Hi-Chew Doubles – Shine Muscat & Ruby Roman Grape

I lamented before that Morinaga is kind of throwing all sorts of flavours together to see what works, and today’s flavour seems like a rehash of something that was successful before.The only difference is the appearance, and the marketing. Instead of being Kyoho grapes, it’s now Ruby Roman. Ruby Roman is a breed that is sold specifically in the Ishikawa prefecture, and as such are very exclusive and expensive when compared to the more common Kyoho. From a flavour perspective though, I don’t imagine it will be different enough that most people will notice a difference, especially if it’s mixed with another flavour.

Previously I did a review on the bizzaro version of this – it was the combination of shine muscat and Kyoho grape and I imagine this will taste fairly similar, with the exception being that rather than having the red grape on the outside layer, this time it’s on the inside, with the green grape on the outside. I don’t imagine there will be much difference because once your start chewing, the two flavours will mix together, and the only real difference will be the ratio.

As I suspected the flavour is exactly what I was expecting, but in a good way. To break it down, let’s go flavour by flavour. The shine muscat is a very sweet variety of green grapes, and the flavour is kind of like drinking a really sweet ice wine. But not an overly sweet one, as it’s got a nice rounded flavour that is straightforward without complicating things. The Ruby Roman is very similar to the kyoho which is a common flavour used by Hi-Chew. It’s got a very aromatic grape flavour to it, and while it is sweet, it’s also got a tartness to it that makes the flavour less straightforward and more complex. You get the sweet simplicity of the outer layer, and as you work your way in you begin to taste the red tartness, and the interplay between the two works beautifully, like a symphony of flavours. Like chicken and waffles – each component on it’s own is delicious in it’s own right, but you put them together and it’s greater than the sum of it’s parts.

There isn’t much more to say about the texture that I haven’t already – it really still is the best chew in the business. It manages to stay chewy without being too firm, but also not soft or sticky enough to get stuck in between the teeth. If ever there was a doubt how highly engineered and how much effort they put into the mouth feel and experience, you only need to try one piece to be sold.

While it’s virtually identical to the double grape flavour I tried over a year ago, because the two flavours are so good both on their own and together, I would also have to highly recommend this as grape really is one of the better flavours Hi-Chew does, this being proof of their pedigree. I can’t imagine these will be easy to find though, as both green and red grape flavours are one of their more popular varieties, so it only stands to reason that these would be tough to source too. But if you can, grab as many as possible as they are that good.