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Crackheads2 (Jitterbeans) Reviewed

by John on July 6th, 2011 at 1:54 PM  1 Comment

The folks over at Possessedbycaffeine.com reviewed Jitterbeans(r)(Crackheads(r)2), and this is what they had to say:

Read it here: Link

Crackheads2, sometimes referred to as Jitterbeans, are a most amazing caffeinated treat - brilliant in concept and a little too delicious. Why too delicious? Well, every little box contains 600mg of caffeine! This means that while you are quietly muching on a M&M sized bag of yummy candy coated chocolate filled esperesso beans, you are consuming the same caffeine in approximately 6 cups of coffee, 7.5 Red Bulls, or 11 cans of Mountain Dew!

packaging:7 These are a little too powerful to consume in just one sitting. Normally. But the packaging does not really hold up if you try to take it with you. The candy is contained in just a small paper box. It does close nicely, but it does not stand up to any kind of abuse. You can't really shove this into your pocket without melting. The one clever thing is that their is a little pull tab on the back that you can snap out of the paper with a hook. Of course that hook is still paper, so you have to be careful or your jitterbeans will be all over your floor.

The design itself is quite nice though. I love the fonts - and it is very very easy to see what you are getting into with the caffiene. Not only does it list the actual amount, but it has a helpful illustration showing the consumer that 600mg per box equals six 6 cute cups of coffee or 7.5 nameless generic blue and white colored energy drinks.

I love the design of the package, but just wish it stood up to a bit more stress than it does right now.

Taste:10 As much as I like the original Crackheads, these are just as delicious! These are yummy chocolate covered beans, beautiful and roasted to perfection. they came in different sizes, unlike other beans I have tried, like Shock-A-Lots and Charged beans. The beans are covered in a luscious dark and white chocolate coating, tasting like real dark chocolate and not some cheap brown candy glaze. They used 60% cocoa dark chocolate filled with an undetectable caffeine punch in the chocolate itself! Like Crackheads, I have had dozens of brands of chocolate covered espresso beans, these are among the top 5. There is a slight difference between the two flavors though. These Jitterbeans are much more coffee flavored - and have a better candy crunch to them.

Buzz:10 I felt myself dragging and tired after a hard workout day - I spent an hour on the cardio, then a muscle workout after that. But when I got home, I realized that I was not even done for the day - needing to take the kids tot he mall, get on a big dinner and deal with downtown driving. If anything, this was a time for Jitterbeans.

I tried to space them out - I really did! But these tasted sooo good! Within an hour I accidentally consumed the entire box. I caught a glimpse of me in a store mirror with a crazed look a half hour later singing along with Billy Idol and dancing in the mall with my daughter scaring the living hell out of the poor shoppers. The buzz was INSANE!!! It lasted and lasted and lasted - for about a good size hours - enough to get me through the mall, through dinner, and into late night fun too!

In all seriousness, be careful with this stuff. This is like alcohol - you could get yourself a stupid amount of energy and be left carted off in a paddywagon with people thinking you went off the deep end. Enjoy the buzz responsibly. And stay away from Billy Idol tunes while consuming.

Posted in Press

Jitterbeans(Crackheads2) Now available at Your Local Dollar Tree Stores!

by John on December 11th, 2010 at 10:50 PM  1 Comment

Dollar Tree Logo

We are happy to announce Jitterbeans(Crackheads2 on this site) are available at your local Dollar Tree store in 0.60 ounce packages for just $1.00! That is 250mg of Caffeine for just $1.00, what a fantastic day indeed!

-If your local Dollar Tree is out of stock, please try a second :)

Update December 9th, 2010
Most of the Dollar Tree stores are carrying them, some are out of stock, and some stores will not have them until next year. Remember they are under the name, Jitterbeans. When in doubt, find your local stores and give them a shout to see if they have them, they shouldn't be to hard to find:

Dollar Tree Store Locator

Posted in News, Press

Crackheads and Osmanium Press

by John on April 25th, 2010 at 8:08 PM  0 Comments

September 24th, 2008Schneider Associated Most Memorable New Products of 2008

October 16th, 2008 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Big dreams from beans"

May 2008, The Pioneer Press

May 23rd, 2008 The Onion, "All Candy Expo 2008: Like kids in some kind of a store"

May 19th, 2008 Minutes to Millions Segment on CNBC's Donnie Deutsch's, "The Big Idea" with Kevin Nealon

2 judges gave it a yes! Website poll loved it!

