International Showcase: Wrigley's Extra Gum, China Edition

Flavor: Sometimes it's good to have a reputation.  When people know you have a gum blog, they feel compelled to bring you gum they come across in their travels in far-off lands.  Such was the case with this landmine of gum brought to us from my boyfriend's colleague who happened to be travelling in China recently. As I don't speak Chinese,  I'm assuming based on the pictures what the flavors of each are supposed to be, and based on that, here's a breakdown of the flavors and my initial impressions of each:

• Lemon: Extra, you've been holding back on us here in America!  This is a truly delightful flavor-- a well executed lemon flavor, finally-- this is something we're sorely lacking in our country.  I've yet to come across a successful lemon flavored gum-- in fact, I have hardly even seen any lemon flavored gum, let alone a good one.  This flavor utilizes a mild "mint" undertone to emulate the cooling sensation of a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.  It's sweet, lemony, and refreshing.  
• Blueberry:  I haven't come across many blueberry gums in my travels, either.  The blueberry is less impressive than the lemon, much more nutra-sweet than pure blueberry flavor.  It's pretty good, though, and better than most nondescript berry flavors available in the US. 
• Tropical? (kiwi, pineapple, orange, papaya): This one here is kind of weird.  It actually tastes more like bubblegum than any of the fruits pictured on the label.  It's a good bubblegum, don't get me wrong.  But it's definitely just bubblegum to me. 
• Spearmint:  Yum!  I'm not sure if it's the same Extra spearmint we have in America, but it sure is cool and refreshing.  Slightly sweet (just slightly), and a solid mint burst.  Less of your typical "spearmint" flavoring, though, and more just good, starlight-mint-esque flavor. 

Texture: All of these gums offer a nice texture to go along with the flavor.  They're just firm enough, meaty, and have a nice, even texture throughout the chew.  The only one that's a little weird is the green pack, as it gets sort of foamy in your mouth, but it's not a deal breaker. 

Presentation: Brand awareness at it's best! You don't need to know Chinese to know that these are Extra gums.  Simple, sleek, and to the point, the packaging breaks through language barriers.  On the back of the packaging and on the individual wrappers, it does say "Extra" in English, but I don't know ifthat it's even necessary.  My intuition tells me I could see a pack of Extra gum in any language and understand what I'm getting.  Well done, Wrigley's, well done. 

Overall: Although I would like to travel the world and collect gum from nations far and wide, I so appreciate when people think of me and bring a little bit of their trip home to share.  And I even more appreciate that I can spread the word to all of you.  So, if your travels find you in China, and you're hankering for a solid pack of gum, keep an eye out for that familiar Extra packaging, and you pretty much can't go wrong with whatever variety you find.  

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs) 

Rev 7 Natural Peppermint

Flavor: Aaaaah.  A truly refreshing mint sensation.  York Peppermint Patty commercials from the days of yore would do it justice-- pop one piece in your mouth and you're skiing in the Alps.  It's the starlight mint without the gritty sweet stuff that stays on your teeth afterward.  It's just a good, clean, cold mint.  We're not fooling around with any gimmicky names here.  We're talking about a gum that's called "Natural Peppermint," not some weird, abstract name like arctic concussion or polar bear explosion that all the other gums seem to be sporting these days. It is what it is-- peppermint.

Texture: As Shannon mentioned in her review of Rev7 Spearmint, the texture in Rev7 is different than other gums, presumably because of its water soluble nature. I actually think it's a really good texture, it's just not something we're used to.  A few pellets, and I was sold.  This is a good sized pellet, with a nice firm bite. Considering what I imagined when I heard it would dissolve in water, I was very pleasantly surprised.

Presentation: They went the Dentyne Ice pellet pack route, like most pellet gums these days. I kind of wish pellet gums would get a little more creative and wow me with a new kind of packaging. There's an awful lot of wasted plastic here, and I can't help but think there's got to be a more efficient (and probably cooler) way to package gums like these.  Just sayin'.

Overall: My only complaint is that there aren't more pellets in each pack. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm back to the bunny slopes.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Special Feature: The Energy Trials

As you may have noticed, there's been a lull in posts here on Gum Alert for the last month or so.  We suck, and we're sorry.  I'm not going to bore you with excuses or tales of jobs/kids/classes, just know that we're aware of our suckage and are working towards fixing it.  Don't give up on us.  We love you. 
First order of business:  Congratulations to our 5 contest winners!  They have been emailed and prizes will go out soon.  Holla for: Harrison R., Julia B., Louis M., Andrew H., and Amy Beth M.!

Onward.

There's a new, somewhat disturbing trend in the gum world.  No longer is gum just a passive, habitual device.  Two major gum companies have recently released products that are supposed to energize/relax you as you chew.  Ditch your cocaine, dump your coffee, toss your booze... you can now get your uppers and downers in gum form!  What could be more convenient?

I try to say no to drugs, but as one of the original Gum Girls, I must soldier on and sample these... for science.

