Dots belon g to that very small sub-category of candies which taste better if they are somewhat (or overtly) stale.  This never used to be a problem, because back in the day, Dots were just packaged in a waxed cardboard box.  They came pre-staled, if you will.  

I remember when I was a kid, a movie theater was the only place you could find Dots.  I wonder now if that's because they realized that their candies didn't ship or store well, in their completely air permeable package.  Or maybe it was only movie theaters which were clamoring for candies which could be eaten quietly, and which didn't rattle loudly if they were dropped on the concrete floor.

At some point in the 1990s I discovered that Dots were being sold at regular stores.  In my memory, this began with the sudden explosion of national video rental chains like Blockbuster and Hollywood.  These stores naturally sold movie theater candy, including Dots.  (And how sad is it that you can't have Netflix ship candy with your order?  Don't get me wrong, Netflix is great, but still!)

At the same time, they started wrapping the Dots box in plastic cellophane wrap, to keep them "fresh."  (In the same way a green banana is "fresh," if you ask me, but whatever.)  My tactic with this newer Dots packaging is to remove the cellophane wrap and open one end of the box, then leave it open overnight.  I think of this as "letting them ripen."

Each color Dot is a different flavor, and the flavors are remarkably distinct.  Back in the days of "Siskel & Ebert," I remember Roger Ebert arguing that he was able to distinguish each Dots flavor blindfolded.  A result of eating so many boxes in darkened movie theaters.  If memory serves, Gene Siskel - refusing to believe a word of it - put Ebert to the test, and Ebert passed with flying colors.

Of course, this reminds me of Ebert's essay "Nil By Mouth."  This essay details the foods Ebert misses most, now that he is no longer able to taste or eat anything by mouth.  His reminiscences on the topic of cheap dime store candy are what got me started on this candy review kick in the first place.

Aw.  Now I am sad.

Anyway, there's candy!  I like the taste of Dots.  They are distinctively fruity, without being pushy about it.  There's a spectrum of fruity flavor, from "undifferentiated sweet" to "aggressively realistic," and Dots fall right in the middle.  It's a good place to be.

The candies, especially if you let them ripen properly, are fairly toothsome.  But without any worries about pulling out fillings by accident.  So many candies fall apart when you bite them; I like the way that Dots give some resistance.

Dots are also unusual in that they are a candy in the "Gummy" family, but contain no gelatin.  The red Dots are flavored with FD&C Red Dye #40, which is wholly artificial (actually it's a petroleum product but let's not dwell on that) and is therefore suitable for vegans.