Lotte Black Black Energy Gum Review

Like with many other caffeinated mints and gum, I try to use the products for a few days or weeks to see how they work and then I sit down and write a review. Black Black is no exception...well...it kind of is since the weeks turned into months, which turned into almost a year. I recently re-discovered my pack of Black Black with a couple of sticks of gum sitting behind my monitor. I thought that since it is January 1st and I am somewhat sober, I should write a review and scratch one product off my list. So here it is.

Taste

Upon unwrapping a stick of Black Black, one can easily see why the gum has such a name. Each stick is dark purple/brown in color and resembles a lighter version of tapioca pearls you find in bubble teas. The gum is very minty and reminds me a lot of Fisherman's Friend Original mints...which are extra minty. The strong minty taste lasts for a a few minutes and gives you very refreshing feel and really opens up your nostrils for a few minutes of clean breathing. Following the intense initial mint taste, a less intense one comes and stays for some time. Overall, I really like the gum because it is well balanced and is neither too sweet, nor too bitter, though a subtle hint appears after 30 or so minutes of chewing.

Energy

Since the packaging is in Japanese, and no numbers are present, other than what appears to be an address, I cannot say how much caffeine is in each stick. A quick search shows that there might be 5 mg of caffeine per stick, which is very, very low. I don't know if it is a placebo effect, but I thought there are more than 5 mg of caffeine per stick...not a lot more though. There is barely a caffeine-related buzz, but there is sure is one from the intense mint taste, which lasts for approximately 20-30 minutes. Bottom line is I wouldn't chew this for the caffeine, but more for the intensely refreshing taste.

Scores:
Cost - $2.50 for a pack from KingofCaffeine
Taste - 10/10
Energy - 1/10 to 5/10...depending on the number of pieces you chew

Overall - 11/20 to 15/20...excellent minty taste with a barely noticeable buzz