Now with 30% more RED!
- I Paid: ~$1.99 (with a coupon) for a 3-pack at Target. I bought these a while ago so I don't know for sure.
- Description: Soft Center; Red Fruit, Lime; 15 Pieces; Artificially Flavored/Sugarfree Gum
I normally stick with Orbit gum (Citrusmint is my favorite) whenever I go out to buy gum, but I figured I'd try something new, especially if I can get it for $1.00 off with a coupon. I didn't have to waste any time pondering which flavor to get, as this was the only Mentos gum available at the Target I went to. Apparently for this review, I will be writing about Red Fruit (WTF?!?!) with a Lime Soft Center (.....ok again, WTF?!?!)
Before I tell you how it tastes, I have to indulge in a random thought (isn't that what this whole "blog" business is FOR?) Do you ever get like, food deja vu? It's like when you smell or eat something, and you can totally place it with something that happened a long time ago. It sounds sort of weird but if/when it happens, you'll know it, haha. Well, Mentos to me totally took me back to this day camp that I went to one summer when I was in elementary school. I was allowed to get one box/display pack of Mentos rolls to eat for the summer, although they never lasted that long. I'd trade them for different flavors that other kids brought into camp, and it was an all-around Mentomania festival those days. So, when I opened this tube of Mentos gum (more on that later) and shook out a few, I totally got like, a flashback to summer camp with all the Mentos I ate and traded with others. Weird, right??
Ok, back to the Mentos at hand. Remember that time I said I opened the tube of Mentos gum? Yeah, like 10 seconds ago? (slightly altered Family Guy/Timeshare boat reference, anyone catch that?) I swear to you, if we want to have real child-proof, adult-proof, everyone-proof bottles, all drugs should come in these Mentos gum tubes. It was the kind where you pull off a tab from the side and then pop open (much like a plastic milk jug), but I had a really hard time opening this. I had to resort to jamming a scissor blade across the tab in order to get enough off to pull on. Maybe it was a fluke and/or I'm an idiot? When I open the 2nd and 3rd tubes I will find out.
The Mentos gum looks like squared off, smaller, thicker versions of regular Mentos- like as if someone tried to make Mentos from scratch and couldn't quite get the shape right. Allegedly there is a lime "goo" center but as you can see from the piece above, it's either non-existant or off-center and I just didn't get it with my bite. It's like a Chiclet in terms of texture- hard shell outside, chewy gum inside. The elusive "Red" fruit flavor doesn't last very long, which might be why they give you a handful of them in a tube- so you can chew multiple pieces without unwrapping each one, like regular gum. Not to mention- Hi, what is the actual FRUIT being used aside from being RED?! Off the top of my head I think of Strawberries, Red apples, Watermelon, and Tomatoes- turns out I got 1 right- the only fruit juices listed are from Lemon, Strawberry, Raspberry, and Blackcurrant... ok only 2 of these are even RED!!!
Final verdict? Thanks, but no thanks. It tasted like sugary fruit syrup one minute, and then bland wads of boring after about 5 minutes. The tubes are cute- I might reuse them to keep other candy in for easy transport in my purse. Now, if I brought these into summer camp? That would be a different story- I'd totally make bank trading on these brightly colored, allegedly goo-filled Mentos balls. Alas, alas.
1) Once again thank you for this update, I will not waste my money on this inferior candy. That being said, I would probably never have bought this product in the first place. Not necessarily because I don't like Mentos, but because Mentos have been skirting with the "On Notice" vs "Dead To Me" List since the mid-90s when they had those god aweful commercials which made absolutely no freakin' sense!
ReplyDelete2) As for the actual fruit in the "Red Fruit Gum", I was also highly suspicious of this as well. However, upon further review, there is a picture of a GIANT strawberry on the cannister. Did you catch that Kaoru?
3) Yes, I have experienced food deja vu as recently as 2 nights ago. It was like a happy memory for my mouth.
4) I think your final verdict is a hilariously rude insult to the Mentos people. "Yeah, I'm going to use your container to carry other DELICIOUS candy in, not your crap!"
5) "Lois, a boat's a boat, but the mystery box can be anything. Heck, it could even be a boat! You know how much we wanted one of those! We'll take the box!"
@ William (trying to keep it consistent so it doesn't look like I'm replying to a "Bill" that didn't write here:
ReplyDeleteYes, I am fully aware of the monster strawberry on there, but there's a few other random fruits on there as well. Also, calling it Red Fruit instead of, say, Strawberry, is what made me suspicious of the flavor to begin with.
Peter: Hey, its not like I haven't done something dumb before. Remember when I was suppose to get the boat?
Who can resist the lure of the mystery box?
ReplyDeleteThis gum stinks. I ate a piece yesterday.
ReplyDelete