Fruit Punch Oreo Cookies

In the day and age of social media, new products are often discovered by Insta-friends and Twitter-buds before I ever knew they existed.  On one hand, it's amazing that we have such a connection that allows us the opportunity to share things we may have missed on our own.  But, on the other hand, the days of walking into a store and feeling as if you were the first to ever find something are fleeting.  It's been quite a while since I found a product and said, "Whoa, why have I never seen this before?"  Remember those days?  Well, last night was one of those nostalgic nights for me.  My girlfriend and I made a run to Wal-Mart, as if we were Maggie and Glen, in hopes of finding something unique for Easter.  My hopes weren't very high, but something immediately caught my eye (that rhymed!).  I moved passed the automatic doors, looked to my left, and saw those yellow Oreo bags that I've come to know and love.  No, not the "Golden Oreo" bags, but the much more special "limited edition" bags reserved for only the best of wild and crazy flavors.  But what was this?  I was a bit far away and hoped that it wasn't a Watermelon re-release or something else I've tried before, so I approached with caution.  I noticed a giant red ball behind the logo and as it got clearer, I knew exactly what this was -Fruit Punch!!  Yes, if the giant design above didn't already tip you off, there is yet another limited-edition Oreo flavor and it is, amazingly, FRUIT PUNCH!

The first thing that went through my mind was, "Wow, how the hell has this not been posted on Instagram yet?"  My second thought was, "Fruit punch? That's verrrry interesting and, oh yeah, you're coming home with me."  I was pumped!  Not only did I find something new without any type of heads up, but I absolutely love anything Fruit Punch flavored.  I can't tell you how many Frooties I've eaten in my life because I used to buy giant jars of the Fruit Punch flavored tootsie rolls.  Now, don't get me wrong, I had no idea how this would translate into a cookie, but I couldn't wait to find out and share it all with you.  So, the first thing I did was snap a picture and post it on Instagram.  I was so excited, I put it on both accounts - The Holidaze and my personal gram!

As expected, the photo received a lot of attention but, to my surprise, most of it was negative.  Many of you think that Nabisco has gone too far and may have lost their minds.  Others said that they need to quit it with these crazy flavors.  More said that this is enough and it needs to stop.  To be honest with you, this shocked me.  I've said it before and I'll say it again - I LOVE the limited edition Oreo flavors simply for the fact that they're always bringing us something new.  Don't get me wrong, not every one of their flavors have been a hit, but why in the world would I want Nabisco to stop?  At the end of the day, they're giving me a product that nobody else is offering and continues to change things up as the seasons change.  It's not like these cookies are replacing traditional Oreo cookies, so why are people complaining?  These are simply bonus additions to the flavors and varieties that Nabisco is already offering.  I'll never have a problem with that!  How many times have I asked a company to go above and beyond, to go that extra mile, to enhance the consumers' experience and give them something to talk about?  That's what Nabisco is doing and they're hitting a home run, at least in terms of reaction, each and every time.  So if anybody from Nabisco is reading this - Don't stop!  Keep 'em coming!

Open up the bag and, wow, the scent is undoubtedly the strongest of any limited edition Oreo cookies I've purchased thus far.  It's as if I just threw a silver pouch of Capri Sun on the floor and mixed the splatter with Fruit Punch Snapple.  That might not make any sense, but the Fruit Punch aroma and the strength that comes with it is so amazing that it doesn't need to!  Granted, it helps if you're a fan of Fruit Punch, but I am and can't get enough of the sweet smell!  To go with it, another one of our senses is rocked by the bright pink/red colored creme in the middle.  It could be the rise in temperature, but these remind me of Spring and are perfect for its arrival.

I've been writing about limited edition Oreo cookies since they first released the Candy Corn variety and, in that time, I've learned something very important.  So many consumers go into these experiences with false expectations.  When you hear the word "Oreo," you think of two chocolate wafers connected by a white, frosted, creme.  Traditional Oreos have a very distinct taste and flavor and many feel it shouldn't be tampered with.  If anything, you accept and draw the line at "Golden Oreo" cookies and call it a day.  I get it, I understand that, but that's not what these Oreo cookies are.  These are something entirely different and should be embraced for what they are, not what you think they should be or what you're comparing them to.  Look at it this way, if Nabisco didn't attach the Oreo brand with the Fruit Punch cookie flavor, would it still be "gross?"  I don't think so and it's because so many are diving in with preconceived notions.  From day one, I separated "tradition" from "limited-edition" and welcomed every new flavor in a different way.  Look at them as flavored cookies rather than flavored Oreos because, if you don't, you may always think that Nabisco is crossing the line and messing with a product you and I love so much.

