Gimbal's Sour Lovers

My candy stash has been woefully low for the past month, and my blogging has suffered as a result. Well, this review is just the thing to recharge my blogging spirit. Not long after posting a review of the highly disappointing Nobel Blueberry Sours, a PR representative for Gimbal's candy offered me samples of Sour Lovers gummies. In other words, the product in this review was provided by a PR company, but I promise that I treated it just like any other candy I review.

I had never seen Gimbal's products in stores and only vaguely remembered reading a review of earlier products on Candy Blog, but now that I've had Sour Lovers, I'm afraid I'm hooked. Sour gummies have been one of my favorite candy categories since I was a kid, and Gimbal's did an amazing job. There were 12 distinct flavors, and I liked every single one of them.


Meyer Lemon was tart and tangy, with just the right amount of sour - enough to make you pucker just a tad, but in a pleasant way. The flavor had a zesty, citrus feel without tasting at all like a cleaning product.

Georgia Peach had a distinct peach flavor, and while it was sour, it was a bit sweeter and fruitier than many of the other flavors.

Watermelon had that classic watermelon candy flavor (real watermelon never tastes that intense), charged up with a nice sourness. That's another great thing about these candies - they are sour throughout, not just in the outer sugar coating.

Bing Cherry fell somewhere between real cherries and cherry Kool-Aid. It had a nice, rich flavor and a great sour/sweet balance.

Mango was one of my favorites of the bunch. It reminded me so much of real mango that it almost seemed pulpy.

I'm not sure why Sour Blueberry was named as it was; all of the flavors are sour! But anyhow, this one was tart and just a bit bitter (but in a good way, like real berries). It was a good blueberry, but if I didn't know, my guess would have been raspberry.

Strawberry Daiquiri had a lovely sweet strawberry flavor, and it felt pretty authentic. It seemed to have some citrus as well, making it extra sour.

Fuji Apple tasted a lot like apple juice. It was sour and fruity, but if I had to pick a least favorite flavor, this would be it. I didn't have any trouble eating it, though.

Baja Margarita tasted just like margarita mixers from grocery stores. To give you an idea of the flavor authenticity, if you are nursing a hangover, you may want to skip this one until you feel better. It definitely packed more than just lime flavor!

Pomegranate had an earthy, juicy flavor that was richer than the cherry. It was the least sweet of the bag, but I'm afraid it's been so long since I've had pomegranate seeds that I can't comment on the flavor well.

Tangerine was extra sour and extra citrusy. It had that classic vitamin C-laden flavor I used to crave as a child and still enjoy. This was another top flavor.

Grapefruit was sweeter than the real thing. It was tart, but less so than Tangerine or Meyer Lemon. It had just enough grapefruit bitterness to give the right effect.

I'm so glad I got to try these. As a sour candy lover, I can say Sour Loves definitely got it right. The texture of the gummies was thick and sticky, a bit like a fruit gem. I found that about 6-8 gummies at a time hit the spot, so I took several days to review these properly. Every single time I tried them, I was impressed.

I should also mention that both Gimbal's Sour Lovers and the Gimbal's factory are free of just about every common food allergen (peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, gluten, soy, fish, and shell fish), and Sour Lovers are kosher pareve.

The only minor annoyance was that they got stuck in my teeth, making me want to brush. I can certainly forgive that - it's candy, after all. Everyone I shared these with (my husband, my father, my boss, and some coworkers) enjoyed them - though my husband wanted me to leave the bag open and let them get a little stale because he claims it improves the texture. Honestly, once the bag is open, I'm not sure I could make them last long enough to get stale!

A

Gimbal's Fine Candies website

Mars Skittles Blenders

Did anyone else use M&Ms or Smarties in their elementary school math classes? I think it was third grade when my teacher presented every student in the class with their own bag of M&Ms to illustrate simple lessons in percentages and probability. I'm not sure if it was effective, but it was a lot of fun. I still remember that most of the M&Ms in my bag were light brown (I'm dating myself here - this was before the blue M&M).

