I've got a fever...

If you slap Limited Edition, New, Seasonal Flavor, or something similar on your packaging, chances are I'm going to buy it. I can't seem to resist trying new flavors, no matter how weird they may sound, or how bad they may taste. It started with Fried Chicken Doritos (which were actually Fritos) in Japan and snowballed from there.

[limited-edition-fever]

New year, new Oreo flavors! These actually came out in 2017 but after seeing new flavors already on the shelves, I realized I needed to start tasting the ones I currently have.

Once again, Oreo went with relatively safe bets. Hot cocoa tastes a lot like a Swiss mix packet (ironic, given that Oreo now has it’s own hot chocolate), complete with marshmallow flavor in the white cream. I liked them and thought they tasted good dunked in milk, but nothing new or surprising about this flavor.

I haven’t tried Cookie Butter so I don’t know how these Oreos compare but they do taste good! They reminded me of Biscoff cookies, so if that was the intent than they nailed it. I will say that I’ve started to notice a granular texture to the graham cookies that sometimes replace the usual chocolate. I guess it makes them similar to graham crackers, but I’m not a huge fan. For what it’s worth, it’s less noticeable when you dunk them.

[limited-edition-fever]

Oreo has so many limited edition flavors coming out, they’re getting hard to keep up with. Here are two that I tried earlier this year.

The "popping candy” is exactly what you might expect: Pop Rocks. I’ve had Pop Rocks ice cream before so I was somewhat prepared for the unusual experience of eating a snack while stuff pops in your mouth. The flavor wasn’t that much different from regular Oreos, so the appeal lay solely in the candy. It did get more intense with milk, though.

The Dunkin’ Donuts Mocha flavor is exactly what you’d expect and so delicious! I don’t actually drink Dunkin’ mochas but it tastes like any other mocha drink I’ve had. Chocolate + coffee + Oreo cookies on either side = deliciousness. If you see these floating around, give them a try!

[limited-edition-fever]

Time to play catch-up with this blog! As with previous english muffins I’ve tried, these weren’t as impressive as I’d hoped. They do smell wonderful, that combination of chocolate and marshmallow-y sweetness that shouts “S’mores!” Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to the taste. There were little pockets of chocolate and marshmallow but they were so small, they were lost in the somewhat bland flavor of the bread. Maybe you could use these in place of graham crackers and double up on your s’mores experience?

[limited-edition-fever]

It’s been a while since I’ve seen limited edition Pringles and I realized it’s because I’ve been looking in grocery stores. Apparently they’ve moved into the pharmacy store market. I found these flavors at Walgreens and CVS; in fact, the hot dog flavor is an exclusive for Walgreens. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The other chips aren’t limited edition, but they’re exotic enough for this blog since they came from Japan: honey butter potato chips. Oh boy!

I started with the hot dog Pringles since I’ve had them sitting in the pantry for a while. The first thing that hit me upon opening is the intense mustard flavor paired with cardboard tube smell. Not being a mustard fan, I braced myself for the worst. The chips themselves aren’t terrible but there is very little hot dog taste because of the overwhelming mustard flavor. As a result, these were a bust for me.

Opening the next tube brought to mind funnel cakes or, more specifically, the shaker full of confectioner’s sugar that you always see beside funnel cakes. The chips themselves taste pretty similar to sugar cookies, so they aren’t bad but don’t plan on eating more than a few before the novelty wears off.

Finally, we come to the Japanese chips. Japanese snacks are what started this blog so I’m always excited to get my hands on something new. The center text on the bag says, “Happiness Butter~” so how could I go wrong? Sadly, these were disappointing mostly because there wasn’t much too them. A little bit of honey taste but I didn’t sense much butter. Then again, it’s a potato chip so it’d be hard to taste the butter separate from regular potato chip flavor. Not bad to try but not something I’ll rush to buy again.

[limited-edition-fever]

Once more into the Oreo breach! (Thanks Nabisco for keeping this blog alive.)

With the exception of the choco chip flavor, I wasn’t expecting much from this round of limited edition flavors but I was pleasantly surprised. I started with fruity crisp, which you can probably tell from the packaging is supposed to be Fruity Pebbles. And it is! Once I opened the package, the smell took me back to my younger days, when dad occasionally allowed us a super sugary cereal. These tasted exactly like someone crumbled Fruity Pebbles into the creme filling, which was a very nostalgic flavor, especially when dipped in milk. I’d recommend trying it if you were already a fan of the cereal. If you never liked Fruity Pebbles, these may be too weird for you.

I expected the blueberry pie flavor to be overwhelmingly, artificially BLUEBERRY but they weren’t that bad. They didn’t even smell very strongly of blueberry when I opened the package. I don’t think I could eat more than a couple at a time, but they tasted good and they passed the milk test.

