Trident Vitality Balance

Be sure to read to the end of this one to find out how you can enter to win some free gum!

Flavor: This is a nice, mellow citrus.  While it has a bit of a tang, there's no real power behind the flavor, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.  I've never really been able to pick out a "pomegranate" flavor in anything other than a straight-up pomegranate, but the tangerine comes through really nicely here.

Texture: This is softer than a standard pellet in terms of initial crunch, and it remains soft throughout the chew.  (We've seen this in other Trident Vitality varieties.)  It's not terrible, though, and some chewers might prefer it.

Presentation: We've discussed the Vitality package design before-- it looks nice but lacks real purpose.  I still find the "box" format annoying and would prefer the standard sleeve.

Overall:  According to the Nutrition Information, one piece of this gum contains 10% of your daily Vitamin C.  That's nothing to sneeze at, especially if you're a gum-addict like me.  I could easily chew through half a pack in an afternoon, and there's half my RDV right there.  It's a nice gum, but I can't get past the softness.  I do have to give Trident credit for staying true to the formula with each new addition to the Vitality line (unlike other brands... I'm lookin' at YOU, Wrigley's 5). 

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

WHO WANTS SOME FREE GUM???  Our friends at Rev7 were nice enough to send us some samples to share with our readers!  To enter to win, just send an email to gumgirls@gumalert.com with the subject line "I WANT FREE GUM."  In the body, tell us what gum you want us to review next!  We'll pick five emails at random and send you some samples of Rev7 gum, and maybe some other surprises from our stash of leftovers.  Get your emails in by April 1st.

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)

Trident Splashing Fruit

Flavor: Imagine for a moment that you've peeled a juicy, fresh tangerine right out of the fridge, and are about to take your first bite. What do you anticipate? A burst of flavor, tangy and full, overwhelming and refreshing, right? Now pop that first piece of Splashing Fruit into your mouth. Oh... it's like... peach? It's sort of... melony? I guess? The packaging here suggests this gum would mirror the experience of that bursting citrus flavor, as portrayed in the pictures of three very strong citrus wedges on the front of the package: grapefruit, lime, and orange. I'd say it's risky to claim to represent those flavors in any gum, since they're so strong and distinct. But here, it's downright wrong. I don't detect any lime at all, maybe a hint of grapefruit (maybe) somewhere in the there, and I suppose a sort of dull, tic-tac-like orange. Mostly, though, it's a very subtle melon flavor that lasts a fair amount of time but at no point wows the tastebuds.

Texture: For the most part, the texture here is standard for Trident, a good, consistent chew. It's a little soft for a short while after chewing, but forms back up into a good bite pretty quickly.

Presentation: Bold! Black background and bright aforementioned fruits misleads the chewer and leave you feeling disappointed in your purchase.

Overall: This gum might have had a fighting chance if it were marketed appropriately, but as it stands it just doesn't cut it. I'd be surprised if this one sticks around, and it's a shame, since it's pretty decent melon flavor overall.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Trident Layers Orchard Peach + Ripe Mango

Flavor: If you thought Trident Tropical Twist was outrageous, just wait until you get your hands on this. We're rounding out the summer here, folks, and just today I enjoyed one of the last delicious peaches of the season here in Jersey. It was tangy, sweet, round with that peachy flavor that takes over your whole being during the duration of your snack. It's been a while since I've have a mango, and I'm pretty sure those are out of season already, or well on their way. But boy, does this gum make me feel comfortable about the long, peach-and-mango-less winter ahead. Upon first bite, it knocks your socks off, just like that first sloppy bite of a juicy peach. Then comes the mango, as if it actually were a mango sandwich on two pieces of peach bread, aromatic and vibrant. It fades of course, but the lingering flavor is sweet and cool and enjoyable for a good long while. The summer can't last forever, but this flavor sure can.

Texture: This is a really meaty chew, much more substantial than your usual stick of Trident. It has a fantastic bite, not too soft, not too hard, a really well constructed piece of gum.

Presentation: Oh, man, just look at that mango sandwich, so simple, so decadent, so ripe and delicate. This packaging, as Shannon mentioned in her review of Trident Layers Sweet Cherry + Island Lime, is simple and sophisticated.

