Vertigo Candy and Chocolate Flavored Pops.

I don’t ever recall having something like this before.  The idea is simple: integrate chocolate into a stick lollipop.  Vertigo cut their three flavors (Strawberry, Cookies and Cream and Caremel) right in half and replaced it with a mound of chocolate to complete the traditional lollipop look.  Resulting in an enjoyable and satisfying treat.

I tried the strawberry flavor so most of this review will draw from my experience eating that particualr flavor.

When I popped the candy into my mouth, I discovered that the flavors go really well together.  The candy compliments the chocolate very well and visa versa.  It’s almost like eating solid strawberry milk chocolate.  Mmm.

The only criticism I have against this candy, is that the chocolate runs out too fast.   Don’t get me wrong, it’s good while it lasts and there’s a good portion of it, but chocolate is chocolate and hard candy is hard candy.  One is bound to melt slower than the other.  It’s just a fact of life – “All good things must come to an end”… and the better they are, the faster they go.  The chocolate is probably the best part about this candy, but it wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for the hard candy half stuck on the other side.
Vertigo will confuse your taste buds, but in a good way.  Unlike how Sasha Vujacic is confused after a ref calls a foul on him for smacking people in the face.  “Whaa?” The confusion is more akin to the sensation when you touch something so cold it burns.   When I saw the Vertigo lollipop, I thought it would be sweet, but it wasn’t.  It was good, but the overwhelming presence of sugar or high fructose syrup was absent.

I’m not sure how they did it, but they nailed it.

Rating:***

If you are interested, Vertigo lollipops are available at CandyGeek.com or click here

When everything seemed to be lost and hopeless, Hershey’s Company-Ice Breakers invented and proposed a solution. A new product that can save us all.

Ice Cubes.

I know what you are thinking. What? wasn’t that the old solution? fortunately. no. Although named after the solid form of water, Ice Cubes is a new branch of gum by the Ice Breakers under Hershey’s Company. These Ice Cubes come in packs of 10 in the shape of a cube. (What a surprise!) They not only resemble the shape of an real ice cube, but also retains many of its properties.

Let me describe the feeling of putting one of these badboys in your mouth on a hot summer day. Imagine this.
You are sweating uncontrollably. The sun shines directly in your eyes. The back of your shirt turns into a different color because it is covered in sweat. You do not know why you are wearing jeans on such a hot day but you are. thick black jeans. hot air is trapped all around your lower body. you sweat more. you struggle to reach into your pocket because the sweat on your hands creates friction against the side of your packets. you reach harder. sweat roles down on your eye lashes and into your eyes. more. finally, you pull out a small rectangular package that labels Ice Cubes. As you open the container with one hand, a wave of mist spills out of the and splashes on your face. coldness. you reach into the box and take out an Ice Cube. As the tip of your tongue touches the ice cube, wave of coolness travels from your tongue to the back of your throat to your head then your stomach, then back, thighs, and finishes at the tip of your hands and feet. You can continue to chew, and flavors bursts out along with the coolness. After a few more chews, you feel something weird. you feel like there is something hanging on to your back. you reach to feel it. you touch it. ice cold. the back of your shirt that was once wet is now frozen. every drop of sweat on your skin and forehead is no longer traveling down. frozen. you feel like the moment has frozen in time. you can see the sun rays stops in mid air but does not hit your skin. you feel cool. you continue to chew. and you feel good.

If you are interested, Ice Cubes are avaible at Candygeek.com!

You should watch it and subscribe!

To try and explain the sensation of eating one of these bad boys is akin to describing how electricity works to a caveman.  But I will, with my limited vocabulary, attempt to paint a sensory image of the “Big Papa.”

Imagin you are holding an over wrapped tennis racquet with two hands.  You’re fingers can barely wrap around the girth of the handle and there’s only enough room on the grip tape  for you to get all eight digits in a row, tightly in line.  With your imagination, remove the neck and head of the racquet.   You are now left with just the grip tape and the plastic underneath.  Now imagin, that in place of the tennis racquet grip was a greenish yellow pickle.   That’s how big this guy is.

