We’ve reviewed (what I thought was) this style of licorice a few times before and we LOVE it: salty licorice with a crispy candy shell. These appeared to be more of the same, from an excellent Licorice maker, Venco.

Really though, …they’re nothing like I expected. They even looked exactly as I thought they would out of the bag:

However…the taste couldn’t be more different, or harder to explain. First, these aren’t enrobed licorice: they’re much closer to a sorta licorice style malt ball, or Whoppers for you Yanks. Maltesers for the UK crowd.

Here’s the deal: when you bite into it, you immediately get 3 flavors: mint, salt, and a faint licorice taste. Immediately, it breaks up and dissolves in your mouth, leaving you with those flavors to ruminate on.

I was stunned at first, thought perhaps the piece I had eaten was a mutant defect, tried again.

Nope, that’s what they are. And…they’re good! They’re just beyond niche. I mean, I have enough trouble trying to convince people to take a chance and eat a piece of licorice: getting them into this is a fool’s errand. Mrs. Guru spit it out.

I apologize for her. In her defense though, I know that would be a lot of people’s reaction.

These are intense, specific, and for those who generally dig on the scope of licorice from the smarter side of the world, I bet would be received pretty well. In America though? No way. Just too many folks who are freaked out by licorice in general, salt, and the addition of mint to that? Might be too much.

But it’s not too much for you now, is it? Great deal below, but it sort of implies a commitment to them. I know you can do it.