The Reviews Are In On Oreo’s New Swedish Fish Cookies

Earlier this week, Oreo—which in the past year alone has brought blueberry pie, fruity crisp, choco chip, and cinnamon bun flavored cookies to the table—announced that it was pulling yet another unexpected flavor out of its Wonder Vault: Swedish Fish. In general, the public reacted in one of two ways: Yay! or WTF? (probably a bit more of the latter). And now that people have had a chance to actually try them (they’re available exclusively at Kroger supermarkets, and only for a limited time), the taste tests have happened ... and the response doesn't seem to be great. ("Cough medicine" has been referenced in more than one review.)

According to The Impulsive Buy, the cookie’s cream filling tastes “just like Swedish Fish”—though that doesn’t seem to be a good thing. “It has potent, puckering pops of candied cherry and a slightly off-putting finish of waxy gelatin,” the blog writes. “I could probably recreate it with a box of Swedish Fish and a blender, but like shooting fish in a barrel, eating fish in an Oreo is way easier.”

Lest you think the reviewer didn’t go into this culinary experiment with an open mind, he admits that, “I really wanted to like Swedish Fish Oreo, but the ‘crispy fruit medicine puree’ textural contrast is too much for even a quasi-licensed gummy-ologist. I thought dunking them might intensify the chocolate flavor, but I worried that dipping these bizarre things in milk might make the beverage renounce Oreo as its favorite cookie.”

Over at Thrillist, Lee Breslouer’s taste test also ended up with medicinal comparisons. “Taking a bite of the cookie, the Swedish Fish flavor wasn't front and center,” he writes. “I only got chocolate in the finish. And if I thought it smelled like cough syrup in my kitchen a minute ago, after I ate a cookie, I couldn't get the cough syrup taste out of my mouth. On the plus side, it reminded me of that fantastic Young the Giant song ‘Cough Syrup.’”

Breslouer’s final analysis on whether they’re worth the $5 expenditure? “No. No, they are not. And they might be difficult to track down—you can only buy them at the Kroger family of supermarkets (I found mine at a King Soopers). If you're still jonesing for an Oreo or Swedish Fish, I recommend buying a box of Oreo Minis and a bag of Swedish Fish. You're welcome.”

The Twitterverse has been sharing its take on the new cookies, too—some of it positive (plus some ideas on how to make them better). Here’s a sampling of what people are saying about them. Of course, the only way to know what they taste like is to try them yourself (if you dare).