Halloween seems to come earlier every year with product roll outs, and this year Skittles is one of its earliest contributors. They recently launched their new Zombie Skittles, a new pack that comes with five normal fruit flavors: Petrifying Citrus Punch, Mummified Melon, Chilling Black Cherry, Boogeyman Blackberry, and Blood Red Berry — and one Rotten Zombie flavor that’s described by the brand as “repulsive.”

The kicker? The Rotten Zombie-flavored candies are indistinguishable from the regular ones. So think of it as a landmine of horrid hidden amongst the delicious flavors. 

“Dare to try?” the package asks, in what I imagine to be the voice from a 90's Goosebumps advert.

I dared.

According to a Food and Wine report, a Skittles representative claimed the flavor changes according to one’s palate. It’s hard to nail down, but for me, the zombie flavor tastes like rotten egg drenched in garlic juice.

It’s truly awful, just as repulsive as the brand claims.

The anxiety I got reaching into the bag was reminiscent of the feeling I got when eating those Jelly Belly BeanBoozled candies where each normal flavor had a gross counterpart. A sense of dread that was either disappointingly confirmed or thankfully extinguished. Peach or Barf? Juicy Pear or Booger? Blood Red Berry or Rotten Zombie? 

Why does something that’s supposed to be fun and sweet bring out our inner masochist? Maybe it makes the good flavors that much better. Maybe companies just want people to react. After all, this pack of Skittles comes with its own hashtag, #DareTheRainbow, for everyone to use on their inevitable reaction videos. 

Either way, I’d like to wash the taste of a zombie away from my corrupted palate.