Twizzlers vs Red Vines
Twizzlers are everywhere but I’m not sure where RedVines are available, I picked these up in Oregon but I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in New England. Maybe they’re a strictly regional thing like Mello Yello (any readers in the South want to send me a can?) I just haven’t noticed them in my local stores, so I grabbbed a pack when I saw them (and paid for them). Twizzlers state that they’re strawberry flavored while RedVines are I guess…implied strawberry(?)…they’re just labeled as “Red Bars”.
Twizzlers:
These have a nice smell to them, when unwrapped. We couldn’t really say that they taste like strawberry though. Ethan said they “taste red”. The Twizzlers had a nice firm chew, yet broke down nicely after two bites. And we liked that they’re mild and not overly sweet. We also thought the diagonal ‘tread’ added to the enjoyment of this treat and while they looked plasticy, they were nice and soft and we found ourselves really enjoying them.
RedVines:
Ethan thought these looked looked like they came out of the Playdo Fun Factory. The RedVines didn’t have a smooth sheen like Twizzlers and were stickier when chewed. There was also a noticeable difference in flavor: these tasted very artificial. We tried to identify the taste and came up with soap. Not a fancy berry-vanilla-waterfall-fusion soap, more like a dissolve-puke-on-the-cafeteria-floor-industrial strength cleaner. These were not enjoyable at all.
Wrap up:
RedVines need not apply. I can’t imagine walking into a store, seeing both of these and not picking Twizzlers. Red Vines are void of taste and texture, the ONLY saving grace of RedVines might be that they have a bigger hole that could be used as a straw if you really needed a straw.
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October 3rd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
that’s funny, because where I live (in the pacific northwest) red vines are the standard, and are everywhere! I think they are more popular than twizzlers, and you can often find giant tubs of them at reception desks and waiting rooms. I don’t actually like either (not a big red licorice fan) but I wanted to give the red vines some Seattle love. I think Red Vines are just “red” flavor, like Big Red soda.
October 5th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
They can be found here in South Carolina, too. Huge tubs of them at the stores. They don’t taste like Twizzlers, but I don’t think they are supposed to either. They have even been featured one on of those tv shows that show how products are made. I believe Red Vines are supposed to be more like a classic red licorice. I love them! I love Twizzlers too, but Its like enjoying Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, they look alomost identical, but thats where the resemblance stops.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Sounds like your RedVines were not FRESH.
There is a HUGE difference between FRESH and STALE RedVines
Fresh RedVines are full of concentrated WIN. They should not be ’sticky’ or ‘chewy’. They should be soft (much softer than Twizzlers).
In comparison to fresh RedVines, Twizzlers taste like plastic.
November 4th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
red vines are licorice and god only knows what twizzlers are supposed to be. i don’t know if it is just my pregnancy talking or what but i am way addicted to red vines, i have a pack in my purse as i type. Also, the original red bars aren’t as good as the ropes or twists.
November 6th, 2008 at 5:53 am
I cannot tell you how strongly I feel that twizzlers are far, far inferior to red vines. It’s funny I’d describe them almost exactly as you describe the vines: plasticky, soapy, artificial. Maybe it’s just my NW roots talking.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:23 am
?????????????????????????????
anyway. i love red vines, and i have a tub of those in my room right now. in fact, i believe the sample you tried is just a bad sample of the goodness that is red vines.. for starters, mine have the spiral treading and are fresh. delicious! i agree with paige, twizzlers taste like plastic and to me, they get stuck in my teeth way too easily.
November 7th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I seem to be in the minority here. I think Red Vines are pretty foul compared to Twizzlers. They are so weird and sticky and artificial tasting. And that isn’t based on a one time sample, so I wouldn’t blame it on getting stale ones.
November 8th, 2008 at 4:45 am
I lived in Worcester, Massachusetts until recently and they sold Red Vines at the Walgreens down the street.
November 9th, 2008 at 4:42 am
I think twizzlers taste like plastic and have no flavor. The new rainbow twizzlers are very attractive but taste like play doh
However I must admit the sour ones are pretty good but I love red vines soft classic licorice taste.
November 26th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Twizzlers are a second rate knock off of real licorice-style candy. Red Vines are a far superior treat. They are chewier, last longer, and don’t resemble cheap plastic the way their competition does.
They may be a regional thing, as the farther east I have gone the more trouble I have had finding them.
Tom Hanks once said that you can tell if a movie theater is a good one by what kind of licorice candy they have. If Twizzlers, he avoids the concession stand completely. He is a Red Vines man.
November 27th, 2008 at 3:14 am
I used to prefer Twizzlers, until I discovered Kenny’s Juicy Twists. Compared to Kenny’s, both Red Vines & Twizzlers are tasteless pieces of plastic. But they are hard to find. I know of only one store in the SF Bay area that carries them.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
I love all the RedVines love here. Firstly, whoever did the test.. doesn’t know what artificial tastes like (it tastes like the nasty breaking down and horribleness of twizzlers). Second, I don’t know what it is about New England but RedVines are definitely harder to find up here than in back home in the Pac North West. Third, the chewy awesomeness (and slightly vanilla-yness) makes RedVines hold up better to being shoved in a drink at the movies
January 10th, 2009 at 5:21 am
Red Vines are the definition of NASTY. They taste like a red gelatin soap bar only softer, stickier and completely unsatisfying. As soon as I took a bite of one I spit it right back out. Utterly horrible. Twizzlers have always been my favorite and they always will be. I do prefer the Twizzlers’ Cherry Nibs though compared to the other flavors. Although, I won’t touch black licorice at all because that is absolutely terrible and bitter tasting.
