Hey folks- News from the editor's desk: we will be relaunching Nicotine Gum Review in January 2008.
Due to other obligations, distractions and other assorted excuses, we haven't been able to keep up with the current edition as much as we would like to. So beginning in 2008, we will relaunch NGR with a new focus and regular updates with news, commentary, and of course reviews.
So stay tuned for the new and improved NICOTINE GUM REVIEW, coming your way January '08!
-CAT
Here on Nicotine Gum Review, you will read many things that have nothing to do with nicotine gum, including interesting and humorous news items, commentary on current events, personal stories, and tongue-in-cheek reviews of numerous other products and places. But when it comes to nicotine gum reviews, we’re strictly business. That being said, I’m glad to present our first nicotine gum review to you right here, on Nicotine Gum Review.
For the first review, it seems logical to review the Nicorette line of nicotine polacrilex gums, since Nicorette is the grandfather brand of nicotine gums, at least in the
Before getting on to the reviews, I should explain that there are two styles of nicotine gum- the old style, which I’ll refer to as “classic”- this is the way nicotine gum has been since it was first made available for purchase “over the counter” (without a prescription).
There is also a newer style of nicotine gum, which I’ll refer to as “coated”. Nicorette introduced this style about 4 years ago- this nicotine polacrilex gum is enrobed (a term which seems to be reserved exclusively for candy and confectionary items, which nicotine gum is NOT… make no mistake about that) with a candy-like shell coating. The coating is enhanced with a sugar substitute (xylitol), flavoring, and some other ingredients that I’ll skip for the sake of simplicity. The “coated” style nicotine gum seems to have a softer texture than the “classic” style, perhaps done intentionally to make it more appealing to the masses, or perhaps as an unintended side effect of the coating being infused into the gum base as it’s chewed.
One more thing to mention in case you are a first-time reader or chewer- Nicorette, as with most nicotine gums, is available in both 2 milligram (recommended for smokers who smoke less than 25 cigarettes a day) and 4 milligram (for smokers who smoke 25 or more cigarettes a day). Another thing for those of you who are quitting smoking and want to save a few bucks on the gum- you can buy a package of the 4mg gum and split the pieces in half. I’ve actually found that chewing ½ a piece (whether it be a 2mg or 4mg piece) actually seems to be more efficient at releasing the nicotine from the gum. I think it may have something to do with the surface area to volume ratio, but this topic will be discussed in more detail in a future article here, on NICOTINE GUM REVIEW.
Nicorette Original (original flavor): 6.5 out of 10
This is the original nicotine gum introduced when Nicorette first became available without a prescription. It is the same “classic” texture and likely the same flavor as when the gum was available only by prescription (I can’t say for sure since I had never tried nicotine gum until it was made available without prescription).
The flavor is hard to pinpoint- it is often described as “peppery”, which may be the actual nicotine making the flavor, or perhaps a flavor additive which is used to compliment the peppery taste of the nicotine. In any case, a lot of people describe this flavor as “disgusting”, “nasty” and “puke”. I will say that this flavor is pretty unusual for the first-time chewer and can be hard for some people to stomach (both figuratively and literally, since first-time nicotine gum chewers have a tendency to swallow their saliva when chewing the gum, which can upset the stomach). Another factor here is the “gum” association- most people are expecting a pleasant, familiar flavor when they think of chewing gum. Nicotine gum is medicine, so some of the unexpected nicotine flavors may cause a knee-jerk response to the flavor.
Nicorette Original is actually half-decent once you get used to it. You shouldn’t use it thinking it’s going to be like a yum-yum bubble gum experience (although the newer flavors seem to try and mimic that very experience- more on that a little later on). Instead it’s more of a slight flavor/sensation combo…. The gentle peppery flavor combined with the nicotine “tingle” (the sensation the nicotine released from the gum produces against the inside wall of your cheeks and gums) actually fits just right when you just want a little nicotine and not a bunch of other flavors to go with it. Nicorette Original is very handy for when you’re about to eat or are drinking something and don’t want any overwhelming flavors to disrupt your palate.
Nicorette Mint: 3 out of 10
This flavor is not to be confused with the “Fresh Mint” flavor of Nicorette, which is a coated-variety (see review below). Nicorette Mint is a “classic” style nicotine gum with a very slight peppermint flavor. The peppermint flavor is almost too subtle- you can’t quite distinguish whether it’s peppermint, spearmint, wintergreen, or some other mint-flavor creation (like “crystal-mint” or “icy-blast”), which may be the reason it is simply named “Mint”.
The subtlety of the flavor doesn’t work here- it’s too weak if you’re in the mood for some mint flavor and the presence of the slight, unexciting mint essence makes you want more of the flavor, or makes you wish it wasn’t there at all. Still, the gum does the job and the slight mint flavor can be a nice middle road for people who don’t like the “Original” flavor and who don’t want a rush of sweetness and flavor when chewing their nicotine gum.
Nicorette Mint also gets a few extra points in my book because of its “classic” texture. As described previously, the “coated” gums seem to have a softer texture, which invites more chewing. Chew the gum too much and it can be a distraction- to your mouth, to your stomach, and to other people around you. The “classic” nicotine polacrilex gum feels considerably firmer when chewing, so you tuck it away between your cheek and gums and forget about it (until the tingle runs out). The softer “coated” style demands more attention and maintenance (chewing, placement, etc.), something I personally don’t want in my nicotine gum, although many people may not mind, or even notice this difference.
