This is the Kasugai Seika Tsubu Gumi Refresh Mint, featuring a variety of flavours in each pack: mint (17 pieces), soda mint (19 pieces), and citrus mint (18 pieces).
The blue mint chips scattered on the exterior coating provided a consistent mint taste across all flavours, while coloured component as well as the gummy interior offered the secondary aspect of each flavour (mint, soda, and citrus).
Mint. The off-white exterior coating with blue mint chips encased a clear, colourless gummy interior.
The jellybean had a gentle sweetness from its white exterior, reminiscent of the sweet coating found on chewing gum, complemented by a subtle mint flavour. As one bit into it, the blue mint chips melted, releasing a vibrant minty taste. Upon reaching the gummy interior, a bright sweetness emerged, followed by a fruity yet indistinct sourness that effectively balanced the sweetness of the shell and prevented the mint chips from overwhelming with their toothpaste-like associations. The cooling quality from the mint chips persisted throughout chewing and lingered in the aftertaste, providing a refreshing sensation.
Soda Mint. The pale blue exterior coating with blue mint chips enclosed a translucent gummy interior.
The jellybean had a sweet soda flavour from its pale blue coating, along with melting mint chips that provided a cooling sensation, albeit with less pronounced mint notes compared to the previous jellybean. As one reached the gummy interior, a juicy sour sweetness reminiscent of lemony notes in ramune emerged. However, upon chewing through the gummy, a bolder minty flavour developed, accompanied by a fleeting hint of bitterness and strong associations with toothpaste in the finish. At the same time, the lingering cooling sensation from the mint persisted in the aftertaste.
Citrus Mint. The green exterior conating with blue mint chips housed a clear gummy interior.
The green coating of the jellybean imparted a citrus flavour with a subtle sweetness, gentle acidity, and a hint of zesty sharpness reminiscent of grapefruit, while the melting mint chips provided a refreshing cooling sensation mid-bite. Upon reaching the gummy centre, the main source of citrus flavour was revealed, tasting distinctly of grapefruit but with a bolder and brighter sweetness and acidity compared to the external shell. This jellybean stood out as our favourite due to its well-balanced and refreshing fruity acidity.
In summary, while we have a preference for the premium fruit series over these mint-flavored jellybeans, we still found them exceptionally delicious. They stand out as the best minty jellybeans we’ve ever tasted, and they easily rival soft or hard mints in general.
This Kasugai Seika Tsubu Gumi Refresh Mint contained 75 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Hong Kong in 2023.