That being said, I’m a big fan of Lifesavers and I remember vividly the commercials in the early 1990s when the first Lifesavers gummis were released on the market. I begged my parents to let me try them, and when they finally caved in and let me have them, I felt underwhelmed by the flavors. I was big into eating the rolls of the hard candy versions back then, and the flavor in the gummis were nowhere near as strong. I finished my package and never asked my parents for them again.

Lifesavers recently came out with a new flavor package for their gummis: Island Fruits. I’ve seen them around in two forms: one is a big bag like the one pictured above, and another in a single serving roll. The package is very fun and eye-catching, so it’s not a hard one to miss. Not being one to let past experiences to dictate my opinions, I knew it was time to give these another go.

The gummis themselves are adorable. They look like pneumatic Lifesavers, and in the roll they stand upright in a section tray. They’re bouncy and squishy to the touch and I couldn’t help but play with them in my hands before taking my first bite.

The texture is a very nice gummi: chewy, with a good structure so it doesn’t immediately dissolve in my mouth. They come off as very fresh and satisfying.

Strawberry Kiwi: red/pink: Light and sweet and immediately tastes of fake strawberry. Just like those fruit snacks you ate as a kid. The kiwi flavor shows up as a tart note towards the finish of the flavor.

Mango Melon: orange: Beautifully fruity, floral and of cantaloupe right away. I’m not sure of the mango part, but I’d say this is the best of the bunch. It’s punchy, yet not overpowering and the flavor is refreshing and real.

Fruit Punch: dark red: Starts off very fruity, then gets that slightly bitter and floral taste of Hawaiian Punch. It’s like your mom tried to hide your cough syrup in your morning orange juice. It’s tasty, yet strange as artificial punch flavors always are.

Pineapple: Yellow: Light and sweet, this flavor is very muted and mildly juicy. It doesn’t have that flavor explosion I expect with Lifesavers flavors, but it’s very authentic with nice sweet/tart notes.

I was impressed with these and my early childhood experiences with these are now replaced with this tasty experience instead. I shared these with my boyfriend, who raved about them. He especially loved the Fruit Punch one.

The bars are long and thin and remind me of sticks. Which is a funny thought to me, sticks of chocolate. The 35g bar is long, thin, tall, and trapezoidal in shape. It’s reminiscent of a Toblerone, but these are more squat and there’s no point at the top. Each bar is nicely separated into six sections. The snap is hard with a very clean break. I did see an air bubble or two, but it’s nothing terribly noteworthy.

72% Dark: The chocolate smells acidic with notes of green coffee, juniper berries, red berries, pepper and cedar. The flavor is immediately dry, and I taste coffee, cocoa, cedar and earth. Then sweeter notes of cream appear before the chocolate turns extremely dry again with very acidic and tannic notes akin to citrus, red berries, cherries and raspberries. This chocolate tastes very wild, untamed and earthy. You get a real sense of the terrain in it, and I like that.

60% Pineapple: This bar smells the same as the 72%. Very tannic, tart, green coffee, cedar, and earth. On the bottom of the bar you can see the bumps from the pineapple chunks, and I see them in the break when I take my first bite. The pineapple is little freeze dried pieces and you taste them right away. They’re sweet, punchy, and full of fruity flavors like passion fruit, peach and apple with that twang of pine. The chocolate itself doesn’t taste different from the plain 72%. It’s dry, and tart with berry and coffee flavors. The texture is a little different as the freeze dried pieces add a subtle crunch amongst the smooth, thick chocolate.

I liked the flavor of this chocolate and I also really like the format. For some reason, this elongated bar takes longer for me to eat, which means I’m eating it slower and enjoying it more, which is important to me when I find good chocolate, as sometimes it’s all too tempting to just gobble it up all at once.

Guittard is one of those chocolate companies you start to hear more about once you dive into the chocolate and candy world a little more than your average candy eater. I didn’t really become aware of them until my love of candy went from “enjoy” to “enthusiasm.” Guittard works a little more behind the scenes than most chocolates, in a sense, as they don’t really produce a mass produced chocolate bar like Godiva, Ghirardelli, Lindt, Mars, Hershey’s, etc., yet you can find their chocolate most anywhere. For example, See’s uses Guittard chocolate to make all their confections, as do many other companies and bakers. You just gotta look for it.

Guittard also is a very groundbreaking company. They did a lot of work to establish themselves into Single Origin chocolates, Fair Trade chocolates, as well as the fight to “Keep It Real” when the FDA wanted to allow mockolate to take the same identity and the pure stuff. I admire them immensely for this.

I’ve been meaning to do a review of their work for some time and wanted to really express what wonderful chocolate work they do. I’m going to try and not overdo any of the tasting with too much information. Sometimes simple is best.

