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Which Will Win? Red Vines or Twizzlers?

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 03:01:33 -0700

In addition to being grilled cheese day, this Sunday is also National Red Licorice Day. To help us celebrate, the folks at Red Vines recently sent us a care package of various flavors. The Sugar HQ is actually full of die-hard Twizzler fans, so I decided to see what they thought of my fave Red Vines. I took the three Red Vine flavors - pink strawberry, red cherry and original - and strawberry Twizzlers and put them into unmarked bowls.

I then asked folks to come taste them, and rank them from fave to least fave. With 21 taste testers, the results were more or less split down the middle. However there were a few surprises with the Red Vines strawberry option. To see what happened in our oh-so-scientific taste-test, read more.

To begin, the votes were broken down as follows:

9 for original Red Vines
7 for strawberry Twizzlers
4 for red cherry Red Vines
2 for pink strawberry Red Vines

While this wasn't that interesting - nearly split down the middle like I expected - the surprising part was in the comments. Overall, we decided that Twizzlers have a plastic texture, while Red Vines have a rubbery texture. We also learned that if you were a Red Vines fan, then you ranked Twizzlers last, and vice versa. It was the difference in texture that seemed to be what people used as a ranker. Those who grew up with Twizzlers thought it tasted "more authentic" while Red Vines people thought their choice was the real deal.

The intriguing part came from the two die-hard Twizzler fans who ranked strawberry Red Vines as favorite. They thought the flavor was great - I thought the two were really close in flavor - and wondered how they could swap their loyalty so easily.

To follow up on this, I did a blind-taste test with a few other folks. They agreed that the flavor of the two were quite similar. Yet I was surprised that it received such few votes. Turns out it was the bright pink Barbie color that really threw everyone off. Folks told me they thought it should taste like Starburst, or something "tropical" and a few folks even swore it had to be pink lemonade.

In the end, it really comes down to texture, flavor and what you grew up with. What do you think? Have you ever forced yourself to do a licorice taste test? Do you think your results would change?

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Red Vines or Twizzlers?

YumSugar — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 16:41:33 -0800

Today I was meeting a friend for lunch when I realized I didn't have any cash. So I popped into the nearby drugstore to use my ATM card for some cash back. When I usually do this, I end up with a pack of gum, but today something made me grab a pack of Red Vines instead.

I brought them back to the office where we ended up debating the flavor and texture of a Red Vine (thicker, slightly cherry flavored and waxy, like chewy licorice) versus a Twizzler (normally strawberry or cherry flavored and plasticky, like little vinyl shoelaces all twisted together). Now I love almost all candy, so I can appreciate both, however, if I have my choice, it's Red Vines all the way. Not only do I prefer the flavor and texture, but you can use it as a straw and besides, we all know that it's Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious not Mr. Pibb + Twizzlers...

So, how about you, Red Vines or Twizzlers? Which do you prefer?

Red Vines vs Twizzlers

YumSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 14:42:03 -0700

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Taste Test: Young & Smylie Licorice

YumSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:15:39 -0700

Being a big Red Vines and Twizzlers fan, I was excited to find out that Hershey's brand Y&S Candies was debuting a new line of "grownup," bite-sized soft candy, Young & Smylie licorice ($2.99). The licorice is sold in a resealable plastic bag, which locks in the candy's moisture and keeps it soft. Another thing I enjoyed about the packaging was the "licorice lore" on the back: Did you know that the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza, belongs to the pea or bean family?

Enough about the packaging, to see how Young & Smylie licorice tastes, read more.

Peach Mango: This fragrant flavor tasted natural, subtle, and not too sweet with floral and fruity notes of equal parts peach and mango. By far the softest flavor, I would recommend these fruit chews to people who normally eschew licorice for its rubbery texture.

Strawberry: The strawberry flavor wasn't as soft as the peach mango, and it didn't taste quite as natural. However, it didn't have the generic "red" flavor that is sometimes found in punch or mass-market licorice brands. People who love cherry and strawberry Twizzlers or Red Vines will gravitate to this choice.

Black Licorice: The licorice flavor wasn't overpoweringly sweet or spicy. As someone who doesn't care for traditional licorice, I found this to be surprisingly decent. It still wouldn't be my first choice, but if I had to eat black licorice, I would eat this one.

Overall, I had few complaints about these candies. I like the more refined flavors and they might have knocked my favorite licorice Twizzlers Nibs out of first place! To anyone who has tried the new Y&S licorice: what do you think of it?

Yummy Link: Factory Fresh Candy

YumSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 13:58:00 -0700

Hershey's is introducing a line of Fresh From The Factory candies, including Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers, Good & Plenty and Payday Bars. - Candyblog