Kotas Reviews Berry Oreos

Man, Nabisco just won't stop with the new Oreo flavors, will they? Of course, that just means a steady stream of things for me to review! Today we evaluate another fruit-flavored version: the vaguely named Berry Oreo.

So, is it strawberry, raspberry, or some other berry not pictured? 

Kids who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s have a long affiliation with Berry flavoring. I'm not exactly sure when the trend started, but lots of foods have been labeled as "Berry" flavor, despite the fact that "berry" covers a wide range of individual fruits: blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, loganberry, juniper berry, blackberry, schnozzberry, etc. Near as I can figure, it refers to either "the flavor of a mix of berries" or as a stand it for "red", which my childhood taught me was a flavor. Given the packaging, I'd say this is gonna be more on the "red" side of things. Let's find out!

Is there a better word for underwhelming? No? Pity.

The smell is mostly artificial raspberry, but it has a hint of something else that is probably strawberry. Why they didn't just go with raspberry instead of "berry" I will never understand, because I mostly think "raspberry" when I smell these things. The cookies themselves are standard Oreo cookies with a raspberry colored creme on the inside, which is kind of dull looking. It passes the twist off test with flying colors. The taste is that of a creamy raspberry filling, like one would find in an "assorted chocolate cremes" box, with a good chocolate flavor from the Oreo cookie bits. These flavors pair well and neither overwhelms the other. I rather like it, though personally I needed to eat a couple before I could decide. It was not "love at first bite", but I'd happily serve these at a party. Dipping them in milk adds a bit more creaminess, but otherwise doesn't improve or detract from the flavor so go with what you prefer.

On the FACE Rating System, I'd give these cookies 2 smiley faces. It's a new confection that retains the best parts of the original Oreo while making good use of the fake fruit flavoring to create a pleasant experience. If you don't like raspberry or Oreos, these will not convert you. Likewise they do not displace the OG Oreo from its throne as a personal favorite, but hey, variety is the spice of cookie life!