65% Madagascar Criollo: A delight to look at with its gorgeous temper and hard, clean break and classy red/brown color with a subtle gloss. The taste is nice and chocolatey, with flavors of red berries, raisins, coffee and caramel. Like many Madagascar chocolates, it’s not very acidic. It has a beautifully clean finish.

55% Hawaii: One of Guittard’s newest chocolates, using beans solely grown in Hawaii. It has a nice chocolate color that’s a rich brown. It has a beautiful snap and temper, and it smells of fruity, roasted coffee and berries.

The bite is slightly soft, as it’s only 55%, which is the range of all my favorite chocolates. The flavor is stunning. Strong flavors of milk, cream, and caramel at first. Then the main taste shows and it’s of sweet raisins. There’s a slight fruity crescendo in the middle of red berries, and the chocolate finishes lightly and completely clean on the palate.

And the texture? It’s so smooth and slick. It’s completely decadent. I love it, love it, love it.

Guittard Tasting Kit:

Sur Del Lago: A very “green” flavor of vegetables and mushrooms. There’s a cream flavor in the middle and has very sour notes at the end of citrus and spice.

Quevedo: Smells deep with floral, spice, woody and fruity notes. The flavor is lovely, notes of cream that evolve into fruity notes, with hints of dates and raisins. The aftertaste is slightly dry, but clean. I really liked this.

Chucuri: This one smells peppery and very strongly of “green.” Asparagus jumps to mind. The flavor is dry, yet sweet. Again, such a bright green flavor of asparagus, mushrooms, and some light herbal notes that remind me of tea. The aftertaste is a little musky.

Ambanja: The lightest of the four in color. The aroma is light, floral and fruity/citrusy and a little spice thrown in. It starts lightly fruity with woodsy notes that emerge into prune plum flavors with some cinnamon and allspice.

Overall, Guittard’s chocolate is just stellar. I buy the bars whenever I come across them, and I made some wonderful truffles with them recently. Whether for just cooking, baking, or eating, you can’t go wrong.

There’s a lot to be said about intention, especially if it is positive. I’ve heard so many times that how we go through life is all about attitude and how we intend to see things. If we keep a positive outlook, we experience positive things. I’ve always considered gifts of sweets and chocolate to be good examples of positive intent. Gifts are an act of kindness, and chocolate is something that makes everyone happy (If it doesn’t, you must be an alien or something…). I was presented with these beautiful chocolates, these Intentional Chocolates, by my boyfriend. A very positive experience overall.

So what makes these chocolate specifically intentional? Well, these chocolates are created and, get this, prayed upon by Buddhist monks with this intent:

“Whoever consumes this chocolate will manifest optimal health and functioning at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular will enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well-being for the benefit of all beings.”

Now I hear you chuckling at this hippy mumbo-jumbo. But these chocolates were researched and tested in labs, and have been proven to make people happier, less stressed and a myriad of other good things than those who ate normal chocolate. You can read all about it here. I’m not one to argue with science, or with chocolate.

I was gifted a box of the Chocolate Raspberry Triangles. They come in a beautiful long, red box, one that I often see necklaces encased in. It’s simply packaged, with the box sliding from under the label and a snugly fitting top. The shapes of the chocolates are just as the name implies: triangles. They’re arranged beautifully inside the box, and they sit just so that nothing sifts or gets damaged. On top of each chocolate is an image of a stick figure in lotus position holding a flower. I find this terribly fitting and cute.

The shells are nice and solid. There’s some weaknesses in the shells, some have corners that are cracked and exposed. Usually that’s something I look down upon, but here it gives a nice, hand-made quality to the bonbons. Taking my first bite, I find the shell cracks easily releasing a smooth, creamy ganache interior.

The flavor has light raspberry notes that blend into the wild and fruity Hawaiian chocolate. notes of red berries, raisins, caramel, cream and a nice sour notes of raspberries and citrus toward the end. Very smooth and silky.

Ah, and I’m sure you’re all curious if I felt all the possible health benefits that these chocolate declare they give. Well, let’s say I’m keeping a positive outlook and feeling good about how my past few days have gone. I don’t feel any more optimistic than normal, but when you look at it, that’s not quite how intent works. These chocolates provide a nice little nudge of motivation to be happy and feel good about what’s going on in your life. And I certainly do.

I like it when candy catches my attention, as it’s made to stand out with its brightly colored packaging, fun shapes and delicious flavors. Sour Punch Straws have fallen under my radar again in the past few days, as I’ve been seeing them in the news and on a few commercials on TV. My new roommate called me in from the other room to come watch as one played during one of her favorite shows. I find it interesting how people latch onto my candy obsession so quickly. Regardless, all this buzz about “new and improved” flavors of this classic candy certainly made me curious and eager to get some to try.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on some of the new Zappin’ Apple flavor of Sour Punch. I’ve eaten this flavor before, even though I’ve only officially reviewed the Strawberry flavor for The Candy Enthusiast, and have enjoyed it. If you recall from my other Sour Punch article, I ate them with my college roommate, which is probably the last time I had the apple variety. Trust me, it’s not as far away as you might think.

