[Flashback] Jolly Rancher

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Jolly Rancher
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I don't know if it was because ensuing events would take such prominence in my mind, but this was one of several novelty cereals I picked up in the early months of 2020, just before the COVID lockdowns hit, that I have but very little memory of trying. I like Jolly Rancher candies - they have a good, fruity flavor (their jelly beans are my favorite to pick up around Easter, too). But, like Sour Patch Kids (another candy I like), I don't recall this cereal being especially good.

Rating: 🥣

[Flashback] Twinkies

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Hostess Twinkies
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Post

Review: Before Little Debbie entered the cereal market, there was a time when Hostess was trying out cereal versions of some of their products. I had this cereal about a year after I tried Hostess' Donettes cereal, in the early months of 2020. It was part of my last big novelty cereal haul before the COVID lockdowns hit. The fact that I don't remember much about this cereal says a lot. I like Twinkies, but I don't love them. I go for candy bars over snack cakes anyway.

Rating: 🥣

[Flashback] Reese's Puffs Hearts

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Reese's Puffs Hearts
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: When I started this blog almost two and a half years ago, there were three seasonal varieties of Reese's Puffs I'd had previously, that I was hoping to find again. Thankfully, Bunnies and Bats have proven to be somewhat resilient. But this is the third year in a row that I've looked high and low for the Valentine's Day version of Reese's Puffs (last spotted in early 2019), in vain. Which is why I'm finally resorting to writing a flashback review. It's not a difficult task, however - just a disappointing one. Like the other holiday specials, this is just Reese's Puffs with a slightly different shape. And like every purely cosmetic variation of Reese's Puffs I've had so far, I love it! Could there be a more perfect pair than chocolate and peanut butter?

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

[Flashback] Hershey's Kisses

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Hershey's Kisses
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Remember when General Mills released a cereal based on Hershey's Kisses? Surprisingly, I barely remember it myself. This was one of several novelty cereals I picked up in the early months of 2020, just before the COVID lockdowns hit. And I can't even tell you if I liked it or not. I think I may have been disappointed because I was expecting it to be better than it turned out to be. But I could be misremembering. I'd give it another try if I saw it again, but the fact that I've had this cereal and barely remember it does not bode well.

Rating: (withheld)

[Flashback] Apple Jacks Caramel

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Apple Jacks Caramel
Variation: Apple Jacks
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: I regret not finding this cereal earlier (it would have made for a good comparison with Caramel Apple Toast Crunch), as by the time I got this box, the cereal tasted noticeably stale. As such, I cannot give it a proper review, but I wanted to document its existence in case I don't ever see it again. As far as I can tell, this flavor was released in the summer of 2020 (which was otherwise a fallow year for novelty cereals in my experience; but maybe that's because I was a shut-in throughout the height of the pandemic). I wish it were easier to track production dates and release schedules for these cereals, from a more authoritative source than hunting news articles and reviews. There should be a database somewhere...

Rating: (withheld)

[Flashback] Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes
Variation: Lucky Charms
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This year I got to try Cinnamon Toast Crunch Lucky Charms MIX!, which was fun. Five years ago (in the early months of 2018), I had Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes. Thinking back on it, I'm surprised they mixed Lucky Charms with Frosted Flakes, since the former is a General Mills cereal, and the latter belongs to Kellogg's. But looking at it now, I think they're using "frosted flakes" as a generic term.

In a similar turn, did you know that Kellogg's and Post both market a "Raisin Bran"?

Anyway, I don't remember what I thought of it then, but it looks good to me now, possibly because I've had some time to warm up to the concept of Frosted Flakes. And, at least this has marshmallows I know I like!

Rating: 🥣🥣

Reese's Puffs Minis (& Big Puffs)

Name: Reese's Puffs Minis/Big Puffs
Variation: Reese's Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: This weekend I'm reviewing this year's new "Minis" cereals - mini versions of three of your favorites from the General Mills lineup. We'll start with Reese's Puffs Minis, since Reese's Puffs is one of my favorites. To start off, the mini puffs are adorable. The flavor is just what you would expect from the regular cereal, so no surprises there. Smaller puffs means you can shovel more of them into your mouth. However, I don't think the crunch is as satisfying, and you may have to slow yourself down to avoid swallowing them whole...

