Thursday, February 25, 2010

Stride Mega Mystery


Flavor: One of Stride's two new flavors for Winter 2009/2010 is the gimmicky "Mega Mystery." Stride must really have a lot of brand confidence, as they're expecting consumers to buy this gum on brand alone, without even knowing the flavor. I've never been good at "Guess The Flavor" games the products play (Doritos is famous for this,) but Stride Mega Mystery isn't really a mystery at all. On first chew you're blasted with a fantastic fruity medley that I would describe as Tropical Punch. It's a lot less melony than Trident's tropical varieties, but very heavy on the pineapple. Blended with hints of mango and citrus, it's like a tropical drink in stick form. Delicious. Unfortunately, Stride's claim of being the longest lasting flavor falls short with this one, and it becomes bland and tasteless within 10 minutes.

Texture: Soft and smooth at first bite, never disintegrating or softening. Perfect for cracking and snapping, and even blowing pretty decent bubbles (especially if you're a two-piece chewer like I am.) This is a great chew.

Overall: A friend of GumAlert alerted us to this new flavor a couple months ago, and since then I'd been on a frantic search to find it. Imagine my joy when, in the checkout shelves in A&P the other day, a rogue pack of this was stuck in with the Stride Nonstop Mint. I snatched it right up and have loved it since, and it's pained me to save the two sticks to do this review. I'm generally pretty neutral when it comes to Stride, but this one is a home run, and I hope it sticks around.
Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

119 comments:

  1. Yay! I've been waiting for this review! i didn't particularly enjoy the gum, i'd like it better if it was longer lasting.

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  2. It tastes exactly like the zebra stripes gum only the flavor lasts a lot longer, but if you havn't tried the zebra stripes, you should. It's amazing(:

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  3. Tastes like some kind of rasberry/strawberry-lemonade. But, I'm awful at guessing flavors.

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  4. i think its like watermelon

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  5. This helped Thankyou its so hard to find a legitiment answer! lol

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  6. Actually, it's strawberry daiquiri. ENJOY!

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  7. Strawberry Daiquiri? Holly, are you with Stride, or is that just a guess? As I said, I'm pretty bad at the "guess the flavor" games but I NEVER would have guessed that one!

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  8. I'm going with passion fruit & guava

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  9. Naww I think that this stride tastes sort of like "lush" from 5 gum.

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  10. Naww I think that this stride tastes sort of like "lush" from 5 gum.

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  11. I agree with the review, however I believe it is more of a pomegranate flavor....very good, none the less.

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  12. i love love love this gum its soooo good mmmmmm :)

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  13. i wish they had more in stock :(

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  14. It tastes like a minty flavor and a fruity flavor mixed together!

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  15. I second that it taste like zebra gum. Zebra striped gum is alot more fun though, who doesn't want a temporary tatto of a zebra skateboarding?

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  16. it tstes like passion fruit! i was so excited when i got it but later relly bumed because i knew the flavor when i took of the plastic seal around the gum pack!

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  17. Tastes exactly like dragonberry

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  18. I was totally thinking it was gummy bear flavored.

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  19. Zebra stripes all the way

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  20. It's Eternal Melon. If you look at the ingredients, they are almost exactly the same (except for some coloring agents).

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  21. i am chewing it now, and it kinda tastes like watermelon. or some other fruit, but like a lot of people, i am a HORRIBLE guesser:)

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  22. I think it kind of tasted like mountain dew.Does anyone else think so?

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  23. I agree with Fruit Stripes, Strawberri Daiqari? No I dont think so.

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  24. Nom nom. I'm chewing a piece right now and it is a delight!

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  25. It's pomegranate.

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  26. For god sakes, I have to correct you people. It was called Fruit Stripe gum, but yes it did have a Zebra theme. Their forever fruit flavor really tasted like Fruit Stripe to me, and so does this, I think it's a slight deviation honestly.

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  27. I personly think this gum is a wonderful evrlasting taste. i think this gum is so wonderful i fell in love with it the flavor is anonymous. i think the flavor is lme gatorade but this is anonymous i love gatorade so i can now enjoy chewing it in my mouth for ever

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  28. There is no mystery to the gum each peice is a diffrent flavor its so stupid it can go to the bon fire HAHA HAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    From: Bryan Stout Elmwood Middle school 6th grade teacher in bloomdale on jerry city road in ohio

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  29. Mango. I swear it tastes like a mango.