April 13th, 2009 at 12:46 am
Red vines are better, what are you smoking? Twizzlers?
April 22nd, 2009 at 1:08 am
I am almost offended by this horrible slander of Red Vines…
I would like to begin by stating that the flavor of Red Vines is red licorice, therefore it does not need an actual flavor title. For those of you who are unfamiliar with awesome-ness of the red licorice flavor, you may find comfort in the strange, artificial, strawberry flavoring of twizzlers. You were sadly deprived as a child, and for that I feel very sorry for you!
I would like to also state that the Red Vine website even relates its company to the West Coast, while twizzlers is owned by Hersheys an east coast company… I guess this will forever be another 2Pac and Biggie; east coast/ West coast rivalry… As for me my vote definitely goes to Red Vines!!!
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:44 am
my bff is obsessed with candy in general and so when he joined myspace and needed a name i suggested a combination of twizzlers and redvines. he calls himself twizzlers wrapped in redvines. i know that since redvines are such stiff awful things(my opinion he likes them both) that redvines wrapped in twizzlers would be easier to construct….but it flows better the other way.
i live in ohio and see redvines on a semi regular basis but i grew up on twizzler. he lives in california and sees redvines in stores more often.
we suggest that u shove twizzler pieces up the redvines hole and munch on it’s sweetness that way. make love not war people….
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:47 am
p.s. kenny’s juicy peices can be found in dollar stores. i did not care for them at all though.
April 25th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
yeah rite red vivnes are the best in the world your ust being biased !!!
April 25th, 2009 at 8:19 pm
I live in florida and have never heard of redvines but love twizzlers
April 27th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
whatch ya talking bout i’m way better than some cheap ass redvine
April 27th, 2009 at 6:25 pm
I live in Florida and we never heard of red vines. Only twizzlers but I dont like them anyway!
May 21st, 2009 at 12:05 am
Who on earth likes Twizzlers? They taste like you’re eating a piece of rubber!
June 25th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
twizzlers are way better. redvines are just gay coppyers and twizzlers have way more flavores. twizzlers even have a chocolate flavor
June 28th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
My vote goes to Red Vines. Original Red, Pink Strawberry, Wild Cherry…I think there is even a green apple and grape.
Twizzlers remind me of plastic and wax, seem a bit harder in composition, and are a bit bland in flavor. I’ve tried a few of the, and I use this word loosely, “flavors” of Twizzlers and I can’t think of any that can compare to Red Vines.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
OMG… Red Vines don’t look like that “play-Doh” stuff where I live…. they look red and twisty “more delicious” than Twizzlers…and I prefer them wayyyyyy BETTER! Go RED VINES!LOL
November 4th, 2009 at 5:38 pm
RED VINES ALL THE WAY. though i love twizzlers, and i am one of the only people i know who does, red vines win. i love red vines. umm, redvines came BEFORE twizzlers. they win. period.
December 11th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
ive been on a licorice kick lately and went along to try whatever different kinds there were at the store by me. Twizzlers are always my favorite. I tried redvines, and Darrel and Lea’s.
1. twizzlers 2. Darrel and Leas 3. Redvines
twizzlers have the best taste and texture , not too hard, not too soft and gummy, great taste. nothing beats it.
darrel and leas is good but it doesn’t have a licorice texture it tastes more like you are eating DOTS or some kind of gummy candy. ( also.. the black licorice darrel and leas is absolute ATROSCIOUS! it tastes like pure molasses ). redvines are ok , it doesnt have too much taste and the texture is too hard and stale like. ( like MCK ^ said .. it def reminds me of those weird wax lips you get on halloween)
=)
February 10th, 2010 at 3:53 pm
I put Red Vines on my desk and they are gone in a flash. When i put Twizzlers on my desk they linger, and linger and linger. I don’t like either brand but it is clear that given a choice, Red Vines are an overwhelming favorite.
February 16th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
okay, I went to a horribly designed target for a discount in twiz and found out that the family bag was 24oz and not the usual 32 oz in Walmart. So i picked up a 26.5 oz bag of redvines which turned out to be stale! I love redvine but HATE when its stale. Lessons learned: NEVER go to target for ANYTHING and always goto walmart for a cheaper 32oz bag of twizzlers…. so as of today… TWIZ rules.
March 11th, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I always knew that Red Vines and Twizzlers had their own fan bases, but I didn’t realize it was like this. Personally, I grew up in Northern California(where Red Vines come from) so I have been a fan of them since I can remember. Like some others have stated, your description of the Red Vines describes spot-on how I feel about Twizzlers. It’s like eating plastic! Red Vines are red licorice, and Twizzlers are not. That’s a fact. Twizzlers are more of a licorice-like sugar substance.
