Teenee Beanee: Island Breeze

It’s time to make our next visit to one of Teenee Beanee’s Delicious Destinations™, their Island Breeze collection. This is the first of several tropical flavor offerings in the queue to be reviewed.

Opening the high-quality, resealable bag immediately presents the aroma of fruits commonly associated with tropical climates. These beans are unmistakably different from your common American jelly bean collections.

It’s been a while since I reviewed Teenee Beanee, so I’m going to do this without looking back at that first Teenee Beanee review. I’ll be curious to look back later and see how the categories that should theoretically remain consistent compare.

Size and shape

The median size of a Teenee Beanee jelly bean is absolutely perfect, in my opinion. There are a few that end up on the small side, but generally speaking, they are tough to beat in this category.

Their shape isn’t too bad. They sometimes get a little bit of that flat side thing going, like their Just Born and Mike and Ike brethren, but it’s not quite as pronounced here, and the overall shape is a little more slender. And, one has to take into account that the occasional flat side is a side effect of caring about trying to have a dimple, which you know I always appreciate.

4 out of 5 beans

Chewability

This is another great category for Teenee Beanee. The shell is not difficult to break through, and the insides have just the right sink, just the right bounce.

They are the very model of a modern, chewy jelly bean.

5 out of 5 beans

Texture

Teenee Beanee jelly beans also have very good texture.

The shell is pretty thin. It’s not Jelly Belly thin, but the Teenee shell is a little bit softer than Jelly Belly’s, and so I would prefer if it was slightly thicker. This isn’t a huge issue, but it’s worth a slight deduction here.

The insides are impeccable. I love the Just Born jelly bean insides formula.

4 out of 5 beans

Taste and flavor

Teenee Beanee does a decent job representing the fruits they name, but some of them are very subtle. The banana flavor overpowers its partner in both Cabana Strawbana and Kauai Pineapple Banana. You can tell that Martinique Orange Pineapple is not just orange, but the pineapple is not really recognizable as pineapple. St. Kitt’s Kiwi Lime is the one that shines, here. Both the kiwi and the lime are distinctly identifiable. And then there’s the Caribbean Punch. It’s that weird situation where it’s aptly-named, yet impossible to describe.

Overall, I’m disappointed that the flavors are not stronger. When I think of tropical fruit, my first thoughts go to freshly-picked pineapple, which has huge, bold flavor, or the bright juiciness of citrus fruits. The taste of these jelly beans doesn’t transport me to that world of flavors.

5 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

Five Teenee Beanee jelly beans is as perfect as you can get for the physical experience of the one-of-each test. It’s the right amount and the right chewability to get a substantial mouthful without having to strain your jaw to chew them up.

Like a tropical punch, the flavors blend well together. They don’t remain very distinct, however, and the general modesty of flavor noted above hurts here, too.

6 out of 10 beans

Conclusion

Now, looking back at the Teenee Beanee Americana Medley review, I find it interesting that I went 3/4/5 in the first three categories, and then today went 4/5/4. I’m not sure of if my preferences have shifted slightly over the past dozen reviews or I’m just incapable of being consistent over that period of time, but regardless, Teenee Beanee jelly beans are a great product that I can recommend without reservation.