Kotas Reviews Limeade Oreos

I enjoy fruit flavored confections generally. Some are terrible, but most of them manage to at least somewhat resemble the flavor they are attempting. Then there are things like today's entry, which are somewhat baffling. Let's dive into the oddity that is Limeade Oreos.

Because SOMEONE demanded it!

Well, this certainly is a package that screams "Limeade Oreo", and I think the packaging is pretty attractive. The real trick is to make it taste as good as the package looks. I've had pretty good success with fruit flavored Oreos, generally. The Berry and Lemon ones taste pretty darn good, though I absolutely hated the Watermelon ones. Still, a 66% success rate is promising, and frankly a Lime flavored cookie would be right up my alley. So why in the heck is this a Limeade cookie and not just a straight Lime cookie? Maybe the graphic for a lime was kind of lame? Eh, the Root Beer ones were pretty decent, so let's see what these puppies look like. 

Does this scream Limeade to you?

Well, it sure looks like a Lime cookie. The scent is "vanilla cookie with a hint of lime". I, for one, am simply shocked at this amazing development. These pass the twist off test without any problems, and they look pretty sharp. The flavor is pretty good, with a light lime creaminess that is quite refreshing in the mouth, though I really wish the lime came through stronger. As it stands, it's nice, but it could be better. The vanilla cookie was the right choice, evoking a lime pie-esque after taste that is pleasant if not spectacular. The creme by itself is also pretty tasty. With milk, the lime flavor is more muted and the creaminess accentuated, and that's not bad, but not great either. I just don't get where the -ade part comes in. I was hoping for a bit more effervescence or something, but as it is it's just a lightly lime flavored cookie. It's good, but a little disappointing.

On the FACE Rating System, these get 1 smiley face. I like them, but they do not seem like Limeade cookies, only like Lime cookies that aren't trying hard enough. These could really benefit from a stronger lime flavor, about on par with the Lemon ones. Try them out, if you like flavored Oreos and artificial fruit flavoring. Just don't expect anything particularly surprising.

Kotas Reviews Marshmallow Crispy Oreos

The Flavored Oreos trend is one I think is good for Nabisco, and good for Oreo lovers everywhere. Even if only 10% of all the new flavors that have come out become regularly available, that's still 2-3 new flavors. Oreos are a classic for a reason though, and sometimes I think they go too far (I'm looking at you Watermelon). With all that, we've come to today's subject: Marshmallow Crispy Oreos.

Well, this looks promising.

All new flavors that Oreo comes out with are based either on the traditional Chocolate oreo cookie or the Golden variety that became standard a few years back. This edition clearly went with the golden variety. Now, in the interest of full disclosure I am a HUGE fan of the Marshmallow Crispy Treat line of confections. The crispy texture along with the gooey marshmallow coating that permeates these wonderful things is one of life's great pleasures. Still, I am dubious that this can be successfully reduced to cookie format. Let's dive in!

Aren't you a little round for a Marshmallow Crispy?

Well, the smell is certainly authentic, vanilla cookie mixed with the same scent you get out of the prepackaged Crispy Treats available in the snack cake aisle. The cookie itself is fairly unremarkable, and passes the twist off test without issue. The creme filling is sort of an off white with visible specks of what I can only assume are "crispies". Given my luck with such little bonus bits, I am clearly not prepared for this.

Oh man, these things are amazing. They pretty much encapsulate the marshmallow crispy treat experience in a neat cookie package. The creme filling is not the sharp sweetness of the standard vanilla creme, but instead a nice marshmallow-esque flavor. The little crispies in the creme aren't particularly good or bad, but they provide a bit of extra texture and reinforce the idea that between those two golden circles is just a marshmallow crispy treat that's been thrown in a food processor set to puree. The creme by itself is also pretty good, definitely what I would imagine a good marshmallow crispy treat cookie should taste like. They are even pretty darn good in milk, though it mostly just changes the texture and adds a bit of milk to the flavor parade.

Now, these aren't the same as eating a fresh made treat, obviously, but I think they hold up well next to the prepackaged ones. I also wanted to eat the whole package in one go, but decided against that notion for the sake of my poor pancreas.

On the FACE Rating System, these get a shiny 3 smiley faces. If I had to choose between these and regular Oreos, my answer would be "Why do I have to choose?" Go out and get them, eat them, and live life the way it was meant to be lived. Unless you don't like marshmallow crispy treats and then you should avoid them. You soulless automaton you.

Kotas Reviews Root Beer Float Oreos

Sometimes we at Kotas Reviews Everything get requests to review things. These requests are generally accepted, provided that the thing in question is relatively easy for me to obtain. Today's subject required a friend to hold them for me for a week or two before I could pick them up. Once again, Nabisco's finest Foodgineers will ply their trade across the old taste buds with their not so latest creation: The Root Beer Float Oreo.

