JBzzzz snooze

Name: JBz
Brand: Jelly Belly
Place Purchased: Linens & Things (Costa Mesa)
Price: $.99
Size: 1.4 oz
Calories per ounce: 129
Type: Chocolate Candy



In some ways I think that the Jelly Belly candies created after the flavors in the Harry Potter Books are more easily recommended than these candies. Those are meant to have an alarming taste. These, I think are supposed to be delectable.

For the record I like Jelly Bellies. Though not all the flavors. I like that I can buy just the flavors I like and that the flavor goes through and through, not just in the outside.

The candies, when tipped out of their little box, are a riot of dingy colors. I'm not a flavored chocolate snob. I like combinations of chocolate with such things as mint, fruit flavors, nuts, liquors - really just about anything can be combined with chocolate. The color coding is not terribly clear. The colors depicted on the box are not true to life, so the yellow they show for banana on the box is more like a caramel color in real life. Sometimes they're supposed to have speckles on them, but I didn't always get them on mine. They vary widely in size, too. I'm not saying that's a good or bad thing, but I'm used to my plain M&Ms being the same size.

The flavors are not alarming in and of themselves - blueberry, apricot, grape, *raspberry, *cappuccino, *honey graham cracker, strawberry cheesecake, *orange juice, tutti-frutti, green apple, buttered popcorn, sizzling cinnamon, *coconut, cotton candy, toasted marshmallow, ice blue mint, juicy pear, licorice, very cherry and top banana. I've marked those that I thought were tasty with a star.

Mostly they're too sweet, grainy and the flavorings are overtly plastic. There's no essence to them, just a hint of artificiality to them in the candy shell and some ordinary cheap milk chocolate in the center. The snackability is lost because I really wouldn't want to inadvertently combine a juicy pear with a licorice.

Thank you, I'll stick to my M&Ms.

Rating: 3 out of 10