S'mores LOADED

Name: S'mores LOADED
Variation: LOADED
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Along with Chocolate Strawberry LOADED, this cereal joins the new additions to General Mills' LOADED lineup this year, as well as the small but distinguished company of s'mores-inspired cereals that occasionally grace the shelves. If the filling is chocolate "creme", and the biscuits are graham cracker-flavored, I don't know where they're hiding the marshmallow - but it tastes suitably s'morey. As with the rest of these cereals, each bite delivers a satisfying crunch, releasing a creamy pocket of flavor into your mouth. I'm not going to say that I prefer this to my standby s'mores cereal - Honey Maid S'mores - but I do like it. I think the LOADED line has only improved since it has branched out from hijacking existing cereal brands (and introduced chocolate over vanilla creme). But I'd still like to see a fruit-filled version to replicate the Hidden Treasures of my youth.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Mild hints of s'morey flavor.

Golden Grahams S'mores

Name: Golden Grahams S'mores
Variation: Golden Grahams
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: So, the real reason I tried Golden Grahams Retro Recipe, is to have a basis from which to evalute the recent reappearance of Golden Grahams S'mores - which I suspect is an update of S'mores Grahams, one of my favorite cereals from my childhood (although I miss the red box). It'll be interesting to see how it compares to the S'mores cereals of today.

As I pour my bowl, the first thing I notice is that there are relatively few plain Golden Grahams pieces (thankfully), in favor of the chocolate ones. And then there are, of course, the marshmallows. Although it was a staple of my childhood, I can't really say to what extent this cereal duplicates the taste of S'more Grahams (the '80s were a long time ago), but I can judge it by modern standards.

With a negligible difference in nutrition value (including, remarkably, an equivalent sugar content, despite containing marshmallows), I see no reason not to eat this cereal over plain Golden Grahams. But, honestly, it still tastes just a tad plain, and is not actually as good as Honey Maid S'mores (which unsurprisingly contains more fat and sugar). So, kudos to Honey Maid for that.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Subtle flavors mix to form an unexpectedly odd amalgam.

Lucky Charms S'mores

Name: Lucky Charms S'mores
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Although this could simply be considered Chocolate Lucky Charms with graham crackers added (it also has S'mores marshmallows, in addition to the usual Lucky Charms marshmallows), it holds considerably more promise than CinnaGraham Toast Crunch because Chocolate Lucky Charms has two things Cinnamon Toast Crunch doesn't have - chocolate and marshmallows. Which are the two other thirds of a S'more. So really, this is a combination of Chocolate Lucky Charms and Honey Maid S'mores (not Kellogg's Smorz, because that cereal has chocolate-covered graham crackers), which are two of my favorite cereals. Which of the two it tastes more like really just depends on the combination of ingredients in your bowl (my box was top-loaded with marshmallows). Either way, I love it! I wonder what they'll put graham crackers in next year. Marshmallow Cocoa Pebbles would be a good choice.

The picture on the back of the box is pretty.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Could be a little more flavorful.

Honey Maid S'mores

This weekend I'm pitting two S'mores-themed cereals against each other in a head-to-head competition!

Name: Honey Maid S'mores
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: One of my fondest cereal memories from childhood is being on summer vacation with my family, and waking up to a bowl (or three) of S'mores Grahams cereal. Sadly, I haven't seen the cereal since my resurgence of interest, but I've noticed two modern contenders on the shelves. Kellogg's Smorz was not very good, but Honey Maid S'mores was just what I was looking for. The taste is even reminiscent of S'mores Grahams. I like that it doesn't cop out with chocolate-coated graham crackers (hello, Kellogg's Smorz). S'mores are a perfect balance of three ingredients - graham cracker, chocolate, and marshmallow - and that's the trifecta you get here. S'mores may be a summery treat, but I'll eat this cereal any time of year.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A S'morey blend of flavors.

Kellogg's Smorz

This weekend I'm pitting two S'mores-themed cereals against each other in a head-to-head competition!

Name: Kellogg's Smorz
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I love S'mores. But it's a flavor that's hard to imitate in other forms. I'm always tempted to try S'mores-related desserts, but they never live up to the promise of a real S'more. This cereal has that "chocolate-coated graham cracker" flavor that just screams "shortcut". The marshmallows (now swirled with chocolate) are fine. Honestly, judged on its own merits, this would be a decent cereal - it's still chocolate and marshmallows. But as a facsimile of S'mores, it comes up short, and when there's the far superior Honey Maid S'mores on the market, there's just no competition.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: For all the swirling chocolate that's left in the bowl when the cereal is gone, the milk tastes disappointingly plain...