Let's start with Mentos. 

New to their UP2U line, Mentos' energy gum comes in the form of Chillax Mint and Energy Strike. 

Upper: The package claims, and the ingredients list does confirm, that the Energy Stike flavor contains caffeine.  However, it doesn't list how much, and I can't find that information anywhere.  It's in the section of the ingredients under "Less than 2%," if that's worth anything.  Thing is?  Lots of stuff has caffeine.  Decaf coffee has caffeine.   Chocolate milk has caffeine.  Those things aren't going to keep you up at night, though, and neither is this gum.  I popped a piece of it this morning before drinking my coffee to see if it would have an effect, and after 15 minutes of chewing, my cranky pre-coffee attitude won out, and I spit out the gum and sucked down the lifejuice.  The gum itself?  Nothing to write home about.  The flavor is reminiscent of the weird Stride Shift - a citrus blast followed by a strange mintiness.  Whatever the flavor is, it runs out fast and you're left with a weird, bitter taste in your mouth.  Texture is a big fail, too - starts out alright, but quickly turns uncomfortably mushy.  I'll rate this oo (two gumballs).

Downer: Mentos doesn't call out any ingredient on their packaging for Chillax Mint, but the ingredients list does have chamomille extract.  Chamomille... that's a thing, right?  Like a tea?  Again, it's listed in the "Less than 2%" subcategory so I doubt that it's actually doing anything to chillax the chewer.  The gum's alright, though.  It has crunchy crystals to start the chew, and I am a fan of crunchy crystals.  It's a decent enough mint but nothing to raise a flag over, and it's got a similar texture problem as Energy Strike.  Too mushy.  ooo (three gumballs).

On to the 5 RPM varieties.

Upper:  One of the reasons of the aforementioned Gum Girl suckage, is that I keep saying to myself that the "next gum I'm going to review is going to be 5 RPM Fruit." Problem is, I keep buying packs of it, and they keep disappearing before I get a chance to review it.  I've even bought two at a time, knowing I'd go through one, and three days later I have no more 5 RPM Fruit.

Yeah, this is one of those gums.  It's awesome.  The flavor explodes in your mouth with juicy, fruity goodness, settles down nicely, and lasts a crazy awesome long time.  The texture is perfect for me -- it's a tad on the firm side on the outset but softens to an amazingly crackable, bubble-blowable consistency.  Very well done.

I can't really say that it has any energizing properties.  Folks are my work are just ga-ga over it.  They all think it's magical.  One guy says he can't chew it because he has a heart problem or something, and it makes his problem act up.  Thing is, there's nothing in ther ingredients list that's out of the ordinary.  Standard gum base, flavors, sweeteners and preservatives.  There's no caffeine, no taurine... nothing.  I don't drink energy drinks, so I can't say this for certain, but I've been told that this gum tastes just like Red Bull.  I'm going to have to say that for that reason, and for that reason alone, 5 calls this "energizing."  I've gone through a pack in one afternoon and have felt no energizing effects.

Behold the carnage of this blog post.

Regardless of that, and regardless of my disdain of the 5 line as a whole, I'm gonna give 5 RPM Fruit ooooo (five gumballs).  Five big, juicy, awesome gumballs.

Downer:  5 RPM Mint is touted as a "relaxing mint flavor."  Again, nothing in the ingredients stands out as relaxing.  No chamomille as in the Mentos Chillax, no THC, no ketamine.  It's basically just a peppermint gum.  Which I guess makes sense, in a chamomille kind of way, because peppermint tea is a relaxer.  So, the flavor's okay, texture is alright.  It's nice and smooth, but slightly too soft to do anything with.  It's just a gum, nothing special, and certainly not one I'd reach for on the check-out line over another mint option. ooo (three gumballs)

Conclusion: It's just gum, guys.

Trident Vitality Zen

Flavor: I was delightfully surprised when I bit into my first Trident Vitality Zen pellet to taste a coconut-mint-like flavor. Although I can see where the vanilla comes from (coconut and vanilla are close cousins in flavor, let's be honest), I feel it falls more under the coconut umbrella, but not in an overwhelming way as coconut flavors often are presented. It's a mellow coconut rounded out by a "smooth mint" as they skillfully call it, and it lasts a decent amount of time, twenty minutes or so. It's not a marathon chew, but it's a nice refreshing treat after a meal. I have to say I can't seem to detect the "green tea" that's advertised on the pack, and think it's just another one of those healthy-sounding gimmicks they tack onto the names of gums to make them more marketable.

Texture: As with the other Vitality flavors, it's on the softer side, but doesn't disintegrate or become unpleasantly smooshy after a long chew.

Presentation: The Vitality packs are simple and elegant, and this one follows suit. I like the choice of lavender for the font-- it complements the cream in the vanilla leaves and the silver background.