Surprisingly, the choco chip flavor was the one I liked the least. It was exactly as expected--a chocolate chip cookie with chocolate chip cream--but also not like a normal chocolate chip cookie. Something about the cookie or the creme filling was a little oily and felt too heavy. It made me long for the cookie dough flavor, which was much better. The hubby doesn’t mind them, though, so your mileage may vary.

[limited-edition-fever]

While not limited edition, these Oreos came straight from Japan which makes them a rarity and thus deserving of a blog post. (Also, since Japanese snacks are what put me on this crazy path, they’ll always have a place here.)

These are matcha (green tea) cream flavored Oreos, labeled part of the “Japan Original series,” though I can’t find any other flavors in that series. I like almost any matcha-flavored thing so I wasn’t surprised that I enjoyed these. The cream isn’t as sweet as most people would probably expect, but true matcha flavor shouldn’t be overly sweet. It tasted true to my expectation, especially considering these are from Japan.

Both the cookie and cream layer are thinner than a regular US-made Oreo, but it should be noted that the cookie never softened when I dunked it. Now, I didn’t drop one in milk and leave it for an hour, but I did hold them until the point at which, normally, the Oreo has absorbed so much milk that it crumbles out of my grip and sinks to the bottom of the glass. Not with these cookies! Even after a prolonged soak, the cookie remained crunchy. That was a little weird.

Finally, I’ve leave you with the helpful instructions for how to enjoy Oreos that were on the back of the package. They’re pretty self-explanatory.

[limited-edition-fever]

Nabisco seems to be running out of ideas for their limited edition flavors. A chocolate and cream cookies made to taste like a chocolate and cream cupcake. I had previously passed on Brownie Batter Oreos because I suspected the chocolate would be overpowering. That was the case with these.

First, the cream center is a different consistency than normal Oreo cream, which you can sort of tell in the pictures. There was no way to split the cookie without most of the white cream ending up stuck to the other half. It tasted fine, but having a much thinner cream in the center of the thicker chocolate cream was too weird for me. Other than that, they just kind of taste like a chocolate cookie. The chocolate of the cookie itself was lost in the cream, so I didn’t find them very impressive. Maybe worth trying if you have a nostalgic love for the Hostess treat they were made to imitate, but I wouldn’t buy them again.

[limited-edition-fever]

These smell divine! The maple syrup-y goodness is present before you even open the package. In terms of flavor, it’s much more faint. When I first saw these, I thought they’d be perfect for breakfast sandwiches, similar to a McGriddle. Unfortunately, the maple flavor is easily drowned out by whatever you put on it.

Also, the photo doesn’t really show this, but there were little bits that I think were supposed to be chunks or pockets of maple flavoring. When toasted, those areas ended up somewhat mushy, which was a weird texture when I was looking for a crispy compliment to my egg sandwich.

All in all, these were worth trying but kind of underwhelming.

[limited-edition-fever]

These aren’t limited edition but I was compelled to try them because they’re basically æbleskiver (“apple slices”) a traditional Danish treat. Over the past few years, I’ve noticed more people talk about them and it’s definitely easier to get an æbleskiver pan now than it used to be. I should have known an American company would jump on the idea of making a “heat and eat” version.

These were good, though not quite as fluffy as the picture on the box would imply. There was also a distinct lack of apple. On the box, I expected there to be chunks in the center of every “popper” but either they were diced too small for me to notice (again, unlike the photo) or there isn’t apple in every piece.

The store I found them in only had this flavor and chocolate chip, though there are maple and very berry varieties available as well. I went with apple because apple-filled æbleskiver are my favorite (contrary to the name, they aren’t by default made with apples). They’re worth checking out if you’re looking for a sweet, pancake-like treat.

[limited-edition-fever]

Martin’s (or Giant), we need to talk. I noticed around Thanksgiving that you went crazy and tried to shove pumpkin flavor into damn near everything, from cookies to waffle mix, coffee, even a jar of pecans. I was surprised there wasn’t pumpkin potpourri on that overflowing table of pumpkin-flavored nightmares. I had plenty of other limited edition fall treats to try so I resisted your off-brand creations.

Now you seem to be on some kind of crazy bacon and maple kick. Don’t get me wrong, maple syrup and bacon are usually a delicious combination. Maple-glazed ham is also good. But a cookie? A cookie?!

Let’s get real for a minute, okay? These were atrocious. Revolting. This is the kind of limited edition “treat” that turns my compulsion into a kind of Russian roulette. Usually what I try is, at its worst, just a strange flavor combinations. But every now and then it all goes horribly wrong.

Speaking of horribly wrong, I honestly don’t know how to describe the smell of these cookies. From the minute I opened the package, I was put off from trying them. The closest I can think of is bonito (fish flakes) only less fishy, but with the same weird hint of dried out meat. I think there was a brief whiff of maple, but it was overpowered by the other scent.

