Mike and Ike, an in-depth report

After writing my post about Mike and Ike, I felt compelled to try the other varieties of Mike & Ike. The varieties besides Original that I tried were Tropical Typhoon, Berry Blast, Lemonade Stand, Zours, and Italian Ice. I will rank the varieties from best (1) to worst (6) and also discuss my favorite and least favorite flavors for each variety.

1. Italian Ice
Italian Ice is my definite number one flavor of Mike and Ike. Unlike Original, Berry Blast, and Tropical Typhoon, Italian Ice flavors start out with a bit of a tangy flavor before settling into a sweet jelly candy flavor. It's a welcome surprise to the countless other candies that give you only one flavor. The flavors are Lemon, Orange, Cherry, Blue Raspberry, and Watermelon. Here's how the flavors rank:

1. Blue Raspberry - My absolute favorite of the Italian Ice flavors. It has a nice sour start and has a very good "blue" flavor if you will. I mean it's hard for me to describe the flavor of blue raspberry, but just know that it is my number one pick for best flavor in the Italian Ice.

2. Orange - Surprise, surprise, not too long ago I was going on and on about how much I despised Orange flavored candies. Well Mike and Ike Italian Ice is the exception I guess. Unlike other Orange candies which are dull, the Orange in Italian Ice is tangy and gives a nice flavor.

3. Cherry - Again, surprise! Cherry falls to number three when it comes to Italian Ice. My issue with the Cherry in Italian Ice is that it was too confusing for me. I wasn't able to pick up on that distinct Cherry flavor right away. I even had to look at the back of the box to make sure that I was eating the correct flavor.

4. Watermelon - Whereas typically Watermelon would fall to the bottom of my list (I don't like any candies that are Watermelon flavored, I only like gum that is Watermelon flavored) it ranks only second to last. The reason here is that like the other flavors it has a nice sour introduction before easing you into that familiar sweet flavor. It's one of the few Watermelon candies that haven't had me trying to avoid them.

5. Lemon - Ah Lemon, poor Lemon has fallen to the bottom of my list. The reason for this is that it doesn't differentiate itself from the Lemon in the Original Flavor of Mike and Ike. When compared to the other flavors, it is dull and not as appealing. Where's the tang? Where's the surprise? It's non-existent in Lemon.