Leaving Me Unimpressed, Fruit Punch Sport Beans Fizzle.

Fruit Punch Sport Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - 48 pack bulk
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The Good: Does not taste bad
The Bad: Only fifteen beans in a pack, Environmentally irresponsible packaging, Indistinct taste, Does not energize well.
The Basics: The Fruit Punch Jelly Belly Sport Beans seem to have less of an impact than the other Sport Beans, making them less worth buying.


As I have made my way through the newer flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans, I have found myself pleasantly surprised by some of the new creations, like the Jelly Bean Dips. I have even been surprised by some of the flavors of Jelly Belly Sport Beans. So, it was with an open mind that I tried the Fruit Punch flavored Jelly Belly Sport Beans. In fact, more than any of the other flavors I have tried thus far, the biggest strike against this Sport Bean is that it does not seem to live up to the energizing promise of the line. Instead, these beans left me feeling as lethargic or unenergetic on both occasions I tried them, making them a tough sell to the energy drink crowd Jelly Belly is courting with these beans.

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 the Cocktail Classics Assortment, Candy Corn, Lemon Lime Sport Beans, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn.

Basics

Fruit Punch is a flavor of Jelly Belly Sport Beans jelly beans. The Sport Beans jelly beans are approximately three-quarters inches long by one-half inch wide and they are roughly bean-shaped. These are bigger than the usual Jelly Belly jelly beans.

Fruit Punch flavored Jelly Belly's are available only in 1 oz. plastic packages which are terrible for the environment. The packages contain fifteen beans and they appear to be very consistent pack to pack.

Fruit Punch flavored Sport Bean Jelly Bellys are remarkably easy to recognize and distinguish from other Jelly Bellys as well, though they are fairly close to the Berry Sport Beans in their coloring. They are a translucent red color that is a sickly red, closer to a light purple or mauve. This is fairly close, especially in low lighting, to the purple Berry Sport Beans.


Ease Of Preparation

These are jelly beans, not reenergizing using magic! Preparing them is as easy as opening the packet, and popping the beans into your mouth. In the case of the envelope, which is resealable, the jelly beans may be consumed all at once or over several days with no adverse effects to the freshness. It is highly recommended by the packaging that one consume these with water.

Taste

The Fruit Punch Jelly Belly Sport Beans do not have a strong scent, though they have a vaguely fruity aroma that hints at the flavor.

The Fruit Punch flavor is fruity with no distinct flavor. It has a dominantly cherry flavor with a slightly sweet aftertaste. The fruit flavor finishes with a dry taste that is not at all salty, unlike the other Sport Beans. There is a slightly watery flavor to this bean as well, making it less robust than the Berry Sport Bean, for example. The cherry flavor that is most prevalent is mixed with other fruit flavors, none of which are distinct enough to put a name to, though I'd guess "pear" if I had to add any others.

But regardless, the Fruit Punch flavor is pretty bland and not distinctly any fruit.

Nutrition

Again, these are jelly beans, but they are intended to be an energy snack supplement and the fact that they did not work for me on multiple occasions makes it easy for me to not recommend this particular flavor. Even so, Fruit Punch Sport Beans are actually a legitimate source of nutrition. These are an energy supplement, so they are loaded with calories (100 in the 15 beans) and nutrients like potassium and sodium, which are lost during heavy exercise. A serving is listed as 1 oz. (15 beans), which means that in a single serving, there are 100 calories.

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! They do, however, have beeswax and for some Vegans that is unacceptable, so know your Vegan. The main ingredients are evaporated cane juice, tapioca syrup and citric acid, so it's not like this is an all-natural food, but they could be far, far worse.


Storage/Clean-up

Sport Bean jelly beans have a shelf life of over one year and because they come in an individual sealed package, they retain their freshness. 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 (always wash your hands before eating Jelly Bellys, even if you don't have to hand-squeeze these beans). I've never had Fruit Punch Jelly Belly Sport Beans stain anything.

Overall

Fruit Punch Sport Bean Jelly Bellys are indistinct in their flavor and do not energize the way other Jelly Belly Sport Beans did, but they do not taste terrible, which at least keeps them from getting the worst possible marks!

For other Jelly Belly flavors reviewed by me, please check out:
Orange Jelly Bean Dips
Berry Sport Beans
Mint Jelly Bean Dips

3/10

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© 2011 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.

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