Mintia Breeze – Ume Squash

Some may debate on what classifies as a mint – to me, it’s usually something you put into your mouth to let it freshen your breath while also making you feel refreshed. Ideally it does both, but there are certain things which only do one or the other. Mintia usually does both, but they may not fit the traditional conception of a mint which requires it to be some sort of mint flavour. Peppermint and spearmint being the most common, get kind of boring after a while, for me at least. So having the option to branch out into other flavours is greatly appreciated by someone like me who enjoys novelty.

For those unaware, ume is a common fruit in Japan that is usually referred to as a plum, but it’s more closely related to an apricot. The fruit itself tends to be very sour and salty, so it is known for being a good candidate for pickling, which is usually referred is as umeboshi. The interesting thing about it is how commonplace it is in Japan, especially because they have enough nutrients to keep people feeling refreshed during those hot summer days.

This particular flavour is supposed to be what is essentially a pickled plum soda. Ume is used in everything from being a condiment to pair with rice, or being used in various wines. While it is admittedly a strange flavour profile to have a salty fruit for us over here in the west, it’s got a really nice fragrance that lends itself well to many things.

If you’ve never experienced ume or umeboshi, the smell is usually very fragrant, very floral and has a sweet quality to it. It is very reminiscent of something between an plum and an apricot, but the smell is distinct enough if you’ve smelt it before, you would know. Smelling the strong whiff of the aroma definitely enhances the flavour, as the flavour is mostly tart, very floral like an ume, and has a slight sweetness quality to it. It’s not tart to the point of being sour, and it’s not noticeably salty. Most it’s just like a refreshing stone fruit drink of sorts.

The mouth feel is no different then the other Mintia Breeze flavours – this is meant to stay in your mouth for up to 5 minutes and help keep you feeling refreshed as it slowly dissolves. While I’ve never been able to get the full 5 minutes, I do admit it usually does leave me feeling a bit fresher, both mentally and breathe wise. This has a hint of the xylitol sensation that is akin to menthol where it leaves your tongue feeling a little refreshed after the fact. Other than that it’s fairly straight forward mint experience.

I didn’t really go into this thinking I would be crazy about it, but I have to admit it’s fairly floral and enjoyable overall, and I would get this again. Would I get it over some of the classic flavours like grape or strawberry? Debatable. Would I get it if neither of those is an option? Absolutely.