Bacon Gumballs

Flavor: I cannot believe I have this in my mouth right now. (That's what she said.) It's definitely bacon, but kind of a faux bacon-bits kind of bacon. It's sickeningly sweet and not at all salty. Dear God.

Texture: Very soft, loses shape and size quickly.

Overall: This may be one of the most disgusting things I have ever had the displeasure to experience. I'm feeling really nauseous as I type this - I'm sure it doesn't help that I'm 5 months pregnant and easily nauseated. I apologize for the length of this review but I just don't have it in me to chew it long enough for anything more substantial. I fear I actually might vomit. I can't even see a true bacon connosseiur finding this gum palatable.

Rating: o (one gumball)

Hubba Bubba Max Sweet & Sassy Cherry

Flavor: As avid (and often compulsive) gumchewers, my sister and I tend to favor sugarfree varieties, to ward off cavities and all that stuff we were taught when we were little. We received an email recently from a reader, TS, who wondered about the absence of cherry gum on the market. He reported that he loves cherry and yet has noticed a definite void in cherry gums. Shannon did some research and found that, indeed, there is quite a lack of cherry varieties, nearly a complete hole in our favorite sugarfree brands. There was once an Eclipse cherry that tasted startlingly of cherry cough syrup and that didn't stay on the shelves for very long. Shannon postulated that perhaps the cherry flavor doesn't translate well to the sugar substitutes, and she's probably right. Hubba bubba tastes exactly like cherry candy-- cherry blow pops, cherry laffy taffy, cherry jolly ranchers. It's delicious, much like other sugary cherry candies, and the flavor actually lasts a fairly long time for a sugar-based kids gum.

Texture: It's extraordinarily meaty, like most sugary gums. The pieces are enormous at first because the sugar tends to dissolve more readily than substitute sweeteners in other gums. I have to say, the sheer girth, and the soft, malleable form was refreshing. We've been blowing these pathetic little bubbles and rating them as excellent, but it's not until now that I am thoroughly enjoying the bubble blowing as much as the chewing. And it's been that way for almost 15 minutes now. It's a hubba bubba of a gum.

Overall: TS, I implore you to seek out this gum, it's a true delight. But, be warned, sugary gum leads to lots of scary things if you chew it to excess (and you'll want to chew this gum to excess), like root canals and fillings (shudder). I'll get off my soap box for this one, though, and commend hubba bubba for a job well done. It might not be sugar free, but it sure is worth it.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Xtra Care Cool Citrus

Flavor: When I first put this gum in my mouth, I was zinged with a surprising and pleasant orange flavor reminiscent of orange tic tacs. I immediately texted Shannon and let her know that she would approve of this gum. But the tic tac-y goodness lasted but an instant in my chewing experience. It almost immediately settled into a much more subtle orange, one commonly found in creamsicle orange varieties. Even that flavor doesn't last very long, though. I'm not sure what "Cool Citrus" is trying to say, there's nothing lemony about it, it's straight-up orange, through and through. I guess there aren't many adjectives beginning with "o." Opulent Orange. Outstanding Orange.

Texture: It's better than the other Xtra care gums I've tried, but it leaves you in the end with a grainy sort of texture, a roughness to the gum blob that isn't very pleasing on the tongue.

Overall: I can't really think of any grand, all-encompassing final words on this gum. It's a fair substitute for orange tic tac lovers who need a break from the sugary gunk they leave on your teeth. But for a gum chewer, it leaves something to be desired. It's a good gum, and apparantly it's really good for your teeth. Give it a go.
Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Nicorette® 2mg – Fruit Chill

There used to be a review here, but for reasons better left unsaid, it's not here anymore.
We'd love if any brave quitters would write us a guest review of any flavor of Nicorette gum!
E-mail us at gumgirls@gmail.com and let us know if you're interested!

mentos gum Tropical

Flavor: The flavor of mentos Tropical gum is just alright. It features oranges, mangoes, and kiwis on the label but the flavor of the gum itself is too sweet to be a combination of those or any other "tropical" flavors - it lacks a tartness or tanginess that is essential to a Tropical blend. On extended chewing, it loses the quasi-tropical sweetness rather quick and we're left with that dreaded "gum base" flavor, with just a hint of artificial sweetener. It's got little to no breath-freshening qualities whatsoever, and if I were trying to mask red wine on my breath, mentos Tropical gum might, in fact, do more harm than good.

