Gum Alert - A gum blog with gum reviews

2012-01-22T12:50:00.003-05:00

Flavor: Of all the UP2U flavors I've tried so far, this is by far the best. In fact, I would buy this one again. Most importantly, since it's two minty flavors, you don't run into the minty-tastes-a-little-fruity and fruity-tastes-a-little-minty problems you face with the other flavor combinations. The two mints they've concocted are very complementary, as well. Daylight Mint is cool and refreshing, one of those no-frills cold mints that do the job right. Mintnight Mint (oh, Mentos, you're so punny), has a nice bite to it, a hint of peppery sweetness. Both are long-lasting.

Texture: Also well done. On the soft side, but balanced and maintains a good bite for a long while.

Presentation: The package is fairly simple and doesn't go for any big gimmicks that distract from the product. Even the coloring suggests the flavor differences in each gum-- the cooler flavor a starker navy blue, the more complex flavor teal. I think it's interesting that they showcase pictures of the gum itself (which is two-toned, a nice thematic touch) and don't clutter it up with leaves and ice and all the weird things minty gums usually showcase.

Overall: Success! Mentos, you've done it. This combination truly exudes what you were going for all along-- the option to have two different quality gums for the price of one.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Extra Winterfresh

2012-01-13T13:53:00.000-05:00

Flavor: This is a cool, refreshing chew, but doesn't proclaim to overwhelm you with any extreme elements. It won't clear your sinuses, and if you're looking for something to kill particularly heinous garlic bread breath, you're better off with a Dentyne Artic Chill pellet. However, if you are looking for a nice mouth refresh in the middle of the day, this'll do it.

Texture: The firmness of it is nice, it's not too soft and not too hard, somewhere in the middle, leaning towards more firm. What I don't like about it is that it's really sticky. It sticks to my lips when I try to blow a little bubble, and it sticks to my teeth when I crack it.

Packaging: Marvel at its beauty. Gaze upon its splendor. I happened upon this Plen-T-Pak on the shelves of my local Family Dollar. I was taken aback, since it's been a long time since I've seen a Plen-T-Pak available. I have to assume this gum is many years old (2008 maybe?) but it tastes okay, there's no expiration date on it, and the pack is almost gone and I haven't gotten sick and died, so I assume it's okay. I thought that maybe I had discovered one of the last vestiges of a discontinued flavor, but a Google search revealed that Extra Winterfresh is, indeed, still a thing.

Overall: I was really surprised to see that Winterfresh is still readily available, because we've never reviewed it and I thought we pretty much ran through all the Extras. If I didn't come across this in Family Dollar, Winterfresh would most likely have remained unreviewed until the end of time. While it's nothing to write home about, it's good to know that it's a decent option if your old standby isn't available on your checkout line.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Trident Splashing Fruit

2012-01-08T18:39:00.002-05:00

Flavor: Imagine for a moment that you've peeled a juicy, fresh tangerine right out of the fridge, and are about to take your first bite. What do you anticipate? A burst of flavor, tangy and full, overwhelming and refreshing, right? Now pop that first piece of Splashing Fruit into your mouth. Oh... it's like... peach? It's sort of... melony? I guess? The packaging here suggests this gum would mirror the experience of that bursting citrus flavor, as portrayed in the pictures of three very strong citrus wedges on the front of the package: grapefruit, lime, and orange. I'd say it's risky to claim to represent those flavors in any gum, since they're so strong and distinct. But here, it's downright wrong. I don't detect any lime at all, maybe a hint of grapefruit (maybe) somewhere in the there, and I suppose a sort of dull, tic-tac-like orange. Mostly, though, it's a very subtle melon flavor that lasts a fair amount of time but at no point wows the tastebuds.

Texture: For the most part, the texture here is standard for Trident, a good, consistent chew. It's a little soft for a short while after chewing, but forms back up into a good bite pretty quickly.

Presentation: Bold! Black background and bright aforementioned fruits misleads the chewer and leave you feeling disappointed in your purchase.

Overall: This gum might have had a fighting chance if it were marketed appropriately, but as it stands it just doesn't cut it. I'd be surprised if this one sticks around, and it's a shame, since it's pretty decent melon flavor overall.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Juicy Fruit Juicy Riddle

2011-12-22T12:45:00.001-05:00

Flavor: Another "mystery" offering from Juicy Fruit, but I don't think that they blatantly ripped a recently discontinued gum flavor with this one, like Juicy Secret did. I get mainly citrus here, with a distinctly "Orange Tic Tac" undertone. There's also some passionfruit in there, but it's not overpowering or overwhelming. It should be noted that the flavor, while good, fades really fast into a generic "artificial sweetener" taste.

Texture: Could be better. It's a little too tough for my tastes, but those with an affinity for a firm chew will enjoy it. It's difficult to spread on the tongue, but once it's on there, it blows decent bubbles. The firmness contribues to an extra-loud crack, as well.

Presentation: Not much more to say here that hasn't been said about Juicy Secret. Standard Juicy Fruit logo with some purty rainbowy effect for the border. I'm a sucker for blues/pinks/purples, so I'm a fan.

Overall: It's an okay gum. Certainly not one that'll be in my constant rotation, but I'll admit I chewed through at least one pack, and had to seek it out to re-buy it to review. Worth a try if you're the type that like figuring out riddles. I just think that the "mystery" ship has sailed... there's no more excitement about it when you're releasing a new mystery flavor every 6 months. It's been done.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry we've been a bit slow around these parts... The Gum Girls are a bit bogged down with work, travel, kids... well, LIFE, at the moment, but rest assured we've got a bunch of great gums coming up for you, including Wrigley's 5 Swerve, Trident Splashing Mint & Fruit, and Juicy Fruit Juicy Riddle, just to name a few!

Extra Smooth Mint

2011-10-28T15:06:00.007-04:00

Flavor: The name says it all. It's a Smooth (dare I say "smoove?") Mint. It's heavier on peppermint than spearmint, but it's a nice mellow coolness that'll freshen your breath without taking your breath away like, say, Extra Polar Ice or a Dentyne pellet would do. The flavor lasts a really long time, too. It's not groundbreaking, but it's definitely nice to have another mint option that won't overwhelm the sinuses.

Texture: Starts off way too soft and a bit gritty, it takes a while for this one to really firm up into a chewable wad. But once it does, it's got a fantastic texture. Of course you can't blow any sort of respectable bubble, but if you're an experienced popper or cracker, you'll be able to annoy your officemate with a symphony of snaps.

Presentation: Nothing to write home about here. As we've said of Extra's packaging before, they let the gum do the legwork and shine for itself. They're certainly not wasting dollars in their graphic design department.

Overall: You know how some smells or tastes stick with you for life? As a Gum Girl, there are some gum flavors that will always take me back. A stick of Carefree Original Bubble will send me straight to the passenger seat of my mom's car. I know that Katie is in Boston at a Dispatch concert when she chews Trident Tropical Twist. And I don't ever think I'll be able to chew Winterfresh again, because it tastes like a badly-masked smoker's kiss to me.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of traveling for work to Sonoma, California to visit several wineries. It was the business trip of a lifetime. One of the most amazing wineries I went to was St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, in beautiful Santa Rosa. It was truly an awe-inspiring place. The facilities were pristine, the grounds were breathtaking, and the wine was a treat to the taste buds. After a special tour and dinner, our host, President & CEO Chris Silva brought our group into the vineyard where we toasted to good wine and good company. It was a moment that I won't soon forget.

I can always "return" to St. Francis at dinnertime by uncorking a bottle of Red Splash, but during work hours that's not really a possibility. Fortunately for me, just as we were leaving the winery, I popped a piece of Extra Smooth Mint for the car ride through the mountains from Sonoma into Napa. I put my head back and watched the full moon rise out the window, reflecting on St. Francis Winery and the amazing time I just had.

Now, whenever I chew this gum, my mind is transported back to the tranquil grounds of St. Francis, and the feeling of serenity I had while on my trip.

I don't expect you to feel that same feeling when chewing this gum, of course, but aside from the texture at the outset, it's a pretty great gum in an unexpected package.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Orbit Wildberry Remix

2011-10-23T18:32:00.003-04:00

Flavor: Sometimes, when gum emulates a flavor we experience elsewhere in the world, it's a true delight. Chocolate chip mint ice cream, for example, or strawberry shortcake. But there are some flavors we don't ever want to experience again, like, say, grape Children's Chewable Tylenol. And that's exactly what Orbit Wildberry Remix tastes like to me. When I first opened the package, I thought it smelled a little like grape Big League Chew, and I was excited for that first piece, but I quickly realized upon chewing that the scent I'd detected from my childhood was none other than grape Children's Chewable Tylenol. I hated it then, and I hate it now. The smell is so overwhelming I may have to toss the rest of the pack. Who wants to be reminded of headaches and fevers? Not me.

Texture: I don't want to chew this long enough to find out how the texture will hold up. It's fine, I don't know, I just want to get this lousy taste out of my mouth.

Presentation: The fashion packs are getting cooler, that's for sure. There's a contest on the inside of the flap for a chance to win something called "Orbit bucks." When I investigated the contest, I was annoyed to find that it was yet another product culling contact information for a vague reward. "Bucks" are applied in the Orbit store, where you can buy lots of things, from gift cards to books to "dorm decor." I guess if you're an avid Orbit chewer, it's nice, but it seems like a lot of steps that most folks won't really take. Two ways to enter: 1. Take a picture of an illustration in the pack and text it to Orbit (and whatever happens after you do that). 2. Enter the secret password onto their website (after filling out a form with all your contact information). You then win a certain amount of bucks which can be applied to prizes, which are categorized according to type and value. Whatever happened to scratch and win? I just don't think this is worth it. If you think I'm wrong-- shoot us a comment and let us know what cool stuff you've bought with your Orbit bucks.

Overall: At least Chewable Tylenol cures headaches. This stuff gives me one.

Rating: o (one gumball)

Mentos Up2U Sweet Mint and Bubble Fresh

2011-09-20T23:04:00.003-04:00

Flavor: This flavor combination is classic. It's mint and bubblegum, the two staples, together at last in their cozy dual pack. I'm not so nuts about Mentos UP2U Mandarin Strawberry and Spearmint, and the more I think about it, the main reason it just doesn't coalesce as a complete product is because the two elements are not complimentary. There is no common denominator between mandarin strawberry and spearmint except that they're both flavors of gum. But mint and bubblegum are the old standbys, and are even combined successfully elsewhere, as in Orbit Bubblemint. The packaging naturally allows for some mixing of flavors, and I don't mind a nice cool finish to my bubblegum. On the same point, it was a smart move to call the mint "Sweet Mint," as that forgives the potential crossover of sweet bubblegum flavor to the mint flavor. There's sort of a funny aftertaste in the bubble flavor, but it's overall a fine bubble flavor, and the same goes for the mint.

Texture: The texture is great, a little firmer than some gums, but in a good way. It's consistent and lacking in many common texture flaws like squeakiness and disintegrating.

Presentation: The inside of the package quotes Irish playwright John Millington Synge, "All art is collaboration." I respect that mentos respects its product enough to call it art. It also says "A choice for every moment of the day." Unlike Mandarin Strawberry and Spearmint, I wouldn't be hard-pressed to find people who enjoy both bubblegum and minty gum. Who doesn't like a good piece of bubblegum? Who doesn't like fresh breath?

Overall: Way to go, mentos! You've successfully executed this concept. A classic combo with a modern twist.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

pür gum - eXcitemint

2011-09-09T16:17:00.002-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at pür gum!

Flavor: This has got some serious power! Nasal-clearing, breath-freshening, throat-cooling awesomeness in a pellet. It's one of the stronger mints I've tasted, and it's just fantastic. Go ahead - eat that garlic bread. With pur in your pocket, you've got nothing to worry about. The flavor has nice longevity, also - mellows a bit, but stays flavorful and minty.

Texture: Starts off a bit on the tough side, but softens up as you chew. It should be noted that one pellet is kind of small, it takes two to get a nicely-sized wad.

Presentation: As with other pür gums we've reviewed, this is your quintessential no-frills packaging. pür lets the gum do all the work, as it should be.

Overall: If this gum weren't aspartame free and soy free, it would still be an awesome gum. The added health benefit of no aspartame, and the awesomeness of an option for the soy-allergic are icing on the gumcake. Another win in a fab line of gum.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Layers Orchard Peach + Ripe Mango

2011-08-22T22:09:00.004-04:00

Flavor: If you thought Trident Tropical Twist was outrageous, just wait until you get your hands on this. We're rounding out the summer here, folks, and just today I enjoyed one of the last delicious peaches of the season here in Jersey. It was tangy, sweet, round with that peachy flavor that takes over your whole being during the duration of your snack. It's been a while since I've have a mango, and I'm pretty sure those are out of season already, or well on their way. But boy, does this gum make me feel comfortable about the long, peach-and-mango-less winter ahead. Upon first bite, it knocks your socks off, just like that first sloppy bite of a juicy peach. Then comes the mango, as if it actually were a mango sandwich on two pieces of peach bread, aromatic and vibrant. It fades of course, but the lingering flavor is sweet and cool and enjoyable for a good long while. The summer can't last forever, but this flavor sure can.

Texture: This is a really meaty chew, much more substantial than your usual stick of Trident. It has a fantastic bite, not too soft, not too hard, a really well constructed piece of gum.

Presentation: Oh, man, just look at that mango sandwich, so simple, so decadent, so ripe and delicate. This packaging, as Shannon mentioned in her review of Trident Layers Sweet Cherry + Island Lime, is simple and sophisticated.

Overall: I know what you're thinking: "If you love Trident Layers Orchard Peach + Ripe Mango so much, why don't you marry it?" Maybe I will. It's too early into our relationship to tell. But I do know that tomorrow at lunch I'm picking up a freaking mango, slicing it up and slapping it between two halves of a peach at 4:00 snack time. Only a real mango sandwich could rival this gum.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Layers Sweet Cherry + Island Lime

2011-08-16T12:29:00.003-04:00

Flavor: A long time ago, a friend of Gum Alert sent us an email asking us about cherry flavored sugarless gums. At the time, there was really nothing to turn to. The only one I could recall, in fact, was a really disgusting mentholated Eclipse concoction that was downright offensive to the taste buds. Lack of a great cherry (like grape, as I mentioned in my review of 5 React 2 - Fruit) left a gaping hole in the sugarless gum world. Well, gum gurus and cherry lovers alike can rejoice! Trident has changed the game with this one. I haven't been the biggest fan of the Layers line as a whole, but this new one is fantastic. The lime burst you get from what I assume is the candy goo layer starts off pleasantly strong and fades as you chew, leaving the awesome cherry to shine on and on. It rivals the Bubblicious cubes in cherryness and the flavor has decent longevity. Really nice.

Texture: Slightly tough and sticky at first, the chew mellows to a pleasant malleability. It's easy to spread on the tongue to pop and crack. It does get a teensy bit too soft for my taste, but it might be just fine for you.

Presentation: Trident Layers's packaging is cute and clever, with an admirable minimalistic style. Besides the Trident logo and text, the only graphic on the package is a cherry being sliced into by a juicy lime wedge. Gets the point across without any unnecessary obnoxious color, holographic fonts, or neon bursts.

Overall: As I said, I've not been much of a fan of Trident Layers. This one has made me a believer.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Stride Shaun White Whitemint

2011-08-08T23:37:00.003-04:00

Flavor: In the interest of being fair and thorough here, I'm going to save all my Shaun White commentary for the presentation portion of this review. Let's pretend this gum didn't have a weird CGI image of a pro snowboarder on the cover, and talk about what we're really buying here-- the gum. It's super refreshing and cool, with a slight hint of sweet in the bite. I've got to say, though, that I personally can't get past this new chemical taste that all Stride gums have these days. It leaves this weird film on my tongue, and something in there reminds me of what I imagine Noxema to taste like. I will say, though, that Stride has been putting out some nasty flavors lately and this one isn't that bad.

Texture: Very good, long lasting chew. Texture has never been Stride's weakness.

Presentation: Could it be that this is the first athlete representing a gum? I don't recall whether or not Big League Chew ever actually claimed a real life baseball player as their hollywood representative, but at least that would have sort of... made sense. Big League Chew looks like chewing tobacco. Who chews chewing tobacco? Baseball players. Natural sponsorship. Stride Whitemint is... well, white. And cold, sort of like snow. But so are lots of gums, right? Why doesn't Shaun White represent Dentyne Ice? Or Mentos (the freshmaker)? I could picture him in a mentos commercial... in fact, I would love to see that dude in a mentos commercial. He's just about the coolest guy that ever set board on a half pipe; there's no denying that Shaun White deserves to make lots of money selling product, that much is clear.

But what is going on here, Stride? It's like they didn't even try to stitch some kind of connection between sponsor and product. "Oh hey, we got Shaun White. What should we call it, Shaun White Gum? No no no. I've got it. Whitemint. That's clever." So they're going simple, I'll buy that. But they're not going simple. Printed on the inside of the package is a cartoon that places Shaun White in some kind of competition with a ram. I quote, "It's on! Man versus Ram. One a competitive animal with freakish strength that loves to be scratched. The other has horns. Together in a fierce competition to see who is the best spokesman... or spokesanimal!" Um. Well. At least they didn't call this gum "Ram-mint."

Overall: A swing and a miss... I guess? I just don't know what to think here. I feel sort of like I'm missing some inside joke (which I very well might be) that Shaun White has with the rest of the world. If you know the secret, please comment (but try not to make me look old or dumb). If not, I've got to say that of all celebrities, this is one for whom Stride actually could pull off a half-baked weirdo marketing plan. Throw a bunch of ideas in the air, string some loose (very loose) connection between him and the product and that makes it ok to permit a ram to tell a "your mom" joke on your packaging. You read that correctly. You'll have to buy a pack to find out the punch line. (Spoiler alert! It's your mom.)

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Apple Pie

2011-08-05T16:16:00.005-04:00

Flavor: Picture a warm slice of apple pie. The first bite is a mouthful of tart, juicy apple, spiked with cinnamon. The crust is creamy and sweet, and the flavors blend together in harmonious bliss. There's just something about apple pie that's comforting, calming. A kind of warm cinnamon happiness. You guys? This gum tastes like apple pie. Like, for serious apple pie. I don't know how they replicated that familiar flavor with chemicals, artificial sweetener and gum base, but that flavor chemist deserves a serious raise. It's delicious.

Texture: A little on the tougher side when it comes to chew, but definitely well within chewability limits and nowhere near tough enough to tarnish enjoyment of the gum.

Presentation: Similar graphics as the rest of the Dessert Delights line, with autumn-y colors: burgundy, brown, orange and cream. A nice slice of apple pie graces the pack. Nothing flashy, nothing crazy... Extra lets the gum itself do all the work, as it should be.

Overall: This gum is BANGIN'. Now, this gum is not made to be an every day chewer. It's not going to freshen your breath - if anything, you'll need to pop a piece of your mint of choice afterwards to kill the cinnamon from this one. This gum is marketed as an "indulgence" to satisfy your sweet tooth in times of dire craving. And I gotta say, this really does. Go pick up some of this one - now.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Mentos Squeeze Strawberry

2011-08-02T20:06:00.006-04:00

Flavor: The flavor here is reminiscent of the pink pellets in fruity Mentos packs, which is a pleasant surprise, especially since I can eat as many as I want and not worry about a sugar rush. The flavor lasts about as long as you can chew and swallow a Mentos candy, however, and quickly stales to a dull berry flavor.

Texture: Ok, so here's the thing, the gimmick here is that in the center of this gum is "99% real fruit filling." Why, that sounds delicious! Look at that delightful strawberry just BURSTING with juicy strawberry filling! I imagined that this imagery would mirror the forthcoming burst of juice I'd enjoy while biting into the gum pellet. But wait... what the... is that POWDER grinding between my teeth? I immediately had to bite another piece in half to inspect. Had this batch gone bad? Was it sitting on the shelf too long and had dried out? Alas, no. This was an intentional powdered fruit filling, like pulverized freeze-dried strawberries, the kind you rehydrate with milk in Special K. There's not enough time to rehydrate this powder with saliva before I'm just chewing on a straight up powder, though. It just doesn't work.

Presentation: False advertising, bro. Not cool. Or at least misleading... I'm not sure many other brands will mimic this gimmick.

Overall: Correct me if I'm wrong, but I just think this is stuff is nasty, and now I have a big ol' plastic tub of it to get rid of. Looks like I'll be putting this out with the rest of the gum on my desk on work for public consumption. This one ought to spark some conversation, anyway.

