Mike and Ike have been around for some 70+ years. They’re pretty much jelly beans, sold in boxes in a limited assortment of 2 to five flavors.

The newest Limited Edition version is Mike and Ike Strawberry Reunion. Recently Just Born did a big advertising push for Mike and Ike, including a whole narrative about the characters of Mike and Ike breaking up ... and (spoiler!) getting back together. This version has a strawberry theme, including: Strawberry, Strawberry Banana Smoothie, Strawberry Watermelon, Strawberry Tangerine and Strawberry Pineapple.

If you want to read more about the marketing, AdWeek had a nice summation of it.

Strawberry Watermelon is a light pink color with darker spots and completely believable in its flavor. It’s a floral and tart and ends with the watermelon flavor notes without tasting like chemicals.

Strawberry was red rather ordinary, but still a good piece.

Strawberry Banana Smoothie is yellow. It’s tangy at first with an artificial note of banana and none of the creamy component that makes strawberry banana smoothies so great. As an artificial creation though, it’s nice candy.

Strawberry Tangerine is orange and fantastic. Tangy and citrusy and floral all at once. It has a zesty finish to it, instead of being purely sweet.

Strawberry Pineapple is speckled and more peachy. There weren’t as many of these in my box, which is too bad because they were also wonderful. Tart and zippy with more pineapple than strawberry.

Overall, a nice mix, each of them were distinct but could also be combined ... the only one that didn’t like to play with others was watermelon.

Just Born also recently started releasing their candies in classic packaging. To go along with that, they brought back a few of their old flavor varieties. I found the Mike and Ike Lem and Mel and the Mike and Ike Cherri and Bubb at the Dollar Tree.

These are full variety mixes though, each box only contains a pair of flavors ... and odd pairs at that. The packaging has a fifties feel, a little more muted and simplified, but a quick check online shows that the Lem and Mel variety was introduced in 1991 and the Cherri and Bubb was out in 1989 ... back when we had another obsession with nostalgia.

The Mike and Ike - Lem and Mel is yellow and green, featuring Lemon and Watermelon flavored jelly bean rods. The lemon is already found in the classic Mike and Ike fruits box and a pink version of the watermelon is in the RedRageous package.

Lemon is not as sparkly as the Lemonade Blends. It’s sweet and zesty, but not tangy. Watermelon is sweet as well, with only a tart hint and then a sort of cotton candy finish.

Cherri and Bubb is Cherry and Bubble Gum. I bought this variety because of the Bubble Gum Peeps and though maybe I’d review them together, but ended up separating the products this way instead.

The cherry is an odd sort of flavor. It’s very bold, it starts out with a strong wild cherry flavor that reminds me of Sucrets throat drops. Then it gets very sweet and has a little bit of a raspberry note. They’re not for me.

Bubble gum is pink. They seemed a little bit stiffer, not quite as soft and jelly-like as the cherry. This make them seem more bubble gum-like as well. It’s a good bubble gum flavor, a bit on the sweet strawberry side with only the lightest note of wintergreen. It’s fresh and veers off into juicyfruit. There’s no weird aftertaste from the artificial colors, which was my problem with the Peeps.

About 9 years ago I remember a Root Beer Float version of Mike and Ike, I’d like to see those come back ... or maybe a whole soda pop flavor mix.

They’re a really good value, for a buck a box which holds 5 ounces. It’s the kind of price that I don’t feel bad if I throw out the flavors I don’t like. I’d opt for the Strawberry Reunion or the Lemonade Blends out of all the Mike and Ike varieties.

Name: Mike and Ike Strawberry Reunion
Brand: Just Born
Place Purchased: Dollar Tree (Echo Park)
Price: $1.00
Size: 5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 99
Type: Jelly
Rating: 7 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Bubble Gum Flavored Peeps
2. Jelly Belly Snapple Jelly Beans
3. Sour Patch Kids Berries
4. Mike and Ike Fruit Flavored Bubblegum
5. Mike and Ike Italian Ice
6. Strawberry Yoghurt Mentos
7. Mike and Ike Alex’s Lemonade Stand
8. Mike and Ike Tangy Twister

Instead of a row of conjoined Peeps, these are the individual chicks, the packages I have have trays with a pair that come out to only .75 ounces. If you’re looking for a low calorie summer treat, this might be the thing, as they’re only 75 calories for the package.