Overall: It's not too bad. I can't say that I'm on the path to achieving Nirvana with each piece of Vitality Zen that I chew, but I can say it enlightened my taste buds a little.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Rev7 Spearmint

This review is sponsored by our friends at Rev7!

Flavor: This is a classic spearmint flavor, pretty much spot-on what you'd expect.  The initial crunch of candy coating gives you a pleasant rush of minty goodness, and it settles down to a nice, breath-freshening cool.  I've chewed this gum for an hour or more, and the flavor, while it slightly wanes, never diminishes entirely.  

Texture: This is where it gets a little iffy.  Rev7 is a different gum than anything out there today.  It's touted as "removable gum," and I have to say that I've never had to scrape any gum remnants off my lips.  I haven't had any experience with carpets, sofas or flooring, so smear into surfaces at your own risk.  It's also degradable -- the little asterisk on the back of the package explains, "*Our laboratory tests show that Rev7 gum removes easily from a range of surfaces and disintegrates into a fine powder within 6 months using mild agitation in water."  Now, I'm not about to sit here and agitate my used wad in water for 6 months, but I have no reason to believe this isn't true.  This could be really big in terms of the environment.  If this catches on, can you imagine a world with no gum splats on sidewalks, or annoying episodes of pulling gross gum out of the treads of your sneakers?  The caveat here is that all of these awesome benefits come at the expense of the texture.  It's a little weird.  NOT bad, just weird.  The non-stickiness of it makes it a little more waxy than other gums, and it doesn't hold its shape as well.  For example: I tend to fiddle with my gum in my mouth, and form it into a sphere with my teeth and tongue.  That's hard to do with Rev7, because it doesn't really stick to itself, if I'm making any sense.  Anyway, the first few times I chewed this gum I was a little taken aback, but I very quickly got used to it.  Now, when I chew other gum, the texture of THAT seems weird.  I've shared this gum with my co-workers and they all agree: The more you chew it, the more you love it.

Presentation: Less than stellar graphics on your standard pellet pack.  Nothing to write home about here, but Rev7 isn't about image.

Overall: A friend of Gum Alert wrote us a few months back letting us in on this little-known new gum.  As Gum Girls, you know we always have our eyes on the prize, always looking for that next Big Thing in gum.  This could be it, guys.  I'm impressed... really impressed.  When I was corresponding with my friend at the Rev7 company, I warned him that our reviews are always honest and truthful, and that we've actually contacted companies who have sent us samples to ask if they really wanted us to review the gum -- it was that bad.  He responded with, "I know you'll like it.  Everyone does."  And he's right.  Everyone likes it.  I think you will, too.  I toyed with giving this gum only four gumballs because of the strangeness of the texture, but really, that is a small, small issue for a product with such potential.  Bravo, Rev7.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for a special giveaway from Gum Alert -- We've got lots of Rev7 and we want to share it with YOU! 

Flavor: Of all the UP2U flavors I've tried so far, this is by far the best. In fact, I would buy this one again. Most importantly, since it's two minty flavors, you don't run into the minty-tastes-a-little-fruity and fruity-tastes-a-little-minty problems you face with the other flavor combinations. The two mints they've concocted are very complementary, as well. Daylight Mint is cool and refreshing, one of those no-frills cold mints that do the job right. Mintnight Mint (oh, Mentos, you're so punny), has a nice bite to it, a hint of peppery sweetness. Both are long-lasting.

Texture: Also well done. On the soft side, but balanced and maintains a good bite for a long while.

Presentation: The package is fairly simple and doesn't go for any big gimmicks that distract from the product. Even the coloring suggests the flavor differences in each gum-- the cooler flavor a starker navy blue, the more complex flavor teal. I think it's interesting that they showcase pictures of the gum itself (which is two-toned, a nice thematic touch) and don't clutter it up with leaves and ice and all the weird things minty gums usually showcase.

Overall: Success! Mentos, you've done it. This combination truly exudes what you were going for all along-- the option to have two different quality gums for the price of one.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Extra Winterfresh

Flavor: This is a cool, refreshing chew, but doesn't proclaim to overwhelm you with any extreme elements.  It won't clear your sinuses, and if you're looking for something to kill particularly heinous garlic bread breath, you're better off with a Dentyne Artic Chill pellet.  However, if you are looking for a nice mouth refresh in the middle of the day, this'll do it.

Texture: The firmness of it is nice, it's not too soft and not too hard, somewhere in the middle, leaning towards more firm.  What I don't like about it is that it's really sticky.  It sticks to my lips when I try to blow a little bubble, and it sticks to my teeth when I crack it.  

Packaging: Marvel at its beauty.  Gaze upon its splendor.  I happened upon this Plen-T-Pak on the shelves of my local Family Dollar.  I was taken aback, since it's been a long time since I've seen a Plen-T-Pak available.  I have to assume this gum is many years old (2008 maybe?) but it tastes okay, there's no expiration date on it, and the pack is almost gone and I haven't gotten sick and died, so I assume it's okay.  I thought that maybe I had discovered one of the last vestiges of a discontinued flavor, but a Google search revealed that Extra Winterfresh is, indeed, still a thing. 