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  30. Whatever it is, I don't care for it, it reminds me of salt and vinegar potato chips that are too vinegar-y; it just leaves a weird acidic feeling in your mouth. Love the Stride mint flavors, that's why I fell for this!

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  31. I agree with the vinegar comment, the piece I chewed practically took the enamel off my teeth.

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  32. thanks! i was wanting to know what it was! our moms aunt bought it for us and we just couldnt nail it. thanks again! :)

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  33. im chewing this gum right now as i type this comment. it DOES taste like tropicle punch and citrus, although at the store were i bought it (WALL-MART) this is the price tag, STRIDE MYSTERY FLAVOURD GUM MELON FLAVOUR. i looked at it and was like wTF? DONT GIVE THE FLAVOUR AWAY!

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  34. When I first tried this gum, it tasted like Fruit Stripes, which I know, everyone has heard. For me, it kind of started out sour, but it was good. After about a minute or two, it turned sweeter, still good, and continued getting sweeter. I can't identify what this flavor tastes like exactly, but it seems like a mix of different fruits. It's pretty good.

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  35. its strawberry daiquiri... oh no there gona find me!!!

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  36. I think Stride's Mega Mystery gum is a blend of the Sweet Bery Flavor and the Forever Fruit Flavor. The Mega Mystery is a blend of both berry and citrus flavors that go really well together. I just think the Mega Mystery gum is a combination of two already popular flavors combined together secretly to make a profit.

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  37. I do think it really depends on your personal thoughts. That is, until Stride tells us the flavor. I think it tastes a bit like the strawberry daquiri coldstone jellybelly jellybeans.

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  38. I don't think it's fruit punch (but good guess, anyway.) I think it is a mix of all the different stride flavors, excluding the minty and cinnamony ones. I'm not sure if Uber Bubble is in there or not...but think about it...Always Mandarin...Sweet Berry...Forever Fruit...Chew It! Taste It! CAN YOU FEEL THE MEDLEY OF STRIDE FLAVORS EXPLODING IN YOUR MOUTH?! Yeah, I know, I'm right. Boo ya!










    Otherwise, it tastes similar to the new Orbit Mist Raspberry Lemon Dew gum. So, I'm thinkin' maybe raspberry-mango lemonade. Am I right? Am I right? I'm right. But I still think I'm right for the mix of all stride flavors. I wish I had had a piece of Zebra Stripes gum because I've never had it and I don't see it sold anywhere.







    I'm so right on this one guys, so right.

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  39. To the person who said it's Eternal Melon...CHECK AGAIN. All of the ingredients for pretty much all the flavors are the same except the coloring! And anyways, the Mega Mystery tastes NOTHING like just plain melon, does it? NO. Sure, it might have a hint of melon IN it, like, mixed in with the fruity citrusy stuff, but it is NOT plain melon. Unless there's something wrong with your tastebuds....you might want to go to a doctor for that one, honey.

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  40. watermelon,orange,strawberry

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  41. I've been thinking its pomegranate and mango. I work in a very small grocery in a very small town, and we have just now gotten this gum in. I am totally in love with it. Don't know how I survived without this flavor.

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  42. I thought Mountain Dew, and then Fresca...but I'm old and my tastebuds nmay be deteriorating. LOL It sure didn't last as long as the other Stride flavours, though!

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  43. tasted like grapes or a white wine or some light red...

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  44. stride mega mystery gum is the flavor mandarian orange. it taste just like that orange stride gum test it out yourself

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  45. Strawberry daiquiri is what i think.

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  46. well...It's a strong debate at our house the vote is split between...pineapple or pink Grapefruit.

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  47. Holly, I'm sorry but I would deffinately disagree. If you try any virgin strawberry daqueri drinks, like the one sobe makes, you can plainly see that's not it. I will agree with a tropical punch but I can deffinately taste the passion fruit, and many of my friends agree. However it is also clear that it is much more than that and I have from an inside source that many companies when trying a "mystery flavor" use leftover flavorings from other types of their gum.

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  48. All you guys must have wacked taste buds or you just don't eat enough variety of fruits. ALL your guesses are WRONG.

    It's actually mango. Idiot!

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  49. This tastes the same as 5 React Fruit, except it has xylitol and less aspartame and doesn't taste gross.