Overall: I know what you're thinking: "If you love Trident Layers Orchard Peach + Ripe Mango so much, why don't you marry it?" Maybe I will. It's too early into our relationship to tell. But I do know that tomorrow at lunch I'm picking up a freaking mango, slicing it up and slapping it between two halves of a peach at 4:00 snack time. Only a real mango sandwich could rival this gum.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Layers Sweet Cherry + Island Lime

Flavor: A long time ago, a friend of Gum Alert sent us an email asking us about cherry flavored sugarless gums. At the time, there was really nothing to turn to. The only one I could recall, in fact, was a really disgusting mentholated Eclipse concoction that was downright offensive to the taste buds. Lack of a great cherry (like grape, as I mentioned in my review of 5 React 2 - Fruit) left a gaping hole in the sugarless gum world. Well, gum gurus and cherry lovers alike can rejoice! Trident has changed the game with this one. I haven't been the biggest fan of the Layers line as a whole, but this new one is fantastic. The lime burst you get from what I assume is the candy goo layer starts off pleasantly strong and fades as you chew, leaving the awesome cherry to shine on and on. It rivals the Bubblicious cubes in cherryness and the flavor has decent longevity. Really nice.

Texture: Slightly tough and sticky at first, the chew mellows to a pleasant malleability. It's easy to spread on the tongue to pop and crack. It does get a teensy bit too soft for my taste, but it might be just fine for you.

Presentation: Trident Layers's packaging is cute and clever, with an admirable minimalistic style. Besides the Trident logo and text, the only graphic on the package is a cherry being sliced into by a juicy lime wedge. Gets the point across without any unnecessary obnoxious color, holographic fonts, or neon bursts.

Overall: As I said, I've not been much of a fan of Trident Layers. This one has made me a believer.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Vitality Vigorate

Flavor: The "burst of citrus and strawberry with vitamin C" here tastes an awful lot like the rainbow to me. The flavor at first is reminiscent of orange Skittles, in a good way, but is as fleeting as the goo inside the pellet. There is a nice cooling sensation that lasts throughout the whole chew, and the flavor is pleasant enough for a while, but it's nothing that Orbit Citrusmint hasn't done before (and better).

Texture: The first bite is a lot like a Skittle texture-wise as well, one that's been sitting out in the sun for a few minutes and is nice and soft inside. But after the crunch is gone, it's all mush. It falls apart as you chew, which to me is one of the worst qualities in a gum. Not everyone wants a firm gum, and it's refreshing to see variety in textures that appeal to different preferences. "Crumbly," however, is not a characteristic of gum at all. In fact, it's the opposite of what a gum should be.

Presentation: Shannon discussed the misleading health claims that Trident is employing with this new line of gum in her review of Trident Vitality Awaken. Sure, there are maybe some traces of vitamin C here, but you shouldn't be supplementing a good old fashioned orange with this a pack of Vigorate. I secretly expected a little burst of energy when I chewed my first piece, but it did little to quell the three o'clock work doldrums. The pack is clean and well designed, and I do actually like the aesthetic of the flap that clicks when you close it, even if it doesn't actually do anything.

Overall: If you're in the market for a mid-afternoon boost of vitamin C to get you through the day, don't bother with Vitality. Have an orange, some tomato salad, or a handful of strawberries (dipped in chocolate if you're feeling particularly droopy). If you're looking for a sweet post-meal treat to replace that bag of Skittles you've been eyeing in the vending machine since breakfast, then go ahead and stash a pack in your desk drawer. It's ok.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

Trident Vitality Awaken

Taste: The box says "A peppy peppermint with a dash of ginseng," and it's a peppy peppermint, indeed. You get the initial blast of freshness you do with most pellet gums, especially those with a liquid center, and when the candy shell dissolves you're left with a soft mint that's easy on the taste buds and sinuses.

Texture: Sub-par. It starts off nice, with a tiny burst of goo in the middle, and then just goes downhill. It gets way too soft, way too fast. I suppose some might like this kind of softness, but it's really stringy and sticky. There'll be no cracking, snapping or popping with this gum.

Presentation: I don't know what's going on here. It's your average pellet pack, placed inside a fancy-looking box. Why? It seems like overkill. It's also kind of annoying. Traditionally, pellet packs are in cardboard sleeves, so you can push the pack out from one end so that it pops out the other. With this box, it's only open on one end, so there's nowhere to push the pellet pack out from. You have to either shake it, or get a little fingernail's grip on the pack to pull it out. The whole thing seems really unnecessary, and kinda pretentious to me. The graphics themselves are nice, a metallic silver with a simple dew-speckled peppermint leaf, but I think it would have been just as effective on your standard pellet pack sleeve. (ETA: I found an article that said one of the purposes of the box was so that the pellet pack wouldn't fall out. Has anyone ever had an issue with pellet packs falling out of their sleeves? I haven't... and we all know how much gum I chew.)