On the box, these cookies looked like Girl Scout peanut butter sandwich cookies, but when you took them out the cream appeared dried out and the cookies were what I’d imagine a rice flour cookie might be. They were crumbly and kind of crispy and disintegrated when I took a bite. A very small bite. One I had trouble finishing because they were just so gross. But in the name of science (and limited edition), I finished that bite and threw the rest of the cookie out.

If you’re wondering just how badly a flavor can go wrong, pick these up, but otherwise I would avoid at all costs.

[limited-edition-fever]

It’s a cookie extravaganza! More flavors of Oreo came out recently, so I needed to get caught up on what I had in the pantry. Technically, the only limited edition Oreo is the caramel apple flavor, but the other two appear to be seasonal, since red velvet came and went last spring. (And I completely forgot that I’d tried it already.)

The caramel apple Oreo was a little too weird for me. It’s very apple-y and caramel-y, but the two together didn’t do much in cookie form. Dipping in milk made them a little better because it made the taste more creamy. Then it was reminiscent of a caramel apple pie a la mode.

The first thing that hits you upon opening the package of cinnamon bun Oreos is the cinnamon smell. I was distinctly reminded of the mini no-icing cinnamon buns you can get at the grocery store, pre-made by the bakery. You can definitely see, and taste, the flecks of cinnamon in the cookie. The creme is supposed to be “cinnamon bun flavored” but it’s just kind of sugary until you dip the cookie in milk. Then the overall flavor is more like an iced cinnamon bun, though nowhere near Cinnabon levels of deliciousness. Personally, I liked cinnamon buns with cream cheese and these cookies lack that flavor.

If you want cream cheese, look no further than the red velvet Oreos. These made a much stronger impression on me this year compared to last year. The cream cheese smell is the first thing that hits you after opening the package. The cookie is very much like red velvet cake, though I thought it had a more distinct chocolate flavor after chewing a bit. Dunk them in milk and your taste buds will be in heaven.

[limited-edition-fever]

It seems crazy flavors of candy corn are here to stay. Joining the smores and caramel macchiato candy corn from last year, we have peanut butter cup. They tasted enough like a peanut butter cup to get the point across, with a hint of the sugary sweetness that you crave in regular candy corn. But if you have a craving for peanut butter cups, I suggest looking for Reese’s.

Two years ago, pumpkin spice M&M’s were a disappointment. This year’s pumpkin spice latte M&M’s are a little better. I definitely think the “latte” flavor they were aiming for works better with chocolate than the “pumpkin spice” did. It tasted very much like a Sbux latte. As for the mocha M&M’s, it’s hard to make a chocolate candy taste like a chocolate latte but Mars did an admirable job. I expected it to taste like regular M&M’s but there was a hint of coffee flavor in them to get the point across.

My one complaint about these special flavored M&M’s is their size. They’re gigantic compared to normal M&M’s so other than the candy shell, there isn’t much to remind me of actual M&M’s. That said, I think if they tried to make the normal sized, the flavors wouldn’t come through as much.

[limited-edition-fever]

Salty + sweet is usually a great combination. That said, I didn’t have high hopes for these Pringles.

The tortilla chips were the best of the three. I haven’t tried plain flavored Pringles tortillas but the combination of salt, sugar, and cinnamon made them pretty good. The other two were just weird. If they were going for the taste of an actual potato chip dipped in chocolate, they definitely missed the mark. The flavor was faint enough to be almost unnoticeable for the white chocolate variety and not that great for milk chocolate. I would recommend sticking to salty snacks coated in real chocolate if you have a craving for a salty-sweet snack.

[limited-edition-fever]

I love pretty much anything involving apples, though I prefer things with apple pieces, not just “apple-flavored”. These cookies have both and cinnamon (a natural pairing for apples) so I knew I had to try them.

The first thing I should point out is that I thought these would be like sugar cookies with apple bits, apple filling, and cinnamon-y goodness. They’re actually oatmeal cookies, even though that isn’t mentioned on the front. After trying one, I thought, “Huh, that’s weirdly chewy,” and then found a few oat pieces. I checked the back of the package and sure enough, “rolled oats” was listed. I don’t mind oatmeal cookies, but I prefer plain old oatmeal raisin. More importantly, I had a different expectation going in because the packaging doesn’t say “Oatmeal Harvest Apple” on it. But I digress.

Unlike other “break and bake” cookies, these needed serious help separating from the bunch. My first few attempts (the four on the left) resulted in half-cookies that I tried to piece together but, as you can see, they didn’t look as nice as the four on the right that I used the knife on.

