Sea Berry Crunch

Name: Sea Berry Crunch
Variation: Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: I've been on the lookout for this cereal ever since the last box I bought (all the way back in January) was recalled (along with Cinnamon Crunch). So you can imagine my excitement - and relief - when I finally saw it back on the shelves late in the year. I thought it would just be like a blue version of Oops! All Red Berries. But then I read that it was "berry" flavored, so I've been eager to try it.

The "blue" is actually more of a turquoise, and it looks beautiful. Does it have more of a blueberry (as opposed to strawberry) flavor? Maybe. It's hard to tell; and you can't figure it out by looking at the ingredients, because all it says is "natural and artificial flavors". Regardless, it tastes great, as expected. I'm not sure I'd choose it over the regular version of Oops! All Berries, but I enjoyed having it as an alternative.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Sweet, and mildly fruity.

Very Berry Cheerios

Name: Very Berry Cheerios
Variation: Cheerios
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: With "the taste of real berries in every bite", these Cheerios are pink with visible bits of fruit mashed into them. Surprisingly, it's not that generic, amalgamated "berry" flavor you usually get in these cereals - you can detect individual notes of strawberries and raspberries. It's good in milk; more refreshing and not quite as dry as Blueberry Cheerios.

Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like it, but I'm impressed with how pleasant and fruity it is, even without adding fresh fruit to it. I tried adding strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, but there was too much going on in the bowl. You're better off sticking with just strawberries; or you could try supplementing the included flavors with something that's missing - like banana. But even without add-ins, I can recommend it.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Blue, speckled, and very fruity.

Berry Swirl Lucky Charms

Name: Berry Swirl Lucky Charms
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This year's new Berry Swirl Lucky Charms would seem to be our replacement for long lost Fruity Lucky Charms, and it looks like an upgraded model! Not only are there new berry marshmallows - and mmm, they're almost juicy! - but the "oat" pieces (I noticed with interest that this version of Lucky Charms uses a corn base) are vibrantly colored in rainbow shades, as if you'd added Lucky Charms marshmallows to a bowl of Trix. It's the most colorful cereal since Fruity Pebbles! And while it's not quite as fruity-flavored as that cereal (although I like it better than Berry Pebbles), it is noticeably fruity. Like a bit of sunshine at the end of the rainbow, this cereal is poised to brighten your mornings. I predict it will be popular.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink, and mildly berry-flavored.

Froot Loops Wonka

Name: Froot Loops Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Variation: Froot Loops
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Can I just say, this cereal has a ridiculously unwieldy name*? I get that it's a media tie-in, but where's the creativity and advertising savvy? Also, it's kind of heartbreaking to have a cereal with "Chocolate Factory" in the name that has absolutely nothing to do with chocolate. On the other hand, adding a berry flavor to what is normally a citrus cereal is an intriguing idea. I can't help but note a similarity to Post's release of Berry Pebbles this year.

Upon opening the box, I see Froot Loops, but with little purple specks. I'm reminded of Kellogg's other cereal tie-ins for Disney which used the star-shaped cereal pieces. Did Kellogg's catch on that their "berry stars" weren't very good, and decide to use the proven formula of Froot Loops instead? Or did they just take Froot Loops, and dumb it down to the level of The Little Mermaid?

It's unusual, digging into a bowl of Froot Loops and getting a berry flavor instead of a citrus one. I don't think I like it as much as regular Froot Loops. In fact, it does indeed remind me very much of Kellogg's berry stars cereals like Hocus Pocus 2. The more bowls I eat, the more I feel like I've been duped. The milk does turn pink (not really purple) and "berry-licious!" as advertised. But it's not enough to repair my impression of this impostor masquerading as Froot Loops.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Pink and berry...y?

*This is a case of me being punished for buying the cereal as soon as I spotted it, as later versions have shortened the name to "Froot Loops Wonka", and ditched Gene Wilder (which doesn't make a whole lot of sense anyway, given that this is a tie-in for a movie with a new actor cast as the character) in favor of giving Toucan Sam an opportunity to dress up. Plus, there's a fun-looking treasure hunt on the back of the box. I think the marketing is an improvement, but I'm going to assume it's the same cereal; anyway, it's not worth taking the risk of buying another box.

Berry Pebbles

Name: Berry Pebbles
Variation: Fruity Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: This year, Post is celebrating "women who rock" with a new berry version of their Pebbles cereal. It's an intriguing concept, with blue, red, and purple pebbles. But Fruity Pebbles is already a fruity cereal, so how will it distinguish itself? By emphasizing its "berry" flavor, of course! (I don't know if it's all the purple messing with my head, but I could almost taste grape). However, the resident Fruity Pebbles fanatic in our home reports that it suffers from the loss of a citrus-y flavor. I guess if you already like something, changing it up is a risky proposition. I didn't think it was all that bad, and conceptually, I wouldn't hesitate to give this cereal an A. But that doesn't mean I'd go out of my way to have it again.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Not as purple as you would expect, but berry-flavored.

PJ Masks

Name: PJ Masks
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This is a very colorful cereal - the purple puffs provide a dark background that sets off the vibrant pink, blue, and green marshmallows, in a palette that is very evocative of "moonlighting superheros". I had written this cereal off as an unremarkable novelty aimed at small children, but it's actually pretty good. Like a "midnight berry" (I'm guessing it's blueberry?) version of JoJo Siwa's Strawberry Bop! And the marshmallows have a robust "marshmallow-y" flavor, even though I bought this box on clearance mere weeks from its sell by date (in contrast to a few other boxes I've bought recently that have had rips in the bag, rendering the marshmallows utterly stale many months before the date printed on the box). I'm pleasantly surprised.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Berry purple and marshmallow-y.

Pokémon Berry Bolt

Name: Pokémon Berry Bolt
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Pop culture tie-in cereals are always a gamble, as they can sometimes rely on brand recognition for sales instead of taste. I've had some misses in my day, but I consider this one a hit. Boasting a "Berry Bolt" flavor, the red and blue puffs (blueberry? strawberry? raspberry? I honestly can't tell) aren't as vibrant (in appearance or flavor) as JoJo Siwa's Strawberry Bop!, but the orange and yellow lightning bolt and Pikachu-shaped marshmallows bring it all together. Give it a try if you like fruity cereals.

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: Barely berry...