TV & Gum Are Awesome

WRIGLEY’S 5 RAIN MICRO PACK

How hilarious are these? Have they popped up at your local drugstore yet? MINI PACKS! I mean… TIMES ARE TOUGH, GUYS. Times are so tough that the gum industry reallyyy needed to figure out a way to market to the folks unwilling to drop $1.25 on a pack of gum. HERE, they market to those willing to pay a mere $.69. To that I say — I don’t know who you are, people, but I love that you and your cheapskater ways have brought this goofy little pack of gum into my life.

LIL’ STORY HERE. When I was little, I had some Barbie stuff that was for a denim shop, or a clothing store, or something that typically wound up looking a lot like it belonged in a Barbie version of that place Becky was always dying to shop at on Roseanne (yes, I know the name — THE ULTIMATE, OMG). Being the creative little gal that I was, I liked to change things up. I didn’t want a specialty shop! So I created some textbooks out of cardboard, and then I created bolts of fabric out of scraps my mom left in the trash in her sewing room. GENIUS, AMIRITE? It was a clothing-fabric-university bookstore. WHO DOESN’T WANT TO SHOP THERE? 

Where is this going?

THE POINT IS, I have since found this stuff and it is HILARIOUS but super charming and cute. It also just so happens to make you feel like a GIANT when you hold it in your hand (it’s for Barbie, after all, duhhh). These bizarre-o mini packs — incidentally the same size and shape of the aforementioned TEXTBOOKS — are the same way.

(All that just to tell us a mini gum pack makes you feel like a giant? Whatever, dude. C’monnn, that story was adorbs.)

My slight disappointment here comes from the fact that when you open up the pack, it does NOT contain miniature full sticks of gum (which would be the baby-sized version of what 5 typically offers), instead opting for the standard shorter ones of the Orbit and Stride variety. How cute — though non-functional — would teeny tiny little full sticks be? OMG, I’d die.

The flavor? Right… It’s still great! Size don’t matta there!

Flavor Strength: 9
Comments: This is actually one of my favorite spearmints on the market. Despite my general hatred of 5.

Flavor Endurance: 9
Comments: Yeah, totally!

Final thought: Who cares about flavor? IT’S MICROOOOOO! 

PROJECT 7’S SAVE THE EARTH FRESH MINT

Three months and no gum bloggin’! That’s criminal! THIS IS A GUM BLOG, DARNIT. Let’s put a stop to it. Let’s do it!

:) Fresh start? Emphasis on the FRESH?

This gum came my way several months ago, but I’m just getting around to popping it open. And it’s deeelish! (Thanks Andrea!)

Each “gum tube” — GUM TUBE, GUYS! Totally fun! — from Project 7 has a different cause. This particularrr flavor goes to saving the PLANET! That means for every tube you buy (or regular blister pack, but c’mon, the tubes are totally better!), A FRUIT TREE will be planted! How great is that? 

Plus, BONUS — it tastes awesome. There’s some special zingity-zing-zing in the beginning that is a little hard to take (blame the outer shell?), but after that it’s smooth sailing. The overwhelming flavor of this mint is spearmint, but the remaining zingity keeps that spearmint flavor FRESH (getttt itttt?). Tasty, breath-freshening, and good for the EARTH, guys! So much great. 

Project 7 also sells mints and bottled water! (Though it appears they’re mostly at Wal-Mart stores… Check it.)

Flavor Strength: 9
Comments: Comes outta the gate STRONG, and 30 minutes in, I’m still rockin’ the flavor. Dig itttt.

Flavor Endurance: 8
Comments: AN EIGHT. That never happens in this category. Go, gum!

Final thought: Pro Tip Centrallll — two pieces are better than one! You heard it here first.

TRIDENT VITALITY ZEN: MINT & VANILLA WITH GREEN TEA

Prepare yourselves. I’m about to drop something serious on you. Ready?

TRIDENT VITALITY ZEN IS ONE OF THE MOST SATISFYING GUMS I’VE EVER HAD.

It’s fantastic. It’s every word I could use to describe GOOD gum. It’s delicious. It’s smooth. It’s flavorful. But it’s also soooo much more.

Remember the first stick of Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Dessert Delights gum you had? You were thinking, “Ahhbuhhh?? You can MAKE gum that tastes this good? I FEEL LIKE I’M EATING A DECADENT DESSERT RIGHT NOW. WHAT IS HAPPENING.” This experience is like that. I cannot get over the fact that I’ve never, ever had a gum with vanilla flavor. Because it works so.well.