The apple pieces make for nice juicy bites. I can’t say I noticed the filling much on it’s own, but it tasted fine when biting into a cookie. These don’t bake thick enough to be proper “filled” cookies, but I wouldn’t hold it against them. All in all, these were worth trying if you’re a die-hard apple fan, but I wouldn’t buy them again.

[limited-edition-fever]

I was looking at an end-cap in the grocery store where they had pumpkin spice coffee creamer, pumpkin spice cream cheese, and Pillsbury cinnamon rolls and I thought, “They should have pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls.” Lo and behold, there below the regular rolls were the limited edition ones, so of course I had to try them.

These were delicious. The perfect mix of spices and Cinnabon cinnamon paired with pumpkin dough and pumpkin spice icing. To be honest, I would have been just as happy with a plain cream cheese icing but these weren’t overwhelming. If you’re a pumpkin spice fan, I would definitely check these out!

[limited-edition-fever]

Now is the winter autumn of our discontent pumpkin spice! (Although I suppose non-lovers of pumpkin spice are dissatisfied with this time of year) Yes, it’s the time of year when everything is washed in orange thanks to Halloween and pumpkin spice.

Pumpkin spice is probably the most common flavor on this blog, if only because it’s everywhere. Here are some of the latest offerings for fall.

The undeniable winner in this group are the Fudge Stripe cookies. There’s no fudge in them (unless you count the white chocolate stripes?) but they are incredible. The perfect combination of pumpkin pie spices mixed with the creaminess of the icing. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I saw them, but I will definitely be sad to see them go when the season changes.

After enjoying those delicious cookies, I poured myself a glass of Starbucks Iced Espresso Classics Pumpkin Spice Latte. Honestly, I don’t know why I bought this. I should have known better. (Famous last words!) The Iced Espresso Classics haven’t been bad per se, but they don’t taste like a freshly made drink either. Add to that the fact that I haven’t had much luck trying cold “pumpkin spice” flavors and it was no surprise that I didn’t enjoy this drink. Don’t get me wrong, I love pumpkin pie and I have no issue eating that straight out of the fridge, but I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice cold drinks, ice cream or other chilled treats.

Next up is the Fiber One Pumpkin Bar. It should be noted that this is a pumpkin bar, not pumpkin spice and, in my opinion, that was a wise choice. This is very mellow in comparison to the other items I tried, with a nice pumpkin flavor paired with the creamy chips and icing drizzle. These Fiber One soft-baked bars can be a little dry, but if you pair them with a cup of coffee or glass of milk, you’ll hardly notice.

Finally, we come to the Frosted Mini Wheats. I love Frosted Mini Wheats but I’m a bit old-fashioned and think all these crazy new flavors (and fillings?!) are unnecessary. There’s only one frosted wheat cereal for me, and it’s plain old sugar-flavored. Unfortunately, when you slap “limited edition” on it, it’s hard for me to resist.

The first thing I noticed when trying these (both plain and in milk) was the lack of any real flavor. They weren’t even that sweet, despite the nice, even covering of frosting. Mostly I just tasted wheat. After eating several in a row, you get more of the “pumpkin spice”, but it’s not strong at all. I had a bowl for breakfast the other day and I’ll say that while the flavor isn’t offensive, it’s not winning me over either. Mostly, it just made me want plain ol’ Frosted Mini Wheats. It also seemed like it left a film in my mouth that had me tasting hints of pumpkin spice later, but that could have been my imagination.

[limited-edition-fever]

Summertime means camping out and eating s’mores! Or, if you’re like me, just eating a bunch of s’more-flavored things while staying inside away from the bugs. I don’t remember there being a rush of this flavor last summer, but maybe it’s going to be the next “pumpkin spice”. 

First up we have the s’mores and nut mix. This was pretty disappointing. They try to go for a s’more flavor in the form of cocoa chocolate drops, marshmallows and yogurt-covered grahams (why not regular?) but the peanuts kind of overwhelm the other flavors. In the end, it just tasted like an unusual “mixed nuts” blend. 

I love yogurt with mix-ins, but I’ve been so-so on some varieties. The candy bar ones (Twix and Snickers) were disappointing because after mixing in, there was no crunch. The s’mores flavor was pretty good! The graham and chocolate added just the right amount of crunch. The yogurt itself is supposed to be marshmallow flavored and I would say the first couple bites were right on, but then it just started to taste like their regular vanilla that is the base for most of the YoCrunch varieties. Still pretty good, though!

At last, we come to the grand finale, practically the soul of this blog: the Oreos. I wasn’t sure what to think of these before trying but holy cow, they were good! The marshmallow creme nicely offsets the chocolate. Paired with the graham flavor of the cookie, and you’ve got a pretty close approximation of a s’more, without the wonderful gooey-ness of a real one. I will say that like most of their limited edition flavors, these were pretty rich so two was my limit, even if my taste buds demanded more. Also, they taste great dunked in milk!