Review: Skinner’s Raisin Bran from Uncle Sam

IMG_0340Raisin bran cereals are the oatmeal raisin cookies of the cereal world.

Now I’m not just talking about the ingredients, because that’s certainly not a hard comparison to make. What I mean is that raisin bran cereals are the breakfast aisle underdogs. Just like how oatmeal raisin is so often overshadowed by chocolate chip—its suave, popular older brother—raisin bran has had its spotlight unfairly stolen by, well, every other cereal ever.

It must be the word “bran” that naturally turns people off. And for that reason, I recommend that all raisin bran cereals change their name to something cooler, like “Raisin Bandoliers,” “Raisin Bandits,” or even “Raisin Badasses.”

While we wait for this mass raisin bran rebranding to occur, I thought I’d review another existing raisin bran variety to help inform all my fellow defenders of raisin bran and oatmeal raisin cookies. Today’s raisin badass bran? An old school classic: Skinner’s Raisin Bran.

No, not that Skinner (I just wanted an excuse to post my favorite Simpsons scene). In fact, I don’t know who the real Skinner is behind these “Toasted Whole Wheat Berry Flakes.” But I can give you the skinny on his cereal.

Those aforementioned wheat berry flakes are the most striking part of this cereal. Rather than the mammoth, jagged, and crunchy chunks of bran tree bark in most raisin bran cereals, there are about a million of these tiny, crisp shavings. In fact, their size and texture are almost the same as loose oats.

IMG_4190When it comes to flavor, heavy emphasis is put on the toasted. The flakes aren’t very sweet, and they instead have a very pronounced, golden-toasted grain savoriness. It’s so golden, they could have called this stuff “Ponyboy’s Raisin Bran.”

But munch with caution, because after a mouthful of these grainy raindrops, it felt like I had slivers of wheat wedged into my teeth, gums, and—somehow—even my belly button.

The raisins are also considerably less sweet (this cereal has less than half the sugar of Raisin Bran Crunch), but even though they’re not oozing with sugar juice, they have an authentic, dense, and chewy fruit tang that makes me genuinely think I could reanimate these raisins by injecting them with a syringe full of grape juice.

That’s right. Now you’re picturing zombie California Raisins too, aren’t you?

Eaten together, there’s a healthy “farm fresh” feel to the golden grain and chewy fruit bit combo. And if you pour milk on top, be sure to use a lot of it. You might even want to move to Wisconsin, buy a plot of land, and start a new life as a humble dairy farmer, because these grain berry flakes are thirsty. They greedily absorb milk and quickly take on the texture of chewy oatmeal.IMG_4192

Milk’s added sweetness is pleasant, but if you’re used to Raisin Bran Crunch’s all-out granulated assault like me, you’ll want to go even farther. Allow this cereal to be a sandbox for your innovation; with a few creative mix-in choices, you can turn a healthy desert of dry and grainy wheat into a real dessert oasis.

My choice? Maple syrup and cinnamon sprinkles. Because who doesn’t want a big ol’ bowl of mushed up cinnamon raisin bagels?

So while I still hoped for a little more sweetness from this cereal (though what did I expect? His name is Skinner, not “Fatter”), I still commend it for doing something different. While a lot of raisin brans foolishly try and fail to emulate Raisin Bran Crunch’s success, Skinner’s use of wheat berry flakes makes it more memorable. Though I guess, since technically this is America’s first raisin bran, it’s just always been way ahead of its time.

Or maybe Skinner is just a time traveller. Hey, after 27 seasons of The Simpsons, I wouldn’t be surprised to see that in next week’s episode.


 

The Bowl: Skinner’s Raisin Bran

The Breakdown: Not very sweet, but a savory golden grain and real raisin fruitiness makes this a good canvas for creative cereal mixology

The Bottom Line: 7.5 “SkinneeEEEEERR!”s out of 10

***The kind folks at Attune Foods provided me this box as a sample.***

5 responses »

  1. I have eaten Skinner’s Raisin Bran for more than 70 years and it’s my favorite raisin bran because it doesn’t get soggy. I read somewhere that Post had bought the manufacturer and I suppose they discontinued it. I wish they would reconsider that decision. I don’t buy Post Raisin because it gets soggy too quickly. Kellog Raisin Bran is my default choice.

  2. what happened to it. The pictures here are of pre-2019 vintage. Now flakes are tiny curled up little things not the flattened grains you saw before. First comment is right-texture and taste are not there. For 40 years I ate this now I am looking for a substitute.

  3. I believe this cereal’s best asset is how un-processed and wholesome it is. You can actually see the structure of the wheat in each of the flakes. The added bonus is that it’s healthier than it tastes – a claim very few cereals can make.

    • I’ve eaten Skinner’s Raisin Bran since the 1940s and I love the taste. In fact, I will not eat any other brand because this one is sooo good. It’s just difficult to find; I wish they would advertise the fact that they are so healthy and do not add preservatives. Then people who wish to eat healthy would demand the stores to carry it on their shelves. I think the fact that it’s not advertised consumers think it’s something new rather than the first raisin brand ever made and is still made the old fashioned, nutritious way.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *