes vaguely like a Luden's cherry cough drop, and then there is a floral taste. I assume that's the hibiscus (cuz, y'know, it is hibiscus flavored after all). I reminded me of rose water, only a little more bitter. I know that doesn't sound like it would be the best tasting drink ever. And the first couple sips...well, it needs to grow on you.

Once you have had those first few sips, the flavor improves. It is quite refreshing, but it is distinct. Because it is an acquired taste, I am not sure how often I would pick this over some of the other hint flavors. (I love the cucumber! And I realize I haven't reviewed it yet, so watch for it). What I would love to try is making this flavor into ice and using the cubes in mixed drinks.

Great? No. Good, even? Meh, it's okay. Interesting? Yes.



PURCHASED FROM:
Sprouts Farmers Market

Orbit: Piña Colada Gum

I admit it. I was skeptical of Orbit's Piña Colada gum. Was I right to be?



While I have heard nothing but good things about it, I have yet to like any of the Orbit gums that are inspired by drinks. But hey...it's Gum Week!

Also not working in its favor is that much like the now-notorious Trident Green Apple & Golden Pineapple, once the outer wrapper was peeled off, the scent that wafted forth was -- once again -- much like the stank of 100 bad car air fresheners (and it did not look like a happy little tree).



But if you think about it, even a good Piña Colada smells like a bad air freshener -- so maybe this was a sign of good things to come. And you know what? It was!

The pineapple is sweet and vibrant. It reminded me of a longer-lasting version of the Lotte Plus X Pineapple Mint Cube Gum . The coconut adds a milky sweetness. But it also keeps the pineapple from tasting sour. There might be a little bit of mint in there, because it does leave your mouth feeling cooler.

Really nice. This gum is quickly addictive!



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

5 Gum: Solstice

I don't know how I managed to not review this gum sooner. From the first time I tried it, it has far and away become my favorite of the 5 line.



Solstice changes in flavor from a warm mint to a cool mint. Think strong wintergreen meets peppermint, with a hint of cinnamon. It's hard to describe, even for me.



Actually, while this may not be the comparison that Wrigley's would want, if you have ever used Cool Mint Listerine, this is like a gum version of that flavor. It leaves your mouth feeling both warm and tingly. And the flavor lasts an absurdly long time.

All told, this is basically just a nice, potent mint flavor with great staying power. A very simple idea. But as we know, simplicity well executed can be fantastic...and this gum is a perfect illustration.

Definitely a winner!



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Orbit Mist: Spearmint Spritzer

I don't like the word "spritzer." It reminds me of old ladies and annoying eighties-era women with big crunchy hair and huge shoulder pads, drinking cheap white wine watered down with seltzer. (And don't even get me started on the men, so-called, who fell into that habit back in the day. Suffice to say I think few of them would admit it now; no more than they'd willingly show you those old pictures of themselves with their A Flock of Seagulls haircuts!)


Anyway, virulent anti-Spritzer prejudice aside...a few months ago, I reviewed the other Orbit Mist mint flavor: Peppermint Spray. I liked it enough that I finished the pack, but I am more of a spearmint fan than a peppermint fan.

Well, lookie what we have here! It's as if the fine folks at Orbit totally read my little mind! So what am I thinking of now, Orbit dudes and dudettes? If you guessed hot Greek bus driver from "My Life In Ruins," then you people are good...very, very good. If not...have you seen that guy?! I mean, c'mon! Just take a look:



Errrrmm...weren't we supposed to be talking about gum...?



Yes, gum! The Orbit Mist Spearmint Spritzer smells really good right off the bat. It's like a cross between spearmint leaves candy, and toothpaste (and believe it or not, I mean that in a good way).

In terms of taste, that is also a pretty fair comparison. It's fairly sweet and it has a grainy, sort of crunchy texture -- which reminded me a lot of the sugar crystals that encrust candy spearmint leaves. At the same time, the mint is brisk enough that it leaves a nice clean feeling in your mouth.

The main feature of this gum is that in addition to tasting great, it's supposed to make your mouth feel extra-hydrated. And yes, there is some bit of magic in it that does make your mouth more moist. Don't know how it works, don't care either. It works, and it's damn good.

Everything about this gum is worthy of a Greek god!



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket

Trident Layers: Wild Strawberry & Tangy Citrus

Not long ago I reviewed the Trident Layers Green Apple & Golden Pineapple gum. And if you have read the review, you know I am not a fan -- although, based on the reader comments, I am clearly one of the few chewers who didn't like it (or one of the few Trident didn't pay to say that -- I kid, I kid).

But I did have the second Layers flavor in my stash -- Wild Strawberry & Tangy Citrus -- and some readers, including Sarah who left a comment, told me that it was pretty darn good. Admittedly, I procrastinated a bit before writing this review.



One reason it took me so long to do this review is that I disliked the last flavor so much, I was not eager to try another that was potentially as bad. Another reason is that I may be the only person in the world who didn't love strawberry gum as a little kid (or even as a bigger kid). I have always found it too sweet and fake...and not in the so-fake-it's-good sort of way.



Well, I shouldn't have waited so long!

As best I can tell, the two outer layers are where the Tangy Citrus lives. The citrus is the stronger of the two flavors. As the photo on the gum shows, the citrus flavor tastes like it is mostly orange. There might also be a little grapefruit lurking in there, or I might be trying too hard. But the orange is zesty and fresh.

As for the middle strawberry layer...well, I admit it, I really was dreading this part. But it was actually pretty good. It's not a natural strawberry by any stretch, but it is at least in the strawberry ballpark.

What I liked about the gum is how the two flavors balance each other out. The citrus keeps the strawberry from becoming too cloying and sweet. The strawberry keeps the citrus from being too bitter or medicinal. And the blend of flavors actually gets quite addictive the more you chew.

I may never like the Green Apple & Golden Pineapple Flavor, but I LOVE this one!



PURCHASED FROM:
Albertsons Supermarket