The Good: Enviromentally responsible bulk, Generally good watermelon flavor
The Bad: Sour watermelon is an odd combination.
The Basics: One of the less enjoyable flavors, Sour Watermelon does what it promises by embodying a watermelon gone quite bad
As I sit eating Jelly Belly jelly beans, I am reminded of the old adage that just because something can be done does not mean it should be done. This comes up at the outset of my review for the Jelly Belly Sour Watermelon flavored jelly beans because clearly the Jelly Belly corporation can make any flavor into a sour flavor extravaganza. However, the more Sour Watermelon Jelly Bellys I eat, the more I have to ask myself, "Why would Jelly Belly do this?!" Most of the Sour line of Jelly Belly jelly beans has some sense of reason to it; they are jelly beans flavored like fruits that are frequently sour. In the case of Sour Watermelon, I've never had watermelon that is as sour - or sour at all - as these jelly beans. And the more of these I eat, the more glad about that that I am.
For those who might never have had Jelly Belly jelly beans, these are easily the best jelly beans on the planet, packing a lot of flavor into a very small size. Unlike most jelly beans which are only vaguely flavored and are more based on colors, Jelly Belly jelly beans have a wide variety of actual flavors, like Peach, Berry Blue, Sour Grape, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.
Who needs ten pounds of Sour Watermelon flavored Jelly Bellys? Anyone who loves the comedy stylings of Gallagher and wants to create an act with a watermelon piÒata instead of an actual watermelon is likely to like these Jelly Bellys. I suppose anyone who likes to torment their tastebuds would love this quantity of Sour Watermelon. Anyone who might like Sour Watermelon Jelly Belly jelly beans will likely find that this is the best way to get them in bulk in an environmentally responsible way for the least amount of money.
Basics
Sour Watermelon is a flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans from the Sour line. Jelly Belly 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 Watermelon, with a sour twist, and they live up to that very well.
Sour Watermelon flavored Jelly Bellys 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 say, "There aren't enough Gallagher wannabes in the world today!" I suspect that for most people, a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans.
Sour Watermelon flavored Jelly Bellys are fairly easy to recognize and distinguish from other Jelly Bellys, except in the Sour Assortment. There are only ten Sour flavors and the closest within the assortment is Sour Apple, which is also an opaque green color. The Sour Watermelon is a little darker than the Sour Apple Jelly Belly. The Sour Watermelon is a clearly different bean from the standard watermelon jelly belly (reviewed here!) which is dark green with red swirls.
Ease Of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not making a watermelon piÒata the night before one's comedy career begins. 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 no law against eating them right from the box and these are not like they become less sour if you do! Eat them freely from the box or however you please!
Taste
Sour Watermelon Jelly Bellys have a faint fruity scent to them and they do smell just like watermelon does. They smell more in their box than they do when they are left open. The scent is pleasant and they adequately prepare the consumer for the taste of these jelly beans.
Therein lies the problem with the Sour Watermelon Jelly Bellys. The Sour Watermelon Jelly Belly is like a sucker punch to the consumer. It rolls over the tongue sweet and the perfect embodiment of the subtle taste of watermelons. Then, after about fifteen seconds, the taste turns and it becomes a generically sour, fruit flavor that is as likely to make a consumer gag as it is to please them. The sour flavor starts subtle, but the more of these beans one has, the more overwhelming the sourness is. Still, it maintains a general flavor that is consistent with watermelon up until the moment the taste goes foul.
Sour Watermelon holds up remarkably well over many beans as well. This flavor does not seem to burn out the tastebuds the way some of the sour flavors do. Instead, this is a flavor that seems to more slowly overwhelm the consumer.
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to understand they are designed to compete with Sour Patch Kids and other sour candies, so they're not going to be terribly nutritious! Jelly beans, even Jelly Belly 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-five beans, with each Jelly Belly jelly bean having approximately four calories. This means that in a single serving, there are 140 calories, which is 12% of your daily recommended intake.
The thing is, Jelly Belly 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! Some Vegans consider the wax in the coating in the Jelly Belly jelly beans to be not Vegan compliant. I suppose it depends on just how strict a Vegan your Vegan is, if this matters at all. Generally, they are animal free! Jelly Belly jelly beans have only one percent of the daily sodium with 15 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.
Storage/Clean-up
Jelly Belly jelly beans have a shelf life of approximately one year and I have yet to run across a stale Jelly Belly (though that could have something to do with a package never surviving a year around me). 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 cool environment. Storing them in hot places is likely to make the beans stick together and be gross. Kept in a cool, dry place, the beans retain their flavor perfectly.
As for cleanup, unless one allows the Jelly Belly 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 (fortunately, these are not sticky like actual Watermelons!). I've never had Sour Watermelon Jelly Bellys stain anything.
Overall
Not the best flavor, Sour Watermelon is certainly one of the weirdest in that it takes a flavor that is not inherently sour or gross and makes it tough to stomach. Not one I'd stock up on but anyone who likes watermelon is likely to enjoy this.
For other Jelly Belly flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Strawberry Daiquiri
7UP
4.5/10
For other food reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2011, 2009 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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