Wednesday (Strawberry Snap)

Name: Wednesday (Strawberry Snap)
Variation: n/a (Frosted Flakes?)
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Could there be any better indication of Wednesday's smash success than that this is the third year in a row that the new Addams Family adaptation has inspired a brand new breakfast cereal tie-in? (I just regret that I won't get to watch the third season, because ain't nobody can afford streaming services in this country right now, when a criminal regime has captured the federal government in order to steal from the poor and give to the ultra rich - get out there and VOTE, people!). I enjoyed the first one - dedicated to our lady in black, the woman of woe herself, Wednesday Addams - and like to pick up a box every year. I was disappointed that they gave Enid short shrift last year with the looks-better-than-it-tastes birthday cake flavor. This year, Thing is in the spotlight, with the appropriately-titled Strawberry Snap.

First of all, I've gotta compliment the box. In their defense, Wednesday is allergic to color, and Enid demands a color explosion. This box is simply a vivid shade of deep purple. It looks nice. I really like the variety on display across these Wednesday cereals - not just in their flavors, but also between the puffs, loops, and flakes. My only real concern is that there's not much to convince me that this cereal isn't just a rebrand of Frosted Flakes Strawberry Milkshake (it wouldn't be the first time Kellogg's has recycled an existing cereal for a promotional tie-in). Although, looking back, I gave that cereal a one bowl rating (which is understandable; there are better versions of Frosted Flakes on the market), and this cereal is pretty good. Maybe it's more of a straight strawberry and less strawberries and cream. I think it deserves a two bowl rating. I just wonder if these cereals will endure, perhaps standing in as Kellogg's alternative to General Mills' seasonal Monster cereals. I've already begun to miss the spooky marshmallows lineup, though...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Oh snap - it's strawberry!

Reese's Puffs PB&J

Name: Reese's Puffs PB&J Strawberry Jelly
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I remarked in an earlier review that since the Reese's brand has a lot of varied products, they could afford to be a little more adventurous with their Reese's Puffs cereal. That's even more true now than when I wrote it. Happily, General Mills has begun to oblige, with such gems as Peanut Butter Lovers, and this year's Dark Chocolate Reese's Puffs. If you've been paying attention, you'll no doubt have seen the recent PB&J-inspired version of Reese's peanut butter cups. They were my holy grail last Halloween. And now you can get it in cereal form! I've only seen strawberry so far - which, to be fair, is my preferred variety, but it's fun to have that color contrast with grape. (I allowed for both when I did my imaginary mock-up of a PB&J version of Cap'n Crunch).

At a quick glance, the cereal looks just like regular Reese's Puffs. But a closer look will reveal that some of the puffs have a slightly reddish cast - and a flavor that resembles not just strawberries, but actual strawberry jam. In the bowl, the flavor is present without being overpowering, which contributes to a coherent taste experience. Obviously, this cereal differs from a peanut butter & jelly sandwich in that it includes chocolate, but it does a good job of imitating that unique blend of flavors. It's a creative and uncommon idea for a cereal, while still being a perfect match for the brand. I like it a lot! Now, will we ever get a Reese's Puffs with marshmallows?

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: It doesn't quite rise to the level of a PB&J milkshake. :-/

Cocoa Loops Wonka

Name: Cocoa Loops Wonka
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: The rollout on General Mills' Wonka-themed Froot Loops cereals - in conjunction with the late 2023 release of Wonka, a movie centered on the eccentric confectioner at the heart of the story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - has been an unmitigated train wreck. Initially sporting a ridiculously unwieldy name, they decided to make the cereal wild berry-flavored (because, I dunno, Willy Wonka wears purple?), instead of the obvious choice to honor the proprietor of a chocolate factory. Perhaps they were waiting for the debut of Cocoa Loops, which appeared early this year? Well, now we get Cocoa Loops Wonka, which finally rights the ship. And not only is it chocolate, it's got marshmallows!

But how is it? It doesn't taste as chocolatey as it smells (despite what Kellogg's wonky math inadvertently taught us regarding the surface area of loops versus puffs). The loops are kind of big and hard to chew, as compared to, say, Cocoa Puffs. This cereal should have been a slam dunk; it's good - it's just not great. Which puts me in an awkward position, given that the base, Froot Loops - being one of my favorites from childhood - already starts with a three bowl rating. Turning it chocolate, and then adding marshmallows, are two upgrades I would be inclined to applaud on principle. But does every chocolate cereal with marshmallows deserve a three bowl rating?

With Froot Loops, Kellogg's (which I generally regard as the second-rate competitor to General Mills) has made the better fruity cereal (I'm lukewarm about Trix). But there are better "chocolate with marshmallow" cereals out there. Pretty much every one I've tried, I think - Cocoa Puffs, Lucky Charms (in multiple iterations), Count Chocula, Elf on the Shelf (and its competitor, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), Cocoa Pebbles, even Kellogg's own Frosted Flakes! (Not to mention the GOAT, may she rest in peace). In light of that fact, and despite rating Cocoa Loops three bowls without having marshmallows (don't think about it too hard), I'm docking this cereal one bowl to give it a two bowl rating.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Barely flavored, as is characteristic of Kellogg's cereals.