There are five new flavors in this mix: Melon Berry Burst, Strawberry Lime Blast, Watermelon Green Apple Freeze, Cherry Tropicolada, and Mango Lemonade Freeze. I'm sure it's no accident that those names sound like they came straight off a Sonic Drive-in menu. Now, I mention M&M math because I applied some of the same principles when I sampled this bag of Skittles Blenders. It was immediately apparent that my bag did not contain an even flavor distribution (Mango Lemonade Freeze in particular was underrepresented). Here's a chart to illustrate my point.



Strawberry Lime Blast was similar to a normal red Skittle with a hint of sour lime. It was fruity, tart, and tasty, but it wasn't terribly exciting or special.

Cherry Tropicolada reminded me of cough syrup. The pineapple and coconut flavors were present along with the strong cherry, but it really rubbed me the wrong way.


witness the distinct lack of mango
Watermelon Green Apple Freeze worked well. The initial flavor was an artificial but tasty watermelon, followed by a green apple tartness. I'm not usually a fan of these flavors, but I liked them both here.

Melon Berry Burst reminded me of grape Nerds, but with more of a blueberry flavor. I didn't get much of a sense of melon flavor from this one, and it seemed to just be a rehash of a flavor from Wild Berry Skittles.

Mango Lemonade Freeze reminded me of my favorite smoothie (I've mentioned it before), so it was a bit nostalgic (especially since I just found out that shop is closed). The lemon flavor was sour and almost hit some floor cleaner notes, but it was saved by a good, distinct mango taste. Of all the flavors, this was the most unexpected.

Overall, Skittles Blenders is a decent mix, but it didn't really offer anything new or exciting. Still, it's worth a taste for fans of Skittles and fruity candy in general. Also, it seems like every time I review Skittles, their website just gets more and more cumbersome to navigate. I guess I'm not the target demographic.

B-

Skittles Website

NewTree Granola

After loving the NewTree Belgian Biscuit bar, I was excited to come across the NewTree Granola bar at my local Wal-Mart. It offered another unique combination of flavors and textures I had not yet tried: milk chocolate and granola with lime and green tea extract.

The cocoa percentage was on the low side at 31%, but NewTree bars boast lower amounts of sugar than comparable chocolate bars (without an artificial sweetener in sight, mind you). In addition, half of the bar was well under 200 calories, which seems like a very reasonable indulgence. The box also mentions higher fiber and antioxidants, which are nice to have, but in the end, it’s still a chocolate bar.


The bar smelled of rich cocoa and lime juice, and I could taste the lime immediately. The granola bits (more like single pieces of oatmeal scattered throughout the bar) had a subtle vanilla flavor and added a neat crunch, making the chocolate a bit drier than I expected. This worked well for me, because it seemed to cancel out some of the stickiness I often experience with milk chocolate.

The green tea was almost undetectable, but concentration rewarded me with a few hints of grassiness. The chocolate, lime, and granola combination reminded me of cereals I liked as a kid, and the sweetness level was just right. It didn’t blow me away like the flax seed bar, but it was still an innovative, enjoyable chocolate bar.

B+

NewTree website

Extra Key Lime Pie Gum

Sugar free gum knows no limits these days. This Key Lime Pie gum didn't show up at my local grocery store at the same time as the Mint Chocolate Chip and the Strawberry Shortcake, but it's probably the oddest of the three flavors.

Once I sample a gum flavor and take pictures, the rest of the pack usually goes on the corner of my desk, both to save my jaw and to share with my coworkers. It doesn't seem like the Key Lime Pie gum is a big hit, at least not compared to the other two Extra Dessert flavors.


The scent and taste were pretty much a dead ringer for key lime pie, but there was something about the cream element that was just a little too sour for me. It didn't stop me from enjoying the gum, but the delicate balance of citrus and cream that didn't translate here. The taste was another Willy Wonka experience, because I could have sworn I sensed a graham cracker crust, along with tart and acidic key lime and that bizarre cream sensation.

The lime and cream didn't play as well here as the strawberry and cream in Strawberry Shortcake, but that weird sour note did eventually go away, and I didn't notice it as much the next time I tried a piece. The flavor faded to a very mild, sweet lime gum pretty quickly (maybe after 2 minutes), and it became a little tough to chew. Still, this was another fun dessert experience from Extra, but not my favorite of the three flavors. Extra gets extra points for trying something different.

