Some Halloween Snacks!

One of my favorite things about Halloween is the candy.  Well, duh, everyone loves candy.  More importantly, I love all of the special Halloween promotions and treats that come with the season.  The cartoon monsters, the special boxes, wrappers, and packaging.   I particularly enjoy the unique flavors companies try to mix with everything to make it marketable for people like us who want these sorts of things.

Except for pumpkin spice.  I hate it.  Go ahead, I'm ready for the backlash.  But newsflash, it tastes like cinnamon that's gone bad.  

But, the other day, I hit up the local Target and found a stash of goodies that I've seen nearly everyone already review, but now it's my turn. 

Open up your trick-or-treat bags; it's time for YesterYear Retro's Halloween special candy review!

FIRST: Mountain Dew:  Voo Dew 2

My wife actually found this before I did.  I've been looking all over for it and couldn't find it, but she brought it home from one of her shopping excursions to Target!  

First of all, the colors on the box are fantastic—oranges, reds, yellows, and greens;  Perfect Autumn colors.  I also really like the hidden question mark in the Grim Reaper's hood since it's a mystery flavor. 

So, what's my review?  I drink Diet Soda almost exclusively and am not a Mountain Dew drinker... so this was pretty syrupy sweet.  As soon as I cracked open the can, the smell gave it away.  

SPOILER:  I think it's Skittles.  

I know, last year with Voo Dew, everyone thought it was Skittles, and it turned out to be candy corn.  Matt from Dinosaur Dracula thinks the box colors give it away that it will be "Candy Apple."  I could see it, based on the colors and the almost hidden apple shape on the right side of the box, but if two years in a row everyone thinks it's Skittles and it turns into something else... well, then let's just say it's either a giant prank or they need to fix their flavor machine.

Up next:  Junior Mints

I love peppermint and enjoy a good York peppermint patty now and then, but I rarely want a Junior Mint.  Seinfeld jokes aside, the box once again sold me.  Bright oranges (my favorite color) will always pique my interest.  Lauren doesn't like mint, so I had this all to myself.  

Let's just say I was disappointed in the color.  Do not adjust your screen. The filling is a brownish caramel color and not the bright orange depicted on the box.  And the "black" mint was its usual chocolatey brown.

It tasted like a Junior Mint, so at least they didn't mess with the flavor.

NEXT:  Hershey's Cookies n' Creme FANGS!

How adorable are these?  The light blue Dracula on the package is just enough to entice children (and adults like me) to try these.  We really enjoyed the Hershey's cookies n' creme "Red, White, and Blue" for the 4th of July.  MY wife is the bigger Cookies N' Creme fan, so this was more of a purchase for her than me.

It's simply adorable with the fang design pressed into the candy... chef's kiss.  These little bite-sized morsels taste just like cookies n' creme and come packed with plenty of cookie bits.

NEXT:  The Hershey's "Vampire" Kisses

These, unfortunately, are my least favorite of all of the Halloween candies.  I was disappointed because the packaging was all-in on the Halloween theme.  The bats, the Kiss candy come to life as a vampire... even the flag that usually says "Hershey's" has been changed to say "Vampire."

The red filling is a "Red Strawberry Creme."  It tastes like strawberry jelly, and the whole deal tastes like those old lady candies from Joyva "The Chocolate Jelly Ring."  Not sure what I'm talking about?  Google it.  You'll remember some old lady feeding you those along with the weird little strawberry candies with the hard to remove wrapper with a strawberry printed on it.

Now I can't untaste it.

THE REESE'S FRANKEN-CUP:

Probably my favorite candy of all, the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  By the way, I'm not sure why people pronounce it "Ree - sea's"... it's "Ree-sez."  Anyway, the Franken Cup was pretty cool.  Using a mint green creme (although not mint flavor) on the bottom half of the candy, these were pretty much just like a regular peanut butter cup.  I couldn't taste any difference, but my wife said she could taste the difference and didn't care for it.

NEXT:  REESE'S BAT SHAPED PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

These are your classic Peanut Butter Cups: no unique flavor but the same great taste as always.  I will say, no matter what shape, be it a pumpkin or bat or Christmas Tree, it looks like a little bit of poop.  I don't know if they melt in transit, or Reese's looks at them and says, "Good Enough," but no matter the supposed shape, it looks like a blob of chocolate and peanut butter goodness.  

FINALLY, THE REESE'S WHITE PUMPKIN PEANUT BUTTER CUP

In hindsight, taking a picture of white chocolate candy on a white paper napkin wasn't the best idea, but you see that this is a barely passable pumpkin shape and once again looks more like the aforementioned Reese's poop.  

I'm not a fan of white chocolate, and in this case, I don't think it goes well with peanut butter.  If it wasn't for the Vampire Kisses, this would undoubtedly be the bottom of my list.