Mentos Pure White Sweet Mint

Flavor: Our friend Sidney, an avid reader of Gumalert, suggested we review his new favorite gum. This line of Mentos has been on my review queue for a while now, and I was pleased to begin the fun with Sweet Mint. It tastes a lot like the other varieties, in fact, I have three flavors in my purse and have been chewing them interchangeably without any prejudice to the color of the bottle. The Sweet Mint doesn't taste traditionally sweet to me, per say, it's a fairly standard cooling mint-- but there's a definite hint of sweetness, reminiscent of Dentyne Ice Vanilla Chill (which we've not yet reviewed... I've yet to have the self-control to save a piece in time to review it. It's really good). In fact, I think this pails in comparison to the Dentyne Ice Vanilla Chill (except in texture-- the Mentos has a nice, refreshing first bite, a satisfying crunch, but the flavor piddles off rather quickly).

Texture: The first time I enjoyed a Mentos candy as a child, I chewed far longer than one is intended to chew a candy pellet before swallowing. The trouble was that I assumed it was gum, and it mysteriously dissolved in my mouth. I was sort of ashamed to ask my mother for another piece so soon-- feeling as though I'd done something wrong to chew a gum to oblivion in a matter of seconds. The texture of this gum, and all of the newer Mentos gums, is a treat for folks like me who expect the pleasure of Mentos to last and last. It's crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. After about fifteen minutes of chewing, it loses flavor and is a little dry, but it sure lasts longer than a Mentos candy, and that's a good thing.

Presentation: This is a new kind of packaging, a hard plastic shell, similar to the Hubba Bubba Glop plastic casing. Although it can't fit in your pocket, it's a sturdy substitute for the standard paper pack. The fact that it is plastic, however, in this increasingly eco-friendly culture, was a little disconcerting at first-- until I saw that it is, indeed, a recyclable container. I expect this fact might be lost on many, many chewers however, and most plastic bottles will be tossed with the rest of the gum wrappers, and will lead to a wasteful bunch of plastic in our ever-growing landfills (no lectures intended, honest). It sure does keep the gum fresh and easily accessible, regardless.

Overall: It's a good gum, and it's Sidney's favorite. Overall, I thought it was ok, but wasn't too impressed. I prefer Trident Minty Sweet Twist, or Dentyne Vanilla Chill. I may buy Mentos gum again as a little treat, but I doubt I'll be buying the Sweet Mint again.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)