Overall: Move over Extra Dessert Delights, Trident Vitality has caught the attention of the Gum World. Everyone's talking about it. However, in the opinion of this Gum Girl, the "Latest and Greatest" falls short. In the interest of science, I popped a piece of "Awaken" on this fine Monday morning as I got into the car to drive to work, before drinking my coffee. I arrived at my job still as tired and dragging as I would any other Monday morning. It's a Gum Gimmick, pure and simple. Much like Stride Shift, and 5 React, there's really nothing special about Trident Vitality. They just like to make you think there is.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Trident Splash Summer Spearmint

Flavor: I could be wrong, but this gum tastes an awful lot like its cousin Trident layers Cool Mint + Melon Fresco . It's a subtle sweet melon, much like a cantaloupe, with the cooling sensation of mint. It's such a nice flavor, why not re-purpose this flavor into pellet-form? It's common in the gum world to offer several varieties of the same flavor for folks who prefer pellets to sticks or vice-versa. But I really hate when companies try to trick their customers by re-packaging a flavor and wrapping it in a flashy "New!" label with a name that appeals to different senses. In this case, I'm not even sure what "Summer Spearmint" is supposed to taste like. It's actually sort of gross to imagine a spearmint flavor combined with a watermelon flavor-- they're just not compatible, they're no peanut butter and chocolate. Luckily, I detect no spearmint undertones here, so it works. But why not just offer the Cool mint + Melon fresco in pellet form? As a fan of that gum, I definitely would have been interested and would have offered it to my pellet-loving friends to whom I've never recommended the Trident Layer varieties.

Texture: This is a really substantial chew for a pellet, it's hearty and maintains a nice bite for a long time. The outer shell feels thinner than others upon first bite, a nice delicate crunch at the get-go. I think my pack sat on the racks for too long, though, as the inner goo was all but dissolved in many of the pieces. In the pieces that did have the goo, though, it wasn't even really that noticeable. Oh-- and vegetarians, put the pack down. This one's got gelatin, too.

Presentation: The packaging on this gum seems more out-of-date to me than Trident Layers. It's got bold greens and pinks, large font-size, very little white space and no artsy-fartsy designs. If I weren't hunting for new gum (as I always do...) I would have assumed this was an older gum that slipped by us until now.

Overall: Packaging and masquerading of delicious flavors aside, this is a really good gum. I think the goo falls a little short, but I love the flavor so much that I really don't care. If it were between this and Trident Layers, though, I'd probably go with that.

Rating: oooo (four gumballs)

Trident Splash Pucker Me Berry

Flavor: It's hard not to compare this to the phenomenal Orbit Mist Raspberry Lemon Dew,

because everything about that gum is just right, and it set the standard for "lemonade" in my brain. That being said, this gum is dull, dull, dull. With a name like "Pucker Me Berry" I expect at least some tartness, but even at first bite there's little else but sweetness, and a vague sweetness at that. There's a liquid goo center that I suppose could be classified as tart, but it fades away too quickly to qualify for a featured headline. The package features strawberry and raspberry, but I don't taste either fruit very strongly. All that being said, it's not a bad flavor.

Texture: We open with our standard pellet candy shell crunch, followed by a period of about 5 minutes of "This is waaaaay too soft." It takes a good while for the gum to mature into anything that has any substance to it, and even then, it remains pretty sticky, and has a tendency to cling to your teeth and lips if you attempt to blow a bubble.

Presentation: It's nothing we haven't seen before, but it is worth noting that this is the first time I've seen this incarnation of Trident Splash - previously, the Trident Splash logo was centered and large on the front of the package, with the fruit/ice cream/starlight mint graphics hiding behind. It doesn't make all that much difference aesthetically, since from the get-go Trident Splash has always had one of the busier packagings, almost obnoxiously so. This is a tween's gum, for kids who have outgrown Big League Chew-stuffing contests, but are too young to carry a minimalist-looking Orbit around.

