Extra Dessert Delights - Root Beer Float

Flavor: The gum has a definite root beeriness to it, for sure.  There's a slight bit of creaminess as well, but not as much as I'd expect if I were comparing it to an actual root beer float.  Granted it's been a long time since I've had one, but if I recall correctly, the best part of a root beer float, to me, is those little crystals that form when the two entwine together.  Don't confuse that for a "texture," however... it's definitely a taste I'm referring to.  It's a delightfully carbonated sweet slushy cream that refreshes on a hot day as well as satisfies a sweet tooth.  This gum, which super-duper sugary sweet to the point where you marvel at how aspartame can taste so much like actual sugar, doesn't have any of that refreshing quality at all.  I'd forgive them on it, but the Mint Chocolate Chip variety of the same gum illustrates my point very well.

Texture: This is my kinda texture.  For those that like a firmer, meatier chew, this gum is perfect.  It's not sticky, it holds its shape very well, and it makes some fantastic pops and cracks.  If you're a champion bubble blower, look elsewhere - this gum lacks that kind of elasticity.

Presentation: Nothing new here from Extra. They've found a groove with the Dessert Delights line, and they're sticking to the simplicity of color-coordinated waves and an enticing photo of the delight.  It works.

Overall: Another fine showing from Extra here.  While some of the Dessert Delight flavors aren't exactly my cup of tea, they are all fantastic representations of desserts.  While I can't say that chewing a piece of this will quench a craving if I'm actually hankering for a bona fide Root Beer Float, it will soothe a raging sweet tooth and save a few hundred calories.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

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) 

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)

Extra Dessert Delights Apple Pie

Flavor: Picture a warm slice of apple pie. The first bite is a mouthful of tart, juicy apple, spiked with cinnamon. The crust is creamy and sweet, and the flavors blend together in harmonious bliss. There's just something about apple pie that's comforting, calming. A kind of warm cinnamon happiness. You guys? This gum tastes like apple pie. Like, for serious apple pie. I don't know how they replicated that familiar flavor with chemicals, artificial sweetener and gum base, but that flavor chemist deserves a serious raise. It's delicious.

Texture: A little on the tougher side when it comes to chew, but definitely well within chewability limits and nowhere near tough enough to tarnish enjoyment of the gum.

Presentation: Similar graphics as the rest of the Dessert Delights line, with autumn-y colors: burgundy, brown, orange and cream. A nice slice of apple pie graces the pack. Nothing flashy, nothing crazy... Extra lets the gum itself do all the work, as it should be.

Overall: This gum is BANGIN'. Now, this gum is not made to be an every day chewer. It's not going to freshen your breath - if anything, you'll need to pop a piece of your mint of choice afterwards to kill the cinnamon from this one. This gum is marketed as an "indulgence" to satisfy your sweet tooth in times of dire craving. And I gotta say, this really does. Go pick up some of this one - now.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Orange Crème Pop

Flavor: Summer is upon us (finally), and what says summer more than Orange Crème Pops? As a Jersey shore native, that orange cream flavor strikes a particularly nostalgic chord in me, harkening back to long summer days and dripping Kohr's Custard cones and orange sodas. I was really excited when I heard the Dessert Delights line had extended its expertise to one of the most delicious of desserts, but I have to say I'm a little let down here. Mint Chocolate Chip was such a pleasant surprise, a long-lasting, actually satisfying low-calorie treat, that I really expected Orange Crème Pop to knock my socks off. At first I was like, "Whoa!" But then I was all, "Meh." It starts out really strong, a tangy burst on the tip of your tongue and then a flood of creamy flavor, like that first bite into your ice pop before it starts to melt in the heat, but it instantly faded into a nutra-sweet-esque, dull orange flavor that actually grossed me out after a while. Not impressed.

Texture: The texture falls a little short, especially for Extra. It gets pretty tough very quickly, and the pieces seem smaller than other Extra varieties. Again, not impressed.

Presentation: The package is consistent with the other Dessert Delights, pretty simply showcasing the dessert it claims it represents. Not too much to report here, although I'm not sure I would associate actual orange slices with that delicious crème pop, it's an entity unto itself.

