REVIEW: Red Bull Winter Edition Pomegranate Energy Drink

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Red Bull Winter Edition Pomegranate Can

I need to take a moment to mourn the passing of my all-time favorite Red Bull variety: Cranberry.

2012-2020

Cranberry Red Bull, just as I was beginning to get to know you, you suddenly left. Literally overnight, you packed your bags and were gone forever. Replaced by that tart Watermelon, you were the perfect Red Bull. I will forever miss you and just wished I could have said goodbye….or at least bought a case.

Seriously, Cranberry Red Bull just left the shelves with no warning. While the other flavors are fine, none have come close to filling Cranberry’s shoes. Even calling the Watermelon the “Red Edition” hurts to see and has led to a few moments of false hope. Usually, when seasonal versions are announced, they don’t catch my attention. This year’s Winter Edition, however, immediately caught my eye: Pomegranate.

Pomegranate-flavored foods tend to walk a very odd line flavor-wise. Real pomegranate tends to be naturally sweet but also quite tart with an earthy quality. As a result, fake pomegranate flavors are usually overly sweet to compensate for their tartness. I know that this flavor wouldn’t completely replace my beloved cranberry, but I had high hopes it would be in the same realm.

Red Bull Winter Edition Pomegranate Glass

The pomegranate scent was very strong when I opened it. Smelling it reminded me of those funky-shaped bottles of pomegranate juice. The earthy juice smell the fruit is known for was very pronounced. This was promising as it made me hopeful it wasn’t going to be cloying.

Well, I’m happy to report, it exceeded my expectations. It has a wonderful balance of tart pomegranate flavor that tingles my cheeks with enough sweetness to enhance the fruitiness. While it’s easy to enjoy as is, it’s certainly a drink that was made to be a mixer.

This Winter Edition doesn’t replace my precious Cranberry, but it’s easily the best flavored Red Bull that’s been released in quite some time. Pomegranate is a hard flavor to get right, and I think Red Bull managed to do so without it being too tart or too sweet. I can foresee this being a popular base for winter/holiday cocktails/mocktails. In fact, I think it would make a good faux-mosa (orange juice and Red Bull Pomegranate) for Christmas breakfast.

Purchased Price: $2.50 (on sale)
Size: 12 fl oz can
Purchased at: Publix
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 125 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 38 grams of sugar, 0 grams of protein, and 114 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Melt Taco

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Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Melt Taco Shell

I used to hate crunchy tacos.

My grandfather would try so hard to get me to like them when we went to Taco Bell for “39-cent crunchy taco night,” but usually ended up paying the extra 10 cents so I could get soft tacos instead. I can’t tell you why I didn’t like them, but it was a preference that followed me well into my late 20s until something clicked.

It is probably too dramatic to say I heard angels singing, but it’s the truth. Since then, they have been my preferred taco of choice, particularly Taco Bell’s crunchy beef taco (sorry, Grandpa). Its simplicity is one of the reasons why they are so satisfying. Rarely will I venture out of the standard build (shell, meat, cheese, lettuce), but every so often, Taco Bell will tempt me away with a new product, like it did with its Cantina Crispy Melt Taco.

The menu item is made with a white corn tortilla that is fried in-store daily, then layered with nacho cheese sauce, three-cheese blend, seasoned beef, tomato, lettuce, sour cream, and (yet more) shredded cheddar cheese. Two things about this item caught my attention immediately: the freshly fried in-store white corn tortilla and the sheer amount of cheese involved with it. With the white corn shell, I was curious how it would differ from the standard yellow corn shell in both structural integrity and flavor. I was a bit wary about the amount of cheese involved, particularly the nacho cheese.

Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Melt Taco

Look, I’m no stranger to cheese, but crunchy tacos can go from crunchy to soggy rather quickly, and I was worried the dairy would expedite that process. Much to my surprise, it all held up exceptionally well. The white corn offers a much more mild flavor than the yellow corn. I wouldn’t quite say it’s bland, but it’s certainly not the star flavor-wise.

Its texture, though, exceeded my expectations. It was airy and light, but managed to stay strong after the 15-minute car ride home. With my first bite, it didn’t shatter or split. In fact, it did not break apart until the end.