Overall: Eh, it's alright. If I was 12 years old, this would get 4 gumballs, solid. But I'm not 12 years old, I'm 31 (at least for another week,) and this flavor just doesn't cut it with me. It's a blister pack full of empty promises.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Trident Layers Cool Mint + Melon Fresco

Flavor: Based on our previous assessments of Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus and Trident Layers Green Apple + Golden Pineapple, I had some pre-conceived notions of this gum before I took the first bite, so in the beginning I was on the fence. I had expected a burst of flavor, a candy-like explosion of sweetness that faded rather quickly into a bland, but enjoyable, flavor. I was surprised to find that there was no initial burst, despite the layer of goo in the middle that seems to suggest candy-like properties. The preliminary chew was therefore judged unjustly, as I decided too quickly that the flavor was boring and dull and didn't give it a fair chance before spitting it out. Upon a second piece, however, I quickly changed my mind. Layer gimmick aside, this gum exhibits a really enjoyable balance of melon and mint, a subtle marriage of two clashing flavors that, for the first time I can recall, actually does them both justice. The flavor is a harmonious bond between fruity and mint, a cooling sensation and a slight sweetness that is reminiscent of Trident Minty Sweet Twist (my personal favorite, ehem). It lasts a really long time, too, and I never got sick of it the longer I chew.

Texture: The layers confuse me a little, because there's isn't really a detectable purpose for the gelly inner layer. But who cares? It packs a really thick bite that maintains its elasticity and size for as long as I've chewed so far. It doesn't get mushy or make bubbles in your mouth. It's a great chew.

Presentation: This package portrays this gum quite well-- an watery slice of melon splashing down into an imaginary electric blue mint leaf. It looks cool, refreshing, like drinking a mint mojito on the beach. It touts "with REAL mint flavor," which is questionable, but it's delicious, real mint or no. The packaging is suspect, however, as it does not list any ingredients expressly on the package. This is rather deceptive to the consumer, as we've heard these layer gums contain a form of pork, which is definitely a no-no for many folks out there. I know that I have a bad reaction to a particular artificial sweetener, as well, and would like to know what I'm chewing. A contact phone number is not sufficient in this case-- this here is the only draw back, but I fear a big one, that might keep quite a many chewers from buying. And who could blame them.

Overall: It's perfect. If only we knew who died (Porky, Babe?) so it could live. Sigh. Maybe I'm wrong, but it's worth wondering about.

Rating: oooo four 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.

Trident Strawberry Fusion

Flavor: From what I can tell, this is one of two flavors of the Fusion variety, which leads me to believe that this may have been a Trident experiment of sorts. From the get go, this gum is trying way too hard. "Fuse it Up! Chew the sweet pieces with the sour pieces and you've created a FUSION of FLAVOR that's all your own!" Have I missed something here? What's "all my own" about doing exactly what they tell me to do? The gimmick is that there are two gums in one pack-- one sweet, and one sour, and when combined, the result is a perfect (and somehow personalized) super-gum. What is really is, however, is half a pack of pretty good strawberry gum and half a pack of the same gum only really dull and crappy. When combined, the flavor is just the "sour" gum after you've chewed it a while. The packaging itself is even misleading, as the "sweet" and "sour" designations appear on either side of the pack, but are paired with arrows that point to the opposite side of the pack. How am I supposed to know that pink indicates sour and red indicates sweet? It's just not intuitive. I have to say the sour gum is pretty tasty, but this whole Fusion thing only means you get half a pack less of the good stuff for your money.

Texture: One piece is tough all the way through, and doesn't pack much crunch for a pellet shell. When you add a second piece, it doesn't blow your mind away with lightning bolt fusion power, it just... gets tougher. It's a big wad of tough, squeaky gum.

Overall: A swing and a miss Trident, I'm sorry. I think the real error here is the target audience-- Trident pellets are not traditionally appealing to kids, but this kind of gimmick is definitely targeted toward them. If it's an effort to drum up some younger interest, I give this outstanding sugar-free gum producer credit for that, but it's really just not working. Kids don't want anything to do with a gum that touts "Cleans teeth" alongside "FUSE IT UP!" And adults want a quality product, a real solid strawberry candy-tasting gum, not this weird game in which, invariably, all chewers wind up being losers.
Rating: oo two gumballs

Trident Bubblegum

Flavor: Basic bubblegum. Trident doesn't do anything too fancy here like some of the other new bubblegums... there's no tang, no sour-to-sweet, it's as basic as basic gets. Think Bazooka Joe.