(I am now on a mission to find and devour any/all kinds of vanilla gum. Know any? I hear Dentyne has one… Do tell!)

There’s mint here, too, and somewhere in the mix is green tea, though it’s so very subtle that you will hard know it. Overall, this is just downright pleasant, and you’ll find yourself both a) thinking you could enjoy it for HOURS if only your stupid jaw didn’t get so tired from all the chewin’ and b) pining for your next piece the moment this one goes in the trash! (Remember, gum fans, DON’T LITTER WITH GUM.)

And p.s. the Trident Vitality box has yet to stop amazing me. BEST.EVER.

Flavor Strength: 9
Comments: Knocked a notch for its subtlety, which is really just a reason for more applause.

Flavor Endurance: 8
Comments: Though I so, soooo wish that the flavor of the first five minutes lasted FOREVER, the flavor that remains is still yummm centrallll.

Final thought: Why is it that gum this good can’t be designed to last longer? Why does some gum flavor last longer than others? WHY IS THERE SO MUCH INCONSISTENCY IN GUM TECHNOLOGY? I know these are big questions, but… you know… I think about these things.

WRIGLEY’S 5 RPM MINT

If you read this blog semi-frequently, you may know that I am consistently ANTI-5 gum. I hate the zippity-doo-daaa of its little secret ingredient that became its signature. I hate that it’s called “5.” I also just, simply, don’t like any of the flavors (except for, maybe, Swerve… kinda).

BUT, this latest offering is definitely my favorite of the bunch. Or, maybe I should say it’s definitely one of my favorite MINT GUM offerings of the last few months (after all, that actually means something — the former, not so much… Hehe…). The flavor is a mix of spearmint and wintergreen, and it’s soft enough without being boring, and zippy enough without being overwhelming. It’s similar in vibe to those UP2U mints — all of which were, as you’ll recall, pretty much great.

Unfortunately… there’s a problem. It’s the gum itself. The gum is smooth and soft and chewy and it NEVER gets rubbery! Buuuuut that’s the problem, too. This gum is wayyy too soft. So much so that it feels like it’s gonna get stuck in your teeth… or fall apart as you chew. That’s never a very satisfying feeling, and here it definitely puts a damper on the great flavor. Wah wah. An hour into the journey, the flavor is still goin’, but the gum’s texture issues (lack of texture issues?) are still in full effect. Bummer.

Flavor Strength: 10
Comments: Seriously, I love it. But let’s get to another issue… What’s WITH all of the 5 mint v. fruit pairings? Did REACT not work out so well for them? They needed to toss out some other iteration? I mean… it’s BETTER, this version, but… seems like a lot of work…

Flavor Endurance: 8
Comments: Also fantastic. This gum just keeps going and going. If it weren’t for its terrible consistency, it would be, like, MAGIC GUM… THAT TASTES GOOD FOREVER. (Or close, anyway.)

Final thought: What’s this, a GUM post? I know, I know. Can you believe it? Sorry for the month-long break on gum… but I’ve got some GOODIES coming up! WHO’S EXCITED?!

EXTRA SMOOTH MINT

Dude, this gum is so good that I totally forgot I was chewing it and just kept on working! Maybe that’s bad… BUT MAYBE IT’S HUUUGE. See, man, I review gum! I keep an eye on it! This was so pleasant and inobtrusive that I just chewed and chewed and chewed and accomplished all sorts of tasks while doin’ it!

Weeeeird.

Sure, maybe that means it’s not very exciting… and really, it’s not. It’s a little too much on the peppermint side for my typical taste (I’d favor perhaps a nice ZING of spearmint in there!), but it also harkens back to my beloved (BELOVED, I tell you!) Carefree gum days.

This is defffffinitely reminiscent of those good ol’ days. It’s really smooth in flavor,(“Smooth,” I know) and really fresh and clean and lovely, and its texture is soft and, well, smooth. (OKAY, DAMN, they really meant it when they said it was Smooth Mint. I GET IT.) It’s so characteristically similar to Carefree that if it were 1992, I’d swear it WAS Carefree… and that’s sayin’ somethin’.

Flavor Strength: 8
Comments: Here again, I’d prefer a bit of a extra angle on this “mint,” because from MY view it’s really just peppermint gum… But, that flavor is divine.

