Trident Strawberry Twist

Flavor: Much like its Orbit rival, the new Trident Strawberry Twist is reminiscent of a very distinct flavor from my past—not Big League Chew, but McDonald’s Strawberry milkshakes. At first whiff of the gum inside the packaging I sensed that delightful, creamy, strawberry twang of a McShake, but I tried to convince myself it was in my head. Then came the BURST of flavor, and I confirmed its likeness to that milky pink treat. Every so often I’ll smell it wafting from my bag and crave it, yearning to delight its satisfying flavor. I found myself even thinking about the gum as the week went on, looking forward to the burst of milkshaky goodness as many times in a day as I wanted (with no indigestion or brain freeze). Unfortunately it goes downhill from the burst. Surprisingly, the flavor fades in a matter of a minute at most—an unusual characteristic for Trident gums. The flavor is such a pleasure, however, that I usually chew two or three pieces in one sitting, just to enjoy the burst.

Texture: It’s your average Trident at first, but it loses that reliable Trident texture quickly. It decreases in size and becomes rather hard, and if you chew it for long enough (which I’ve only done once) to get past the initial strange hardening, you’ll find that it’s pretty squeaky, much like many pellet gums, also an unusual trait for a stick of this variety.

Overall: It’s delicious. I don’t drink McDonald’s strawberry shakes anymore for one reason or another, but I can definitely see myself buying this gum again for a little after-meal treat. It’s nothing I want on my breath; it’s not a freshener in the least. Nor is it any kind of “Twist"-- I think they were stretching it with the title, but at least they didn’t claim “Mint” like Orbit. I’ll chew it again, just as sure as I’ll someday buy another McMilkShake, at 3 in the morning, on my way home from the bar.
Rating: ooo (three gumballs)