Overall: I was really surprised to see that Winterfresh is still readily available, because we've never reviewed it and I thought we pretty much ran through all the Extras.  If I didn't come across this in Family Dollar, Winterfresh would most likely have remained unreviewed until the end of time.  While it's nothing to write home about, it's good to know that it's a decent option if your old standby isn't available on your checkout line.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Smooth Mint

Flavor: The name says it all. It's a Smooth (dare I say "smoove?") Mint. It's heavier on peppermint than spearmint, but it's a nice mellow coolness that'll freshen your breath without taking your breath away like, say, Extra Polar Ice or a Dentyne pellet would do. The flavor lasts a really long time, too. It's not groundbreaking, but it's definitely nice to have another mint option that won't overwhelm the sinuses.

Texture: Starts off way too soft and a bit gritty, it takes a while for this one to really firm up into a chewable wad. But once it does, it's got a fantastic texture. Of course you can't blow any sort of respectable bubble, but if you're an experienced popper or cracker, you'll be able to annoy your officemate with a symphony of snaps.

Presentation: Nothing to write home about here. As we've said of Extra's packaging before, they let the gum do the legwork and shine for itself. They're certainly not wasting dollars in their graphic design department.

Overall: You know how some smells or tastes stick with you for life? As a Gum Girl, there are some gum flavors that will always take me back. A stick of Carefree Original Bubble will send me straight to the passenger seat of my mom's car. I know that Katie is in Boston at a Dispatch concert when she chews Trident Tropical Twist. And I don't ever think I'll be able to chew Winterfresh again, because it tastes like a badly-masked smoker's kiss to me.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of traveling for work to Sonoma, California to visit several wineries. It was the business trip of a lifetime. One of the most amazing wineries I went to was St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, in beautiful Santa Rosa. It was truly an awe-inspiring place. The facilities were pristine, the grounds were breathtaking, and the wine was a treat to the taste buds. After a special tour and dinner, our host, President & CEO Chris Silva brought our group into the vineyard where we toasted to good wine and good company. It was a moment that I won't soon forget.

I can always "return" to St. Francis at dinnertime by uncorking a bottle of Red Splash, but during work hours that's not really a possibility. Fortunately for me, just as we were leaving the winery, I popped a piece of Extra Smooth Mint for the car ride through the mountains from Sonoma into Napa. I put my head back and watched the full moon rise out the window, reflecting on St. Francis Winery and the amazing time I just had.

Now, whenever I chew this gum, my mind is transported back to the tranquil grounds of St. Francis, and the feeling of serenity I had while on my trip.


I don't expect you to feel that same feeling when chewing this gum, of course, but aside from the texture at the outset, it's a pretty great gum in an unexpected package.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Mentos Up2U Sweet Mint and Bubble Fresh

Flavor: This flavor combination is classic. It's mint and bubblegum, the two staples, together at last in their cozy dual pack. I'm not so nuts about Mentos UP2U Mandarin Strawberry and Spearmint, and the more I think about it, the main reason it just doesn't coalesce as a complete product is because the two elements are not complimentary. There is no common denominator between mandarin strawberry and spearmint except that they're both flavors of gum. But mint and bubblegum are the old standbys, and are even combined successfully elsewhere, as in Orbit Bubblemint. The packaging naturally allows for some mixing of flavors, and I don't mind a nice cool finish to my bubblegum. On the same point, it was a smart move to call the mint "Sweet Mint," as that forgives the potential crossover of sweet bubblegum flavor to the mint flavor. There's sort of a funny aftertaste in the bubble flavor, but it's overall a fine bubble flavor, and the same goes for the mint.

Texture: The texture is great, a little firmer than some gums, but in a good way. It's consistent and lacking in many common texture flaws like squeakiness and disintegrating.

Presentation: The inside of the package quotes Irish playwright John Millington Synge, "All art is collaboration." I respect that mentos respects its product enough to call it art. It also says "A choice for every moment of the day." Unlike Mandarin Strawberry and Spearmint, I wouldn't be hard-pressed to find people who enjoy both bubblegum and minty gum. Who doesn't like a good piece of bubblegum? Who doesn't like fresh breath?

Overall: Way to go, mentos! You've successfully executed this concept. A classic combo with a modern twist.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

pür gum - eXcitemint

This review is sponsored by our friends at pür gum!

Flavor: This has got some serious power! Nasal-clearing, breath-freshening, throat-cooling awesomeness in a pellet. It's one of the stronger mints I've tasted, and it's just fantastic. Go ahead - eat that garlic bread. With pur in your pocket, you've got nothing to worry about. The flavor has nice longevity, also - mellows a bit, but stays flavorful and minty.

Texture: Starts off a bit on the tough side, but softens up as you chew. It should be noted that one pellet is kind of small, it takes two to get a nicely-sized wad.

