Kit Kat

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

I’ve been going through the Epinions database finding all of these candy bars that I liked in high school and college. Unfortunately, I can’t find a definitive list of what’s available on Epinions nor is there a specific category that I can go through. However, one of the candies that I found was Kit Kat.

Kit Kat is a basic enough candy bar. It’s one bar that has four wafers and is covered by chocolate. You can break off each of the chocolate-covered wafers to get four separate bars. Each bar has Kit Kat written on it, making it obvious what it is.

When it came time to make a choice from a vending machine, it was pretty rare that I’d go for a Kit Kat. The primary reason is that they look kind of small compared to other candy bars. Kit Kats are thinner and taste lighter than some other bars, mostly because of the wafers and milk chocolate. These are not things that have a presence like caramel or peanuts. I don’t quite feel like I’m getting my money’s worth if it’s priced the same as a Snickers or a Milky Way.

Another down side is that the chocolate coating melts easy, especially in the hot Miami Summers. This can be a problem if you’re between classes and want something that’s not messy. I remember having to stop in the men’s room a few times before entering class to wash my hands. For some reason, this is the only candy bar to do this.

Kit Kat isn’t so bad overall. If it’s priced a little less than the other bars or on sale, I’ll go for it. Sometimes, you don’t want a huge bar. That’s pretty rare for me, but I did eat them on a few occasions. (Mostly, it was when I was young and went trick-or-treating and was getting them for free anyway.)

In life, there are fates worse than having to eat a Kit Kat unless you happen to be allergic to one of the ingredients. If you happen upon one and can get it cheap or for free, I’d say go for it. Otherwise, you’re not missing anything. The only thing is that, being a candy bar, should not be eaten in bulk. Remember: they make better snacks than breakfasts.

Starburst Original Fruit Chew Candy 2oz

Every candy vending machine has certain items.  It's as if there's some cosmic code that these candies have to be sold.  You can almost always find M&Ms (both plain and peanut) or Milky Way.  Snickers and Three Musketeers are also very common.  One of the ones I usually see is Starburst.  I'm sure you've seen it, too.

For those that have never actually tried them, they're little box-shaped candies that are square on two sides.  The standard flavor assortment is pink (strawberry), orange (orange), yellow (lemon) and red (cherry).  Each flavor is pretty close to what it's supposed to be.  The texture is sort of waxy and the candies are pretty easy to chew.  They're a little sweet, but not too bitter.

If I recall, the 2-ounce package comes with 12 candies, three of each flavor.  The flavors alternate, making it a little more difficult to pick out one or two flavors.  Each candy is individually wrapped, which makes it easy to share them or save them for later.  (I've tried both and neither one is all that easy, considering that I like all of the flavors.)  I've never seen any particular flavor sold individually outside of bulk-candy store.

The price is comparable to any other candy of its size.  Expect to pay around 75¢ each, give or take a quarter.  I've liked for a long time.  I remember sitting in class in high school and college eating them one at a time.  Sometimes, to maximize flavor, I'd flatten them in the individual wrappers.  (It maximizes contact with the tongue.)

I've never seen another fruit chew sold in this form, at least not in vending machines or at drug stores.  As such, it has no direct competition.  The closest thing I can think of is Skittles or maybe jelly beans.  (If you think of something, please feel free to leave a comment.)  I'd recommend these to anyone with a sweet tooth.

Junior Caramels

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

Funny thing happened to me when I was in Walgreen's last month. I had just posted a review of Junior Mints saying how I didn’t like the combination of mint and chocolate as the mint is overpowering. I much prefer chocolate and caramel. After lunch, I walked into Walgreen's to find other candies to review. Lo and behold, I found Junior Caramels in the candy aisle. I had to buy a box.

Even though I like chocolate and caramel, putting the two together isn’t necessarily a sure thing. I’ll probably be posting a review of Rolo within a few reviews of this one. Rolo wasn’t a candy that I thought too highly of, but was still willing to eat. Overall, Rolo is good enough if you’re in the mood for candy.

Same thing here. The caramel is pretty soft, so you have a small candy that you can eat without much resistance. There’s enough chocolate that you don’t get too much of one or the other. Even better was that I didn’t get any stuck at the bottom of the box. The caramel wasn’t so tough that I was tired at the end of the box.