January 2020

A few years ago, General Mills released an over-sized version of Reese's Puffs, called Big Puffs. It was a fun novelty, but I felt the overly large puffs were a bit awkward to eat. Now, having tried both Big Puffs and Minis, I can say with confidence that the regular-sized puffs are the Goldilocks standard. That said, I enjoy mixing things up every now and then. Stay tuned for my review of Cinnamon Toast Crunch & Trix Minis tomorrow!

Rating: 🥣🥣
Leftover Milk: A little bit of PB&C.

[Flashback] Star Wars: The Mandalorian

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Star Wars: The Mandalorian
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Notable as the only novelty cereal I encountered between the time of the initial COVID lockdowns and when I got vaccinated a year later (since I wasn't personally visiting grocery stores during that period), this is a cereal that was spotted in December of 2020, capitalizing on the breakout success of The Mandalorian (which I believe was already in its second season). I really wanted to like it. But to be honest - like almost everything else in 2020 - this cereal was a huge disappointment. All I remember was that it was completely bland. Not even the adorable baby Yoda-shaped marshmallows could save it. I couldn't even finish the box.

Rating: 🥣

[Flashback] Girl Scouts Thin Mints & Caramel Crunch

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Thin Mints & Caramel Crunch
Variation: Girl Scouts
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: Let me preface this review by saying that I am a big fan of Girl Scout cookies, and think that they should license their cookies for tie-ins with more products. Especially ice cream. Every year I buy a few boxes of cookies and use them to make Girl Scout cookie milkshakes. I noticed that Dairy Queen has started advertising Thin Mint blizzards the past couple springs. Though I do like Thin Mints, mint isn't my favorite companion to chocolate - that would be peanut butter, which is why Tagalongs are my favorite Girl Scout cookie.

Suffice to say, I was very excited when I saw these two versions of Girl Scout cookies in cereal form, back in early 2017, imitating what I believe are the Girl Scouts' two most popular cookies - Thin Mints and Samoas. I like Samoas, too (mmm, toasted coconut), but I prefer them in smaller doses. What I remember of these cereals is that I, predictably, liked Thin Mints better than Caramel Crunch. I'd love to see them both in stores again, because I think I'm due for a reappraisal of their merits. And if they made a Tagalong cereal? Goddess be praised!

Rating: 🥣🥣

[Flashback] Chocolatey Peanut Butter Crunch

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Chocolatey/Peanut Butter Crunch
Variation: Cap'n Crunch
Manufacturer: Quaker Oats

Review: I wanted to do something special for the one year anniversary of this blog, so I'm taking a look back at the very first cereal I ever photographed following the renaissance of my interest in breakfast cereals. Not only does this photo document two different varieties of Cap'n Crunch, but represents a homebrew experiment involving mixing different cereal ingredients together in one bowl - something I'd like to document more of on this blog if the onslaught of new novelty cereals ever lets up. I've also still got a handful of flashbacks to post featuring cereals I've taken pictures of from before I started this blog. But I'm quickly learning that novelty cereals are a surprisingly lucrative industry (no doubt thanks to suckers like me, who'll buy anything just because it says "new" or "limited edition" on the box); I'm struggling to keep up!

This flashback takes us back ten years(!), to the end of 2012. Back then, I was taking matters into my own hands, mixing Chocolatey and Peanut Butter versions of Cap'n Crunch together. Although Reese's Puffs is one of my favorite cereals, it has a particular taste and texture, and this is more of a distinct mixture than a homogeneous combination of the two flavors. I haven't seen Chocolatey Crunch around for a while (though Chocolate Caramel Crunch has been making the rounds of late), and there is a dearth of peanut butter cereals on the market. I was disappointed when Cheerios recalled their Peanut Butter flavor due to peanut allergy concerns (although it buttered me up for the later release of their Chocolate Peanut Butter flavor), leaving a conspicuous vacuum of good cereals in which to cut up bananas - something I hardly ever do anymore. But this is a winning combination; I'm surprised I've never seen these two cereals marketed together in the same box, considering that the chocolatey crunch pieces and the peanut butter puffs complement each other as perfectly as Cap'n Crunch with Crunch Berries!