Presentation: As with other pür gums we've reviewed, this is your quintessential no-frills packaging. pür lets the gum do all the work, as it should be.

Overall: If this gum weren't aspartame free and soy free, it would still be an awesome gum. The added health benefit of no aspartame, and the awesomeness of an option for the soy-allergic are icing on the gumcake. Another win in a fab line of gum.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Stride Shaun White Whitemint

Flavor: In the interest of being fair and thorough here, I'm going to save all my Shaun White commentary for the presentation portion of this review. Let's pretend this gum didn't have a weird CGI image of a pro snowboarder on the cover, and talk about what we're really buying here-- the gum. It's super refreshing and cool, with a slight hint of sweet in the bite. I've got to say, though, that I personally can't get past this new chemical taste that all Stride gums have these days. It leaves this weird film on my tongue, and something in there reminds me of what I imagine Noxema to taste like. I will say, though, that Stride has been putting out some nasty flavors lately and this one isn't that bad.

Texture: Very good, long lasting chew. Texture has never been Stride's weakness.

Presentation: Could it be that this is the first athlete representing a gum? I don't recall whether or not Big League Chew ever actually claimed a real life baseball player as their hollywood representative, but at least that would have sort of... made sense. Big League Chew looks like chewing tobacco. Who chews chewing tobacco? Baseball players. Natural sponsorship. Stride Whitemint is... well, white. And cold, sort of like snow. But so are lots of gums, right? Why doesn't Shaun White represent Dentyne Ice? Or Mentos (the freshmaker)? I could picture him in a mentos commercial... in fact, I would love to see that dude in a mentos commercial. He's just about the coolest guy that ever set board on a half pipe; there's no denying that Shaun White deserves to make lots of money selling product, that much is clear.

But what is going on here, Stride? It's like they didn't even try to stitch some kind of connection between sponsor and product. "Oh hey, we got Shaun White. What should we call it, Shaun White Gum? No no no. I've got it. Whitemint. That's clever." So they're going simple, I'll buy that. But they're not going simple. Printed on the inside of the package is a cartoon that places Shaun White in some kind of competition with a ram. I quote, "It's on! Man versus Ram. One a competitive animal with freakish strength that loves to be scratched. The other has horns. Together in a fierce competition to see who is the best spokesman... or spokesanimal!" Um. Well. At least they didn't call this gum "Ram-mint."

Overall: A swing and a miss... I guess? I just don't know what to think here. I feel sort of like I'm missing some inside joke (which I very well might be) that Shaun White has with the rest of the world. If you know the secret, please comment (but try not to make me look old or dumb). If not, I've got to say that of all celebrities, this is one for whom Stride actually could pull off a half-baked weirdo marketing plan. Throw a bunch of ideas in the air, string some loose (very loose) connection between him and the product and that makes it ok to permit a ram to tell a "your mom" joke on your packaging. You read that correctly. You'll have to buy a pack to find out the punch line. (Spoiler alert! It's your mom.)

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Mentos UP2U Mandarin Strawberry and Spearmint

Flavor: Oh my goodness, there's just so much to talk about here. A recurring theme in gum marketing is the combination of fruity and minty, as seen in such varieties as Stride Shift and Orbit Maui Melon Mint. Something about them always seems to come up short, though, and I think that's true in this case as well. UP2U gives gum chewers the "choice" between two flavors, which is novel, I guess, in the same way that it's cool that the candy Nerds always packs two flavors in one box. But for me, this presents an immediate predicament-- what if I don't like one of the flavors? Then I am forever spending twice the money for half the amount of gum, and I'm way less likely to do so when there are so many other great gums on the shelf. In my conversations on gum, I've discovered that there really aren't too many people who equally prefer fruity and minty gum, usually it's way more swayed to one side or the other. That said, if you are a fruity gum lover, this might be the gum for you, as the spearmint isn't very minty at all. It has almost a melony taste to it, which I attribute possibly to the packaging and its being subjected to fruity fumes until the time of purchase. It is minty, but I don't taste any of the standard spearmint flavors here. It's just a sweet mint, basically, reminiscent of Trident Layers Cool Mint + Melon Fresco. The Mandarin Strawberry doesn't taste anything like mandarin to me, really. I detect strawberry, maybe a little melon, definitely no mandarin, but maybe I'm just missing it. The flavor in each could last a little longer, admittedly.

Texture: For their first venture into stick gums (as opposed to the classic mentos pellet), they do a pretty good job. The initial bite leaves something to be desired, it's maybe a little rubbery and lacking that nice softness that happens at the start of stick gum, but all-in-all it's a standup, consistent chew that doesn't get hard or sticky or fall apart in your mouth. Well done.