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  50. When I tried it, I could have sworn it tasted like Bubblicious's old "Cherry Coke" flavor they discontinued years ago

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  51. It's strawberry daiquiri. I was searching around on the internet, and i saw a Stride employee who spilled the beans. so there you go.

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  52. Thanks to the most recent anonymous commenter who said they saw "on the internet" that the real flavor of this was leaked. Whew, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that this mystery has been solved... because everyone knows that everything that you read "on the internet" is true.

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  53. When I first tasted it, I thoght, citrus!

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  54. You all are idiots. Stride Mystery Gum flavor is the old scrapes from all the previous gum batches. Why do you think mystery flavor only comes out as a limited edition. This is not a Mom and Pop shop its a freaking corporation.

    Take a minute to think about it.

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  55. Holy Molly I apologize for my previous comment. I'm a little tipsy from some wine. Can't delete I am so sorry.

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  56. definitely Zebra/Fruit Stripes!! You can tell even from smelling the package.

    thanks for the post- fun to read!

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  57. I know the flavor. It is a Chinese Fruit know as "The Longan Fruit" It is delicious.

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  58. tastes like a margarita

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  59. With coconut too!!!

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  60. while i admit those are good guesses, the flavor is obviously mandarin oranges. there, i said it. no weird ostrich police came to kill me....HOLY CRAP THERE THEY ARE!!

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  61. It's called guarana people go taste it lol even though it's hard to find..go to brazil xD

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  62. Looky here what someone else posted

    It's Guaraná. I participated in its flavoring. Figured i'd put all of the questions to rest.
    Guaraná, Paullinia cupana (syn. P. crysan, P. sorbilis) is a climbing plant in the maple family, Sapindaceae, native to the Amazon basin and especially common in Brazil. Guarana features large leaves and clusters of flowers, and is best known for its fruit, which is about the size of a coffee bean.
    Flavor is also mixed with the flavoring from the fruit Theobroma Cacao. This fruit is where the world gets its chocolate from. The fruit contains a large quantity of seeds the size of quarters. Each seed is coated with a white slimy membrane. This membrane is the part of the fruit that can be eaten immediately once the outer shell of the fruit is opened. It's freaking delicious, unfortunately there isn't much available. So, underneath this membrane is the Cacao seed. During the cocoa powder process. This cacao seed or more widely known as cocoa, is crushed into a fine powder. The raw powder is then taken and mixed with a myriad of different flavors and additives to make the chocolate we buy and eat and love.
    But so anyway, yea the flavor in this Mystery gum is taken from the combination of flavors from both of those incredible fruits.

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  63. is it differnet every pack? becuase i got mine and it tasted liek grapefruit! it was so nasty!

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  64. its taste like peache plum favior!!

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  65. I pretty much tasted the same things, in the same order, only I tasted a bit of Citrus (Lemon-lime) for the first 1.4 seconds before the Tropical flavors kicked in. It also has a plethora of more subtle flavors. It's more-or-less a mix of every gum flavor (with the exception of original Bubble Gum of course) in existance.
    Though if you ask me they went just a bit too heavy on the mint.
    But still pretty good gum overall.

    P.S It so good to see other people who aren't afraid of being attacked by bussinessmen riding ostriches. That's a rare find these days.

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  66. Haven't seen it in my area yet but Juicy Fruit has released its own sugar free Juicy Secret on the Stride Mega Mystery coat tails.

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  67. I work at stride and it is Strawberry Daiquiri

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  68. it´s gum tasting like gum xD

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  69. it is wild berry my friend said

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  70. This gum is awesome, but I aggree that it looses flavour too quick. I think it has a little hint of everytthing including citrus, pineapple, lemon-lime, wild berry, and even a little fruit punch in there. It's pretty good.

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  71. I've always thought it was pink lemonade with kiwi mixed in.

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  72. kind of reminds me of fruit rollups:)

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  73. I think its mixed berry!!! its soo yummy

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  74. i seriously think the flavor is: SNOWCONE

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  75. All guesses are right except for the ones that say it is all of the flavours mixed, even mint and cinammon.
    Most people guess it is:
    -citrus
    -any fruits
    -any berries
    -tropical drink
    -lemonade
    -pink lemonade

    Some even say it is Strawberry Daiquiri which I think may be one of the possible flavours. But I think everyones opinion is different and think it is different then everyone elses...
    I'M ALWAYS RIGHT!!!