They smell like Country Time Lemonade Drink Mix. A soft lemon with a little hint of vanilla and anti-caking agents. The Peeps are, well, rather like a lemon meringue.

The marshmallow itself is soft, fluffy and has a mellow sweet lemon flavor, the sugary coating has a little tartness to it now and then, like someone mixed lemon Pixy Stix in with the granulated coating. Overall, it’s actually a pretty successful iteration of the ordinarily bland Peeps.

I didn’t try them toasted, but I bet that would really add to the lemon meringue note.

The PR folks also sent along some boxes of the Mike and Ike Lemonade Blends. I’ve already reviewed them, though I admit they’re my favorite variety of the Mike and Ike, so I was happy to have them.

The reason I mention it is that both candies are part of Just Born’s partnership with Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer, which raises money for families dealing the a child with cancer as well as research for cures. Since 2007 they’ve donated over $500,000 to the group through their Mike and Ike packages.

The candies are just regular old Mike and Ike jelly bean rods in five flavors: Lemonade, Tangerine Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade and Lime Lemonade.

The seem to be a lot easier to find now than when they first came out, which I’m guessing is because it’s a good mix of flavors. They’re a bit more tart than the standard Fruit Mike and Ike and the variety is good because the lemon flavor holds it all together so you can combine. I gave them a 7 out of 10 when they first came out, and think they’ve held up well.

Name: Peeps Sweet Lemonade Chicks
Brand: Just Born
Place Purchased: samples from Just Born
Price: $1.49 retail
Size: .75 ounces
Calories per ounce: 93
Type: Marshmallow
Rating: 7 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Bubble Gum Flavored Peeps
2. Peeps Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookie & Candy Cane
3. Peeps Strawberry Creme dipped in Dark Chocolate
4. Airheads Pink Lemonade
5. Sour Punch Bits - Tangerine-Lemonade
6. Mike and Ike Fruit Flavored Bubblegum
7. Mike and Ike Alex’s Lemonade Stand

The candy bar boasted chocolate wafers with chocolate cream and then a layer of crushed peanuts all covered in real milk chocolate. It sounds like a giant KitKat, but the reality was a bit different. The wafers were more aerated, the cream layers were more chocolatey and the crushed nuts were, of course, never found on a KitKat. Later in 1992, in an attempt to overcome some manufacturing issues, the bar was changed from a single piece to twin sticks with the addition of caramel. The wrapper was also redesigned to predominantly yellow and sales fell until the bar was discontinued in the United States in 1997. (More about the bar here.)

The Iconic Candy Company of Carle Place, NY specializes in reviving extinct candies; they picked up the rights to the candy bar and are in the final stages of their planned reintroduction of Bar None. They previewed the Bar None at the Sweets and Snacks Expo in Chicago last month.

Indulge me for a moment for a little more history, or don’t and skip ahead to the review down there where the candy bar photos start. In addition to one of the early ad campaigns for the bar (which included commercials and the tagline “Tame the Chocolate Beasty”)  I also found an intact wrapper online which revealed the original (circa 1990) ingredients for the 1.5 ounce bar (240 calories):

Milk chocolate (milk chocolate contains sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate, soya lecithin and vanillin) Peanuts, refined palm kernel oil, sugar, wheat flour, nonfat milk, cocoa processed with alkali, dextrose, cornstarch, soy lecithin, baking soda, salt, TBHQ and citric acid

The new bar is 1.6 ounces and 240 calories:

Milk chocolate, dry roasted peanuts, chocolate cream wafer. Milk chocolate: sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk, chocolate liquor, soy lecithin, vanilla. Chocolate Creme Wafer: Sugar, enriched flour, dextrose, palm oil, canola oil, cocoa processed with alkali, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, salt, sodium bicarbonate, yellow #5, yellow #6, red #3, red #40, blue #1. May contain cornstarch. Contains milk, wheat, soy and peanuts.

The original bars were made by Hershey’s at their facility in Stuart’s Draft, Virginia (home of Reese’s Pieces). Iconic Candy is also making their bars in the United States.

The bar looks good, though I have to say that it doesn’t look as angular as I remember it. I thought it was a little flatter back in the olden days, but I could be wrong. I rarely took the bar out of the wrapper, instead when I ate it, I opened the end and just pushed out enough of it to take a bite because it was a very messy bar - both the fact that it would melt on the fingers and the fact that biting into it would sometimes scatter bits of the thin chocolate coating. I remember the chocolate coating as a soft chocolate, prone to melting even though I lived in the never-actually-warm Northern California area at the time. The original bar was also fatty, as the calorie count was about 160 calories per ounce, which is very high for a wafer bar.

