Gum has become complicated. The packaging is slick and the flavors are complex. You don't just get bubble gum-flavored gum any more.
Wondering whether it was worth the hype and price ($1.49 for a 14-pack), I picked up two packages of new Trident Layers Gum. And my expectations were high based on the current ad campaign which suggests people would be happy to be paid in gum. It also promises "layers and layers of flavor."
That would apparently be two flavors in three layers: there's wild
strawberry and tangy citrus; and green apple and golden pineapple. The gum looks like a gummy sandwich with the first flavor forming the bread and the second forming a slightly squishier, central "meat" interior. The end result is a piece of gum that's definitely thicker than a traditional piece of Trident.
The wild strawberry has the consistency and flavor of Starbust -- which means that your first instinct is to swallow it, before you remember that it's gum and is meant to be spit out. The citrus blast from the center keeps flashing up around the strawberry taste. You probably get about 7 minutes of chew flavor and that's not a good thing because by the end you just have that bitter tang of artificial sweetener.
The green apple is a kissing cousin to the Jolly Rancher flavor, although it smells strongly of pineapple. This seemed unlikely, but the consistency is completely different from the wild strawberry -- it's more waxy. The flavors are slightly less fake with the tart pop of green apple bubbling up each time you push your tongue through the gum. If given a choice, you should opt for the green apple. After all, it's time that green apple and pineapple got together outside of the fruit salad.
Showing 1-4 of 4
