The Hershey Insider

Remember those Candy Corn Kisses?

You know, the Candy Corn Kisses that were only available at Target last year? The Kisses that were so "limited edition" they were impossible to find by the beginning of October?

They're baaaaaaack!

And they're at Hershey's Chocolate World, so if I had to guess, I'd guess that Candy Corn Kisses will enjoy wider distribution this year. But don't count on it -- if you see them in a store near you, buy as much as you think you'll need for Halloween. And I have to say, as excellent as these are for Kiss cookies and trick-or-treat bags, they are darn good as an adult snack with a cup of coffee or a hot buttered rum.

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!

Reese's Select Clusters

 
The Reese's Select Clusters have finally made it to Hershey on their long journey from Mexico. I found them at Chocolate World a few days ago in an 8 oz. bag priced at $3.95. So at $8.00 a pound, Reese's Clusters are aimed at a more "gourmet" consumer.

They're good, and Cybele covered them in her usual excellent detail at Candy Blog. I'm still not certain how macadamia nuts fit (and without marquee billing), and I wish the high fructose corn syrup didn't appear in that lengthy ingredients list. But they're tasty little morsels nonetheless.

Caramel Apple Kisses

One of the surprises I found at Hershey's Chocolate World yesterday was a small display of Limited Edition Kisses: Candy Corn and Caramel Apple. So it looks as though the Candy Corn Kisses, which were Target exclusives last year (and in short supply around here), may get a wider distribution for autumn this year.

And then there are those Caramel Apple Kisses, all decked out in fall colors. They are surprisingly good -- sweet, of course, but with a nice tart green apple flavor on top of the caramel. So if you're near Chocolate World, stock up now. You never know how supplies will be in October, when you really want those Caramel Apple Kisses for Halloween treats!

Treasures from Chocolate World

 We went on a little excursion to Hershey's Chocolate World today, despite the warnings of heavy traffic (Billy Joel is performing this evening at Hersheypark Stadium), and returned with a few treasures:

* The Limited Edition Candy Corn Kisses are back -- and this year, they brought a fall-flavor friend, Caramel Apple Kisses;


* I finally found Reese's Clusters, all the way from  Mexico -- although the description on the bag is "Peanuts, Pecans, Peanut Butter and Caramel wrapped in Milk Chocolate," the ingredient list includes macadamia nuts;


* There's a new expensive souvenir for the tourists -- a tiny burlap sack of Hershey's Cocoa Beans for $5.95 (OK, I bought one);


* The three Young & Smylie licorice varieties are positioned near checkout counters in the main candy retail area.

Photos to come...

Waffling on Wal-Mart

 
For many reasons, Wal-Mart is one shopping destination I avoid. In fact, I hadn't been in a Wal-Mart for several years before last week.

What lured me back? The promise of Bliss Milk Chocolate with Almonds, the fifth variety of Hershey's premium chocolate line. They really DO exist! I found my Bliss close to the front of the store and headed for the checkout line. But another interesting Hershey's package caught my attention before I made it out of the store. Could it be another new Hershey's Kiss variety?!? Oh yeah -- I scored some of the new Hershey's Cookies 'n' Cream Kisses at Wal-Mart, too.

So sometimes it pays to do a quick stop at your local Wal-Mart. It appears to be one of several retailers to carry exclusive Hershey's products. And while that's good for The Hershey Company (Wal-Mart moves an unseemly percentage of the world's confectionery items), it's not enough to draw me into the store on a regular basis.

By the way, although this is decidedly not a food blog, the Bliss Milk Chocolate with Almonds gets a thumbs-up from me. The Cookies 'N' Cream Kisses have a texture not unlike coarse sand.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bats

It looks as though Hershey is jumping on The Dark Knight bandwagon as far as 2008 summer movie promos are concerned (at least I haven't seen any Hershey /Indiana Jones products yet). These Reese's Peanut Butter Bats popped up in Chocolate World recently. I noticed Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bats and Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bats, in miniature sizes and individual bar sizes. What I like most about the miniature versions is the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter: there's more chocolate there!

Different Varieties of Bliss?

Although the official Hershey site lists only three varieties of Bliss, I believe there are at least two additional kinds of Bliss to be found: the Raspberry Meltaway, and a Milk Chocolate Almond variation.

I know for sure the Raspberry Meltaway Bliss exists, because I'm looking at a bowl full of it right now.

As for the Milk Chocolate Almond Bliss, I have only this small photo received from a reliable source via email this morning. Hmmmmmm...

A Bowl of Bliss

Because I like the Hershey Bliss Milk Chocolate so much, and because I always enjoy a little added berry or orange flavor with my chocolate, I was thrilled to discover the newest variety of Bliss at Target last weekend: Milk Chocolate Raspberry Meltaways. And I'm happy to tell you, they're darn near as good as the milk chocolate Bliss.

I've noticed that Hershey seems to have developed a special relationship with Target. It was the only place I could find those elusive Candy Corn Kisses last year, and since then, I've seen other unique Hershey's products on Target shelves, too: the Cacao Reserve Ultra-Thin Squares, for example; the Limited Edition Kisses for spring (Lemon Creme, Orange Creme, Vanilla Creme and Coconut Creme); Hershey's Champagne Truffle Kisses were on Target shelves for Valentine's Day, too.

So whether you're looking to find your (raspberry) Bliss, or you're in the market for some of the more limited Hershey offerings, I highly recommend making a run to your local Target!

Mars + Wrigley =

The rumored acquisition of Wrigley by Mars was announced today (link to New York Times article here). The acquisition would solidify Mars' position as the #1 chocolate company in the world and create a global confectionery force to be reckoned with..

What does this mean for Hershey?

Some speculate that talks with Cadbury will resume. There are rumors out there that those talks have been ongoing, despite the leadership turmoil at The Hershey Company and turnover at the Trust. Whatever the status of the Cadbury-Hershey relationship, the next year or two will be interesting to watch...and speculate.