It smells good, like chocolate with just a hint of roasted peanuts. Again, I don’t remember the peanut element from the original, which was really all about the taste of the milk chocolate and the cream filling between the wafers. The peanuts were for crunch, not flavor.

The bar has a gentle crunch to it. The chocolate gives way well without becoming a flaky mess. The wafers are crispy and light, quite aerated and different from the KitKat wafers, which are more dense. These are like an ice cream cone. Though I would want the wafers chocolate flavored, I think they’re rather flavorless, coming across a bit like malty foam.

The chocolate is sweet and creamy with a good milky flavor. The peanuts taste fresh and have a good crunch and consistent size. There’s a little note of salt, just on the crushed nuts. The wafer stack is good, though not as chocolatey as I would like.

There’s an alternate universe (if you subscribe to the multiverse theory) where Hershey’s didn’t pervert and destroy the original bar with the twin sticks with caramel. But in that universe, in which Hershey’s behaved otherwise identically, the bar would have fallen to the same pressures to use “safe and suitable vegetable fats” instead of cocoa butter like they did with the classic Mr. Goodbar which is no longer a good chocolate bar, or a chocolate bar at all. So even if there were a Bar None today, I doubt I would still like it. Hershey’s simply doesn’t make their products better over time, they just make the more efficiently. We’re lucky if that doesn’t effect the taste and nutritional profile of the product, but it usually does. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Good & Plenty are really their only remaining products that I still enjoy regularly.

So, in a way, I think it was a blessing that Bar None disappeared before it got bad. Because then people wanted it to come back. The new Iconic Candy version of it isn’t quite the same, but then again, the original had its issues. It often slid apart, because the creme between the layers wasn’t held together well enough by the chocolate coating. The sharper corners would get crushed. The chocolate would flake off. I don’t see those as issues with the revived bar. But it’s still lacking that fatty, slick chocolate texture that I remember. So, it may be an uphill battle with the die hard fans of the original. There’s also a case to be made that original fans may have had other qualities about the bar that they liked that are still served by this version.

Tasting this bar today, without the reference point of the original, it’s a very well done effort. It’s airy and light but still very satisfying. The peanuts are a nice crunchy touch that don’t veer off into peanut butter territory as a flavor. But my tastes have changed now, being exposed to fine and dark chocolate from around the world have made me demand more from my candy. Now I think I’d want this in a dark chocolate version over a milk one.

The cross section though did give me pause. It’s purple. Why are the wafers purple? Well, glance back up there at the list of ingredients and you’ll see five artificial colors. I’m not sure why it needed them, but they’re there.

I’ve emailed with Iconic Candy, and the bars aren’t in stores quite yet. I’ll have some more information on that, and of course they’ll have information at their website as they start shipping to wholesalers and stores. If you have a favorite spot for buying candy, you may want to mention to them that you’d like to try the bar so they’ll order it.

Here’s a newsletter from Hershey’s called Chocolate Town USA from back in 1990 that details the launch of the original chocolate bar.

Name: Bar None
Brand: Iconic Candy
Place Purchased: samples from Iconic Candy
Price: $1.50 retail
Size: 1.6 ounces
Calories per ounce: 150
Type: Chocolate/Cookie/Peanuts
Rating: 7 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Candy Tease: Bar None, Reed’s and Regal Crown Sours
2. Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Wafer Cookies
3. Crispy M&Ms
4. Tunnock’s Caramel Milk Chocolate Wafer
5. Ritter Sport Neapolitan Wafers
6. Q.Bel Crispy Wafer Bars
7. Candy Poll: Back from the Dead
8. I Miss: Bar None

KitKat Minis are unwrapped versions that are only 1 inch long. They’re also solo. Instead of “fingers” of KitKats served up in quads, these are like “pinky toes,” if you have those kind of pinkies that never quite fit in regular sandals and just hang out by themselves.

This isn’t the first time KitKat has attempted a bite sized version, there were KitKat Bites on the market about eight years ago. Those were smaller and more spherical as they were a panned chocolate (the centers were tumbled in a pan and then sealed with a little glaze).

The issue I found with the earlier KitKat Bites violating the interactivity I’d come to love about the KitKat bar is not an issue here. The miniature bars do have all the layers. This means that my process of eating them is the same. I cleave off the chocolate on each, making a melt-free spot to hold the bar while I peel off each layer of the cookie wafers with my teeth.

