5 React (Blue)

Flavor: This is my second review of the strange 5 React flavors that nobody can seem to really figure out. This is presumably the last of its kind, as there appears to only be two varieties of these almost-5 flavors. The blue pack, which has no indication of flavor other than "blue," tastes to me an awful lot like Extra Polar Ice (although, that being Shannon's favorite gum, she might violently disagree.) I almost picked up a pack of Polar Ice to compare, but to be fair to 5 Blue, I wanted to judge it on its own. It's cold and minty, and leaves a rather unpleasant cold film in my mouth while chewing. It's not a mint for those of us who favor sweetness, it's a toothpaste-like, standard mint.

Texture: It's got a good bite, and the cold sensation is notable. It does get a little foamy, but for the most part it's an all right chew.

Presentation: Ok, so I don't want to be redundant in my posts, but the gum itself is black-- this is not something that can be overlooked. Some folks think this indicates a sort of classiness, reminiscent of the silver-and-black themed wedding at the Ritz or something. In my review of the orange flavor, I likened this metallic coloring to the cautionary tales about mercury poisoning that I heard as a child. I just can't get that thought out of my head, and besides that-- if anyone were to catch me spitting this hunk of molten metal into the garbage, they might expect I am part Terminator.

Overall: I don't know, I just don't get it. It's ok. But it's silver, and there's this weird trippy marketing scheme that goes along with it. It doesn't fit in with the 5 family (Zing, Rain, etc.), it's not particularly good in any special way. As far as I'm concerned, it's the black sheep of gum-- and although I have a soft spot in my heart for black sheep, this one just doesn't make any sense.
Rating: ?