Now, for as objective as I am when reviewing these limited-edition flavors, I knew I'd be a bit biased this time because, as I said, I love Fruit Punch flavored things.  I'm still hoping for a re-release of Cap'n Crunch Punch Crunch, but won't hold my breath.  For these cookies, I was skeptical, but believed they'd impress me and, thankfully, they lived up to my own hype.  These Fruit Punch Oreo cookies are simply awesome and, so far, they're my favorite of any limited-edition Oreo varieties I've reviewed in the past.  Yes, they're sweet - very sweet - but that's what separates them from the rest for me.  As you're chewing these cookies, your taste buds are taken for a ride as the levels of Fruit Punch intensity go up and down.  Okay, I might be getting a bit carried away over a damn cookie, but I'm very happy to have found these and even happier that Nabisco came up with this idea.  If you like Fruit Punch as much as I do, you're going to love these.

But the best way to describe the creme flavor?  What a perfect time for a segue way!

I'm willing to bet money that, as soon as you smell these Fruit Punch Oreo cookies and chomp into one, you're going to think of bubble gum.  For me, it was Bubblicious: Tropical Fruit.  I spent years of my childhood going down to the corner store and spending whatever little money I had on different packs of Bubblicious.  Tropical Fruit was always one of my favorites and is, without a doubt, extremely close to that of Fruit Punch Oreo.  Obviously you're not going to blow a bubble with creme so, again, don't let your preconceived notions misguide you into believing something that isn't true.  The flavor is close, but it's not like they threw a piece of gum in between two Oreo cookies.  It's a totally different experience but, ironically, I found a brand new (new to me) Hubba Bubba Hawaiian Punch pack near the cashier's line.  Fruit Punch was last night's theme and this was another must-buy.

Does this new Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum actually taste like Hawaiian Punch?  Oh yeeeeaaahhh!  Did you read that like the Kool-Aid Man?  No, two different brands, I wanted you to read that like Macho Man Randy Savage.  If you didn't, it's all good and that's on me for crossing the streams.  But look, if you try this gum and Fruit Punch Oreos in the same night, you're going to find that the flavor is exactly the same while the texture makes all the difference.  They're both delicious, but each provide different experiences.  Hawaiian Punch?  I'll take that in small and moderate doses.  But the Fruit Punch Oreos?  I'm eating them as I type this and am already planning on picking up another bag.  It's possible that I'm in the minority, but I love the Fruit Punch Oreo cookies and can't wait to see what else Nabisco has up their sleeves!

Happy Thanksgiving...Two Days Late

Some blog I run here, right?  I'm supposed to cover the "Holidaze" and I totally missed Thanksgiving.  I apologize to anybody who checked out the site, but between work and family, I was just too busy over the holiday to write anything worth while.  However, I can't let it go without mentioning it at all!  They say it's always better late than never, so here comes a healthy helping of late headed your way. 

If you've paid attention to that big pie above (how could you miss it?) then you know we're about to talk about gum that tastes like dessert.  I made it as obvious as I possibly could without being creative at all.  Blame that on the fact I'm so late.  But see, I didn't want to come on here and talk about turkey and stuffing.  Everybody eats that on Thanksgiving and it's just not interesting.  No, today, we're going to talk about some of the odd things I found leading up to Turkey Day.  After that, we're going to forget all about Thanksgiving and get back into what really matters... Christmas!

Check that gum out, man!  Wrigley's Extra Dessert Delights introduces Apple Pie!! I've had the Mint Chocolate Chip, and it was okay, but this was just perfect for Thanksgiving.  My girlfriend found this but didn't buy it when she saw it.  I was like "whaaaaat?"  How do you see gum flavored like apple pie and not pick that up?  When I saw it, it was a no brainer.  My only complaint is that it's not blueberry.  It's not that I prefer blueberry over apple, because I don't, but I really wanted to make a Willy Wonka reference here.  Whenever you find a piece of gum that tastes like real food, just know that Willy Wonka was the originator.  Roast beef and blueberry pie would have given me so much more to talk about, but that's okay.  He still would have had us scour the streets for golden tickets if he made apple pie gum so that just goes to show how special this is!

"Have Your Dessert and Chew It Too!"  Not a bad slogan, right?  I'll take it.  I really like the design.  The multi-colored waves and apple pie graphics really remind me of Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent shot of the gum out of its wrapper.  It's a light green, which is awesome, but it kept coming out white.  It looked like a strip of paper and, no matter how far away I stood, I couldn't get it right.  I was going to tell you that I kept it a mystery on purpose, but you're too smart for that.  However, if you do want to see what this gum looks like, you're going to have to pick it up yourself.  And really, you should.  This tastes just like apple pie!  It's amazing.  It may not be blueberry pie, but you'll know exactly how Violet felt when she chewed Wonka's forbidden gum.  I can't even describe it well enough to do it justice.  All I can say is it surely blows that Mint Chocolate Chip out of the water.

