Both Dime Brothers are big fans of Honey Nut Cheerios® cereal. In fact, many people are fans. By the end of 2010, 28.4% of US households had bought Honey Nut Cheerios®, and it had a 5.1% share of the market. Third place for share was original Cheerios®. In total, Cheerios varieties accounted for 10.6% of the cold cereal category. That’s a pretty decent presence in people’s homes.

Most households don’t stick to one cereal but buy many varieties. The IRI data I’m referencing shows households bought on average almost 8 varieties in the year. It’s logical to try and steal away some of the non-General Mills usage by offering more versions of Cheerios.

Thus we arrive to my most recent purchase: Dulce de Leche Cheerios®. That’s Spanish for literally “sweet of milk”, which is really a Latin caramel. Yumminess. The back of the box says: “Enjoy Dulce de Leche Cheerios® cereal for a sweet touch of caramel baked into every bite. Dulce de Leche is a Spanish term for a thick caramel sauce popular in Latin America that inspired this new Cheerios flavor.”

Maybe General Mills has evidence that Hispanics in the US don’t buy their products as much as others. This might be a targeted effort. I don’t know. But here’s my take on the product:

It’s yummy as a snack, for sure. It’s almost as if you smell the caramel sweetness more than taste it. I enjoy it because I like the flavor.

As a cereal with milk it’s not so great. I eat quickly but I could still tell it wasn’t going to hold its crunch as long as Honey Nut Cheerios®. It was also adding a film to the milk - not as bad as Captain Crunch or Oh’s - but enough to steal away some of the enjoyment of drinking the leftovers. And it was as if the flavor wasn’t bold but at the same time was too sweet. Something having to do with me smelling it more than tasting it. It’s hard to describe. This is why I’m not a reviewer of wines. I can’t work tree bark or other descriptive drivel into my product reviews.

If you’re willing to give it a go I found it at the front of my Walmart store for $2.50 for 12 ounces. Otherwise, you could always try those Oh’s I highly recommend!

(Forgive me, General Mills, if I haven’t stuck the registered trademark “R” everywhere I’m supposed to.)