Overall: It's ok. I guess if you just want the flavor of the pop without the actual pop, go ahead and buy it, it's worth a try. But personally, I'm going to get my butt down to the boardwalk and get me some swirly orange and cream custard in a waffle cone, with rainbow sprinkles. Mmmm...

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Strawberry Shortcake

Flavor: I have to admit right off the bat that I'm not the biggest fan of strawberry shortcake. If you put it in front of me, like any other sugary treat, of course I'll devour it, but I'd never choose it out of a lineup. All prejudices aside, though, I'd say this gum is just all right. It's got all the elements you'd expect out of a strawberry shortcake gum-- it's sweet and creamy and tastes of the familiar artificial strawberry flavor. I think I would have loved this gum when I was ten or eleven; it's got that really phony, terrible sweetness that reminds me very much of my smelly Strawberry Shortcake doll. I remember most adults gagging at the smell of her, though, a reaction that I finally now understand, thanks to Extra.

Texture: As a gum, it's a quality chew-- thick, not too soft, not too firm, keeps consistency for a long time. But I think that the reason I feel this gum falls short for "strawberry shortcake" is because so much of strawberry shortcake is about the texture-- the soft flesh of the strawberries, the spongy bread, the smoothness of the cream. That's what I most enjoy about it, anyway, and I feel like it loses half its appeal here. Again, I would not have given texture a second thought back in the day, if a free pack of this stuff had come with my awesome smelly dolly.

Presentation: I wonder if it might suit Extra better to market these three "Dessert Delights" independently from one another. I mean, it's true, they do have lots in common-- they're all desserts, they all have that unique creaminess to them, and they're all in one way or another delightful. But I think that, unlike Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chocolate Chip, and even Key Lime Pie to an extent, I wouldn't categorize this particular gum as a "sinful indulgence," per se. It's a kid's gum, simple and sickeningly sweet. Smack a cartoon character on there and Extra will be selling these by the handful. As for the way it's packaged now, though, I doubt it would have caught my eye as a kid, when lined up on the shelf beside such masterpieces as Hubba Bubba Max Sweet and Sassy Cherry or straight up Big League Chew.

Overall: I feel like I can't give this an objective rating, since it tastes like it's intended primarily for kids. But then, I feel like the packaging is not marketing to kids, so I shouldn't have to censor my adult opinions. So in honor of my old friend Miss Shortcake, in all of her stinky glory, I'll err on the favorable side of the gumball scale this time around.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Key Lime Pie

Flavor: Interesting. I'm not a huge key lime pie person, but the first few chomps of this gum really make me crave it. The flavor is totally spot-on here. You can almost taste each element- graham cracker crust, whipped cream, and tangy lime filling- separately. The flavor doesn't fade too quickly, either. It does mellow a bit with a prolonged chew, but it never loses the Key-Limeness.

Texture: Big fat fail, Extra. It starts out so good, you wonder how it could possibly be sugarfree. The creaminess of the texture matches the creaminess of the flavor at first, but the longer you chew, the harder it gets. I actually find myself avoiding the side of my mouth with the dental crown, for fear that I'll knock it loose with this gum. It's one of those gums that if you spread it over your tongue, it almost feels like a latex balloon.

Presentation: Standard Extra packaging. I really like the font of the "Key Lime Pie" header for some reason. And like Katie said in her review of the Mint Chocolate Chip Dessert Delights, Extra should totally have taken advantage of the spot-on flavor of this line and called out its "Sinful Indulgence."

Overall: When I first heard about this gum line, I was ridiculously excited to taste the advance samples that Katie got from a friend. So far I've tasted this and the Mint Chip, and I'm really not impressed with either of them (despite my sister's enthusiasm.) I don't know why, exactly-- they're certainly tasty enough -- but they're just "meh." to me.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Dessert Delights Mint Chocolate Chip

Flavor: I scream, you scream, we all scream for... GUM! People, this is not a test. I repeat. This is NOT a test. Or a dream, or a fantasy... it's happened. A gum that really, truly tastes not only like chocolate, but like chocolate mint ICE CREAM. As with all faux chocolate mints or gum, I was skeptical when I heard about the new line of Extra Dessert Delights. I tried desperately not to get my hopes up when our secret shopper informed me we had some pre-release Dessert Delight gum to review. It had me at the first bite. It's creamy. It's sweet. It's cold. It's minty. It's chocolatey. Folks. It's chocolate mint chip ice cream... GUM. I'm wiping back tears, here. My dream has finally come true. And... and... you can chew it for as long as you want, and it won't run out of flavor, and and... I mean, Willy Wonka would do a tumblesault. And then he'd get back up again, and he'd do another.

