REVIEW: Sparkling Ice Mystery Flavor 2019

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Sparkling Ice Mystery Flavor 2019

What is Sparkling Ice Mystery Flavor 2019?

A new mystery flavored zero-sugar sparkling water from Sparkling Ice just in time for summer! It comes in festive packaging complete with palm tree leaves and one cool sunglass-sporting toucan. Now are those elements supposed to relate to the flavor or are they simply a ruse celebrating its seasonal debut? Hmmmmmmm.

How is it?

Sparkling Ice Mystery Flavor 2019 Clear

I’m a fan of Sparkling Ice’s drinks as they are refreshing, light, and not too sweet. This one is no different and checks all those boxes. As for the flavor, though? It’s a tasty fruity flavor is about all I can say. Interestingly this one does have peach juice as an ingredient, and I definitely smelled it upon opening. I feel like it comes through in the taste as well but just ever so slightly. However, let’s not forget what happened last time when yours truly tried

HUH?

Sparkling Ice Mystery Flavor 2019 Ingredients

I wish there was some crazy flavor to ingredient algorithm where I could input in peach juice to see what it comes up with. Although, I am digging the glimmering foil on the packaging used for the question marks. Since I got nothing else, I’m gonna take it and run with it. It’s making me think of starfruit which would be a fun, out of left field flavor to have. Since there is a bit of peach, I’m gonna follow suit from last year. The flavor is Starfruit Punch! Boom.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Sparkling Ice Mystery Flavor 2019 Back of Bottle

The drink is clear, low calorie, and caffeine free. It also contains a few vitamins, including antioxidant vitamin A. Also, the toucan is telling us you can guess the flavor to win some prizes. As you can see on the back, there is a cruise with Holland America Line to be won, so get guessing!

Conclusion:

If you enjoy a diet beverage and want something refreshing and fruity to deal with the warm weather, this will most certainly do the trick. If you want something that will make you ponder for hours about what the heck the flavor is, because it’s kinda hard to tell, then this will also satisfy you.

Purchased Price: $1.00
Size: 17 fl. oz. bottle
Purchased at: Target
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 0 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Cool Whip Mix-Ins Birthday Cake

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Cool Whip Mix Ins Birthday Cake

What is Cool Whip Mix-Ins Birthday Cake?

Cool Whip is the kind of product that you notice when it’s not there. No, not in the good “Oh, my God we don’t have any Cool Whip? This is a disaster!” kind of way. It’s the “Oh! We have real whipped cream instead of Cool Whip? Nice!” kind of way. Everyone wants the real thing but will be fine with the tub of Cool Whip that’s been sitting in the freezer since last Thanksgiving.

Kraft Heinz Foods is trying to change that by introducing new varieties of the ubiquitous dessert topping, and its latest is Cool Whip Mix-ins Birthday Cake.

How is it?

I didn’t know what to expect from this product. Birthday cake frosting can have an overpowering sweetness, and bad frosting always leaves a waxy residue on your tongue. Neither would be welcome on top of my pie. Plus, how will the sprinkles work in this context? Will I have a bunch of loose sprinkles in my mouth once the Cool Whip has dissolved? There’s a conspicuous lack of pie in my house right now, so I’ll have to try this eat this with a spoon. A finger would be more typical for me, but I decided to bring out the good silver for this review.

Cool Whip Mix Ins Birthday Cake Spooned

I think this Cool Whip would work just as well on top a piece of pie as a spoon (or finger) because its flavor is subtle enough not to overwhelm anything. It has a distinct taste that’s really reminiscent of a birthday cake but won’t turn your mom’s famous apple pie into a monstrous birthday-pie hybrid. The sprinkles are more than coloring but dissolve quickly and without any waxy residue.

Is there anything else you need to know?

There are a lot of new flavors popping up these days, and I’m getting a bit confused. What exactly is unicorn flavor? Is cotton candy flavor more than just sugar? And what’s the difference between cake batter and birthday cake flavor? More importantly, how do manufacturers decide what to call their new stylishly mysterious concoctions when there are so many options?

