Young & Smylie Licorice

Another of the surprises I found at Chocolate World a few days ago were these 8 oz. bags of Young & Smylie licorice. It shouldn't have been such a surprise -- I've been reading about the new confection for a few months and The Hershey Company actually issued a timely press release for them in late June:

HERSHEY, Pa., June 26, 2008 – The Hershey Company announces the introduction of new Young & Smylie™ premium soft licorice with mouth-watering flavors fit for a king. Dating back to ancient times, licorice has long been revered as both a sweet indulgence and a medicinal remedy. In fact, in King Tut’s 3,000-year-old tomb, vast quantities of licorice root were found among magnificent treasures of art and jewelry. Originally founded in 1845, Young & Smylie is again making the classic candy available to consumers seeking refined, sophisticated flavors, beginning July 2008.

Young & Smylie licorice celebrates the time-honored style of soft-textured licorice in three slightly sweet flavors, including Traditional Black Licorice, Strawberry and Peach Mango. Made with natural licorice root extract, Young & Smylie pieces are easy to chew and conveniently bite-sized for enjoyment on-the-go, whether in the office, in the car or at home.

“Young & Smylie celebrates consumers’ love of traditional licorice with exciting flavors that appeal to today’s sophisticated palates,” said Michele Buck, Senior Vice President, Global Chief Marketing Officer, The Hershey Company. “People looking for a grown-up candy to match their grown-up tastes will appreciate the craftsmanship and authenticity that Young & Smylie has delivered since the 19th century.”

Young & Smylie Confections was acquired by The Hershey Company in 1977. For more than 150 years, Young & Smylie has been known for its unwavering quality and authentic licorice candy.

Young & Smylie licorice will retail for $2.99 and will be sold in convenient 8 oz., re-sealable, standup packages at mass retailers, grocery and drug stores nationwide.

The black licorice is good, although it's very soft and improves after it's been left out for a day or two. The strawberry licorice has a much stronger strawberry flavor than Strawberry Twizzlers. And the peach mango flavor? It just didn't work for me -- it's very sweet, almost cloyingly so. Give me Bassett's All-Sorts or Haribo licorice and I'll take it over the new Y&S. Having said that, I'm happy to see The Hershey Company reaching for the stars and introducing more premium products. And I'm even happier that the 8 oz. bags were only $1.55 each at Chocolate World!