Tag: Limited Edition

REVIEW: Limited Edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry

Louis 11 Comments

Limited Edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry

What is Limited Edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry?

Joy to the world! It’s officially cranberry soda season, with Sprite taking the lead with its unique Winter Spiced Cranberry, a mixture of the classic lemon-lime taste of Sprite with a twist of cranberry and spiced with other “natural flavors.” What those spices are, however, I’m not sure.

How is it?

The thing about the holidays I like the most are all the surprises soda companies have in store for us. Like a carbonated Santa, the Limited Edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry is definitely one of them.

I’m sure by the soda’s subtitle you have a basic idea about what you’re getting, but hold it, feel it, shake it — maybe don’t shake it — and when you finally open this bottle of Sprite, the cranberry flavoring is ever so slight, with the heavily spiced (of what, I may continue to ask?) quotient truly making this a drink for the season.

Limited Edition Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry 2

With a taste that’s reminiscent of ginger ale and crushed ornaments, it’s a cool sparkling beverage that feels more like an extra-sweetened holiday La Croix than anything Sprite has ever produced before. That being said, it ain’t all that bad, especially if you need a gentle stomach-setter after eating eight or nine of Tia Lupita’s deviled ham tamales. Yum!

Is there anything else you need to know?

One 20-ounce bottle contains 109% of your daily recommended allowance of sugars. That some sugar for today, and some for tomorrow also. Space out your sips!

Conclusion:

Sadly, there’s no Sprite Zero companion liquid to this, but, still, if you need one holiday soda (that’s not cinnamon flavored, natch) to get you through the 12 days of whatever holiday you may choose or not choose, I suppose you should probably make it this one.

Purchased Price: $1.98
Size: 20 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Winco
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 Bottle) 200 calories, 0 grams of fat, 110 milligrams of sodium, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 54 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Marvo 3 Comments

Limited Edition Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies

Baskin-Robbins Stranger Things Mind Flayer Mint Ice Cream recently popped up at Target, along with three other Stranger Things-branded pints. I bought them all, but, sadly, only one was a new flavor.

If only I hadn’t ignored the description on the pint like it was instructions for IKEA furniture. Then I would’ve realized Mind Flayer Mint was Baskin-Robbins’ regular ol’ mint chocolate chip ice cream in Stranger Things clothing.

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Well, I have been fooled again within a month by a Baskin-Robbins branded product — Limited Edition Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies.

Shame on me.

Limited Edition Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies Creme

The snack features chocolate Oreo wafers with two layers of creme — chocolate and mint with chocolate chip bits in it. This is Oreo’s second cookie collaboration with Dunkin’ Brands, the first being 2017’s Dunkin’ Donuts Mocha Oreo Cookies. Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Baskin-Robbins and Oreo in the same product name. The iconic cookie has been an ingredient in 75% of Baskin-Robbins’ Flavors of the Month. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but doesn’t it seem like it’s in three out of four flavors.

Twisting off a wafer reveals an image that looks like what I saw when I peeled back the lid of Mind Flayer Mint – a light green staring back at me with dark specks of chocolate.

And, this is where I got fooled a second time by a Baskin-Robbins-branded product. Even though there’s a layer of chocolate creme and there are chocolate chip bits in the mint creme, this cookie tastes like something that already exists — regular Mint Oreo. Sure, there might be some slight difference in the level of chocolate because of the other creme, but, bite after bite, all that comes to mind is a Mint Oreo. I mean, that isn’t bad, but I was hoping for a bit more.

Limited Edition Baskin Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies Top

Well, there might be a bit more. Is it my imagination, or is there an extra cooling sensation with these cookies? Perhaps to make it feel more like ice cream? I dunno. Maybe it’s my strong desire for these to be something more than a Mint Oreo in green cheetah print. Oh, speaking of textures, the chocolate chip bits add some when eating just the creme, but they’re not noticeable when eating a cookie whole.

Before limited edition flavors became the norm back in the early 2000s, Mint Oreo was one of my favorites. So it’s hard for me to knock Limited Edition Baskin-Robbins Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo hard for tasting like it. But I still feel a little disappointed this variety is like Baskin-Robbins’ Mind Flayer Mint Ice Cream in that it looks different on the outside, but doesn’t taste different than what already exists.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 10.7 oz.
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 13 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits

Vin

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits

What are Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits?