Presentation: The first day I had this gum I avoided saying the name out loud as I couldn't really figure out what it meant (ok, ok, maybe I'm not the sharpest tack in the box). But something about the label makes me want to read the letters and numbers aloud. I still find myself calling it "That you-pee-two-you or whatever gum" even though I know now that it's a clever way of writing "Up to you." (Maybe I'm not hip enough to really grasp the text-language here.) It's a neat way to package it, opening from the side rather than the top (as seen in other gums of this shape) and closing with an over-the-top flap. I don't have any real problem with the new packaging except that I predict the two sides will separate when the pack is being beaten up in my bag, since it's only connected by one short side. The packaging is peppered with clever little phrases like "Emperor Lothar I" and "Times change and we with time," which adds to that hip young thing that's trending in gum these days (and which I don't really understand).

Overall: Both varieties of gum are delightful, and I surprisingly did enjoy both flavors, so I would consider buying this again. I think, though, that I would much rather buy two packs (or three or four or five) of all different varieties to keep in my purse in case I want a choice. I just think mentos is trying a little too hard here; they could have made waves by simply releasing their first stick-shaped gum in lots of delicious, dual-colored pieces. Instead it's their first stick-ed gum, a dual-flavor pack, a new type of packaging, a crazy clever logo... I just need a moment to digest all this newness here. I'm torn on the rating here, so I'm going to break the rules and give a half-gumball...

Rating: oooc (three-and-a-half gumballs)

Carefree Peppermint

Flavor: As Shannon mentioned in her review of Carefree Original Bubble, it's good to have an old favorite come inexplicably back on the market after years of extinction. I can't say as I have the same sort of nostalgia for the Peppermint variety, but can definitely speak to its undeniable quality. In a market of over-the-top, knock-your-socks-off flavor options, Carefree reemerges in the same role it held so long ago-- a really well done, simple gum for people who just want a refreshing, consistent chew. It's a soft-spoken peppermint flavor, subtle in its strength, but super long-lasting and not at all as overwhelming as some other peppermints out there these days.

Texture: Carefree is what it always was-- the perfect size piece with softer-than-usual bite. It does have a slight squeak, but nothing that would interrupt a conversation or anything.

Presentation: Shannon's already covered the wonder that is the Plen-T-Pack in her Original Bubble review. The design of the package itself is nothing but a starburst and a brand name, that's it-- Hershey wasted no time reinventing the wheel here. They went with the classic design to accompany the classic product.

Overall: Let this be known, to all you gum-chewers out there who lost their favorite gums long ago to a fickle market, that there is, in fact, hope. Someone, somewhere, heard our call, and brought Carefree out of our memories and back where it belongs-- in our pockets.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

5 React2 - Mint

Flavor: Although Wrigley's would like you to believe that this is some life-changing, personalized gum-chewing experience, it's just mint. Undefinable, even - there's no definite type of mint, here... nary a pepper- or spear- or even winter. Just. Mint. And it's a very, very mild mint, at that. I'm chewing it right now, and I can still taste the Cheddar Horseradish Kettle Chips I ate an hour ago. If that's your thing, you'll enjoy this, but I prefer a cooler, crisper, more refreshing blast of flavor in my mints.

Texture: Unspectacular. Way too soft - little strings of it get stuck in my dental work, and weirdly bumpy. When I took it out of my mouth to investigate the bumps, and stretched it between my fingers there were all kinds of little white flaky gobs in it. What the hell is that? It's gross. I guess the gobbies might go away with prolonged chewing, but I don't know what would define "prolonged" as I've chewed for 15 minutes or longer and they were still there, in some form.

Presentation: I always love 5 packages. Sleek and awesome-looking. A long time ago, back when the React line was first released, a fan wrote to us to tell us that the little thumb-print on the back of the pack changed colors like a mood ring. I never shared that little tidbit because I could never get it to happen. Either 5 slowly rolled out the mood packages, or my fingers were always too frigid (which is entirely possible). But check it out - the package totally changes color!

Other than the cool packaging, I just don't know about this. The gum itself remains a weird black color, which is just unsettling. Why black?

Overall: I dunno, I guess as a gum this is alright. It's certainly nothing special, despite the cool packaging. I'm still mad at 5 for this whole React thing, and now they've gone and slapped a "2" on the package and want you to think that it's something entirely different. Well, here's the thing: It's not. It's the same mediocre crap with a "2" slapped on it. Well, React, here's your "2" slapped right back at ya:

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

America's Choice Superfresh Peppermint

Texture: Growing up in a tightly budgeted household, I've developed an appreciation for store-brand grocery products. In many cases, I even prefer the store brand to brand name products, and have come to refer to them by their strange, generic titles-- "Pick up a pack of Shoprite Chocolate Stripe Cookies while you're out?" A true connoisseur of store brands, however, understands that there are things you buy store brand (cookies), and things you don't buy store brand (frozen pizza). In this case, folks, we're in luck. The texture here is of standard pellet construction-- crunchy start, consistent finish. It doesn't stale and maintains a nice bite throughout the chew. The pieces are a little small for me after a while, but I find that's true with most pellet gums.