I enjoyed these, but not quite as much as I would have liked. The ratio of chocolate to wafers is higher now. I wouldn’t mind if it was good chocolate, but it’s not. It’s overly sweet, a little grainy and because it contains PGPR, I always think it has a rancid note to it.

I’m hoping these will come in the dark variety at some point. But the reality is that the Japanese Adult Taste Dark Chocolate KitKat (called Otonano Amaso) version is so untouchably superior, and actually comes in a nugget version, I don’t plan on buying Hershey’s again after this bag is gone.

The price is okay, I got mine on sale for $3.50 for the bag, which is a half of a pound. The wrapped candies can often be less expensive, but these may come down in price over the coming months as the economies of scale kick in. The stand up bag does have a zipper on it so they do store well. I can also see these being a good addition to ice cream or used as an ingredient in baking projects.

Though KitKat bars in the rest of the world, made by Nestle, are becoming fair trade certified, the American made KitKats from Hershey’s are not quite there yet. (Even when they do make it, that doesn’t mean they’ll taste better.)

Name: KitKat Minis
Brand: Hershey’s
Place Purchased: CVS
Price: $3.49
Size: 8 ounces
Calories per ounce: 142
Type: Chocolate/Cookie
Rating: 7 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Milky Way Unwrapped Bites
2. Clark Bites
3. Rolo Minis
4. KitKat Otonano Amasa (Adult Taste)
5. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Minis
6. KitKat Dark
7. KitKat Bitter & White
8. KitKat Mint Dark Chocolate Minis

When I placed an order with the PA Country Store back before Easter, I decided to rectify that omission by selecting the Eclat Chocolate Caramelized Hazelnuts 65% bar. The packaging is simple, a slim black paperboard box holding a mylar wrapped bar. Sadly it didn’t protect the bar from getting broken (but I was going to break it anyway).

Eclat Chocolate may be best known as the creator of one of the most expensive bars on the market filled with celebrity names, the Good & Evil Bar made from Peruvian Pure Nacional cocoa beans and retails for about $18 for 2.8 ounces. I’m not terribly interested in things that are notable for being expensive though I enjoy a good origin story. So I’ll stick with the Caramelized Hazelnuts for now. Here’s what the online description said:

Although most hazelnuts, also known as filberts, are harvested out of Turkey, the Spanish hazelnut out of Tarragona has an extremely unique and rare flavor. By caramelizing the hazelnuts and blending them with a 65% dark chocolate, the flavor profile of this Obsession Bar is boldly nutty and deliciously sweet.

The bar is attractive, a nice mold with well portioned segments. I prefer a thicker bar, especially when there are inclusions, but there’s something particularly stunning about such a large field of molded dark chocolate.

The scent is sweet, woodsy and a little buttery. The chocolate has a smooth and rather quick melt and an immediate sweetness. I don’t eat a lot of 65% chocolate, so I forgot how sweet it is. The inclusions are crispy and have a great deep toasted toffee and hazelnut flavor. I don’t know if I got the subtle difference of the Spanish hazelnut, but I liked what I was tasting.

I would have preferred slightly larger pieces, I found the ratios a little off, but then again, I think I would have preferred a bit darker chocolate, too. However, if you’re a milk person, this is a great munchable dark bar that doesn’t feel too dense or difficult. I had no trouble at all eating my way through it, especially because of the excellent melt of the chocolate and lack of overall bitterness.

I mentioned I’d been to the shop before. I’ve picked up bonbons there on two occasions, though they weren’t for review, just for eating. They’re well priced for an artisan confection. The boxes are well put together to highlight the chocolates and it traveled very well (first by car around Central Pennsylvania for several days and then flying back to Los Angeles).

The tempering was excellent, all of the shells were thin but never cracked. The ganaches were smooth and never grainy.

I picked out varieties such as Beer, Star Anise and Single Malt as well as the classic 73% Dark Ganache and Dark Caramel. The flavor infusions were not overwhelming to the chocolate and the piece size, though on the small size, meant that I could eat quite a few pieces for maximum variety.

I believe my box was $25.00 in the store. I’ve also bought their hot chocolate sticks, which I find exceptional though expensive. I like making my own hot chocolate, because then I get to control the milk (lactose free, please) and these sorts of “melt it at home” products make for a far richer experience than the powders. At $4.50 each, it’s more than you’d spend at a Starbucks. But sometimes it’s nice for a splurge.

