Hubba Bubba Max Sweet & Sassy Cherry

Flavor: As avid (and often compulsive) gumchewers, my sister and I tend to favor sugarfree varieties, to ward off cavities and all that stuff we were taught when we were little. We received an email recently from a reader, TS, who wondered about the absence of cherry gum on the market. He reported that he loves cherry and yet has noticed a definite void in cherry gums. Shannon did some research and found that, indeed, there is quite a lack of cherry varieties, nearly a complete hole in our favorite sugarfree brands. There was once an Eclipse cherry that tasted startlingly of cherry cough syrup and that didn't stay on the shelves for very long. Shannon postulated that perhaps the cherry flavor doesn't translate well to the sugar substitutes, and she's probably right. Hubba bubba tastes exactly like cherry candy-- cherry blow pops, cherry laffy taffy, cherry jolly ranchers. It's delicious, much like other sugary cherry candies, and the flavor actually lasts a fairly long time for a sugar-based kids gum.

Texture: It's extraordinarily meaty, like most sugary gums. The pieces are enormous at first because the sugar tends to dissolve more readily than substitute sweeteners in other gums. I have to say, the sheer girth, and the soft, malleable form was refreshing. We've been blowing these pathetic little bubbles and rating them as excellent, but it's not until now that I am thoroughly enjoying the bubble blowing as much as the chewing. And it's been that way for almost 15 minutes now. It's a hubba bubba of a gum.

Overall: TS, I implore you to seek out this gum, it's a true delight. But, be warned, sugary gum leads to lots of scary things if you chew it to excess (and you'll want to chew this gum to excess), like root canals and fillings (shudder). I'll get off my soap box for this one, though, and commend hubba bubba for a job well done. It might not be sugar free, but it sure is worth it.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)