The World’s Most Sour Candy

Some people just love sour flavors. If you like sour flavors, lemons might not be enough for you. You need a flavor that makes your mouth water and almost causes pain because it is so sour. Luckily, you are not alone. To answer the demand for super sour flavors, many candy companies offer candies that make you pucker up and beg for more.

All of the sour candies on this list are rated in terms of three factors. We looked at how delicious the candies are, how sour they are and how long their flavor lasts. Each candy is ranked on a scale of one to five. A level five is the supreme level of flavor, sourness and longevity. Meanwhile, a one means that the candy is about as flavorful as a bowl of rice.

Number 1: Toxic Waste

Sour: 5+++++
Deliciousness: 1
Long-Lasting Flavor: 2.5

If you want to have super sour candy that makes your lips pucker and your eyes squint, then you have to try Toxic Waste. Out of the eight different candies on this list, Toxic Waste was the clear winner. As the name suggests, it is designed to max out your sour sensors. If you do not like sour flavors, you will find yourself regretting your decision to try Toxic Waste. Within seconds, you will find yourself reaching for your toothbrush or a glass of water to cleanse your palette. It may be the sourest candy ever invented.

To really love this type of candy, you have to truly love sour flavors. This is for the hard-core, intense sour lover. If you like sour flavors, but not enough to cause yourself mouth-puckering pain, then skip this one.

While Toxic Waste may be the most sour candy on this list, it is not for the faint of heart. It also ranks fairly poorly compared to other candies when you look at how it tastes, and it doesn’t do so well in how long the flavor lasts as well. It wins because it is the most sour candy. If you do work up the courage to try Toxic Waste, do so with care. You need to rinse or brush your teeth afterward or the high citric acid content will end up destroying your tooth enamel. Like we

This stuff is pretty nasty no matter how you look at it. Definitely the sourest of the bunch. It’s accurately named, at least: to call it anything else would be false advertising. Toxic Waste candy is so loaded with face-shrinking, mouth-puckering, saliva-inducing citric acid that you are advised – seriously – to brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth afterwards so that you don’t hurt your teeth. That’s right, Toxic Waste is so sour it can dissolve your tooth enamel. Fun! Don’t believe me? Check out the video below of people trying tasting it for the first time.

Toxic Waste may be the sourest candy ever. However, if you can make it past the first 30-45 seconds or so, the sour coating will eventually dissolve, and it’ll actually start to taste like something you want to eat. But that first 45 seconds or so is pretty awful.

Number 2: Atomic Warheads

Sour: 5
Deliciousness: 4
Long-Lasting Flavor: 4

There are a number of people who absolutely love Atomic Warheads. While these may be the next most sour candy on this list, they are still drastically less sour than Toxic Waste. If you are gradually trying to increase your sour tolerance though, these are a good candy to go with. Atomic Warheads are loaded with citric acid which will leave your lips tingling and your eyes watering. If you want to make eating Atomic Warheads a bit more fun, try having a competition with your friend. Whoever spits out their Atomic Warhead first loses the game.

As a child, you probably enjoyed Atomic Warheads in their traditional form as a hard candy. In recent years, a new creation has hit the marketplace. Now, you can spray Atomic Warheads directly into your mouth. In addition to boosting your sour level, this option means that you cannot just spit it out. This new option is not for the faint of heart. If you absolutely love Atomic Warheads, then Spray Warheads may be the best option for you. Prepare a glass of water in advance, just in case you need to quickly rinse out the extreme sour flavor.

Number 3: Altoids Apple Sours and Lemon

Sour: 4
Deliciousness: 3
Long-Lasting Flavor: 5

You probably remember what the original Altoids were like. Made of super strong peppermint, they were the type of candy that didn’t even deserve the name candy. Honestly, most of the people who used these former Altoids were either on dates or trying to cover up a scent like alcohol or tobacco.

While the original Altoids were decidedly more of a mint than a candy, Altoids Apple Sours and Lemons are quite delicious. Like the original Altoids, they have a long-lasting flavor that is perfect for you sour lovers out there. These sour candies are not an extreme sour, but they are still enough to make your lips pucker a bit.

You basically have two different sour Altoid options. Depending on what you are looking for, you may want to go with the Apple Sours or Lemon Sours. The Sour Lemons are quite sour and probably the best choice if you genuinely like sour tastes. If you want something with a slightly sweet flavor, go with the Altoids Apple Sours. While neither option is crazily sour, it will certainly shock someone who eats a few of these candies without expecting it!

Number 4: Cry Baby Tears’ Extra Sour Candy

Sour: 4
Deliciousness: 4
Long-Lasting Flavor: 3

As the name suggests, Cry Baby Tears is supposed to make you cry because it is just so sour. Again, this sour candy is not quite so sour as Toxic Waste or Atomic Warheads. These candies are just the right level of sour if you want to be able to eat more than just one at a time. Keep in mind that Cry Baby Tears’ Extra Sour Candy are still loaded in acids, so you will want to rinse your mouth or brush your teeth after you try them if you plan on preserving your tooth enamel.

Number 5: Sour Flush

Sour: 3.5
Deliciousness: 4
Long-Lasting Flavor: 2.5

While Sour Flush may not be the most sour flavor on this list, it does rank highly in terms of flavor. Unfortunately, this is combated by the inconvenient consumption mechanism. Instead of tossing back a hard candy, Sour Flush requires you to use a plunger. It is made in the shape of a toilet bowl that is filled with a sweet and sour flavor. You dunk the plunger in the “toilet,” then lick it off. If you love sour, then you will have to experiment a bit. Each flavor has a different level of sourness with options like blue raspberry topping the sour scale. If you are looking for something a little less sour and a little more sweet, try the grape flavor of Sour Flush.

Number 6: Sour Punch Straws

Sour: 2
Deliciousness: 4.5
Long-Lasting Flavor: 3.5

If you have ever tried Sour Punch Straws, then you know that their name is a bit of a misnomer. While they have a bit of sour flavor, it is decidedly not a powerful, lip-puckering taste. At the same time, we still love these straws. You can actually use them like straws—for the adults out there, try using a Sour Punch Straw to slurp your favorite mixed drink. Each Sour Punch Straw is made with sour flavoring throughout the straw, so you won’t just slurp away a sour coating in one gulp. Instead, the sour flavor is there to last.

Number 7: Sour Nerds

Sour: 1
Deliciousness: 4
Long-Lasting Flavor: 2

Sour Nerds are another misnomer on this list. They only have a slightly sour flavor, but they make up for this with their general deliciousness. You can down many of these little fellas and still be left wanting more. If you consume enough of them, you will actually taste the sour flavor. You can also try a similar candy made by Wonka if you want a more intense sour. The Sour Gobstoppers are a bit more sour, although you will end up losing some of the deliciousness. You really have to decide which flavor matters the most to you. Would you rather have the most sour candy or the most delicious?

Number 8: Sweet Tarts

Sour: 1
Deliciousness: 3
Long-Lasting Flavor: 1.5

If you are just starting to test out sour candies, then Sweet Tarts is a good option to go with. They have only a tiny amount of sour flavoring in each Sweet Tart, so it is a good way to boost your tolerance. If you are already biting down on lemons though, then Sweet Tarts will taste about as sour as oatmeal to you. They really aren’t a particularly sour candy, but they are still a childhood classic.

For a truly sour experience, skip out on candy altogether. You’ll save on calories and useless sugar by just biting down on lemons and limes. For a slightly sour fruit, try some pomelos. Just remember—if something is extremely sour, you will probably want to brush your teeth afterward so that the acid does not eat into your tooth enamel.