Junior Caramels are about the same size and consistency as Junior Mints. Whoever makes the candy basically took out what I didn’t like (mint) and put in what I did like (caramel) to produce something that was at least better than the original. Both are small enough that you can eat a few at once, but you may end up taking your time depending on how much you like them.

I have to wonder why I didn’t see these earlier. Maybe I did and just forgot about them. Maybe they started making them after I stopped eating a lot of candy. I think that mostly, there are other caramel-and-chocolate combinations that I like more. I don’t think I’ll be rushing out for these, but they are at least worth a second look.

Junior Mints

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

I’ve had this pressing question on my mind for a while now. If there’s such a thing as Junior Mints, shouldn’t there be a candy called Senior Mints? Or how about just Mints? I hadn’t even thought of it until I saw a review for Junior Mints a while ago and decided to write my own review.

For those that haven’t had them before, they’re basically small, roundish candies with mint in the inside and a chocolate coating. They’re the same taste and basic consistency as a Peppermint Patty, but the size and shape of a peanut M&M. You can get three or four per bite, depending on how quickly you want to eat them.

I’m not too big on mint-based candies, mostly because the mint is usually so overpowering, as is the case with Junior Mints. If it was Chocolate with a hint of mint, it wouldn’t be so bad. Instead, the mint is so overpowering that you get mint with a hint of chocolate. I got bored with it pretty quickly. I wouldn’t say no to a free box, but I haven’t actually bought one for myself in a long time.

Another problem that I had was that the Junior Mints would often melt or become fused to each other and the box. This makes them nearly impossible to get out without tearing the box apart. It’s not even a matter of getting the last one out. There were times when I’d open a box and I’d have to peel the box off to get this one huge mess of half-melted Junior Mints. Of course, I’d want to eat it. (I didn’t want to waste my 50 cents.) It wasn’t pretty.

Overall, it’s a two-star candy. Chocolate and mint don’t go well together when the mint is that strong. I’ve had other candies, like Three Musketeers and Hershey Bars that have had a little mint and those have worked fine. Not Junior Mints. There were so many other candy bars that I remember enjoying.

Chuckles Candy

Note:  This review was originally posted to my Epinions account.

How the heck do you write a review on candy? Normally, many varieties of candy are so ubiquitous that explanation is really unnecessary. Add to that the fact that most candy cost less than a dollar unless you’re buying the family size. There really isn’t much of a need to do reviews on candy. You buy a single pack, take a bite and at worst, you’re out a few dollars. Then, I came across a review for Chuckles. It occurred to me that I hadn’t seen them in a while. (Not that I’ve been looking that hard…)

It’s pretty rare these days that I take a serious look at a vending machine. Usually, they’re overpriced. When I go into a convenience store or supermarket, it’s not to buy candy. However, when I did buy candy a lot, I noticed that there are some candies that are neglected. Chuckles happens to be one of them.

When looking online, I noticed that they are available for purchase. (Just do a search on Google and you should be able to find at least one vendor.) I noticed that to save on shipping, you have to spend a lot. (Who wants to order just one package, anyway?) That leads me to another good question: How the heck do you review Chuckles? I mean, it’s a candy. You’re basically looking at oversized, flattened gumdrops that have more flavor.

For those that have never seen the package, each one contains five different misshapen gumdrops. The candies come in a three-sided cardboard tray and are wrapped in plastic. Each candy is roughly rectangular in shape and you get each of five flavors, with those flavors being lemon, lime, cherry, licorice and orange. This selection has never varied when they were more common. I’ve never seen any special holiday flavors nor have I ever seen them individually wrapped.

This is odd, considering that I seem to be the only person that really likes the licorice. (Note: The objection to licorice seems to stem mostly from the flavor in general rather than from the specific Chuckles licorice.) My favorite is the lime flavor, but lemon and orange are pretty good, too.

They’re pretty chewy, but not like gum. They have consistency similar to that of a gumdrop and are also covered in sugar the same way. The comparison to gumdrops basically differs in the intensity of the flavor, from what I can recall. They’re also pretty fun to eat, although it’s pretty quick. Each one takes no more than three bites if you’re trying to go slowly, and that’s pushing it.

Writing the review makes me want to go out and buy a pack. I don’t know why I never got it more as a kid. I think it’s mostly because my parents weren’t that big on sugary stuff. Maybe next time I’m at Publix, I look for some.