Texture: As with the flavor, the texture is consistent and lasts for as long as I've dared to chew. It's that notoriously well-structured Extra texture. I'm so happy it was Extra that pulled this rabbit out of the hat.

Presentation: Does it even need a flashy package? Extra knew that no, it really didn't. The package is simple, it's sea foam green, it's got brown and white squiggles, but it's really just about the whopping bowl of ice cream front and center. Once word spreads, these packs will be flying off the shelves, creative packaging or no. The words "Sugarfree Gum" are particularly prominant here, and I think that's going to be important for marketing once the commercials start popping up. If I were Extra, I would totally go with the "guilt free indulgence" crap that people are eating up these days.

Overall: I apologize for getting sentimental, but this is really big for me, and for so many people out there. It's revolutionary-- all that garbage that "they" have been trying to feed us for years about how chewing gum can "satisfty your sweet tooth," substitute that Hersey's bar, swap out your 1000 calories for >5... it's all been a joke until now. This gum doesn't make me want chocolate like those expensive chocolate-smelling candles, nor does it leave my teeth grimy with sugar like that actual (delicious) bowl of ice cream. It's actually like chewing a bowl of refreshing, delicious, creamy (did I mention it's just so creamy?) chocolate chip mint ice cream. Oh man, here come the waterworks again. In the words of Willy himself, "Take a look and you'll see into your imagination." Even if someone doesn't roll me out of here like Violet Beauregard in the next ten minutes, I'll never be the same again.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs) ...but only because I couldn't give it six.

Extra Peppermint

Flavor: There's really nothing special to say about the flavor of Extra Peppermint, because it's really not designed to be a special kind of gum. Extra Peppermint is an Everyman's gum - the kind of gum you mindlessly pick up when, on your way to the beach at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, you're standing on line at the 7-11 waiting to pay for your iced coffee and you realize that you forgot a pack of gum and the only munchies you have to eat on the beach are Pepperoni Pizza Combos. (Wow, that turned into way more of a run-on sentence than I had anticipated.) It's just a peppermint gum, a simple breath freshener. And as with most Extras, the flavor lasts an extra, extra, extra long time.

Texture: It starts off almost frighteningly soft, but within a minute or so it firms right up.

Presentation: You know how sometimes you stare at a word for too long, and it starts to become a weird non-word, and doesn't even sound right to say? That's what's happening to me looking at the packaging of this gum. It's just your standard pocket pack that most gums come in these days, but something's weird about it. Did they recently change the font of the Extra logo or something? Anyway, the package is as simple as the gum, little more than a logo and some blue peppermint leaves. It might as well be all white and have a Dharma logo on it, it's that generic.

Overall: Ashley on our facebook page requested this gum, and I'm pretty happy that she did. Being Gum Girls, our gum queues are often long and stocked with crazy flavor concoctions so it's not often that we get to go back to basics with our gum. We're just never faced with that "oh MAN I just need some GUM" dilemma - we always have gum. Chewing this pack of Extra Peppermint has been a really pleasant change for me, and while there's no bells and whistles and you're not likely to have an "experience" chewing it, it's just a really good gum that gets things done. Much like Trident Original, I feel like I would be being unfair if I didn't give it five gumballs.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

P.S. Don't forget to enter our contest! You only have until June 30th!

http://www.gumalert.com/2010/06/win-gum-prize-pack-from-gum-alert.html

Extra Fruit Sensations - Sweet Tropical

Flavor: This was the gum that broke me of my gum fast. I could not resist its juicy temptation. If you're a regular Gum Alert reader (and why wouldn't you be?) you will know that I have been on a soy-free diet because I'm currently nursing my 4-month old daughter, and she's got some allergy issues. Recently I've been slowly adding back soy into my diet, and I saw this new Extra flavor on the shelf and I just had to pick it up. I did not make the wrong choice. This is the best fruit gum I've had in a long, long time. Super tangy at first bite, mellowing into a "sweet tropical" medley that last an extra, extra, extra long time.

