The Good: Taste endures, Environmentally responsible bulk, Economically smart bulking, Generally good taste
The Bad: Slightly waxy taste, Not terribly nutritious.
The Basics: Good tasting, but not as unique as many other flavors, Gimbal's Spicy Cinnamon Jelly Beans only get a soft recommendation from me.
Now that I am turning my attention on Gimbal's jelly beans, I have been considering jelly beans in general and what ought to make any of them worthwhile. It occurred to me as I sat down to review the Spicy Cinnamon Gimbal's jelly beans that cinnamon is a flavor virtually every other candy manufacturer who makes jelly beans does. Unlike the other Gimbal's flavors I have tried so far, Green Apple (click here for that review!) and Perfectly Pear (click here for that review!), Spicy Cinnamon seems like an initially less creative flavor and while I tended to enjoy the Spicy Cinnamon, the flavor is nothing truly extraordinary.
It is worth noting that Spicy Cinnamon is roughly analogous to the Sizzling Cinnamon Jelly Bellys (click here for my review of that!), right down to the coloring of the jelly beans! The Spicy Cinnamon beans taste similar, though they have a waxier initial taste than their Jelly Belly equivalent. I do not know if Jelly Belly or Gimbal's came first, but Jelly Belly is certainly better known, at least in Upstate New York. Conversely, Gimbal's jelly beans are less expensive and that is a nice bonus for those bulking up on them with the ten pound box.
Who needs ten pounds of Spicy Cinnamon flavored Gimbal's jelly beans? I suppose anyone who likes the flavor of cinnamon imperials but wants something softer. This was a very average jelly bean flavor, which was not unpleasant, just underwhelming. The ten pound box is the ideal way for such people to stock up on these jelly beans, at least from an environmental and economic standpoint.
Basics
Spicy Cinnamon is a flavor of Gimbal's jelly beans. Gimbal's jelly beans are approximately one half inch long by one quarter inch wide and they are roughly bean-shaped. These little candies are marketed to taste precisely like sugary cinnamon-flavored treats and they generally taste just like they are supposed to. The difference between this and real cinnamon is that Spicy Cinnamon is a confection flavor, with little resemblance to the dry, muted taste of the actual cinnamon spice. This doesn't even smell like real cinnamon.
Spicy Cinnamon flavored Gimbal's are available in a wide array of quantities, but the largest quantity available is the ten pound bulk case. This is a decent-sized box with a plastic lining and while some might wonder why anyone would need a ten pound box, I suggest anyone who likes baking with things that taste flavorfully like cinnamon! The Spicy Cinnamon flavor is one that is unremarkable and a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans. Kept properly, the Spicy Cinnamon jelly beans keep for a year even in this level of bulk.
The Spicy Cinnamon Gimbal's jelly beans are easily differentiated from other Gimbal's jelly beans by its translucent red shell with yellow spots on it. The only similar jelly bean from Gimbal's is Cinnamon and that is the same red color without the spots.
Ease Of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not harvesting one's own cinnamon and having to grind it up with a spoon! Preparing them is as easy as opening the box and popping one (or several) into your mouth. In the case of the ten pound box, one might want to put them in a candy dish of some form as opposed to always going into the box. Then again, there is nothing inherently wrong with eating them out of the box.
Taste
What initially surprised me most about the box of Spicy Cinnamon Gimbal's jelly beans was how opening the box did not yield a strong scent. Instead, these beans smell very neutral, not at all spicy like one might hope with this quantity of flavored jelly beans.
On the tongue, Spicy Cinnamon is waxy, without any real flavor, which left me initially disappointed. My disappointment diminished entirely when I bit into the jelly bean. This jelly bean does taste like a soft, richly candy-cinnamon flavor that is familiar to those who like jelly candies or cinnamon imperials. This is delicious and fun, but not reminiscent of anything other than what it is: a cinnamon-flavored candy.
On the plus side, the taste of this jelly bean is consistent. Unlike some jelly beans whose flavor fades to generic sugary, the Gimbal's Spicy Cinnamon is consistently waxy, spicy and delicious. They do not get better or worse when eaten in bulk.
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition is bound to be disappointed. Jelly beans, even Gimbal's jelly beans, are not a legitimate source of nutrition. These are a snack food, a dessert, and are in no way an adequate substitute for a real meal. A serving is listed at thirty-seven beans. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.
The thing is, Gimbal's jelly beans are not as bad as they could be in the nutrition area. They have no fat and no protein, but for those who have ever dated a Vegan, these are Vegan compliant because they contain no gelatin! They have only zero percent of the daily sodium with 10 mg and they are gluten free! The main ingredients are sugar, corn syrup and modified food starch, so it's not like this is an all-natural food, but they could be far, far worse. As well, these candies were not produced on machines with peanuts or other nuts and they are egg, trans fat, dairy and egg free!
Storage/Clean-up
Gimbal's jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Gimbal's (though arguably that is because of my lack of experience with them). They remain freshest when they are kept in an airtight container (the bag in the bulk box is sufficient if it is kept closed) and they ought to be kept in a lukewarm environment. Storing them in hot places or in an intimate location is likely to make the beans stick together and become gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.
As for cleanup, unless one allows the Gimbal's to get hot to the point that the waxy coating on the bean melts, the dyes on these do not bleed or denature, so there is usually no cleanup necessary, not even washing one's hands after eating them (always wash your hands before eating Gimbal's jelly beans; that's just common sense). I have never had Spicy Cinnamon Gimbal's jelly beans stain anything.
Overall
Gimbal's Spicy Cinnamon jelly beans are a good, but very average jelly bean flavor.
For other candy reviewed by me, please check out:
Russell Stover Private Reserve 70% Cacao Assortment
Lindt Lindor Dark Peppermint Truffles
Hershey's Kisses Irish Creme
6/10
For other food and drink reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2010 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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