Haribo Saft Goldbaren (Juice Gold Bears)

I have read elsewhere that German Gold Bears, Goldbaren, are far superior to the Gold Bears imported to the US, which are actually made in Turkey.  Naturally, I decided I had to try these at some point.  In searching online, I found that there are actually two versions sold in Germany, the regular Goldbaren and the Saft Goldbaren.  I decided to try the Saft version first.

At first I thought saft translated to soft, but it actually translates to juice.  This makes sense since this version is actually 22% natural juices and uses natural colors and flavors.  As you can see from the image above, the colors are lighter and muted compared to the traditional coloring of gummies.  I actually think these are quite pretty.  When I opened this bag, a pleasant fruit smell wafted out.  I reached in at random and pulled out a yellow colored gummy, lime.  I was shocked, this tasted like a was eating a fresh lime or lemon.  I must admit, at first I was not a fan because I was expecting a more traditional sugar candy taste.  This was completely different and after eating a few, I realized that these are fantastic, I just had to get over my preconceived notion of what a gummy should taste like.

These are softer then the Gold Bears in texture, but still a bit firmer then other brands of gummies. They are about the same size as the Gold Bears, maybe a tad larger.  The flavors are unique and incredibly refreshing.  There are six: raspberry, black current, apple, pear, peach, and lime.  Though I was initially turned off by the realistic lime flavor, this was actually my favorite in the end.  All of the flavors were naturally sweet tasting and slightly tart, like real fruit.  The raspberry tasted like fresh raspberry, it was unbelievable.  These flavors were written directly on my bag.  I've seen some other online reviews only showing five flavors, leaving off the black current flavor in their listing.  I'm not sure if Haribo added this flavor later or if people are missing the difference between the raspberry and black current.  Though they are photographing as two very different colors (see the raspberry and black current right next to each other in the image above on the bottom left), in person they are easy to mix up and the flavors are similar.  I think the black current has more of a tangy sour flavor compared to the raspberry though.

Overall, while I still enjoy my traditional Gold Bears, I think I actually prefer the Saft Goldbaren.  Unfortunately, I don't believe these are available in the US and online retailers are the only option.  I purchased mine on Amazon since a 450g bag (about 1lb) through the Euro Food Mart seller was $10.98 with free shipping.  In comparison, the bulk rate for Gold Bears on Amazon is $14.98 for 5lb.  As usual, you get what you pay for and believe me, these are worth the price hike.  Be warned though, 1lb won't last as long as you think!

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Texture: These are a bit softer then Gold Bears, but still firmer then other brands.

Flavors: There are 6 amazing flavors: Raspberry (red), Black Current (reddish purple, very similar color to the Raspberry in person though it is photographing much darker), Apple (green), Pear (clear), Peach (Orange), Lime (yellow). 

Cost: about $0.69/oz, $10.98 for a 450g bag on Amazon

Availability: These are only available in Europe, possibly only Germany for all I know.  However, these can be easily ordered from online retailers.  The packaging seems similar to the regular Goldbaren packaging, which has different flavors.  Make sure you are ordering the Saft version.