Mystery Crunch

Name: Mystery Crunch
Variation: Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: I'm not going to waste any time with a preamble, because I'm itching to dive into the mystery that is this new unidentified flavor of Cap'n Crunch. The box is a pleasing - but not very enlightening - shade of purple. The crunch pieces look a little pale. Upon first smell, my thought was marshmallow. The back of the box claims to offer some clues. On it, the Cap'n is depicted stranded on a tiny island. A volleyball with his dog's face drawn on it (I'm told this is a reference to the movie Cast Away) sits at his feet, next to a treasure chest. A scroll lists some possible flavors, with "coconut" crossed out, and "creamy" circled. The cereal does taste creamy. There is fruit scattered about - apples, an orange, strawberries, and cherries. Bananas are growing in a palm tree curling around which are the unmistakable flowers of the vanilla plant. Curiously, there is a crab in a leaky canoe sipping cola from a glass bottle. All is bathed in twilight, under a full moon.

If the literal red herring jumping out of the water is any indication, these clues yield more questions than answers. The box is labeled "Vol. 1" - does this mean that there are (or will be) other boxes with other clues? Or is there actually more than one different mystery flavor swirling about? That would be diabolical, but it could explain the contradicting clues. I would love for there to be a "pina colada" flavor of Cap'n Crunch - it would suit the brand's beachy vibe perfectly - but there are no pineapples depicted, and "coconut" is crossed off the list. Anyway, I don't think the cereal tastes particularly fruity - and the fruits scattered about aren't especially tropical, either. My best guess is cream soda. And the more of this cereal I eat, the more convinced I am of it. I'm even starting to detect a hint of a bubbly texture! Whatever it turns out to be, I can tell you that I like it (even though I don't normally like cream soda). And I've had fun probing this mystery.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet and creamy.