RJ's Smallsorts product reviews

I love the big licorice allsorts but most the family feel that it is horrible and disgusting. I noticed that KIWIreviews offered a chance to try the small sorts and I was curious to know what the difference is. The packaging didn't offer any clues but there wasn't much information on the packet (it could be that the printing is a bit small and the colour makes it hard to read.)

Once opened I did manage to share a few with the kids, but only one out of three thought it tasted good. I was going to have a few to taste and then try and find ways I could use this that wasn't just about eating it but I found that once I had a few that I couldn't leave the packet until it was all empty. I thought that it tasted good (obviously since I ate the entire packet) and kind of reminded me of coconut ice, I couldn't even taste the licorice.

I was thinking of putting a few in lunch boxes as a bit of a pick me up but since it wasn't a hit with the kids I will not be getting it again for the kids anyway I will use it for a short sugar hit while having a lunch break at work.

Let me start this review by saying I did not think I was a fan of licorice. The only type I have liked before was the twisted red version that tastes more like a gummy worm to me than actual licorice. Then when I came to New Zealand, a coworker offered me some chocolate covered RJ's Licorice Bullets, and I subsequently became a convert. Now the opportunity to try RJ's Smallsorts was not met with aversion, but with eagerness.

These licorice candy pieces are small, thus the name. They are bite sized and fun with different coloured lolly outer layers sandwiching the black licorice. I am almost certain the outer layers are pure sugar with a bit of coconut, which is not very healthy, but it is a sweet after all. I think the outer layers are a perfect amount of lolly to enclose and complement the strong licorice taste. The colours are different flavours and you can definitely taste the variation. There is orange, banana, lime, and raspberry. Each flavour tastes like it is supposed to. The banana is my least favourite but since each piece of licorice is paired with two different flavoured outer layers, it mellows the taste enough that I still enjoy it.

The serving size is perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth and these are sweet enough that I do not have the inclination to eat the entire bag in one sitting. That is a major win for me!. I think I would like the smaller version better than the full size because you can more easily eat just what you want and maybe just one more piece, which is fine because they are small pieces. These would also be great to give a small treat to a child.

Smallsorts (and probably Allsorts) are another licorice that a previous anti-licorice person now can say she enjoys. RJ's makes licorice taste good. I would without a doubt buy these in the future if palm oil was not one of the ingredients used. Palm oil has an extremely harmful impact on the environment so I try not to buy products that use it. If RJ's switched to a different oil, I would buy these and then recommend the company.a

RJ's have long been a favourite licorice brand in our household. The quality is second to none on the NZ market! It's been pretty exciting seeing all the new products being released by RJ's in recent years as it feels the traditional licorice is being revamped and there is something for everyone in the family now even those not so keen on the traditional licorice. My children will eat black licorice in an all sort but wouldn't eat it if it was black licorice on its own but now have other RJ's products they love.

The packet size of the smallsorts is smaller than their other products at only 180grams but with the allsorts themselves being a much smaller size you get a lot crammed in those little packets. We found there was more than enough in the packet for sharing with the family and getting a good amount per person. For the size of the packet we thought the $3.50 price was very fair but have since seen them on special for a little over $2 at our local supermarket so stocked up on some packets to keep in the cupboard for treats.

While there is no difference in taste in my opinion to the original RJ's allsorts these have the novelty factor my children especially liked. Minature versions of anything will win their hearts because they are cute but it's a win for us as parents too as they think they are getting more when in reality they are getting about the same just in a mini size, but for the kids its all about the numbers and the size gets forgotten. I did notice on the packet it stated the flavours used for each colour which got me the told you so from the husband. We have long debated this, he always takes all the yellow as he believes it tastes the best and i've always said the colours don't taste any different! Well this packet proved me wrong and we had to nibble the colours off individually to see if we could make out those banana and lime flavours.

My 7 year old has requested a licorice all sorts cake for his upcoming 8th birthday after seeing ideas for cakes online. These little mini smallsorts will be just perfect for decorating the top of the birthday cake as well as being the ideal size for the top of cupcakes and to have in little bowls for the party table. It may be a complete licorice all sorts birthday party now.

Licorice Allsorts are one of those sweets that have been in my life for as long as I can remember, my dad being such a fan that I bought him a bucketful for Father's Day, though I haven't had any myself in a while.

I didn't know these were a thing until they popped up on here to review, so I figured now would be the perfect time to give them another go. The first thing I noticed was that this didn't have an easy tear way of opening the packet and it isn't resealable which has both its good and bad points, good for less plastic etc being used, bad if you wanted to open these on the move and didn't have a way to seal them on you. Giving it a rattle and not hearing any movement, I was concerned and upon opening it my concerns were proven correct, all the Smallsorts were in one large lump, it looked like the packet had been sat on multiple times.... Not a good start.