Dun, dun, DUUUUUUUUN!

I must admit, the packaging is impressive looking, what with that big old frosty mug of Root Beer there. This is a Limited Edition, which is corporate speak for "We're trying it out to see if people will eat it." These cookies traveled long and perilous roads to find their way to me. Will it be worth it? Let's find out!

Cookies in repose.

The scent upon opening the package is strongly reminiscent of the odor of those little gummi root beer things you can purchase at bulk candy stores. In this instance, they went for the "golden" Oreo wrapper, which I think was the right choice since Chocolate and Root Beer tend to NOT go together very well. These pass the twist off test with flying colors, as you can see above. Alas, I had no milk available so there will be no dunk test here. I can't imagine it is particularly good though.

The taste is quite the curiosity It has a hint of artificial root beer flavoring, followed up by something vaguely resembling vanilla cream. The real treat here is the mild effervescence the cookies have when you are eating them. That's right, they bubble and fizz when you chomp them, kind of like Pop Rocks, but not as intense. It is an odd sensation really. My first bite was really full of "Huh" than either positive or negative feelings, but I found myself continuing to eat them. Was it the fizzy feeling? The flavor itself? The possible presence of an incredibly addictive narcotic? I cannot say, but I ate more of these cookies in one go than I though I ever would. But for the love of all that you hold dear, do NOT eat the cream by itself. I don't know what it is about that cookie, but the raw cream is absolutely terrible, with all the worst bitterness that artificial flavorings can hold coupled with a strange plastic aftertaste. With the cookie though? Tasty, if weird.

On the FACE Rating System, these cookies get 2 smiley faces. I don't know that I would seek them out, but when they are around I find it hard to stop eating them for reasons mysterious to my personage. But never eat the cream alone. That way madness lies.

Kotas Reviews Pumpkin Spice Oreos

Ah Fall! The time when pumpkin starts its ascendancy as the "flavor of the season", before sliding into the background for another year when peppermint and the like reign during the winter. So, of COURSE Nabisco got into the act with Oreos. Is it wonder or terror we shall experience? Let us find out!

Does this package seem smaller to you? That's what she said.

Well, it has a pumpkin on it, and it's yellow, signifying it will use the Golden Oreo as the base cookie. It may just be the graphics on the cover, but for some reason I think the container is smaller than the other Oreo flavors I've been trying recently. Maybe it's just the cold weather causing shrinkage. Also, when did cinnamon become a generic stand in for "spice"? Is it because it is the only spice most people think of when they think of fall? What about all spice, eh? Or cardamom? Oh well! Let's pop open these bad muthas and see what they are about.

Well, it is certainly orange. Maybe that should be looked at.

The scent is incredibly strong, and reminds me of those pumpkin spice candles you can buy at almost every store ever during the fall. It's a good smell, but it has that faint whiff of artificiality that can make your nose wrinkle a bit. The twist test had mixed results, as you can see above. The first one failed miserably, but a subsequent test was almost perfect. The taste is...well, it is complicated. The creme by itself tastes like I think a pumpkin spice candle should taste if you were to eat it. Very strong flavor, kind of plastic-y, not particularly appetizing. HOWEVER, if you eat it with the cookie, the cookie neutralizes a lot of the plastic-ish parts of the flavor and adds some vanilla, which makes it taste pretty good. Very pumpkin and spice, but I cannot taste any cinnamon really. Dunking it in milk mellows the flavor a bit, but otherwise leaves it about the same, so it is personal preference here.

On the FACE Rating System, the Pumpkin Spice Oreo gets 1 smiley. It is appropriately fall themed, and the flavor on the package is mostly the flavor you will get, but for me it is not a flavor I particularly enjoy in cookie format. It's not bad, and I'd eat them again, but I will not go out of my way to acquire them except for maybe a theme party or something. If you like pumpkin spice flavoring though, they may be more your cup of tea.

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!

Kotas Reviews Cookie Dough and Watermelon Oreos

I apparently have some momentum going, because my last review was commented on quite a bit (er, for this blog anyway), so like any good content producer I'm making a sequel! A shameful, pandering sequel. Like any good sequel it has more of what worked last time, and it's faster! Welcome, to the Dual Oreo Review! Today we have two contrasting flavors of Oreo to look at: The very meta Cookie Dough Oreo, and the head-tiltingly strange Watermelon Oreo. 

Made with "chocolatey chips". And nightmares.