Texture: When I get a gum with a texture this bad I often wonder if I happened to pick up a stale pack. On first bite, it's really hard, and it takes quite a while to soften up to a chewable consistency. And from there, it remains hard. I think any respectable bubblegum should be soft and malleable from the get-go, and stay that way for at least 20 minutes. A bubblegum that doesn't easily lend itself to bubbles is hardly a bubblegum at all.

Overall: Other than the fact that this might as well be a chewing gum, it's alright. Certainly nothing to write home about. There are far better bubblegums out there.
Rating: oo (two gumballs)

Trident Splash Strawberry with Lime

Flavor: I thought I had tried this gum a while ago when it first came out, and didn't like it, so I fully expected to give a negative review on this one. Trident Splash Strawberry with Lime is a delightful mellow strawberry flavor with an awesome tart blast of lime gel in the middle. The lime is, at first, perfectly tart and as it dissipates, the strawberry that's left is really nice - sweet, but not too sweet. Very nice flavor medley.

Texture: As with most, if not all, pellet gums, it's coated with a crunchy candy shell. This gum's shell is a little softer than most, so you don't have those abrasive shards of shell. It's just enough to give the chew a little texture, and as the shell dissolves the gum you're left with is smooth and pliable, not to soft and not too hard, and no squeak at all to speak of.

Overall: Neither Katie nor I are really pellet gum people, but we are able to judge objectively, and this gum really is the bee's knees. I can't find any fault at all with it, and if I were a fruity pellet gum person, this gum most likely would be my favorite. I'll definitely chew it again.

Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Wintergreen

Flavor: At first, this gum had a lot of potential, reminiscent of Necco Canada Mints, or Wintergreen Tic Tacs, a nice mellow and subtly sweet mint. But it quickly devolved into your ordinary, run-of-the-line mint flavor, subpar especially for a brand as tried and true as Trident. My roommate described it best after the initial bite, as “a wash of aspartame in my saliva.” His face whilst describing the aftertaste spoke volumes of yuck.

Texture: Here's where Trident really falls short. It's too hard at first, way too chewy, and it quickly is mushed with this rush of cold saliva. I'm not sure what causes it-- to me, it's as if it forms a foam in my mouth, although others didn't agree. The longer you chew, the more foamy it gets, but it does stay rubbery at the core. It's just a sloppy mess in your mouth.

Overall: Blech. I'll have mercy for the initial zing, but this one really falls short. At least chewing Trident helps fight cavities.

Rating: oo two gumballs

Trident Cinnamon

Flavor: It's a nice, sweet cinnamon. It gives a little bit of tang to your tounge, but it's not too overwhelming that you can't leave it between your gums and teeth for a minute or two if you need to hide the fact that you're chewing. I like that the packaging features actual cinnamon sticks. I feel like most cinnamon candies and gums lose sight of the fact that cinnamon is a spice, instead choosing to market it as some kind of XTREEEEEEM HEAT or something.

Texture: Starts off a little too soft, but rapidly congeals to a fantastic texture for a prolonged chew. It's a bit softer than most gums, but I don't consider that a bad thing, necessarily. It does develop a squeak (I need to rapid-fire test a bunch of cinnamon gums to see if it's a cinnamon thing) but it's nothing that would cause embarrassment in church or anything.

Overall: I had a hankering for some cinnamon gum the other day, and I realized that it's been a while since we've reviewed any cinnamon here at GumAlert, so I picked up a pack of Trident Cinnamon. It's a choice I didn't regret. My pack is a little different than the one pictured above - instead of "Long Lasting Flavor" mine says "A Classic is Back!" I never really noticed its absence, but a quick Google search yeilds much information, including a blog dedicated to "Saving Trident Cinnamon." It had apparently been discontinued a couple years ago. Many thanks, Trident, for bringing it back. It's a valued member of your comprehensive line of gums, and one I will turn to again when a cinnamon craving hits.
Rating: ooooo (five gumballs)

Trident Layers Green Apple + Golden Pineapple

This review is sponsored by our friends at Trident!

