Dum Dums Holiday Lollipops

It's Christmas Eve!!  Tonight, Santa leaves the North Pole and ventures out into the world to deliver toys to all the good little boys and girls.  It's one of the greatest nights of the year, for so many reasons, and I've saved one of my favorite new products to review on such an amazing day!

Holiday Dum Dums Lollipops are new for 2013 and I'm so happy I found them.  I first discovered their existence on Instagram and the poster claimed they found them at Dollar Tree.  We looked, but had no luck.  So, I searched some more, using hashtags to my advantage, and saw that they were also available at Walgreens.  After one trip up, these babies were in my hands and on their way home.

Now, I found these about 3 weeks ago, but held off on opening them.  Because I've purchased and tried so many things that weren't new to the world, but only new to me, I wanted to make this one stand out.  I honestly planned on reviewing them earlier, but real life kicked my ass and I wanted to wait for it to settle down, so I could really appreciate the novelty, before sitting here to write a half-assed story.  What better day to enjoy the little things in life than Christmas Eve?

The flavors listed on the bag are what lured me in.  As soon as I saw "Gingerbread" and "Sugar Cookie," I knew this had to be mine.  Unlike the Gingerbread Oreos, these would have been something I actually bought on Ebay.  Without even trying one pop, I know it would have been a rip-off and waste of money, but it would have been worth it, if that makes sense.  Thankfully, I found them for retail value and can now see if these awesome little graphics translate just as well in taste.  As I write this, I still haven't tried one.  This time, I'm giving a live, play-by-play, taste test.  Only the photos have been taken, so far..

Besides not buying a lot of Dum Dums, I really am a big fan.  They're usually something I find in a variety bag, Doctor's office, or family member's house.  To this day, I don't think I've purchased more than 1 or 2 bags in my lifetime, and that includes this one.  In fact, I think the majority of them came from Trick-or-Treat bags as a kid.  But between the cool flavors and even cooler wrappers, these are always a hit.  Of course, we're also offered a Mystery Flavor.  Whether your a child or 26-year-old manchild, it's. about. to. go. down.

MERRY CHERRY

I'm kicking things off from left to right on the bag, so Merry Cherry is up first.  The flavor name reminds me of something I would have put on the Horror Hi-C boxes.  It's a perfect way of giving a traditional, almost boring, flavor a holiday name and making it feel welcome and included.  I know the deal, Dum Dums.  Now let's see how this tastes.

Like I said, I'm giving you a live taste test.  If I had more time, this would have been the perfect opportunity to upload my first video review or "vlog," but that would have cut into my wrapping.  So you'll just have to trust that I really popped this pop into my mouth for the very first time.  So far, I can tell you that this is your typical cherry flavor that borders on the line between cough syrup and Luden's Cherry cough drops.  This is common with cherry flavored candy and, really, it depends on your preference.  I'm not a big fan of Merry Cherry.  It reminds me of being a kid, pretending to be sick for a day off, and having to force down medication for my faux illness.  Sometimes there's a price to pay for 8 hours off.  In this case, it's Merry Cherry.

6/10

SUGAR PLUM

Okay, Sugar Plum is pretty good.  It's not too sweet or sugary and really reminds me of grape.  I'm sure that's all it really is, with a fancy holiday name, but there is a subtle difference between traditional grape pops and whatever Sugar Plum is.  It almost tastes like wine and, believe me, that aint a bad thing.  Now if only I could get a Sugar Plum buzz going.  Then we'd have a winner.

7/10

HOT CHOCOLATE

As soon as I opened the wrapper to take this picture, I was smacked with an overwhelming scent of chocolate.  That's not something I'm complaining about, though.  That's the hype and pressure that this Pop placed on itself as I go in for the taste-test.  Without even trying it, this is already in the lead thanks to its aroma and icon graphic on the wrapper.  I love stuff like that.