[Experiments] Double Chocolate and Reese's S'mores

Description: I was having a bowl of Honey Maid S'mores (the modern analog to one of my childhood favorites), and I thought to myself, the graham cracker ratio is pretty high. Now, as I've written before, S'mores are a balance of three ingredients, one of which is graham crackers. But the graham crackers are practically just a delivery mechanism - the chocolate and the marshmallow are where it's at. So I thought I could try mixing the cereal with some Cocoa Puffs, to boost the chocolate content. And you know what? It works great! Who among us has never put two squares of chocolate on a S'more? The only thing better would be to use Hot Cocoa Puffs to increase the marshmallow ratio as well, but sadly that cereal does not seem to be a regular fixture on store shelves.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

Description: Since we're fooling around with S'mores combinations, I had to give this one a try. For a little background, I visited the Grand Canyon for my honeymoon a number of years ago. We flew into Las Vegas and stayed just long enough to get a feel for the city. While checking out the slots (and dodging thirsty Chippendales), I stumbled across a dessert booth specializing in gourmet S'mores platters. I got one that used a giant Reese's peanut butter cup as the base. Ever since, I've enjoyed having regular S'mores around the campfire with a Reese's peanut butter cup instead of a Hershey's chocolate bar. (These days, my favorite thing to use is those dark chocolate Reese's thins). It's like regular S'mores, but with a delicious undercurrent of peanut butter flavor!

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Secret Saja Boys Flavor

Name: KPop Demon Hunters Cinnamon Toast Crunch Secret Saja Boys Flavor
Variation: Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Not to be outdone by rival KPop group Huntrix (who moonlight as demon hunters) and their peach mango takeover of Lucky Charms, the Saja Boys have hijacked Cinnamon Toast Crunch. And, like the Saja Boys themselves, this cereal is hiding a secret - it has a mystery flavor! Now, notwithstanding all of the unique flavors I've encountered in my years of eating novelty cereals, I'm not as confident at guessing mystery flavors as you might think. I may have been in the ballpark on Mystery Crunch (the word on the street is that the flavor is cherry vanilla; I guessed cream soda), but at least they gave us clues. Even if some of them were red herrings.

If this cereal is modeled after a Korean delicacy, I'll be up the creek without even a boat. Here are my impressions. The cinnamon flavor seems subdued, allowing the buttery taste to stand out. And there's definitely something else there, but I can't figure out what it is. Licorice? Peppermint? I asked my wife to try it and she offered this guess: lemon meringue. Could be, I guess. I'd counter with Key lime, but I've never actually had Key lime pie, so I don't know what it tastes like. I'm at a loss. The cereal is not at all unpleasant to eat, but I find myself comparing it unfavorably to regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Which is to say, the fun of the mystery aside, I probably wouldn't buy it again.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: As mysterious as the cereal itself.

Lucky Charms Huntrix (Peach Mango)

Name: KPop Demon Hunters Lucky Charms Huntrix Peach Mango
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: KPop Demon Hunters are everywhere these days - even in your breakfast cereal! The Saja Boys have taken over Cinnamon Toast Crunch (stay tuned for that), and Huntrix has transformed Lucky Charms into an intriguing peach mango treat. It's got to be one of the more creative flavors of Lucky Charms I've tried.

I feel like the marshmallows are either faded, or they picked out the contrasting colors, because it contributes to a somewhat paler, almost pastel visual presentation, that matches the pinkish purple box. There's an unmistakable hint of peach mango flavor, but after a bite or two, it tends to get lost in the oats - which is the same problem I had with Cotton Candy Lucky Charms. The flavor is there, it's just not vivid enough.

I like these new flavors Lucky Charms has been coming up with (and the KPop Demon Hunters branding is a lot of fun) - they're a lot more creative than just adding a new marshmallow we'll never see again. But I've yet to find one that I absolutely love.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Marshmallow, with only a suggestion of peach mango.

[Experiments] Cinnamon Toast Crunch Strawberry Applesauce and Peanut Butter Apple

Description: Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been throwing so many flavors at us lately, it's hard not to want to mix some of them together. When Apple came out, it wasn't a far cry, knowing that Strawberry and Peanut Butter were both still on the shelves, for me to imagine them each together with this newest version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Strawberry and apple together in a cinnamon cereal? That's a perfect formula for strawberry applesauce! So, how is it? The flavors are complementary. The buttery flavor of Cinnamon Toast Crunch kind of precludes it from giving you the full impression of eating applesauce, and I'm not sure it's enough of an improvement over each flavor alone to justify the effort of mixing them together. But it sure was fun to try!

Rating: 🥣🥣

Description: Now, Peanut Butter and Apple is more of a stretch for me - I put peanut butter on my bananas, not my apples. But in honor of Stephen Colbert, whose award-winning late night show was canceled this year under political pressure from a fascist federal administration, I wanted to give it a try.

The toasties don't distinguish themselves as much from each other, yet the flavors don't blend as well as strawberry and apple. The sweetness of the apple is subdued, and there's that impression of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth, but without the full flavor of peanut butter. It's an odd combination. I feel that these flavors detract from each other more than reinforce one another. I'm not crazy about it. Sorry, Stephen...

Rating: 🥣

Addendum: On a whim, I tried mixing equal parts of Apple, Strawberry, and Peanut Butter all together in one bowl (because of course I did). And it was really good! The sweetness of the fruit flavors stood out, and there was still that occasional savory peanut butter flavor. Maybe I just needed to tweak the ratio (2:1) in favor of the fruit all this time!