Altoids Cinnamon Gum

Altoids, owned and distributed by Wrigley in the US, added gum to their popular line of "curiously strong" tinned mints in 2003. Like Orbit, Altoids has British connections. The mint was created by Smith & Co. in the late 1700s, and then became part of Callard & Bowser in the 19th century. Altoids have remained an obscure, old-timey brand in the UK, but have enjoyed success as an export, especially in the US.

The Altoids gum comes in a cute tin, smaller than the full-size mint tin, but larger than the "Smalls" mini-mint tin. Unlike Altoids mints, the gum does not contain gelatin, making it suitable for people who don't eat meat. That's great. I hate meat in my candy. The gum is packed by weight, meaning each tin holds "about 20 pieces." The number you get will be a surprise.

The gum is cute. It's round and candy-coated and looks like a big red m+m. On first bite through the shell you get quite a wow. It has a hot cinnamon taste with the right amount of sugar. It's probably the hottest cinnamon gum you can buy in a regular store. Despite the candy shell, the texture is soft and chewy. It keeps the flavor for about 30 minutes. The only problem with this gum is that one piece is a little too small for an adult mouth.

When you're finished with the gum, you can make the tin into a holder for your moo cards, or any number of other neat little projects.

Review: 3.75 chomps, $$.