Top-Ten Weirdest Flavors of Candies You Love!

Today we’re going to look at some of the weirdest and most unexpected flavors and brand extensions from classic candies you know and love.  These are some of my favorite things to track down and uncover in the world of candy, and I know you’re going to enjoy seeing them.  Make the jump to check them out!

#10 – Nestle Crunch Mocha

Nestle Crunch Mocha and Canadian Nestle Crunch original – 2002

Back in the early 2000’s, Nestle took a crack at grabbing some of that coffee craze by releasing a Mocha-flavored Nestle Crunch bar.  I never tried one but I’ll bet it was pretty tasty.  In spite of that, this one ended up becoming a limited edition.

#9 – Chocolate Mint Bubblicious

Chocolate Mint Bubblicious and Original Bubblicious bubblegum wrappers – 1980’s and 1978

The 1970’s and 1980’s saw the soft chunk bubblegum category explode, and in order to feed that growing market, manufacturers sought to come up with new innovative and appealing flavors.  One of the oddest-yet-somehow-endearing has to have been Chocolate Mint Bubblicious.  Described as “cool and chocolaty”, this one struck a chord and stuck around long enough to taste the 1990’s before finally retiring.  It’s a discontinued bubblegum flavor I get pretty regular e-mails about.  The people who loved it still miss it.

 #8 – Bit-O-Honey’s Bit-O-Chocolate

Bit-O-Chocolate and Bit-O-Honey wrappers from the 1970’s

Back in the 1960’s and 1970’s the timeless confectionery treat Bit-O-Honey was looking to find new ways to expand its reach.  One of the things they did was branching out into new flavors.  Bit-O-Chocolate might not sound so weird now but it must have been unexpected from a brand that had already been around decades at the time.  [Edit: They also introduced Bit-O-Licorice and Bit-O-Peanut Butter during this period.]

#7 – Good and Plenty’s Good ‘n Minty

Good n Minty and Good n Plenty candy boxes from the early 1970’s

Good and Plenty is another classic confection that tried some new things back in the early 1970’s.  Though their Good and Fruity brand extension survives even today, Good ‘n Minty was gone in a flash.

# 6 – Milk Duds’ fruit-flavored Grape Duds

Grape Duds and Milk Duds boxes from the 1970’s

I’ve long been obsessed with the fruit-flavored versions of Milk Duds that were released through the 1970’s and I’ve written quite a lot on them, too.   A wonderfully-unexpected brand extension from Milk Duds, these were around for a number of years though the precise variety of fruit-flavored Duds produced remains a mystery.

# 5 – Skittles Mints

Australian Skittles Mint from 2002 and USA Skittles Fruit from 2001 packs

Skittles in mint flavors received a standard release in the early 2000’s but only down under in the Australian and New Zealand markets.  Though a mini version of a mint-flavored Skittles were released in North America later, they were sold in hard plastic containers and were more mint than mint-flavored Skittle.

 #4 – Rolo Mint

German Mint Rolo and USA regular Rolo wrappers from the 1970’s

The classic chocolate-and-caramel treat Rolo actually got a mint-flavored version in the late 70’s over in Germany.   Quite a departure from the sweet standard, these never made it to North America.

#3 – Life Savers Iced Tea

Canada’s Life Savers Iced Tea flavor and Five Flavor – roll candy wrappers – 1990’s

Released exclusively for the Canadian market in the 1990’s, Life Savers in Iced Tea flavors was one of many delightfully-unusual flavor extensions that Life Savers Canada produced.  No longer in production, I’d love to see this one make a comeback someday.

#3b – Life Savers Crunchy Peanuts

1960’s Life Savers Crunchy Peanut and Life Savers Five Flavor

A tie for the third spot:  Released in the 1960’s as part of a “carnival flavors” Life Savers assortment, Crunchy Peanuts is easily the most unusual flavor that came out it.  Other Life Savers carnival flavors included Cotton Candy, Pink Lemonade and Candied Apple.

#2 – Japan’s Kit Kat Ginger Ale

Japan Kit Kats Ginger ale and regular – 2008-2009

For those that aren’t aware, Japan gets numerous unusual flavors of Kit Kats every year that no one else in the world ever sees.  Ginger Ale is easily one of the most unusual – and from personal experience it was also the most unexpectedly delicious.

#1 – Mike and Ike Buttered Popcorn Flavor

Mike and Ike Buttered Popcorn flavor and original flavor boxes – 2003

In the early 2000’s, the Just Born company went on a wildly creative run with their Mike and Ike “Featured Flavors” series.  The weirdest had to be their Mike and Ike Buttered Popcorn flavor.  It didn’t capture the taste buds of consumers and was one of the featured flavor releases that no one seems to wish for the return of.  But give props to Just Born for pushing the envelope with this amazingly weird flavor of a candy classic.

That’s everything for our Top-Ten Weirdest Flavors of Candies You Love list – hope you liked it!  If you did, let us know and maybe we will work up some other fun Top-10 lists for the site!

See you next time!