Flavor: It's a fine representation of the peppermint flavor we all know and love, slightly sweet at first, followed by a cooling, fresh mint flavor that lasts and lasts. It doesn't last forever, in this case, but long enough for a refreshing half hour chew. And if you want more, just take another from the whopping twenty pieces you're afforded in each pack.

Presentation: Ok, so the design leaves something to be desired. But what do you want from a store-brand? It almost is helpful that the design is sort of lo-fi and cheesy, as it signals the bargain nerve in your brain that shouts "That looks crappy, so it must be cheap!" When I was a kid, my mom would buy products that came in all-white packaging with plain black lettering that said "NO FRILLS" on the front and indicated the exact title of the product ("MICROWAVABLE MACARONI AND CHEESE;" or "CANNED BEETS") beneath it. And who cares about a design when you discover there are not one-- but TWO sleeves of pellets to enjoy inside!

Overall: America's Choice gum ought to be a true competitor against such gum giants as Dentyne Ice and Trident. Indeed, they surpass all of the others in cost alone-- I paid $1.09 for this pack, which contained twice as many pellets as a brand-name package (at a higher cost, no less). Next time you're in Pathmark or Safeway or A&P or whatever local grocery store near you carries American Choice, grab a pack or two and delight in the inexpensive sensation of Superfresh!

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Orbit Mist Crisp Mint Waterfall

Flavor: With Orbit Mist, I've come to expect a great burst of flavor-filled hydration when I chomp down, but I don't get that from the line's newest flavor, Crisp Mint Waterfall. It's one of those bland minty flavors that doesn't go anywhere or have any "definition," good for those that aren't into intense chewing experiences, but for me there's just nothing there.

Texture: This is horrible. It's almost like I got a stale pack, but this is a brand new flavor and I purchased it in a newly-opened convenience store, so it's not like it's been sitting on the shelf for a year. It's super tough from start to finish, my jaw aches just getting it to soften down, and once it's semi-malleable, it remains a danger to my dental work. There's little to no elasticity.

Presentation: Orbit Mist jumps the shark. The packaging used to stand out from the standard Orbit line, but they've gone and "fashion packed" it. I miss the refreshing ripples and metallic accents. My sympathies go out to the color blind, as I'm not sure they'd be able to see the dot-matrix Marlin that's hanging out all stealthy on the package (not that it's anything to get all excited about anyway). In fact, the outer cello wrap is far more impressive and exciting than what lives inside.

Overall: What's going on, Orbit? Your Mist line was so refreshing, pun very much intended. And now it's more of the same old, same old. Acutally, it's not even the same old, same old. It's much, much worse.

Rating: o (one gumball)

mentos Pure Fresh Fresh Mint

This review was sponsored by our friends at mentos.

Flavor: mentos Pure Fresh Fresh Mint reminds me a lot of Extra Polar Ice in its minty simplicity, offering a cold burst of freshness without any frills. The packaging suggests otherwise, however, as it indicates that I will detect green tea extract somewhere in there. Alas, much like Trident Vitality Rejuve's failed promise of white tea, you'll be hard pressed to taste anything tea-like here. That said, I like to imagine that I'm benefiting from some of the antioxidants in the green tea extract in this gum, so it doesn't bother me too much that there's nothing very unique about the flavor.

Texture: Although it doesn't say it directly, I was led to believe by the illustration on the package that there would be some kind of liquid center in each pellet. I didn't experience that at all, so I cut a piece in half and took a look to see what was going on in there. There is indeed something different happening in the center of this gum, but if you're looking for a juicy center, look elsewhere. Otherwise, this is a good chew, consistent, a bit on the soft side, but quite enjoyable.

Presentation: The hard plastic pack does a good job of keeping the pieces contained while rattling around in a purse, which is a hard characteristic to find in packaging these days. I'm not sure if it was intentional that the name of this gum is redundant-- the other variety of Pure is called "Pure Fresh Wintergreen." This one is called "Pure Fresh Fresh Mint." Why the double fresh? Another adjective might have worked better, "Cool mint," maybe.

Overall: The Pure line is delightful, when you get past all the aforementioned nerdy packaging critiques. Recently a reader asked what gum we recommended to be the best straight up breath-freshening gum. I'm going to go ahead and add this one to the list, a simple, cool burst of fresh fresh freshness.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Wrigley's 5 Cobalt

Flavor: This is where it all began. The first 5 flavor I remember ever seeing, the one that paved the way for the 5 brand. Describing itself as "a cooling peppermint" on its outer cello wrap, 5 Cobalt is exactly that: a cooling peppermint. This was before 5 went and got all "hip" on us with "electric" or shape-shifting flavors and claims of almost other-worldly sensations. It's got no frills, no extras, and that's just right with me. It's a fantastic peppermint, one of my favorites. Freshens the breath and the flavor is long-lasting.

