Having only Snapple-flavored Sour Patch Kids would’ve been impressive, but the folks at Mondelez also showed Sour Patch Kids’ less sour fishy friends, Swedish Fish, some Snapple-flavor love. Both packs feature the same three Snapple flavors — Strawberry Kiwi, Fruit Punch, and Mango Madness.
Disclosure: I enjoy Sour Patch Kids more than Swedish Fish.
Let’s start with Strawberry Kiwi (the pink one). The Swedish Fish version had a nondescript fruitiness that made it hard to convince me it was strawberry or kiwi-flavored. But that wasn’t the case with the Sour Patch Kids, thanks to the sour crystals. They kind of acted like salt in that they helped enhance the flavors, and their sourness made the taste more convincing because strawberries and kiwi can be tart. The Swedish Fish one wasn’t a complete fail. After all, sugar is sugar, but after tasting them, I found myself preferring to fish out the other two varieties.
The Fruit Punch Swedish Fish (the red one) had a taste that was instantly recognizable as the sweet red beverage. My taste buds picked up on more of a tropical fruit vibe with the Swedish Fish. But, again, the flavors stood out more with the Sour Patch Kids due to the sour crystals. While I still noticed tropical fruits, the sour sprinkles made my mouth taste more cherry. Both ended up being my second favorite in the packs.
Finally, we have Mango Madness (the orange one), my favorite in both mixes. However, that might have been influenced by the actual fruit being top-tier to me. But, unlike the two above, I slightly prefer the Swedish Fish version more than the Sour Patch Kids one. Maybe because they taste truer with them being sour. But sour mango, not so much. So, having that tang there was different and kind of took away from the mango flavor. But again, both are my favorites in their respective packs.
Both Snapple mixes are great, but, not surprisingly, probably due to my bias, I prefer the Sour Patch Kids one. But for you, I guess deciding which one to pick up depends on whether you’re Team Sour Patch Kids or Team Swedish Fish.
DISCLOSURE: I received free product samples. Doing so did not influence my review.
Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 8.02 oz (Sour Patch Kids), 8.04 (Swedish Fish)
Rating: 8 out of 10 (Sour Patch Kids), 7 out of 10 (Swedish Fish)
Nutrition Facts: Sour Patch Kids (12 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 25 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 23 grams of sugar (including 23 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein. Swedish Fish (5 pieces) 110 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 30 milligrams of sodium, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 22 grams of sugar (including 22 grams of added sugar), and 0 grams of protein.