Texture: This is what it's all about. It starts off nice, and stays malleable, and perfectly tough. There is a brief interlude of borderline too-toughness, but it's so brief that it's barely noticeable. Most Fruit Sensations flavors will eventually soften and degrade until the wad is a thousand pieces of gag-inducing plasma balls that you'll be coughing up for hours, but this one stays nice for the long haul. I've been chewing for about 15 minutes now, and there's no sign of cohesion loss.

Presentation: It's a pleasant teal blue color reminiscent of the Caribbean Sea, fading into large pictures of an orange, grapefruit and pineapple. Like Orbit Berry Red, the package boasts "TASTES LIKE REAL FRUIT." I don't know what the gum companies are thinking with this logic. It doesn't taste like real fruit. Sucralose, Aspartame and the like will never taste like naturally-occurring Fructose no matter how they combine them. And truth be told, I think that chewers are okay with that, but I don't think we're okay with being misled.

Overall: I feel really bad for Extra, they're like the bastard stepchild of gums. Extra is a really great gum, but they're falling into the background of Orbit, Stride and Trident. It's a damn shame, because Extra really does put out some great flavors, and Sweet Tropical is at the top of the list. I'm just afraid that it will fall by the wayside and be outshined and overlooked for a fancy new 5, or an old favorite. If you see this one on the checkout line, pick up a pack. You won't be sorry. And if you are, just send the rest of the pack to me. I'll get rid of it for you.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Special Feature: The Bubble Trials

Christopher, A friend of GumAlert, alerted us to the fact that although we've reviewed multiple bubblegums, we rarely touch upon the bubble-blowing qualities of the gum. This is an element that we've absolutely neglected, so I've gone out and bought a variety of sugarless bubblegums to compare.

In this special post, I'll be comparing the bubbles blown by six different brands of sugarfree bubblegum: Bubblegum Trident, Stride Uber Bubble, Extra Classic Bubble, Orbit Bubblemint, Wrigley 5 Zing, and the yet-to-be-reviewed Sugarfree Bubble Yum.

Bubblegum Trident
In my initial review of Bubblegum Trident, I noted that this "might as well be a chewing gum." This description still fits. When you first start chewing Bubblegum Trident, the consistency is really hard, and the bubbles are small and thick. After you chew for about 5 - 10 minutes, the texture of the gum softens and the bubbles increase in size but remain a hard, thick, almost latex balloon consistency. However, the bubble pops and you're right back to a hard wad. Makes my teeth hurt, in fact.
oo (two bubbles)

Stride Uber Bubble
This one is also tough to chew, and it has a slightly grainy consistency that makes blowing bubbles near impossible. You can barely spread the gum around your tongue before it forms tiny little holes in it. I chewed it for about 15 minutes and it stayed way too firm.
o (one bubble)

Extra Classic Bubble
"Made With Real Bubbles" is printed on the inside of the packaging, and that's pretty gross if you stop and really think about it. Anyway, this one is a much softer gum when you first bite into it, but again, it firms up to the point where I worry about my dental work. I had such high hopes for the bubble potential when I first started chewing it, but I was quickly disappointed. I think I blew about 3 bubbles before my jaw started to hurt and I gave up.
o (one bubble)

Orbit Bubblemint
Still hard to chew, but definitely easier to spread. Bubbles are decent, but get thin and pop really quickly, and are really sticky. Since it's technically supposed to be a bubble-mint hybrid, if you blow a big bubble that doesn't pop and try to "suck" the bubble back into your mouth, your sinuses are blasted with mintyness. Similarly, if you pop a bubble just right and the air blows into your eye, it stings quite a bit.
oo (two bubbles)

Wrigley's 5 Zing
This gum fools you into thinking you're going to get great big awesome bubbles, but they fall short every time, popping with a loud, disappointing SNAP when you just start to fill them up with air. Also very sticky.
o (one bubble)

Bubble Yum Sugarfree
Bubble Yum is one of the main sugared bubblegums, so they know what's what when it comes to bubbles. However, once again the bubbles are sub-par. This gum has the opposite problem of the others: it's too soft. I feel like it might blow a decent enough bubble, but it wants to slide right off your tongue with the slightest pressure from the air.
oo (two bubbles)

Conclusion
Now that I've chewed enough xylitol in one sitting to make me nauseous, I think I can say with some certainty that sugarless bubblegum is more about the flavor of bubblegum, and less about the actual blowing of bubbles. If you're in a bubble-blowing mood, you gotta bite the bullet and risk a cavity and pick up a pack of Big League Chew or Bubble Tape.