Texture: Starts off a slight bit grainy, and a little bit too soft in that it gets stuck in between my teeth. Once you chew for about a minute or so, however, it firms up nicely and stays that way. It's easy enough to pop between your teeth, though I can't recommend it for bubble blowing.

Presentation: Like all 5s, the presentation is striking. Ribbed black matte cardstock highlighted with a bold color statement on the right. Sexy.

Overall: We've been getting requests to review this gum for months, it's only just now that I was able to get to it after the new-gum and sponsored-gum rush. In all actuality, though, this is the fourth pack of it I've bought with the intention to review it, and I have gone through the previous three very quickly. It's just a really nice gum, what a gum should be... it's unfortunate what 5 has become.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Vitality Rejuve

Flavor: So this gum is called "Rejuve," with the subtext, "A rejuvenating blend of luscious mint and white tea." Uh. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this is...spearmint. And I think subliminally, that's what they're telling you with the packaging-- it's the green package in the Vitality trio (alongside blue and orange). It's a really good spearmint, actually, sweet and long-lasting. The taste reminds me a lot of those gelly spearmint candies that are covered in sugar, which my mom used to buy a lot when I was a kid. I loved those things, but I haven't found the urge to buy those sugarbombs myself in my adult life, so it's nice to have this throwback to an old classic, without rotting my teeth. That said, I don't see anything "luscious" about the flavor, nor do I detect any semblance of white tea. At all.

Texture: The crunch at the beginning is really pleasant, and contributes to that memory of the crunchy sugar coating on the aforementioned spearmint leaf candies. It might be a little soft for some, but I think the consistency is just firm enough. Again, I wouldn't describe it as "luscious." The soft center varies from piece to piece, I find, some pieces pumped with a firm gel, others with almost no variation in texture at all.

Presentation: They're going for sophisticated, healthy. "Rejuve," "Awaken," and "Vigorate" sounds like the names of the Tazo Teas they sell at Starbucks, but there's nothing tea-like about any of these gums. It's just gum--good gum, don't get me wrong, but just... gum. The marketing here is just misleading.

Overall: I'd buy this again, but not for the reasons they want me to buy it. I offered it to folks in the office, and they didn't seem to care about the added benefits, whether or not it wakes you up or spikes your daily vitamin intake. For the most part, when co-workers saw it on my desk, they picked up the package and just asked one question-- "Is it any good?" Oh yeah, it's pretty good. So good, in fact, that I took it out of the free gum and candy basket on my desk.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

vitamingum Peppermint

This review is sponsored by our friends at vitamingum!

Flavor: Brrrr. I'm usually not a fan of peppermint gum, as the cooling sensation tends to be a little too strong for my tastes-- something about those Halls menthol sinus-clearing fumes that just doesn't do it for me. vitamingum, however, has produced a much more delicate cooling sensation here. It's subtle, well-balanced, and lasts as long as the other, more pungent varieties.

Texture: The pieces are a little small, but that's a matter of preference. I popped a second in my mouth and was satisfied, and discovered that a proper serving size, according to the package, is indeed two pieces. That said, it's as balanced a texture as it is a flavor, and provides a consistency that doesn't harden or stale the longer you chew.

Presentation: There's a characterization of flavors that happens in the gum world (and the candy world in general) that doesn't necessarily correspond with the natural properties of the flavors represented. An "apple" flavored lollipop doesn't really taste like an actual apple in most cases, nor does a piece of watermelon Hubba Bubba remind you of a cool wedge of fruit on a hot summer day. Take the packaging of the flavor spearmint. When you think of it, what color comes to mind? Green, right? Well, what about Peppermint? When I think of peppermint, I think of the green leafy stuff that nice ladies grow in terracotta pots in the summertime. But what about in the gum world? I did a quick Google image search on the word "Peppermint," and here's what came up:


Meanwhile, a search for the words "Peppermint gum" produced this result:

What what what? How did that green leafy plant become this crazy blue color? The peppermint plant itself doesn't even appear on any of the packages, replaced by swirls and lightning bolts and electric shock stuff. I'm guessing the blue-ness is an interpretation of the distinct cooling sensation present in peppermint that is missing in lots of other mint varieties-- a cool, glacier-blue flavor that refreshes your whole mouth and leaves you feeling brisk and alive and skiing in the alps on your coffee table! Brrr! (York Peppermint Patty commercials... anyone?) I respect this artistic rendition of the peppermint I know and love, and hey, vitamingum even puts a leaf on the pack!

Overall: It's good for you, too! (Well, it has vitamins, anyway.) Although 10 percent of your daily vitamins in one serving of vitamingum might not sound like a lot, I can't imagine chewing the entirety of this pack in any less than a day or two. So you say, (stand back... I'm going to try math) 12 pieces to a pack, 2 pieces to a serving, 10 percent of vitamins per serving and... um... well... it's still better than nothing, right? I don't know, you figure it out.

Rating:ooooo (five gumballs)