Nicorette Orange (discontinued): 9.5 out of 10
This is, in my opinion, the KING of Nicorette flavors. It was made available only by Nicorette (no generic nicotine gum producers that I know of have an orange or similar flavor option).
The flavor can best be described as the traditional orange flavor that you used to find in orange bubble gums, like Bubblicious, minus the syrupy sweetness (interestingly, you don’t see orange varieties available in any of the mainstream bubble gums anymore… what happened? Orange was a great flavor- I’m going to try really hard not to go off on a tangent about bubble gum here, so back to the review). After a little research online, I discovered that the flavor in Nicorette Orange is actually “blood orange”. The flavor isn’t too sweet like bubble gum, and not “not sweet enough”, like the Nicorette Mint flavor reviewed above. It’s just right, and on top of that, it’s got the “classic” texture which I enjoy the most.
Sadly, Nicorette decided to discontinue this flavor for whatever reason. It may have had something to do with it only being sold in the larger 100 piece boxes, which retail for around $50. This may have discouraged people from trying it and instead opting for the cheaper 50-count boxes (usually priced around $23-$27 dollars), resulting in poor sales of Nicorette Orange.
Amazingly, boxes of Nicorette Orange are auctioning on Ebay for upwards of $150. I recently saw an auction for a box with the “Buy it Now” option at $205. I’m currently engaged in a quest to seek out any remaining boxes of Nicorette Orange that are left out there at retail outlets (they do still exist) and will post my strategy for obtaining these few remaining treasures in a future feature right here on NICOTINE GUM REVIEW. I’m also involved in a personal crusade to get Nicorette Orange back on the market. Maybe “crusade” is too strong of a description, but I’m trying however I can. If you want to help, send GlaxoSmithKline a message by going to the link below. Tell them I WANT MY NICORETTE ORANGE!
https://www.nicorette.com/contact.aspx
Nicorette Fresh Mint: 6 out of 10
The first variety of “coated” nicotine gum made by Nicorette. It’s “Fresh Mint” flavor, which is a name I’m used to seeing on the side of tubes of toothpaste or on one of the newer varieties of chewing gums like Orbit. Nicorette Fresh Mint tastes like some combination of peppermint and wintergreen, leaning more to the peppermint side. Oh yeah- and it’s sweet… really sweet. When chewing this variety of Nicorette, or any of the coated varieties for that matter, I’ve gotten into the habit of sucking on the gum first to dissolve the coating, then chewing it for a slightly diluted flavor (it still has plenty of flavor left after the coating is dissolved).
Between the “not-bad, but not great” mint flavor, the blast of sweetness (too much) and the softer texture, Nicorette Fresh Mint gets a passing grade, but not by much. This is the gum that introduced the “coated” trend to the nicotine gum marketplace, but which has failed to produce many exceptional flavors. This is also the gum which is most similar in texture, flavor and appearance to some of the chewing gums that are popular today (specifically brands like Trident White, Eclipse and Dentyne Ice, that come in the sleeve-type boxes with the plastic and foil wrappers and retail for around $1.25).
Nicorette Fruit Chill: 1 out of 10
Gross. This would have gotten a 0 out of 10, but the gum at least contains nicotine and will take care of a craving, but don’t expect much more in the way of a tolerable experience. When did marketers decide that combining fruit flavors with mint flavors would be a good idea? This gum’s flavor is some kind of attempt at a “tropical” fruit blend mixed with a minty “chill” flavor, and it veers more on the side of making you want to spit it out.
Why this flavor is still on the market is a mystery to me. Don’t be deceived by the little picture of a pineapple/strawberry/banana fruit bundle on the box and the “best-of-both-worlds” flavor marketing approach here- fruit and mint do not mix in the world of nicotine gum (or any gum for that matter). Marketers and "flavor engineers”- take note of this.
Nicorette Cinnamon Surge: 8 out of 10
This is a new flavor of coated Nicorette, just released within the last two months or so. And after the less-than-appealing flavor introductions as of late and the discontinuation of Nicorette Orange, I’m happy to report that Cinnamon Surge is good. The flavor is a lot like most of the newer style cinnamon gums out there (coated/foil wrapper ones) with a clean, robust cinnamon flavor, and plenty of it. The gum is a little on the sweet side, but you can try dissolving the coating by sucking on the gum for a minute or two before chewing it in order to dilute the sweetness.
What’s also nice is the spicy cinnamon sensation compliments the natural “tingle” of the nicotine. It makes me wonder why anybody hadn’t thought of this flavor before.
Currently Nicorette Cinnamon Surge is only available in the larger 100 piece box which usually retails for around $50 to $55 dollars, but it’s worth it. Good job GlaxoSmithKline for finally releasing another variety of Nicorette that makes the nicotine replacement therapy more tolerable, and in this case, kind of enjoyable.
That's it for the Nicorette gum products review. With all of these flavors and two different styles of gum available, there's really only one thing you need to remember, and that's BRING BACK ORANGE!
More news to come soon on Nicotine Gum Review.
Hello and welcome to Nicotine Gum Review. This site will be about nicotine gum- product reviews, news and other assorted items about or related to nicotine gum. This site will also include commentary, observations and opinions on a lot of other topics- food and drink, consumer products, happenings in the City of
A little more info about the nicotine portion of this site (it’s good news)- I will NOT be reporting items about quitting smoking, struggling with quitting tobacco, or writing a withdraw diary… this is strictly a source for nicotine gum reviews.
This being the first entry, I’m going to keep it short and sweet until next time. Much more to come though, so I hope you enjoy reading Nicotine Gum Review.