Around 2010 I had the pleasure of trying a bunch of American candies of all sorts sent to me over the course of a few years by an American friend, and whether it's the HFCS or not there is a permeating flavor to the sweetness that is recognizable in almost everything I've tried. It's a sort of nutty flavor, curiously reminiscent of the unique taste of Dr Pepper. I noticed in Life Savers, Starbursts, Milk Duds, US Coke, the list goes on. Practically everything. And I could discern it when comparing US and European versions of one and the same product, e.g. a Twix or Snickers bar.