Brach’s Fruit Fusions Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs

Surprise! It’s another Brach’s Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs review. You’re probably wondering why I would subject myself to that again, and the answer is because you just never know until you try something. These Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs are actually pretty good, and the Brach’s story takes another surprising turn.

Comparing the Fruit Fusions bag under review today with yesterday’s Purple Rain variety, the similarities are striking.

• They have nearly identical packaging, in terms of layout.
• They are both manufactured in Mexico.
• The nutrition facts are almost the same – a serving of Fruit Fusions beans has 10 mg of Sodium, compared to 5 mg in the Purple Rain beans.

And yet, the Fruit Fusions jelly beans are undeniably just better. Let’s get into it.

Size and shape

For whatever reason, the Fruit Fusions Tiny Jelly Bird Eggs are much more consistent in their size and shape than the Purple Rains. The size variance is much smaller, and the average size is dead on. Shape is also improved, with surfaces that are smoother, fewer pockmarks and protrusions, and better egg-like roundness.

4 out of 5 beans

Chewability

The chewability of these beans also improves slightly on the Purple Rain beans. I’m not sure it should get a perfect 5, but I did rate the Purple Rains a 4, which I don’t want to go back on, and these are definitely better than those. They have a bit more of the resistance I look for, mostly in the insides.

5 out of 5 beans

Texture

The texture category is another small improvement. The shell is just a little more substantial, and the insides are less fluffy.

At this point, I’m really struggling to believe that these use the same process or ingredients as other Jelly Bird Eggs. These to seem to more closely resemble the products that Brach’s labels Jelly Beans. I really have no idea what’s going on.

4 out of 5 beans

Taste and flavor

I keep singing the same song, category after category, about how much these Fruit Fusions beans are improving on the Purple Rain beans, but in this category, the improvement is more than slight. These “five speckled fruity flavors with a hint of cranberry” are way better.

For starters, the predominant taste is not white sugar. That’s already a good sign. Second, the fruit flavors are bolder, overall. Apple and grape are subtler than the other three, but both are still more present than any of the flavors in the Purple Rain package. Each flavor pretty clearly tastes like what it should, as well, even if they’re not amazingly accurate. And I like the little zings that the “hint of cranberry” provides from time to time. I wish that was present on more of the beans in the bag.

I’m glad to see that these beans taste actually good. Maybe not great, but good.

6 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

These five beans do well taken together, too. Five average-sized beans is the right volume for a good, but safe mouthful. The white sugar comes out front a little bit, but the fruit flavors don’t get lost. It’s not lighting my world on fire, but it’s not bad.

5 out of 10 beans

Conclusion

Well, I’ll be. A bag of Brach’s Jelly Bird Eggs cracked 20! And eclipsed the Purple Rain set’s 14 total beans by ten! I am flabbergasted.

Like the Brach’s Jelly Beans that I reviewed positively, I would actually finish this whole bag if I didn’t have more to review before the season is out! I still feel like there’s a missing link in my understanding of Brach’s strategy, but I’ll take whatever positive outcomes I can get.