Because they were so clumped together, separating them was a real trial which would often end in getting some with no licorice, ones in half and sometimes in thirds, they weren't a 'just put your hand in and pull one out' treat. When it came to the taste, they were as I remember them, the good thing about the size is that I could eat a few and not feel like I was eating too much, eat too much and it started being too sweet for me to continue snacking. The texture, though, wasn't my favourite. Upon on inspection I saw that one of the ingredients was desiccated coconut but there was so much that for me it felt more like granulated sugar that hadn't been mixed thoroughly enough.

My kids and I weren't wowed by these, but I might buy some again provided I can find a packet that isn't 100% clumped together.

RJ's has been a trusted brand in our household for a long time so seeing they had more new products out had me rather excited! I love a lot of RJ's products and although I may not eat licorice all the time, when I do, I crave for it until buying RJ's. I'm not entirely sure what I had in my head as a vision for this product however what I was greeted with once I pulled the bag open was the cutest littlest allsorts I've ever eaten! I immediately tried a handful and was suitably impressed. I put the rest away while I thought about how I could use these and test them out.

In the following days I tried them with my children, Miss 6 and Mr 4. Both children like lollies however Mr 4 doesn't like traditional gummy style lollies and both have declined licorice in the past. Miss 6 will try the bigger/normal allsorts every time I get them and always declare nope I don't like them - this always suits me just fine as it means more for me This time round however both children ate a few of the smallsorts and I got a few yum comments from them both. Clearly they were more than that, as later that same day I found Miss 6 hunting the packet out so both her and her brother could have some more.

The flavours of each colour are definitely different and you are able to taste them apart if you eat each colour separately; however they merge quite nicely together if your not bothered to look at the colours and chuck a few in your mouth all at once too! I must say that these are quite a lot sweeter than the original all sorts - I wonder if that's why my children preferred them more as I found the licorice taste quite hard to pick out. Totally a preference of taste thing, and could just be me though! For a bit of fun I mixed these with mini marshmallows on kebab sticks which made a fun treat for my children; I'll definitely be using this product again, especially for future birthday parties!

Our family are long term supporters, buyers and of course consumers of RJ's products. I love Licorice Allsorts and I was intrigued to try the latest offering from RJ's Licorice Smallsorts, which I can only guess are aimed towards the younger market.

I was a little surprised by the lack of tear open part on the bag or the fact is was not resealable but after I managed to tear open the bag manually I was very impressed by the explosion of vibrant colours of the smallsorts inside the bag. They were so cute and gorgeous and it was then my thoughts immediately went to how great they would look in a bowl on children's party food table or candy bar stand at a function which seems to be all the rage at weddings etc of late.

The smallsorts themselves measure about a 1cm cube so they are easy to pop in to your mouth and I must say that once I did, the tastes were very flavoursome and quite yummy. As the smallsort only features one layer of licorice, again I can see that these would appeal to the younger consumer as in my experience children tend to eat the coloured bit and leave the licorice!

These smallsorts have such great colours, I will definitely be buying them again so I can make a lollie cake with them (replacing Eskimo lollies), using on top of a cupcake for a splash of colour interest and cut up smaller on top of vanilla icecream.

I have always had a thing for licorice allsorts, ever since my licorice loving Mum let me taste it when I was young. I am the first to admit that although I am usually a red licorice fan, licorice allsorts come a close second! When I saw the smallsorts come up to try I was super excited and requested them quickly.

RJ's is a favoured brand in our house for a few reasons - they are a New Zealand company so I am supporting locally made, their products are always good and high quality and they have new things regulalrly to try! The RJ's packets stand out and are very recognisable - with the black and white logo and the coloured packets, and each is different to help differentiate them easily. The picture of the smallsorts is quite true to what they are like, and definitely draw you into trying them!! The only thing that surprised me was the lack of resealability that RJ's packs usually have - not sure why this one is not a reasealable?

Opening up the packet, I was a little surprised at the size - they are fairly small, and at first I thought I would have to eat a fair few before I would feel like I had a good taste of them, however, I was pleasantly surprised by the very first one being a lovely texture, taste and flavour. There are a few different types in there - with raspberry, banana, orange and lime - though honestly only the lime and banana tasted any different to the others. I think they got the right proportion of black licorice to flavour absolutely spot on too.

My children are not really licorice kids and had never had allsorts before, but I thought I would see their reactions. 2 of the 3 liked them despite saying they did not think they would with black licorice in them, and the 3rd saying a hard no, but he is also not big on sweets of any kind. I would absolutely recommend to others the smallsorts, even if they are not really lovers of licorice, I think they would like these! What will RJs come up with next?

Ever since my dad introduced me to licorice when I was younger, I have always had a soft spot for it. I am particularly partial to the flavoured licorices, or the ones covered in chocolate. RJ's quickly became my favourite licorice brand, I liked that they are a NZ company, and their products are of a high quality, and of course they taste delicious!. When I saw that RJ's had brought out these licorice smallsorts, I was eager to try them out and see if they could compare to the bigger version. I put in my request and thankfully received a packet to try in my review box.