Okay.. I love the way this tastes.  For some reason, it reminds me of when I was a kid.  Remember those markers that smelled like real things whenever you used them.  Magic Scented Markers, I believe?  Well, if memory serves, there was a chocolate one and this Dum Dum Pop tastes exactly the way that marker smelled.  Get it?  It's like a hard Tootsie Roll and, it may be my imagination, but I think I can actually taste some marshmallow thrown into the mix.  This one is really good and perfect for the Holidaze... and holidays.

10/10

SUGAR COOKIE

This was one of the major selling points that attracted me to these Dum Dums, but I didn't really go in with any expectations, the least of them high.  Trying to replicate the Sugar Cookie flavor seems to be fairly difficult and you can use Pebble Sugar Cookie Cereal as a reference.  In this case, it's another failed attempt.  So far, this Dum Dum reminds me of Butterscotch candy, cupcakes, and, to a lesser degree, Candy Corn.  It has a waxy look and feel to it and strays far from a Sugar Cookie.  But, with that said, it isn't necessarily bad!  It's actually really good, it just doesn't seem to be what it's supposed to be.  That's fine, it still tastes delicious.

8/10

GINGERBREAD

If you don't like Gingerbread, then you probably won't like this lollipop.  This one, surprisingly, tastes a lot like Gingerbread and I'm happy to hear it (or taste it) because it was my number one attraction.  Now, the longer it stays in my mouth, the more it's starting to taste like maple syrup, but even that is welcome! It's spicy, a bit like a non-alcoholic shot of Jameson, and serves its purpose well.  If I was somebody who ate lollipops on a daily basis, then I don't think this would be one I'd have more than one day a year, but luckily I'm not that type of person and don't have to make such dire life decisions ;)

8/10 

APPLE CIDER

I consider Apple Cider the dark horse in this race for Dum Dum supremacy because it was the third best attraction on the holiday bag.  But, because I'm a sucker (hehe) for unique flavors that you don't normally see, I have high hopes for this one.  It reminds me of Jelly Belly Jelly Beans.  They always come up with things you'd never expect and manage to sell them perfectly.

Now, this is very sweet and very good!!  So far, this is my favorite.  I've always been a big fan of Green Apple, and that's what this is... minus the green.  It's not sour, it's not too tangy, it's just right.  It really does taste like cold apple cider.  Even the after taste reminds me of that feeling you get after you just had a few sips.  Personally, I associate Apple Cider more with October than December, but this is just too good to even care about associations.

10/10

  GREEN APPLE GRINCH

Another flavor name that would have been on the Hi-C Horror Boxes, but I'll take it and run with Dum Dums.  It think it's pretty safe to assume that I've had this before and that the "Grinch" part isn't going to be a "part" at all, but that's okay.  Every bag needs fillers.  Every team needs a bench.

I say that as if I didn't just tell you I'm a big fan of Green Apple, but that's because this is a holiday bag of pops and there are bigger fish in the sea.  Sure, Green Apple may be my Lebron James on lollipops but, in this bag, there are a few Michael Jordans that call for higher recognition.  This is good, I've had it 1,004 times, but at least it goes to prove that this is different from the Apple Cider pop.  This is more bitter and leaves that feeling in your throat that makes you want to cough.  Ah, we are all witnesses.

By the way, if you're not a basketball fan, I understand and accept that a great deal of that paragraph is lost on you.  When I read your paragraphs on Star Wars, I'll consider it payback.

9/10

 POLAR PUNCH

What the hell is Polar Punch?  My guess is that it's a Fruit Punch flavored lollipop, but I have no clue.  I'm even more intrigued by the fact that there was only one Polar Punch pop in the entire bag.  Is this the white shark fruit snack of the Dum Dums world?  Is this supposed to be a slushy or snow cone flavored pop?  So many questions and only one way to answer.  Let's try the one and only Polar Punch!

Wow.. I'm really not sure what this is.  It's fruity, that's for sure.  I'm getting hints of Strawberry and Watermelon.  Definitely some Kiwi and it reminds me of the blue pack of Starburst that I used to buy as a kid.  Maybe there was something in there that tasted like this.  It's frustrating that I can't pinpoint an exact flavor, but it's not Blue Raspberry and that makes me happy.  I thought I was being duped into believing this was something different.  I guess, if I have to describe this, I'd say it's a Fruit Punch flavored lollipop that isn't traditional and would maybe remind you of the blue Hawaiian Punch.  You just have to try it!

