Readers, I must be honest with you all.  This is a flavor I was dreading.  As a child I was never really a carbonated drink enjoyer, and thus avoided root beer like the plague.  My fear of carbonation extended to this lollipop flavor.  Sure, I had tried it once or twice, but you couldn’t pay me to finish one.  Today, I can’t say I feel very differently.  Mercifully, my bag seems to have only come with one of this variety within it.  This lollipop gets 1 star from me.

BUTTERSCOTCH

An incredibly nostalgic flavor for me!  Visually…not the most exciting lollipop to look at, though.  The milky color of the candy itself always struck me as a little unappealing, and the color scheme of the label is nothing to write home about.  This flavor leaves me wanting more as well, bringing to mind other butterscotch treats I’d much rather be having.  3 stars.

BLU RASPBERRY

Blue…sorry, “BLU” raspberry is a tried and true fake flavor that I have always been fascinated by.  Learning that there were no true raspberries that came in this delightful color was a heartbreaking event.  To speak of the color, you really can’t talk about these without bringing up the dye used and how it will stain your mouth! This lollipop is a solid 5 stars; it can be blindingly sweet, but the visual appeal is hard to deny.

GRAPE

This was the first lollipop that I had not had before the writing of this article!  The lollipop itself is truly a lovely shade of purple, and the flavor is spot on as well.  When it comes to grape flavors, I tend to prefer the white grape variety more, though this is not bad on its own.  Nothing too fancy here, a solid 3 out of 5.

BUBBLEGUM

More fruity than expected, which is not a bad thing but makes it a flavor distinct from the one-dimensional nature of classic bubblegum.  As a flavor on its own merits, not bad, but nothing to write home about.  Much like the butterscotch flavor, this one makes me wish I had just had some bubblegum instead.  2 stars, it isn’t one I think I will be coming back to.

CHERRY

Another newcomer to my pallet there, and I must say this is one I really enjoyed!  Cherry isn’t a flavor I reach for too often, but that may change going forward as this was a really nice little surprise.  Should I be eating more cherries in my day to day life?  Most likely.  4 stars, a solid choice! 

LEMON LIME

My first reaction to tasting this one was “...that’s it?”  I am something of a fiend for lemonade, and was excited to try this flavor to see if it was anything similar.  Sadly, it seems that I will be sticking with the drink for now, because this really wasn’t it!  The lemon-lime flavor is very understated here, but points must be given for the stylish pearly green color.  2 stars, not the worst but far from the best.

PINEAPPLE

Similarly to lemonade, I am a fiend for pineapple!  Thus, it blew my mind to discover the pineapple flavored Dumdum.  Where was this flavor all my life?  After some brief research, I was shocked to discover pineapple-coconut was one of the original seven flavors released!  I guess it must have snuck below my radar all these years. I don’t know if I was really missing anything though.  Similarly to the lemon lime, I was a little let down by the relatively subdued flavor.  Where was the energy I had previously seen in the blu raspberry variety?!  I’m a little bummed to give this 3 stars…I was very excited to try this one!

PEACH MANGO

First thought about this lollipop is that they really nailed the color of the candy itself!  It’s a lovely shade of yellow-orange that matches the flavors quite nicely.  I often start my day with a packet of peach-mango caffeinated juice in my water bottle, so I was familiar with this flavor combination already and knew roughly what to expect.  Thankfully, this candy did not disappoint!  A delightful fruity and tropical flavor that makes me yearn for the sunny days of summer.  5 out of 5, I would absolutely reach for this variety again if available to me!

SOUR APPLE

Controversial take, but sour apple has never been a favorite of mine flavor wise.  I have no problem with it, just am a fan of the sweeter apple variety commonly found in juice and cider.  That being said, this is a pretty good lollipop!  I am reminded of the caramel apple lollipops I would get occasionally as a child (the layer of chewy caramel on the outside made for an excellent flavor combination), but this isn’t a review for that brand so I must stay focused!  If you like sour apple I’m sure you will find something to like here, but unfortunately I am just not a big fan.  3 out of 5 stars: nothing bad per say, but nothing to write home about either.

ORANGE

Orange is a flavor you don’t see often in candy (at least in my experience), which I think is a damn shame!  When I was a kid, one of the only drinks I would tolerate was Orange Tang.  The powdered orange flavor is highly nostalgic for me, and I must say I was transported back in time when I tried this lollipop.  There is no mistaking what flavor you’re getting here, straight from opening the wrapper you are BLASTED with the scent and color orange, which is definitely not a bad thing!  4 out of 5, not a flavor I will reach for often, but a pretty good option!

STRAWBERRY

Similarly to Mango Peach, Strawberry is definitely a flavor for warmer weather.  I adore strawberry lemonade, strawberry shortcake, strawberry jam…the list goes on and on.  I do find that it makes for a better accent flavor than the main act though, but it is always a welcome addition to any drink or dessert.  I found that this particular iteration on the strawberry candy is pretty good!  Nothing too fancy, but a nice and spring-to-summer flavor.  Given that this article was written in Winter, it felt a bit too early to truly appreciate it, but I’m still giving this lollipop a 4 out of 5.

FRUIT PUNCH

Fruit punch!  I often find myself comparing flavors to colors, so this is the absolute supreme red taste in my mind.  This flavor, introduced in 2012, is one that I have come to love over the years.  But, did it hold up to the hype?  I saved this one for last as a bit of a victory lap, and I must say it delivered on its promise!   It delivers a lovely mixed fruit flavor that brings to mind a sunny day spent by the pool.  I think this is a solid way to enjoy the taste of fruit punch without worrying about leaving any red stains (that dye they use in the drink itself is almost impossible to get out of anything fabric!).  5 out of 5, this is truly a lollipop I will keep coming back to.

So, where does this leave us? Writing this article made me realize that I really hadn't reached for a lollipop in ages. I had a lot of fun with creating this, shout out to my friend Lee for inspiring this article! Any thoughts or comments can be entered below, and will be posted for all to see!