Flavor Endurance: 10
Comments: Like Carefree before it, this is really packing a long-lasting punch. I mean seriously, an hour? More? It goes and goes.

Final thought: Is Extra gum the Carefree gum of our time?!?! MINDBLOW.

DENTYNE PURE MINT WITH CITRUS ACCENTS

Whoaaaa, Dentyne Pure Mint with Citrus Accents might be ma’ new jaaaaam!

The gum bloggin’ has swayed so totally freaky as of late that I’d forgotten there were maybe new, refreshing, normal gums out there awaiting my tastebuds! AND LO, here is one!

Truthfully, I saw this a couple of months ago while grocery shopping with someone I didn’t feel would fully embrace/understand my gum love and, SHAME OF SHAMES, I walked away from it empty-handed! (IT’LL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS FILLED WITH REGRET.) Nowwwww, though, I am happy to report it’ll be staying by my side (in my purse) for the foreseeable future.

I was already a fan of the Dentyne Pure line. I think they strike a nice balance on the side of the breath-refreshing (trendy) gums. I preferred the Melon Accents variety over Herbal (and whaaaat, I never reviewed the former, apparently), but all varieties a) eliminate bad breath and b) are delightfully tasty. The mint is fresh and icy coooold and the accent flavor — here, citrus — is always subtle enough to be enjoyable, but prominent enough to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack.

Flavor Strength: 9
Comments: Superberific! This is citrus-y without being that fake-y, over-the-top ORANGE flavor that we’re always being knocked over the gum-head with… In fact, it’s not orange-y AT ALL.

Flavor Endurance: 9
Comments: BOOM. AWESOME.

Final thought: Seriously, this is going in my purse RIGHT.NOW. Go Dentyne!

LOTTE FIT’S SODA & MINT GUM

Well now, this is nowhere near as terrifying as I expected! When I picked this baby up, I anticipated freaky, fizzy carbonation a la COLA GUM (the horror! the memories!), but it’s way more subtle.

There IS somethingggg there in the way of ZING, but it’s not bubbling out of your mouth this time, and it sorttttta seems to add to the overall flavor. What that flavor is… that’s a little trickier. It’s decidedly MINTY and the package SMELLS like heaven. But once you get it inside your mouth and start chewin’, it gets a little confusing. The “soda” factor flavors in in a way more characteristic of a cough drop. You know when you suck on a cough drop and then take a sharp INHALE and you have that weird cooooool sensation in your mouth and at the back of your throat? That happens here too.

I’m not sure I like it…

What I DOOOOOO really like, though, is this PACKAGING. I know, I know, I’m a sucker for awesome-tastic packaging. But this stuff has something I’ve never seen before… and there are actually INSTRUCTIONS about it on the inside flap! This LOOKS like any other package, but when you grab a piece of it out of the box, the bottom part of the paper wrap TEARS OFF and you DON’T HAVE TO TOUCH THE GUM TO PUT IT IN YOUR MOUTH… you keep your fingers on the wrapped! AMAZING. AMAAAAAAAAAZING, GUYS!!!

Flavor Strength: 8
Comments: Strong but too WTF-y for my taste.

Flavor Endurance: 8
Comments: YES. Serious endurance but a little on the soft side as things get past the five minute mark.

Final thought: Seriously, PACKAGING GENIUS.

TRIDENT SPLASHING MINT

A couple weeks ago, I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor of Trident’s Splashing Fruit but bummed out that it maintained classic Trident’s tough, lame-o texture problem. GUESS WHAT, PALS? Trident’s Splashing MINT just came to my rescue!!

This gum is soooooo soft and lovely and the flavor reminds me of the mint flavored gums of the Carefree era. It’s sorta a spearmint and wintergreen combo, from what I can tell (heavy on the spearmint??), and it’s delicious. And it’s SO SOFT that you can actually blow bubbles with it. BLOW BUBBLES WITH TRIDENT GUM, I know it’s a crazy idea but it’s trueeeeee!

This gum is so NOT Trident-y that it totally could have been one of the flavors in the UP2U Mentos packs (that means it’s GOOOOOD). I’m not generally a fan of minty combos, but I think that Splashing Mint (and UP2U’s Fresh Mint) hits the mark. I DIG IT, GUYS. I’m not sure where the “splashing” part comes in, but this gum is sooooo good that I don’t really care, man.

Flavor Strength: 8
Comments: Strong and AWESOME.

Flavor Endurance: 7
Comments: This is like off-the-charts in Trident-land.