Rating: o (one gumball)

5 React2 - Fruit

2011-07-21T15:04:00.002-04:00

Flavor: It's really, really hard, if not impossible, to find a good sugarfree grape gum. This right here? Is a good sugarfree grape gum. So why did Wrigley's muck it all up with their stupid "React" shenanigans? The original 5 React Fruit was a tropical explosion, all pineapple-mangoey. I would think someone who's tried the original recipe and is not gum-obsessed like me would gloss over the teeny "2" on the package, assuming it was your same-old, same-old. What's WRONG with you, Wrigley's? You've got a good thing, here! This is GRAPE! A GOOD grape! If you were itching to add to the 5 lineup, why not come up with a clever descripive word and call it something like "5 BLAM"? At least then, you'd get to stick a little tagline on the packaging, "A gooey, grapey grape" or something. No one who isn't a fan of Gum Alert will know that the new 5 React Fruit is grape. (Note: Katie said that after a few minutes this gets a distinct "Children's Chewable Tylenol" taste, but I never really minded Children's Chewable Tylenol, anyway.)

Texture: 5 always comes through with the good texture. This one gets a little tough on prolonged chewing, but it's a nice kind of tough, it's a very meaty chew.

Presentation: 5 packaging, blah blah blah. More of the same. It's all great, but it's all the same. The gum itself continues to be black, and I maintain: Why?

Overall: This is a solid gum. It has its flaws, but it's really the first gum, at least since the inception of this blog, that has succeeded as a sugarfree grape. If you're a grape fan, pick this one up and give it a try. The wee "2" packs a big surprize.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Orbit Fruit Punch

2011-07-04T21:02:00.003-04:00

Flavor: Well, you missed the boat on your "Mystery Flavor" with this one, Orbit. Because... I don't know what the heck this is supposed to be, but it sure isn't any fruit punch I've ever had before. When you name a candy or a gum "fruit punch," as with all common flavors, there are certain expectations your audience is going to have about what it's supposed to taste like. Fruit punch, real fruit punch, can I guess be pretty much anything-- orange + cranberry + ruby red grapefruit maybe (oo, throw a little rum in there while you're at it...), but when we're talking about the standard fruit punch flavor, it's a very specific taste we're talking about. I hated fruit punch flavor growing up, from Ssips to special edition Starburst, but I know a whole lot of people who really love it, and they would be totally disappointed in this gum. Standard fruit punch flavor is not easy to describe, sort of wild, lots of cherry in there and sugar, maybe some citrus undertones, a round fruity finish. This gum, however, is easy to describe: It doesn't taste like anything. It's just sort of... sweet. And it's cold, it has that minty cold sensation, although it doesn't even tout some kind of mint variety on it, like their other strange combos, "Citrus Mint," "Raspberry Mint." Blech.

Texture: What's going on, Orbit? Are you feeling all right? Because you're just not performing up to par these days, and you're a real go-getter, a real champ in the gum world. This gum is too tough, creates a foam in your teeth, and-- unheard of for Orbit-- this gum has a dull squeak to it.

Presentation: Fashion pack, smashion pack. This gum is just kind of lame.

Overall: I'm disappointed in you, Orbit. We've had such wonderful times together, and I'm afraid I'm beginning to become skeptical of your... experimentation with new flavors. Take some time off. Relax. Then get back to work, and make your fans proud.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Nerds Gumballs

2011-07-01T09:10:00.001-04:00

Flavor: I only chewed the red one and the purple one, because I don't think my teeth could handle 5 gumballs in rapid succession. Everyone knows what a gumball tastes like. Super super sugary with very little actual "flavor." The red one has a slight cherry taste, while the purple one is somewhat grapey. The nerds do very little to enhance the flavor...

Texture: However, the nerds add a cute little crunch to the first few chews. They dissolve quickly, and the remaining gum is really hard and tough, like any gumball. You can get a decent bubble, but when it pops it sticks to your lips, skin, everything. Meh.

Presentation: 5 gumballs in a plastic pouch, nothing too crazy in the way of graphics, a couple cute Nerd-guys hanging out, but otherwise, it's pretty plain.

Overall: Pretty much the only redeeming quality about this gum is the first couple of chews, but once the nerds dissolve, it's just a gumball.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Orange Crème Pop

2011-06-15T19:28:00.003-04:00

Flavor: Summer is upon us (finally), and what says summer more than Orange Crème Pops? As a Jersey shore native, that orange cream flavor strikes a particularly nostalgic chord in me, harkening back to long summer days and dripping Kohr's Custard cones and orange sodas. I was really excited when I heard the Dessert Delights line had extended its expertise to one of the most delicious of desserts, but I have to say I'm a little let down here. Mint Chocolate Chip was such a pleasant surprise, a long-lasting, actually satisfying low-calorie treat, that I really expected Orange Crème Pop to knock my socks off. At first I was like, "Whoa!" But then I was all, "Meh." It starts out really strong, a tangy burst on the tip of your tongue and then a flood of creamy flavor, like that first bite into your ice pop before it starts to melt in the heat, but it instantly faded into a nutra-sweet-esque, dull orange flavor that actually grossed me out after a while. Not impressed.

Texture: The texture falls a little short, especially for Extra. It gets pretty tough very quickly, and the pieces seem smaller than other Extra varieties. Again, not impressed.

Presentation: The package is consistent with the other Dessert Delights, pretty simply showcasing the dessert it claims it represents. Not too much to report here, although I'm not sure I would associate actual orange slices with that delicious crème pop, it's an entity unto itself.

Overall: It's ok. I guess if you just want the flavor of the pop without the actual pop, go ahead and buy it, it's worth a try. But personally, I'm going to get my butt down to the boardwalk and get me some swirly orange and cream custard in a waffle cone, with rainbow sprinkles. Mmmm...

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Mentos Pure Fresh Cooler Lemonade

2011-06-12T16:05:00.003-04:00

Flavor: This one's really quite spot-on lemony. It's tart and sour, with even a little bit of rind-like bitterness thrown in. At times it might be a little TOO much for the taste buds - once or twice I've had to ditch the piece because I wasn't feeling it. Also of note is the teeniest bit of minty-menthol. Normally this doesn't work all that well in citrus flacors, but this one works great. The only thing I have to take a small issue with here is the -ade part of the equation. Lemonade is sour and tart, yes, but it's also refreshingly sweet. This gum is really too sour to be called "Lemonade." If I was bought a lemonade on the boardwalk and it tasted like this, I'd give it back for another scoop of sugar, for sure. They should have just called this gum "Cooler Lemon."

Texture: It's the predictable mentos gum texture we've grown to love. Nice initial crunch fading into an easy-to-chew wad. Prolonged chews will get slightly waxy, but not in a bad way.

Presentation: We've discussed the mentos tube and its pros and cons before. It's nice packaging, and the graphics are holographic minimalist. mentos doesn't need to slap a lemon on the label, they want to feature the product itself. I love the shiny, metallic printing - very eye-catching.

Overall: Another nice showing from mentos. Solid chew, nice true flavor. This one's recommended as a summertime treat.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Mentos UP2U Mandarin Strawberry and Spearmint

2011-06-04T14:42:00.003-04:00

Flavor: Oh my goodness, there's just so much to talk about here. A recurring theme in gum marketing is the combination of fruity and minty, as seen in such varieties as Stride Shift and Orbit Maui Melon Mint. Something about them always seems to come up short, though, and I think that's true in this case as well. UP2U gives gum chewers the "choice" between two flavors, which is novel, I guess, in the same way that it's cool that the candy Nerds always packs two flavors in one box. But for me, this presents an immediate predicament-- what if I don't like one of the flavors? Then I am forever spending twice the money for half the amount of gum, and I'm way less likely to do so when there are so many other great gums on the shelf. In my conversations on gum, I've discovered that there really aren't too many people who equally prefer fruity and minty gum, usually it's way more swayed to one side or the other. That said, if you are a fruity gum lover, this might be the gum for you, as the spearmint isn't very minty at all. It has almost a melony taste to it, which I attribute possibly to the packaging and its being subjected to fruity fumes until the time of purchase. It is minty, but I don't taste any of the standard spearmint flavors here. It's just a sweet mint, basically, reminiscent of Trident Layers Cool Mint + Melon Fresco. The Mandarin Strawberry doesn't taste anything like mandarin to me, really. I detect strawberry, maybe a little melon, definitely no mandarin, but maybe I'm just missing it. The flavor in each could last a little longer, admittedly.

Texture: For their first venture into stick gums (as opposed to the classic mentos pellet), they do a pretty good job. The initial bite leaves something to be desired, it's maybe a little rubbery and lacking that nice softness that happens at the start of stick gum, but all-in-all it's a standup, consistent chew that doesn't get hard or sticky or fall apart in your mouth. Well done.

Presentation: The first day I had this gum I avoided saying the name out loud as I couldn't really figure out what it meant (ok, ok, maybe I'm not the sharpest tack in the box). But something about the label makes me want to read the letters and numbers aloud. I still find myself calling it "That you-pee-two-you or whatever gum" even though I know now that it's a clever way of writing "Up to you." (Maybe I'm not hip enough to really grasp the text-language here.) It's a neat way to package it, opening from the side rather than the top (as seen in other gums of this shape) and closing with an over-the-top flap. I don't have any real problem with the new packaging except that I predict the two sides will separate when the pack is being beaten up in my bag, since it's only connected by one short side. The packaging is peppered with clever little phrases like "Emperor Lothar I" and "Times change and we with time," which adds to that hip young thing that's trending in gum these days (and which I don't really understand).

Overall: Both varieties of gum are delightful, and I surprisingly did enjoy both flavors, so I would consider buying this again. I think, though, that I would much rather buy two packs (or three or four or five) of all different varieties to keep in my purse in case I want a choice. I just think mentos is trying a little too hard here; they could have made waves by simply releasing their first stick-shaped gum in lots of delicious, dual-colored pieces. Instead it's their first stick-ed gum, a dual-flavor pack, a new type of packaging, a crazy clever logo... I just need a moment to digest all this newness here. I'm torn on the rating here, so I'm going to break the rules and give a half-gumball...

Rating: oooc (three-and-a-half gumballs)

Choward's Scented Gum

2011-06-02T08:57:00.004-04:00

Flavor: An odd combination of licorice and clove, Choward's Scented Gum doesn't claim to have any flavor at all. There's no mention on the packaging of how it's supposed to taste, other than a boldfaced claim, "A delicious chewing gum." I'm taking issue with Choward's here, because if there's one thing this gum is NOT, it's "delicious."

Texture: Starts off super tough, like it's stale. I had to proceed carefully with this one for fear that I might pop my crown or lift a filling. Once it softens, the mass of the wad diminishes to a size so small, one would need at least three, if not four pieces to sustain a decent chew. Size aside, it's sticky and tough, you can't crack it or pop it.

Presentation: What presentation? It's as if Choward's Scented Gum has traveled through time to come to us in its original 1930's packaging. No graphics, no colors, nothing but the aforementioned "delicious" claim and a tagline of "Fragrance that Refreshes after Eating, Smoking or Drinking." Fragrance that refreshes? How, exactly, does fragrance refresh? Flavor, yes... a refreshing sensation, sure... but fragrance?

Overall: Choward's has been making candy and gum since the 1930s. They have stood the test of time, obviously, as they have remained virtually unchanged since their inception. I, personally, don't get it. This gum is disgusting in every way. Borderline unchewable. It's worth it to note here that this gum should not be confused with Choward's Violets - also pictured above. This gum is not Violet flavored, despite the somewhat confusing packaging similarities. Although there are some people (my mom and BFF included) that are fans of the Violets mints, I cannot recommend them, either.

Rating: o (one gumball)

Carefree Peppermint

2011-05-30T20:17:00.003-04:00

Flavor: As Shannon mentioned in her review of Carefree Original Bubble, it's good to have an old favorite come inexplicably back on the market after years of extinction. I can't say as I have the same sort of nostalgia for the Peppermint variety, but can definitely speak to its undeniable quality. In a market of over-the-top, knock-your-socks-off flavor options, Carefree reemerges in the same role it held so long ago-- a really well done, simple gum for people who just want a refreshing, consistent chew. It's a soft-spoken peppermint flavor, subtle in its strength, but super long-lasting and not at all as overwhelming as some other peppermints out there these days.

Texture: Carefree is what it always was-- the perfect size piece with softer-than-usual bite. It does have a slight squeak, but nothing that would interrupt a conversation or anything.

Presentation: Shannon's already covered the wonder that is the Plen-T-Pack in her Original Bubble review. The design of the package itself is nothing but a starburst and a brand name, that's it-- Hershey wasted no time reinventing the wheel here. They went with the classic design to accompany the classic product.

Overall: Let this be known, to all you gum-chewers out there who lost their favorite gums long ago to a fickle market, that there is, in fact, hope. Someone, somewhere, heard our call, and brought Carefree out of our memories and back where it belongs-- in our pockets.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Carefree Original Bubble

2011-05-27T09:20:00.005-04:00

Flavor: Some flavors in life stick with you long after a product has been discontinued or become unavailable. For example, my aunt had a glass candy jar on a shelf in her kitchen that had these raspberry hard candies in it. I have no idea what those candies were or where they came from, but the flavor of them is ingrained in my taste buds. I'll never have those candies again, but I will never forget the taste. Such was the case with Carefree Original Bubble. This was my mom's favorite gum. She always had packs of this in her purse, and I had never forgotten it. It's the perfect classic bubblegum, exactly what you expect to taste when you chew. When our mom passed away a few years ago, I went on a hunt for Carefree Original Bubble for nostalgia's sake, but it was nowhere to be found. Information on the internet was vague at best, but it hinted that the brand was discontinued. Disappointed, I resolved myself to the fact that I'd never taste Carefree again... until yesterday.

Texture: A thing of beauty. Smooth, soft and pliable - by far the best sugarfree bubble-blowing bubblegum out there. It doesn't stick to your skin when you pop a bubble, doesn't get too tough or too soft. Nothin' but love. I do seem to remember a slight bit more grittiness in the original recipe, but I kind of think that's because my mom used to buy this gum by the 18-pack and most of it was likely kind of stale by the time we chewed it.

Presentation: This is the best part of all. The gum is IN THE ORIGINAL PLEN-T-PAK. With the little red-plastic-ribbon-embedded pull tab and all. Oh, no... Carefree Original Bubble does not need the added square inches for flashy graphics, matte ribbed cardstock or bold, eye-catching fonts. 3 inches by 1 and one-quarter inch is all the space Carefree needs to proudly and simply display its logo. Like the flavor thing, I'd also resolved myself to the idea that I would never see a Plen-T-Pak ever again. How wrong I was. How very wrong, how very... happily wrong.

Overall: Traditionally, the best places to find new gum are Target and Wal-Mart. Yesterday I was in Wal-Mart, scouring the gum racks, and I came across a few new flavors of mentos, and was pretty psyched.

And then I saw it. Carefree. Original Bubble AND Peppermint. In the original Plen-T-Paks.

My elation was incalculable and uncontainable. I immediately texted Katie, "Sissy! Sissy! Carefree gum carefree gum is back zomg sissy sissy!!!!!"

As a true gum lover and connoisseur, there are very few things that can spark that kind of reaction. In fact, I can only think of one thing that could get me more excited than this. (A bunch of free gum from our "leftover basket" to the person that can tell me what that is in the comments below.) New gums are exciting, packaging changes are cool and fun... but this. This is epic.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

(Addendum: Just writing "Carefree" in the title of this blog post and into the Tags made me giddy.)

Bubble Tape Mystery Flavor

2011-05-20T16:13:00.003-04:00

Flavor: Blue Raspberry. Mystery solved. Starts off crazy awesome tart, stopping just short of the "too sour" mark (though I think that it may be too sour for some, if you're sensitive to that kinda thing). It settles nicely into your standard sweet blue raspberry, and lasts surprizingly long for a sugar-based gum. Delicious.

Texture: Perfection. Not too soft, not too hard, Its pliability lends itself to fantastic bubbles that don't stick.

Presentation: It's your standard Bubble Tape hockey puck-sized plastic container. Nothing really to note here, Hubba Bubba again tries to stump the chewer by slathering question marks all over to create an aura of great mysteriousness. It's getting old.

Overall: This is a fine gum, but it'd have been just as fine if they'd have packaged it as "Blue Raspberry" and been done with it. With a mystery flavor, I feel there has to be at least SOME semblance of mystery: Is it white grape, or purple? Is it a tropical punch, or fruit punch? What berry am I tasting? But no, they just took one of the most recognizable flavors and slapped some question marks on it. Whatever. It's a good gum, definitely worth trying more than one.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Hubba Bubba Max Mystery Flavor

2011-05-01T21:16:00.003-04:00

Flavor: I usually have a tough time figuring out mystery flavors, but this one came to me pretty quickly. As with all Hubba Bubba Max varieties, this gum starts out with a punch of flavor and fades fast. At first, I was sure that the mystery flavor here was (drumroll please...) sour cherry. I was pleased to discover a cherry flavor, as there's a shortage of cherry flavors in the gum market these days, but Hubba Bubba Max already offers Sweet & Sassy Cherry, and I'd be interested if a blind taste test would shed some light on whether or not this is indeed the same re-marketed gum. Upon further chewing, however, I detected a fruit punch undertone, and wonder if that was the mystery unveiled. Perhaps we'll never know. But even so, I'm pretty sure there's a fruit punch Hubba Bubba out there, too.

Texture: The pieces are giant, great for bubble blowing and looking really cool on the playground. It's your standard Hubba Bubba base, through and through.

Presentation: Apparantly, question marks indicate mystery flavors these days. First Stride Mega Mystery, then Juicy Fruit Juicy Secret, and now Hubba Bubba Max Mystery Flavor. I suppose it makes sense, but I wish Hubba Bubba had gone out on a limb and gone with a more creative design. Being a very kid-centric company, they have the flexibility in design to really be tacky and fun, and this just sort of falls in line with all the other boring "mystery" flavors out there.

Overall: I don't know what I was expecting, but I was a little disappointed with this mystery flavor. I want to be baffled, I want to have an argument about what the flavor could be, but this just feels like a very easily answered question. If any of y'all disagree, please comment and let me know what you think of this so-called "mystery."

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Orbit Strawberry Remix

2011-04-23T10:49:00.004-04:00

Flavor: Orbit tends to prefer adding mint to their non-mint varieties (see Maui Melon Mint, Strawberry Mint or Raspberry Mint for examples), and it was difficult for me, for a while, to get into Orbit because of it. I'm a purist, I suppose - I don't want mint in my Bubblegum. If I want a cooling, fresh feeling I'm gonna pop a Peppermint or a Polar Ice. However, with the introduction of last year's Perfect Peach, which was, indeed, darn near perfect, my opinion of Orbit as a general line started to come around. Strawberry Remix is straight-up artificial strawberry, and I totally dig it. A tangy, juicy burst on first chew, this gum mellows out into a delightful fruity chew that lasts and lasts. It totally reminds me of the Hubba Bubbas and Bubblicious strawberry cubes of my youth. The flavor is so good, it tastes like it could be a sugared gum.

Texture: It just doesn't get better than this. From start to finish, the gum remains modestly firm, yet fantastically flexible enough to produce big, awesome bubbles that won't stick to your nose. The wad itself is smooth and silky - none of those weird white grainy bits that have been annoying the crap out of me lately with other brands.

Presentation: As evidenced by our poll to the right, it seems that the general feedback on the Orbit fashion packs is neutral to positive. Most of you don't seem to care either way, so I'm going to stop complaining about them moving forward. If you like the fashion packs, you'll like this one, if you think they're dumb, you won't. I certainly don't feel that my fashion sense is somehow enhanced when I pull this out of my purse. I will say, though, that the outer wrapper of this gum was simply stunning. What a gorgeous rendition of a plump, juicy strawberry! Seems such a shame to waste such beautiful graphics on a cello wrap that's going to be thrown away immediately.

Overall: I can't find a single fault about this gum. I've bought this gum to review four times, and three of those times I couldn't help but chew through the entire pack before reviewing it. It's juicy and refreshing, fun to crack and pop. If you're looking for a fruit bomb to add to your summer chewing lineup, you're going to want to buy multi-packs of this one. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Stride 2.0 Forever Fruit

2011-04-16T17:12:00.002-04:00

Flavor: From what I understand, this whole Stride 2.0 thing is supposed to be an improved formula that enhances the chewer's experience in some way (they even preemptively say "you're welcome" on the inside of the package for doing you the favor). As we've witnessed in the comments on our review of Stride 2.0 Spearmint, however, Stride fans aren't finding much improvement in the formula at all-- in fact, you all are pretty angry about the change. And I don't blame you. Original Stride Forever Fruit was bursting with flavor, so much so that if you weren't totally in love with it, it could be a bit overwhelming. Forever Fruit 2.0 hardly has any flavor at all-- hints of that original mango flavor are there, but are subdued so much that it's frustrating to even try to detect a flavor at all. I don't see any improvement here. I don't remember there ever being a problem with how long the flavor lasted for any Stride flavor, so if that's the improvement, there wasn't anything that needed fixing in the first place.

Texture: The texture is softer than I remember the Original Forever Fruit (Stride 1.0?) being, and it gets mushy quickly. They certainly didn't improve any formulation here.

