Today's Review: Haribo Orange Balla Stixx

I've been a fan of Balla Stixx since I found the fizzy bubblegum flavour last year. I assume the "Balla" is supposed to be pronounced as in rhyming with "Valhalla", but I prefer to refer to them as "Baller Sticks", so I can pretend to be gangsta while I eat them. In either case, Balla Stixx are similar to the fondant pencils you find in various supermarkets, except, you know, better, at least they are in the case of the bubblegum ones. I find that most pencils stick to the darker flavours, your strawberry or blue raspberry. I can't recall ever seeing an orange flavour, which is why I was so drawn to these ones. They intrigued me, and I figured with Haribo I was in safe hands, so I picked them up.

I'll give them one thing, these definitely smell orangey. It's a pleasant smell, though somewhat telling that therein lies more a sickly confectionery style orange rather than freshly squeezed style. This is reflected in the taste too, it's a very bold, sweet flavour that is a little overwhelming at first. The pencils themselves have a great texture, a nice soft fondant wrapped in a satisfyingly chewy exterior, and while I was put off a little by the strength of the orange flavour, it's actually not that bad. It's pretty authentic, although definitely saccharine, and while it does hang around in the aftertaste it's actually a fairly pleasant orangey flavour. I'm not sure I'd buy these again, especially with other great flavours on offer, but these Balla Stixx are something different, and they're put together fairly well.

My rating: 3/5