Final thought: Given the most recent developments in the Trident world (Vitality tried… and those two newest Layers flavors are AMAAAAZING), I feel as though perhaps a change is a-comin’ AND I feel like if there was a gum line ready for a change, IT’S TRIDENT. What say you, dear reader? Are you an avid Trident enthusiast and think I’m TOTALLY off… or would you like to see (or, you know, at least not mind seeing… we can’t all be gum nuts…) a new and improved Trident in the gum aisle?

MENTOS GUM UP2U - DAYLIGHT MINT & MINTNIGHT MINT

I need to get a couple of things out of the way right now… If one of your gum flavors is “daylight,” whyyyy is it necessary to make the other one CLEVER (errr, trying to be clever) by naming it “mintnight”??? Couldn’t this just be DAYLIGHT and MIDNIGHT? It flows better anyway… “Mintnight Mint”??? ALSO, why on the packaging is “Daylight Mint” in dark blue and “Mintnight Mint” on the light green? Shouldn’t that be switched because… daylight is LIGHT and midnight is DARK?

(For the sake of your argument that, hey man, “Mintnight Mint” could mean anything! It doesn’t have to mean “midnight”! Then, well, let’s say the use of DAY in “Daylight Mint” and NIGHT in “Mintnight Mint” follows this LIGHT and DARK business, okay?)

WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT… these two flavors are baaaasically variations on spearmint and wintergreen, and I think combining them in a pack is a fiiiiiine idea! But if you’re going to give them wackadoodle names (and was that necessary?… I mean, all three of the other UP2U packs are split between varying flavors of tooootally normal names), then a) associate them with the right colors (see above) and b) associate them with the right time of dayyyyyy! Wintergreen is soothing and calllllm, so maybe it’s more like NIGHTIME and spearmint is a little kickier and thereby more like DAYTIME, NO??????????

Basically all that amounts to is flipping the names, mind you. The flavors are totally fine as-is. I’d like a little more from them, but they are passable. The “Daylight Mint” (WINTERGREEN/MORE-LIKE-MIDNIGHT) kiiiinda tastes like a freakin’ Mentos candy upon first chew, which I am in nooooo way a fan of… but, you know, some might not mind it as much.

Let’s chalk this one to a GREAT IDEA, POOR EXECUTION, eh? I will say the colors are LOVELY… that Mintnight Mint is the most gorgeous shade of turquoise when you spit it out!! Hehehehehehe…

Flavor Strength: 7
Comments: Both good, if a little muddled (and mis-named, ahem).

Flavor Endurance: 6
Comments: Givin’ mediocre marks here because the flavor drags on but becomes pretty muted (and the gum, rubbery).

Final thought: I don’t want to be a negative Nancy, but here’s the last thing… when you open the pack up, the light green (mintnight) is on the left and dark blue (daylight) is on the left… now that’s just backwards, man! Night to day? REALLY? Am I totally out of line here, pals?

STRIDE WHITEMINT INSPIRED BY SHAUN WHITE

When I picked up the new Shaun White-branded WHITEMINT Stride gum at Target last weekend, I thought about the same thing I did when I saw his cameo in Friends with Benefits………. WHYYYYY? I like Shaun, and I think he’s GREAT (and that haiiiiir!), but Olympians tend only to shine around, you know, the Olympics and I’m wondering now if Shaun is angling toward SUPERSTARDOM or something*…

(Allow me to redirect for one second… The cameo in FWB I gave the benefit of the doubt because I thought, “Ehhhh, movies are made a long time ago when maybe the timeliness of a Shaun White cameo made more sense!” AND because the movie had one wayyyyyy-more-dated reference that deserved a much bigger head-scratch: THE CURSING OF THE KATHERINE HEIGL POSTER… for a movie released in July of 2009. SERIOUSLY, WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT???? When I saw that in the previews I decided maybe the movie was going back in time a couple of years for the sake of at some point hitting PRESENT DAY… but nooooo. Katherine Heigl movie posters apparently just hang around forever on the streets of New York, just chillin’. Guess what, movie makers? Computers can do alllll kinds of wacky, technological things these days to fix little problems like this. You should know that, your movie has ALL KINDS OF THAT COMPUTER-Y STUFF. Timeline query: The Ugly Truth was released in July 2009… the iPad—upon which Jamie and Dylan swear their unemotional bond—became available in April 2010. WHEN THE HELL WAS THIS MOVIE MADE???).