Extra Fruit Sensations Berry Smoothie

Flavor: I gotta give it to Wrigley, they hit spot-on with this one. The flavor is just awesome. It starts out with a creamy berry texture, and with continued chewing, the creaminess fades a bit and you're hit with a tart blast of tangy berry. It's quite delicious, and I can imagine the right mix of berries and cream tasting exactly like this. I have to admit, though, that it would probably almost be considered too sweet for some - I definitely couldn't see chewing this gum on any regular basis, nor it is functional to freshen the breath. It's just too much.

Texture: Here's where it falls apart, literally. It starts off well and stays pleasant for a short time - Firm, softening into a pleasant malleable wad. At around the 10-15 minute mark the gum starts to lose any semblance of cohesion. It gets very tacky and starts sticking to your teeth and turning mushy. If I didn't just spit out the piece I was chewing, it would have triggered my gag reflex. Of course, being Extra, the flavor lasts through this metamorphosis, but the gum itself becomes unchewable so really, what's the point?

Overall: Nice try, Wrigley's. While the ROI on your R & D dollars is paying off in terms of flavor, how about next time you invest some funds into making sure the gum doesn't turn into an amoebic lump of plasma, as well? I recommend buying this gum once to try - or better yet, splitting the cost of a pack with a friend. I think one, two sticks at most of this gum will be enough for anyone to experience the novelty of smoothie-in-gum-form, and the rest of the pack will inevitably go to waste.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Extra Classic Bubble

Flavor: It's going to be extremely hard to review this gum without comparing it to the greatest gum of all time, Extra Original Bubble (may it rest in peace.) It's your basic bubblegum. It's got a fantastic bubble gum flavor, and if you're a bubblegum person, this is probably in your regular rotation, if not your favorite. On first chew, it's soft and sweet, and it's hard to believe that it is, indeed, sugarfree. I'm reminded of the taste of a pinch of bubblegum Big League Chew. Excellent.

Texture: At first, it's fantastic. It's soft and congeals into a nice wad. But on further mastication, it firms up a little too much. I fear for my fillings a bit with this one for a couple minutes. But fear not, and do not give up the chew - it softens back up into a delightful chewable gum, and allows for small-to-medium sized bubble blowing. Now, despite the taste, this ain't no Big League Chew, and you're not going to be getting Big League sized bubbles out of it, but it does the job.

Overall: A fantastic choice for a bubblegum. Extra gums usually go one way or the other - they either get it really right, or really wrong - and they got this one really right. I can't give it five bubbles for a couple reasons - the interlude of firmness, and out of respect for my beloved Original Bubble. If Extra comes to their senses and brings back Original Bubble, I may someday revisit this review and bump up the stars.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Extra Fruit Sensations: Island Cooler

Flavor: This gum fills your mouth with mango and citrus for about five seconds and almost immediately fades. It might as well be edible, seeing how quickly the flavor fizzles. It’s a good flavor, I’ll give it that, but I don’t know if it lives up to the name of “Island Cooler.” It doesn’t cool my mouth at all. It’s a fruity burst and then a flavorless hunk of rubber.

Texture: This gum is full bodied, like most Extras, but a bit too mushy too quickly. I remember back when I first tried this gum, I chewed a piece long enough that it turned into a gob of mush, falling apart between my teeth, formless. I haven’t chewed a piece long enough this time around for that to happen, and I’m not going to find out if it’s still the case. I chew it long enough that it makes me want to gag, and then I spit it out.

