wlswarts's Full Review: Jelly Belly Jelly Beans Dr. Pepper 10 Lbs Box
Sometimes, it stinks being an objective reviewer. After all, sometimes, I encounter something I truly enjoy that is so close to perfect in its own right, but I simply cannot consider perfect or rate as high. Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly jelly beans are one such item and, truth be told, right now they are the only example of such a product that I like so much but cannot rate all that high, that I can think of. There's a good reason for my deeming this an imperfect bean; it is identically colored to another Jelly Belly, so even in bulk on its own, it's too tough a sell on that front because - like a musical artist whose c.d. is great in its own right, but sounds derivative of their own works when looked at their larger body of works - I have the whole Jelly Belly jelly bean pantheon I'm considering in addition to just this lone flavor!
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 toasted marshmallow, pina colada, A&W Cream Soda, or their signature flavor Buttered Popcorn (reviewed at: http://www.epinions.com/content_444919221892 ).
Who needs ten pounds of Dr. Pepper flavored Jelly Belly's? Anyone who loves soda, but not the inconvenience of cans, I suppose. Anyone who loves drinking pop, but not the inconvenience of the menace of spills?! I'm not sure. But anyone who might like Dr. Pepper 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
Dr. Pepper is a flavor of Jelly Belly jelly beans. 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 Dr. Pepper and they live up to that well.
Dr. Pepper flavored Jelly Belly'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 say "Ever spilled ten pounds of liquid Dr. Pepper on your new rug?!" I suspect that for most people, a ten pound case is a year's supply of these jelly beans.
Dr. Pepper flavored Jelly Belly's are not at all easy to distinguish from other flavors of Jelly Bellys, or one in particular. The Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly is the precise color and shading as the Chocolate Pudding Jelly Belly. They are identical, no difference until you pop the bean in your mouth and then there is a clear taste difference.
Ease of Preparation
These are jelly beans, not diving for pearl oysters. Preparing them is as easy as opening the box and popping one (or a handful) 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, perhaps some sort of "chugging" contest from the box would be a selling point. Eating them out of the box is fine!
Taste
Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly jelly beans are good. The moment one breaks the candy shell there is a sparkling taste in one's mouth followed by the deep, delicious taste of Dr. Pepper soda. This is one of those Jelly Belly jelly beans where it is hard to discuss the taste in much depth because this is a taste that tastes like what it is. Dr. Pepper soda is a black cherry/root beer/carboated beverage taste that defines a taste.
The Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly jelly beans taste exactly like Dr. Pepper soda. It's good, it has a little sugary kick and it does hold up surprisingly well. These Jelly Belly jelly beans are an exact match for the soda's taste and, like with the Buttered Popcorn flavor, there is something unnerving about the difference in texture between what we know Dr. Pepper ought to feel like in our mouth (a liquid) versus the solid of a jelly bean! The Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly endures in terms of taste very well, handful to handful.
Nutrition
Again, these are jelly beans, so anyone looking to them for nutrition needs to realize that Dr. Pepper isn't terribly nutritious, why would a jelly bean with the same flavor be?! 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! They 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 lukewarm 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 (always wash your hands before eating Jelly Belly's, though because Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly's are not protected by a can, bottle, etc.). I've never had Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly's stain anything. That said, it's pretty wild to be able to eat something that tastes so much like Dr. Pepper without all of the glasses or cans to clean up or recycle!
Overall
Dr. Pepper Jelly Belly jelly beans taste exactly like what they claim to be but they are a dead ringer for the Chocolate Pudding Jelly Bellys, which robs these little confections of perfection. Rating is more appropriately a 4 1/2.
One 10-pound bag of Dr. Pepper-flavored jelly beans Zero grams of fat; contains no gelatin, milk, eggs or any other dairy products Certified Kosher, g...More at Amazon
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