Add Wakarusa review

Author: Scotchester

_posts/2024-03-24-wakarusa-dime-store-jumbo-jelly-beans.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Wakarusa Dime Store Jumbo Jelly Beans"
+brand: Wakarusa Dime Store
+variety: Jumbo
+date: 2024-03-24
+permalink: wakarusa-dime-store
+image: wakarusa-dime-store.jpg
+image-credit: jumbojellybeans.com
+image-layout: float
+---
+
+
+Welcome to the ninth season of reviews here on <cite>A Boy and His Beans</cite>!
+As noted at the end of last season, they're getting increasingly short.
+I'll have five reviews for you here over the next eight days,
+kicking off with this review from the Wakarusa Dime Store.
+
+My friends Daniel and Rebecca recently moved to northern Indiana,
+and they came across this store in the nearby town of Wakarusa,
+which claims that its jumbo jelly beans are world famous!
+While I have to admit that I had never heard of them,
+I have to give them credit for leaning so hard into this claim
+that they secured [jumbojellybeans.com](https://www.jumbojellybeans.com/)
+as the domain name for their website.
+
+Many thanks to Daniel for sending a bag of these beans for me to review!
+
+
+## Size and shape
+
+When reviewing a jumbo jelly bean, one goes into it knowing that
+the size component of this category will necessarily be
+judged differently from most other jelly beans.
+This is fine; it just means evaluating size in comparison to
+the other jumbos reviewed in the past.
+
+These beans are, on average, the largest I've ever reviewed,
+clocking in at maybe 20% bigger than
+[the Howe Jumbo Jelly Beans I reviewed on this day last year](/howe-jumbo-jelly-beans).
+That makes them just a bit too big for my liking.
+
+They make a solid effort at being bean-shaped,
+and consistency in both areas is strong.
+
+**4 out of 5 beans**
+
+
+## Chewability
+
+To reiterate what I have said before: as bean size increases,
+so must chewability also increase in order to maintain a pleasing experience.
+and the Wakarusa beans handle this quite well.
+The beans have enough just the right amount of substance,
+yielding a good chew that never becomes fatiguing.
+
+**5 out of 5 beans**
+
+
+## Texture
+
+Wakarusa offers a pretty classic take on jelly bean texture.
+I can nitpick a few things, but the overall experience is quite good.
+The shells are smooth, but could be a little chunkier,
+and the insides could be a little smoother, but avoid being gummy.
+
+**4 out of 5 beans**
+
+
+## Taste and flavor
+
+<div class="inset">
+    <h3>Flavors</h3>
+    <ul class="emoji-list">
+        <li>:cherries: Cherry</li>
+        <li>:orange: Orange</li>
+        <li>:lemon: Lemon</li>
+        <li>:green_heart: Lime</li>
+        <li>:grapes: Grape</li>
+        <li>:strawberry: Strawberry</li>
+    </ul>
+</div>
+
+This traditional flavor set doesn't offer anything particularly exciting,
+but it is a serviceable treatment in each case.
+
+Cherry is the standout here with the strongest flavor of the bunch,
+followed by strawberry and grape.
+Grape is a little medicinal, but I don't mind that.
+The citrus flavors would benefit from a little more acidity,
+but that is par for the course in this style of bean.
+
+It's a good, but unremarkable, tasting experience.
+
+**6 out of 10 beans**
+
+
+## The one-of-each test
+
+Perhaps the ultimate test of a bag of jelly beans is how enjoyable it is
+to take one of each flavor and eat them all at the same time.[^1]
+
+Per standard editorial policy, beans advertised as "giant" or "jumbo"
+are exempt from this category.
+
+
+## Conclusion
+
+Category         | Score
+---------------- | ---------------
+Size and shape   | **4**/5 beans
+Chewability      | **5**/5 beans
+Texture          | **4**/5 beans
+Taste and flavor | **6**/10 beans
+---------------- | ---------------
+_Total_          | **19**/25 beans
+
+Various sources report that the Wakarusa Dime Store
+debuted their jumbo jelly beans in 1969, in just one flavor – licorice.
+Their claim of being world-famous is harder to verify,
+but one of the co-owners said at one point that
+[they ship over 75 tons around the world each year](https://www.leaderpub.com/tag/wakarusa-dime-store/),
+which certainly strikes me as impressive.
+
+At the very least, it's an impressive triumph of marketing,
+but unfortunately the product itself is not quite as impressive
+as [the Howe jumbos I reviewed last year](/howe-jumbo-jelly-beans).
+I would still recommend stopping into the Wakarusa Dime Store
+if you like jumbo jelly beans and find yourself in the neighborhood!
+
+---
+
+[^1]: I reserve the right to excuse certain flavors from this test that would ruin it for all the other flavors.