2008 M Magazine

Review Energydrinkreview.com Crackheads Product Review

February 13th, 2008 Wall St. Journal Article, "Stimulus Plan: Pack it Full of Caffeine"

November 12th, 2007 Medical College of Wisconsin, Spotlight on Science series, "From Idea Conception to Market: How Crackheads Candy Grew in Wisconsin"

March 21st, 2007 OnMilwaukee.com, "Crackheads spell success for local entrepreneur"

April 30th, 2007 Chemical Engineering News, "All About Vices"

2007 Shepard Express

2007 Confectioner

2007 Distribution Channels

Posted in News, Press

Crackheads in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

by John on February 27th, 2010 at 10:34 PM  0 Comments

Today an article came out about caffeine in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Food Section. The article illustrates how caffeine works and some of the downfalls of the caffeinated options available today such as high sugar content drinks and caffeine over-consumption.

Crackheads was also listed in the article for its caffeine content, but it is interesting to note that Crackheads and Crackheads2 have little sugar and allow portion control so you can ingest just the right amount of caffeine for you. In addition you have all gourmet ingredients and a delicious flavor, Go Team!

NEWS ARTICLE

Posted in Press

Reviews and News from All Candy Expo

by John on June 8th, 2009 at 1:04 PM  2 Comments

Hello Everyone,

We exhibited our warez at the All Candy Expo this year and it was an excellent time indeed. If you are unaware of what this show is, it is essentially an all you can eat candy festival filled with fun, sugar, gut rot, and a touch of kookiness. Here are some product reviews and news on Crackheads:

Channel 9 Chicago, WGN-TV Morning Show 7:00am May 20th, 2009

Chicago Sun Times May 18th, 2009

Energy Fiend Review

Sun Times Review

Urban Honking Blog Review

Chocolate Obsession Blog Review

Posted in Business, News, Press

Journal Sentinel Newspaper Article on Osmanium October 16th, 2008

by John on October 17th, 2008 at 10:56 AM  0 Comments

Here is an article on Osmanium that appeared in the October 16th, 2008 newspaper.

View Article Here

Big dreams from beans By KRISTINE HANSEN Special to the Journal Sentinel Posted: Oct. 16, 2008

Who he is:

John Osmanski

What he does:

Owns Osmanium, which makes chocolate-covered espresso beans

John Osmanski's boutique candy empire got its first jolt during an all-night video game session at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, before he was even a student there.

"I essentially made a big pancake of chocolate and coffee," he said.

Osmanski, 27, is the founder and owner of Osmanium, a Milwaukee company that produces chocolate-covered espresso beans under the names Jitter Beans, Crackheads and Crackheads2.

He still loves to snack on the chocolates, which are sold in 1.3-ounce boxes at local stores, including Outpost Natural Foods Co-op, Beans & Barley and Koppa's Farwell Foods.

"If you don't love it, what's the purpose?" he said.

Who he is: John Osmanski

What he does: Owns Osmanium, which makes chocolate-covered espresso beans

Advertisement

Crackheads is what Osmanski and his MSOE classmates - he graduated in 2006, with a degree in biomedical engineering - called people who tried to function without a morning cup of coffee.

One box of Crackheads2 / Jitterbeans chocolate-covered espresso beans, he says, is equal to the caffeine in six cups of coffee, 7 1/2 energy drinks or 11 cans of cola.

Since starting his company in 2004, Osmanski has expanded it from a handcrafted operation to a large-scale company.

While he used to make the chocolates on a double-boiler in his kitchen ("just to see if anyone would like them") and print the boxes at a local Kinko's, today he employs a team in Madison to assemble the boxes, and the chocolates are made at a plant elsewhere in the Midwest.

In September, Osmanski signed a deal with another company to make and sell customized vending machines (dispensing a handful of his chocolates for 50 cents) to universities, hospitals, stores and other businesses.

So far, the venture has sold a couple hundred of the machines.

"I don't know if this would happen if I were in, say, Texas," Osmanski said. "I like this city a lot. The traditional way of business does apply, but there's so many other methods. You can use your friends and family as a test market, for instance."

It's all a far cry from his first business, a skateboard shop in Wales that he sold after a year to concentrate on college.

"Everything is happening all at once," he said.

Posted in Press
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