Review: Bubblicious Gummy Gum Is A Next Generation Chewing Experience

Before the food and beverage world was consumed with collaborations (like KFC and Mike's Hot Honey or Grillo's Pickles and PBR), the more noteworthy combinations were two separate products combined to create a new one. One of the more novel two-fers was the Tootsie Pop, where the chocolate was hidden inside a lollipop, and later when Charms hid a wad of gum inside its own sucker. Whether or not you've been blown away by the charms of Tootsie Pop or a Blow Pop, you have to admit, they are confectionary concepts that work. The fine folks over at Bubblicious have been making classic and nostalgic candies since the 1970s, and in 2027, the brand hopes to take chewing gum to a whole new level with the release of Gummy Gum.

Gummy gum? Is that like gum, but with extra gum? Nope, it's Bubblicious gum, and within the wad resides a piece of gummy candy. "We wanted to rethink bubble gum by making the chewing experience more playful and surprising," said Jen Redmond, gum and mints category director for Perfetti Van Melle North America, in a press release. She added, "It delivers a multisensory experience, while still celebrating what people have always loved about Bubblicious: big bubbles and great flavor."

So, is Bubblicious Gummy Gum totally bubble yum or perhaps a tad too bubble dumb? The Takeout took out some pieces of its two flavors — Watermelon and Strawberry Orange — and chewed and stewed over it all. Now all can be revealed in this chew and review.

In advance of the nationwide launch in stores, Perfetti Van Melle USA sent over samples of its two flavors of Bubblicious Gummy Gum — Watermelon and Strawberry Orange. Two pieces of each flavor were chewed up in this taste test to formulate a conclusion.

This chew and review is a summation of my own personal tastes and opinions. I also took into consideration my previous experiences with Bubblicious, gummy candies, and my overall impressions of this new Gummy Gum product. The ultimate criteria considered for this review were flavor, presentation, texture, familiarity, originality, uniqueness, and ultimately, whether this is something you should chew or bid adieu to.

Recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

While I had visions of the gummy candy wrapped in full by the gum, this Bubblicious Gummy Gum confection stayed true to the exemplary graphic on its packaging, where the gum formed a "c," and the thin gummy candy filled in the negative space. Visually, I enjoyed the look of this watermelon-flavored fellow, where the bright pink bubble gum exterior played host to the more darkened pink hue of the gummy strip. Like any gum, it was mildly sticky to the touch, and naturally (or artificially?) smelled like bubble gum. Before taking a chew, I gave both parts of this treat a lick. The gum had a sugary sweetness to it, and the gummy strip didn't reveal much in that touch to my tongue, but its smooth, gelatin-like texture is what stood out in my mind.

Without further ado, I got to chewing. I didn't know what to expect — like how would my teeth be able to interpret what's to be chewed and kept in the mouth, and what part gets swallowed. Luckily, the gummy part quickly and mostly detached itself from the gum as chewing commenced. Gummies tend to need big bites to be broken up into pieces, but here, the stripe within the gum was a bit more gelatinous, with the consistency more akin to fruit snacks. Within just a handful of bites, it had easily dissolved. The bubble gum itself was the more dominant of the two flavors, with the gummy barely hitting those watermelon notes. However, once the textually pleasing gummy part had been removed from the picture, the gum took on a more pungent fruity flavor that was a pleasure to chew on.

As I unwrapped the other flavor — Strawberry Orange — the piece had a similar structure, with the gum forming a "c," and the gummy candy piece filling out the inner void. This one was even more beautiful to the eye. The strawberry gum popped with a more vibrant, almost glowing neon pink color. Sitting within that sea of deep pink, the gummy strip didn't appear to be orange, but when held up to sunlight, it revealed an orange that wouldn't look out of place on the skin of a dried apricot. This gum also had a more comely aroma, almost like it was a strawberry-scented eraser that a kid in elementary school would spend more time smelling than using.

When I got to chewing, the gummy here seemed to stand out more in both its texture and flavor aspects. It had a nice tinge of orange flavoring, more like a jam. Like with the other flavor, this gummy candy was easily separated from the gum part. I was beginning to get more used to this chewing experience, but it was still a joy for the teeth and mouth to magically taste and feel how it all sussed out. The strawberry flavor of this gum was particularly yummy, with a more full fruity flavor. It produced far more juices, which seemed to be forever squirting towards the recesses of my mouth. I happily let my throat have a taste of this nectar. This one seemed to lose its flavor quicker, but that's because I was enjoying those juicy juices so much.

Going into my taste test of Bubblicious Gummy Gum, I had so many questions in my head as to how this would work and whether it was worth the work. The answers came quickly, and they were satisfying and super juicy. Sure, I would have loved to have bitten into a Haribo Goldbear within a piece of gum, but whatever candied substance Bubblicious has nestled within was still a worthy and tasty diversion. The downsides were nothing surprising. Since there's space reserved for the gummy strip, it had less gum than a typical piece would contain, so I wasn't able to blow those big signature Bubblicious bubbles. Also, the fruity flavor only lasted about five or so minutes (there's a reason why bubble gum flavor doesn't last long, after all), but that's also par for the course ... and just meant I was ready for more Gummy Gum.

So, with fewer people chewing gum than ever, is Bubblicious Gummy Gum the next Blow Pop? Not exactly, but then again, the gum inside the Blow Pop isn't exactly something to write home about. This new gum-candy is certainly a novelty act, and it elevates the experience of gum chewing to the next generation. Every time I popped a piece into my mouth, it almost felt like encountering it for the first time. I kept marveling at how the gummy strip detached from the gum, and how my teeth were having two textural chomping adventures at the same time. Whether you're a big-time gum-slinger or just an occasional chewer, Bubblicious Gummy Gum will deliver a few minutes of fun that's at least worth trying once. But will you be able to patiently wait until Spring 2027 to try? I may have to ration my remaining pieces and spread out the joy until they drop in stores for us all to chew and stew on.

Bubblicious Gummy Gum will be headed towards retailers in the U.S. and Canada at an unspecified date in the spring of 2027. Gummy Gum will be a new and perhaps permanent addition to the Bubblicious roster. It will be available in packs with five pieces each. There will also be a two-count variety pack. Price may vary by retailer, but the suggested retail price for the single pack is $1.59 and $2.39 for the two-pack.

Both Gummy Gum flavors contain the following ingredients: sugar, corn syrup, gum base, glycerin, citric acid, artificial flavors, pectin, sodium citrate, soy lecithin, and water. The Original Watermelon flavor is colored with carmine, while Strawberry Orange is colored with both carmine and turmeric. They also contain the allergen soy, but they don't have the one gross ingredient you might find in other bubble gums. Based on the best-by date imprinted on the packaging, the gum should be good to go, unopened, for at least 14 months.