The word “original” is a really good way to describe Sweetarts in general. Some might also use the word “classic” and that would work too. I guess what I’m saying is that Sweetarts are a classic candy, but they’re also not really that interesting either. There’s nothing amazingly different or unique about this candy, but this is likely because this was one one of the first candies of it’s kind. Since then there have been thousands of other candies like Sweetarts, and maybe even a few better ones, but since this one has been around for so long, it was very likely something special when it came out.
The reason I would call these simple is because what you’re getting is compressed powder with a fruity taste. You are also getting the sweet and tart flavour as well. I would say that they seem to be a little more sour than sweet, but it’s still pretty balanced. The flavours are good, but they’re nothing that revolutionary. The grape and the lemon are the easiest to make out, but the green, blue and red Sweetarts area little more difficult to place. I feel like the blue is either blueberry or blue raspberry, and the red might be cherry, the green I wasn’t too sure about at all. While they do have a slightly different flavour between the colours, there is a general sour fruitiness to them all.
I feel like the recipe for Sweetarts hasn’t changed in decades. I’m okay with this. I like that they keep their classic candy the same, and then introduce new varieties outside of the original. I don’t really understand the theme of this candy in general, other than they’re just simple round disks of powder, flavour, sour and sugar. Since they’re such a classic candy they can get away with being kind of boring, because they make up for it in nostalgia. They are kind of the prime example of old people’s candy being less interesting than the new stuff, but bringing back a fond memory is much more valuable than innovation sometimes.