B-

Extra website

Oral Fixation Mojito Mints

The other night, my husband was making beer chili, and when he was almost done adding the ingredients, we realized that we didn't have any beer. I dashed out to the little local grocery store, but even though I only needed one thing, I got a little distracted in the candy aisle just before checking out.

I was vaguely aware of the gourmet chocolate and candy selection at this particular store, but I hadn't looked in a while. The sexy, elegant packaging of Oral Fixation sugar free mints ($1.99 US) called out to me, and I knew I had to try them. I went with Mojito, but there were at least 4 other flavors available. For the record, I also took home some Tazo Mexican chocolate and a Lake Champlain chocolate bar, but I'll review those later.


Each mint had a star on one side and the word "FIX" on the other. They were about the same size and shape as Altoids, but Oral Fix mints were uniform. Each mint was easy to get at once the stylish but slightly annoying wax paper insert was pushed out of the way. Immediately, I noticed was how nice and smooth the mints felt on my tongue. I haven't had too many actual mojitos, so it was hard to judge the authenticity of the flavor.

The lime flavor was mild just a bit tangy on the tongue happy to take a backseat to the very cool, slightly sweet mint. The mints did a pretty good job of freshening my breath without feeling sever or painful. The Oral Fixation brand name was quite appropriate, because it was tough for me to eat just one mint. I was popping 3 to 4 in a row, sometimes 2 at a time. I'd love to try other flavors, especially since I'll be out of the Mojito very soon. Tip: when you're done, the tin makes a great business car holder!

A-

Oral Fixation website

Orbit Lime Melon Gum

About 3 years ago, I went through a melon phase. I worked at a Bath and Body Works at the time, so I bought every melon product we sold - watermelon lipgloss, honeydew lotion, cucumber melon shower gel...well, we didn't carry very many melon products. Melon soda was my favorite soft drink (despite being so hard to find in America), Midori was my favorite liquor for cocktails, and I was all about melon candy.

Those days are gone, and though I still have a fondness for the flavor, it tends to be a little too sweet for me now. Still, when I tried Orbit Melon Lime a few months ago, I remembered really liking it. Unfortunately, when I set out to review it last week, the memory just didn't hold up.


The gum smelled mostly limey and a bit like melon, in a soapy way. The pieces were quite hard at first, and the early flavor was dominated by a very floral melon(honeydew, if I had to guess). As I chewed, the lime flavor emerged, but overall, the flavor was mild and slightly soapy.

The gum was cool without being minty, and the gum softened quickly while still retaining some bounce. The "good, clean feeling" that Orbit advertises was manifested in the squeakiness of the gum against my teeth. The flavor combination didn't work that well, and the gum was only okay. A bolder lime might have suited me better.

B-

Orbit Website

Bissinger's Key Lime Chocolate Bar

This is a lovely chocolate bar. I purchased it at Whole Foods a couple weeks ago, entirely for looks. Later, I noticed that it was all natural, and the white chocolate swirl in the middle of the bar was colored with turmeric and green plant extract. I'm not a stickler for all-natural stuff, but that's pretty cool.

The combination of chocolate and key lime conjures up images of central Florida souvenir shops. Aside from having everything under the sun, all under a ridiculously gaudy exterior, there's usually a section of touristy treats like key lime mini-pies and chocolates.


Again, the bar itself is gorgeous. The first whiff was fruity, and reminded me of lime-flavored Tootsie Rolls, but in a good way. The chocolate had a good snap with a mild and subtle lime flavor, made from lemon zest oil, key lime flavor, and citric acid. The effect was a nice gradient of sweet-to-sour, but the citrus flavor gave the bar a very slightly odd aftertaste.

I liked the smooth, cool texture and feel of the chocolate. All in all, it was a very fresh, tasty bar. According to the back of the box, this is dark chocolate, but it was definitely on the lighter side. No cocoa percentage was given, but it did suit the lime. While I'm not in love with the flavor combination, it was well executed and made for a tasty treat. I'd love to try more from Bissinger's, and from the looks of their website, they have tons of pretty, swirly bars to try.

B

Bissinger's website

Sour Razzles

Another birthday has passed for me, and I received a new crop of candy from two friends who obviously have a good handle on my interests. The stash included these Sour Razzles, a sour version of the famous candy that becomes gum. Despite growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, I had never tried these before, so I didn't know what to expect.

