Author: Vin

REVIEW: Sonic Red Bull Summer Edition Watermelon Slush

Vin

Sonic Red Bull Summer Edition Watermelon Slush

What is Sonic’s Red Bull Summer Edition Watermelon Slush?

Can I interest you in a frozen watermelon flavored Red Bull?

How is it?

It’s cool, it’s refreshing, and it hits the spot. That’s not to say it delivers on the whole “energy drink” aspect of it all.

I enjoyed Summer Edition Watermelon Red Bull when I reviewed it because it actually amped me up. The watermelon flavor was a little on the sour and unripe side, but there was no mistaking it was a Red Bull.

It’s pretty much the opposite here. This tastes like a slightly watered-down Watermelon Slush Puppy, all the way down to the consistency of the ice.

Without knowing it was a Red Bull based drink, you’d probably barely notice. Without carbonation, you lose that “jolt” of a typical Red Bull, and the ice and watermelon mask that unmistakable flavor.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Sonic Red Bull Summer Edition Watermelon Slush Closeup

I’ve always preferred Slurpees to Slush Puppy style frozen drinks. I like the very fine ice mush as opposed to the course little pebbles of ice you get from a Slush Puppy machine. For some reason, one big sip is an instant brain freeze. I can feel the little ice shards scraping against the roof of my mouth and it instantly sets off that pain alarm in my cranium. Gulpers beware!

Sonic didn’t seem to offer this in a small, which would have been my preferred size.

Also, Sonic, I think it’s time to get a grip on using Styrofoam cups, no? Sure, plastic isn’t exactly MUCH better, but at least I can pretend that won’t be laying in a landfill for the rest of my life. But I digress…

Conclusion:

It may be a strange summer, but this is worth a buy if you want a quick burst of cool refreshment. It’s sweeter than the Red Bull it mimics, but you won’t get a headache from all the sugar – you’ll get it from the ice.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: Medium
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 0 grams of fat, 75 milligrams of sodium, 65 grams of total carbohydrates, 65 grams of total sugars, 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Coca-Cola Tic Tac

Vin 10 Comments

Limited Edition Coca Cola Tic Tac 1

What is Coca-Cola Tic Tac?

Let’s be real, a Coca-Cola flavored Tic Tac might seem pretty bizarre, but “things go better with a Coke.”

How is it?

As someone who has consciously tried to curb my soda intake, I gotta say, it’s nice to get that cola flavor back in my life in any form.

I actually have an exact flavor match in mind, and I’m going to try to explain it.

It’s definitely Coke, but it’s not as powerful and sweet as taking a swig of the soda itself.

Limited Edition Coca Cola Tic Tac in Tin

You know when you pour a fresh Coca-Cola over ice, and then take that first fizzy effervescent sip where the little bubbles explode out of the glass and onto your nose? It’s like a slightly watered down, extra carbonated form of what’s to come. That is the flavor of these Tic Tacs.

Does that make sense?

These “mints” taste like they’re about 80% of the way to true Coca-Cola flavor.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Limited Edition Coca Cola Tic Tac Closeup

They’re addicting. I’ve always been a four Tic Tacs at once kinda guy, but I found myself, perhaps unironically, drinking these straight from the bottle.

I couldn’t find these at Target, so I had to buy them on eBay. That’s how irresistible the rattle of Coca-Cola Tic Tacs was for me. I may have paid a bit more, but I’m not mad about it.

Conclusion:

I’d say these are just on the cusp of being a top tier Tic Tac. Orange Mint and the first two seconds of Peppermint (when they taste like vanilla) will forever be the kings.

These might seem like strange bedfellows, but if you want Coca-Cola flavored candy with a very subtle mint finish, you know where to look. Who knows, by the time you find these, there might also be Pepsi Altoids and RC Certs.

If you’re lucky enough to have them on hand, Tic Tacs can also be used in TikToks. Why not add a little maraca to your awful dance videos?

Eh, I’m playing. At least you’re having fun. Stay safe.

Purchased Price: $7.50 (These are $3.49 at Target, btw)
Size: 3.4 oz.
Purchased at: eBay
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Mint) 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of total carbohydrates, “a trivial amount” of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sour Patch Kids Frozen Dessert Bars

Vin 3 Comments

What are Sour Patch Kids Frozen Dessert Bars?

A vague raspberry flavored ice surrounding a vague vanilla ice cream-like substance, dotted with flavorless bits of Sour Patch Kids.

How are they?

These didn’t succeed, despite seeming like a great idea on paper.

The “redberry” ice pop portion was refreshing and tasted fine. Like Sour Patch Kids candy, it started sour then transitioned to sweet.

I still don’t actually know what “Redberry” is. It tasted like a combination of all the red berries (rasp, straw, even cran), but raspberry was most prominent, so I’m rolling with that.

The “dairy” portion that they or I wouldn’t dare call “ice cream,” was quite bad.

First off, the vanilla gets masked by the sourness of the Redberry ice, which is much colder than the “dairy,” so it’s pretty off-putting once you get to the bottom chunk of exposed vanilla. That’s the only time you can actually distinguish the flavors.

The worst part may have been the texture. It’s a slimy, synthetic, custard-like block that only gets worse with the addition of rubbery Sour Patch Kids “bitz.”

Is there anything else you need to know?

The Redberry ice overwhelms all the other flavors. There’s no strong vanilla ice cream taste at all, and the bits of the various Sour Patch Kid flavors are completely wasted. That was a bummer. I wanted to taste those since you only get one flavor of ice.

If you’ve ever had a custard and ice mix from a place like Rita’s or Ralph’s, this tastes like a dollar store version of those in bar form.

Conclusion:

I think these would succeed better as two separate ideas altogether. I’m sure they exist, but they should just sell SPK flavored ice pops and custard bars with candy bits as two different products.

