Branching outside of just Raw Honey reviews, I thought “Why not try some Honey based candies?”. But I discovered there aren’t many, yet there are some really good ones that use Honey in their labeling. I did manage to try the Wedderspoon Manuka Lemon Honey Drops and a quick search on Amazon turned up Torie and Howard. Read on for my review.
I purchased these on Amazon for $5.87 for a 2oz Tin.
These are made in Mexico with their Company based in Indiana. Is anything Organic made in the US anymore? We know I love Grapefruit and recently reviewed the Vonbee Grapefruit Honey Tea, with just 4% Honey in the Ingredients, does this Candy actually have Honey? Are they a better alternative to Jolly Ranchers and Lifesavers?
Tupelo Honey and Pink Grapefruit Hard Candy? Yes, sign me up. Torie and Howard make Organic Candy from quality ingredients like Red Cabbage, and Purple Carrots for the Dye and Organic Sugar and Rice Syrup. Vegan friendly with no artificial flavors or colors. And you can tell, these have a great flavor profile. But what do they mean when they say Tupelo Honey?
Check out my review below to find out what I thought of their Organic Pink Grapefruit and Tupelo Honey Hard Candy.
- Honey: Confusing use of “Tupelo Honey”, Honey is absent, they use a synthetic blend instead.
- Color: Orange and Pink translucent Candy.
- Aroma: Slightly sweet with subtle floral notes.
- Flavor: Punch of citrus, going from subtle to sour as it hits the sides of your tongue.
- Texture: Fun ridges with bumps, Torie and Howard emblem etched in. Hard Candy that you can’t just bite immediately.
Torie and Howard Pink Grapefruit and Tupelo Honey Hard Candy Review
Truthfully, I love these Candies. I like the design, reminiscent of Altoids. I truly appreciate their business mentality of committing to fully vegan ingredients. And I like their flavor profiles across their products. I reached out to them on Twitter and asked” Is there any source of Honey in your products, or are you just using the name as a flavor reference?”.
Their social media rep replied because they are all vegan, Torie and Howard use a proprietary mixture of Oils, Fruit juices and Veggie extracts to simulate the Honey like taste and texture. Discovering these don’t have actual Honey in them, I can appreciate the inclusion.
Looking through their social media and website, it’s clear they are huge supporters of Bees. However,…
Labeling is tricky! Beekeepers struggle with this often. I am not vegan; I misunderstood the description and use of Tupelo Honey on the label. It’s definitely misleading, and to even be specific about the variety of Honey like Tupelo. Admittedly, I’m glad they clarified what they meant, but why bother stating it if you’re Vegan anyway?
What do bees have to do with vegan ingredients?
So, while the Honey is absent from the ingredients, there is a smoothness to it. The actual ingredients used are Organic Sugar, Organic Rice Syrup, Citric Acid, and unfortunately Natural Flavors. The dyes are Red Cabbage, and Purple Carrots. But these Grapefruit and Tupelo Honey candies are very citrus forward with a subtle balance of sour.
There is a little tingle left on your tongue after it’s gone. The citric acid hitting the sides of your tongue, the feeling honey often has settling in your throat slowly leaving you refreshed. It’s weird how it resembles that, maybe it’s because I bought them assuming Honey was involved. The trickery of Marketing.
Some may feel this is “Chemical” or “Medicinal tasting”. I like it, even though it sure isn’t Honey.
I can have one that lasts for 10 minutes without chomping it down to tiny little crunchies. Taking a breath of fresh air, you’re left with a cool refreshing balance of floral notes. However, the sour tingly taste may not be for everyone. And obviously those expecting Honey or notes of it will be left disappointed.
One serving is about 4 pieces and there’s only 11 grams of Sugar per serving. I even took a spoonful of raw Honey I had as the flavors combined, and my was that delicious!
The cost was $5.87 on Amazon for a 2oz Container. Other flavors like Lemon and Raspberry, Pear and Cinnamon, Blood Orange and Honey and Pomegranate and Nectarine are available as well. I would love to try the rest in the future. Unfortunately, don’t expect to taste Honey in these candies! You can find more of their products like Organic Sour Fruitie Chewies and other Organic Hard Candies on their Website or purchase via Amazon.
Score 3/5
Torie & Howard Grapefruit and Tupelo Honey Hard Candy
Final Thoughts
Aside from the confusing labeling, it’s a decent hard candy. It definitely is a premium hard candy at the cost of nearly $6 for a 2oz container. The bitterness may not be for everyone and that taste is probably what people don’t like. I’ve found that artificial flavors of Grapefruit and Watermelon are often “chemical” tasting. I like Torie & Howards company, and I’m definitely curious to try their other Candies. However, don’t try and tell me you got Honey in your Candy. You don’t need to market Bees to sell your product, no matter how trendy they may be.