9/10

 ????????

Finally, the mystery flavor!  This was another one that I was very excited to try, especially because of what I read.  Apparently, in previous bags of original Dum Dums pops, the mystery flavor was Peanut Butter and Jelly!  Now, that doesn't sound like it would be very appetizing, but that doesn't mean I don't want to try it!  If there's a PB&J lollipop out there, then I want to own it.  Even if I spit it out, it must be attempted.

However, as soon as I opened this wrapper, I knew it wasn't anything special and, in fact, was just another one of the holiday pops I had already opened.

  

Merry Freakin' Cherry...  Really?  Of all the flavors they could have used, and of all the flavors already in that bag, I had to open Merry Cherry??  I tried it just to be sure it wasn't something cooler, but I was right to assume that this was just another cough syrup flavored lollipop.  On the bright side, not every Mystery Flavor is Merry Cherry.  My girlfriend opened one that turned out to be Gingerbread, so at least you get some type of surprise.  I would have rathered something completely different, but the mystery flavor is really just a bonus, anyway.  It's good enough for what it is.

  

So, in the end, my favorites are Hot Chocolate and Apple Cider, but the entire bag is a hit.  Overall, you really can't go wrong.  I gave Merry Cherry a hard time, but even that isn't horrible.  For some of you who really love Cherry, that may be your favorite Holiday Pop!  From top to bottom, or left to right, you're going to get something that enhances the season and, really, that's what it's all about.  It's products like these that give us holiday novelty to try, talk about, and remember for years to come.  Sure, at the end of the day, they're just lollipops, but it's what you do with them and who you share them with that makes memories.  Give these to a 5-year-old and see if he doesn't remember, 20 years from now, that time you gave him a Gingerbread lollipop.  Things like this add up and mean the world to kids and grown ups alike.  That's why I saved it for Christmas Eve.  I tried every one of them alone, but I shared them with all of you.

Now, I have a Christmas party to go to in a few hours and currently have a rainbow colored mouth.  So I'm going to go brush my teeth and wrap some presents.  If I don't post again before the big day, have a Merry Christmas!!  If I do, then consider that one an extra :)

PS. I'm too lazy to go back and edit everything I just wrote, so overlook the typos and pretend I'm an excellent author!

 

Gingerbread TWIX

First off, let me just say - Happy December!! Only 24 days to go, friends!

Now, when I first starting searching for new, and not-so-new, holiday items, the first two to pop out at me were pretty damn awesome.  The first were those ever-so popular Gingerbread M&M's.  But the second, and even more enticing to me than the former, were Gingerbread Twix!!

I'm a big fan of Twix cookie bars, and we'll get into that a bit more in a later post, so I was pumped to see that they were releasing a limited-edition Gingerbread variety.  I looked everywhere to find them and it seemed as though they were becoming more allusive than the yet-to-be found Gingerbread Oreo cookies.  I looked to Ebay, but couldn't justify spending so much money on a bag of candy during what's already such an expensive season.  So, I gave it some time, kept my fingers crossed, and eventually found these babies at Target.  At first, I walked right by them because they blended in so well with the traditional bag, but those smiling Gingerbread men didn't let me get far.

When you take a closer look at the packaging, it's very well done while remaining true to the traditional Twix color and style.  They've added a few swirls to represent the caramel and, of course, two very festive Gingerbread men all decked out in their decorative icing for the holidays.  Although I missed them at first, it's hard to imagine how I could.  As such a big fan of packaging and graphic design, this is something I shouldn't miss at all.