From looking at the package, I think I assumed that they would be like miniature Blow Pops - a hard candy shell with gum inside - but this assumption was incorrect. Razzles look nothing like they do on the box. They reminded me of the dye tablets that come in Easter Egg decorating kits.


The Razzles smelled like citric acid and came in five flavors: Orange, Lime, Cherry, Blue Raspberry, and Lemon. They all had the texture of Sweet Tarts (or chewable vitamins) at first, and the nubs on the one side reminded me of candy blocks. It only takes about 10-15 seconds of chewing for the candy to turn into a soft gum. Here's a rundown of each flavor.

Orange packed a serious sour punch. This was the first one I tried, and after just a couple chews, I was puckering. It had a strong vitamin C flavor, but (as with all the flavors) shortly after becoming gum, had very little flavor at all. It was my favorite of the bunch.

Lime was much less sour and lacked the punch of the orange (or maybe I was used to it). When I spit this piece out to move onto the next, the gum was an intense shade of forest green.

Cherry was a full bodied, decent sour cherry flavor that had the same powerful tang as the orange. The sourness had a bit of a delay, but then came on very strong.

Blue Raspberry was sweet and blue-flavored at first, and then the punch of sour had a strong raspberry candy flavor. The height of the sour flavor was great, but then it faded to sweet. I should also mention that when I brushed my teeth that night before bed, my white toothpaste turned blue.

Lemon, which I had saved for last, was a disappointment. It was sour, but the flavor was completely fake and reminiscent of cleaning products. This was my least favorite of the bunch.

I would never choose these as a gum, but as a sour candy, the intensity of the sour flavors surprised me. Despite the weakness of the lemon and lime, I found it hard to stop eating these, and didn't mind spitting them out once they become gum and lost their flavor. They were fun to eat, and definitely would please kids (and adults) with a sour craving.

B

Razzles section of Tootsie Roll website

Mentos Red Fruit-Lime Gum

Here's another kind of Mentos gum. This time, it's the non-specific "Red Fruit-Lime" that Ryan Seacrest has been talking up on the radio. A friend of mine bought this first, and after trying it, I bought my own so that I could review it at my leisure.

According to the package, I should taste lime, strawberry, raspberry, and some little berries I can't identify. Cranberry, perhaps? Let me know if you have any ideas. After peeking at the ingredients list, I saw that the gum was made with lemon guice, not lime, and blackcurrant, which is a fairly rare flavor in the US.


Once again, the pieces were cute and shiny. They smelled fruity, too, but nothing identifiable. The coating was sweet and tangy, and the center was tart, but a fake lime. The initial tang was good, but it faded fast, and then it just tasted red.

I couldn't taste raspberry, but my husband detected strawberry. Personally, I agree with calling this gum "red fruit" because that's about as specific as I could get. The flavor longevity was disappointing, shorter than Tropical, but the flavor itself was better.

B-

Mentos website

Yellow Lentil Soup: Boring Name, Exciting Flavors

It's still cold out there, huh? How 'bout some soup?

Posts and pictures of soup never get me giddy with excitement, jumping up to make them on the spot (I take that back; this one did), but I always wish the featured bowl of soup were sitting right in front of me -- kinda like soup on demand.

Ummm...this soup? I don't have much to say other than curry, coconut milk, and lime are some of my most favorite flavors, and they're all in here. And some lentils, of course. Also, make the soup thick and it's awesome spooned on top of rice. This soup makes me happy. I hope it does the same for you.

Yellow Lentil Soup
adapted from Food Network Canada
serves 6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
salt and pepper, to taste
3 cups yellow lentils, soaked overnight
1 can coconut milk
4 limes, (juice only)
2 small red chilies, finely chopped
6 cups vegetable broth (plus some to thin soup)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
limes and cilantro (garnish)

• In a large pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and ginger, and cook for about 3 minutes.
  
• Add cumin, coriander, curry poder, turmeric, salt, pepper, and soaked lentils, and cook for 3 minutes
• Add coconut milk, lime juice, red chilies, vegetable stock, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat.
• Simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until lentils are very soft.
  
• Place half of soup in blender, and puree (or blend soup in pot with immersion blender). Add blended soup back into pot.
• Adjust seasonings to taste, and add additional water or vegetable stock to thin soup if too thick.
• Serve garnished with cilantro and a healthy squeeze of lime juice.
  