Presentation: The integration of design on the plastic protective wrapping has become increasingly popular in the gum market. This is an interesting and innovative move, but the wrapper is removed immediately upon purchase, so it really has no impact other than selling you the product. Orbit uses this technique nicely in their new fashion packs, as most of the labeling and need-to-know-before-purchase information is presented on the outer wrapper, and once you're through making your educated decision on what gum to buy, you remove the jargon and are left with a a clean, funky pack that you can coordinate with your outfits. I took the wrapper off this particular pack of gum, so it's not pictured here. The wrapper design featured a half-zipped zipper, unveiling the new formula right before your very eyes. If only Stride unveiled it before your very tastebuds.

Overall: I was in Quick Check with my father the other day and he bought 12 packs of Original Stride Non-Stop Mint because he's so disgusted by the new 2.0 line and dismayed that he'll have to say goodbye to his favorite flavor. It's a very risky campaign-- totally renovating an entire line of a product, especially in a market so addictive and personal as gum. You'll sell plenty of gum by enticing customers to try something new and exciting using a clever marketing campaign. But you'll sell more packs to people like my father, who swear by their flavor and brand. They've selected their flavor, and they will continue to buy it for as long as it's on the shelves. This borders on betrayal for guys like him. If you want to launch a 2.0 gum, it's wise to launch a sister line, rather than replace the old one entirely. As is the case here, many loyal chewers will find a new brand to call their own.

Rating: o (one gumball)

5 React2 - Mint

2011-04-07T14:31:00.010-04:00

Flavor: Although Wrigley's would like you to believe that this is some life-changing, personalized gum-chewing experience, it's just mint. Undefinable, even - there's no definite type of mint, here... nary a pepper- or spear- or even winter. Just. Mint. And it's a very, very mild mint, at that. I'm chewing it right now, and I can still taste the Cheddar Horseradish Kettle Chips I ate an hour ago. If that's your thing, you'll enjoy this, but I prefer a cooler, crisper, more refreshing blast of flavor in my mints.

Texture: Unspectacular. Way too soft - little strings of it get stuck in my dental work, and weirdly bumpy. When I took it out of my mouth to investigate the bumps, and stretched it between my fingers there were all kinds of little white flaky gobs in it. What the hell is that? It's gross. I guess the gobbies might go away with prolonged chewing, but I don't know what would define "prolonged" as I've chewed for 15 minutes or longer and they were still there, in some form.

Presentation: I always love 5 packages. Sleek and awesome-looking. A long time ago, back when the React line was first released, a fan wrote to us to tell us that the little thumb-print on the back of the pack changed colors like a mood ring. I never shared that little tidbit because I could never get it to happen. Either 5 slowly rolled out the mood packages, or my fingers were always too frigid (which is entirely possible). But check it out - the package totally changes color!

Other than the cool packaging, I just don't know about this. The gum itself remains a weird black color, which is just unsettling. Why black?

Overall: I dunno, I guess as a gum this is alright. It's certainly nothing special, despite the cool packaging. I'm still mad at 5 for this whole React thing, and now they've gone and slapped a "2" on the package and want you to think that it's something entirely different. Well, here's the thing: It's not. It's the same mediocre crap with a "2" slapped on it. Well, React, here's your "2" slapped right back at ya:

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

America's Choice Superfresh Peppermint

2011-04-03T23:10:00.003-04:00

Texture: Growing up in a tightly budgeted household, I've developed an appreciation for store-brand grocery products. In many cases, I even prefer the store brand to brand name products, and have come to refer to them by their strange, generic titles-- "Pick up a pack of Shoprite Chocolate Stripe Cookies while you're out?" A true connoisseur of store brands, however, understands that there are things you buy store brand (cookies), and things you don't buy store brand (frozen pizza). In this case, folks, we're in luck. The texture here is of standard pellet construction-- crunchy start, consistent finish. It doesn't stale and maintains a nice bite throughout the chew. The pieces are a little small for me after a while, but I find that's true with most pellet gums.

Flavor: It's a fine representation of the peppermint flavor we all know and love, slightly sweet at first, followed by a cooling, fresh mint flavor that lasts and lasts. It doesn't last forever, in this case, but long enough for a refreshing half hour chew. And if you want more, just take another from the whopping twenty pieces you're afforded in each pack.

Presentation: Ok, so the design leaves something to be desired. But what do you want from a store-brand? It almost is helpful that the design is sort of lo-fi and cheesy, as it signals the bargain nerve in your brain that shouts "That looks crappy, so it must be cheap!" When I was a kid, my mom would buy products that came in all-white packaging with plain black lettering that said "NO FRILLS" on the front and indicated the exact title of the product ("MICROWAVABLE MACARONI AND CHEESE;" or "CANNED BEETS") beneath it. And who cares about a design when you discover there are not one-- but TWO sleeves of pellets to enjoy inside!

Overall: America's Choice gum ought to be a true competitor against such gum giants as Dentyne Ice and Trident. Indeed, they surpass all of the others in cost alone-- I paid $1.09 for this pack, which contained twice as many pellets as a brand-name package (at a higher cost, no less). Next time you're in Pathmark or Safeway or A&P or whatever local grocery store near you carries American Choice, grab a pack or two and delight in the inexpensive sensation of Superfresh!

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Orbit Mist Crisp Mint Waterfall

2011-03-30T10:41:00.005-04:00

Flavor: With Orbit Mist, I've come to expect a great burst of flavor-filled hydration when I chomp down, but I don't get that from the line's newest flavor, Crisp Mint Waterfall. It's one of those bland minty flavors that doesn't go anywhere or have any "definition," good for those that aren't into intense chewing experiences, but for me there's just nothing there.

Texture: This is horrible. It's almost like I got a stale pack, but this is a brand new flavor and I purchased it in a newly-opened convenience store, so it's not like it's been sitting on the shelf for a year. It's super tough from start to finish, my jaw aches just getting it to soften down, and once it's semi-malleable, it remains a danger to my dental work. There's little to no elasticity.

Presentation: Orbit Mist jumps the shark. The packaging used to stand out from the standard Orbit line, but they've gone and "fashion packed" it. I miss the refreshing ripples and metallic accents. My sympathies go out to the color blind, as I'm not sure they'd be able to see the dot-matrix Marlin that's hanging out all stealthy on the package (not that it's anything to get all excited about anyway). In fact, the outer cello wrap is far more impressive and exciting than what lives inside.

Overall: What's going on, Orbit? Your Mist line was so refreshing, pun very much intended. And now it's more of the same old, same old. Acutally, it's not even the same old, same old. It's much, much worse.

Rating: o (one gumball)

mentos Pure Fresh Fresh Mint

2011-03-20T20:23:00.005-04:00

This review was sponsored by our friends at mentos.

Flavor: mentos Pure Fresh Fresh Mint reminds me a lot of Extra Polar Ice in its minty simplicity, offering a cold burst of freshness without any frills. The packaging suggests otherwise, however, as it indicates that I will detect green tea extract somewhere in there. Alas, much like Trident Vitality Rejuve's failed promise of white tea, you'll be hard pressed to taste anything tea-like here. That said, I like to imagine that I'm benefiting from some of the antioxidants in the green tea extract in this gum, so it doesn't bother me too much that there's nothing very unique about the flavor.

Texture: Although it doesn't say it directly, I was led to believe by the illustration on the package that there would be some kind of liquid center in each pellet. I didn't experience that at all, so I cut a piece in half and took a look to see what was going on in there. There is indeed something different happening in the center of this gum, but if you're looking for a juicy center, look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a good chew, consistent, a bit on the soft side, but quite enjoyable.

Presentation: The hard plastic pack does a good job of keeping the pieces contained while rattling around in a purse, which is a hard characteristic to find in packaging these days. I'm not sure if it was intentional that the name of this gum is redundant-- the other variety of Pure is called "Pure Fresh Wintergreen." This one is called "Pure Fresh Fresh Mint." Why the double fresh? Another adjective might have worked better, "Cool mint," maybe.

Overall: The Pure line is delightful, when you get past all the aforementioned nerdy packaging critiques. Recently a reader asked what gum we recommended to be the best straight up breath-freshening gum. I'm going to go ahead and add this one to the list, a simple, cool burst of fresh fresh freshness.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Wrigley's 5 Cobalt

2011-03-18T13:57:00.003-04:00

Flavor: This is where it all began. The first 5 flavor I remember ever seeing, the one that paved the way for the 5 brand. Describing itself as "a cooling peppermint" on its outer cello wrap, 5 Cobalt is exactly that: a cooling peppermint. This was before 5 went and got all "hip" on us with "electric" or shape-shifting flavors and claims of almost other-worldly sensations. It's got no frills, no extras, and that's just right with me. It's a fantastic peppermint, one of my favorites. Freshens the breath and the flavor is long-lasting.

Texture: Starts off a slight bit grainy, and a little bit too soft in that it gets stuck in between my teeth. Once you chew for about a minute or so, however, it firms up nicely and stays that way. It's easy enough to pop between your teeth, though I can't recommend it for bubble blowing.

Presentation: Like all 5s, the presentation is striking. Ribbed black matte cardstock highlighted with a bold color statement on the right. Sexy.

Overall: We've been getting requests to review this gum for months, it's only just now that I was able to get to it after the new-gum and sponsored-gum rush. In all actuality, though, this is the fourth pack of it I've bought with the intention to review it, and I have gone through the previous three very quickly. It's just a really nice gum, what a gum should be... it's unfortunate what 5 has become.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Vitality Rejuve

2011-03-13T20:26:00.004-04:00

Flavor: So this gum is called "Rejuve," with the subtext, "A rejuvenating blend of luscious mint and white tea." Uh. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is...spearmint. And I think subliminally, that's what they're telling you with the packaging-- it's the green package in the Vitality trio (alongside blue and orange). It's a really good spearmint, actually, sweet and long-lasting. The taste reminds me a lot of those gelly spearmint candies that are covered in sugar, which my mom used to buy a lot when I was a kid. I loved those things, but I haven't found the urge to buy those sugarbombs myself in my adult life, so it's nice to have this throwback to an old classic, without rotting my teeth. That said, I don't see anything "luscious" about the flavor, nor do I detect any semblance of white tea. At all.

Texture: The crunch at the beginning is really pleasant, and contributes to that memory of the crunchy sugar coating on the aforementioned spearmint leaf candies. It might be a little soft for some, but I think the consistency is just firm enough. Again, I wouldn't describe it as "luscious." The soft center varies from piece to piece, I find, some pieces pumped with a firm gel, others with almost no variation in texture at all.

Presentation: They're going for sophisticated, healthy. "Rejuve," "Awaken," and "Vigorate" sounds like the names of the Tazo Teas they sell at Starbucks, but there's nothing tea-like about any of these gums. It's just gum--good gum, don't get me wrong, but just... gum. The marketing here is just misleading.

Overall: I'd buy this again, but not for the reasons they want me to buy it. I offered it to folks in the office, and they didn't seem to care about the added benefits, whether or not it wakes you up or spikes your daily vitamin intake. For the most part, when co-workers saw it on my desk, they picked up the package and just asked one question-- "Is it any good?" Oh yeah, it's pretty good. So good, in fact, that I took it out of the free gum and candy basket on my desk.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Juicy Fruit Sweet Berry

2011-03-09T13:31:00.005-05:00

Flavor: Awesome. This is a juicy, tangy fruit explosion. It's a sugar- and guilt-free sweet treat. Starts off really potent and settles down into a nice, smooth flavor. Highly recommended.

Texture: Standard pellet crunch, followed by about 5 - 10 minutes of near perfection. This gum is easy to chew and a pleasure to pop, but after 10 minutes or so, starts getting overly sticky and kinda mushy. If you're looking for a quick chew, this one fits the bill nicely.

Presentation: I've been unable to find this gum in any format other than the plastic 60-piece "Big-e-pak" tub. Usually I'm put-off by that, but this one has been just fine with me because I've chewed through two of them before getting around to reviewing this. I like the graphics: dew-kissed grapes and blueberries on a simple purple background. Not sure they needed to include an illustrated piece of gum itself, however.

Overall: This totally should have been the flavor of Juicy Fruit Juicy Secret, instead of the Berry Pearadise rip-off debauchle it is. It's recognizable as both grape and berry, but also vague enough that it would have kept people guessing. As it is, though, it's really a fantastic offering from Juicy Fruit, probably my favorite from the (continually expanding) line. You're almost forgiven, JF. Almost.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

vitamingum Peppermint

2011-03-01T22:43:00.008-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at vitamingum!

Flavor: Brrrr. I'm usually not a fan of peppermint gum, as the cooling sensation tends to be a little too strong for my tastes-- something about those Halls menthol sinus-clearing fumes that just doesn't do it for me. vitamingum, however, has produced a much more delicate cooling sensation here. It's subtle, well-balanced, and lasts as long as the other, more pungent varieties.

Texture: The pieces are a little small, but that's a matter of preference. I popped a second in my mouth and was satisfied, and discovered that a proper serving size, according to the package, is indeed two pieces. That said, it's as balanced a texture as it is a flavor, and provides a consistency that doesn't harden or stale the longer you chew.

Presentation: There's a characterization of flavors that happens in the gum world (and the candy world in general) that doesn't necessarily correspond with the natural properties of the flavors represented. An "apple" flavored lollipop doesn't really taste like an actual apple in most cases, nor does a piece of watermelon Hubba Bubba remind you of a cool wedge of fruit on a hot summer day. Take the packaging of the flavor spearmint. When you think of it, what color comes to mind? Green, right? Well, what about Peppermint? When I think of peppermint, I think of the green leafy stuff that nice ladies grow in terracotta pots in the summertime. But what about in the gum world? I did a quick Google image search on the word "Peppermint," and here's what came up:

Meanwhile, a search for the words "Peppermint gum" produced this result:

What what what? How did that green leafy plant become this crazy blue color? The peppermint plant itself doesn't even appear on any of the packages, replaced by swirls and lightning bolts and electric shock stuff. I'm guessing the blue-ness is an interpretation of the distinct cooling sensation present in peppermint that is missing in lots of other mint varieties-- a cool, glacier-blue flavor that refreshes your whole mouth and leaves you feeling brisk and alive and skiing in the alps on your coffee table! Brrr! (York Peppermint Patty commercials... anyone?) I respect this artistic rendition of the peppermint I know and love, and hey, vitamingum even puts a leaf on the pack!

Overall: It's good for you, too! (Well, it has vitamins, anyway.) Although 10 percent of your daily vitamins in one serving of vitamingum might not sound like a lot, I can't imagine chewing the entirety of this pack in any less than a day or two. So you say, (stand back... I'm going to try math) 12 pieces to a pack, 2 pieces to a serving, 10 percent of vitamins per serving and... um... well... it's still better than nothing, right? I don't know, you figure it out.

Rating:ooooo (five gumballs)

Juicy Fruit Juicy Secret

2011-02-25T11:51:00.003-05:00

Flavor: I'm on to you, Wrigley's. I know this gum, and your "Juicy Secret" is about to be blown wide open. This is no Juicy Fruit. It's not even from the same planet as Juicy Fruit. This is Extra Fruit Sensations Berry Pearadise. Is it any coincidence that Extra's website no longer lists that flavor? I think not. Oh, Wrigley's. Perhaps this little stunt will fool gum amateurs, but true gum enthusiasts will not be swayed by your ruse. We know what's going on. That said, I was always a lover of Berry Pearadise. The tang at first bite awakens the taste buds and fills your mouth with juicy goodness. You can taste the berry and the pear quite vividly. However, after the first few chomps, the flavor fades to generic aspartame-berry.

Texture: At first, okay, but this gum is way sticky. Don't try to blow any bubbles with this one or you'll be scraping a gooey film off your lips for the better part of an hour. The longer you chew, the less cohesive this gum becomes. I've only gone 10 minutes or so, but I think this might be one of those gums that turns into plasma balls and stimulates my gag reflex, as is common with other Extra Fruit Sensations flavors.

Presentation: Come ON, Wrigley's! There might as well be a giant "S" on the front. Not only do you blatantly rip off the gum itself, but you ripped off Stride's Mega Mystery packaging concept, too. I can just see the marketing meeting, "What should the packaging be like?" "Well, Stride's mystery flavor is rainbow colors and question marks." "So shall ours be, then!" Really, Wrigley's? Really?

Overall: If I'd had the foresight to review Berry Pearadise before it went the way of Original Bubble, this gum would have gotten a far higher review. But since it's a total rip-off in every way imaginable, I'm going to go ahead and declare massive fail on this one.

Rating: o (one gumball)

Trident Vitality Vigorate

2011-02-13T22:47:00.003-05:00

Flavor: The "burst of citrus and strawberry with vitamin C" here tastes an awful lot like the rainbow to me. The flavor at first is reminiscent of orange Skittles, in a good way, but is as fleeting as the goo inside the pellet. There is a nice cooling sensation that lasts throughout the whole chew, and the flavor is pleasant enough for a while, but it's nothing that Orbit Citrusmint hasn't done before (and better).

Texture: The first bite is a lot like a Skittle texture-wise as well, one that's been sitting out in the sun for a few minutes and is nice and soft inside. But after the crunch is gone, it's all mush. It falls apart as you chew, which to me is one of the worst qualities in a gum. Not everyone wants a firm gum, and it's refreshing to see variety in textures that appeal to different preferences. "Crumbly," however, is not a characteristic of gum at all. In fact, it's the opposite of what a gum should be.

Presentation: Shannon discussed the misleading health claims that Trident is employing with this new line of gum in her review of Trident Vitality Awaken. Sure, there are maybe some traces of vitamin C here, but you shouldn't be supplementing a good old fashioned orange with this a pack of Vigorate. I secretly expected a little burst of energy when I chewed my first piece, but it did little to quell the three o'clock work doldrums. The pack is clean and well designed, and I do actually like the aesthetic of the flap that clicks when you close it, even if it doesn't actually do anything.

Overall: If you're in the market for a mid-afternoon boost of vitamin C to get you through the day, don't bother with Vitality. Have an orange, some tomato salad, or a handful of strawberries (dipped in chocolate if you're feeling particularly droopy). If you're looking for a sweet post-meal treat to replace that bag of Skittles you've been eyeing in the vending machine since breakfast, then go ahead and stash a pack in your desk drawer. It's ok.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

mentos Red Fruit & Lime

2011-02-10T15:26:00.003-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at mentos!

Flavor: I think it's hysterical that Mentos went with the term "Red Fruit." That really takes some accountability away, huh? The package features raspberries, strawberries and... cranberries? Sure, they're red! Let's throw some cranberries in there! I'm sure they would have included cherries, Macintosh Apples, pomegranates and perhaps even tomatoes as well, but they were running out of room on the bottle. Humor aside, this is really nice. It's a sweet fruit (I'd probably call it more strawberry than anything) with a nice little burst of lime at the outset that's not too overwhelming at all. Really good.

Texture: We start off with a familiar crunch: Oh yes, this is a mento. But instead of the gritty, grainy sugar filling, we're surprized with a fantastically textured gum. Starts out nice and soft and stays that way. With extended chewing it does get a slight bit waxy-feeling, but in a good way, if you can imagine that. Doesn't stick to the teeth, no squeak to be heard.

Presentation: As I've mentioned before in my review of mentos Pure Fresh Wintergreen, I love the little plastic tubes that mentos gum comes in. The graphics on this particular flavor are fine, nothing spectacular aside from the abundance of "red fruits."

Overall: I love this gum. I've been holding onto these last two pieces for a couple weeks now, waiting for my chance to review it. It's a nice sweet treat that's easy on the teeth and taste buds. By far my favorite from the mentos line, perhaps my favorite pellet gum, in general. Two thumbs way up from this Gum Girl.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Wrigley's 5 Vortex

2011-02-06T20:50:00.004-05:00

Flavor: vortex [ˈvɔːtɛks] n 1. (Physics / General Physics) a whirling mass or rotary motion in a liquid, gas, flame, etc., such as the spiralling movement of water around a whirlpool

2. any activity, situation, or way of life regarded as irresistibly engulfing. Um... guys? This gum is sour apple. I mean, I suppose the initial overwhelming flavor burst and permeating odor of this gum can be considered "irresistibly engulfing" (if you're into that sort of thing), but what the heck does it have to do with apples? Frankly, I'm getting a little tired of this whole 5 enterprise. At first, it was interesting, the flavors were sort of mysterious and fun, but now it seems like they're really stretching it. Call an apple an apple, man. Hubba Bubba would.

Texture: 5 always has a pretty good texture. But as long as the texture lasts, the flavor dissipates and you're left with this sort of cold blob floating around in your mouth making your breath stink. I've never really been a fan of green apple though, admittedly, so others might disagree on this point... but since elementary school, I've thought that green apple flavor gives you stank-breath.