What I was not aware of, however, was the regional distinction between who prefers which. I always assumed that red licorice was universally liked across the country. I didn’t know most people on the East Coast prefer Twizzlers. I found this out recently when I went to the store to satisfy my Red Vine craving(I currently live in Floria). I was looking up and down the candy aisle and all I saw were Twizzlers! I went to 5 different stores and there are NO RED VINES HERE!!! Luckily, my brother lives in Sacramento and just sent me some! YUM!!!
April 2nd, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Again,only one is available around here. Although I do think they have a comparable brand around in western Minnesota that can go against just about everything.
April 14th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
OK I am going to second what many above have said: the description given to Red Vines in the sampling experiment is exactly how I would describe Twizzlers as well. One problem may be that you bought the Red Vines BARS and not the box of TWISTS. Even I, a die-hard addict of Red Vines, strongly prefer the twists to the bars. They are softer and have better flavor and texture (bars tend to be tougher to chew). Plus the Twists are just beautiful to look at. When I buy a box and open it I get a little endorphin rush. No rush when I bought Twizzlers last weekend because Dari Mart was completely out of Red Vines (even the bars). It was truly disappointing trying to substitute Twizzlers for a genuine Red Vines craving. It just can’t be done. I don’t like how Twizzlers is so shiny and plasticy looking. Also the flavor is too chemically tasting. I don’t like it at all. There is a lady here at my work who buys the big tubs of Red Vines and they are gone in 1 week every time. No one here (in Oregon) that I know would ever pick Twizzlers over Red Vines. Just mentioning it feels like sacrilege. Long live Red Vines! =)
April 20th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
I love Red Vines. I think they contain a tiny bit of wintergreen flavoring and that makes them interesting. The flavor kinda reminds me of wax lips. I like to air dry my RV’s for 2 or 3 days before I consume them in copious quantities. I don’t know, but there’s just something about them. Hard to describe- like describing the color red.
I’ve tried Twizzlers and I my impression was that they tasted a bit like they were made from old cooking oil, flour, sugar and artificial flavoring. They were really greasy and left a film on my fingers. They fell apart like wet oatmeal in my mouth and were totally unpleasant. I liken the texture to either dog ear wax or congealed lung mucous. It’s all a matter of personal taste, but I think I prefer eating candle wax. To each his own, I suppose.
April 21st, 2010 at 12:39 am
I ‘ve seen Red Vines in the store since I was a kid. It seems that Twizzlers are the new-comer. I find Twizzlers to be too sticky and soft for my palate. I like the dryer, firmer feel of a Red Vine. I think the taste is some kind of ultra-cherry. It seems to have a cherry after-taste anyway.
May 3rd, 2010 at 2:05 am
WHAT?! I think you got red vines and twizzlers mixed up… twizzlers taste like the plastic they seem to be made of… and besides, what flavor is RED?
Red Vines are delicious and they are everywhere in the Southwest. BIG UPS to RED VINES!!! Twizzlers can kiss it!
May 15th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
I like both twizzlers and red vines. But I def think red vines have a more distinct flavor and I prefer them over licorice. But too much of anything can start to tast funny. I stick to just a few at a time. And twizzlers are good sometimes but they have to be fresh. cause they get hard and plastic like if not kep fresh.
May 19th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
TWIZZLER FAN FOR LIFE
Life really ? Red Vines = EW ! They are bigger & they’re not even twisted . If they are twisted they probably got the idea from Twizzlers. Twizzlers are far more inferior than Red Vines will ever be. I perfer natural (twizzlers) to any artifical wanna be (red vines) . So Red Vines fans , chew on that !
May 20th, 2010 at 1:28 am
I enjoy both twizzlers and Red Vines. If i had to choose one over the other I would say that Red Vines wins my vote. Red Vines has that old-fashioned authentic licorice taste to it. Twizzlers on the other hand are way more artificial and even seem to leve an oily coating in my mouth. As I said, i consume both because if it has sugar in it I’ll eat it. BUT, I would have to vote Red Vines as my preference!
May 20th, 2010 at 5:29 am
Ok, so here’s a vote from Barbados. I just ate some ‘Kenny’s strawberry juicy twists’ (avoiding twizzlers), if it wasn’t for that bizarre, bitter after taste i’d say it was near perfect. It’s that taste that prompted me to find out what it was and how many others dislike it. I stumbled onto your site and i’m glad to know that there are others who agree that twizzlers taste like plastic. I haven’t tried the red vines but hopefully i can find them here. Even with the odd after taste, i’d still choose Kenny’s over Twizzlers - yes….they really do taste like plastic.
July 23rd, 2010 at 2:13 am
So i love red vines. They have the REAL licorice taste. Twizzlers is the artificial ones. Hello? they came from Hershey’s and were made after Red Vines. Twizzler has that sweetish artificial taste (if you ate real licorice before) while red vines has this unexplainable taste, which doesn’t taste fruity or anything, but like a signature taste. Vote for Red vines.