Stride Uber Bubble

Flavor: Stride Uber Bubble is a nice bubblegum, but that's about as far as it goes. As I've mentioned in past reviews, Katie and I are on an ongoing quest for a gum as good as our long-gone all-time favorite, Extra Original Bubble. Uber Bubble teases you with tanginess, makes you think that it's going to give you a hint of semi-sour, but it just levels out to be your plain old bubblegum. Like I said - it's nice, but I don't see what's so special about this bubble that they felt fit to call it "Uber."

Texture: It's definitely chewable, albeit a little bit too firm for my taste. From a bubblegum, I expect more blow-friendly pliablility to maximize bubbles.

Overall: There's something wrong with this gum. I have meant to review it sooner, but every pack I bought has gone bad somehow. Once the protective plastic is removed from the packaging, you have a period of about two weeks to chew it. (Which, probably, is not a problem for most chewers, but I as a Gum Girl always have no fewer than 5 packs of gum with me at all time.) After a couple weeks, the gum turns like... wet? It gets all sticky and disgusting in the packaging and is completely inedible. It happened to three packs of Uber Bubble I have bought, and if this didn't happen it would have rated at least a 3, but most likely a 4. This weird problem aside, it's one of the better tasting bubblegums on the market right now.
Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Clove Chewing Gum

Flavor: This is another "classic" flavor, marketed with Beeman's and Blackjack. Clove, much like Blackjack, tastes a lot like black licorice. There's a lot less information about it online, and it seems to be clumped with the other classics without much distinction. It's sort of spicy, has that herbal taste you'd expect from clove gum. Indeed, the longer I chew it, the more the taste replicates those little stems my mom used to stick in the ham at Easter. I wouldn't recommend sticking a piece of gum in your ham, however.

Texture: It's a solid texture, almost too firm. It has that weird foamy-spit side effect though, which kind of grosses me out. But otherwise, it's a chewing gum, not for bubbles, just for a good chew.

Overall: It's ok. Much like my review of Beeman's, I hesitate to really get in there and review this gum beyond the basics. It's a classic, a base from which other gums have gleaned inspiration over the years. But, I must say, I haven't seen "clove" flavor much of anything these days, save the cloves themselves and the cigarettes (which I also wouldn't recommend sticking into your Easter ham).

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Fruit Sensations Berry Smoothie

Flavor: I gotta give it to Wrigley, they hit spot-on with this one. The flavor is just awesome. It starts out with a creamy berry texture, and with continued chewing, the creaminess fades a bit and you're hit with a tart blast of tangy berry. It's quite delicious, and I can imagine the right mix of berries and cream tasting exactly like this. I have to admit, though, that it would probably almost be considered too sweet for some - I definitely couldn't see chewing this gum on any regular basis, nor it is functional to freshen the breath. It's just too much.

Texture: Here's where it falls apart, literally. It starts off well and stays pleasant for a short time - Firm, softening into a pleasant malleable wad. At around the 10-15 minute mark the gum starts to lose any semblance of cohesion. It gets very tacky and starts sticking to your teeth and turning mushy. If I didn't just spit out the piece I was chewing, it would have triggered my gag reflex. Of course, being Extra, the flavor lasts through this metamorphosis, but the gum itself becomes unchewable so really, what's the point?

Overall: Nice try, Wrigley's. While the ROI on your R & D dollars is paying off in terms of flavor, how about next time you invest some funds into making sure the gum doesn't turn into an amoebic lump of plasma, as well? I recommend buying this gum once to try - or better yet, splitting the cost of a pack with a friend. I think one, two sticks at most of this gum will be enough for anyone to experience the novelty of smoothie-in-gum-form, and the rest of the pack will inevitably go to waste.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Trident Layers Green Apple + Golden Pineapple

This review is sponsored by our friends at Trident!

Flavor: Much like it's strawberry-citrus counterpart, this gum starts off with a bang, a super sweet and spot-on flavor that explodes with the first and second bite. I think it's the goop that holds the two pieces of gum together that gives it the kick(pictured, it's the pinapple slice, but in reality I think its just a generic flavor burst). I've got to say that I don't taste much pineapple, really any at all. It's pretty much 100 percent green apple-- and a fine representation of this common sugar-based flavor, don't get me wrong. I'm just not a huge green apple fan, so I'm not crazy about this gum, but I imagine that anyone who prefers green Jolly Ranchers, this gum'll be a refreshing new experience.

Texture: It's pretty much a sandwich, using your tried-and-true Trident for bread and this sticky bright green middle for meat (or cheese or like tempeh or something, if you're a vegetarian). It stands up to the Trident texture, holds its own for a long time, but the flavor does fade rather quickly as I feel like it's mostly packed into the meat-part (or cheese or soy gluten or whatever).

Overall: First of all, let me just say thank you to the folks over at Trident for sending us free samples of their exciting new line of gumz. That said, I must reiterate a very important pact that Shannon and I made a long time ago: we will never allow free samples to sway the honesty of our reviews. (We're professional like that.) So, this gum is pretty good, but I fear it's lost in the marketing... why does it have to be two fruits? The inside part is just a darker color green. I felt cheated out of pineapple, and so I'm left feeling a little unsatisfied. I can't offer any alternate marketing suggestions... as “Meat or Cheese or Veggie Burger on Gumbread Green Apple Sandwich” doesn't sound any better. Or does it? Mmm. Gumbread.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

***See our review of Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus here!***