Malt-O-Meal Honey and Oat Blenders Cereal Review

In the world of knock-off products, you are usually going to strike out.  Very rarely will you buy a knock-off product and be happy.
Take my "Tommy Hilfliger" watch I purchased on the street-side in Houston for all of 20 bucks.  It lasted 2 days.  Dr. Thunder?  Not as good as Dr. Pepper.  My Ping I3 knock-off golf clubs?  Worthless...although any golf club in my hand is worthless.  Interested in a cheap stereo at a pawn shop?  It may have Sorny guts.
Take any popular brand here in the US, and foreign companies will generate a cheaper, crappier version.  Why do you think they started making Hyundai's?

It is very rare for the knock-off item to become as popular and as high of quality as the original.  Oddly enough, Malt-o-meal has found this niche.
Don't get me wrong--there are tons of crappy knock-off cereals out there.  Corporal Crunch, Fruity Hoops, and Apple Yo's are terrible.  So are many others.
But I dare say that I would choose Marshmallow Mateys over Lucky Charms every day of the week.  Take a look at Malt-o-Meal lineup!!  It's like the Green Bay Packers of the cereal world.

Coco Roos
Cinnamon toasters
Tootie Frooties
Mini Spooners

Ridiculously delicious.

I recently decided to dip my toes into a Malt-o-Meal offering I'd never tried:  Honey and Oat Blenders.

I never let the name dissuade me from trying a new cereal out, even though the word "blender" in the title seemed oddly creepy.  The marketing team wasn't happy with Honey and Oat crunchies?
By the way, this cereal is a knock-off of Post Honey bunches of Oats. (which is also delicious)

I'll give you the high and low points of my cereal ingesting experience.

Positives:
When opening the box, the smell was overpowering.  Honey and sugar....I was in sucrose heaven.
This is much cheaper than the Post alternative, thus you can gorge without breaking the bank.

Negatives:
This cereal is quick to soak up milk.  You must eat quickly, or you'll have Honey and Oat mush. (Post Honey bunches of Oats also has the same problem)
It is very sweet.  I could see myself eating this as a late-night "treat snack" instead of for breakfast.  This is the reason I can't buy Fruity Pebbles.  It's like a yabba dabba dessert.

While not the strongest offering by Malt-o-Meal, this is definitely an option when passing up the rice puffs looking for something a little more tasty.  Solid fake 4-star rating.

Odd fact side note--while perusing Malt-o-Meal's site, they have a WIC qualifier by State for each cereal.  This is not an approved WIC cereal in the state of Idaho.  I suppose Honey Oat Blenders falls on the side of beer and cigarettes?  Who knows?
Malt-o-Meal also does not have a product picture of this cereal on its web-page.  Also odd.