Stick with me here folks; these are (supposedly) marshmallow-flavored cookies with little hot cocoa packet-style marbits.

How are they?

They’re fine, but if you’re expecting BIG marshmallow flavor, I’ve got bad news.

The cookies smelled like yellow cake mix in the oven, and I convinced myself they were going to taste like marshmallows. They ended up tasting like a sugar cookie, unfortunately.

I had to convince myself the cookie was marshmallow flavored, and it still never really seemed true. Although, on some bites, I felt like I was tasting extremely subdued cotton candy, which made little sense but was welcomed.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits Raw

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits Baked

I ate these three different ways – as dough, hot from the oven, and cooled down.

Eating raw dough may not be recommended by that giggly punk the Pillsbury Doughboy, but we all do it. It was worth it. Don’t sue if you get sick.

They’re generic sugar cookies fresh from the oven. The marbits were so melty that they just blended in with the soft cookie and any flavor was lost.

I know the joy of baking cookies is eating them hot, but give ’em time to cool, because the marshmallows harden into a nice crisp, and that’s where the overall cookie shined brightest.

Pillsbury Limited Edition Marshmallow Cookies with Marshmallow Bits Bitten

While they didn’t taste like these specifically, the texture of the marshmallow reminded me of Linden’s Butter Crunch cookies. You know, those little yellow three cookie pouches at the convenience store? I’ve loved them since I was a kid.

I added chocolate chips to a few cookies, and they overpowered any alleged marshmallow flavor.

Conclusion:

I’m no baker, so I appreciate how simple these pre-made Pillsbury cookies are. I can pretend I baked without having the mix ingredients or clean up.

They’re good enough, low priced, and require no work. Why not try em?

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 14 oz (12 cookies)
Purchased at: Wegmans
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 85 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Honey Brunches of Oats Chicken & Waffles and Maple Bacon Donuts Cereals

Marvo 2 Comments

Post Honey Brunches of Oats Limited Edition Chicken Waffles Cereal

It’s odd to see onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, marjoram, sage, and thyme in the ingredients list for a breakfast cereal. But there they are on the side of the box for Limited Edition Honey Brunches of Oats Chicken & Waffles Cereal.

Oh, this is NOT an April Fools joke.

Even though I have the skills, software, mischievous disposition, and a nearby FedEx Office to print what I need to create fake packaging, Honey Brunches of Oats Chicken & Waffles and Maple Bacon Donuts Cereals are real. Pinch yourself, slap yourself, tickle yourself, or drop your phone on your toe to prove you’re not dreaming.

Post Honey Brunches of Oats Limited Edition Maple Bacon Donuts Cereal

Post has rolled out these two flavors to celebrate National Cereal Day, which is celebrated annually on March 7 and celebrated almost daily by those who have a large dedicated section in their kitchen for cereal.

Chicken & Waffles combines waffle-shaped maple cereal, savory chicken drumstick-shaped pieces, and frosted and unfrosted flakes. Maple Bacon Donut comes with dark-colored smoky donut-shaped loops and frosted and unfrosted flakes. To be honest, eating unfrosted flakes is scarier than chomping on chicken-flavored cereal.

Post Honey Brunches of Oats Limited Edition Chicken Waffles Cereal Closeup

Post Honey Brunches of Oats Limited Edition Maple Bacon Donuts Cereal Closeup

Even though chicken and bacon are in the names, the meat flavoring is artificial, and Post makes sure to let you know with disclaimers that say no chickens or pigs were harmed in the making of either cereal.

Both have that sweet underlying aroma that’s present with any Honey Bunches of Oats variety. That smell is a good start, but it doesn’t lead to a satisfying finish.

When eaten alone, I could taste the onion powder, garlic powder, etc. used with the chicken-shaped pieces and the artificial smokiness in the cereal loops. I could see myself eating the former as a snack, even though it seems weird to have them in a bowl of cereal and I don’t think of them as tasting like “fried chicken.” But the acrid smoky flavor from the latter doesn’t sit right with my tongue. Perhaps “smoky” isn’t the right adjective. It’s more like sweet burnt flavored.