Presentation: I just want to take a moment to talk about the new trend in gum to print all of the important nutritious information on the plastic outer covering of the packs of gum, which is removed upon consumption. In many cases this can be a problem-- what if you want to take a minute to look at the chemicals you're compulsively inserting into your mouth? Of course, most people refer to the nutrition labels only when purchasing a product, but I've found that on more than one occasion I've been faced with a predicament-- a vegetarian friend or one who's keeping Kosher will ask if my gum contains gelatin and I'll be unable to answer with confidence without running out to buy a fresh pack. I understand the aesthetic appeal of the clean "fashion pack" that's becoming so popular these days, but I think there's a value to including the information right where you can see it any time-- the Surgeon's General Warning on a pack of cigarettes, after all, is on the pack itself, not the plastic outer shell. Regardless, on this particular package, even the flavor itself is eliminated once the outer shell is removed. But then... the smell is so pungent that I doubt you'll ever be referring to the pack to tell you the whole room stinks like sour apple.

Overall: Elch. This is a successful sugar-free sour apple, but I can't imagine a set of adult taste buds out there that could endure this kind of experience. I don't think the funky red and green explosion stripes are enough on the packaging here-- I suggest Wrigley get some bubble letters on this pack, slap a sunglasses-wearing cartoon apple dude on there, and sell this stuff on the playground, where it belongs.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Stride Spark Kinetic Mint

2011-02-01T14:39:00.003-05:00

Flavor: The first few times I chewed Stride Spark Kinetic Mint I was really impressed, but the more pieces I chomp upon, the scarier this gum becomes. Not only is the gum infused with vitamins, it also seems to be infused with a blend of spices, or chemicals, or some other weird substance that causes the mint to have a "peppery" feel to it. It's reminiscent of the "electric" sensation I felt with Wrigley's 5 Prism. I find that if I leave the gum in one place for too long, I start to feel a weird tingling sensation that quickly turns to burning. Maybe that's the "spark" that Stride is going for with this, but it's really quite unsettling. That being said, it's an adequate mint that does freshen the breath.

Texture: Aside from the aforementioned burning sensation, the texture of this gum is really fantastic. No complaints from first chew to wad disposal, it's pliable and has some meatiness to it.

Presentation: Cute, I suppose. Nothing about the packaging really calls out to me. It's a standard Stride wallet pack featuring the recognizable "S" logo on a semi-shiny silver background with some "electric" graphics. Seems like a wasted opportunity to do something really cool, graphically.

Overall: The package claims that "Vitamins B6 and B12 help release energy in the body." That's a nice enough claim, and all... but really? What does that even mean? There's not even any indication on the pack how much of these vitamins the gum contains. With the rush of health-infusion gums hitting the market as of late, I really think that these manufacturers need to go above and beyond to stand out from the rest of the pack. Now don't get me wrong, it's a fun chew and I certainly don't hate it, but after the whole "Shift" episode, they really needed to step out of the gate with something phenomenal, and this isn't it. At least it's not as bad as Trident Vitality.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

vitamingum Spearmint

2011-01-30T20:07:00.002-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at vitamingum!

Flavor: The flavor here is very subtle from the get-go. It's a not-too-powerful version of the classic spearmint flavor, and it pretty much tastes exactly how you'd expect it to taste. Although I personally wish the flavor were stronger, I'm sure many people are tired of the new trend in gum that tries to slam you with flavor on the first bite and literally takes your breath away.

Texture: As Shannon mentioned in her review of vitamingum Cinnamon, in order to get at least 30 percent of all your daily vitamins, you'd have to chew six pieces of vitamingum. Now this sounds like a lot, but these pieces are so small that I can't imagine myself chewing just one at a time again. I'm not a two-piece chewer usually, but the gum disintegrates quickly and there's not much substance there. The texture, though, is a fine balance of firm and soft and lasts for at least ten minutes (...which is a good thing, because the directions on the package instruct you to chew for that long, at least. More on that in a bit.)

Presentation: Shannon described the packaging of the vitamingum line quite succinctly in her review. I have to say that my favorite thing about the packaging is that this gum comes with directions, in case you're totally befuddled by this product: "Directions: Chew gum 5-10 minutes to ensure release of nutrients." I'm a fan of really obvious directions, the likes of Pop Tarts, "Open pouch, insert in toaster, enjoy." But I suppose the vitamingum instructions aren't entirely unnecessary, as someone who is using this gum as solely a vitamin supplement might assume that a few quick bites would do the trick. I think they're really creatively written, too-- "to ensure release of nutrients" sounds very serious and scientific, as opposed to something like "to make your blood way more healthy-like."

Overall: Folks in Texas probably would not be a fan of this gum. There's nothing big here-- little flavor, little pieces, a little bit of vitamins. But not everyone is in the market for these new-fangled, over-the-top gums in shiny florescent packs. Some people are looking for a little piece of gum to freshen the breath and add a little bit of health to their day. For them, this gum is a breath of fresh air in a market dominated by gimmicks and liquid-centered-flavor-bombs.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

vitamingum Cinnamon

2011-01-26T11:42:00.004-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at vitamingum!

Flavor: Cinnamon seems to be a hard flavor to get right in the gum world, and a really good cinnamon gum is hard to find. I always tend to judge cinnamon gums against my all-time favorite cinnamon treat, the Atomic Fireball. To me, the Atomic Fireball was always so perfect - it had a brief period of mouth-tingling hotness, and just when you think it's getting to be too hot to handle, the sweet layer kicks in and lulls the fire into a perfect warmth. This gum is pretty similar to that - starts off awesomely strong, and settles down nicely. vitamingum really did a nice job with the cinnamon.

Texture: When I bit down into my first piece, I was concerned. Although it's a pellet, there's no discernible candy shell crunch, and the first few chews are really way too hard. Thankfully, within 5 - 10 chews it softens up nicely. The chew has a slight stickiness, but nothing too horrible. It does have a little squeak, as well.

Presentation: Minimalist, standard pellet pop-out pack. Stark white with the perfect shade of cinnamon-red. The logo is reminiscent of vitaminwater, with the space between the words removed. I've said before that I like when cinnamon gum packaging features actual cinnamon sticks, and we've got that here.

Overall: vitamingum has hopped on the Gum Friends-with-Benefits bandwagon, but instead of claims to "vigorate," "vitalize," "release energy," or any other other vibrant marketing terms other brands have conjured up, vitamingum just claims to have vitamins. In and of itself, that's pretty cool. I know that I am pretty terrible at remembering to take my multivitamin each day, and this makes me feel a little better about that. It should be noted, though, that each two-piece serving of vitamingum only contains 10% of the recommended daily value of 12 vitamins, so you'd have to chew 20 pieces of this (almost 2 whole packs) to get your 100% of vitamins for the day.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

So Much Gum, So Little Time!

2011-01-22T14:36:00.006-05:00

Oh. Em. Gee. You guys. Check out our queue. It's like we hit the Gum Lottery or something. Our friends at vitamingum and mentos recently sent us over some samples, and we finally have been able to get our hands on the new Stride Spark flavors (Kinetic Mint and Kinetic Fruit), the other two Trident Vitality flavors (Rejuve and Vigorate) and Orbit Strawberry Remix (which I am chewing right now... [Sneak Preview: Fantastic Flavor]). All this, and we still have not yet been able to get our hands on the new 5 Vortex that everyone is talking about! Rest assured, we will find it, and review it along with all these other exciting gumz... AND all the oldies-but-goodies that you awesome fans are filling up our inbox requesting.

We know we don't say it enough, but we love you guys! Thank you so much for reading GumAlert!

mentos Pure Fresh Wintergreen

2011-01-21T14:44:00.006-05:00

This review was sponsored by our friends at mentos!

Flavor: Oh man, wow. The initial burst of flavor in this one is a nasal-clearing rush of minty awesomeness. I just ate the garlickiest lunch imaginable, popped 2 pieces of this and the funk has been completely obliterated. I'd feel comfortable having a closed-door meeting seated next to the company president right now. After the blast of freshness, it settles down into a nice, sweet classic wintergreen that lasts as long as I've chewed (at least 20 minutes).

Texture: The outer shell of this gum is thicker than most pellet gums, so the initial crunch is delightful and lasts an extraordinarily long time. It's fantastic. Once the shelly bits have disintegrated, the chew that's left is just fine. Nothing great or anything, it's not smooth or shiny in the mouth like I prefer, but it's certainly not too soft or too hard, it's not gonna fall apart in your mouth, get stuck in your teeth, or cause jaw fatigue.

Presentation: I like what Mentos does with their packaging. The plastic tube, while certainly not the most healthy thing for the environment, contains the gum so that it doesn't spill out into your purse, and it avoids the standard pop-out foil packs that pellets are usually packaged in. Not that there's anything really wrong with the pellet packs, but they kinda seem to be a way to cheat us out of gum. A standard pellet pack contains 9 or 12 pieces, but this tube of Mentos contains 15 pieces - as many pieces as standard pack of stick gum. Maybe it's a small thing, but for those of us that spend a calculatable percentage of our income on gum, small things add up. I guess if you're super eco-green-sustainable-recycler, you could re-use the tubes for other things. Also, the label on this particular flavor has a reflective, shiny holographic quality to it that really makes it stand out.

Overall: I was pleasantly surprized when our friend over at Perfetti Van Melle contacted us and offered to send us some complimentary Mentos gums, because neither of our other mentos reviews really favored the brand. I was again pleasantly surprized to find out how delightful this gum really is. Maybe they've reformulated since I've last chewed it, I don't know, but this really is a fantastic gum.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Orbit Piña Colada

2011-01-19T22:07:00.005-05:00

Flavor: I have to admit, of all the alcoholic-flavored chewing gums out there, this one seems to be the most successful. The minty afterglow is a surprisingly nice substitute for the iciness of an actual piña colada, and both the pineapple and coconut flavors are present and well balanced. It’s almost sickeningly sweet, but so are piña coladas, so I have to let that one slide.
 
Texture: True to form, this Orbit gum is a good chew, through and through-- not too soft, not to firm, long-lasting.   

Presentation: The hip, minimalist “fashion pack” strikes again. I’m not so sure it helps to market this particular flavor, however. This is a fun gum, an indulgent vacation where calories don’t count and you can just throw your cell phone into the ocean and relax. Why not go totally fun and cartoony in the packaging? How about a pineapple in a hula skirt and coconut-shell bra, holding a coconut-shell umbrella, ironically caught in the rain. Get it? Because the lyrics of the song... nevermind.   

Overall: So if you like piña coladas or getting caught in the rain, you’re in for a treat here folks (again with the song lyrics). During my research on this gum, I came across this review on The Impulsive Buy, and I must say, I too await the day that Orbit IPA or Orbit Golden Lager hits the shelves.
 
Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Vitality Awaken

2011-01-10T10:07:00.006-05:00

Taste: The box says "A peppy peppermint with a dash of ginseng," and it's a peppy peppermint, indeed. You get the initial blast of freshness you do with most pellet gums, especially those with a liquid center, and when the candy shell dissolves you're left with a soft mint that's easy on the taste buds and sinuses.

Texture: Sub-par. It starts off nice, with a tiny burst of goo in the middle, and then just goes downhill. It gets way too soft, way too fast. I suppose some might like this kind of softness, but it's really stringy and sticky. There'll be no cracking, snapping or popping with this gum.

Presentation: I don't know what's going on here. It's your average pellet pack, placed inside a fancy-looking box. Why? It seems like overkill. It's also kind of annoying. Traditionally, pellet packs are in cardboard sleeves, so you can push the pack out from one end so that it pops out the other. With this box, it's only open on one end, so there's nowhere to push the pellet pack out from. You have to either shake it, or get a little fingernail's grip on the pack to pull it out. The whole thing seems really unnecessary, and kinda pretentious to me. The graphics themselves are nice, a metallic silver with a simple dew-speckled peppermint leaf, but I think it would have been just as effective on your standard pellet pack sleeve. (ETA: I found an article that said one of the purposes of the box was so that the pellet pack wouldn't fall out. Has anyone ever had an issue with pellet packs falling out of their sleeves? I haven't... and we all know how much gum I chew.)

Overall: Move over Extra Dessert Delights, Trident Vitality has caught the attention of the Gum World. Everyone's talking about it. However, in the opinion of this Gum Girl, the "Latest and Greatest" falls short. In the interest of science, I popped a piece of "Awaken" on this fine Monday morning as I got into the car to drive to work, before drinking my coffee. I arrived at my job still as tired and dragging as I would any other Monday morning. It's a Gum Gimmick, pure and simple. Much like Stride Shift, and 5 React, there's really nothing special about Trident Vitality. They just like to make you think there is.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Pop Rocks Bubble Gum

2011-01-09T20:33:00.016-05:00

Flavor: The back of this package proclaims "Entertainment for your whole mouth!" Not only do I agree with this statement, but I propose that the entertainment provided by Pop Rocks Bubble Gum extends to many other senses, including smell, touch, and hearing. I mean come on, it's Pop Rocks, like, THE most awesome and fun candy I've ever had in my life. Although it is marketed as bubblegum flavor, the package comprises two parts: one part bubblegum, one part Pop Rocks. The Pop Rocks themselves are most definitely strawberry flavor (delicious), and the gum bits are Double Bubble-eque. I might argue that the package should market its dual flavor, but the surprise was so pleasant that I think it might be best keep a secret that you discover, much like the tingling sensation you discovered the day you poured some Pop Rocks into your mouth the first time.

Texture: I was skeptical about how they were going to pull this one off. Gum-wrapped Pop Rock bits? A new formula? A momma Pop Rock and a Daddy Gumball gave birth to a perfect Pop Rock Bubble Gum baby? Alas, the mixing of the Pop Rocks with small gum bits was ingenious. The Pop Rocks dissolve at the usual rate, and you're left with a really decent piece of gum that maintains texture and flavor for about ten minutes or so. I questioned the serving size (one package), as being maybe a little more than a person could handle, but once all the Pop Rocks dissolved the gum was a really satisfactory size.

Presentation: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The classic Pop Rocks pouch sold me this one. And the space on the package announcing "TURNS INTO GUM" in a fun all-caps font just nailed the sale for me.

Overall: OMG it's, like, Pop Rocks Bubble Gum! What are you waiting for? Get out there and BUY a pack!

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Stride 2.0 Spearmint

2011-01-07T11:23:00.003-05:00

Taste: Feelin' the love. The first chew is a nice blast of spearmint, and immediately smooths out to a sweet minty joy. It's not too strong at all, and Stride's claims of superior flavor longevity are really justified here. I've chewed this gum for longer than I could keep track of, and the flavor never waned. It really is "ridiculously long lasting."

Texture: I honestly cannot imagine a better textured gum. I can see it being slightly too soft for some, and I had one messy incident where it was stuck all over my lips, but that was becuase I was being an idiot and smearing it all over my lips while I was stuck in traffic and horribly bored. But, for me, this gum is smooth and malleable. There is an ever-so-slight squeak, so you might not want to enjoy this gum at a board meeting or funeral.

Presentation: Stride updated its background graphics for the 2.0 experience. Though it's nothing worthy of great praise, it's a pretty , wavy, eye-catching "ripply" pattern.

Overall: Spearmint is the only incarnation of the 2.0 generation that I could find, but I'm looking forward to trying other flavors. (I'm also interested to see if the new formulation eliminated whatever it was that was causing Katie to get sores on her tongue.) On the inside of the pack is printed, "Stride 2.0. We've upgraded Stride. Yeah, you're welcome." Thank you, Stride. This is a winner, indeed.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Happy New Year everyone! We're back and better than ever! Don't forget to email us your requests, Like us on Facebook, and follow @gumalert on Twitter! If you tweet, please use the hashtag #gumalert when you chew to let us know what you're chewing!!

Merry and Happy Everything!

2010-12-23T11:24:00.000-05:00

Lucky Lights Bubble Gum

2010-12-20T23:25:00.005-05:00

Presentation: I've decided that the presentation of this gum takes precedence over its other properties, as it is presented to children as a fairly realistic looking pack of cigarettes. I seem to remember candy cigarettes changing their appearance to be less realistic, sort of like the orange tip on toy guns. I also was surprised to find bubble gum cigarettes, as I remember Lucky Lights as chalky sugar sticks that dissolved all too quickly in your mouth. Alas, these bubble gum cigarettes taste nothing like the familiar candy sticks of days gone by. But boy, are they more realistic looking. I wouldn't be pleased if my niece walked in the room with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth, brown filter and all (that is, of course, when she's out of diapers). "Oh no, Aunt Katie, it's only bubblegum!" Then we'd have to have a big stupid talk about why smoking is bad and chewing gum is good and never the twain shall meet. I digress.

Flavor: This gum is gross. It doesn't even taste like bubblegum. It's too sweet, and what little flavor it has fades almost immediately. I'd venture to say it tastes more like a cigarette than a piece of bubblegum.

Texture: Even worse. It hardened up before it even crumbled. The emphasis here was obviously on the presentation, and the makers of this gum felt that flavor and texture needn't be addressed when marketing such a self-selling, sure-thing gum like this. I mean come on, kids, smoking is cool, right?

Overall: Wrong. Boo hiss, Lucky Lights. Now I'm sure this isn't going to get kids to run out to the store and try to buy a pack of real cigs, and I'm sure it's really fun for a kid to pretend to smoke a pack (hey, I ate plenty of candy smokes in my day), but I don't think kids think smoking is all that cool anymore. It stinks, both literally and figuratively. I think the fact that I could only find this gum in a candy shop in Time Square (and a stale pack at that) is a testament to the fact that kids aren't really eating these things up anymore, and that's a good thing. Now if you ask me, I think this gum does have a chance, if only a slim one, at remaining on the market in time for my niece to actually show an interest in gum (oh, they grow up so fast...). And that's if Nicorette steps up to the plate, throws some actual Nicotine in these things, and markets them to adults who actually would care for a smoke, but know they probably shouldn't anymore.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Bubblicious Grape

2010-12-10T10:46:00.003-05:00

Flavor: Katie and I have been known to have quite lengthy discussions on our opinions of artificial vs. natural flavors. My opinions on grape are clear: Artificial grape is the bomb, yo, and it doesn't get any better than grape sugared bubblegum. While I think Bubblicious could have upped the tartness a bit, it's a worthy grape, indeed. Fades quickly, but that's to be expected in this genre.

Texture: The meaty purple cube is just perfect, never too hard or too soft, and the bubbles are phenomenal. I couldn't ask for more.

Presentation: You know, with all the changes in the Gum Packaging world, from the near extinction of the 25-cent packs, to the Plen-T-Pack/Slim Pack evolution, you gotta kind of appreciate the consistency in sugared bubblegums like Bubblicious and Hubba Bubba. The presentation is exactly the same as when I was a kid: a 5-piece pack with the little pull-tab. It's a familar comfort. The graphics are simple yet eye-catching, featuring bright colors and the trendy "swirls" that the iPod generation seems to be so fond of.

Overall: Some gums are just hard to review, and this is one of them. It's just such a timeless classic. When you pick up a pack of Bubblicious Grape, you know what you're getting. You're not "trying it," there are no surprizes or mysteries... it's just a good gum.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Big Red

2010-12-02T21:19:00.007-05:00

Flavor: “No little gum freshens breath longer than Big Red.” I just spent the better part of an hour watching old Big Red commercials on You Tube, and although I enjoyed every second of it, I have to admit that I never did understand the marketing plan for Big Red. Cinnamon gum isn’t refreshing, it’s sort of the opposite of that. Like the candy red hots, this gum produces a heat in your mouth (that does, admittedly, "go on and on while you chew it.") But I’m not sure I’d be so inclined to lock lips with somebody who’d been chewing it with the kind of passion portrayed in these commercials. In fact, when someone’s chewing Big Red, you can smell it across the room, and your general reaction isn’t, “My, what fresh breath that stallion has! I want to kiss him for a long, long time,” but rather, “Oh god, that guy’s chewing Big Red, I can smell it all the way over here.” But I don't care; those commercials are timeless and I don’t fault them for filming dozens of cheesy scenarios based on that simple jingle.

Texture: Based on the commercials, you’ll be too busy frenching somebody to ever actually chew a piece of Big Red. It’s a good piece of gum, texture-wise, a lot to chew and doesn’t toughen up. It produces an unpleasant foamy saliva in my mouth, but I think that might be the sugar combined with the heat, to which I’m a little sensitive.

Presentation: This new fangled “slim pack,” to me, is just as disoncerting as the new take on the Big Red commercial (more on that later). These packs used to be five for a quarter. Sure, now the packs are big and flashy and fit in your back pocket, but they used to fit in your front pocket. If you ask me, if it aint broke, don’t fix it.

 Overall: I wasn’t kidding when I said I really enjoyed watching all the Big Red videos. I counted: at least five guys so caught up in kissing that they missed a car ride as it pulled away (and another two that missed a boat-- not to mention two who actually missed their queue in a parade), a pair of kids necking in a photobooth, another couple through a window while her parents were asleep, a pair posing for a sculptor, some campers, a racecar driver, a politician, a couple in a medieval theatre troop, a football player (who misses his bus), and a bride and groom, just to name a few. Let’s face it-- Big Red makes everybody all hot and bothered! The commercials are simultaneously wholesome and scandalous. I was going to hyperlink every commercial that I just referenced, but the whole dang paragraph would be blue.

