Sugar Savvy

For reasons that are not necessary to divulge here, these mints have been a long time coming. As a fan of anything ginger, ever, as a rule, and peppermints in general, I was excited to try these two new offerings from the smart, socially conscious people at Newman’s Own Organics. I’d previously tried other organic, non-Altoid mints and ginger mints, and they have been disappointing because the flavors have been too potent, or off; both in a bad way. I am pleased to report for those who enjoy mints that are a bit on the subtle yet effective side, these two fit the bill.

We’ll start with the ginger. Although the cover of the ginger mints depicts a ferocious, vaguely Asian-looking beast with protruding horns, the taste is far from pungent and fiery. Instead, the mints delicately balance sweet and spicy flavors without overwhelming the tastebuds. They would be suitable for people who enjoy ginger but who are perhaps turned off by products that are too strong. My only complaint? There was barely a hint of mint, so perhaps there’s room for improvement.

As for the peppermint flavor, the tin’s cover shows what seems to be an Artic-dwelling ram. Methinks the Newman’s people are taking a bit of creative license, but this is not uncommon; the labels for the company’s products usually display a sense of humor. In terms of the mints themselves, the flavor was equally subtle and under the radar. If you are looking for a mint-in-a-tin that will simultaneously burn a hole in your tongue and drain your sinuses, look elsewhere. Both products contain natural ingredients such as organic sugar and organic corn syrup and natural flavors. And for both mint types, a serving, which consists of three mints, is only ten calories. I tried both of them right after dinner, and it sufficiently quelled any remnants of garlic. Take that, Tic Tac!