As odd as it sounds to have those flavors in breakfast cereal, most of the savoriness gets lost among the sweeter components. With the chicken pieces, there are moments when I taste it, but for the most part, the maple stands out. The bacon-flavored loops also fade into the rest of the cereal. Thankfully, the burntness isn’t too noticeable, but all the different flavors seem to negate each other in an unusual way that creates a bland tasting cereal.

As you can tell, if I had to choose one over the other, it would be Chicken & Waffles by a lot. It’s 95 percent waffle/maple flavored, which makes for a decent cereal, but I wish I could taste more chicken.

With both it’s disappointing they aren’t either great tasting or really gross. If they were great tasting, I’d encourage you to buy them so you could experience the magic. If they were really gross, I’d encourage you to buy them for novelty sake and so you could experience the horror. But since they are neither, I don’t think they’re worth your time or money, or a good way to celebrate National Cereal Day.

Thanks to TIB reader Dale M for sending me both cereals.

Purchased Price: $2.99
Size: 11 oz. box (Chicken & Waffles)
Size: 13 oz. box (Maple Bacon Donuts)
Purchased at: Giant Eagle
Rating: 6 out of 10 (Chicken & Waffles)
Rating: 5 out of 10 (Maple Bacon Donuts)
Nutrition Facts: (3/4 cup without milk) Chicken & Waffles – 110 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 180 milligrams of sodium, 40 milligrams of potassium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Maple Bacon Donuts – 110 calories, 0.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 45 milligrams of potassium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 9 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Limited Edition Oreo The Most Stuf

Sean 17 Comments

Limited Edition Oreo The Most Stuf

Most. Creme. Ever.

Those are the remarkable words I’ve dreamed of seeing since the day I was born. Or at least since the day I ripped into my first Oreo and thought, “Damn, that’s good, but what if…”

No longer are the days of dreaming, as the biggest baddest Oreo of them all is a new limited edition reality. Amidst the slew of fruity, cakey, bizarre, sometimes delicious, and sometimes dysfunctional flavors being cranked out by Nabisco, the cookie gods finally gave us what we all truly wanted – The Most Stuf.

Limited Edition Oreo The Most Stuf Tray

Opening up the package is indeed a visual show stopper. Each cookie takes up a noticeably larger space than your average Oreo and the abundant amount of creamy white filling is nearly oozing from the edges of the wafer. I expected them to be one big clump of crème, but it looks like two regular circles of crème filling smushed together to form one big blob – truly an actual double stuffed, or maybe even triple stuffed, cookie.

Limited Edition Oreo The Most Stuf Stack

The crème is soft and pliable, and biting into one causes the massive mound to squish out of the sides like an epic Oreo Whoopie Pie. The taste is immediately noticeably different, with the creme’s intensely nondescript sweetness taking center stage above the now small-seeming bittersweet wafer.

The lack of vanilla, spice, or anything to make the flavor more than just purely sweet is more apparent than ever, and while it’s no doubt a tasty, if not cloying, treat, it’s almost…too much?

Limited Edition Oreo The Most Stuf Topless

I’m not gonna lie, I felt romantically attached to these cookies before I even found them, and much like a friend who tells you a movie is the greatest film of all time before you even see it, my expectations were high just at the thought of so much stuf. I’m not sure exactly what I expected but what I’m experiencing is different from whatever notion I had in my head.

The usually slightly bitter cocoa notes get drowned out by the sugary crème, and I miss a bit of that balance that is undeniably perfect in the pink-clad Double Stuf. The epic amount of filling makes me realize how much I enjoy the Oreo’s dark chocolaty wafer, and I miss that bold flavor I usually get along with the still present crunch.

This reminds me of the idea that too much of a good thing can be a bad thing. Not that these are bad by any means, but they lack balance. I loved mashed potatoes and gravy, but I don’t want every bite of potato smothered in gravy, taking away from the nuance of the potato. I like a nice smear of mayonnaise on a sandwich, but I don’t want mayo dominating every other flavor in a nice composed sub.

The Most Stuf Oreo is a fun and whimsical junk food creation, but the ideal grocery cookie already exists, and that’s the tried and true Double Stuf Oreo, emanating perfection since 1974.

Purchased Price: 2/$3.00 (sale price)
Size: 13.4 oz.
Purchased at: RiteAid
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 cookie) 110 calories, 5 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 45 milligrams of cholesterol, 12 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.