It just attests to the fact that Big Red has sold gum for decades using the same old nostalgic, formulaic commercial again and again. Why did they trade it in for a singer juggling a pack of CGI gum? In fact, the initial concept was such a successful commercial, that the behemoth Verizon changed the lyrics and made their own version. Even if it was a spoof, Verizon recognized the power of the Big Red spot and capitalized on it. That's thinking like a major corporation.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go make out endlessly with my boyfriend in a phone booth in the rain, or something equally surprising and ironic.   

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Think Gum

2010-11-26T11:24:00.003-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at Think Gum!

Flavor: You can definitely tell that this is an herbal-infused gum. While not as offensive to the sense as Eclipse Breeze's cardamom flavor, the herbs in this gum at the forefront. It's not completely foul, but I wouldn't call it a delicious chew. Certainly not something I'd reach for to freshen the breath, but I don't think you're supposed to.

Texture: It's a pellet gum, but doesn't really have any candy shell crunch to speak of. The chew itself is firm enough, not too annoyingly soft.

Presentation: Nothing too special here. A cute little light buld graphic and brand logo on a stark white background. Standard punch-through-the-foul pellet gum presentation.

Overall: Since this is supposed to be a "Brain-Boosting" gum, I decided to do a little experiment. The back of the pack states, "Think Gum contains Gingko Biloba, Bacopa, Guarana, Vinpocetine, Rosemary & Peppermint. Together these brain-boosting herbal ingredients are proven to enhance concentration & improve memory." It goes on, "For best results, chew while learning or studying & again to recall information." My personal annoyance at the overuse of ampersands aside (personal pet peeve, sorry Think), I thought that it would be interesting to use the product as directed. I wrote down the 6 above brain-boosting ingredients, and studied them for a few minutes while chewing the gum. I spit out the gum and threw out the paper, and went about my morning. Three hours later, I popped 2 more pieces of the gum and attempted to recall the ingredients. Out of the 6, I recalled 4 correctly, misspelled 1 (Bacoba, as opposed Bacopa.) and I missed 1 entirely (Vinpocetine.) So, I dunno. Maybe I should have studied longer or perhaps chewed for a longer period before studying/recalling, but I expected a better results. I guess it's a cute novelty product, and if I were still in college, I'd be all over this. Worth a try when cramming for finals!

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Bubbaloo Strawberry

2010-11-21T21:36:00.002-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: Shannon gave me a bag of different kind of gums to sample, and I accidentally left it in my purse and brought it to work with me. The strawberry scent that permeated through the plastic bag was so strong that I was actually embarrassed someone would say something about it while chatting in my office. If it were a perfume, it would come with a doll sold in the pink aisle of the toy store. As a gum, the flavor is your standard sugary strawberry. Overall, the flavor works, but the smell does not-- as I chew it right now, my boyfriend said, unprovoked from across the room, "That stuff smells disgusting." The flavor fades pretty quickly, too.

Texture: As opposed to Shannon's review of Bubbaloo Bubble Gum, the goo in this gum is quite pleasant. After about five minutes of chewing, however, the piece is disappointingly small, lending itself to tiny, unsatisfying bubbles.

Presentation: This is another gum that seems to only be available in those big candy jugs for ten cents a piece in fun stores like Five Below. Since this gum is just ok, I think that throwing it in with a handful of other juice-filled flavors would definitely be the way to enjoy it, and so it works, for what it is.

Overall: I wouldn't recommend this flavor to adults, unless you're looking to really annoy a whole bunch of people in a staff meeting. As far as kids go, go on and throw a couple pieces in with your basket of goodies the next time you find yourself in a cool candy store.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Razzles

2010-11-17T10:00:00.004-05:00

Flavor: Oh, Razzles. "First it's Candy... Then it's Gum!" Razzles are one of those gums, like Juicy Fruit, that is going to be very hard to categorize. They're just Razzles, you know? Did you know that the red is supposed to be Rasbperry, not Cherry? I didn't... and now that I know? I still kinda don't. I don't think that the target audience of Razzles really pays attention to the flavor, though. In the interest of science, I'll describe it thusly: Razzles are vaguely fruit-flavored, and incredibly sweet. Flavor fades in a record-breaking quickness.

Texture: The texture is what Razzles is all about. They're an anomaly of the gum and candy universe, and I still don't know how they do it. If you've never eaten a Razzle before, you're really missing out. On first bite, they crumble in the mouth not unlike an antacid tablet, and just before your throat gets ready to instinctively swallow the chalkiness, it begins to congeal, and you're left with a wad of gum. It's pretty amazing if you've never experienced it before, and fantastically nostalgic if it's been a while since you've had them. Also? It's disgusting.

Presentation: A few months ago, I bought a packet of these in the drug store to review, but I ate them all before I got the chance to. Luckily a very special Gum Alert reader sent us a pack she found in her local store, packaged for what looks like Halloween. In both cases, a blue "sunburst" is the backdrop for a large, playful Razzles logo, and some computer-generated renditions of Razzles pieces. It's simple, yet eye-catching. No eleven year-old could possibly resist it.

Overall: Razzles is one of those gums that's so special, so near and dear, that it's impossible to not give it five gumballs; It would just be wrong. So, despite the horridness of texture, the sickeningly sugar-sweetness, Razzles earns a place in our coveted five-gumball elite. (And special thanks to Aunt Ann for making this review possible.)

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Extra Sour Cry Baby Bubble Gum

2010-11-15T22:05:00.006-05:00

Flavor: A colleague brought me a handful of individually wrapped gumballs from his stash at home to review (thanks, Matt!), and I was surprised to discover that there's an audience out there for this gum other than ten year old kids competing with these and Warheads on the playground. When I commented on this peculiarity, he said matter-of-factly, "When I do something, I go all the way." And boy, does he ever. I chose the red as the first to review, and the first ten seconds of chewing were super intense, mildly cherry flavored, but mostly super sour sugary yowee zowee, oh man, holy cow-- and then it was over, just like that, the electric sensation vanishing away, becoming your ordinary blob of Dubble Bubble. Next up was the orange. Much more sour, but also much more delicious, tasting a lot more like an actual orange than the red tasted like cherry. Upon chewing the yellow gumball, I began to sweat. Much like the cherry, the yellow gumball lacks an individual flavor, but is just as shocking. In the interest of my health, I'm going to try the other two flavors at a later date and report back in a comment. I think I just felt a cavity form. Maybe two.

Texture: Oh, it's awful, so awfully, awfully, terribly good. All the flavor is in the powder, and you can feel its chalky goodness between your teeth for the first ten seconds. Then, much like the flavor, the texture calms into the texture of, you guessed it, Dubble Bubble. Upon my third gumball, though, the chalky goodness became a beast unto itself-- soon my teeth started squeaking while I was chewing, and I'm not talking your average rubber-gum squeak, it was a weird fingernails-on-chalkboard kind of squeak. Once the gum was out of my mouth for good, it felt like my teeth were completely stripped of enamel and the inside of my cheeks had a layer of tissue shorn from them. Ah, childhood.

Presentation: It's your standard jug-o-sugar packaging, clear plastic outside and neon goodness on the inside. I was unaware until now that Dubble Bubble is actually printed on the label of this gum, which explains the similarities in the base. What I think I like most about the packaging, though, is that this is Extra Sour Cry Baby Bubble Gum. As if someone chewed the original and said something like, "I said I wanted to go all the way. Take it up a notch."

Overall: If you're looking to just, you know, chew some gum after a meal, or freshen your breath, or satisfy that sweet tooth, read on and find some other gum in our blog to sample. But if you're looking to take it to the next level, pop five of these suckers in your mouth without taking a drink of water. I dare you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go brush the remainder of my teeth. Twice.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Bubbaloo Bubble Gum

2010-11-11T11:40:00.007-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: Oh, Bubbaloo. How I love you so. Bubbaloo doesn't mess around when it comes to flavor. This gum is labeled "Bubble Gum," and it most certainly is a great classic bubble gum flavor. I think the goo burst is a little unnecessary here, it's a little too mediciney for my personal taste, but it fades away fast enough and you're left with just the perfect bubblegummy goodness.

Texture: Bubbaloo, will you marry me? (Sorry, husband.) It's smooth in the mouth, easy to spread on the tongue, and the bubbles are phenomenal. While I certainly don't want to experiment with blowing giant bubbles and popping them all over my glasses, it's not as sticky as a lot of sugar-based bubblegums... it comes off the lips and chin pretty easily.

Presentation: It's packaged the exact same way as its sister, Bubbaloo Sour Cherry, so the same applies here.

Overall: If I were stuck on a desert island and could only have one Bubble Gum flavored gum, it probably wouldn't be Bubbaloo because it would give me cavities and there'd be no dentist there to fill them. But since I'm not on a desert island, I would probably choose Bubbaloo if I had a hankering for Bubble Gum, because I don't really want it that often and dental care is widely available.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Hubba Bubba Max Strawberry Watermelon

2010-11-08T22:03:00.004-05:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: Unlike many of its sister gums (Hubba Bubba Sweet n' Sassy Cherry, for instance), this gum does not pack a sour punch, not even a little. It's as sweet as a sugar cube, with a hint of watermelon. The first bite was really pleasant, your standard fake-watermelon flavor that doesn't at all come close to real watermelon (but then, if it did, kids probably wouldn't beg their parents for dollar bills to buy it with their friends at 7-11). The strawberry and watermelon are both present, and the flavor is simple and fairly classic in terms of Hubba Bubba-esque gums.

Texture: The chunks are huge! It's like stuffing a big old hunk of taffy in your mouth on the boardwalk, a true delight. The chew is hearty and consistent for at least ten minutes, which says a lot for a sugar-based gum. The bubbles are, as with all Hubba Bubba, really impressive.

Presentation: I was curious what qualities made this particular Hubba Bubba "max," and discovered on the Wrigley website this explanation: "...Hubba Bubba Max gum - a unique and captivating product with extraordinarily long lasting flavor and the combinations of two colors and two flavors in one chunk." I don't know that the flavor of this gum is "extraordinarily long lasting," although it does last longer than I remember the original Hubba Bubba lasting when I was a kid. The hunks themselves seem to me to be much larger, and since things usually seem smaller the older you get, I'm assuming that the size of the pieces must have actually increased in size over time.

Overall: I wouldn't pick this one over, say, Bubblicious Cotton Candy or the aforementioned Hubba Bubba Sweet n' Sassy Cherry. When compared to some of the other gums that punch you in the face with flavor, this one really doesn't stand on its own. But it is what it is, and I'm sure it's plenty of kids' favorite.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Bubbaloo Peppermint

2010-11-05T12:09:00.004-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: It's a nice peppermint flavor, not too strong and not too weak. It's definitely a breath freshener. It's got an initial burst of goo inside that doesn't blow you away, but is nice "for a change."

Texture: This is a weird one. I don't really understand the deal with peppermint-flavored bubblegums. While the gum itself is a fine texture, and blows fantastic bubbles like its sister gum, Bubbaloo Sour Cherry, I don't think that peppermint is a very logical bubble-blowing choice. It kinda hurts! Like, you blow a bubble, and when it gets big, either A.) it pops, or B.) you have to suck it back in. With A, you get a minty blast into your eyes that stings. And with B, the minty air inside the bubble unpleasantly fills your sinuses and esophagus. Minty gums should be reserved for the breath-freshening varieties, I think.

Presentation: See my review of Bubbaloo Sour Cherry, it's the same thing with this one.

Overall: This is a difficult one to rate overall. Like, I want to rate it highly because it has a fantastic texture and taste, but the design is just all wrong. I guess I'll have to err on the positive side, because really, the target market for this gum is kids, and I guess kids like a borderline painful experience. Makes it more EXXXTREEEEEEME or something.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

(Kosher Parve) Bazooka

2010-10-25T22:51:00.004-04:00

Flavor: I don't speak Hebrew, but based on the comic strip that's wrapped around this piece of gum and that says in big English bubble letters "Bazooka Joe," I'm going to go out on a limb here and say this is Bazooka bubble gum. It tastes like it, anyhow-- simple, classic. It's sugar and gum base, sweet and bubblegummy. We had a request a while back from readers who were looking for kosher gum. This one was in the kosher section of our local supermarket, and it's as good as gum gets-- it's Bazooka, for crying out loud.

Texture: Come on, close your eyes and remember-- it's hard at first, then soft and grainy like a gob composed of lots of very fine sugar, and then it's hard as a rock and basically flavorless after about five minutes chewing. Also, it sort of sticks to caps (an observation I admittedly didn't have as a child, with all my baby teeth intact). Aaah, five cent childhood, how sweet you are.

Presentation: It looks just like you remember it, too. Red, blue and white paper folded along with an (presumably amusing) comic strip starring good ol' Bazooka Joe, around a brick-hard pink block of gum. The comics were never really funny, I don't recall ever quite laughing out loud. But who knows... maybe this one is side-splitting. I'll tell you what-- if anyone can translate this comic strip, I'll send you a whole bunch of kosher gum as a thank you.

Overall: I don't think I'd ever pick up a piece of Bazooka just for kicks anymore. But it sure was nice to pick up this kosher parve piece and make sure that it was indeed true to the classic original we all know and love.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs) What did you expect? It's Bazooka.

Bubbaloo Sour Cherry

2010-10-22T08:13:00.005-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: Oh, MAN is this gum good. Like, for serious, guys. It's got a liquid center that offers just the perfect amount of soury goodness before fading into this amazing artificial cherry flavor. Being a sugar-based bubblegum, the flavor doesn't last very long, but that's to be expected. This is a gum for kids, and they generally don't have an attention span worthy of a gum that lasts an Extra, Extra, Extra long time. Yes, this is a worthy bubblegum, one that every kid should have in their backpack at all times.

Texture: MAN! This gum is GOOD! It starts out with the delightful aforementioned liquid center explosion and it just goes from good to great. I'd put this in my top 5, nay, my top 3 all-time bubble blowing gums. This gum blows a mean bubble (take note if you're still looking for a gum to use to enter our Bubble Blowing Contest) and it's not overly sticky like some other bubblegums out there. Though I admit I haven't been courageous enough to blow a bubble big enough that it coats my classes upon bursting, I certainly don't have any issues getting it off of my face or lips at all. (ETA: I just burst a bubble all over my glasses, and while it left a smudge, it came RIGHT off with no sticky residue!) The texture is soft, but not mushy. Firm, but not hard. It's "slick" and "shiny" or "smooth" in the mouth, the type of texture I yearn for when I chew gum.

Presentation: Our friend at BestCandyStore.com sent us four flavors of Bubbaloo in a boxes that opens to be displays. A quick google image search leads me to believe that this is the only way Bubbaloo is packaged. It's a shame, because this gum surely deserves a spot next to the Hubba Bubbas and Bubbliciouses of the world. I've never, to my knowledge, even seen it on a counter in a store - I would think that merchants would hesitate to put out this type of display in this day and age, with theft and all. However, a box of 60 of them is only $3.89 over at BestCandyStore.com, and it would totally be worth it if you can't find them anywhere else.

Overall: MAN, THIS GUM IS GOOD!!!!

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Ice Breakers Ice Cubes Cool Lemon

2010-10-17T22:20:00.006-04:00

Flavor: This gum was recommended to us by our friend Sydney upon reading our review of Ice Cubes Peppermint. The initial punch is really successful-- I found it hard to believe that it was sugar free. A few summers ago I ordered fresh lemonade on the boardwalk and was shocked upon first sip to find a gritty mouthful of sweetness with very little detectable lemon flavor. The attendant had thought he was doing me a favor by slipping me a few extra spoonfuls of sugar, when in fact I actually would have preferred the tart of fresh squeezed lemonade. That's what the first bite of Ice Cubes Cool Lemon is like-- a great big burst of lemon-flavored sugar. It fades quickly, but the lingering flavor maintains the pleasant, if a bit too-sweet, lemonade freshness. I would expect a gum called Cool Lemon to be more sour than sweet. If it were called lemonade, however, I might go into it expecting a much sweeter blast of flavor.

Texture: Much like in the first strawful of lemonade that day on the Jersey Shore, I can't get past the grittiness of this gum. The crunchies are never crunchy, rather they're distracting and stick to your teeth and make for a very unpleasant first minute or two before dissolving into a piece that's just too small for lasting satisfaction.

Presentation: I feel like the marketing on this gum was half baked. The package is a faded yellow, so faded that it's even difficult to decipher the graphics on the front. The ice cube in the graphic does appear to be a giant sugar cube, which is quite accurate, but I'm not sure that's intentional. "Cool Lemon" says little to nothing here, and I don't know what cravings I'm supposed to conjure up looking at slices of lemon and giant urine-colored blocks. I'm being harsh, I know. I just think that "Summer Lemonade" would sell more packages of this particular flavor of gum.

Overall: I may have cringed at the first sip of lemonade that day, but boy did I drink it down. It's doubtful, however, that I'll finish this pack of gum. Sydney sure liked it, though... so perhaps it's a matter of preference. I say, if what I've described sounds good to you, go for it. If not, just buy some lemons and put some in your tea like you do every night, like I do.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Bubblicious Cotton Candy

2010-10-14T21:59:00.004-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: True. The label says cotton candy, and this gum tastes like cotton candy. Exactly. Like. Cotton candy. Although, if you think about it, that's really not that great of an achievement for a sugar-based gum. All cotton candy is, is sugar and flavor, and the ingredients of this gum are ridiculously simple, consisting of little more than sugar, corn syrup, gum base and flavor.

Texture: Eh. It actually starts off somewhat firmer than other bubblegums and never really gets that "smooth" or "shiny" feel to it. The bubbles are unimpressive, very thin and quick to burst. If you're looking for a bubblegum to use to enter our Bubble-Blowing Contest, this isn't it.

Presentation: You know, in terms of kid-focused product packaging, this is really minimalist. The pink and the blue works for the flavor, and it has the now-familiar trendy swirl thing going on, but if I were a kid I'd absolutely be drawn to Hubba Bubba over Bubblicious.

Overall: I've been chewing a lot of bubblegum lately thanks to the awesome package that BestCandyStore.com sent over, and I gotta say that this one is one of my least favorites. It's cool that the flavor is so spot-on, but it lacks in nearly every other feature. Worth a try, but there are better bubblegums (as you'll see...).

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Bubblicious Sour Citrus

2010-10-10T21:32:00.003-04:00

Flavor: It seems that I've been giving all sugary gums rave reviews, but I wonder if the quality of flavor has to do mostly with the intake of sugar that I deprive myself of whilst chewing sugar-free, health-conscious gums like Trident. Regardless, Bubblicious will leave a gross film on your teeth for hours, and the flavor fades within minutes, but that initial burst of fruity goodness is (almost) totally worth the cavity-causing, plaque-creating sugar. This gum, however, tastes more like mango to me than citrus. Although they're often lumped together, mango isn't actually a citrus fruit. Based on the name, I would expect this gum to taste more like orange-tangerine-lemon-lime. It's not even sour, but mostly sweet. "Sour mango" might be more accurate, since it is a little more sour than an actual mango.

Texture: It's Bubblicious. Big and meaty at first, then stale and tough, but producing fantastic bubbles that will definitely stick to your glasses when it pops (you've been warned... I learned the hard way).

Presentation: The familliar pink "B" is front and center on this package, and it's surrounded by really cool multi-color swirlies that suggest lime and lemon. I just don't taste it. Maybe, like the taster of fine wines, you need a delicate palate to detect the subtle lemon overtones here. Or... maybe not.

Overall: I can't really give this gum a great rating, because I just don't feel it accomplished what it set out to do. It tastes good, but it just doesn't hit the mark.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Psst... enter our bubble blowing contest.

Wrigley's 5 Lush

2010-10-08T10:08:00.004-04:00

Don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook and enter our Bubble Blowing Contest!

Flavor: An immediate burst of delightful tart tropical begins the 5 Lush chew. This is definitely the most "bold" of the tropical gums that I've experienced, at least at the onset of chewing. That being said, the intensity does fade quickly, but we're left with a nice mellow island vibe for the duration of the chew.

Texture: This is where Lush loses me just a bit. It's a totally bipolar gum, in terms of texture. Unlike every other 5 flavor, we begin the chew with a gritty, grainy texture. Normally I like "crunchies" in my gum, but I really didn't expect it from 5. Once the graininess dissolves, there's a brief, 2-3 minute period of unpleasant too-firmness. As it softens, it skips right past "great" into a too-sticky, too soft glob before eventually evening out and becoming nicely chewable.

Presentation:What's there to say about 5 packaging that hasn't already been said? Nice, recognizable branding that's pleasing to the eye and appeals to the "iPod Generation."

Overall: After my awesome Elixir experience, I was hoping for a similar revelation with Lush. Unfortunately, that was not to be. It's a nice flavor, but the texture inconsistencies really distract from being able to fully enjoy the chew. I'd probably go with Trident Tropical Twist if I were in the mood for a tangy tropical flavor.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Gum Alert Contest Alert!!