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

Ghostbusters Afterlife

This weekend I'm reviewing two cereals that serve primarily as movie promotions - one from this year, and one from last year.

Name: Ghostbusters Afterlife
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I was excited when I spotted this box last fall, in the same shipment as Monster Mash cereal; it touched a nostalgic nerve. I can't say for sure if I ate Ghostbusters cereal as a kid (I might just be remembering the marketing for all the toys I had), but I feel like I did. So I wanted to like this cereal. But, like Monster Mash, it turned out to be a disappointment. It's a fruity cereal with marshmallows, but it tastes bland in comparison to many better cereals on the market (like JoJo Siwa's Strawberry Bop!, Pokémon Berry Bolt, or even Froot Loops with Marshmallows). And you're telling me there's no fun, color-changing milk effect, like with Halloween Crunch's ghostberries? What a wasted opportunity.

Rating: 🥣
Leftover Milk: Plain...

[Flashback] Birthday Cake Pebbles

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Birthday Cake Pebbles
Variation: Fruity Pebbles
Manufacturer: Post

Review: While we've got the Pebbles cereals on our minds, I wanted to take a moment to remember this cereal from last year. It's flavored like birthday cake, in celebration of Pebbles cereals' 50th anniversary. All merriment aside, though, I didn't actually like it very much. It's pretty, with a bit of a pastel look - birthday cake flavored items are always so colorful. Even so, it can't beat the brilliant color explosion that is regular Fruity Pebbles. And if I'm being honest, "birthday cake" isn't one of my favorite flavors (personally, I'd rather have a brownie sundae on my birthday). But I can't fault Post for exploiting the perfect opportunity to try out what is, at least conceptually, a great idea.

Rating: 🥣

[Flashback] Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Cocoa Puffs Brownie Crunch
Variation: Cocoa Puffs
Manufacturer: General Mills

Review: I stumbled upon this cereal last year while browsing the shelves at Gabe's, where you can sometimes find odd products that maybe didn't sell too well in more conventional venues. Although I can't imagine why these turned up there - they're incredible. Making Cocoa Puffs that taste like brownies (and they really do!) is one of those ideas so obviously brilliant that you have to wonder why it took them so long to come up with it (and why they're not more popular). I liked it so much I bought several boxes and then came back for more, until they were all gone. Now I fear I'll never see it again. And since I found Hot Cocoa Puffs this past winter, these (which I think I like even better) are bound to become my new Holy Grail.

Rating: 🥣🥣🥣

[Flashback] Disney Princess

Notice: Flashback reviews have been written from memory, without having the cereal in front of me. I started taking pictures of notable cereal varieties several years before I decided to start a blog reviewing them. As such, details beyond whether I simply liked the cereal or not may be hazy, especially regarding the quality of the leftover milk. Whenever possible, I have made an effort to procure another box of the cereal for a proper review (even the ones I didn't like), but due to the ephemeral nature of many of these novelty cereals, this is not always possible.

Name: Disney Princess
Variation: n/a
Manufacturer: Kellogg's

Review: Here's a flashback to five years ago, when Kellogg's released a whole line of Disney Princess cereals. In hindsight, I regret not getting pictures of each Princess; other boxes featured Belle, Jasmine, and Rapunzel (there may or may not have been others), but I was focused on my favorite Disney Princess - Ariel. Sadly, I remember the cereal itself (strawberry with marshmallows) being very plain, but that didn't stop me from buying a second box (I still have it!) to put in my bedroom shrine dedicated to The Little Mermaid. The first edition boxes were gorgeous - I remember seeing later editions that no longer had the glitter finish. Which is a shame, because this is a cereal that looked a whole lot better than it tasted.

Rating: 🥣