I like how even though the flavor has been tweaked, the packaging has not been. I like being able to enjoy the same graphic design as always; it’s a very iconic style to me and I’d hate it if it was altered in any way.

The straws come neatly packaged and protected in their tray, and they smell wonderfully fruity, floral and tart. There’s a slight, but appealing, artificial edge to it. They look beautiful with a nice bright green color with the sanded sugar coating.

The texture is wonderful. The straws feel thick and chewy without tiring out my jaw. There’s good resistance to my chewing and they have good staying power in my mouth, as they don’t dissolve right away or get sticky.

The sour has a good punch (ha ha) to it from the sugary coating. It’s strong, yet it comes across authentically, like a tart Granny Smith apple. The flavor is much more fruity and juicy than the aroma suggests. I was afraid I’d be getting the standard Jolly Rancher apple flavor, but thankfully I don’t. I really enjoy the tart/sweet and intense/mild flavor play here.

As soon as I finished my package, I found this cute video featuring a tween using a Sour Punch straw as, well, a straw. I’m a little baffled that I didn’t think of that myself.

Even though I don’t have some of the “before” Sour Punch straws to compare, I have to say that I really like where the new Zappin’ Apple flavor is headed (as in straight into my mouth to be eaten!). Usually when a company plays with flavors and formulas, the end result is sub par (I’m looking at you Hershey’s products and Runts!), but I am happy to say these new version is better than the original.

This candy bar is one that always made me chuckle when I heard of it. Really, does one need the suggestion to eat more? Pul-eeze. I am already plenty talented in that department. A sweet friend of mine sent one to me from Canada, since that’s Eat-More’s preferred habitat.

There is little known about Eat-More’s origins. Only a little blurb on the website tells us that it’s now owned by Hershey, and that they acquired it from Nestle who bought it from Lowney. This candy bar has certainly been around the block.

The Eat-More is described as “Dark Toffee Peanut Chew,” which depending on where you are in the world, can mean different things. I decided to not speculate too much and just open the wrapper and find out for myself right away.

Firstly, Eat-More is a big, long bar. You smell the sweetness and the peanuts right away. It’s slightly sticky to handle, but it looks like a giant slab of darkened caramel generously studded with peanuts. I had expected it to be enrobed in chocolate from the description, but that’s not the case. The chocolate must be mixed into the toffee base, which would explain its dark color.

The flavor is pleasing. Its main flavor is the roasted peanuts, complimented by the toffee, which is sweet with subtle notes of cream and burnt sugar. The chew is soft and a tad crumbly, which I was surprised by. Thankfully though, it’s not so thick that I feel my molars are in danger.

Halfway though the bar I felt quite full. I guess this is where the “Eat-More” part comes in. Do I admit defeat or continue to finish? I opted for the former, and I couldn’t help but wonder how the other half will do waiting to be eaten. It’s pretty sturdy, so I’m sure it’ll be ok.

I still can’t help but hear in my head: “Eat more? Well, don’t mind if I do….”

I was utterly delighted when I received a sample of these in the mail from Just Born. I first remember seeing them in my friend’s Flickr photos, then Cybele gave them a wonderful review. I had reviewed an assortment of spice beans by Just Born for CandyAddict at about the same time, and I realized that they were probably the same set of jelly beans, just different packaging. Still, the candy brat in me wanted to have the ones with the Hot Tamale branding because they seemed so much cooler in my mind.

The beans are a nice size. Not as small as Jelly Belly’s beans, but nowhere near as large as many of the pectin varieties you see out there. I’d say, well, they’re the size of a baked beans or a peanut. The panned shell is glossy and smooth with an even color. The texture is nice and chewy and doesn’t ever get sticky.

Peppermint (white): Very intense and fresh. It’s just lick sucking on a candy cane. Its powerful flavor is refreshing and sweet.

Spearmint (green): More sweet and herbal than the peppermint. It’s grassier and not as intense. It’s a good balance of flavor too, it’s not powerful like a stick of gum.

Cinnamon (red): Very punchy and spicy, true to normal Hot Tamales. It has that signature kick to it, along with a warmth from the spicy burn. Thankfully these are not as fiery as Red Hots, otherwise I wouldn’t have enjoyed them as much.

Clove (yellow): Oh, how I love clove flavored beans! These come across as very earthy and spicy. They have great woodsy accents that really capture the taste of cloves.

Wintergreen (pink): My favorite of the bunch. It’s very bright, sweet and pleasantly herbal in flavor. It has nice spicy notes that remind me of a nice mug of root beer.

