Guys, do you have any idea how many different kinds of Skittles there are? Like, an infinity amount. I went to the store to pick up the latest edition, Sweets & Sours Skittles, and I bought the wrong version THREE TIMES before I figured it out. First I just bought the regular bag because I’m an idiot. This was Mistake #1. Then I thought maybe I’d gotten the name wrong and Sour Skittles was the right name. Mistake #2. Then I bought some nonsense called Orchards Skittles because at that point I had given up on life.

I guess I’ve been out of the Skittles game for awhile, because I had no idea they were so prolific. When I finally tracked down the right one, though, I was pretty psyched. Skittles Sweets & Sours sound great: they are a mix of three sweet Skittles flavors (orange, strawberry, and watermelon) and two sour Skittles flavors (cherry and blue raspberry). The first thing I noticed is that there is no visual difference between the sweet and sour flavors. There’s no sour coating on the outside or obvious tip-offs about which is which. This makes me happy because it bumps up the mystery factor. If you’re in a dark movie theater, things could get EXTREMELY exciting with Sweets & Sours Skittles. Let’s review them one by one:

Sweet Watermelon: This is a great watermelon flavor. Strong and punchy. It tastes nothing like real watermelon, but I’m pretty sure that’s impossible for a candy to do anyway. It’s surprisingly tart for being in the “sweet” category, though. This makes me nervous about the upcoming sour flavors.

Sweet Strawberry: This one is less remarkable. It’s definitely sweet and vaguely fruity, but I don’t really get any strawberry. This one is a filler flavor for sure. If this flavor were an episode of TV, it would be that Breaking Bad episode when Jesse and Walt try to kill that fly. Total waste of my time.

Sweet Orange: Tastes almost exactly like an orange Tic-Tac. Also a little tart at the end, but the flavor dies down pretty quickly. These would come in handy if you haven’t brushed your teeth in a while but still want citrusy fresh breath. (Note: I do not recommend this as a hygiene plan.)

Sour Cherry: This is a Luden’s cough drop. It is. Someone chopped up a bunch of Luden’s cough drops and stamped an “S” on the front of them. There’s no other explanation for how similar they taste. Now, I happen to love Luden’s cough drops. When I was little I would steal them out of our medicine cabinet and eat as many as I could before my parents caught me, holed up in my bedroom with bright cherry-stained teeth and panicked eyes. So I mostly mean it as a compliment when I say this Skittle tastes the same, but I could see some people disliking the slight medicinal taste.

Sour Blue Raspberry: Oh man, this one is amazing. It’s all sour right from the start, and the blue raspberry flavor is that classic delicious fake flavor that you know and love. This blows Sour Cherry out of the Sour Water.

So, Blue Raspberry and Watermelon were the great standalones in Skittles Sweets & Sours, but I wasn’t wowed so far. After trying them one by one, I ate a handful of all the flavors together. Bingo: they are so much better in a group than they are individually. No one particular flavor steals the show; they complement each other really well and there’s a fun ebb and flow of sour and sweet. I’d highly recommend eating Skittles Sweets & Sours by the handful instead of one by one. Or, save time and just pour the whole bag in your mouth. That might be the best way to fully appreciate all the flavors, while simultaneously ensuring that you remain dateless for the upcoming Valentine’s Day.

Eating Them One By One Like A Dainty Jackass Rating: 5 out of 10
Eating Them All Together Like A Candy Champion Rating: 9 out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10