In 2010, Altoid Sours were discontinued. It was a huge loss for a lot of masochists people who longed to have the tops of their mouths ripped to shreds and their sphincters absolutely puckered into oblivion. But earlier this year, the news broke: Sour Altoids were coming back. Only they weren’t going to be called Sour Altoids anymore. They were going to be called Retro Sours.
Now made by a company called Iconic Candy, Retro Sours candy is the real deal. Mars sold the recipe for Altoid Sours to Iconic, so you can rest assured that these are not facsimiles—as long as Iconic Candy followed the recipe, of course. And while they haven’t made it to impulse-buys shelf at checkout (yet), they’re actually not too hard to find. You can buy them at your local Cracker Barrel or you can find them online at IT’SUGAR.
But should you?
Are these new/returning Altoid Retro Sours as good as everyone remembers? We tried all three flavors—Mango, Tangerine, and Citrus—to find out.
Pros: These things really are sour. If you looked around the Sporked communal desk area after we popped these puppies in our mouths, you would have seen some cartoon-level puckered faces. They made me sweat. Seriously. But if you make it through that tartness, you’ll be rewarded with a bright, zesty tangerine flavor. And texturally speaking, all of the Retro Sours were a treat for the tongue, thanks to the little nubbins on the small but powerful hard candies.
Cons: I detected a touch of cleaning fluid flavor, which is common for a lot of citrus-flavored things. But it’s easy to ignore.
Pros: The Mango Retro Sours were even more sour than the Tangerine! Our eyes disappeared into our heads, we squeezed them shut so hard. Having trouble waking up in the morning? Try these instead of coffee. You’ll explode out of bed. But the sour isn’t just sour for shock value—it really tastes good and complements the ripe mango flavor. It all comes together to kinda taste like green mango, which is a delicious flavor for a hard candy. I adore these Retro Sours and I will be keeping a tin in my purse.
Cons: They’re so good that I’m afraid I’ll eat too many and legitimately hurt my mouth. After tasting just three Retro Sours, the top of my mouth is already ailing.
Pros: If you’re scared of extreme sourness as a grown-up but still want to relive your Altoid Sours childhood, these are the gentlest of the bunch. They taste like sour lime Jell-O.
Cons: Unfortunately, these Citrus Retro Sours are as generic as they sound. It’s like the candy scientists got tired and bored by the time they got to making these. They’re not shockingly sour. They’re not particularly flavorful. There’s just no wow factor. If you’re really interested in experiencing what Retro Sours candy has to offer, stick with the Mango and Tangerine.
Hi! I’m the editor-in-chief of Sporked. I will never turn down a fresh-shucked oyster but I’ll also leap at whatever new product Reese’s releases and I love a Tostitos Hint of Lime, even if there is no actual lime in the ingredients.
Why you should trust me: I have been writing about food and beverages for well over a decade and am an avid at-home cook and snacker. I began my career writing about fine dining and recipes, moved into cocktails and spirits, and now I talk about groceries. If you can eat it or drink it, I’ve probably written about it.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s dried okra. Appleton Farms prosciutto from Aldi. Some sort of Trader Joe’s cheese (I’m into the aged gouda at the moment). Frozen waffles (usually the Eggo Cinnamon Toast Minis). Spindrift water (loving the Cosmopolitan right now).
Favorite ranking: Smoked salmon. Imagine me as Scrooge McDuck but instead of coins I’m diving into a vault of slippery smoked salmon slices. Pure joy. I also found some real steals in that taste test!
Least favorite ranking: Canned oysters. I had such high hopes for this but it quickly became a chore. The kitchen smelled like an uncleaned aquarium.
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Justine Sterling
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