2010-10-04T09:02:00.004-04:00

Gum Alert Contest Alert!!! We're celebrating the sugary goodness of BUBBLE GUM by running our second contest! To enter to win a Bubble Gum Prize Pack supplied in part by our awesome friends at BestCandyStore.com, post a picture of yourself blowing your best bubble on our Facebook Wall ! The Gum Girls will pick a winner based on bubble size, creativity and originality. Enter as many times as you want, post your submissions by October 31st!

What are you waiting for? Like us on Facebook and get to poppin'!

Bazooka Bubble Juice Bubblegum Nuggets Slammin' Blue Raspberry

2010-10-03T16:58:00.008-04:00

Flavor: Bazooka lovers out there, do not be fooled-- Bubble Juice is not for you! Ladies and gentlemen, the creators of the tame, sugary block of bubblegum wrapped in punny comic strips present to the facebook generation a fresh new burst of blue raspberry zing to match the other crazy gums out there on the market today. Has Bazooka Joe sold out? Or has he just adapted to the sour, sweet and neat innovations that many gums offer today? This gum will, like Hubba Bubba or Bubblicious, knock your socks off upon first mouthful, an overwhelming surge of sour blue raspberry goodness that fades almost as quickly as the texture hardens to a barely malleable hunk of rubber. But come on, who said gum was about a lasting chew? Kids aren't buying Bubble Juice because they're looking to keep their breath fresh throughout the duration of a date or a business meeting. They're buying it because it's fun-- and this flavor is as fun as the packaging. Plus, I fear it might induce seizures or something if the flavor lasted for much longer than it does.

Texture: This gum, although marketed as "juice," is a bunch of blue pebbles that resemble the rocks at the bottom of a fish tank. Much like its predecessor Big League Chew, it's fun for kids to chew-- we had contests when we were kids for who could stuff the most "chew" into their cheeks without gagging. I can imagine a really cool kid someplace who brags about being able to pour a whole bag of Bazooka Bubble Juice into his mouth. The gum hardens up almost immediately, as I've said, but who cares. Oh, and P.S.-- it blows a pretty slammin' bubble.

Presentation: So, I'm a little confused about the gimmick here, but for some reason I'm not too bothered by the inconsistency. It's supposed to be bubble juice-- it comes in a little Capri Sun-like pouch and there are pink droplets bursting out of the logo. But inside the pouch, there are... rocks. I feel like I've seen plenty of goo-like gums, tubes of gum, bottles of gum liquid that solidify upon chewing, that I'm not sure why the rocks are necessary here. They could be totally re-marketed and sold in pales, "Rockin' Gum Rocks!" or "Poppin' Pebbles!" It's got a lot of potential, and I think the "juice" was sort of a cop-out. I'd be kind of disappointed if I were a kid and opened it up to find a bunch of fish tank rocks. But then... you can pour them into your mouth like juice. I suppose I'll let it pass.

Overall: Conscientious parents be warned, although I guess it's pretty obvious-- Bubble Juice will most definitely rot the teeth out of your child's mouth. But... look at my tongue! As far as I can remember, anything that turned your tongue this color was definitely a must-have for kids under twelve (and oftentimes, over twelve). If you'll excuse me, I need to spit out this disgusting gob of rubber and drink some more JUICE!

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Wrigley's 5 Elixir

2010-10-01T08:48:00.004-04:00

Flavor: I tried this gum a long time ago, when it first came out, and I remember texting Katie, "Gum Alert. 5 Elixir. Do not try - it tastes like just that... Elixir." On first bite, it has a definite cough syrup bitterness to it, although nowhere NEAR the atrocity that is Exclipse Breeze Exotic Berry. The syrupness only lasts for a few seconds, however, and it settles into a nice "mouthwatering berry," accurately described on the product's outer wrapper. It absolutely stimulates the salivary glands. In a way, it's somewhat reminiscent of our beloved Extra Original Bubble, although the initial punch fades really fast into a sweeter berry flavor (not necessarily a bad thing.)

Texture: Fantastic. When you first bite into it, you think it might be a little too tough, but WOW. This is a great texture in a gum. It's really "smooth" in the mouth, almost "shiny" on the tongue. Not too firm and not too soft, it's easy to spread between the teeth for cracking, and it even produces a noteworthy bubble.

Presentation: As I mentioned in my review of Prism, I'm a big fan of 5 packaging. (The only negative would be that they started the whole "flat pack" trend, causing the extinction of my beloved Plen-T-Paks.) I'm admittedly biased, since pink is one of my favorite colors, but I really like the shade of pink used in Elixir's packaging.

Overall: A very, very pleasant surprize. To be honest, I'd been putting off this review because I remember being really nastified by this gum the first time I tried it. A couple weeks ago, Alexander requested that we review this and Lush on our Facebook page, so I sucked it up and picked them up. I don't know if they changed the formulation or something, but I can see this gum being added to my regular rotation of go-to gums. Hopefully Lush will provide the same pleasant surprize.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Chiclets Peppermint Gum

2010-09-28T21:05:00.004-04:00

Flavor: It's difficult to call our assessments of classic gums "reviews," because it's really hard to give something that's lasted the test of time in an increasingly competetive field less than a stellar rating. This gum might not taste as peppermint-y as Orbit, Stride, Extra, or any number of new, improved brands of gums. It might leave that undersirable sugary aftertaste in your mouth even as you're chewing. It definitely won't freshen your breath. But it's like comparing Godzilla with Iron Man-- one might look better on your plasma screen, but there's just no real way to compare a classic with a Blockbuster hit. Chiclets are crunchy and sugary and gummy, they're not good or bad they're just-- Chiclets.

Texture: To be fair, the actual serving size for Chiclets is two pieces, and it is a substantial wad when chewing two pieces (whereas just one Chiclet dissolves to almost nothing within minutes of chewing). The firmness is consistent throughout a lengthy chew, but it does create a slight foaming of saliva after a while. But again, the ingredients are basic, and the texture is fairly impressive given the circumstances.

Presentation: It's a classic Adams package, simple, recognizable. You know what to look for when you're looking for Chiclets.

Overall: Apparently, Chiclets aren't widely available in the U.S. anymore, but they're pretty popular in the Middle East. Luckily, we received some samples from our friend at BestCandyStore.com. As with all tried and true gums that have lasted, unchanged, in the marketplace against gimmicks and chemical advancements and flashy packaging, Chiclets have made a mark and don't have to prove anything to us anymore. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If you want a super hydrating, minty, flashy pack of gum to match your outfit, there are plenty of gums for you. But if you want a sugary crunch in that old familiar box, pick up a pack of Chiclets.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Stride Always Mandarin

2010-09-25T22:51:00.006-04:00

Flavor: A shockingly accurate "mandarin orange" flavor. Normally when we have such a specific citrus call-out in the flavor name (like tangerine), all we get is a vague "orange" flavor, but this gum actually does taste like mandarin oranges, the kind cute tiny ones you eat out of a can. Good job, Stride.

Texture: A little bit too tough for my tastes. This is a super firm chew.

Presentation: Stride doesn't mess around with fruit imagery, "fashion packs," or anything like that. Stride's packaging is friendly and predictable.

Overall: A friend of Gum Alert requested this gum a long, long time ago with the warning that it was really hard to find. Since then, I've been on the lookout for it, so it was like hitting the jackpot when I found a display with 3 packs left. I have to say that, despite the tough texture (which may, in part, have to do with the fact that I've had this gum opened in my purse for about 3 weeks [and we know from experience that, once opened, Stride tends to turn for the worst really fast]) this is a really great gum. Nicely done, Stride.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Orbit Tropical Remix

2010-09-19T20:00:00.003-04:00

First, I'd like to apologize for the dearth of posts lately at GumAlert. We know it's no excuse, but we both have been at sort of a cross-roads lately career-wise and it's reflected upon this blog. We know you depend on GumAlert for your weekly dose of gummy verbosity, and these last couple weeks, we've let you down. The good news is that we're both on track again, and both of our gum queues are epic, so there's lots to come!

Flavor: First chew is phenomenal, however, it's nothing new - this exact flavor profile has been duplicated time and again by every manufacturer. There's nothing new about this remix - it's a tropical drink in stick form. This one's heavy on the mandarin flavor. I think that to call a gum "remix," something needs to be changed up here. It's just more of the same. The initial punch lasts pleasantly long, but when it fades, it gets kid of bitter, like an orange peel.

Texture: No huge complaints on texture. There's a period about 4 - 6 minutes into the chew that you think you might have a dissolver on your hands, but it re-adheres to itself and the crisis is averted. It's a nice gum for snapping.

Presentation: Alright, this has to be addressed, and I suppose now is as good a time as any. Orbit's all over the TV lately touting their new "fashion packs," and I, for one, say "WTF, Orbit?" I mean, sure. They look ok, I guess? But what's the point? Orbit always had eye-pleasing packaging to begin with, and they spent what I can only guess to be millions of dollars on redesigning every package in their line. What of the reason we're buying it in the first place - the GUM itself? Orbit's at the top of the pack when it comes to quality of the brand as a whole, but there's so much more that can be done. Can you imagine the new and interesting flavors they could come up with if they invested some of the wasted packaging marketing dollars on food scientists? Or if they fiddled around with the texture of Citrusmint? We could be missing out on a potentially perfect gum, all because Orbit is wasting their efforts on silly "fashion packs." And my biggest complaint about them? There's no indication on the outside of the pack what the flavor is, and that's a serious issue for someone like Katie or I who has upwards of 15 packs of gum in our purse at any given time. It's a pain in the rear to have to open the pack to see what the flavor is. Fail, Orbit.

Overall: Packaging issues aside, this is a great gum, and definitely worth a try. It would have gotten 5 gumballs if the whole tropical thing wasn't so overplayed and imitated; gums this good are a dime a dozen, really.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Freshen-up Bubblegum

2010-09-06T15:21:00.004-04:00

Flavor: Freshen-up Bubblegum is, to me, a classic, and the bubblegum flavor here stands true to the historic flavor we all know and love. The gel inside the gum isn't overly sweet, and adds a gooey burst of flavor upon the first bite. Although my pack was rather stale, I remember back in the day the goo being plentiful and lending itself to the hydrating sensation now found in gums like Orbit Mist. The flavor only lasts for a couple of minutes, but I think they were going for much more than just long-lasting flavor here.

Texture: This gum was way ahead of its time. The grandparent of the now popular liquid-filled pellet gum, Freshen-up was among the first (if not the first) commercial gums to explore the concept that gum could be more than just a chewy, flavored stick. Gum is a treat, a kind of candy, dating back to the five-and-dime gumballs cupped in the palm of a twelve-year-old boy, alongside licorice and chocolates. This gum recognized the importance of the first bite for some people-- how for some, it doesn't matter how long the flavor lasts or how malleable the chew is after ten minutes. For some people, it's all about that burst of flavor right at the start. Getting to chew it for longer than a gummy bear, well that's just an added bonus. It's a whole different market, and it's given birth to such diverse favorites as Dentyne Pure and Bubblicious Mango Peach Bursts.

Presentation: Celebrating thirty-five years on the market, this gum has always been a fierce competitor for flashier packages and cheap (although effective) gimmicks. It's packaging hasn't changed for as long as I can remember, metallic pink and an illustration of an oozing piece of gum. It's simple, unassuming, and blends in with all the others on the rack if you're not looking for it.

Overall: I have to admit that when I mention this gum to my friends, no one can ever really remember the name of it, although most do recount fond memories of a pack in their pockets in grammar school. I can't remember the last time I saw someone pull a piece of Freshen-up out of a bag and start chewing. Does anyone still buy Freshen-up? Or are the packs in the stores as fresh as the day I bought them fifteen years ago?

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Wrigley's 5 Prism

2010-08-30T20:57:00.004-04:00

Flavor: Katie knows that when it comes to watermelon, I'm much more of a fan of artificial watermelon flavor (a Jolly Rancher is the perfect example of this) than an actual watermelon. I actually don't like actual watermelon very much at all. The new 5 flavor, Prism, is billed as "...an electric watermelon." And I have to say, that of all the artificial watermelons I've tasted, this one comes the closest to natural watermelon flavor. Right there it's got one subjective strike against it. Then it gets weird. The "electric" part of this gum is actually palatable. It's another one of those scary-gum-chemical-reactions that you can feel going on in your mouth that makes you wonder exactly what kind of phenylketonurics they've got going on here. There's a definite tingle in the chew - a quasi-carbonation, sort of a peppery tingle. If you leave the wad in the same spot in your mouth for too long it actually kind of burns. Very disconcerting, and just plain weird.

Texture: Nothing too interesting to say here. It starts off a bit too soft for my tastes but after a few minutes it firms up nicely.

Presentation: I've always been a fan of the 5 graphics, and this is no differently. Love the sleek black ribbed cardstock with the bright, almost tie-dyed color splashes. The matching foil is always pleasing to the eye.

Overall: As usual, I gasped with excitement when I saw a new gum in the checkout line today, and swooped it right up. I was super stoked that 5 had gone back to its roots after all the "React" shenanigans they've toyed us with recently. Unfortunately, this gum disappoints. Normally you can trust that 5 will be a worthy chew no matter what the flavor, but I'd probably stick to Extra Fruit Sensations Sweet Watermelon if I wanted a watermelony chew.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Strawberry Shortcake

2010-08-22T20:32:00.007-04:00

Flavor: I have to admit right off the bat that I'm not the biggest fan of strawberry shortcake. If you put it in front of me, like any other sugary treat, of course I'll devour it, but I'd never choose it out of a lineup. All prejudices aside, though, I'd say this gum is just all right. It's got all the elements you'd expect out of a strawberry shortcake gum-- it's sweet and creamy and tastes of the familiar artificial strawberry flavor. I think I would have loved this gum when I was ten or eleven; it's got that really phony, terrible sweetness that reminds me very much of my smelly Strawberry Shortcake doll. I remember most adults gagging at the smell of her, though, a reaction that I finally now understand, thanks to Extra.

Texture: As a gum, it's a quality chew-- thick, not too soft, not too firm, keeps consistency for a long time. But I think that the reason I feel this gum falls short for "strawberry shortcake" is because so much of strawberry shortcake is about the texture-- the soft flesh of the strawberries, the spongy bread, the smoothness of the cream. That's what I most enjoy about it, anyway, and I feel like it loses half its appeal here. Again, I would not have given texture a second thought back in the day, if a free pack of this stuff had come with my awesome smelly dolly.

Presentation: I wonder if it might suit Extra better to market these three "Dessert Delights" independently from one another. I mean, it's true, they do have lots in common-- they're all desserts, they all have that unique creaminess to them, and they're all in one way or another delightful. But I think that, unlike Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chocolate Chip, and even Key Lime Pie to an extent, I wouldn't categorize this particular gum as a "sinful indulgence," per se. It's a kid's gum, simple and sickeningly sweet. Smack a cartoon character on there and Extra will be selling these by the handful. As for the way it's packaged now, though, I doubt it would have caught my eye as a kid, when lined up on the shelf beside such masterpieces as Hubba Bubba Max Sweet and Sassy Cherry or straight up Big League Chew.

Overall: I feel like I can't give this an objective rating, since it tastes like it's intended primarily for kids. But then, I feel like the packaging is not marketing to kids, so I shouldn't have to censor my adult opinions. So in honor of my old friend Miss Shortcake, in all of her stinky glory, I'll err on the favorable side of the gumball scale this time around.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Key Lime Pie

2010-08-18T14:45:00.011-04:00

Flavor: Interesting. I'm not a huge key lime pie person, but the first few chomps of this gum really make me crave it. The flavor is totally spot-on here. You can almost taste each element- graham cracker crust, whipped cream, and tangy lime filling- separately. The flavor doesn't fade too quickly, either. It does mellow a bit with a prolonged chew, but it never loses the Key-Limeness.

Texture: Big fat fail, Extra. It starts out so good, you wonder how it could possibly be sugarfree. The creaminess of the texture matches the creaminess of the flavor at first, but the longer you chew, the harder it gets. I actually find myself avoiding the side of my mouth with the dental crown, for fear that I'll knock it loose with this gum. It's one of those gums that if you spread it over your tongue, it almost feels like a latex balloon.

Presentation: Standard Extra packaging. I really like the font of the "Key Lime Pie" header for some reason. And like Katie said in her review of the Mint Chocolate Chip Dessert Delights, Extra should totally have taken advantage of the spot-on flavor of this line and called out its "Sinful Indulgence."

Overall: When I first heard about this gum line, I was ridiculously excited to taste the advance samples that Katie got from a friend. So far I've tasted this and the Mint Chip, and I'm really not impressed with either of them (despite my sister's enthusiasm.) I don't know why, exactly-- they're certainly tasty enough -- but they're just "meh." to me.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chocolate Chip

2010-08-10T22:34:00.008-04:00

Flavor: I scream, you scream, we all scream for... GUM! People, this is not a test. I repeat. This is NOT a test. Or a dream, or a fantasy... it's happened. A gum that really, truly tastes not only like chocolate, but like chocolate mint ICE CREAM. As with all faux chocolate mints or gum, I was skeptical when I heard about the new line of Extra Dessert Delights. I tried desperately not to get my hopes up when our secret shopper informed me we had some pre-release Dessert Delight gum to review. It had me at the first bite. It's creamy. It's sweet. It's cold. It's minty. It's chocolatey. Folks. It's chocolate mint chip ice cream... GUM. I'm wiping back tears, here. My dream has finally come true. And... and... you can chew it for as long as you want, and it won't run out of flavor, and and... I mean, Willy Wonka would do a tumblesault. And then he'd get back up again, and he'd do another.

Texture: As with the flavor, the texture is consistent and lasts for as long as I've dared to chew. It's that notoriously well-structured Extra texture. I'm so happy it was Extra that pulled this rabbit out of the hat.

Presentation: Does it even need a flashy package? Extra knew that no, it really didn't. The package is simple, it's sea foam green, it's got brown and white squiggles, but it's really just about the whopping bowl of ice cream front and center. Once word spreads, these packs will be flying off the shelves, creative packaging or no. The words "Sugarfree Gum" are particularly prominant here, and I think that's going to be important for marketing once the commercials start popping up. If I were Extra, I would totally go with the "guilt free indulgence" crap that people are eating up these days.

Overall: I apologize for getting sentimental, but this is really big for me, and for so many people out there. It's revolutionary-- all that garbage that "they" have been trying to feed us for years about how chewing gum can "satisfty your sweet tooth," substitute that Hersey's bar, swap out your 1000 calories for >5... it's all been a joke until now. This gum doesn't make me want chocolate like those expensive chocolate-smelling candles, nor does it leave my teeth grimy with sugar like that actual (delicious) bowl of ice cream. It's actually like chewing a bowl of refreshing, delicious, creamy (did I mention it's just so creamy?) chocolate chip mint ice cream. Oh man, here come the waterworks again. In the words of Willy himself, "Take a look and you'll see into your imagination." Even if someone doesn't roll me out of here like Violet Beauregard in the next ten minutes, I'll never be the same again.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs) ...but only because I couldn't give it six.

Big League Chew Outta' Here Original

2010-08-09T13:42:00.004-04:00

Flavor: This is what Bubble Gum is all about. No frills, no burst of sour, no crunchies. Just pure, all-out sugary bubble gum goodness.

Texture: If nothing else, being a gum blogger has taught me that I have absolutely no idea how to chew Big League Chew. It's never been a gum to me, it's always been a game. The only time I've ever chewed Big League Chew in my life is when my sister or best friend and I have picked up a couple packs and had a contest to see how much we could fit in our mouths without gagging. (We always ended up gagging. It was disgusting.) As a result, it's really difficult for me to objectively blog about the texture - I've never had any idea how much of it I'm supposed to eat. I've had a few wads of it in preparation for this review, and no matter how small of an amount of shreds I chew, it always seems to be too much. From what I think I can gather, this gum starts off really soft. Like really soft, to the point where I feel like it's going to liquify. After a good 45-60 seconds, it starts to firm up and become a more enjoyable chewing experience. Bubbles with Big League Chew are fantastic. I've always maintained that BLC was the best gum for bubble blowing, and although recent gums like Hubba Bubba Bubble Tape Triple Treat give BLC a run for their money in the bubble-blowing category, BLC still remains tops in my book for bubbles.

Presentation: What can be said about Big League Chew's packaging? It's flawless. Now that I'm sitting here analyzing it, I don't understand how Big League Chew is still being manufactured, what with all the overprotective parents out there. BLC is shredded to look like chewing tobacco, and packed in a foil pouch... like chewing tobacco. It was created in the early 1980s to discourage the use of chew and provide a fun alternative. I can understand the mentality and the reasoning in the early 1980s, but in today's "Joe Camel Must Die" society I'm surprized that this has slipped through the cracks.

Overall: C'mon. It's Big League Chew. Who doesn't love Big League Chew?

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Gum Contest Winner!!!

2010-08-06T14:16:00.002-04:00

Sorry for not posting this earlier, but congratulations to Stephanie, whose favorite gum is Trident Cinnamon, for winning the gum contest!