These are great, and a nice change from the Brach’s beans I love so much. I wish I could find them year ’round, heck, even find them in stores near me. Maybe I can plead Just Born to supply me with more of them.

A Gobstopper brings a few things to mind for me. Firstly, I think of the Everlasting Gobstoppers that Roald Dahl, one of my favorite childhood authors, wrote about in his book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Secondly, I think of the candy, which is now made by Wonka (owned by Nestle) and are another name for jawbreakers. Jawbreakers are a hard candy consisting of many layers, some of which can be different colors and flavors, and are sucked on until they are completely dissolved (which is quite a task, especially if you have a large one).

I found these Gobstopper Egg Breakers in time for the holiday and couldn’t help but give them a try. I’m unsure how faithful these are to the regular Gobstoppers as I haven’t had them in years. These are unique not only in packaging, but the actual candy is egg shaped. They’re very pretty as the shape is very fitting for jawbreakers. Inside the main package, these Egg Breakers are in individual packets of six eggs each. Great idea for stuffing into baskets and to use for hiding. I like how these are appropriate for form and function (hiding and eating!).

In terms of eating technique, I find after about two or three layers (depending on how impatient I am) I like to crunch these, and found that the hard outsides were relatively thin (after sucking on them for a bit of course) and inside there’s a slightly tart grainy center that quickly dissolves on the tongue. Are normal Gobstoppers like this? It seems further research on my part is needed, and I’ll soon oblige.

Blue: The top blue flavor is horribly perfumey. It tastes of artificial lavender and other strong floral flavors. The second layer was lime. Then I couldn’t help but crunch and got the grainy tart center.

Pink: Tastes fruity, but not of anything specific. The second layer was lemon.

Purple: A nice tart grape. The second flavor I drew a total blank on… it was fruity…. sorta. I took it out of my mouth to see that it was a blue color. Hmm, not helpful.

Yellow: A delicious sweet/tart lemon. I crunched down on this one before I got to the second flavor. Oops.

I liked these, but I never found myself drawn to jawbreakers much. Thankfully my sister really enjoys these and will find the remainder of my package in her Easter Basket.

The Necco eggs come in different festive colors that are a little flat and matte looking. They come in white, pink, blue, purple and some are a mix of any two. They’re speckled with green, purple, and hot pink. Depending on the egg you find, it can either be really attractive or horrifying to look like. Good thing they all taste the same.

The eggs smell sweet and milky with a tang to them. The shell is smooth and cool to the touch, and feels a little greasy. Unlike the Jelly Belly Malted Eggs, the shell on these isn’t hard, but instead a white mockolate. Under the mockolate coating, there’s a thin layer of milk chocolate, then the very fresh, crispy malt center.

These taste… pretty darned good actually. The flavor is very similar to yogurt raisins; sweet and milky with a tang. The malt has a wonderful full, rich flavor that blends so nicely with the mockolate coating. I don’t taste the chocolate at all. The texture is a delight too, the malt is so crispy and crunchy and the outside contrasts it nicely with a smooth creamy feeling on the tongue.

I was surprised how much I liked these. I think I prefer them over the Jelly Belly ones, especially considering how much cheaper they are.

First, I like how the flavors are translated from one jelly candy to another. Sure, fruit pate and jelly beans have the same origins with Turkish Delight, but the fact that granulated sugar covers one and a panned shell the other, still makes them different in my mind. It’s fun to experience the flavors in a way that feels new to me.

True to all the Jelly Belly line, these beans are made with real juices, citrus oils and pulp. Or so totes the press release. Also, each 40 gram serving of this mix provides 25% of your DV of Vitamin C. I guess anything to make candy seem healthier, right?

Sunkist Lime: Pleasing with its bright light green color. The flavor is immediately tart, bitter and zesty. Unmistakeably lime.

Sunkist Pink Grapefruit: Wonderfully tart, sweet and juicy like a real grapefruit. It has that nice acidic edge to it along with bitterness you get from the pith. Beautiful.

Sunkist Orange: Very smooth and sweet flavor. I almost want to say it’s creamy because the flavor is absent of that citrus zest I associate with oranges.

Sunkist Lemon: The lemon is surprisingly sweet and juicy. No tartness or zest at all that I associate with lemons. Then I had another one and found it to be quite sour. Interesting.

Sunkist Tangerine: This has the tartness that I was expecting the orange to have. It’s still only a slight tartness, but it did carry that extra sweetness that tangerines have.

I wish I had some of the Sunkist gels on hand to compare these to. Alas I don’t, so I’ll save that for another day. These flavors stand beautifully alone as well, so if you’re a citrus lover, this is the mix you’ve been dreaming of. The press release says the mix started appearing in stores in February and March, so keep your eyes peeled!

Be sure to check out Cybele’s review of this mix as well.