SweeTarts Jelly Beans

Like three of the first four reviews on this site, and like several more to come, this is another collection of jelly beans being put out by an established candy brand.

The original SweeTarts are a long-standing favorite candy of mine, along with many of their offshoots (gummy, sour chewy, etc.). SweeTarts Jelly Beans definitely do right by the brand. Let’s see how they rate.

Size and shape

This is the weakest category for SweeTarts Jelly Beans; it’s all uphill from here.

Bean size and shape are wildly inconsistent, much like the Swedish Fish Jelly Beans. Average size is just a little bit under what I’d prefer. I can see evidence of attempting to add a dimple on some beans, but the results aren’t impressive.

1 out of 5 beans

Chewability

I can find no fault with the chewability of these jelly beans. The shell has just the right amount of give, and the insides don’t collapse too quickly.

5 out of 5 beans

Texture

SweeTarts Jelly Beans achieve another perfect subcategory score here. The shell breaks down at exactly the right pace. It goes from fully intact before the first bite, to medium-sized hunks on initial breakup, to finishing as a fine powder that evokes the texture of an original SweeTart in its final stages of chewing.

These beans are a triumph of jelly bean texture.

5 out of 5 beans

Taste and flavor

As with Nerds Bumpy Jelly Beans, SweeTarts Jelly Beans decline to specify their intended flavors. Like the Nerds, some of them are obvious, but several of them are not. The pink bean resembles several small red fruits, and blue and green are entirely impossible to figure out.

(I am trusting the accuracy of the Wikipedia entry on SweeTarts to fill out the mystery flavors in the sidebar over there )

Questionable flavors aside, the taste of these beans is a very accurate representation of the original SweeTarts flavors. True to their name, they have distinct sweet and tart aspects to their taste, with the insides being sweet and the shells bringing the tartness as they break down into that fine powder I described earlier (which bears some resemblance to Pixy Stix, another childhood favorite¹).

SweeTarts may not bring the most true-to-life fruit flavors to the table, but they are very tasty, nonetheless.

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.²

A handful of each flavor of SweeTarts Jelly Beans is a delightful experience. The quantity is easy to handle, thanks to their appropriate bean size and perfect chewability. The flavors mesh very well together, and having six at once really highlights the tart aspect of the flavor, which is the side I’m naturally more drawn to.

10 out of 10 beans

Conclusion

And just like that, we have a new top scorer! SweeTarts Jelly Beans have been a favorite of mine for many years, and I highly recommend that you check them out and add them to your list annual Easter season jelly bean purchases.