Each pickle comes in its own plastic containter filled with salty, vinegar liquid to preserve the slumbering beast.  Once you tear open the bag, the aggresive aroma of peppery goodness that comes off the vegetable creeps up your nostrils and fills your sinuses.

Bitting into the “Big Papa” is like bitting into any other dill pickle.  There’s not much you can do to enhance the texture of a dill pickle, unless you use gene theraphy but we won’t tread there… yet.  The biggest difference is the flavor from the juice that is released when the skin is broken.  The best way I can describe the flavor is, bold. The peppery taste gives it a kick of spice, but overall, this pickle is BOLD flavored.  Like a dude in a clown costume came up to you and hit your taste buds upside the head with a spade.  I’m talking BOLD BOLD.  Like you just asked last year’s Prom Queen out on a date in middle of the quad, and it’s your first day of highschool. I’m talking BOLD like watching the needle go into your skin when Dr. Joe is administering a booster… ok that last one wasn’t THAT bold… if you’re a trypanophobic, it’s pretty bold.

I have the pleasure of knowing a number of people who love, hate and are indifferent to pickles.   One day I will feature a video of the different responses of all three to give all my loyal readers a wider range of opinions.  I personally am indifferent to pickles.  I prefer my pickles in a burger or a pastrami sandwitch, anything with a good amount of meat between two slices of hearty grains.   For me, when I saw the “Big Papa,” I was a little intimidated.  The snack lives up to its reputation as the portly pickle in size and flavor.

If you’re an avid pickel eater, you might really like it.  If you’re like me and you prefer your pickles to a side and not a main, try it in a burger or a sandwitch.  The “Big Papa” itself is not a bad tasting pickle, it’s just a little too… what’s that word… BOLD for my taste.

Pedro says ***

vivo el Pedro

This time around Dulces Vero brings to you a smaller yet still delicious candy called Pica Fresa. With my stunning Spanish ability and a little  help from an online translator (that I will not name), I deduced that the Pica FRESA is a strawberry flavored candy. (So Brilliant! I know right?)

The long struggle to open the tightly sealed bag resulted in completely tearing apart the bag and the explosion of exactly 100 individually packaged candy balls in the sizes of small marbles.

I popped one of these badboys in my mouth and began chewing. The taste of 3-S (yes, I’ve just officially coined the phrase) quickly struck and woke my taste buds. Sweet, Sour, and Spicy (the 3-S) mixed in an special formula that brings about an equilibrium in the three tastes. As you continue to chew the Pica Fresa, you can feel the layer coating dissolve in your mouth and leaves you with a mildly flavored strawberry chewy center that concludes the fascinating ride through the 3-S.

The Pica Fresa’s tiny size keeps you nearly but not completely satisfied and lraves you wanting for more. However, each bag has an overwhelming amount of 100 Pica Fresas that can fulfill all your Fresa-need(yes, another phrase that I coined).

One thing I really can’t praise the Dulces Vero company is their designs and selection of candy icons. They all seem eccentric and weird to me but don’t just take my word for it, judge for yourself!

Despite having to stare at a big red child-like circular female face with hands and feet, the Pica Fresa is a great candy for the office or home where you don’t have to get your hands dirty (nicely packaged) and easy to smooch on.

Buy a bag and taste the 3-S!

Written by Ian

If you are interested, Pica Fresa is avaible at Candygeek.com!

…

-_-’ <- awkward/nervous sweat

And that segways perfectly into what I was just about to talk about.  So yes.  Snickers is coming out with a new line of Snickers product! Amazing! Yes. Truely amazing! What’s more amazing  is that Candy Robot is the first to review the new product! *applause *applause*

I have had the pleasure of sampling a the new flavor before it even hit the market (haha that was punny).  And it is good! Don’t tell my boss… or Mars Corporation but I personally think Mars is just trying to elbow their way into the niche of other companies who are already very well situated in that particular market.  But hey, I’m only some geek on the internet who talks about food, and not just any kind of food, but candy… mmm candy… *drool*

Ok enough randomness!  The new Snickers is pretty cool and it’s going to hit the streets in a few months so I consider myself very lucky to get my hands on one.  It’s pretty much the traditional Snickers you’ve always loved: rich caramel on top of a delectable nougat all smothered with “real milk chocolate” (I know, right?  But that’s what they put on the wrapper, because people apparently sell fake milk chocolate?) with the added goodness of…

jhv

*drumroll*

Are you curious to know what it is?

jv

*drumroll*

Are you really curious?

i

*drumroll*

Still curious? Really? I mean… it’s probably not that hard to figure it out… there’s only so much you can do with chocolate…

k

*drumroll*

Some one needs to tip this drummer… he’s on a roll… -_-’

hjhjv

oiu

*drumroll*

!!!!!!PEANUT BUTTER!!!!!