Flavor: Much like it's strawberry-citrus counterpart, this gum starts off with a bang, a super sweet and spot-on flavor that explodes with the first and second bite. I think it's the goop that holds the two pieces of gum together that gives it the kick(pictured, it's the pinapple slice, but in reality I think its just a generic flavor burst). I've got to say that I don't taste much pineapple, really any at all. It's pretty much 100 percent green apple-- and a fine representation of this common sugar-based flavor, don't get me wrong. I'm just not a huge green apple fan, so I'm not crazy about this gum, but I imagine that anyone who prefers green Jolly Ranchers, this gum'll be a refreshing new experience.

Texture: It's pretty much a sandwich, using your tried-and-true Trident for bread and this sticky bright green middle for meat (or cheese or like tempeh or something, if you're a vegetarian). It stands up to the Trident texture, holds its own for a long time, but the flavor does fade rather quickly as I feel like it's mostly packed into the meat-part (or cheese or soy gluten or whatever).

Overall: First of all, let me just say thank you to the folks over at Trident for sending us free samples of their exciting new line of gumz. That said, I must reiterate a very important pact that Shannon and I made a long time ago: we will never allow free samples to sway the honesty of our reviews. (We're professional like that.) So, this gum is pretty good, but I fear it's lost in the marketing... why does it have to be two fruits? The inside part is just a darker color green. I felt cheated out of pineapple, and so I'm left feeling a little unsatisfied. I can't offer any alternate marketing suggestions... as “Meat or Cheese or Veggie Burger on Gumbread Green Apple Sandwich” doesn't sound any better. Or does it? Mmm. Gumbread.

Rating: ooo (three gumballs)

***See our review of Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus here!***

Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Tangy Citrus

This review is sponsored by our friends at Trident!

Texture: I'm deviating from the format here and doing texture first. This was an exciting New Gum for Katie and I. When I first saw it in Target, I picked up both of the available flavors.

When you open the piece, you'll notice that it;s about twice as thick as normal Trident gums. It's got three layers - a hot pink sticky substance sandwiched in between two gum-layers. The middle layer obviously isn't gum, but a sugarless "sugary" candy goo designed for a flavor punch. It actually is so gooey that it sticks to the wrapper a bit, leaving a pink line on the wrapper.

At first, it's a nice chew. A little firm at first but it quickly softens into a pleasant malleability. Unfortunately, it just as quickly degrades into an overly tacky wad that sticks to the teeth, and then loses cohesion and becomes way too soft.

Flavor: The middle "goo layer" provides a citrusy blast on first chew, and it fades into a nice strawberry-citrus medley that lasts a decent amout of time. Although it's not a huge complaint, the artificial sweetener taste is strong in this one.

Overall: Trident Layers Wild Strawberry + Wild Citrus was a bit of a disappointment. The sleek packaging and the stealthy launch of the new line (it's still not on the Trident website) was worth a lot more than the gum ended up being in the end. Overall, I think this is a gimmicky gum, worth a chew for novelty's sake but I definitely can't see this being anyone's favorite.

Rating: oo (two gumballs)

***See our review of Trident Layers Green Apple + Golden Pineapple here!***

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)

Trident Xtra Care Spearmint

Flavor: Up until now, I’ve felt conflicted in my critiques of the various versions of this classic flavor. Each seemed unfairly delicious, more delicious than the last and yet unique in its own special way. When I chewed my first piece of Trident Xtra Care, I was relieved to discover that it fell so short of its Spearmint competitors that I would have no problem reviewing it. The flavor lacks that special sweet edge typical of other Spearmints, and really just embodies the cold, harsh “other” taste that’s usually softened by the sweetness. And to boot, whatever flavor it does have fades in a matter of seconds.

Texture: Rubbery. Too firm, through and through. It’s as if you’ve already been chewing it for twenty minutes the first time you put it in your mouth. Stale. Fail.

Overall: Once again, as with my review of Trident Xtra Care Cool Mint, I feel as if the only thing this gum has going for it is its “Xtra Care.” When I went to the Web site to read more, as the package indicated, I found that the Spearmint variety wasn’t even listed. When I clicked on the Cool Mint, it provided information about “Recaldent, a unique form of calcium,” that has various positive effects on teeth. I’m no doctor, so I can’t argue with all that scientific jargon. I rate gum, not dental hygiene products. Besides, it can be safely said that all sugar-free gum, particularly Trident, cares a little “extra” for your teeth. I chew gum to strengthen my teeth in the same way that I drink wine for its antioxidants—it’s a nice bonus, but hardly reason for addiction. Super-uber-special-healthy or not, this gum just falls short.
Rating: oo (two gumballs)