The nacho cheese was the strongest flavor, with the seasoned beef and sour cream coming in next. I couldn’t quite tell you if the three cheese blend added to it in any way, but it didn’t detract. I was also pleasantly surprised that the cheese didn’t cause the seam to get soggy and split apart. The rest of the toppings (lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese) felt sort of like a take-it-or-leave-it situation, but I often find those Taco Bell ingredients to be that way.

Taco Bell Cantina Crispy Melt Taco Sleeve

While I don’t find the Cantina Crispy Melt Taco too groundbreaking, it’s an interesting detour from the standard crunchy taco, and it’s worth trying once. The standout was the shell, but mostly for how well it held up and not because it added to the taste profile. But if you are a fan of the nacho cheese, I think you will very much find this to be a home run.

Purchased Price: $2.19
Size: N/A
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 280 calories, 17 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 540 milligrams of sodium, 21 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 10 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Dunkin’ Apple Cranberry Coconut Refresher

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Dunkin Apple Cranberry Coconut Refresher Tall

While pumpkin is the unmatched king of fall food, this year we’re seeing a push to bring an old favorite fall flavor back in the spotlight: apple. Dunkin’s Apple Cranberry Refresher is a very unique offering for those who seek a fall themed beverage, but don’t necessarily want coffee or pumpkin flavor.

The Dunkin’ Refreshers all start off with a green tea base mixed with a fruit concentrate and served over ice. While it has experimented with different Refresher flavors, this is the first seasonal/holiday version we’ve gotten.

When ordering the Apple Cranberry Refresher, you are given the option to add coconut milk. Normally, I aim to try everything “plain” first, but I had a suspicion the flavors would be strong and need the coconut milk to mellow them a bit. I am very glad I did this as I think the drink would have been nearly undrinkable for me without it. As the name would suggest, the predominant flavors should be apple (Honeycrisp according to Dunkin’) and cranberry with “notes of fall spices.”

Dunkin Apple Cranberry Coconut Refresher Top

The drink comes with a purple-ish tone when you opt for the coconut milk, but mine wasn’t nearly as purple as the advertised products. I noticed the bottom of the cup had almost a pulp-like look, and I guessed it was just the concentrate settling from its journey home. After a good stir, I took the first sip. The layers of flavors that I tasted were a little overwhelming at first. The apple and cranberry were very present but quickly overshadowed by the “fall spices.”

I am not sure if the recipe has those fall spices (cinnamon, nutmeg were the flavors I mostly tasted) as a separate part from the apple cranberry concentrate, but they were borderline overpowering. Especially so towards the end of the drink where the bottom seemed to be almost entirely made of those dang spices. Despite my best attempts to keep swirling, the cinnamon flavor took over about halfway through and wouldn’t relent.

The coconut milk added no perceivable flavor but helped to dull the very sharp spices. The green tea was undetectable. What was frustrating was that every few sips the drink would be palatable and then I’d hit this pocket of cinnamon that tasted what those horrible cinnamon brooms smell like. I also got a large (remember: I bought a 12pk of a mystery flavor soda, so I am kind of a risk-taker), and I almost tossed the last 1/4th. As the ice melted, however, it mellowed the drink to a point where I could finish it.

Dunkin Apple Cranberry Coconut Refresher Napkin

While it was a noble effort to try and offer a fall item not pumpkin-centric, the unevenly strong cinnamon flavor made it hard to love from beginning to end. If the fall spices are a separate thing, I would absolutely order it again with WAY less of whatever the recipe asks for. Otherwise, this drink treads too close to tasting like what an apple cinnamon candle smells like.

Purchased Price: $3.59
Size: Large
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 230 calories, 6 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 90 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 40 grams of sugar, and 1 grams of protein.

REVIEW Limited Edition 2021 Mtn Dew VooDEW

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Limited Edition 2021 Mtn Dew VooDEW Cam

“This is, as you may recognize, a review for a mystery flavor beverage. That means the author will most likely try to explain what flavor they experienced and it might influence you to taste that flavor. If you don’t want to be spoiled, turn back now. Consider this your spoiler alert warning. Otherwise, proceed with caution or you might just be the next person in The Impulsive Buy Zone.”