If I’m in the area, it’s a stop I’ll continue to make. It’s a great little pick me up before I get on the Turnpike and is a great place to pick up a few hostess gifts. I posted a few photos of the shop as well.

Name: Chocolate Caramelized Hazelnuts 65%
Brand: Éclat Chocolate
Place Purchased: PA Country Store
Price: $8.50
Size: 3 ounces
Calories per ounce: 145
Type: Chocolate/Nuts
Rating: 8 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Poco Dolce Hazelnut Bar
2. Recchiuti Asphalt Jungle Mix
3. Kohler Chocolates Garden Ganache & Toffee Mountains
4. Valerie Confections: Pour Homme and Pour Elle
5. Short & Sweet: Hazelnut Bites
6. 3400 Phinney: Fig, Fennel & Almond and Hazelnut Crunch

The newest flavor addition, which I mentioned in a roundup last month, is Bubble Gum Flavored Peeps. As you might expect, they’re pink. They’re also Peep shaped, not bunny shaped or bubble shaped. Even though they’re little baby chicks, they’re considered a year-round flavor.

Just Born bills them as having that “classic bubble gum taste.” Which of course leads me to examine what that flavor actually is. Well, since there’s no natural item, like a vanilla bean to consult, the recipe varies, but generally bubble gum is very mild wintergreen, sometimes with a little fruity banana and vanilla flavors thrown in.

The Peeps come in a row of five conjoined chicks. They’re pink, which isn’t surprising at all, except for the fact that they’re colored all the way through. This ruins it completely for me.

The flavor is mild and actually goes really well with the sweet, aerated gelatin. But the artificial coloring (Red 40) has a bitter, metallic aftertaste for me. So the first bite is great, but shortly after it begins to dissolve, I have a bunch of bitter goo in my mouth.

I’m really disappointed they had to use so much coloring for these, most of the other Peeps they sell are uncolored in the middle (except for the chocolate coated ones). I’m sure that folks who don’t react poorly to Red 40 and also enjoy the slightly medicinal flavor of bubble gum will go wild for these.

Name: Bubble Gum Flavored Peeps
Brand: Just Born
Place Purchased: Samples from Just Born
Price: $2.49 retail
Size: 3 ounces
Calories per ounce: 89
Type: Marshmallow
Rating: 6 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Peeps Chocolate Dipped Sugar Cookie & Candy Cane
2. Dubble Bubble Gum Cigars
3. Nestle Butterfinger Pumpkin
4. Classic Gums: Black Jack, Clove, Beemans & Teaberry
5. Three Pink Bubble Gums
6. Peeps Mash Ups

Dove has done some wonderful things with white chocolate lately, the best thing is that they’re using cocoa butter instead of substitute oils. This is expecially noticeable in products like this one where chocolate and white chocolate are together. Dove did a great job with their Peppermint Bark for the holidays, it’s a great layered combination of chocolate, white chocolate and mint candy pieces.

I assumed that these new Promises would be similar to the Peppermint Bark but without the crunch. These feature a combination of the classic Dove semisweet chocolate swirled together with artificially-colored white chocolate flavored with peppermint.

Other than finding the color of them a bit unappetizing, I think these are great. They’re minty, but it doesn’t overwhelm the chocolate. They have an incredibly silky melt and just two or three are a satisfying treat. I don’t think they needed the coloring, in fact, I think it detracts from them. The foil does enough to denote the flavor inside, a white or off-white would have been just fine for most people.

I prefer them in the pieces, I don’t think I’d be up for eating a whole bar of this. I’m fond of Andes Mints, but these are much better ... better ingredients, better melt on the tongue, real chocolate ... and pretty much the same price.

Mars is moving towards using all ethically and sustainably sourced chocolate through Rainforest Alliance for their Dove line.

Name: Mint & Dark Chocolate Swirl Promises
Brand: Dove (Mars)
Place Purchased: samples from Mars
Price: $3.49 retail
Size: 8.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 156
Type: Chocolate/Mint
Rating: 8 out of 10

Related Candies

1. Dove 71% Cacao Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate (Rainforest Alliance)
2. M&Ms White Chocolate Peppermint
3. Dove Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate Promises
4. Trader Joe’s Minty Melts
5. Dove Swirl Bars
6. Marich All Natural Holland Mints & Chocolate Jordan Almonds
7. Dove Peppermint Bark

The Mars Milky Way Unwrapped Bites are similar to the Snickers Unwrapped Bites I already reviewed. They’re little cubes, super tiny versions of the popular Milky Way bar. The base is a fluffy nougat, topped with caramel and coated in milk chocolate.