Overall: The inside of this package says, “We couldn’t fit a cabana boy in the pack so you’ll have to get your own.” This is another subtype of “Fruit Sensation” (I blogged on Sweet Watermelon yesterday), and I’ve decided that Extra is wasting too much time on marketing and not spending enough time on the product quality. It’s good, but lackluster, and for all the bells and whistles on the label, it really doesn’t do much for me. Eh, it’s arrite, but I won’t be buying it again. Stop trying to be cute, Extra: It's what's inside that counts.
Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Extra Fruit Sensations: Sweet Watermelon

Flavor: It’s a delicious representation of the traditional fake watermelon flavor, with no claims of “cooling” or “minty” sub-flavors. It’s exactly what it is, it’s sweet watermelon, bright and watermelony to start and lasting long through the whole chew. It’s yummy, simple, a treat. It’s not a gum I can chew for a long time, more of a quick sweet treat, like a Starburst, after a meal.

Texture: This is a full-bodied gum that lends itself to bubble-blowing, but is too sticky to really execute a full bubble with confidence. After a while, though, something about it—maybe the flavor, maybe the texture, pretty much just ejects it from my mouth, almost as a reflex, my tongue forces it out and I have to catch it and chuck it.

Overall: So I chewed this gum for a day in preparation for the gumblog, but by the evening I realized that I didn’t want to chew another stick in order to write it. Alas, I took the risk. This is yet another gum that forms sores in my mouth, which is always a rather…disconcerting characteristic in a gum. Sores aside (maybe I just have a sensitive mouth), it’s a good gum, for what it is. I couldn’t see it being anyone’s favorite gum, maybe the stand-by for a change every so often. But me? I will not be chewing it again. It might taste good, but it’s just not worth the mouth corrosion.
Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Fruit Sensations Strawberry Banana

Flavor: The flavor of Extra Fruit Sensations Strawberry Banana is actually quite accurate. Banana isn't a flavor often found in sugarless gum, and Wrigley did a fantastic job of recreating it here. A perfect harmonious blend of strawberry and banana, it tingles the taste buds. Unlike most Extra gum, however, the flavor of this gum does not last an extra long time. It fades quickly and we're left with a faint mostly-banana flavor. It's like you can actually taste the blandness of unflavored gum base.

Texture: The texture of Extra Fruit Sensations works. It starts out fairly smooth and with continued chewing it remains firm yet malleable. It doesn't work well for snapping or bubbles, however - it's a little too soft and the bubbles too thin for it to really work.

Overall: This gum is nothing special. I'd chewed a few packs of it last year back when it first came out, and I liked it well enough but it never stuck around to become one of my staple gums. I was hoping that revisiting it for this blog would bring me a newfound appreciation for it, but alas it has again disappointed. It's nice for a change because there's nothing on the market with this unique flavor, but I can't in good conscience rate it above a three.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Extra Polar Ice

Flavor: The flavor of Extra Polar Ice is unlike any other mint gum on the market today. It's sort of a sweet-mint, closer to a wintermint flavor than a pepper or spearmint. It refreshes the mouth from the very first chew, irradicating any hint of offensive odor your breath may have had. The flavor is not only pleasant, but it lasts and lasts. While the initial punch of flavor fades a bit after a few minutes, it never completely disappears. I cannot ever recall a time when a piece of Extra Polar Ice gave out on me when I've needed it - My mouth has remained minty fresh from first chew to wrapper-discard.

Texture: Again, Extra Polar Ice is truly a unique gum, and this especially is true when we consider its texture. Each slice of Extra Polar ice is embedded with hundreds of tiny flavor beads (for lack of a better word - Extra's packaging does not name or call out these beads) that crack and pop in your mouth for the first few minutes of chewing. The outer coating of the beads eventually dissolve away, leaving you with a not-too-firm, not-too-soft wad of pure chewing satisfaction. The texture, like the flavor, does not falter with time; it remains chewable and elastic through the end of the chew. Extra Polar Ice is a chewing gum, not a bubble gum, so bubbles are all-but-impossible to blow. However, cracking this gum is a pleasure.

Overall: Extra Polar Ice is my all-time favorite gum, and it has been for quite some time now. It is the standard to which I judge all other gums. I am rarely without a pack of Extra Polar Ice in my purse.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)