-Rod Sterling (probably)

Normally when I write reviews, I will do extensive history searches for the item(s), but I wanted to go in absolutely blind with this. Googling anything risked me being spoiled.

Limited Edition 2021 Mtn Dew VooDEW Grim

The first thing that caught my eye was the can’s design. Despite being a Halloween item, the cool blues and yellow accent felt oddly out of place. The art with the grim reaper looks very cool with lots of little easter eggs of the number 3 all over. Mtn Dew has nailed a really cool and cohesive brand design these past few years.

Opening it and taking a sniff, I was slapped with (what my brain perceived to be) fruit punch smell. Taking a sip, however, yielded a whole other experience. The initial sip was a sugar shock. I don’t drink a ton of sugary beverages, so when I do it takes my taste buds a few seconds to move past the first sugar rush. After a moment, I was able to start working through the flavor. It was so familiar and at the tip of my tongue.

I poured the rest into a cup with ice and sipped it while trying to distract myself. It was here that I noticed its cloudy white color. The lack of color made my brain even more confused as to what it was tasting. I figured if I wasn’t actively TRYING to figure it out, it would come to me. Then, as if I discovered a new element, I exclaimed, “BLUE RASPBERRY!”

After being more or less sure of this, I sought out some history on the previous versions of this mystery beverage. The first release in 2019 was revealed to be candy corn and 2020 was fruit candy explosion (Skittles). It was also then that I learned the packaging had given hints in previous years as to what the flavor was with its color scheme.

Limited Edition 2021 Mtn Dew VooDEW Glass

Once again, I had an epiphany: the flavor is blue raspberry taffy. Three reasons I believe this to be right: The pattern of the flavors seem to be candy, the can itself is supposed to give a hint (and it’s blue raspberry blue), and going with the theme of three’s the name Blue Raspberry Taffy is three words. Okay, the last reason might be a little odd but I’m sticking with the pattern of threes here.

My only real complaint is that initial overpowering sweetness, but that’s totally a me thing. Putting it over ice allowed me to really taste the flavor, not just the sugar. I’m so excited to see more people try and share what they taste because I just know that it’s probably going to be all over the board. However, we’ll find out on October 31st what the flavor is from Mtn Dew. I will save a can to (hopefully) cheers my being right.

Purchased Price: $4.98 (12-pack)
Size: 12 oz can
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 44 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Chuck E. Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza

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Chuck E Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Box

What is Chuck E. Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza?

While restaurant-branded foods sold in grocery stores aren’t a new thing, Chuck E. Cheese has decided to enter the market with a frozen pizza line. Currently offered in cheese or pepperoni, these pizzas are currently exclusive to Kroger.

How is it?

Chuck E Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Baked

As I was sitting down to try the pizza, I realized I needed to recreate the feeling of being in a Chuck E. Cheese to really bring you all a well-rounded review. I spilled some soda on the floor, blasted some Rock-afire Explosion on my TV, and had my husband run up and down the hallway screaming about a broken game machine.

While I don’t think that added much to eating the pizza, I was pleasantly surprised by the item’s quality.

Chuck E Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Crust

The crust was thin, but not so thin that it crumbled when cut. The sauce was a little on the sweet side, but a fairly standard pizza sauce. It could have used a little more cheese, but most frozen pizzas tend to be lighter on cheese. The pepperoni was a pleasant surprise in both quality AND quantity.

Chuck E Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Slices

I couldn’t tell you how it compares to what’s served at Chuck E. Cheese locations, but I’d hope the in-store product is a higher quality than grocery store frozen pizza.

Anything else you need to know?

Chuck E Cheese Pepperoni Frozen Pizza Tickets

There’s a coupon on the back of the box for 250 e-tickets. I have no idea what that means in real people’s money, but I think it equals around 100 Shrute bucks.

Conclusion:

While I doubt you’ll find yourself reaching for this unless it’s on sale or you have kids who want those sweet e-tickets, it’s a perfectly serviceable frozen pizza. It sits firmly ahead of Totino’s Party Pizzas, but under DiGiorno in terms of quality.

Purchased Price: $6.99
Size: 18.55 oz
Purchased at: Kroger
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1/4 pizza) 310 calories, 14 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 20 milligrams of cholesterol, 760 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 15 grams of protein.

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