The packet is very distinguishable and vibrant, if it was on a shelf at the supermarket I would be drawn to it. The image of the smallsorts is colourful and well positioned, this packet is 180g in size and the product is batch made. When I ripped open the packet I will admit that I was concerned that the lolly layers would over power the licorice middle. The first one I chose was green and orange, I popped it in my mouth and chewed, it was pleasant but could not really taste the separate flavours, there was a hint of licorice through the sweetness. I decided with the next ones after this, I would separate the layers and see if they tasted different that way, once I did this I could clearly taste the different flavours of banana, lime, orange and raspberry.

I apprehensively gave one to my youngest child who hates licorice, after looking at it and proclaiming "I don't like it" he reluctantly put one in his mouth - he loved it and asked for more! I think these will be an ideal snack/treat in the car for our long journeys. I recommend this product to any licorice lovers, or even people that only like a tiny amount of licorice, I look forward to seeing what RJ's come up with next!

I am surprised by the packet as usually with RJ's they are simple to open and usually resealable. I couldn't find a place to open easily and instead had to grab both ends and pull. Luckily I done gentle enough so the contents didn't go everywhere. I wasn't sure what I was expecting but was met with the cutest bag of little licorice have ever seen. They are gorgeous. Think normal sized shrunk in to a third of it and instead of two licorice squares covered in three layers of lollies is only two different coloured lollies surrounding one licorice.

I found a majority of the bag was stuck together so when I offered my girls one they ended up getting about ten in total as was just a big mass of them. It is easy to pull them apart and they are extremely tasty. I have always got annoyed at the lolly part and have always seperated the licorice but I found with these the taste was stronger and I liked them. I also found one is not enough and before I knew it the packet had pretty much disappeared in no time at all.

The whole time I was eatting I thought this would make the best lolly cake as would not need to cut them up would leave them the perfect bite size they are now. Or, they would fit perfectly in my work apron if only the bag self sealed but would fit in my glove compartment as they are the perfect little snack when on the run.

I come from a long line of licorice eatters as my nana gave us all the bug. If you ever go to her house go into the kitchen and you will find a container of licorice sitting there with straps, twisters, allsorts and I will let her know about this gem as will be better for the kids then the regular sized allsorts she usually gets. You will also now find a packet of these sitting in my fridge as since they are so small I don't feel naughty eatting them and as they are so strong in flavour I probably won't eat as many, but then again I probably still will. Definitely a winner in my eyes!

I saw these at Countdown New Lynn recently and decided to give them a try. I have to say that I was underwhelmed. The biggest problem that I found was that the majority of the Smallsorts in the packet were stuck together. I was looking for a snack that I could eat while driving, being able to pull out one item at a time from the bag. The Smallsorts didn't meet this need. They were so stuck together, that they only came out in blocks of 6-20 Smallsorts.

I knew there were supposed to be different flavours. However, for me, the flavours were hard to tell apart. They merged with each other.. Furthermore as there is perhaps less licorice in these, I found them to be overly sweet, almost to the level of being sickly sweet. As the Smallsorts were so stuck together, I ended up consuming the whole packet in a short period of time. This made my stomach feel a bit uncomfortable.

I think that RJ's should continue to work on this product as there is potential for a smaller Licorice Allsort sweet that has more licorice in it and that sticks together less. I realise that licorice allsorts are inherently a very sweet product, but with so many people concerned about sugar intake nowadays, I think that RJ's missed the boat with this product. I, for one, won't be buying these again in their current form.

I have tried a variety of RJ's goods in the past including the Jumbo Licorice Allsorts, so it was interesting to be presented with a new and completely different product. The first thing that struck me was the rainbow of colours that spilled out as soon as the bag was opened. Because the individual sweets are quite small, there was more scope for colour mix-and-matching which meant the display was really attractive.

My partner's niece and husband were hosting us for a couple of days, so this was a perfect opportunity to try out the Smallsorts. All four of us enjoy confectionery; our niece actually said that licorice allsorts were among her favourites, so she was certain she would enjoy them no matter what. Personally, I have not yet encountered an RJ's product that I did not like, so I was prepared to enjoy them too.

Being adults, we tended to eat an entire Smallsort in one go. However, this resulted in each one tasting exactly the same because the flavours mingled with one another. To test this out, we separated a couple into three pieces and this time we could distinguish the different fruit flavours - lemon, lime, orange, raspberry and banana. The licorice insert was unusual as it appeared to have an inner section which was softer than the outer - presumably the "lip-smacking centre". Again, we could distinguish this only when the sweet was deconstructed.

Our niece detected a slightly grainy texture to the lolly part but on checking the packet we found that in fact it was coconut. She thought that the sweets on the whole were quite pleasant, and would be great for children, although personally she would prefer a larger allsort. Her husband is not normally a fan of licorice allsorts, but he did like these; he said they were just the right degree of sweetness, although he also said he needed to eat two at once.

My partner liked them and said they might be good chopped on top of partially melted ice-cream or sliced into a scroggin mix. I was not sure about that; I would prefer them on their own but maybe with a thicker licorice layer - personally I thought they were a bit too sweet. However, because they are so small, they can be eaten just one or two at a time; this way it would not cause a sugar overload. And I think they would be delightful served to decorate a fruit platter.