Mike and Ike Lemonade Blends

I'm not sure why, but I never used to like Mike and Ike, despite my love of fruity candy. I preferred Skittles. Somewhere along the line when I was an adult, Zours came out and I loved those, so when I saw Mike and Ike Lemonade Blends at a drugstore last weekend, I thought they might be worth a try.

The box includes five flavors: lime lemonade, strawberry lemonade, raspberry lemonade, and tangerine lemonade. I don't know if all boxes are like this, but mine seemed like it was about 50% plain lemonade, the other half being a pretty even mixture of the other four flavors. Here's a quick rundown of how each flavor tasted.



Lemonade was not too sour, but a nice mix of sweet and sour with a nice lemony touch. It didn't taste like a cleaning product, which is always a risk with lemon-flavored candy.

Lime Lemonade was very similar to Lemonade, but with a hint of lime. Again, it had a nice sweet/sour balance. I think it's the sour coating, which seemed a little different from regular Mike and Ikes in that it actually offset the sweetness of the jelly center.

Tangerine Lemonade wasn't very tangy, but it was okay. The flavor wasn't very strong, so I assume that they were aiming for orange but fell short and called it tangerine instead.

Strawberry Lemonade reminded me of PEZ, but was pretty good. It tasted like a tangy fruit snack. This one was probably my favorite of the bunch.

Raspberry Lemonade tasted a little artificial, as raspberry candy often does. It wasn't bad, but the flavor wasn't true to raspberries.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with this mix of Mike and Ikes. The slight sourness was nice. I don't know that I would buy these again, though, because there are many candies I'd rather eat. They were fun to try, though!

B+

Just Born website

Sunkist Cherry Limeade

I'm a huge fan of Sonic's cherry limeade. Until recently, there was no Sonic in my city, but just last year, one opened. I've only been there once so far, but the cherry limeade is delicious. So, when this Sunkist Cherry Limeade popped up in the snack area at work, I bought a can right away.

In the end, it was pretty disappointing. The soda smelled like medicine when I opened it, and the taste was a bit blah. There was very little lime flavor or tartness; it was mostly a weak cherry. My friends at work also tried it. One thought it was good, and the other didn't seem to hate it, but compared the flavor to NyQuil and snow cone flavoring.

The soda wasn't bad, but it wasn't nearly as good as the stuff from Sonic. I don't think I'll buy this again, but at least it was fun to try.

C

Sunkist Website

Papaya-Coconut Cupcakes with Ginger-Lime Cream Cheese Frosting

Speaking of exotic flavors, I finally got around to making one of the scrumptious sounding and looking cupcakes at Cupcake Bakeshop by Chockylit, a blog devoted to the cupcake. If you haven’t been to the site, do go. I put it on my blogroll a few months ago.

Her cupcake darlings are creative and inspiring. They're not your standard flavors offered at bakeries. Here’s a sampling of the unusual-for-cupcake flavors: tarragon, basil, fennel, chili, tea, eggnog, persimmon, and lychee.

Some of the cupcakes are complex and amazing. I’m eyeing a cupcake inspired by the Samoas® Girl Scout cookie for an upcoming eating event – my second favorite Girl Scout cookie after Thin Mints.

I’m a sucker for pictures, and her pictures are gorgeous. I know my cupcakes will never look that good due to my chronic impatience and lack of a pastry bag, yet I still am not afraid to dive in and try to recreate the beauty.

The cupcakes all look good, but I decided to try the papaya-coconut cupcakes with ginger-lime cream cheese frosting.

I had everything already in the kitchen, expect for a papaya. The recipe calls for six ounces of papaya, but I don’t have a scale. I just threw some in; I’m not sure how much.

I substituted reduced-fat coconut milk and reduced-fat cream cheese because it was on hand. I would not recommend reduced-fat cream cheese if you were taking these to an event, only because the resulting icing is softer. If it’s warm outside, the icing could be a melting mess.

The result was very good. The cake was more like a fruit quick bread. The icing was my favorite part – tangy lime with spicy ginger. I put the full tablespoon of ginger in, but for my taste I could have put more in.

If only I had the time and metabolism to make and eat every one of her cupcakes!