Texture: Yikes. It starts out bad, and gets worse. It touts a "soft center" on the label and that certainly detracts from the overall texture. It makes for a mushy chew right off the bat. As with all pellet gums, it has a candy shell, but it's not crispy at all and doesnt dissolve as I expect pellet gum candy shell to dissolve - Instead, it almost becomes a component of the gum. About the time the gum base flavor (or lack thereof) starts to take over, so does a waxy texture that has very little elasticity and falls apart easily.

Overall: mentos makes a fine candy. I don't think I've ever met a mento I've disliked, from mint, to fruit, to cinnamon, to their new sugarless line, which I eat by the box. However, first impressions with the gum extension of the line fall very short, and I can't in good conscience rate this gum highly - the Freshmaker it is not.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Stride Spearmint

Flavor: Well, it’s Spearmint, I’ll give it that. But compared to the other varieties that I’ve blogged in the spearmint spectrum, it falls far, far short. It’s a bit weak, for Stride, a brand that usually puts forth a notably robust flavor. Not to mention that the longer you chew, the more it starts to taste like cough syrup. I’m sorry, but to me, green cough syrup, no matter how much it takes like spearmint, always tastes much more predominantly of cough syrup. In a gum? Do not want.

Texture: Eh. It’s rubbery, and tough. It leaves much to be desired right from the start—between the stale taste and the stale texture, it’s almost as though it’s already been chewed. Stride swung with this one, and it missed.

Overall: I have to note a few things. One, this is a by-demand gum review, which means it’s already a fact that this gum is somebody’s favorite (Thanks Amanda!). Two, Stride gives me sores in my mouth, and based on the search results of our Google Analytics, it gives other people sores in their mouths too (Someone typed “stride gum sores on tongue” into Google and came upon our site. I feel your pain, friend.) Third, this gum finds itself pretty late in a long line of Gum Alert spearmint reviews, so it’s up against some serious competition. Taking all those things into consideration, I’m going to have to address you, Amanda, and you, anonymous googler with the sores on your tongue, and ask if you’ve tried 5 Rain. I implore you if you have not, to do so ASAP. I’m going to be merciful and give this gum two gumballs, since it was requested by a fan, and since I want people to keep asking my opinions on things. But Amanda, do get back to me on Rain, and perhaps we can lower the rating… together.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

NOTE: THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN BY KATIE BUT I HAD TO GO IN AND FIX THE CODE. BLOGGER MESSED THIS ONE UP GOOD. -Shannon

Orbit Positively Pomegranite

Flavor: One of the bad things about being a gum connoseiur is that every once in a while, you find a gum that's just perfect, and then they discontinue it. You then spend countless days, weeks, chews, trying to find a comparison to your old favorite. Such is the case with Katie and I, and Extra Original Bubble. It was the perfect gum, and I can still taste it even though it was discontinued years and years ago. Since they discontinued it, we've been on a quest to find a gum with that similar perfect tangy-sweet flavor, and I've gotta say that Orbit Positively Pomegranite actually comes close. As I've said before in another review, I don't get the "pomegranite" craze, mostly because I don't really remember pomegranite having much of a taste. But that being said, the flavor of this gum is fantastic. It starts out with a sweet-tart one-two punch, and fades into a delicate flavor-indescript blend. My only problem with this gum is that it fades TOO much, TOO quickly. What flavor that's left is just fine, there just isn't enough of it.

Texture: The texture is great, this is how gums should chew. It's the slightest bit sticky on the teeth, but certainly not enough to cause any hinderance of enjoyment.

Overall: This is a great gum. I am a little concerned for its future, as I don't really see it very often and this pack I picked up was in a bin, away from the other gums. A trip to the the Orbit page on Wrigley.com tells me that the flavor is indeed still available, and even still being billed as New!, but I am wary nonetheless. Can you find Orbit Positively Pomegranite in your local stores? Anyway, if you see it, pick it up and give it a chew. The only reason it doesn't get the full 5 gumballs is because of the rapid flavor loss. Nicely done.
Rating: oooo (four gumballs)