Froot Loops Wild-Berry

Name: Froot Loops Wild-Berry
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Do you remember Froot Loops Tropical, from a few years back? I was surprised I didn't like it. Well, now there's a new fruity variation on a cereal that is normally citrus-flavored. I don't know why they chose to hyphenate the term "wild-berry"; I'm just surprised this is the first I've ever heard of a wild berry version of Froot Loops!

The cereal smells very fruity right out of the box. The color is kind of subdued - these red, orange, and purple loops give me the impression of a V8 smoothie. But they have a light, crunchy bite, and a good berry flavor that can't be denied. Try it with fresh strawberries and blueberries for a delightful treat!

I like how experimental Kellogg's has been with Froot Loops of late. I feel like this cereal rectifies the travesty that was Froot Loops Wonka (which should have been Cocoa Loops in the first place). I don't think I'd pick it over regular Froot Loops, but I would consider it a worthy alternative to join the brand. Alas; this "limited edition" probably won't last long...

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Actually berry-flavored!

Cotton Candy Lucky Charms

Name: Cotton Candy Lucky Charms
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Every new year, the cereal manufacturers release a bunch of new flavors all at once. It's usually the biggest cereal haul of the year. This year, it took me until Easter to review them all. Then I had a short break; but it wasn't long before the summer flavors hit the shelves. I had just finished a box of Lucky Charms with JUMBO Rainbows over the break, so I wasn't too keen on getting another one - just with JUMBO Unicorns this time - so soon. But then I saw this cereal. How could I pass it up?

Cotton candy is a pretty creative flavor for cereal. (Although what is the flavor of cotton candy, besides just "sugar"?). I love the concept and presentation of this cereal, which is a good thematic match for this brand. And I like that they incorporated unicorns into the theme - with three new marshmallows! (Although they just recolored their manes).

Upon opening the box, you get an unmistakable whiff of cotton candy. But the appearance of this cereal leaves something to be desired. Traditionally, cotton candy comes in pink and blue (which are the colors that most remind me of Pride - being that it's June - since I lean more toward the trans end of the rainbow). How delightful would that have been? But instead we get a speckled purple that's so dark, it almost looks brown.

How does it taste? It's not quite like biting into a puff of cotton candy. The flavor is subtler than I would have imagined (I guess you could say it's light and ephemeral, like cotton candy itself); after the first bite, you mostly just taste the oats. Granted, I like Lucky Charms even plain, and the whole vibe of this cereal makes me happy. But since I'm not blown away by the cotton candy flavor, I'm only going to rate it two bowls and not three.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Deep purple, but otherwise kinda plain.

Toy Story 5

Name: Toy Story 5
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I was a kid when the first Toy Story movie came out (over thirty years ago...), but I haven't really followed the franchise since then. But judging from the cereal tie-in, there's a fifth one coming out this year. I saw a trailer for it in the theater recently, and the premise resonated with me: on the dangers of tech devices, which prioritize screen time over real world interactions and exercising imagination. I must be getting old, if I'm complaining about modern technology ruining kids' brains. Although there are real issues involved here.

But this is a cereal blog, so what about the cereal? I'm concerned that it will be another one of Kellogg's opportunistic marketing blunders, like the endless remixes of their terrible berry stars cereal. These pale, "vanilla-flavored loops" couldn't look blander. They're white as a ghost, with the merest hint of sprinkles. If these were cupcakes, what a paltry celebration they would inspire. This cereal is in desperate need of some marshmallows. I don't hate it, but I'm struggling to find a reason to enjoy it. I certainly won't be buying it again, not even to "grab all four boxes" (who is Kellogg's kidding?). I think I got lucky and got the best one on my first try (with apologies to both Woody and Buzz), featuring Jessie the cowgirl rag doll.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Vanilla-flavored.