REVIEW: Limited Edition Sprite Tic Tac

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What is it?

Tic Tacs, the diminutive mints, took its first sip of the soda world with a 2020 Coca-Cola flavor. It must have worked because here I am now in 2023 talking about the new Sprite Tac Tacs. Two of the great small pleasures in my life are Tics Tacs and Sprite, but I would never have thought to combine them, so I was glad that someone did. Initially, anyway.

How is it?

The buttery yellow color of these Tic Tacs didn’t get them off to the best start for me. I don’t think I’m alone in immediately associating Sprite with its iconic dark green bottle. While I’m sure this lighter, brighter shade was meant to allude to the citrus flavor (and it probably also didn’t hurt to distinguish these from one of Tic Tac’s most famous varieties, Wintergreen), I found the hue too banana-y to bode well.

The taste did start pretty decent, sweet and lemon-lime-y. Sure, there was a bit of an acidic aftertaste, but the main notes were crisp enough that I was able to mostly ignore it. But since a Tic Tac’s sweetness comes from its smooth outer coating, you’re ultimately going to be sucking on it long enough to dissolve that (about a minute, in my experience) or just biting through it directly. Either method reveals the coarser, more powdery inside, which here is quite sour, and chemical-tasting enough that I’d call it actively unpleasant.

Anything else you need to know?

I get that sourness is theoretically appropriate for a citrus-based flavor, but these just don’t remind me at all of Sprite, a soda I define more by its fizziness and mild sweetness than by any resemblance to the harshness of an actual lemon or lime.

Conclusion:

When I’m going for a Tic Tac, I typically want either to feel refreshed or to get a little burst of tastiness. This flavor doesn’t provide either of those things, so I can confidently say that I won’t be purchasing it again, and I’d even go as far as to state that I hope these lemony Tic Tacs are out of the limelight entirely soon.

Purchased Price: $1.59
Size: 1 oz
Purchased at: Wawa
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 mint) 0 calories, 0 grams of total fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of total carbohydrates, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Wendy’s Ghost Pepper Ranch Chicken Sandwich

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Before every fast food chain and its brother started making chicken sandwiches that were actually good, Wendy’s had it figured out. It had the logistics of a solid chicken breast fillet and a spicy version essentially perfected, at least by drive-thru standards.

A few years ago, it introduced a Ghost Pepper Ranch dipping sauce, but this is the first time that sauce has graced a chicken sandwich (unless you were savvy enough to do it yourself), and it’s now being joined by several other layers of heat and flavor. The much-loved spicy chicken breast is topped with ghost pepper-infused American cheese, ghost pepper and ranch-seasoned crispy onions, lettuce, tomato, and ghost pepper ranch sauce.

My first impression of this sandwich, both times I tried it, was that it looked exceptionally well put together. The buns were glossy and not squashed, the cheese nicely melted, the mostly unnecessary vegetable toppings fresh looking, the fried onions abundant and still crispy, the chicken breast devoid of any weirdness, and everything properly sauced with a little extra spilling out onto the wrapper for good measure. Ghosts can be tricky things though, so let’s not get caught up in appearances. Sure, it looks good and innocent enough, but how does it taste?

I’m happy to report it tastes as good as it looks! It probably isn’t as spicy as the moniker sets you up for, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. This isn’t a demon sandwich; it’s more of a gentle haunting, and did we really expect anything more from Wendy’s? The heat never smacks you in the face, nor does it linger long. It’s pleasantly spicy and might make you want to sip your drink, but if you happened to eat it in the absence of any beverages, it wouldn’t leave you with your mouth on fire.

Since my sandwiches were evenly sauced, it wasn’t easy to try the ghost pepper cheese on its own, but from the small unsauced portion I got, I did think the cheese was flavorful and not your standard American. There’s a generous portion of onions that also aren’t particularly spicy, but they are crunchy, zesty, and a welcome addition. I have nothing against ranch, but it isn’t something that typically calls to me. It’s not my preferred dipping sauce or even salad dressing, but I really enjoyed this version. It has a nice buttermilk taste, and the ghost pepper plus extra herbs take it in a more interesting direction.

For as many times as “ghost pepper” is mentioned in the description, I could see people being disappointed in this if they wanted serious spice. If you temper your expectations and if you’re a fan of Wendy’s spicy chicken, consider this a very solid, kicked up version that won’t give you nightmares.

Purchased Price: $6.89
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 690 calories, 35 grams of total fat, 8 grams of saturated fat, 0.27 grams of trans fat, 90 milligrams of cholesterol, 1650 milligrams of sodium, 61 grams of total carbohydrates, 3 gram of dietary fiber, 7 grams of total sugars, and 32 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Java Monster Cafe Latte

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Java Monster’s new Café Latte doesn’t taste new to me because the moment the liquid hit my taste buds, I felt it was a canned coffee energy drink I’d had before. Maybe from Monster or Starbucks? At first, I thought it tasted like Java Monster Mean Bean. But after purchasing a can, comparing it side-by-side with Café Latte, and spending the rest of the day being overly productive and jittery with 400 milligrams of caffeine pumping through my veins, it turns out they’re not the same.

I’ll let the can introduce itself, “Gingerbread, cinnamon dolce, peppermint white mocha…your mobile app would even laugh at you for ordering that! For those of us who love their coffee the classic way comes Java Monster Café Latte. Coffee forward with the right amount of cream and sugar, then supercharged with the Monster Energy blend. Coffee done the Monster way, wide open, with a take no prisoners attitude and the experience and know-how to back it up.”