Besides design, I always talk about going the extra mile and, yes, Twix definitely added that little bit extra and it goes a long way.  Take a look at the metallic Twix wrapper.  Not only is it brown and shiny, which is to be expected from Twix, but they added tiny Gingerbread men to the design!  You have to look closely when you purchase your own bag, because this picture actually makes them pop much more than the human eye, but they're there and they're beautiful.  It adds so much to the season.  Now, I don't feel like I'm about to open a regular mini Twix bar, I feel like it's something special and for the holidays.  It doesn't take much to do what Twix did and takes even less to make this nerd happy :)

Looking at the Twix cookie bar, you wouldn't expect anything out of the ordinary.  It looks traditional, but there is a faint smell of Gingerbread and it's enough to let you know that the season is upon us.  Now, I'm a fan of Gingerbread, so I was expecting greatness, but if you like Gingerbread the way I like Pumpkin Spice, then you should probably stop reading right now ;)

Gingerbread is gingerbread, but there are different levels and varieties and this one falls very high on the list of "extreme" gingerbread.  At first, even I wasn't sure what to think.  I actually didn't like them after the first few bites and that surprised me.  But, I realized, it's because I was expecting a traditional Twix flavor and that was throwing me off.  I've never had any Twix outside of the classics, so it's odd biting into one and tasting something that your mind says shouldn't be there.  But believe me, once I had my tastebuds talk to my mind and convince him that this is all going to be okay, it was awesome.  I just had one as I typed this to re-affirm my love for Gingerbread Twix and we're in the clear.  They're a bit bitter, maybe taste more like cinnamon than gingerbread, but it works and it works wonderfully.  I'm not sure if I like these more than the Gingerbread M&M's, but if you like gingerbread, you really can't go wrong with either one of these brands.  Pick 'em both up, have a taste test, throw a party, and enjoy the new candy gifted to us this Christmas.  It's the little things, really :)

Gingerbread M&M's

This is a big one, guys!  This is one of those seasonal products that make so much sense that you just can't believe it hasn't been done before.  But over the last few years, M&M's and Oreos have been indirectly going at it in the who-can-release-more-flavors challenge.  We've seen everything from Pumpkin Spice and Cherry Cordial to Carrot Cake and Peppermint.  No, they haven't all been covered on The Holidaze, but they should be and, hopefully, will be at some point.  But, on this day, we're talking about our main attraction - Gingerbread M&M's!

I know Christmas is all about family and that's what I dedicate most of my time to during this season, but in terms of products, these are the types that make me happier than others.  The bag alone is perfect for the holidays and can sit on a table as a decorative item and totally pass as acceptable.  We have the sarcastic Red M&M (they really need to name these guys) wearing a Santa hat and holding a giant gingerbread cookie on a plate branded with the M&M logo.  For somebody like me, that's enough to sell this bag.  I love promotional art and package design, so this hits a home run.  Plus, he's pointing at the cookie as if to say, "Yeah, see this? You know you want it."

Yep.. I do, nameless Red M&M!

The M&M's are appropriately colored for the Christmas season.  We have red, green, and brown to represent the gingerbread man who's been chopped up and blended into the recipe.  Now you go from having a decorative bag to having an equally effective bowl of M&M's that add just a little extra to the Christmas spirit.  Any time you can insert some more red and green into your environment, go ahead and do it.  You'll feel more Christmassy.

This is just one of many - MANY- gingerbread flavored products that you'll see come and go throughout the season, but it was a must-buy for this guy.  I like gingerbread, so I had to see what these tasted like.  If I was going to suffer through those damn Pumpkin Spice M&M's, I was definitely going to enjoy a bag of Gingerbread M&M's.  Fair trade off, if you ask me..

As somebody who likes gingerbread, I loved these.  In all honesty, I tasted more chocolate than anything else, but that little hint of gingerbread flavor was good enough to make this a bag of Christmas joy.  However, when my girlfriend tried one, she thought it was disgusting.  She couldn't believe I, being such a picky eater, actually liked it.  Even my Mom said they taste like medicine.  I was so confused that I asked my Dad to try them and he, like me, thought they were good and tasted nothing more than a traditional M&M.  

So the debate rages on.  Have you tried Gingerbread M&M's?  What's your opinion? I'm sticking with my taste buds and calling these a success for Mars Candy.  Now I just have to find the other 86 bags of flavors they release.