The Old-Timey Hard Candy That Was Rough On People's Tongues

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Popular candies come and go. Something that may have been a hit way back in the day might be hard to find or just not as popular in the modern era. But there's one old-timey confection that has the web in a tizzy about its mouth-damaging effects, and it's called the root beer barrel. These brown, hard candies are shaped like tiny wooden casks and carry that classic, sassafras flavor. If you don't chew them right away (as I often did), they dissolve in your mouth, and the rigid, sugary layers can become a bit sharp, cutting up your tongue and the roof of your mouth.

Even so, there's still some love to be had for the little candies. "Delicious and worth the tongue cuts when they split open," one Redditor wrote. "Why are they so good but made of razor blades??" another user asked.

As for the actual culprit behind the cuts, one commenter blamed the factory mold: "It's the seam, always erodes faster and turns into a little mandolin." Another blamed air pockets that open up from within and turn into sharp edges as the barrel dissolves on the tongue, adding, "it felt like paper cuts in your mouth."

If you're not a fan, you may just think of the flavor of root beer as medicinal, but the candies have a nice, deep, molasses-like flavor with a bit of spice. One of the most visible brands back in the day was A&W Root Beer Barrels, and while the A&W fast food chain is still quite popular (especially north of the border), the A&W Root Beer Barrels candy was discontinued in 2011 due to licensing issues.

If you're looking for a root beer barrel throwback, or need to sample them for the first time, there are still plenty to choose from when you're ready to rough up your mouth. You can get a bag of Dad's Root Beer Barrels from Amazon for around $15, and they're individually wrapped, so it's easy to carry a few around in your pocket for another throwback feel, like a friendly grandpa. Additionally, the A&W Root Beer Barrels were originally manufactured by Brach's, so it's probably safe to say today's version is fairly similar, even though it doesn't use the A&W name. 

While damage to your mouth from root beer barrels may be caused by physical cuts, instead of the acids in sour candy, devoted fans are clearly still willing to brave the hazard. For those who are still a bit hesitant to tackle them alone, try crushing them over a sundae as an unconventional topping, or dropping them into a creamy root beer float where the dairy can cushion the blow.