Honestly, I’ve never been a big fan of limited editions. It’s a ploy by manufacturers to instill panic and encourage impulse buys. And guess what, Trident? It worked. I had just finished signing my credit card receipt at the check stand, when I noticed this bright and lovely pack of Trident Layers Jelly Bean. And then I saw those fateful words: Limited Edition. Blerg! I snagged a pack, gave a pleading look to the person directly behind me in line, and made the purchase.

As I ripped off the cellophane wrapper and caught a whiff of this delightful gum, I couldn’t have been happier. And then when I actually chewed a piece, I suddenly was transported back to being a 5-year-old in Ohio on Easter morning, tearing through an Easter basket, shoveling jelly beans in my mouth as quickly as possible. My sister heard the chirps first; it was tough for me to hear anything through that crinkly fake grass. I stopped my feeding frenzy (remember, I’m a recovering sugar junkie), and the two of us tip-toed down to the basement. It was quite the Easter celebration: three ducks, a hen, and a rooster awaiting us. They were all so little, yellow, and fuzzy, just like you’d imagine. We lived on a little over two acres in then-rural Copley, Ohio, and it all made sense as to why my Dad had been building a chicken coop over the past few days.

My sister and I promptly named the ducks Huey, Dewey, and Louie; when my parents heard that, they took the lead on naming the hen and rooster. Morgana laid double-yolked eggs, and Ferdinand was a holy terror who pecked at our legs when we entered the coop to get said double-yolked eggs. We had a great summer with the chicks and ducks, and then all of them were able to roam free in their new home: a giant farm in a neighboring town. And, since then, I’d say I became more of a cat person.

Jelly beans are still a favorite, and this gum absolutely embodies the sweet, refreshing taste of that candy. But this gum isn’t even on Trident’s website anymore, so it’s not clear when the gum will disappear from store shelves. Hurry up and get some! Cock-a-doodle-do-not-delay!

The Mastication Evaluation

• Flavor: 5/5 — multiple layers of flavor in this gum, ranging from sweet to tart, and it keeps changing in a wonderful way; by the end, it was mostly the taste of fresh minty pineapple, if you can fathom that
• Scent: 5/5 — If I could make a perfume of this scent, I would, and I would be a bazillionaire
• Texture: 5/5 — soft, chewable, and just the right quantity
• Taste Time: 4/5 — the flavor starting waning at about 15 minutes but lasted for about 26 minutes total
• Long-Term Usage: 5/5 — super soft and easy on my jaw, long after the flavor had disappeared
• Overall: 4.8/5 — Delicious, but you better hurry!

The pretty packaging, featuring bright jelly beans, is a nice touch.

Although a piece of Trident Layers Jelly Bean looks like a ham and pesto sandwich, the scent and taste are exactly has the name describes.

Tuck and fold to reseal the pack of 14 pieces of gum.