Um, wouldn’t the “classic way” be black?

Anyhoo, think of Café Latte as Mean Bean without the vanilla flavoring. The coffee taste is much more noticeable than with other Java Monster varieties, but it’s still so sugary and heavy on the cream that I think those who like to mask the coffee in their drinks will be satisfied. (Raises hand) I’ll gladly add Café Latte to my rotation of canned coffee energy drinks because it’s as tasty as any of the other Java Monster varieties, not including the Java Monster 300 line, which I find less flavorful. Now that I think about it, I’m surprised this didn’t roll out when Java Monster debuted or sometime over the past 16 years since then.

But my well caffeinated brain still doesn’t remember what specific drink this tastes like. I found a Reddit post that says it tastes like the discontinued Java Monster Kona Blend. It could be it, but I feel I’ve had it sooner than the last time I had Kona Blend, which was a long time ago. So I’m guessing it’s probably one of the Starbucks Doubleshot or Tripleshot energy drinks. I could find out by buying them all and comparing them, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my day AND evening wired.

Purchased Price: $3.19
Size: 15 fl oz can
Purchased at: Times Supermarket
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 220 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 3. grams of saturated fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 440 milligrams of sodium, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 35 grams of sugar (including 24 grams of added sugar), 8 grams of protein, and 200 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Taco Bell Steak Chile Verde Fries

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Taco Bell’s new Steak Chile Verde Fries has dumped on it many of the toppings we’ve seen on ALMOST EVERY SINGLE LOADED FRIES the chain has dumped onto the world — nacho cheese sauce, reduced fat sour cream, and three cheese blend. But what’s new, along with the Chile Verde Sauce, is something else I don’t recall ever being on one of Taco Bell’s loaded fries — Fiesta Strips.

(Waiting for the internet to correct me.)

I’m going to bring up the crunchy red chip strips before I even discuss the headlining sauce because I believe it’s a simple ingredient that should join the nacho cheese sauce, reduced fat sour cream, and three cheese blend on ALMOST EVERY SINGLE LOADED FRIES from now on. They provide little flavor but add a crunchy texture that no Seasoned Fries could ever achieve. Plus, they would make any loaded fries kind of feel like nachos at the same time.

Although, I’m less excited for them in the burrito version of this product because, as we’ve learned with other burritos that have had them, the chip strips are less fiesta and more feeble when encased in a flour tortilla with gloopy sauces and hot ingredients.

As for the new Chile Verde Sauce, it’s definitely verde and, without question, has chiles. Taco Bell says the sauce incorporates jalapeño, lime, and zesty herbs. The person who made my order didn’t incorporate much of the sauce onto it, so I didn’t get to enjoy it with most bites. When I could taste it, I noticed a pleasant peppery and slightly citrusy flavor, and it had a mild kick that didn’t take away from the condiment’s flavor. But beyond the sauce, it has the same flavors as previous menu items featuring Seasoned Fries and steak, which is still quite good without the green topping.

Overall, Taco Bell’s Steak Chile Verde Fries are another good limited time offryring from the chain. Its sauce is tasty enough that I’d like to experience it with other menu items in the future. Also, I’d like Fiesta Strips for all future loaded fries.

Purchased Price: $6.29*
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 550 calories, 34 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 1220 milligrams of sodium, 44 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (including less than 1 gram of added sugar), and 15 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Vanilla Spice Cheerios Cereal

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Vanilla Spice Cheerios is the only Cheerios variety that has ever made me go down a 1990s music rabbit hole because I wanted to know if there was a Vanilla Spice in the Spice Girls. There wasn’t, and in the end, after finding out what Bell Biv DeVoe, Gerardo, and Boyz II Men were up to, I realized I was probably thinking of Vanilla Ice. Vanilla Spice Cheerios is also the least memorable flavor I’ve had.

You’d think combining vanilla and cinnamon cereals together would create something worthwhile, but I’m surprised by how bland this cereal is. Okay, “bland” is a harsh word that was used to describe me in high school…and me in college…and me at various workplaces after college…and this paragraph so far. There is some cinnamon flavor, so it’s definitely not as bland as I’ve been for almost my entire life.

But, um, the vanilla.

Is it there? With every spoonful, I keep asking myself that, and because it’s not noticeable I’m sure I could convince anyone in a blind taste test that this cereal is an equal mixture of Cinnamon Cheerios and original Cheerios. Even when I taste the pieces independently, they don’t scream, speak, or whisper vanilla, but they’re also not exactly plain Cheerios either.

I’m trying to remember if this was also the case with Vanilla Honey Cheerios that came out a year ago, but I don’t remember what it tastes like. Okay, my apologies, Vanilla Spice Cheerios. You and Vanilla Honey Cheerios are tied for the least memorable Cheerios varieties I’ve had.

Vanilla Spice Cheerios is a perfectly fine cinnamon-flavored Cheerios. But if you want that and with more flavor, you might as well get a box that has only Cinnamon Cheerios or purchase the excellent Cinnamon Cheerios Oat Crunch.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from General Mills. Doing so did not influence my review.

Size: 12 oz box
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (1 1/3 cup w/o milk) 150 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 0.5 grams of monounsaturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 8 grams of sugar (including 8 grams of added sugar), and 3 grams of protein.

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