1 of 2 nougat squares... I ate the other one :p

That’s Right. Snickers came out with Peanut Butter Snickers! So imagine eating a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup but with peanuts and caramel inside and imagin that it comes in squares instead of cups.  Yes, I said squares, NOT rectangles. Snickers also changed the shape of their traditional rectangular bar.

And the thoughtful, consumer minded Mars Co. created a wrapper that is more than just a wrapper.  It’s also a to-go bag.  The wrapping paper for the new Peanut Butter Snickers is more durable than its predecessor.  The idea is to eat one half now, twist the empty side of the wrapper and save for later.

See how you can eat one square and save the other for later? Genius!

Directions on every wrapper.

Genius! Really. It’s so simple, so mundane, so nominal that many, including me, have overlooked that avenue.  I  can see a number of possible marketing strategies and angels they can use with the new wrapper.  Good job Mars Corp. Well played.  Well played.

Honestly, this new Snickers flavor is going to be a hit for them.  It’s just that they’re a tad late in the chocolate/peanut butter race and I think people might get Snickers Peanut Butter mixed up with Butterfingers when picking one up at the register. Other wise, it is a great addition to a beloved classic!

Pedro says ****

vivo el Pedro

Thanks for reading this ridiculously long review! Keep an eye on candygeek.com to see when the release date is!

However, this pre-established image of lollipops was shattered today as I had my first Dulces Vero Mango lollipop.

As my tongue came in contact with the surface of the Mango lollipop, a sharp sour taste hit me by surprise. Following right after, I tasted the salty small bits that became separated from the lollipop and stuck on to my tongue. Lastly, a mild spice ran up my nose and made my face twitch.

Wow. I can tell you that it was NOT the usual lollipop taste that I have been accustomed to for however many years.

Within the first licks, I truly questioned its identity as a lollipop. (it tasted more like a TAKIS chip)

I quickly scrutinized the package of the candy and spotted in the very corner “Coated with Chilli”. That solved one mystery of the salty and spicy taste; however, it generated more questions like Why would you coat a lollipop with chilli? Without any clear answers, I was determined to finish the lollipop to write this review.(For readers like you!)

After a long dragged out five minutes, I manage to break through the chilli coating and reach the core of the lollipop. Thus far, I would have never guessed that the lollipop was named “Mango” if it wasn’t for the bright yellow in-your-face texts located in the center of the package.

Slowly the taste changed from extremely sour and salty to spicy to a mix of all three, and very slowly a tinge of sweetness hit my tongue. The sweetness grew and grew as the other three tastes fade away. The mango taste finally showed itself after ten minutes.

Again. Wow.

However, this time it was different. I actually liked it. I was surprised myself that I enjoyed this eccentric lollipop. The previous sour and salty taste created to a greater contrast as I reached to the sweet insides. The once weird taste of the coating supplemented to the mango sweetness and created a new and unprecedented taste. I finished the DulcesVero Mango lollipop in more delight and satisfaction than if i had a regular lollipop.

I was wrong to judge too quickly about the Dulces Vero Mango lollipop; however, it does have an acquired taste and different approach. I would recommend this lollipop to people who enjoys to experience new things and get out of their comfort zones. The end reward from Dulces Vero Mango lollipop will definitely be greater than its price.

(Due to the special taste, I rate Dulces Vero Mango both 2 and 3 STARS varies by individual)

Nonetheless, Try it and Enjoy!

(p.s. the “mango” man icon on the top right corner of the package really freaks me out… he looks just like the people from the movie Egg Heads. Not very appealing for candies I’d say.. or is it?)

Written by Ian