Despite the repeated warnings of health and wellness experts, kids and adults alike crave candy in its wide array of shapes, forms, textures, flavors, and levels of sweetness. But it takes special customers to truly appreciate the explosive combination of sweet and tart flavors and eye-watering acids found in really sour candy, which release dopamine and thus reinforce cravings, creating a vicious circle of pure candy bliss. A survey of 2,000 candy lovers found that connoisseurs of the most sour candy proudly labeled themselves as “eccentric," “funny,” and “sarcastic.” Perhaps those participants should have added “bold,” “curious,” and "a little masochistic,” given the state and color of one’s tongue and tooth enamel afterward.
Here is an overview of some of the world’s most sour candies, which despite their tart effects at least aren't dangerous candies. Vote up the ones that leave you in a puckered-up stupor.
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144 VOTESBarnett's Mega Sour Fizz Bombs
Who Makes Them: The family-run Barnett Confectioners Ltd. dates back to 1896, when the business was established by Richard Barnett in Nottingham, England. In their earlier years, their Barnips cough drops, Lung Tablets (now called Lun Jeelers), and Sherbet Bon-Bons (today’s Sherbons) were very popular.
Top Flavors: Mega Sours are hard fruity candies that were introduced in the early 2000s in four flavors: apple, cherry, lemon, and raspberry. Since then, they’ve expanded to bubblegum, cola, rhubarb custard, violet, watermelon, and fruits (orange, lime, strawberry, and pineapple). Quite a few choices for those with a sour tooth!
Sour Level: Barnett claims on its page that Mega Sours are “the world’s most sour sweets,” but do customers concur? Just look for reviews using the #megasourchallenge hashtag, and you’ll find them ranging from “My eyes are watering” to “It’s burning” and “Oh, it hurts!”
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243 VOTESWarheads
Who Makes Them: You can easily spot Warheads products in a store thanks to Wally Warhead, the boy mascot with a mushroom cloud coming out of his head. The aptly named Warheads brand, created in Taiwan in 1975, was acquired in 2004 by Impact Confections, headquartered in Janesville, WI. The candies are also manufactured by the Australian-based Universal Candy.
Top Flavors: Warheads come in various forms, from the Extreme Sour hard candy, to Cubes (sour, sweet, fruity, and chewy), to the Jelly Beans (with a sweet and fruity interior and a sour shell). Extreme Sour products are available in blue raspberry, lemon, green apple, black cherry, and watermelon.
Sour Level: The acidity in an Extreme Sour candy lasts from five to 10 seconds, and is super intense. Some people dislike the sudden drop in tanginess, while others love the initial punch and find it comforting and even useful to assuage panic attacks.
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334 VOTESNobel Super Lemon
Who Makes Them: Established in 1929, Nobel is a candy and gummy manufacturer from Japan. The company's products stand out thanks to the adorable mascots, which include the face of a bear in the shape of a kumquat.
Top Flavors: Nobel’s Super (sour) line comes in cola, lemon, and plum. They’re a strong-flavored, juicy, hard candy coated in sour powder.
Sour Level: Nobel Super Lemon customers have reported that although the sour effect is short term, the sweet lemony interior is very satisfying. A pregnant woman even praised the product for easing her morning sickness, so props for that!
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448 VOTESToxic Waste
Who Makes Them: Established in 2006, Candy Dynamics Inc., based in Carmel, IN, specializes in sour candy products.
Top Flavors: The world-famous hard Toxic Waste candies, packed in small drum containers, come in single explosive flavors and even a fusion of two different flavors: combinations include raspberry/lemon, orange/apple, banana/blueberry, grape/strawberry, and pineapple/passion fruit.
The brand also offers other products, including the chewy Atomz particles; Smog Balls, crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside; Slime Licker Squeeze; and a wide assortment of Bears, gummies covered in sour sugar.
Sour Level: The candy in the Toxic Waste drums toys with your taste buds: a sour exterior, a sweet (and soothing) second layer, and in the end, an extremely sour core that hits you when you least expect it. Those who have tried the challenge with multiple flavors at once were barely able to blurt out, “It’s like a swimming pool in my mouth. I'm making so much saliva,” and “It gets worse.” One person offered their own slogan: “Toxic Waste: For Misery.”
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526 VOTESPucker Powder
Who Makes Them: Established in 1997 by Scott Green, Creative Concepts Inc., based in Irondale, AL, describes the company as dedicated to "smiles the size of Texas.”
Top Flavors: The popular Pucker Powder is available in both sweet and sour variations and comes in tiny, crunchy bits or powder form. The latter is presented in neck bottles and large dispensers for creating edible candy art at parties. The sour flavors are blue raspberry (sour and super sour), grape, green apple, lemonade, fruit punch, mixed berry, orange, peach, pineapple, pink lemonade, watermelon, and wild cherry (sour and super sour).
Props for originality: The company also offers Sour Mystery candies (the flavor is uncertain) and the Sour Freedom Pop (a glittery dessert topping).
Sour Level: The products are fun and interactive, but reviewers have labeled them only mildly sour and “sweet with a hint of tangy.”
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642 VOTESCry Baby Extra Sour Bubble Gum
Who Makes Them: Cry Baby Extra Sour Bubble Gums are made by Chicago-based Tootsie Roll Industries, which also produce Junior Mints, Frooties, and Tootsie Rolls.
Top Flavors: There are Cry Baby Extra Sour Tears, Drinks, and Chews, and the Extra Sour Bubble Gums are presented in both gumball and twist form. The main flavors are sour lemon, cherry, apple, berry, orange, and watermelon.
