May 5, 2008

{     Haribo - Happy Cola     }    

Haribo have proven that they truly are the Cadillac of the gummi candy universe. The German candy wunderkinds most famous for their Original Gold-Bears, have managed to achieve a sort of gummi-nirvana with these delicious 1 1/4" cola-flavored confections. Sticking with the "firmer is better" gummi-philosophy they are known for, Haribo's little bottle-shaped nuggets of goodness retain a wonderful level of pliability, releasing ample flavor with each mouth-crush. They are also delightful to look at, resembling an old-fashioned glass soda bottle half full of cola, easily the most whimsical and charming candy design on display in the wide-ranging world of gummi candy products. And as fabulous as they appear, the taste is even more phenomenal. The cola flavoring has a nice pungency, the soft spiciness of cinnamon meets the mellow sweetness of caramelized sugar for a rich overall taste that falls a bit closer to Coke than to Pepsi. It's nicely complex, revealing darker and lighter flavor notes as it is further chewed, and the fact that the same ingredients are used here as in real cola allows it to come closer to it's intended flavor than fruit gummis, which are often forced to shoot for chemical approximations that fall a bit shy. In my experience, the Happy Cola stands as the pinnacle of gummi achievement.