ZOMG check out what she won!!

Stay tuned for our next contest, coming soon!

(HINT: "Like" us on facebook to be among the first to know the details!)

Trident Splash Summer Spearmint

2010-08-01T17:59:00.005-04:00

Flavor: I could be wrong, but this gum tastes an awful lot like its cousin Trident layers Cool Mint + Melon Fresco . It's a subtle sweet melon, much like a cantaloupe, with the cooling sensation of mint. It's such a nice flavor, why not re-purpose this flavor into pellet-form? It's common in the gum world to offer several varieties of the same flavor for folks who prefer pellets to sticks or vice-versa. But I really hate when companies try to trick their customers by re-packaging a flavor and wrapping it in a flashy "New!" label with a name that appeals to different senses. In this case, I'm not even sure what "Summer Spearmint" is supposed to taste like. It's actually sort of gross to imagine a spearmint flavor combined with a watermelon flavor-- they're just not compatible, they're no peanut butter and chocolate. Luckily, I detect no spearmint undertones here, so it works. But why not just offer the Cool mint + Melon fresco in pellet form? As a fan of that gum, I definitely would have been interested and would have offered it to my pellet-loving friends to whom I've never recommended the Trident Layer varieties.

Texture: This is a really substantial chew for a pellet, it's hearty and maintains a nice bite for a long time. The outer shell feels thinner than others upon first bite, a nice delicate crunch at the get-go. I think my pack sat on the racks for too long, though, as the inner goo was all but dissolved in many of the pieces. In the pieces that did have the goo, though, it wasn't even really that noticeable. Oh-- and vegetarians, put the pack down. This one's got gelatin, too.

Presentation: The packaging on this gum seems more out-of-date to me than Trident Layers. It's got bold greens and pinks, large font-size, very little white space and no artsy-fartsy designs. If I weren't hunting for new gum (as I always do...) I would have assumed this was an older gum that slipped by us until now.

Overall: Packaging and masquerading of delicious flavors aside, this is a really good gum. I think the goo falls a little short, but I love the flavor so much that I really don't care. If it were between this and Trident Layers, though, I'd probably go with that.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Clorets

2010-07-28T20:47:00.020-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at BestCandyStore.com!

Flavor: According to the Wikipedia article on Clorets, there are a few different flavors of Clorets in existence, but a quick Google search really only yields one flavor widely for sale: Green. There's no mention on the pack of a flavor at all, let alone a specific mint, be it pepper or spear or winter. Green, in the gum world, generally denotes a spearmint, but Clorets bucks that trend. Clorets mint isn't a spearmint at all; if I had to classify it, I'd say it were much more peppermint-like. Specifics aside, this gum packs a really great flavor. It starts off nicely strong, but not overly so, and fades to a smooth breath-freshening coolness. I had no idea about this, but the "Clor" in Clorets is a little play on words - Clorets contain Chlorophyll, which apparently has odor-absorbing qualities. Who knew? It's certainly not a factoid that is taught in fifth grade science in the Chlorophyll and You: Fun with Photosynthesis chapter.

Texture: The initial candy shell crunch of Clorets is one of the best I've encountered, and once the shell shards dissolve, the resulting wad is perfectly soft and pliable. I feel it's necessary to point out that Clorets is, surprisingly, a sugared gum. It doesn't feel like it, in either flavor or texture. It seems like kind of a waste... if I wanted to promote tooth decay I'd rather chew some Bubble Tape or Hubba Bubba and have some fun with it. Clorets, as good as it is, isn't really much fun. No bubbles to speak of - it's much too thin and sticky for that.

Presentation: It's old school. A cardstock paper box, minimal graphics, white text. Pretty boring. One plus is that the package is bilingual. It's good that our Spanish-speaking friends know that the FENILCETONURICS CONTIENE FENILALANINA.

Overall: Man. If I asked someone for a piece of gum and they pulled THIS out of their pocket? They'd be relentlessly made fun of for the rest of the day. Clorets is "old people gum," much like Freedent or Choward's Violet Gum. Who chews Clorets, anyway? Clorets is one of those gums that I've always known existed, but I've never really thought to pick up a pack. I'm always kind of surprised to see it's still around at all. When our buddy at BestCandyStore.com offered to send us some gum of our choosing to review, I was immediately drawn to the Clorets, because I would have NEVER bought it myself. I'm glad they sent it over to us, though... it's a surprizingly good gum.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Starbucks Sugar-Free Chewing Gum - Peppermint

2010-07-19T09:03:00.006-04:00

Flavor: You'd think that Starbucks, a company known for selling a product that's notorious for causing nasty breath, would make a gum with an Altoids-like "pop" to it. Not the case with this gum. It's a very mellow mint, and the flavor fades really fast. The package proclaims a "cool burst of minty freshness," but there is no burst at all. It doesn't taste bad, just... blah.

Texture: This gum is really weird. First off, it looks like mints. It's like someone accidentally spilled some gum base pellets into the breath mint hopper, and some warehouse dude was like "Let's see what happens..." and this gum was born. It reminds me a lot of Razzles, except for grownups. It starts off really chalky and eventually does congeal, but the wad that's left is really waxy. There will be no cracking or popping with this gum - it's seriously like wax lips.

Presentation: Nice job by Starbucks here. This gum is presented neatly in a little slide-top metal tin, and all the little gum-mints are lined up inside. It's almost like they could have added a special graphic or something and put a marketing spin on it, "Collect all four!" or something.

Overall: The only time I can see anyone buying this gum is on a severe impulse or desperation, much like my co-worker did. She ate some Mexican food for lunch and stopped for a cup of coffee on her way back to work, and realized that her carnitas were funking up her breath, so she picked up the pack in Starbucks. I certainly don't see this as anyone's favorite gum, or even anyone making a special trip to Starbucks to pick it up. As pretty as it looks, it's not a great gum.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Orbit Mist Spearmint Spritzer

2010-07-17T18:05:00.003-04:00

Flavor: It seems that every time I've purchased this gum to review it, I eat the entire pack before getting the chance to review it. I've reviewed a lot of spearmint gums already, but this one stands out as a unique flavor amid a sea of spearmint varieties. Slightly sweet and delightfully cold, this Orbit Mist takes spearmint to a newer, more refreshing place-- a sort of cleansing, wintery feeling, reserved usually for gums that use words like "Polar" and "Freeze." I've found that most spearmints offer more in the way of flavor than sensation, but this is a cool treat on a hot day, an ice cube at the bottom of your soda cup, and it still has those green spearmint properties we all know and love.

Texture: The packaging attributes the "hydrating sensation" to "micro-bursts," but I can't help but feel like the "wetness" of this gum has nothing to do with the little beads that crunch at the start of the chew. It's an enduring sensation, and does feel as though it's hydrating, like that ice cube melting on your tongue. The texture otherwise stays just firm enough for as long as you choose to chew.

Presentation: Orbit Mist is all about the slightly askew concentric circles, perhaps imitating ripples in water around a raindrop. The package is metallic blue, and when combined with the circles, portrays the ice cold hydration that is present throughout the whole chew.

Overall: I've bought at least half a dozen packs of this gum (at least) before saving one measly piece for a review. That fact alone almost invariably ensures a rating of five gumballs, and most definitely does in this case.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

eclipse Breeze Exotic Berry

2010-07-14T10:52:00.004-04:00

Flavor: Alright, this has got to be a joke. This tastes like cough syrup. No, really - it tastes. Like. Cough Syrup. Not "reminiscent of cough syrup" or "cough-syrup undertones," this gum is full-on COUGH SYRUP. Nasty cough syrup, too. Like the kind of cough syrup that permeates your bitter taste buds and makes you shudder, the kind that you have to throw back like a tequila shot, lest your gag reflex overcome you. Apparently this gum contains "Cardamom," which according to Wikipedia, is a spice that does have medicinal properties. And you know... the longer I chew, the "spicier" it becomes, if you can call it that. It's kind of like the aftertaste of a clove cigarette. Gross.

Texture: Being a pellet gum, I expected a standard crunchy candy shell, but I was disappointed. There was no initial crunch, the chew of eclipse Breeze starts off like a stale piece of taffy. It does soften to a semi-chewable consistency, but really, but I don't really want to chew on a clove cigarette.

Presentation: The packaging is an appealing pink, with glittery-like graphics around the eclipse in the eclipse logo. (Have you ever noticed that before? It's new to me in the last few weeks - but now that I've seen it, it's all I see... much like the arrow in the FedEx logo.) The gum itself is flecked with red spots, leading me to believe it might be full of the crunchies I do so very much love in my gum, but alas, the flecks are misleading, as there are no crunchies in this gum. The gold bar on the bottom states "with Cardamom to Neutralize the Toughest Breath Odors." Inappropriate capitalization aside, I just don't get the "Neutralize" part. How does making your breath stink like nasty herbal cigarettes "neutralize" anything?

Overall: My reviews are rarely completely negative, but this gum is totally gross. I get a sense that the eclipse brand is faltering, and will soon go the way of care*free, disappearing into the gum void forever. This might be their attempt to revitalize the brand, I don't know, but the execution fails miserably here. In the Breath Neutralization War, Dentyne pure emerges as the clear victor.

Rating: o (one gumball)

International Spotlight: Watering Kiss Mint

2010-07-12T21:22:00.003-04:00

Flavor: A colleague of mine was gracious enough to bring me back a few packs of gum from his recent trip to Japan. After I opened and inspected each pack, I knew that this would have to be my first review, mostly because I need to get rid of it, ASAP. To be blunt, this gum smells. A lot. I had to close it in my nightstand drawer because it was such a presence in the bedroom and actually inhibited sleep. But the smell itself roused many a memory in me, as it is reminiscent of the old discontinued Extra Original Bubble! I was really excited when I placed the familiar scent, hoping that this delicious, sweet, indescribably fruity gum was masquerading under a clever pseudonym. Alas, the flavor was a shock, as it wasn't Original Bubble, after all. Upon my second piece, however, once I was over my grief for my old friend O. Bubble, I decided it was a pretty delicious taste on its own. It's very very cold, and it is indeed quite wet, as wet, I'd say, as Orbit Mist. The bubble flavor does have hints of Extra Original Bubble, but is unique-- a bubblegum base, but much sweeter. The taste is a little overwhelming, but not as bad as the smell.

Texture: The texture is also similar to Extra. It's a good balance between soft and chewy, and doesn't stale or harden after at least 15 minutes of chewing (I'm not sure how it'll hold up beyond that, as I'm not planning on chewing it for much longer).

Presentation: Although the package resembles Stride or Orbit, I was delighted to discover a new gum structure-- a three-quarter size traditional stick of gum. I thought this might disintegrate into too small of a piece upon extended chewing, but it actually has a very substantial chew. The package itself is unimpressive, a sort of Photoshop-looking shape and a gray background.

Overall: Honestly, I don't think I'm going to finish this pack of gum. It's got a really intense smell and flavor, and I can't imagine having a conversation with someone while chewing it-- it's tantamount to a thirteen-year-old boy learning to wear cologne and stinking up the classroom for a few months before he understands "less is more." But it certainly was an experience that I don't regret, and the jogged memories of my special Extra Original Bubble grant Watering Kiss Mint a high-ish gumball rating.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Orbit Peppermint

2010-07-07T09:24:00.004-04:00

Flavor: I've been chewing and reviewing an awful lot of peppermint gums lately, but this peppermint is a little different from the rest. Peppermint flavor is hard to explain, so I don't know how much sense this is going to make, but the flavor of this gum is a little more "wintry" than the other peppermints. It's got the cool breath-freshening sensation, but a really nice, warm undertone. As usual, the Orbit flavor really lasts. I've been chewing about 20 minutes now, and I can still taste the initial flavor burst.

Texture: While the chew itself is alright in terms of malleability, it doesn't really lend itself to "playing with" in the mouth. If you try to spread it over your tongue, it gets thin and "webby" too easily. The gum also has a slight squeak, though nothing that would make me self-conscious in a business meeting.

Presentation: I keep meaning to pick up my Orbit in their new funky packaging (which deserves a post all to itself, I think,) but I always forget, or it's not around when I pick up a pack. This particular pack is standard Orbit "mint gum" packaging: Blue metallic inks and a centered brand logo. Nothing fancy, nothing special.

Overall: As far as peppermints go, this one's fantastic. I do have to take a point off for the weird texture, but that's really my only complaint. I can see this being a lot of people's favorite gum.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

pür gum - pomegranate mint

2010-06-29T23:02:00.008-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at pür gum!

Flavor: First and foremost, it's important to note that this gum is all natural and sugar free, as discussed in Shannon's review of pur peppermint. That said, the fruity variety does leave something to be desired, as the first bite is reminiscent of children's Tylenol and fades not even five minutes into the chew. If pressed to define the flavor, I might go with "pomegranate," although I do feel that on the whole most pomegranate flavors are just sort of generically sweet and appeal to that "this is interesting and good for me" side of society. Pomegranate, these days, is like bikram yoga, or the term "green--" a fad for the health-conscious, trend-following public.

Texture: For a sugar-free, all natural gum, pur is really a stand-up competitor. I'd say that one pellet provides a rather insubstantial chew, and a second pellet would probably be necessary for an optimal experience. It doesn't stick to your teeth like a lot of natural gums, and it doesn't go hard like sugary gums.

Presentation: It's as simple as the gum itself-- it says what it is and that's what you get. Aspartame free. No artificial flavors. No artificial colors. Ok, so an umlaut and the word "pomegranate" is slapped on there for a marketing pull, but you've got to have some kind of gimmick nowadays, what with Stride Shift and React stirring up such controversy and gathering so many followers. This line is Canadian, but I think on sheer composition alone, could stand a chance in the big scary world of U.S. sales and marketing.

Overall: Glowing compliments aside, I'm not crazy about this flavor. I think in time, this company may compose a much more enjoyable fruity variety. For now, this one just is no fun to chew. I graduated to adult Tylenol long ago, and was never so thrilled with the flavor of chewables to seek it out in gum form any time soon.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Oh! And only one day left to enter the big contest!!!

pür gum - Peppermint

2010-06-26T14:58:00.005-04:00

This review is sponsored by our friends at pür gum!

Flavor: A clean, refreshing, natural tasting peppermint. The initial punch is pleasantly strong, without too much of a nasal-clearing menthol sensation. It mellows into a long-lasting minty chew.

Texture: Your standard pellet crunch, followed by a period of a slight too-tough texture. Upon prolonged chew, say 5 minutes or so, it does soften up to a more pleasant malleability, although it remains a firmer than average chew from start to finish. This might not be a bad thing to some chewers, though. I know that I myself occasionally prefer to chew a gum that has a bit less "give" to it.

Presentation: Absolutely minimalist. No fancy graphics, just plain text in a sans serif font that's easy on the eye. I love this packaging, though I suspect that one might look a tad pretentious when pulling this out of your purse or pocket to share. "What kinda new-wave freaky gum do you chew, man! Just gimme some Trident!"

Overall: pür gum is a new gum from Action Candy out of Canada. Their claim to fame is that it's all natural and sugarfree, a quality I haven't seen yet from a gum. It proudly boasts "no artificial flavors," "no artificial colors" and "infused with antioxidants" on its packaging. And an interesting side note - the ingredients list does not include soy or soy lecithin, a quality I was hard-pressed to find in gum when I was eating soy-free a couple months ago due to my daughter's allergies. In fact, it was downright impossible for me to find a gum that was soy-free and sugarfree. And speaking of the ingredients list, there are only seven - seven! - ingredients in this gum, and all of them are easy to pronounce! The pack of Trident I happen to have closest to me has sixteen, no less than half of which are chemicals. This is a groundbreaking idea in gum, and it doesn't taste half-bad, either. If this were a Dentyne or Orbit White pellet, it would probably only get 4 gumballs due to the texture, but when you weigh in the multitude of benefits this gum packs, the good certainly outweighs the one negative point. Bravo, pür.
Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Extra Peppermint

2010-06-18T12:07:00.008-04:00

Flavor: There's really nothing special to say about the flavor of Extra Peppermint, because it's really not designed to be a special kind of gum. Extra Peppermint is an Everyman's gum - the kind of gum you mindlessly pick up when, on your way to the beach at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, you're standing on line at the 7-11 waiting to pay for your iced coffee and you realize that you forgot a pack of gum and the only munchies you have to eat on the beach are Pepperoni Pizza Combos. (Wow, that turned into way more of a run-on sentence than I had anticipated.) It's just a peppermint gum, a simple breath freshener. And as with most Extras, the flavor lasts an extra, extra, extra long time.

Texture: It starts off almost frighteningly soft, but within a minute or so it firms right up.

Presentation: You know how sometimes you stare at a word for too long, and it starts to become a weird non-word, and doesn't even sound right to say? That's what's happening to me looking at the packaging of this gum. It's just your standard pocket pack that most gums come in these days, but something's weird about it. Did they recently change the font of the Extra logo or something? Anyway, the package is as simple as the gum, little more than a logo and some blue peppermint leaves. It might as well be all white and have a Dharma logo on it, it's that generic.

Overall: Ashley on our facebook page requested this gum, and I'm pretty happy that she did. Being Gum Girls, our gum queues are often long and stocked with crazy flavor concoctions so it's not often that we get to go back to basics with our gum. We're just never faced with that "oh MAN I just need some GUM" dilemma - we always have gum. Chewing this pack of Extra Peppermint has been a really pleasant change for me, and while there's no bells and whistles and you're not likely to have an "experience" chewing it, it's just a really good gum that gets things done. Much like Trident Original, I feel like I would be being unfair if I didn't give it five gumballs.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

P.S. Don't forget to enter our contest! You only have until June 30th!

http://www.gumalert.com/2010/06/win-gum-prize-pack-from-gum-alert.html

GumAlert FAQ

2010-06-15T22:35:00.016-04:00

We've had a recent influx of visitors, emails and comments lately, and we thought that it might help our readers if we had an FAQ. Please to enjoy.

Do you work for the gum companies? Can I suggest a new flavor?
No, we don't work for any gum company, we're just a couple of girls who like to to chew gum! We'd love to hear your gummy ideas, though!

I work for a gum company. Can I send you samples of gum to review?
Sure! We love free gumz and we'll be happy to review it, just know that our reviews will always be honest and truthful. Send us an email at gumgirls@gumalert.com and we'll work something out.

I have a gum or candy blog, too! Can I be added to your "Friend of GumAlert" links?
We'd love to check out your blog! Send us a link and we'd be happy to give it a read. If we like it, we'll link it! Generally, it has to have been around for a while. If you have only a few posts or have been blogging for only a short while, we probably won't link you. But keep it up!

I own an online candy store. Can you add a link to my store on your blog?
We're sure that your store is great, but we don't like to direct our readers to online merchants that we are unfamiliar with. What you can do is send us some gum samples for us to review, and we'll add a "This review has been sponsored by..." link on the review itself. (Just know that our reviews are always honest and truthful.) If the relationship grows positively, we'll add a link to your store on our sidebar.

I have a product or website that I would like to advertise on Gum Alert. Can I give you money to put an ad on your site?
Even though Trident Layers would like you to think that gum lovers prefer to be paid in gum, these gum lovers prefer to be paid in money. Send us an email and we'll let you know our rates and policies.

You guys haven't reviewed my all-time favorite gum! What gives?
We probably just haven't gotten around to it yet! Send us an email and let us know what you want to see us review!

OMG there's a new gum out! Have you seen it yet??
No, we haven't!! Awesome!! Email us and tell us about it! Where did you see it? Did you try it? Was it good?? We always have our eye out for new gums, but we could always use your help in seeking out the cool new gumz.

I feel very strongly about a new gum or gum commercial I saw on TV, and I would like to post about it in your comments section using bad words and racial slurs. Is that okay?
While we love to hear your opinion about gum, our reviews, and gum culture as a whole, we want gum fans of all ages to be able to enjoy Gum Alert, so we ask that you keep your language in the comments section at a PG level. If we think something is offensive, we're going to remove your comment.

How do you guys decide what gum to review, and how do you review it?
We usually go in this order: Samples companies send us, new gum, requests, and then anything else. We'll try to mix it up if we get a few packs of the same brand or flavor, though, so we don't do too many of the same thing in a row. We only have one rule when it comes to doing the reviews, and that is that we must be chewing a piece of the gum while we review it.

Are you guys related?
Yes, we are sisters, unfortunately for our parents.

Don't you have anything better to do than write long-winded blog posts about gum?
Not really.

Get a life.
That's not a question.

Why do you do it?
We started GumAlert in April of 2009 because we thought it would be funny. We thought that the ultimate goal would be to get free gum from gum companies, but that happened pretty fast. Now, our goal is to attend the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago in 2012. (We still love to get free gum, though. That never gets old.)

Does Trident Layers have pork in it?
From what we've been able to ascertain, Trident Layers does have a form of gelatin in its ingredients that is derived from pork, as do many other types of gum. Your best bet would be to contact the manufacturers directly just to make sure, if you avoid pork for religious or other reasons.