Sour Level: These products are promoted as “Long-lasting bubble gum chewing fun” that makes “even the macho men cry” for 40 seconds, but what do regular buyers think? Some Redditors don't hold back, commenting, “Your tongue hurt like hell for days,” “Awesome AF for 37 seconds,” and “Tart as f**k.”
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713 VOTESAcid Skull Drops Extreme
Who Makes Them: Based in Vechelde, Germany, Red Devils Taste sells a wide assortment of sweets, specializing in spicy hard candy.
Top Flavors: Acid Skull Drops Extreme are presented in resealable bags. They’re available in licorice, apple, guarana wildberry, and fruit mix.
Sour Level: Customers have reported a tingling sensation, an overwhelming sour fizz in the middle, and a pleasant sweet finish. It looks like the gimmick and design are more aggressive than the actual dose of acidity, though.
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815 VOTESTaveners Sour Lemon Drops
Who Makes Them: Established in 1904 by William Henry Tavener, Taveners, one of the oldest candy brands in the UK, is currently a part of Valeo Confectionary, owner of the famous York Fruits. Taveners still use the same Liverpool factory to make not only hard-boiled sweets, but also Jelly Babies, Wine Gums, and chewy licorice.
Top Flavors: Sour Lemon Drops are Taveners’ only sour sweets. They’re packed in a cup holder tub and contain real lemon juice concentrate.
Sour Level: Marketed as both mouthwatering and biting and intended for refreshment and travel, Taveners Sour Lemon Drops boast a citrusy taste and a well-balanced sweet and tart combination that is not overpowering.
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916 VOTESBlack Death
Who Makes Them: Established in 2004, Mr. Simms Sweet Shop is the UK’s biggest group of traditional sweet shops. Their fizzy and sour line includes Black Death, Bubonic Berry, and Super Sour Bubblegum.
Top Flavors: There are two acid-coated, lemon-flavored Black Death variations: the traditional hard-boiled sweets and the pebble-like Pips.
Sour Level: The product does the name justice, because the extreme acidic feel lasts about 20 seconds. It did seem like forever for one YouTuber, though, who teared up, made weird noises, gagged, and flapped his arms almost right away.
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1026 VOTESSour Ooze Tubes
Who Makes Them: Headquartered in Irwindale, CA, Kidsmania has been manufacturing several lines of candy-toy items since 1998.
Top Flavors: The Sour Ooze tubes are available in colorful jelly form and three flavors: strawberry, watermelon, and blue raspberry.
Sour Level: Does this goo deliver a punch? Reviewers certainly enjoy the combination of sweet and sour and the “not too thick” but “not too runny” consistency, with most favoring the blue raspberry version for the kick.
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1121 VOTESZweet Sour Belts
Who Makes Them: Based in New York, family-owned Galil Brands manufactures an array of grocery products. The Zweet line spans licorice, gummies, chews, and marshmallows, including the Sour Belts since 2016.
Top Flavors: Sprinkled with acidic sugar, Sour Belts are available in strawberry, strawberry cream, green apple, cotton candy, melon, mango, pink lemonade, passion fruit, blackberry, mixed berry, grape, black cherry, pineapple, peach, and lemon lime. Special flavors include Red, White, and Blue US Flag Bites; Island Punch; Unicorn Kiss; and Rainbow.
Sour Level: There are Sour and Insanely Sour versions, but to what extent do they burn your tongue? Some people find them juicy and flavorful, with a powerful punch at the very end, while others are hit with the punch right away and conclude, “If these don’t make your eyes twitch, you’ve got some problems.”
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1217 VOTESSour Punch Straws
Who Makes Them: Based in La Porte, IN, the American Licorice Company was started by Martin Kretchmer as a chocolate business in 1914 and added licorice. Encouraged by the success of the Red Vines twists in the 1950s, they came up with the Sour Punch line, which now includes Straws, Gummies, Bites, Roulettes, and Twists.
Top Flavors: Presented in plastic trays, Sour Punch Straws are available in strawberry, blue raspberry, watermelon, grape, and rainbow.
Sour Level: The acidic sugar coating delivers a punchy start before making way for a soft, sweet chew. After comparing the flavors, a YouTuber concluded that Sour Punch Blue Raspberry Straws were the most flavorful.
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1325 VOTESSour Patch Kids Extreme
Who Makes Them: Introduced in 1985, the Sour Patch Kids brand, in its various declinations, is owned by the Chicago-based Mondelēz International. The latter was officially founded in 2012; it spans 80 countries and produces many top-selling, enduring brands like Cadbury, Chips Ahoy!, Oreo, Clorets, and Halls.
Top Flavors: Sour Patch Kids Extreme are soft, chewy, and shaped like smiley people. They come in mixed fruity flavors and are packaged in brightly colored bags.
Sour Level: Those adorable gummies will make you pucker up instantaneously, but the effect will soon fade, and you’re left with a pleasantly sweet experience. As one reviewer puts it: “[I] appreciate the extra zing these give without hurting your mouth…"
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1410 VOTESJuicy Drop Gum
Who Makes Them: Juicy Drop, Ring Pop, Push Pop, and other popular sweets are manufactured by The Bazooka Companies Inc. Bazooka Candy Brands International Ltd. is based in Richmond, UK.
Top Flavors: Juicy Drop Sweet Bubble Gum includes a sour gel applicator, meaning you get to decide how much punch you want on each one of the sweet, chewy gums. The names of the flavors are enticing: Blue Rebel, Watermelon Blast, Knock-Out Punch, and Apple Attack. More toned down is Strawberry Lemonade.
Sour Level: The product is marketed as “the perfect mix of sweet and sour,” and that it is. The punch is definitely there, but it is tempered by the sweetness of the bubble gum.