A few caveats. I'm honestly not a huge fan of Cookie Dough anything. Why eat it raw and unrefined when you can bake it and bring out the magical union of flour, sugar, and assorted mix-ins? I don't hate Cookie Dough flavored things, but I'm not predisposed to loving them either. Let's take a gander at these puppies outside of their otherwise unremarkable packaging. The fact that they couldn't call the chips "chocolate" chips, but instead "chocolatey" does not bode well.

Just screams "chocolatey", doesn't it?

Well, the scent is vaguely "cookie dough"-ish, that is for sure. While light tan isn't the most appetizing of colors, it DOES look a lot like cookie dough, and it passed the twist off test with flying colors. The flavor is kinda like cookie dough, but reminds me more of a coffee and cream flavor than cookie dough. It's pretty good actually, though I don't know if I would eat this over regular Oreos. Dipped in milk though? Absolutely delicious, perhaps even better than a regular Oreo. The coffee notes shine through, and when paired with the mellower, creamier cookie parts...simply wonderful. But what of its partner in crime?

A match made in Never Again.

Artificial Watermelon Flavor has to be on my top three Worst Childhood Flavors Ever. It's so sickeningly sweet that it hurts my teeth, and the weird Not Quite Watermelon overtones just enhance the yuck factor. But maybe that's just me, let's shimmy these pretties out of their container.

Very colorful. Did you know bright colors are nature's way of warding away predators?

These smell almost exactly like Watermelon flavored Jolly Ranchers, with a bit of vanilla cookie mixed in because, well, cookies. They taste EXACTLY like Watermelon flavored Jolly Ranchers sandwiched between two vanilla cookies. You know, like awful. I absolutely HATE Watermelon flavored Jolly Ranchers. They are everything wrong with artificial watermelon flavoring cranked up to eleven and these brought back terrible memories of only ever getting that flavor at Halloween when I was a wee tot. Simply awful, that is what these cookies are. They even failed the twist off test! Still, if you are an individual who enjoys that sort of thing, these should appeal to you. HOWEVER...do NOT dip them in milk. I have never tasted such a vile flavor as Watermelon Jolly Rancher mixed with milk. I swear, if a Muppet pleasured itself directly onto a cookie, THIS is what that cookie would taste like. Absolutely wretched in every imaginable way. Only gin could wash away the taste-bud wrenching terror.

On the FACE Rating System, Cookie Dough Oreos get a solid 2 smiley faces. I don't think they can replace standard Oreos as a favorite, but they sure come close. Watermelon Oreos get an unprecedented 3 Frowny Faces, though I'm sure people who like Watermelon Jolly Ranchers will like them and should try them. Just keep them the hell away from me.

Kotas Reviews Lemon Oreos

So, it turns out that Oreo is now the cookie of novelty flavors. It used to be pretty standard. You had Oreo cookies and Double Stuf cookies, which were just Oreos with more creme filling. Then they introduced Chocolate Creme Oreos, Golden Oreos, Golden Chocolate Oreos, and a variety of holiday themed ones with different colored creme and different cookie shapes (I reviewed a Halloween edition here). Now? There are Fruit Punch, Birthday Cake, Marshmallow Crispy, Cookie Dough, Watermelon, Caramel Apple, Mint, Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter Fudge, Rainbow Sherbet, Root Beer Float, Berry, Strawberry Milkshake, and even Dulce de Leche flavored Oreos. Which brings us to today's entry: Lemon Oreos. Let's take a gander.

This stretches the definition of Oreo quite a bit, really

Honestly, these aren't exactly innovative. Lemon sandwich cookies have been around since before I was a kid, even if they were relegated to the realms of brands like "Country Choice" and "SugarKake". Still, it's nice to see one of the most recognizable sandwich cookie purveyors finally expanding their repertoire of standard offerings. What do these things reeeeeally look like though?

Pretty much exactly what it says on the tin package

These cookies are essentially a palette swap of standard Oreo cookies, made up of vanilla cookies with yellow creme between them. The smell is very, well, lemony. I'm not sure exactly why I would think they might smell otherwise, but I've been fooled before by other foods. One minor complaint is that they don't "twist off" cleanly a lot of the time, as shown in the picture above.

The flavor is a very nice lemon creme flavor, the right mix of artificial lemon and creamy sweetness. The vanilla cookie is of high quality as well. Oreos have always been one of the few foods I've found where the name brand edition is just better than any store brand, and this particular flavor is no exception. Unlike some of the more "unique" flavors that Nabisco has put out, this is a great spin on an old standby that is quite enjoyable.

On the FACE Rating System I would give these a solid 2 smileys. I may not always be in the mood for a lemon sandwich cookie, but when I am, these are probably the ones I would pick up. If you like lemon cookies, do yourself a favor and try these. Of course, if you don't like lemon cookies, these will not change your mind. Oh, and they do NOT go well with milk at ALL, so I advise not to go a dunking with these babies.