Cool Whip Mix Ins Birthday Cake Top

In this case, the Cool Whip people knew that one option was off the table: unicorn. You know why. C’ mon. I can’t be the only one thinking it. Cool Whip Birthday Cake Mix-ins is exactly what unicorn… excreta.. would look like.

Yes, unicorns are sacred, majestic, and importantly, not real animals, but they’re theoretically biological entities and need to undergo the natural biological processes such as waste removal. Now that I’ve put the thought in your head, enjoy Cool Whip Mix-ins Birthday Cake! It’s good!

Conclusion:

Cool Whip’s newest flavor threads the needle of being distinct enough from regular Cool Whip to be an enjoyable novelty without overpowering whichever dessert it’s topping.

Purchased Price: $1.84
Size: 8 oz. tub
Purchased at: Walmart
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 tbsp) 25 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, 1.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of sodium, 3 grams of carbohydrates, 2g of Total Sugars, 2 grams of added sugar, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze

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Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze

What is Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze?

It’s a Red Bull. Thanks for reading the review, enjoy your summer folks!

How is it?

Ok, I’ll elaborate more, but Beach Breeze is unmistakably Red Bull.

It tastes like a sour Red Bull with an added coconut finish. The sour aspect is probably supposed to ape a fruit flavor, so I’d guess they were going for unripe pineapple?

Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze Glass

If you’ve ever wondered what Red Bull’s attempt at a Pina Colada might taste like, this may be as close as you’ll get – a sour Red Bull with a fragrant artificial coconut aftertaste.

Is there anything else you need to know?

Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze Ingredients List

I could be wrong about the pineapple. There’s no fruit listed in the chemical – pardon me, ingredient list. Perhaps I just tasted the “glycerol ester of wood rosin.” Mmm! It’s not officially summer until I’ve had some “glycerol ester of wood rosin.”

Red Bull Summer Edition Beach Breeze Alka Seltzer

And with that sarcastically said, we don’t need fake dyes in our energy drinks, but Beach Breeze’s color is super disappointing. This is a nitpick, but I poured this into one of my “fancy” beer glasses, expecting a cool light blue color and got what looked like the aftermath of a dissolved Alka-Seltzer tablet.

Conclusion:

I love Pina Colada, and coconut especially. The last thing I drank from the aforementioned beer glass was a delicious coconut stout. The coconut here is cheap and artificial. The pineapple is essentially an educated guess, and it’s a little too sour to really stick out amongst the handful of Red Bull flavors you’ll find next to this in the fridge. For example, I tried the Sugar Free Pear flavor a few days later, and it was much better.

In fairness, Beach Breeze gave me a little pep in my step. I didn’t sprout wings, and it didn’t “vitalize my body and mind,” but it was still kinda refreshing despite the “meh” flavor.

Purchased Price: $2.59
Size: 12 fl. oz.
Purchased at: Shop Rite
Rating: 4 out of 10
Nutrition Facts:: (1 Can) 160 calories, 0 grams of fat, 125 milligrams of sodium, 40 grams of carbohydrates, 38 grams of sugar, less than 1 gram of protein, 140% niacin, 120% vitamin B12, 365% vitamin B6, 70% pantothenic acid, and 114 milligrams of caffeine.

REVIEW: Mtn Dew Cyclone

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Mtn Dew Cyclone 2 Sign

What is it?

The gods of sugary soda-crack Mountain Dew have bestowed a “citrus punch” flavor variation upon the Club Chill dispensers at Speedway gas stations.

How is it?

I was expecting the signature Dew combo of vaguely citrus tang and who-knows-what (sweat?) plus some hints of generically unidentifiable fruit, because that’s my impression of the word “punch.'” But it turned out this Dew SCREAMED raspberry. I could pick out some citrus in the background, knowing it was in there, but in a blind taste-test, I would’ve said, “Ohh – raspberry! Nice.” This is a tasty soda, but “citrus cyclone” it ain’t. Strange, since I think raspberry is a better selling point than punch.

