♫ O Canadaaaa… ♪

It’s a shame General Mills wasn’t able to work some form of that musical pun into the promotion of their new, Canada-exclusive line of Cheerios Plus cereals. But I guess I can’t blame them: General Mills U.S. hasn’t used “The Sprinkle-Spangled Banner” yet, either.

As I wrote previously, Cheerios Plus appears to be a Canadian take on the U.S.’s recent Cheerios Protein cereals. Like Cheerios Protein, Cheerios Plus boasts the addition of new, healthier ingredients.

But there are a few differences here between Plus and Protein, both on a surface and flavor level. Cheerios Plus ditches the bulky cardboard box of its U.S. brother in favor of a sleek, modern black bag. I’m not sure how I feel about this choice; on one hand, it reduces waste. But on the other, it leaves my Cheerios in such a fragile state that the noise of a passing lawnmower could pulverize them into dust like an opera singer shattering a wine glass.

But hey, if they’re from a country that already bags its milk, I guess bagged cereal is a logical next step. What’s next: bagged scrambled eggs?

But the interesting difference here is in the flavors offered. Cheerios Protein comes in “Touch of Honey” and “Cinnamon Almond,” both of which are relatively safe, in that they don’t really push the envelope within the breakfast aisle’s portfolio of flavors. And while Cheerios Plus also comes in a similarly tame Honey Almond, the second flavor in the line is Cinnamon Coconut.

Whoa, hold the phone! And then put the phone down and pick up a spoon, because I need to try this immediately.

Thankfully, I can try both. The black bags (which bother my anal retentive urge to have my cereal boxes all line up nicely in the pantry) are generously stuffed with their oat-y treasure. Forget about Xs: this time, O marks the spot.

First up is Honey Almond. The “plus” here is “plus protein” (the two flavors differ in what the added nutritional ingredient is, so it’s like the adult equivalent of choosing between the G.I. Joe with kung-fu grip and the one with a comically oversized, spring-powered missile launcher).

The tanned Os themselves look like more toasted versions of regular Honey Nut Cheerios, and they taste an awful lot like it, too. Light, airy, and rich in oat flavor, these Os boast a darker, more rich honey sweetness that lingers longer than the Honey Nut variety. The almond taste is also much more pronounced, syrupy, and buttery, as if General Mills melted a jar of almond butter and drizzled it in.

The likely culprit behind the added almond taste is crossover flavor from the rare granola clusters. And I’m not kidding when I say rare: these babies are like the 1st edition holographic Charizard cards of cereal pieces.

But like Charizard cards, I’m just as eager to search for them, because the real almonds they contain are glued to granola bits with a sweet glaze. This coating complements the dull nuttiness with an oily honey nut sweetness that has notes of molasses.

Together with the Os and milk (use almond milk for maximum nutty delight), this cereal is a very authentically almond-y experience that, though it is a bit ho-hum due to the how many similar cereals are out there, manages to taste much more pleasant, wholesome, and natural than the comparatively artificial-feeling Honey Nut Cheerios and Cheerios Protein.

But now we get to Cinnamon Coconut, which is “plus flax” instead of protein. Outside of a niche Honey Bunches of Oats Mango Coconut flavor, coconut is even more of a cereal newcomer than banana. And pairing it with cinnamon? Color me intrigued.

Preferably with the “macaroni & cheese” color Crayola crayon. That one’s my favorite.

Unlike Honey Almond, the Os here come in two tones: one is a more traditional “oat beige,” and the other is a darker brown/auburn mix that looks like someone blended some sort of tropical fruit with a random flavoring spice.

Papaya and ginger, maybe?

The O pieces taste heavily of sweet cinnamon and brown sugar. I couldn’t tell a difference between the colors, but my sub-conscious seems to think the darker one’s are more cinnamon-y. However, this same subconscious also thinks random passerby are judging me for my different-colored eyebrows, so I tend not to trust it.

The real standouts are the clusters here. While Honey Almond had nut chunks, these granola clusters have tiny slivers of dried coconut glued to oats by a some sort of magically sweet binding agent. The coconut flavor is light, but definitely noticeable. It’s more of a hyper-sweet, bordering-on-cloying baker’s coconut (like the raw innards of a Mounds bar) than a toasted or earthy coconut, so it contrasts the oats well.

Again, when paired with milk, you get a delightful whole. It’s a lot like a grown up version of Apple Jacks that got crossed with your grandma’s classic Seven Layer Bar recipe, with the light cinnamon spice, coconut undertones, and sweet graham flavor of the clusters leaving an amazing, buttery end milk that brings to mind sweetened, condensed milk.

And if you’ve never had Seven Layer Bars? Well, looks like you have a long night of baking ahead of you.

Both Cheerios Plus flavors were surprisingly good, with Cinnamon Coconut just barely triumphing due to its uniqueness. If you’re Canadian, if you live on the U.S.-Canada border and can make the drive, or if you’re up for a weeklong, cross country road trip, keep an eye out for these darlings.

But in the mean time, it can’t hurt to petition: hey General Mills, get this cereal a passport!

The Bowl: Cheerios Plus (Honey Almond and Cinnamon Coconut)

The Breakdown: A mix of traditional Os and innovative clusters make both flavors good, but the stnadout star of Cinnamon Coconut makes me want to clap like Citizen Kane.

The Bottom Line: 7 complicated G.I. Joe metaphors out of 10 (Honey Almond)

The Bottom Line: 8 disemboweled Mounds bars out of 10 (Cinnamon Coconut)

***A HUGE special thanks goes to Brian W. for sending me these Cheerios Plus flavors for review. I’ll pour another bowl just for you, Brian!***