If I might be allowed to persuade you in one direction or another, dear Shaun… YOUR GUM RULES (and your acting, well… ehhhh). I sincerely and totally love the whitemint flavor. It’s more wintergreen than spearmint, but really the flavor is a minty combo that reminds me of the Icebreakers gum line (the flavor in the blue pack!). It’s soooo refreshing and so light and it’s a nice spin on regular mint flavors.

The packaging is a little strange, with White’s face on the front of the pack and really strange cartoon sketches inside wherein he is playing cards with a ram (is that a reference to the Stride Spark commercials? I’m a little confused), but the wrappers on the gum are really sharp and sparkly and coooool.

This pack is going straight into my normal (non-testing) gum-chewing rotation!

Final thought: *Seriously, though, doesn’t it feel like this gum could have been HUGE around the time of the 2010 Olympics? Or in a couple more years at the 2014 games? I know that Shaun is sponsored by Stride Gum and I understanddddd getting the most out of such a partnership but… timing is everything, no?

BLUE Q PEPPERMINT FLAVOR GUM

I am a sucker for a good concept, that is for suuuuure. And I went on and on about how great Blue Q gum was in concept about a month ago (see: here). The second box I received as a gift over the holidays doesn’t quiiiiiiite pull the same magic, though I do still love its charm!

To fully appreciate that charm, know this: the BACK of this box features a sobriety test for both men and women. The male test is a photo of a cross-dressing gentleman, the female test is a photo of a piece of pizza… sitting on the ground, dirty and gross. The caption under both reads: WOULD YOU GO HOME WITH THIS? If you answer “Yes,” to your respective question, there’s a whooooole laundry list of “Don’ts” that continue on the inside of the packaging. It’s pretty great.

HOWEVER, on principle, I feel the need to be tough on any gum that reminds me of going to the dentist, and this peppermint flavor is soooooo dento-rific that I had to spit it out pretty quickly (and I don’t even mind the dentist that much!). The flavor is so sharrrrp in your mouth, it’s like it’s battling your taste buds. Just let it win. Appreciate the concept, and give the gum away to free-loadin’ friends who ask after lunch/dinner/etc…

Flavor Strength: 12
Comments: TOO MUCH.

Flavor Endurance: 3
Comments: Hardly at all. A second round taste-test (wherein I MADE myself continue chewing) didn’t last much longer than my initial disgusted spit-out.

Final thought: Let’s combine concept AND flavor, eh? EH? C’mon! Is that such a crazy idea? Sounds like a MILLION DOLLAR idea to me…

WRIGLEY’S ECLIPSE BREEZE EXOTIC MINT

So apparently Eclipse Breeze gum came out sometime in ‘09 or ‘10 and had some difficulty (read: lawsuit?), and during that time it never crossed my radar. BUT, this weekend, I happened upon a stash, mistaking its “NEW” tag for REALLY NEW and purchased both flavors. None of that is very interesting…

What IS interesting is this gum. The packaging is fantastic. I love the unconventional color scheme of teal and gold (shiny brown…), and that it carries into the blister pack too. I REALLY love the pieces of gum themselves. Each piece is rectangular, white and has teal-colored flecks all over it (FUN!).

Obviously the main selling point here is the CARDAMOM and its ability to “neutralize the toughest breath odors”!!!!! And it really, really, really does, in very much the same way as Dentyne Pure, but with stronger flavor. And while we’re on the subject of that flavor… I’m not even totally sure what this one is. SURE, it’s MINT-y, but the EXOTIC part I can’t quite nail down. I read that cardamom can have a “smoky,” almost bitter taste, and I might call it sort of spicy or pepper-y or licorice-y (OR SOMETHING), but either way it does really affect the taste of the gum. With the mint it tends more to compliment the flavor, whereas with its counterpart, Exotic Berry, it’s not quite so clearrrrrr (more on that… later).

Flavor Strength: 7
Comments: Solid and strong, though slightly muddled by whatever is just under the surface of that flavor. Also, two pieces = better than one.

Flavor Endurance: 7
Comments: A good half-hour of quality chewing, and when you’re done… POOF… wonderful breath!

Final thought: I’m still sticking to Dentyne Pure’s herbal-y mint with its softer chewing and lighter taste for my GET RID OF THIS BREATH NOWWWW moments, but this is a solid entry into this strange new gum category.