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  76. Agreed. It definitely tastes like zebra stripes gum. I think its like pink lemonade or iced tea or something summery. Whatever flavor it is, its really good!!! :)

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  77. It Taste like Iced Tea With a Hint of Tropical Punch

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  78. it reminds me of a lipgloss I bought last year XD lol lets just say it's so good i cant explain the taste :)

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  79. I think it tastes like a tropical- minty thing, and also this blog thing was posted on my birthday lol :3

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  80. I think it tastes like Raspberries and Ginger Ale mixed together. Im chewing it right now and I love it so much! I'm totally addicited!

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  81. it's deff nestea flavor BOOM!!!!!

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  82. i LOOOVVEE THIS STRIDE MEGA MYSTERY! it tastes like guava and maybe strawberries

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  83. I definitely think it has some lemon flavouring in it.

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  84. Gum that is fruity should NEVER include mint! THIS IS GROSS!

    It's mango and mint and it lasts 3 minutes. It does not stay soft and hurts the jaw after a while.

    I will NEVER buy this again! it is awful!!!!!!!!

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  85. why ive been buying this and like ive been guessing and guessing and its NOT A MISTERY THIS IS WASTING MONEY!!

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  86. Josh said...
    Its Miracle fruit.. Google it.

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  87. I've been told it's strawberry kiwi...

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  88. Mine tasted instantly like Guava or Guava/PassionFruit blend.

    Given the varying comments, I wonder if there are actually multiple flavors labeled as "Mega Mystery" to enhance that "you don't know what you're going to get" idea.

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  89. Zebra Stripes with a hint of mint. It's the longest lasting flavor of gum I've ever chewed!

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  90. It's celery seed flavor in the mix that makes it really unique and interesting.
    I like it. CCM

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  91. What I.think about the mystery flavor.would be peach.mango I thought that cause there was a drink that tasted exactly like it

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  92. I find it more like strawberry jam and a hint of citrus.


    -Ivy

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  93. I just bought this gum at a Mega Coop store here in Norway. I had never tried this gum when I lived in America, I had seen it but not tried it, but now that I've discovered it here I will definitely buy it again. It is sold here under the brand Stimorol, and it doesn't say Stride anywhere on it, but I did recognize it because the box has the same rainbow with a question mark, and the name "Mega Mystery" is the same.

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  94. Tom in Portsmouth, NH (USA)March 12, 2012 at 9:46 PM

    Whatever it is, it's gross! Won't buy again.

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  95. HI I THINK THE GUMM IS GOOD BUT I THINK THE FLAVOR IS MANGO OR WATERMELONE

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  96. HI I THINK THE GUMM IS GOOD BUT I THINK THE FLAVOR IS MANGO OR WATERMELONE

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  97. Just Found it today, It's awesome at first I thought Citrusy.... then a fruit punch blend. It tastes different the more you chew.

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  98. I say Key Lime Pie

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  99. Alright, lets make this easy for everyone- Apricot, Passionfruit, Pineapple. I dont see how anyone doesn't get the immiediete apricot flavor, and as there is something citrusy added, it could be anywhere from passion fruit to orange, but im leaning towards passion fruit (its becoming more and more popular lately as it is becoming cultivated on larger scales, and companies tend to like to go with trends, passion fruit is in).

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  100. mystery stride is now my favorite gum it tast like pinapple straberie charrey butt mostly amazing54

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  101. It tastes like lemon-placenta.

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  102. Tastes like Key Lime

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  103. Taste like some strawberry and some pinapple

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  104. Tastes like li hing mui. If you're from Hawaii you know what I'm talking about.

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  105. the first time i tasted, it tasted like coke

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  106. tastes like coke to me

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  107. i think it tastes just like cranberry

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  108. good but could last longer i think it is tropical

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  109. i love this gum!!!
    it think it is lime,orange ,and a dash of strawberry. i would love it more if it was longer lasting, but it is amazing!

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  110. it can really taste like any fruit if you really put your mind to it...

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  111. oh my God guys. no offence but i think the flavour was a peachy berry flavour with hints of pinnaple here and there. the flavour lasts for 8 minutes and 17 sec i timed it! it is not long lasting at all! how is it a mystery?! but it was right that we would keep guessing but we found the answer! lol i am chewing it right now!

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  112. hm ive never really liked the gum. to me it sorta tasted like grape and orange juice. yuck. anyways, love this blog!!! :D

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