The little nuggets are 2/3 of an inch cubed. A serving is eight pieces, which comes to about 1.34 ounces. They clock in a bit lighter on the calories than the Snickers, mostly because they don’t contain peanuts, which are a bit fattier (but also contain 50% more protein).

They’re easy to eat, sweet smelling and have a soft bite and easy, aerated chew. There was a bit of a cereal note to the smell, but overall they were just sweet and tasty.

This is another interesting example of how ratios of different element can change a candy. I know that some die hard Milky Way fans will probably detest this, but I happen to like it much more than the bar. The bar was always too big, too filling and too sweet but also lacking in any distinct flavor element. In this version the malt of the fluffed nougat is the most forward; it also combines well with the slightly salty caramel to create a great balance.

My only complaint with the bites is that the thinner chocolate shell makes them more delicate. There were several clumps in my bag where one spilled its caramel and they got stuck together. I don’t see myself buying these regularly, but I can see them being great for recipes, especially as an ice cream topper perhaps inside cookies.

Name: Milky Way Unwrapped Bites
Brand: Mars
Place Purchased: samples from Mars
Price: $2.99
Size: 7 ounces
Calories per ounce: 134
Type: Chocolate/Caramel/Nougat
Rating: 9 out of 10

Name: Peppermint Spangler Peanuts
Brand: Spangler Candy
Description: Spangler Circus Peanuts have been a favorite for decades and now they come in a delicious peppermint flavor! Fat free, and free of the most common allergens, they’re perfect for a new generation and those who grew up loving them! Fat free and are free of the top common allergens.
Introduction Date: November 1, 2013
Notes: I have a soft spot for the sheer incongruity of Circus Peanuts, a candy shaped like a peanut, tinted like a Malibu Tan Barbie and flavored like fingernail polish remover (or perhaps it’s banana) so this new flavored version of the strange confectionery chimera also intrigues me. I hope I can find them this Christmas.,

Name: Klondike Candy
Brand: Flix Candy
Description: This new treat is sure to melt in your mouth! It comes in two delicious flavors. Mint Chocolate Chip features a refreshing mint center filled with mint chocolate chips and is covered in dark chocolate flavored coating. Meanwhile, Klondike Caramel has a creamy caramel center covered in milk chocolate flavored coating.
Introduction Date: 6/1/2013
Notes: The fact that they’re using mockolate pretty much stops me dead in my tracks as far as desireablility goes. Sure, I’d love an ice cream themed candy, but I see no point in eating one filled with tropical oils or partially hydrogenated fats when there are so many others out there made with real and decadent ingredients.

Name: All Natural Cotton Candy
Brand: Fun Sweets
Description: Delicious Fun Sweets All Natural Cotton Candy is made with real honey, coconut palm nectar and orange blossom extract. This fat-free, gluten free product is also made in a nut free facility.
Introduction Date: 05/01/2013
Notes: It’s nice to see a new version of all natural cotton candy, which is a pretty simple confection. I’m not sure about the use of honey or coconut palm nectar instead of plain old sugar ... considering the fact that cotton candy is just spun sugar. But I’ll give it a try.

Name: Starburst® Minis
Brand: Wrigley’s
Description: Starburst® Minis, a new Starburst® chew that’s small and unwrapped!
Introduction Date: 06/01/2013
Notes: I’ve always considered Skittles small unwrapped Starburst (though a slightly different flavor set) so this is a baffling candy in concept. No images were provided by Wrigley’s and they’ve not responded to my requests or inquiries since they were bought by Mars.

Name: Starburst ® Candy Corn
Brand: Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
Description: Candy corn shaped candies in the great fruit flavors of Starburst ® Original Chews
Introduction Date: 6/1/2013
Notes: I really wish I had photos for this, but I think we’ll probably have to wait for September when this rolls out (I think the June introduction is just when it’s available for order, not necessarily in stores).

