Brach’s Easter Brunch Jelly Beans

We have reached the end of this abbreviated 2024 jelly bean season, and we’re heading back to house of Brach’s, whom it seems like we’ll always be able to count on to release one limited edition set every year. This year’s package has an Easter brunch theme. Let’s dig in!

Size and shape

Quality control has bever been one of Brach’s strong suits, and consistency is again a bit of a hobgoblin here. The smallest beans are smaller than Jelly Belly beans, and the biggest are probably double that in volume. The average size is just right, though.

The eggy shape is a bit more consistent, but there are a fair number of slightly lumpy ones, and there’s no attempt at dimpling into a proper bean shape.

2 out of 5 beans

Chewability

These Brach’s jelly beans have chewability that is perfectly down the middle. No complaints at all in this department!

5 out of 5 beans

Texture

Brach’s has never been a paragon of texture, either. In this case, the shells are not very substantial, breaking down rather than breaking apart, and the insides seem slightly grittier than last year’s Desserts of the World offering.

3 out of 5 beans

Taste and flavor

Brach’s always manages to come up with some interesting flavors and (and remixes of past flavors) for these limited edition packages.

Mimosa is the most interesting flavor here, a flavor unlike any I’ve previously encountered. It does an excellent job of adding a champagne-esque layer to a strong base of orange with adequate acidity. The worst thing about this bag is that the proportions are lopsided, and there are far too few Mimosa beans and far too many of the Chocolate Glazed Donut and Caramel Cold Brew beans. Both of those flavors are good enough, but they also feel the most like common non-fruit jelly bean flavors I’ve had in the past.

Blueberry Maple Pancake and Berry Smoothie are individually quite pleasant and also make for a nice pairing if you munch on them simultaneously. They both do a good job of exhibiting all parts of the flavors in their names.

Cinnamon Roll is my least favorite of the bunch, but I do appreciate that it’s a completely different take on cinnamon than a classic cinnamon candy flavor, which I have always disliked.

8 out of 10 beans

The one-of-each test

Perhaps the ultimate test of a bag of jelly beans is how enjoyable it is to take one of each flavor and eat them all at the same time.¹

This is easily the most interesting one-of-each test of the season! All of these flavors work pretty well together, with the brightness of the fruity flavors complementing the more desserty flavors quite well. The chocolate and cinnamon notes are really hard to pick out, though.

7 out of 10 beans

Conclusion

That’s a pretty good note on which to end the season! I definitely recommend that folks check out this collection if they can find any still in stock.

See you back here for whatever new sets we can rustle up next year!