The Impulsive Buy

REVIEW: Fanta Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Haunted Apple and Haunted Spritz

Tiffany / September 6, 2024 / Reviews / 5 Comments

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetl—SHHH!

While he’ll eat anything we want him to eat, swallow anything we want him to swallow, let’s not summon him to try any of the new Fanta and Beetlejuice Beetlejuice movie collaboration beverages.

In anticipation of the upcoming sequel, Fanta created four specially marked packages featuring the actors’ faces. There’s only one new limited edition flavor – Haunted Apple – on shelves, which features the bio-exorcist himself!

I specify on-shelf because there’s another new collaboration flavor on Coca-Cola Freestyle machines only: Haunted Spritz.

I will also say that Betelgeuse’s Haunted Apple flavor has pretty sweet packaging with the iconic black and white pinstripes of his suit. It looks even better on the can versus the 20-ounce bottle, which is clear with the label featuring the pinstripes.

The rest of the packaging doesn’t really stand out as much; it looks best all stitched together on the movie theater fountain cup. The special Beetlejuice cup was only available in the medium size at my local theater.

Both Haunted Apple and Haunted Spritz are delightfully hued. The former is a neon green, and the latter is a deep, haunting purple – both apropos of the spooky season and movie.

I also enjoyed watching the blending colors pour from the Coca-Cola Freestyle for the Haunted Spritz. My human eyes could only see purple and then red syrup. Maybe ghosts, like The Maitlands, can see more spectral colors in this.

However, neither is “spine-tingling,” as stated. It’s not even the slightest bit stimulating as this is caffeine-free, like most Fanta flavors.

Haunted Apple reminded me of drinking a caramel apple pop and a fall candle in that overly fragrant artificial way. There was a distinct crisp apple flavor, but it was quickly taken over by caramel and a hefty dose of cinnamon. It’s not a red-hot cinnamon but more of a fall spice, like in apple cider. It was unexpected and a bit jarring, so I petition to rename this to Haunted Spiced Apple or Haunted Fall Apple to help better explain what to expect. Also, I don’t know about you, but I don’t love drinking the smell of air fresheners or candles. Lastly, it’s really just not as good as other apple sodas out there.

As for Haunted Spritz, it’s always fun to guess a mystery flavor, and this one was no exception. The purple was unmistakably a candy-like grape, but I couldn’t identify the red syrup being mixed with it. Grape and cherry do NOT create what I was tasting. But what I tasted was Fruity Pebbles. Trippy. While it was a fun couple of sips, there was no way I could consume a whole cup of it as it was incredibly sweet. However, I may consider siping this again when I watch Beetlejuice Beetlejuice in the theater.

The new flavors are great for the novelty and got me to buy lots of Fanta, but I wouldn’t rank these as favorites. So, I won’t be sad when these limited edition items float away in the Lost Souls room.

Purchased Price: $7.99 (Haunted Apple), $6.25 (Haunted Spirtz)
Size: 12 fl oz cans/12 pack (Haunted Apple), Medium (Haunted Spritz
Purchased at: Meijer (Haunted Apple), Emagine Theatres (Haunted Spritz)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Haunted Apple), 6 out of 10 (Haunted Spritz)
Nutrition Facts: Haunted Apple (1 can) – 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 50 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 42 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein. Haunted Spritz – 400 calories.

SPOTTED: 9/6/2024

Marvo / September 6, 2024 / Spotted on Shelves / 5 Comments

Here are some interesting new products found on store shelves by your fellow readers. If you’ve tried any of them, share your thoughts in the comments.

Bettergoods Slow Cooked Creamy Hatch Chile and Corn Chowder

Bettergoods Bronze Cut Zucchette No. 266 Pasta

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Walmart.)

(Spotted by Rene B at Food-4-Less.)

365 Whole Foods Market Sesame Seaweed Cashews

(Spotted by Sarah R at Whole Foods.)

Daily Harvest White Bean Spinach Pesto Pasta

Daily Harvest Tomato Basil Portobello Bolognese Pasta

Daily Harvest Strawberry Dragon Fruit Pops

Daily Harvest Cilantro Brown Rice Black Bean Grains

(Spotted by Amanda Y at Kroger.)

If you’re out shopping and see new products, snap a picture of them, and send them in via an email (theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com) with where you found them and “Spotted” in the subject line. Also, if you want to send in photos and are wondering if we’ve already covered something or if they’re new, don’t worry about it. Let us worry about it.

SPOTTED: Haribo Limited Edition Football Mix

Marvo / September 5, 2024 / Spotted on Shelves / Leave a Comment

There’s nothing like busting open a bag of gummy candy and watching the game. And dipping that gummy candy in frosting. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

SPOTTED: Good & Gather Stuffing Flavored Potato Chips and Popcorn

Marvo / September 5, 2024 / Spotted on Shelves / Leave a Comment

Oh, and brown butter & sage-flavored popcorn. I didn’t want to add it to the title because that would’ve made a really long title for this post. (Spotted by Robbie at Target.)

REVIEW: Panda Express Hot Ones Blazing Bourbon Chicken

Marvo / September 5, 2024 / Reviews / 6 Comments

Panda Express calls its new Hot Ones Blazing Bourbon Chicken the spiciest dish the chain has ever offered, thanks to its sauce being made with the Hot Ones’ infamous Last Dap Apollo Hot Sauce.

While it does have a good tongue-poking amount of heat, I can’t say I’m 100 percent sure it’s the spiciest ever because there might’ve been a Panda Express entree that was so devastatingly hot that my mind and mouth wiped any memory about it. While I’m not sure it burns the most, it does make up for the mild Hot Orange Chicken from a few months ago.

The limited time entree features crispy boneless chicken bites, onions, bell peppers, and chili peppers in an extra spicy and sweet bourbon sauce that’s sprinkled with sesame seeds. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Panda Express knows how to make a great sweet and savory sauce, and that’s the case with Blazing Bourbon Chicken.

But let’s start with the heat. If you’re expecting a reaction that’s similar to the ones on the Hot Ones talk show, where celebrities have their sweat, tear, or salivary glands, or any combination of the three get forced into bodily fluid production overdrive, your glands need not worry, if you likey the spicy. After finishing off a small a la carte container of the chicken, the top of my head and the back of my neck were sweating a bit. But it’s not as blazing as I expected it to be with a sauce made from the Apollo Hot Sauce, and, despite the sweating, I didn’t feel compelled to extinguish the burn in my mouth. But that’s not a bad thing because the heat doesn’t overwhelm the great tasting bourbon-flavored coating.

As for that wonderful sauce, I get a hint of bourbon flavor, but for the most part, I notice a level of umami that reminds me of soy sauce and a sweetness that could be from honey or brown sugar. I’ve never had the Last Dab before, so I can’t say if I taste it here, but my brave taste buds don’t notice anything that could be considered the flavor of a hot pepper, just the spiciness from one. Speaking of peppers, the vegetables in the entree bring a different crisp texture than the chicken’s coating, and they help temper the sauce’s heat. The chili peppers, surprisingly, didn’t seem to elevate the dish’s burn.

Panda Express’ Hot Ones Blazing Bourbon Chicken has the right amounts of savoriness, sweetness, and spiciness. It’s so good that I could see myself swapping it with my beloved Orange Chicken a few times while it’s on the menu.

Purchased Price: $5.40
Size: Small container
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (5.5 oz serving) 400 calories, 5 grams of saturated fat, 40 grams of carbohydrates, and 14 grams of protein.

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