If you've been reading long enough, then you may remember the corner store cupcakes I found down the block from my house.  They were themed for Halloween, and are here if you'd like to check them out again.  I don't know where they came from but, apparently, they're not alone.  Look at the Thanksgiving cupcakes my Dad found while he was out!  Who is making these?  My corner store isn't a bakery, it's an overpriced money stealer.  I'm sure they're buying these for a dollar and re-selling them for $5, but I need to know where they're getting them.  Not because they're good, because they're pretty crappy, but they look nice and I want to take more pictures when the next holiday rolls around.

This Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and chocolate chip concoction isn't really themed for Thanksgiving, but it's brown, white and black and I can only associate those colors with one holiday.  Other than that, I don't have much to say about this cupcake.  I just wanted to mention it before I talk about the cupcake it was next to.  That one is the reason why this one is being mentioned at all.

I love that Turkey!  The icing and sprinkles remind me of Halloween more than Thanksgiving, but that Turkey erases any doubts.  This cupcake is made for Turkey Day and picked the only mascot you can choose from to be their sugary wafer.  He's brown, red, yellow and has blue feathers.  I've never seen a Turkey with blue feathers, so he might actually be a peacock, but I get the point and that's all I care about.  Besides being with family, Thanksgiving is insanely boring, so I found a lot of excitement in this little guy.  That's pretty sad, but we're not talking about Christmas here.  There's not much to be excite over.  Thankful on T-Day?  Of course.  But excited?  Eh, not me.. Maybe that will change next year.

There are many different drinks to choose from on Thanksgiving.  At my Aunts house, you can pick from soda, beer, wine, coffee, tea, milk, juice.. you name it.  But one thing that isn't offered is seltzer.  That's probably because it's gross, but my Dad actually enjoys it and bought these for himself.  He said he bought them for blog purposes, but I'm not so sure.  He knows the rules -- don't open anything until it's photographed.  But look at that Candy Cane Seltzer.  That top has clearly been snapped.  Either he couldn't wait or doesn't want to admit that he loves himself some Seltzer.  I think it's disgusting, but is there actually a large fan base out there?  What's so great about it?  The only thing good about these two bottles are their flavors.  At least Polar --whoever that is--joined in on the festivities.

I love writing in the blog, and I've eaten a few things that I normally wouldn't just to review them here, but I can't bring myself to drink this.  There have been times in the past where I've been really thirsty and all we had in the kitchen was Seltzer.  That always pissed me off, but I would drink it anyway just to quench my thirst.  I fooled myself into believing that this time would be different and it would taste great and, every time, I would up spitting it down the drain.  There's no more fooling CK.  I'm never drinking Seltzer again, especially Pumpkin Spice (ughh).  But I'll give credit where credit is due and I love the fact that they cared about the holidays at all.  That's awesome.

Candy Cane definitely smells better.  It has a strong scent of peppermint and I thought, for a second, that maybe the minty flavor would overwhelm the seltzer after taste and I could review it, but I'm not taking the chance.  To me, seltzer is like poison.  I don't know why I hate it so much, but I do.  But, actually, to be fair, I haven't had a sip of Seltzer in years.  The last time I had it was well before my 21st birthday and I used to say I'd never drink vodka, too.  Perhaps this is an acquired taste?  Oh man, I'm going to regret this.. I'll be right back.. I'm going to go taste this in real time.

Here's another picture of the bottle to keep you busy while I drink this Candy Cane mess..

Blahh.. I gagged.  It's disgusting!  I'll admit, it's not as bad as I remembered and I'd take that over a shot of Jameson if we reached the same results, but it's definitely not drinkable.  No way I could drink that whole bottle.  That's horrible.  But it's minty and I assume you could mix it with something?  I have no idea how seltzer works.  Maybe you can pour it into your Coke and call it Coca-Cane.

I'm certainly not tasting the Pumpkin Spice, so we're going to end our belated Thanksgiving entry here.  I hope you enjoyed the random slew of nothing that would have been better suited for your liking two days ago.  I wish I had the time, but I usually write these things 3 or 4 at a time to make sure the countdown runs smoothly.  Now, let's put Turkey Day behind us (more than it already is) and continue the Countdown to Christmas.  I have a few layout changes to make soon.  That dinner table has to go, along with Charlie brown.  Stay tuned, Holidazers.  The big day is less than a month away now!!  Whoa..