Starburst Very Berry Chews

Unlike its travel buddy Snakes and Ladders and soon-to-be-reviewed Noughts and Crosses, Starburst's Very Berry Chews is very much American made. Although they have different packaging (who designed our bags, seriously!), the contents is much the same - a collection of berry-flavoured chews. Read on for the review!

Although the illustration on the front of the pack only shows three, there are actually four different flavours included, three of which are new to the Australian market. Strawberry is already present in the Fruit Chews bag (along with lemon, orange and cherry), but Blueberry, Raspberry and Blackberry are all making their debut here. They are fairly new in the US as well, having only been released there in 2012.

Each piece is individually wrapped, but even the wax paper can't hold in the strong scent of these babies. Again, store in a ziplock bag to keep the scent contained. The bag's mixed scent is a fruity medley that smells like warm jam.

Strawberry has a pink wrapper, and is the flavour Australians will be familiar with first off. The piece is a soft bubblegum pink colour that smells slightly sweet. The flavour is a bit along the lines of strawberry ice cream, but far more juicy. It's sweet and a little tangy at the same time, in a good way. Although it's not very realistic, it's a delicious artificial version.

I only got a couple of blueberry pieces in my bag, so had to make their tasting count. The flavour is darker and more serious than strawberry; it has a tang to it alongside the rich jam notes. This is recognisable as blueberry, without a doubt.

Raspberry pieces are a bright coral pink in colour, rather than the dark red of the wrapper. There's a real good depth of flavour here, with lots of warm jam notes. It has a good kick to it too, but there is a touch of the medicinal flavour that tends to come with artificially coloured red products. It's not a strong note, but it is there, and its presence also leads the flavour more towards cherry territory.

Last but not least is blackberry. Like blueberry, it sits on the 'darker' side of the flavour spectrum, but in a good way. It's a rather floral flavour, with a good variety of flavour depth and interest.

I really enjoyed the variety in this bag and hope that they are here to stay. The medicinal note in the raspberry pieces knocked the score down half a mark, but otherwise I loved them and will be buying them regularly.

Score: 4.5 out of 5 jelly beans.

Starburst Very Berry Chews are made in the USA. They contain glucose, palm oil and soy. The pack contains no allergen statement.