Mtn Dew Cyclone 3 Disp

The flavor here had a little more bite and brightness than the regular Dew. I enjoyed it and it was a nice change from the soda flavors I’m usually drawn to (cola/lemon-lime), but it was just intense enough that I didn’t want more than the 22-ounce cup’s worth. The raspberriness landed somewhere between actual fruit and those candies that your grandma left in her candy dish so long they fossilized, but you ate them anyway.

Mtn Dew Cyclone 4 Cup

Is there anything else you need to know?

This is a REALLY red drink. Like maroon. Crimson. Burgundy. With summer white shirts and pants, one spill and you could look like a stabbing victim. Make sure the lids are tightly sealed on those Club Chill cups, friends.

Mtn Dew Cyclone 5 Closeup

Conclusion:

If you’re a Dew fan, love raspberry candy, don’t mind the potential of looking like a horror movie extra, and live near a Speedway, you should definitely try Mtn Dew Cyclone.

Purchased Price: 79 cents (all sizes)
Size: 22 oz. cup
Purchased at: Speedway (Exclusive)
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts:: (12 oz) 170 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 85 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 45 grams of total sugars, 45g of added sugars, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallows

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Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallows

What are Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallows?

Forget about Kraft’s Jet-Puffed, because these puffs are packing some serious stuff! Chocolate stuff, that is.

Created to be the perfect companion for celebratory bonfires and unexciting graham crackers alike, these pillowy cylinders of fluff feature a melt-ready chocolate filling packed into a soft marshmallow shell.

How are they?

In terms of packaged snacks, marshmallows are so simple that it’s hard to think of too many things to critique them on. Nearly all brands seem to be identical in appearance and made almost purely of sugar. In fact, they don’t even have to be different, because they’re generally accepted to be a homogenous kind of treat.

Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallows Puff

And so, Factory LLC deserves applause for bringing something different into the mallow game. Flavored marshmallows are almost standard by this point, but filled ones are still novel and unique. Better yet, the filling here helps accentuate the best aspects of a marshmallow’s vanilla flavor and chewy texture, and it even tastes pretty darn good all by itself.

Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallows Innards

Rather than using either a rock-solid or lava-like filling, Factory LLC instead decided to go with something in-between, creating a center that resembles a whipped Hershey bar in the process. Melting almost instantly on your tongue, it’s pleasantly creamy and smooth and showcases the use of real cocoa and cocoa butter. Honestly, if the filling itself was for sale, I’d buy it so that I could frost cupcakes with it. It’s that good!

Is there anything else you should know?

To test the package’s claim of being “Great for S’ mores!” I decided to roast a few over a backyard fire, intending to fashion them in-between some slightly stale graham crackers I had found languishing in the back of my snack cabinet. Sadly, I found it pretty much impossible to thoroughly toast one without having it fall off my roasting stick, tumbling into the roaring flames below. The issue was the center – it liquefied before the marshmallow was completely toasted, and the thin, melting exterior of the treat was insufficient to support the puff’s weight on my stick.

Stuffed Puffs Filled Marshmallows S mores

After multiple attempts, I gave up and ultimately broiled them in the toaster oven. This method worked much better, allowing the puffs to melt evenly onto graham crackers without needing to support their weight. Here, they did make for delicious s’ mores, complete with all the gooey, melty, sticky messiness that separates mediocre s’ mores from genuinely great ones.

Conclusion:

If you’re on the hunt for a switch-up from standard marshmallows and are willing to swing for the higher price tag, then I’d say these are worth a buy. Just don’t expect to be able to use them in place of typical campfire marshmallows, because they are better suited for indoor toasting.

Purchased Price: $3.98
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 10 oz.
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts:: (2 pieces) 150 calories, 6 grams of total fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 15 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of total carbohydrates, 0 grams of dietary fiber, 19 grams of total sugars, 19 grams of added sugars, and 2 grams of protein.

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