Name: Airheads Fruit and Berry Bites and Airheads Xtremes Bites
Brand: Perfetti Van Melle USA Inc
Description: New Airheads Bites are chewy bite sized pieces of soft panned Airheads dough. They are unique because the flavor is stays fruity to the last bite. Same intense Airheads flavors but in easy-to-eat pieces. NEW Airheads Xtremes Bites combines intense Airheads flavor with the perfect blend of sweet & sour for sour lovers of all ages. Each convenient bite-size piece features a unique texture and eye-catching 5-colors.
Introduction Date: 04/15/2013
Notes: These sound really interesting. I enjoy Airheads, but rarely want to eat a full bar, so a panned version would be easy to nibble on and probably combine with other candies.

More new product introductions were announced at Sweets & Snacks Expo from Spangler Candy, Flix Candy, Wrigley’s and Perfetti Van Melle.

Related Candies

1. Candy Tease: Sweets & Snacks Expo - Part 1
2. Candy Tease: Bar None, Reed’s and Regal Crown Sours
3. Candy Tease: April 2013
4. Candy Tease: October 2012
5. Candy Tease: August 2012
6. Candy Tease: Sweets & Snacks Expo 2012 - Part 3

Name: Sour Punch PUNCHIES
Brand: American Licorice Company
Description: The sour, chewy, bite-size candy packs the perfect punch of fruity-sweet and sour and each of the five delicious Punchies® flavors is stamped with a whimsical Punchi face!
Introduction Date: 06/01/2013
Notes: I have a package of these and have sampled exactly one so far, mostly because I didn’t know what they meant by a soft shell, it’s kind of like a jelly bean coating with a sour licorice center. I’ll have a review next week.

Name: Lindt EXCELLENCE Diamonds
Brand: Lindt & Sprungli
Description: EXCELLENCE Diamonds individually wrapped chocolate pieces. EXCELLENCE 70%, Sea Salt, Intense Orange and Chili.
Introduction Date: 05/01/2013
Notes: I like smaller bites of chocolate. It could be that I have a short attention span or that I’d like to fill the landfills with wrappers, but an appropriately sized mini portion of chocolate actually feels more decadent sometimes than a full bar. So I’m happy to see that Lindt is working on creating some nice little bites with a bit more design to them. Their Excellence line is quite good, and because it’s Lindt, it’s pretty easy to find.

Name: Smurf Candy
Brand: Haribo USA
Description: In preparation for the highly anticipated Smurfs 2 movie in July, Haribo has released its first licenced product in the U.S.: Haribo Smurfs gummies. Already popular in Germany and France, Haribo Smurfs are strawberry and raspberry-flavored gummi candies in the shape of popular Smurf characters, like Papa Smurf and Smurfette. The gummies are the classic Smurf blue, with different characters wearing red, white and yellow caps. The candies are also gluten and fat free.
Introduction Date: June 2013
Notes: I tried a version of these when I was in Germany and liked them, it’s a good, well rounded raspberry flavor.

Name: Annabelle’s Rocky Road S’MORES
Brand: Annabelle Candy Co Inc
Description: - Handmade Milk Chocolate Coated Marshmallow with Real Graham Cracker and Cashews.
Introduction Date: 01/01/2013
Notes: It’s a natural sort of product extension to make a marshmallow and chocolate bar version with graham crackers. I’m looking forward to finding this, though I know that Annabelle Candies are hard to find when you get east of the Rockies. So not all areas may be able to get a hold of these. 

Name: Cold Stone Creamery Bars
Brand: The Cacao Group, Inc
Description: Five flavors will be available nationwide starting June 1 of this year. They are: Chocolate Devotion, Mmmmmint Chocolate Chip, Cookies & Creamery, Coffee Lovers Only and Cherry Almond Sundae. The chocolate is available in 1.8-oz. bars or 5.4-oz. stand-up bags.
Introduction Date: June 1, 2013
Notes: Cold Stone has done some hard candy and jelly bean varieties to date, so it’s only natural for them to get into chocolate bars. The flavor list sounds like they’re going to make bars in flavor combinations that aren’t usually seen like the Coffee Lovers and Cherry Almond Sundae, so that will set them apart from the already crowded bar field.

All images courtesy of their respective manufacturer

New product introductions from American Licorice, Lindt, Haribo, Annabelle Candy and Cold Stone Creamery are featured at Sweets & Snacks Expo this week.

Related Candies

1. Candy Tease: Bar None, Reed’s and Regal Crown Sours
2. Candy Tease: April 2013
3. Candy Tease: October 2012
4. Candy Tease: August 2012
5. Candy Tease: Sweets & Snacks Expo 2012 - Part 3