STRIDE SPARK KINETIC MINT

Hey, bandwagon-jumpers, you may really have something here! Of those gums currently on the market boasting HEALING POWERS (okay, really just some sort of health angle), I’m inclined to like Stride Spark the best. Where Dentyne Pure and Trident Vitality have aimed at having a different taste with their tea and herb additions, Spark feels just a little more ZING-y. Maybe in a too-much sort of way at the very beginning, but as the flavor blends in your mouth, it’s pretty delightful.

Kinetic Mint really means PEPPERMINT (let’s be real), and you might not feel like you’re ready to wrestle a rammm (have you seen the commercials?!), but it’s refreshing and tasty and far superior to the taste of chewing gum while drinking tea (sorry, Pure/Vitality).

The “health” angle here is Vitamins B6 and B12, which give you ENERGY. Energy drinks typically have 100% (and MORE) of your daily values of these vitamins, and Spark provides 25% (so you don’t have to FEAR it). Are we setting a dangerous precedent here for future gum ingredients? MAYYYYYBE.

Bonus points for the sparkles on the wrappers (I LOVE A GOOD SPARKLE), though some on the outside of the package would have been nice too (???).

Flavor Strength: 8
Comments: Give it a second on the first reaction, it takes a bit to blend after it’s initial ZIP ZOW KAPOWWW.

Flavor Endurance: 9
Comments: Seriously, high marks here. BUT HERE’S MY CONCERN: How long SHOULD you chew on something that’s giving you an energy boost!? Hehehehhhh?

Final thought: The first time I tried this, it INEXPLICABLY but UNDENIABLY shared some sort of taste-link with cotton candy-flavored gum. I thought I was nuts too, but in a subtle way it was totally there. Until I tried my second piece. Wah wah…

TRIDENT VITALITY REJUVE: MINT AND WHITE TEA

Based on the packaging on this gum alone, I was SOLD. The box has an amazing lip that locks when you close the end of it, and it keeps the blister pack inside from slipping out! It’s like magic… in gum-package form!

There are three kinds of these new Trident Vitality flavors (aimed at appealing to the “wellness lifestyle” of consumers, ahem), each “infused” with a lil’ something special: Vigorate (Vitamin C), Awaken (Ginseng) and this one, Rejuve (White Tea).

I don’t know, it feels a little Dentyne Pure-y to me.

The mint flavor on this is really pretty standard, with only the SLIGHTEST hint of anything natural (white tea-y, y’know…). Dentyne Pure with Herbal Accents fit that bill quite a bit better (and this one doesn’t purport to ZAP your bad breath!). It’s nice enough, though, totally refreshing and everything a mint gum should be. I’m juuuuuust not sure it’s enough to stand out.

Flavor Strength: 8
Comments: The flavor is fresh and minty and wonderful for your breath, but a dime a dozen, I’m afraid.

Flavor Endurance: 8
Comments: Again, top notch for sure.

Final thought: But here’s the thing, if you’re bee-boppin’ around (I bee-bop, don’t you bee-bop?) and you need some mint gum, this one is really where it’s at BECAUSE of the awesome packaging. I’m back on the packaging, yes. I can smash this in my purse and the blister pack doesn’t slip out! THIS BOX RULES.

WRIGLEY’S SPEARMINT

I’ve become such a fan of spearmint gum over the past few months and have been trying out alllllll the new varieties and completely forgot about the CLASSIC. This classic is a-maaaazing in revamp mode.

There are a lot of spearmints on the market, but Wrigley’s still maintains superiority somehow. Maybe it’s the sugar (d’oh!), but whatever it is, this gum has a SWEETNESS to it that I dare say the competition has left out. A-maaaazing. The moment it hits your mouth you can just tell it’s a classic (and yet tastes so much BETTER than that original). The packaging has switched to green from white, so if you’re looking for that old look, THINK AGAIN (I actually prefer the new style, I think…).

And while we’re on the subject of these Wrigley classics, I gotta say how much I still love tearing the wrapper off of a pack of gum with STICKS in it. Not STICKS-in-a-box, but STICKS. These five packs are the same as they’ve always been and I LOVE them for it. I don’t know who decided gum packaging had to change but PHOOEY on them.

Flavor Strength: 9
Comments: SO STRONG. SO GREAT.

Flavor Endurance: 8
Comments: It might lose a little after the 20-30 minute mark, but shooooot it’s still really great.

Final thought: I’m still trying to get to the bottom of what Doublemint gum really is. Like, the CONCEPT. What do you know? Leave it in the comments…