Don’t even bother with these. There are 100 things better in the same aisle. If you need a Sour Patch Kids fix, just stick with the candy and mix them into a better frozen dessert.

Stay safe, everyone.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 16.5 fl. Oz. (6 bars)
Purchased at: Stop & Shop
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bar) 90 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 20 milligrams of sodium, 19 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 15 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Post Magic Fruity Pebbles Cereal

Vin 2 Comments

Post Magic Fruity Pebbles Cereal Box

What is Post Magic Fruity Pebbles Cereal?

If I told you that, wouldn’t it ruin the magic?

Ok fine, since the box spoils the mystery, these are pink Fruity Pebbles that turn your milk blue.

How is it?

Post Magic Fruity Pebbles Cereal 2

How is it done?

That I can’t answer, for I am not a master of the mystical art of magic.

I am, however, a believer, and what happens here the second these pink pebbles hit the milk is actually pretty mind-blowing.

Post Magic Fruity Pebbles Cereal Wet

This isn’t the first cereal to change the color of milk, but it might be the quickest. Your milk will go from white to electric blue faster than you can say, “sim sim salabim.”

If you expected a new flavor, these are literally regular Fruity Pebbles, which I was fine with.

Just off the smell alone, Fruity Pebbles cracks my top 5 cereals of all time. Add the taste and I consider them the best fruit cereal of all time.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Sometimes cereal milk gets so cloyingly sweet I drain pour it. This blue milk was delicious. Post should bottle and sell Fruity Pebbles milk.

Post Magic Fruity Pebbles Cereal Closeup

If I was still a child (I am), I would find this incredible (I do). But there’s something very unnatural about the blue color. I can’t help but think there’s something unhealthy at play with the sorcery. I can almost hear my mother saying the famous words she said any time I ate something dyed blue – “Imagine what that’s doing to your insides!”

Conclusion:

Despite the fact Post inexplicably left “Yabba-Dabba-Cadabra” off the box, I love em. I love Fruity Pebbles. What can I say?

The bright blue milk is crazy and makes me a bit uneasy, but I guess I like having my mind freaked as part of a complete breakfast.

I look forward to the inevitable Star Wars cereal that makes your milk blue.

Purchased Price: $3.00
Size: 15 oz.
Purchased at: Stop and Shop
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Cup) 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 31 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew

Vin 3 Comments

Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew

What is Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew?

Starbucks has introduced three new cold brew flavors in nitrogen-infused cans – Black, Dark Caramel, and Vanilla Sweet Cream.

How is it?

It had me at “Nitro.” If any coffee shop offers anything Nitro, I’m getting it every time. It’s smoother and tastier than the regular fare. There’s also that added element of fun, watching the gas go to work on the coffee.

As for these three flavors? You can’t go wrong with any of ’em, but one did stand out above the others:

Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew Vanilla Sweet Cream

Vanilla Sweet Cream – The nitro gave each of these a fluffy head, but Vanilla Sweet Cream had the creamiest, which lent itself to an amazing mouthfeel. It tasted like coffee with a shot or two of birthday cake-flavored creamer. I mean, it’s probably just vanilla, but “Birthday Cake” is such a trendy flavor, it instantly put me in mind of that. It’s not cloying in any way either.

I’ve grabbed many a Starbucks drink from the 7-Eleven fridge over many an early morning, and this ranks near the top. I was impressed by the sweet flavor compared to the nutritional stats, which are totally manageable and non-egregious.

Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew Dark Caramel

Dark Caramel – I frequent a local shop that offers a Toffee Cold Brew, and that is exactly what this tasted like – strong coffee with a dash of delicious English toffee. A toffee coffee. It’s not as sweet or creamy as the Vanilla Sweet Cream, and it may have tasted slightly artificial, but it was still very good.

Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew Black

Black – This one may have surprised me the most. I’ve never been a black coffee kinda guy, but the nitro gives this the effect of having some kind of dairy mixed in. The coffee flavor is strong, maybe a tad acidic, but not overwhelming because the velvety foam does more than enough to make up for the lack of creamer.

Dark Caramel was a perfect center point between the sweetness of Vanilla Sweet Cream and the no-frills coffee flavor you get in the Black. They all complimented each other nicely.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew Nitrogen

If you’ve ever had Guinness Stout or any other nitro canned beverage, you probably know what to expect. Each can has a little nitrogen infuser that releases a bubbly hiss when you crack the can.

Starbucks Canned Nitro Cold Brew Foam

There are few things prettier than a silky pour of Guinness foam dancing up a beer glass, and if I had to complain about anything, it would be that these coffees put on a much more muted show.

I’ve also had nitro coffee from Trader Joe’s that had better dance moves than these, but I’m just nitpicking. It may not have my desired show effect, but the nitrogen certainly does its job, making each of these foamy and silky smooth.

Conclusion:

Starbucks usually knocks it out of the park with their pre-packaged beverages, but these shot to the top for me. Nitro never disappoints, and these were every bit as good as what I’d get inside an actual Starbucks.

Purchased Price: $2.50 each
Size: 9.6 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Stop and Shop
Rating: Vanilla Sweet Cream: 9 out of 10 (Vanilla Sweet Cream), 8 out of 10 (Dark Caramel), 8 out of 10 (Black)
Nutrition Facts: Vanilla Sweet Cream – 70 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 45 milligrams of sodium, 13 grams of carbohydrates, 11 grams of sugar (7 grams of added sugar), 3 grams of protein, and 110 milligrams of caffeine. Dark Caramel – 45 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 10 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of sugar (8 grams of added sugar,) 1 gram of protein, and 155 milligrams of caffeine. Black – 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, 1 gram of protein, and 155 milligrams of caffeine.