Aren't you worried about artificial sweeteners?
Kind of. We chew a lot of gum. Really, a lot of gum, and we do sometimes question the safety of sweeteners. That being said, we're not experts on the risks and benefits, and wouldn't want to sway anyone one way or the other. We recommend that you do your own research and make the educated decision that's best for you regarding your personal consumption of artificial sweeteners.

What's the flavor of Stride Mega Mystery?
There's a rumor that a Stride employee leaked the flavor as Strawberry Daiquiri. We don't taste that particularly, but we do think that it has a definite tropical drink flavor to it.

Is Stride Shift Berry to Mint good?
No.

Is Stride Shift Citrus to Mint gross?
Yes.

What's so special about 5 React gum? What does it do?
Right? We have no idea.

Can you eat gum wrappers, like Trident, Stride or Orbit?
We're not sure the official answer to this one, but we don't recommend eating any gum wrappers. We don't think it would taste good, and it certainly would mess up the texture. EDIT: Brian from Candy Addict referred us to this post in his blog with the definitive answer. Thanks, Brian!

What is your favorite gum?
Shannon's favorite gum is Extra Polar Ice. Katie's favorite gum us Trident Minty Sweet Twist. However, we like all kinds of gumz. We're partial to sugarless gum because we don't like the dentist very much, but the amount of xylitol running through our bloodstreams on any given day might eventually make us sick, too.

Dentyne Pure Mint with Herbal Accents

2010-06-13T21:44:00.006-04:00

Flavor: Shannon has already reviewed the basics of the Pure gum varieties in her review of Dentyne Pure Mint with Melon Accents, but I think we disagree on some points. As with Siskel and Ebert, I suppose the occasional disagreement is healthy. To avoid redundancy, I'll speak on some different features of the flavor that are unique to Mint with Herbal Accents. Lots of gums these days claim to taste like "real" things-- Orbit's "Real fruit flavor!" claim, to name just one, is smacked on every phony uber-sucralose strawberry-esque gum (I'm not sticking Strawberry Mint in my rhubarb pie any time soon.). Dentyne Pure really does pack a "real" flavor-- an almost peppery, subtle spice undertone that's most noticable with the first bite but is present throughout the entire chew. Although I don't know any natural element that would cool my mouth quite so much other than, say, ice, but there's something natural in there that does come through.

Texture: The initial bite is the best part-- a thin crunchy outer shell and a rather soft gum base, with a little burst of liquid on the inside. It's a delicate chew, softer than other gums, and I have to admit that it can get a little too soft after a while. But pack after pack, I've looked forward to that first refreshing crunch, so much so that I've been through at least four packs before saving a pellet for a review. It should be noted, however, that leaving a pack in the car will cause the inner goo to dissolve into the gum base, providing for a much less exciting, but still delightful, bite.

Presentation: Another day, another gimmick. This one's supposed to "purify your breath," and yammers on lots of sciency sounding reasons why this gum will make your breath smell better than other gum. "Neutralizes bad breath odors caused by bacteria and food." I think "neutralize" implies a stable balance-- a tasteless ground zero that would leave your palate untainted and prepared for new flavors. I'm not sure I'd want a sip of say, red wine or orange juice after chewing a piece of this gum (although I'm sure it wouldn't take much convincing). In the end, it's just a tasty piece of gum to me. There's nothing sanitizing, neutralizing, or purifying about it.

Overall: It's yummy, it tastes natural, and I'm sure there are some kind of sciency benefits to chewing "NeutraFRESH." This gum has quickly become a go-to gum for me.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Oh, also, enter our contest. Win gum from the folks who know gum.

Win a Gum Prize Pack from Gum Alert!

2010-06-11T09:19:00.008-04:00

Hey Gum Alert minions!

To celebrate the summer, we're giving away a Prize Pack of gumz! To enter, just write a comment on this entry telling us what your favorite gum is, and why. We'll pick a winner at random to receive a selection of our favorite and not so favorite gum.

Make sure to include your email address* so we can contact you if you win! (You might want to format it like: name AT email DOT com to avoid spam, if you like.)

Tell all your friends to enter, and hurry! Contest ends Wednesday, June 30th at midnight.

*Only one entry per e-mail address, please. Sorry, family members of the Gum Girls are not eligible to win. Good luck!

Trident Splash Pucker Me Berry

2010-06-08T08:16:00.004-04:00

Flavor: It's hard not to compare this to the phenomenal Orbit Mist Raspberry Lemon Dew,

because everything about that gum is just right, and it set the standard for "lemonade" in my brain. That being said, this gum is dull, dull, dull. With a name like "Pucker Me Berry" I expect at least some tartness, but even at first bite there's little else but sweetness, and a vague sweetness at that. There's a liquid goo center that I suppose could be classified as tart, but it fades away too quickly to qualify for a featured headline. The package features strawberry and raspberry, but I don't taste either fruit very strongly. All that being said, it's not a bad flavor.

Texture: We open with our standard pellet candy shell crunch, followed by a period of about 5 minutes of "This is waaaaay too soft." It takes a good while for the gum to mature into anything that has any substance to it, and even then, it remains pretty sticky, and has a tendency to cling to your teeth and lips if you attempt to blow a bubble.

Presentation: It's nothing we haven't seen before, but it is worth noting that this is the first time I've seen this incarnation of Trident Splash - previously, the Trident Splash logo was centered and large on the front of the package, with the fruit/ice cream/starlight mint graphics hiding behind. It doesn't make all that much difference aesthetically, since from the get-go Trident Splash has always had one of the busier packagings, almost obnoxiously so. This is a tween's gum, for kids who have outgrown Big League Chew-stuffing contests, but are too young to carry a minimalist-looking Orbit around.

Overall: Eh, it's alright. If I was 12 years old, this would get 4 gumballs, solid. But I'm not 12 years old, I'm 31 (at least for another week,) and this flavor just doesn't cut it with me. It's a blister pack full of empty promises.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Juicy Fruit Sweet Fruit

2010-06-01T22:52:00.010-04:00

Flavor (and Presentation): I feel as though flavor and texture need to be combined for this review. So it was said, and so it shall be. I guess I'm kind of confused. The idea is sort of like a spinoff movie-- from the guys who brought you Juicy Fruit, now Juicy Fruit Sweet Fruit! But... isn't that kind of redundant? My point here is that the guys who brought us Juicy Fruit are also the guys that brought us 5, Orbit, Hubba Bubba, Doublemint, and on and on in a wide variety of flavors, textures, and gimmicks. So what gives? What does this gum have to do with Juicy Fruit? Not much of anything, if you ask me. So why not include it in the Orbit pellet family, or in a new Wrigley family altogether? It's a pretty good gum, and has a fairly unique and pleasurable watermelon flavor. In fact, although it's named "Sweet Fruit," the package is sprinkled with watermelon and kiwis. And that's what it is, if I had to describe it-- it's a watermelon kiwi pellet gum. It certainly isn't Juicy Fruit, though, especially since the new sugar-free Juicy Fruit pellets are a pretty large deviation from classic Juicy Fruit to begin with. It barely resembles the new, unfamiliar Juicy Fruit. It's a new gum trapped inside an old gum's body. Much like the movie Vice Versa, it's really enjoyable, but it probably will become sort of a cult classic and forgotten with the next round of gimmicky gum wrappers.

Texture: It has a nice sugary (-esque) crunch with the initial bite and maintains a consistent chew, not too soft or hard at any point. But just one pellet is useless as far as I'm concerned. In this case, I think at least 3 are required for a decent experience, which warrants the enormous plastic container in which it is sold. It should be noted that there's a large plastic door on top for "sharing" and a mini-door on the back of the bottle if you only want one piece. Since I advise against having only one piece, however, I'm rather unimpressed with this feature.

Overall: I think this watermelon-kiwi newbie never got a chance to stand on its own. It will forever live in the shadow of Juicy Fruit-- to which no gum could or should really ever be compared. Anyone who picks up a Juicy Fruit container will expect some semblance of Juicy Fruit and will be in some sense disappointed. Hopefully some folks will recognize its true potential, and it will live on beyond its ill-fated label.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Orbit Perfect Peach

2010-05-26T09:13:00.004-04:00

Flavor: Orbit's new Perfect Peach is true to its name - it tastes like peach, and there's something to be said for that. Peach is a rare flavor in candy nowadays, with the exception of old standbys like Jolly Ranchers and Haribo Gummies. Most often peach is mixed in with other fruity flavors, but it's a great fruit, and I'm glad to see Orbit give peach its day in the sun. The flavor burst is tangy and sweet, but once the flavor fades, it becomes almost too sweet, although it does stick around for a while. A truly "perfect" peach would stay nice and tangy from start to finish.

Texture: Awesome. Initial bite is a perfect blend of firm and soft, and it melds into an absolutely incredible wad. You can pop and crack it, and blow bubbles, and the texture remains true until you dispose of the piece. It feels almost "shiny" in your mouth, if you can imagine it.

Presentation: A simple, no-frills orange-yellow, with a subtle pointillist peach behind the Orbit logo. Pleasing to the eye, but nothing special.

Overall: When I first chewed this gum, the first pack was gone in a flash, and I told my sister that it was the most amazing new gum to come along since Orbit Mist Peppermint Spray. But the more I chew, the more sick I get of the sweetness. Maybe, as our friend Chris suggested, I burned myself out on it, but I just don't find myself devouring this like I did at first. Nevertheless, it's a fantastic gum that deserves much praise.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Orbit Mist Raspberry Lemon Dew

2010-05-21T09:03:00.007-04:00

Flavor: The newest addition to the Orbit Mist family is the sweet-tart Raspberry Lemon Dew. When I offered a piece of this gum to my husband, he refused it, saying that raspberry lemonade "isn't a flavor gum should be." Au contraire, mon ami. The Orbit Mist line prides itself on being the "wettest gum in the world," and its packaging proudly calls out "a hydrating sensation." What's more hydrating on a hot summer day than a nice tall glass of lemonade? The flavor here is spot-on, it's like they took the chemical flavor profile of a canister of Country Time powder and added chicle to it. It's really fantastic, starts out strong and then fades to be very mellow, but never loses its tang completely.

Texture: Near perfection. As noted many times previously, I'm a big fan of "crunchies" in gum in whatever form, and the micro-bursts(tm) provide just the right amount of grit before dissolving themselves into the gum. The wad itself is soft and pliable, and lends itself greatly to cracking and snapping. It even blows pretty good bubbles if you stick with it.

Presentation: The graphic design on the Orbit Mist line is pleasing to the eye, generally. They get their "hydrating" message across in an effective way by incorporating subtle "ripples" in the cool blue semi-metallic inks. The purple and yellow in the circular "burst" touting the flavor work surprizingly well together, and the little raspberry-lemon icons are charmingly cartoonish.

Overall: The packaging here really lets you know what to expect, and the gum does not let you down. I bought a single pack of this gum about a week ago and it was gone within two days, and I recently replenished my supply with a 3-pack, and have chewed through half of it before finally sitting down and writing this review. It's a gum I find myself reaching for and popping stick after stick in my mouth. I think this, along with Orbit's new Perfect Peach (to be reviewed next week) are going to be my "summer gums" this season. It's just right.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Mentos Pure White Sweet Mint

2010-05-17T22:42:00.003-04:00

Flavor: Our friend Sidney, an avid reader of Gumalert, suggested we review his new favorite gum. This line of Mentos has been on my review queue for a while now, and I was pleased to begin the fun with Sweet Mint. It tastes a lot like the other varieties, in fact, I have three flavors in my purse and have been chewing them interchangeably without any prejudice to the color of the bottle. The Sweet Mint doesn't taste traditionally sweet to me, per say, it's a fairly standard cooling mint-- but there's a definite hint of sweetness, reminiscent of Dentyne Ice Vanilla Chill (which we've not yet reviewed... I've yet to have the self-control to save a piece in time to review it. It's really good). In fact, I think this pails in comparison to the Dentyne Ice Vanilla Chill (except in texture-- the Mentos has a nice, refreshing first bite, a satisfying crunch, but the flavor piddles off rather quickly).

Texture: The first time I enjoyed a Mentos candy as a child, I chewed far longer than one is intended to chew a candy pellet before swallowing. The trouble was that I assumed it was gum, and it mysteriously dissolved in my mouth. I was sort of ashamed to ask my mother for another piece so soon-- feeling as though I'd done something wrong to chew a gum to oblivion in a matter of seconds. The texture of this gum, and all of the newer Mentos gums, is a treat for folks like me who expect the pleasure of Mentos to last and last. It's crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. After about fifteen minutes of chewing, it loses flavor and is a little dry, but it sure lasts longer than a Mentos candy, and that's a good thing.

Presentation: This is a new kind of packaging, a hard plastic shell, similar to the Hubba Bubba Glop plastic casing. Although it can't fit in your pocket, it's a sturdy substitute for the standard paper pack. The fact that it is plastic, however, in this increasingly eco-friendly culture, was a little disconcerting at first-- until I saw that it is, indeed, a recyclable container. I expect this fact might be lost on many, many chewers however, and most plastic bottles will be tossed with the rest of the gum wrappers, and will lead to a wasteful bunch of plastic in our ever-growing landfills (no lectures intended, honest). It sure does keep the gum fresh and easily accessible, regardless.

Overall: It's a good gum, and it's Sidney's favorite. Overall, I thought it was ok, but wasn't too impressed. I prefer Trident Minty Sweet Twist, or Dentyne Vanilla Chill. I may buy Mentos gum again as a little treat, but I doubt I'll be buying the Sweet Mint again.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Dentyne pure - Mint with Melon Accents

2010-05-12T08:27:00.006-04:00

Flavor: This new gum by Dentyne is just fantastic. It packs a punch on first bite, but it's not so cold that it would make your sinuses hurt on a cold day. Although the package labels this gum as "mint," it's pretty obviously a spearmint. The self-described "Melon Accents" are just that, accents, and you really have to pay attention to notice them. I'm not quite sure what the claims of breath purification mean, but apparently the addition of something called "NeutraFRESH" is what makes it happen. Research on NeutraFRESH doesn't yeild much information, but I'm sure it's yet another concoction of chemicals (Retsyn, anyone?) that will eventually lead to our demise. But, for now, NeutraFRESH seems to do a fine job of freshening (purifying) the breath and giving your mouth a clean feeling. There's a liquid goo in the center, though it's not advertised on the package. (I imagine that's the NeutraFRESH. The sweet, sweet NeutraFRESH.)

Texture: With such a good flavor profile and hiply designed packaging, you'd think that Cadbury would have paid more attention to the chewability of the gum. Like most pellet gums, you're presented with a candy shell that provides initial crunch, and then dissolves. The gum that's left here is way too soft, and it doesn't seem to be firming up the longer I chew. It's almost mushy. Between the liquid center, the crunchy shell, and the mushy texture, there's just too much going on here.

Presentation: Although it's the standard pop-out pellet blister pack, the package itself is very nicely done, featuring those "swirlies" that are so popular now. It's really playing up to the iPod generation. I imagine my New York hipster friend, who doesn't own a television and rides his bike everywhere he goes, pulling this gum out of his pocket and offering me a piece as he tries to cleanse his palate of the taste of a soy latte.

Overall: This would be a fantastic, 5-gumball gum if it weren't for the awful texture. It's definitely worth a chew, though, even if only for the NeutraFRESH. And it sure does look impressive when you pull it out at your Favorite Band That No One's Ever Heard of show in the Village.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Stride Eternal Melon

2010-05-10T22:15:00.004-04:00

Flavor: I'd have to say that with all the hubbub about the new fun Stride flavors (Stride Mega Mystery, Stride Shift Citrus + Mint, Stride Shift Berry + Mint), this tastes the most kid-friendly to me. It's not super sweet, but compared to other melon gums out there, it lends itself much more to the watermelon flavor we're used to tasting, a mellowed-out Bubblicious, if you will. But I'm not sure it's not something exclusively kids would like, per say, and not necessarily adults, either. It's a tweener melon, the Justin Bieber of the gum world, appealing to both middle aged women and six-year-old girls. But is he...excuse me, it... enough for either?

Texture: Bieber Melon, like most Stride gums, offers a pleasant, consistent chew. The flavor lasts and lasts, and the texture never gets mushy or stiff. Unfortunately for me, as all of my Stride reviews have indicated, it gives me sores in my mouth, so this will be my last stick in the pack.

Presentation: The color of the package itself screams "lime" to me, it's about as lime green as lime can be. I suppose this works, seeing as the "Nickelodeon green" seems to be working for Stride in the Shift realm. It catches your eye, and it's simple-- once again appealing to a wide variety of audiences. It's an obnoxious enough color that kids will be begging for it, but not quite as shameful for a grown adult to pull out of her purse as, say, Bubbletape (but it's worth it, every time).

Overall: This gum is named "Eternal Melon." Is it ageless, timeless, beyond the boundaries of our concept of the space-time continuum? Much like our lauded Mr. Bieber, I think it's all right, but it's going to get old sooner or later.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Fruit Sensations - Sweet Tropical

2010-05-07T13:45:00.002-04:00

Flavor: This was the gum that broke me of my gum fast. I could not resist its juicy temptation. If you're a regular Gum Alert reader (and why wouldn't you be?) you will know that I have been on a soy-free diet because I'm currently nursing my 4-month old daughter, and she's got some allergy issues. Recently I've been slowly adding back soy into my diet, and I saw this new Extra flavor on the shelf and I just had to pick it up. I did not make the wrong choice. This is the best fruit gum I've had in a long, long time. Super tangy at first bite, mellowing into a "sweet tropical" medley that last an extra, extra, extra long time.

Texture: This is what it's all about. It starts off nice, and stays malleable, and perfectly tough. There is a brief interlude of borderline too-toughness, but it's so brief that it's barely noticeable. Most Fruit Sensations flavors will eventually soften and degrade until the wad is a thousand pieces of gag-inducing plasma balls that you'll be coughing up for hours, but this one stays nice for the long haul. I've been chewing for about 15 minutes now, and there's no sign of cohesion loss.

Presentation: It's a pleasant teal blue color reminiscent of the Caribbean Sea, fading into large pictures of an orange, grapefruit and pineapple. Like Orbit Berry Red, the package boasts "TASTES LIKE REAL FRUIT." I don't know what the gum companies are thinking with this logic. It doesn't taste like real fruit. Sucralose, Aspartame and the like will never taste like naturally-occurring Fructose no matter how they combine them. And truth be told, I think that chewers are okay with that, but I don't think we're okay with being misled.

Overall: I feel really bad for Extra, they're like the bastard stepchild of gums. Extra is a really great gum, but they're falling into the background of Orbit, Stride and Trident. It's a damn shame, because Extra really does put out some great flavors, and Sweet Tropical is at the top of the list. I'm just afraid that it will fall by the wayside and be outshined and overlooked for a fancy new 5, or an old favorite. If you see this one on the checkout line, pick up a pack. You won't be sorry. And if you are, just send the rest of the pack to me. I'll get rid of it for you.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Orbit Berry Red

2010-05-04T22:04:00.004-04:00

Flavor: Everyone with whom I shared this gum had about the same reaction upon the first bite-- "This is pretty good!" Everyone seems a little surprised by it, even, suggesting that the packaging might be amiss somehow. Regardless, I, too, was quite pleased with this new Orbit flavor. "Berry Red" is sort of vague, but so is the flavor. It tastes mostly of strawberry to me, but more importantly, Shannon brought to my attention that it tastes an awful lot like our old discontinued favorite, Extra Original. It's sweet and pleasant, without any claims to "mint" like many fruity gums are trying to attempt these days. It's a classic flavor, nothing earth-shattering but good nonetheless.

Texture: Every stick of this gum that I've had so far has provided a solid chew, not too soft, not too hard. My present chewing situation is a bit "fizzy," or sort of bubbly between the teeth, if you will, but I imagine this has more to do with the pint of seltzer I drank beforehand than anything else.

Presentation: Again, something is not right here. It's very simple in its packaging, just as it is in flavor. It looks a lot like older Orbit packaging, and is a solid dark pink with vague berry drawings beneath the label. At once I really appreciate the minimalist approach here, and wish it were more. I feel like a lot of people might not be expecting much from this boring package, and so might not buy it over something with more pizazz, like, say, Stride Shift Citrus + Mint (ERROR ERROR FAIL DO NOT PASS GO ABORT MISSION ABORT ABORT DO NOT BUY). One real complaint I do have about the packaging is the phrase "Tastes like real fruit." I can't imagine what "real fruit" this is supposed to taste like, but I certainly wouldn't like to eat it in a pie or spread on my bread with peanut butter. It's tacky candy phony sweet. It is what it is.

Overall: It's so much like our old favorite, I have to admit I'm a little bias here. I wonder if it, too, like its extinct predecessor, will vanish into the historic gum abyss eventually. All we can do is wait and see, and say "thank you" to Orbit for taking us back, if only for a brief chew.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)