Add Forrelli review

Author: Scotchester

_posts/2024-03-29-forrelli-assorted-jelly-beans.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Forrelli Assorted Jelly Beans"
+brand: Forrelli
+variety:
+date: 2024-03-29
+permalink: forrelli-assorted-jelly-beans
+image: forrelli-assorted-jelly-beans.jpg
+image-credit:
+image-layout: float
+---
+
+
+Today we take a look at a very odd package that found its way
+onto the shelf of my neighborhood Walgreens: Forrelli Assorted Jelly Beans.
+I initially thought that this might be a new house brand for Walgreens,
+but research indicates that Walgreens still has
+[its Nice house brand, which I reviewed in 2017](/nice-jelly-beans)
+but haven't seen on the shelf in several years.
+(Perhaps they are a year-round offering and thus don't make it into
+the seasonal shelves that I usually scour for the latest jelly bean releases.)
+
+Research indicates very little, though, about the set itself.
+Forrelli is one of a number of brands distributed by a conglomerate named
+[Allied International](https://www.alliedint.com/candies.htm),
+whose frame-based website looks like something I would have made
+when I was first learning to make websites in the late 90s.
+Is that an ominous portent for the beans themselves?
+Let's find out!
+
+
+## Size and shape
+
+If these beans were all the same shade of maroon,
+you might honestly think they were kidney beans.
+The size and shape is impressively close, and they are remarkably consistent.
+
+This does put them somewhere between your common smaller jelly bean size
+and something you could call "jumbo", which is sort of a weird middle ground.
+They're just big enough that it feels a bit weird to grab two or three,
+but just small enough that one doesn't seem like enough.
+I'll dock one bean for that, but they are otherwise flawless in this category.
+
+**4 out of 5 beans**
+
+
+## Chewability
+
+The average chew on these Forrelli beans is just a _hair_ too tough,
+which is probably most directly caused by the shell being quite thick.
+Taken individually, I really like the resistance that they offer,
+but your jaw might start to tire a bit after a dozen or so.
+
+**4 out of 5 beans**
+
+
+## Texture
+
+Dear reader, the first bite into one of these jelly beans
+was one of the most shocking experiences of my life!
+I was on a work call at the time, and I could not stop myself
+from exclaiming in surprise about how _crunchy_ they are.
+I have had plenty of jelly beans with substantial shells,
+and I have repeatedly prized ones that break apart into nice hunks,
+but never have I ever encountered a shell like this.
+
+I've been pondering what I think about it over the past couple days,
+and I think I have to conclude that even though I kinda like it,
+it's just too hard of a texture for something called a jelly bean.
+I can't come up with another descriptor, but again,
+they are downright **crunchy**.
+That is just not how a jelly bean should be described.
+
+Getting past the shell, the insides are not as smooth as I would like,
+so ultimately this is a tough category for Forrelli.
+
+**2 out of 5 beans**
+
+
+## Taste and flavor
+
+<div class="inset">
+    <h3>Flavors</h3>
+    <ul class="emoji-list">
+        <li>:stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes: Strawberry</li>
+        <li>:cherries: Cherry</li>
+        <li>:palm_tree: Coconut</li>
+        <li>:lemon: Lemon</li>
+        <li>:green_heart: Lime</li>
+        <li>:grapes: Grape</li>
+        <li>:wavy-dash: Licorice</li>
+        <li>:orange: Orange</li>
+    </ul>
+</div>
+
+Forrelli offers a fairly traditional set of fruit flavors,
+with raspberry, coconut, and licorice being the oddballs of the bunch.
+Unfortunately, the proportion of flavorless shell on these beans
+makes it a bit hard for the flavor contained in the insides to break through.
+The result is a fairly subtle experience all around.
+
+Orange is an unexpected highlight, bringing more acidity
+than most classic orange jelly beans.
+Raspberry is a bit of a weird one; had it not been labeled on the package,
+I probably would have assumed it was strawberry.
+Licorice is always welcome, but it could be more intense.
+
+No other flavors were noteworthy.
+
+**5 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]
+
+Given the medium size and slightly tough chewability,
+the difficulty factor on this one-of-each test hurts the score here.
+What's really interesting, however, is the flavor alchemy that happens
+when you get all of these beans (licorice and coconut excepted) in the mouth.
+The acidity elevates, the flavors on the insides overwhelm the shells,
+and everything just sings in the mouth!
+It's definitely a whole-greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts situation.
+
+**8 out of 10 beans**
+
+
+## Conclusion
+
+While the texture and individual taste of Forrelli's Assorted Jelly Beans
+left a bit to be desired, this is quite a respectable showing
+for a brand that isn't nationally prominent.
+They are absolutely worth checking out if you're curious about
+a crunchier jelly bean experience and like to eat a a mouthful at once.
+
+Category         | Score
+---------------- | ---------------
+Size and shape   | **4**/5 beans
+Chewability      | **4**/5 beans
+Texture          | **2**/5 beans
+Taste and flavor | **5**/10 beans
+One-of-each test | **8**/10 beans
+---------------- | ---------------
+_Total_          | **23**/35 beans
+
+---
+
+[^1]: I reserve the right to excuse certain flavors from this test that would ruin it for all the other flavors.