Inside Hershey

Hershey's Rally Bar

They're back!

Walking through Hershey's Chocolate World last week, I did a double-take: there they were, four-packs of Rally Bars for sale. Memories of the high school bookstore came flooding back -- many a day, I'd spend a quarter on a Rally Bar for the long bus ride home. And here they were again, with retro red script on the wrapper calling out to me.

So I brought a four-pack home. Even though this is one of Hershey's "chocolatey" covered bars, meaning it doesn't qualify for the "Pure Chocolate" list. And even though it's mockolate, it's good — a nice balance of salty and sweet, with plenty of peanuts.

I have no idea what the distribution is on the Rally Bar, or whether individual bars can be found. I've kept my eyes open for them since I found them at Chocolate World, but I haven't spotted them in any other stores. If you do spy a Rally Bar, though, buy it — it's worth a try, and who knows how long these bars will be available this time around.

UPDATE: As Cybele noted in her comment, the revived Rally looks an awful lot like Canada's Oh Henry! bar, which is produced by Hershey. See for yourself on Candyblog!

Hershey's Special Dark Mocha

I believe these were produced for the Chinese market. Very good coffee flavor in a smooth dark chocolate, no nibs or bean bits.

Pumpkin Spice Kisses

Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses are one of the three limited edition Kisses that have been introduced for Autumn 2008. Along with Candy Corn Kisses (now in wider release -- last year, these were a Target exclusive) and Caramel Apple Kisses, the Pumpkin Spice Kisses come in Halloween-themed packaging.

There's no trace of chocolate in these Kisses, and they're soft -- so soft that it was impossible to cut one in half to show the filling unless it was chilled first. I have to say, I really liked these; almost as much as the Caramel Apple Kisses. They taste like pumpkin pie, all cinnamon and nutmeg and pumpkin and sweetness in one little Kiss.

 

Hershey's Classic

Does anybody out there remember the New Coke fiasco?

Because The Hershey Company is making the same mistake, although in a less splashy sort of way. The company's chocolate products have been on a long trudge toward mediocrity lately as more vegetable oils and milk fat were added to replace the more expensive cocoa butter, and as PGPR snuck into the ingredients list.

There's been no Big Change and no expensive ad campaign trumpeting the different formulation. But more and more, people are noticing the Hershey bars and Kisses they buy today just don't taste like they used to. Cybele's troubling feature on CandyBlog illustrates the changes in bar weight and price, and addresses the ingredients changes as well. There's a depressing list of the recent changes in many Hershey products from chocolate to "mockolate," and a valid criticism of The Hershey Company's web site, which is rarely up-to-date and does an inadequate job of communicating to consumers.

But the most troubling paragraph in Cybele's analysis comes near the end:

"Milton Hershey was often derided for not embracing advertising for his products. He said, 'Give them quality, that’s the best kind of advertising in the world.' But presently [The Hershey Company is]  advertising quality with their new Pure Chocolate campaign but neglecting to actually deliver it."

In our house, where we have two chocolate-crazy kids (who are fourth-generation Hershey natives, by the way) and two foodie adults, we've stopped buying the inferior Hershey's products. We have chocolate in the house less frequently, but when we do, it's real chocolate. Sure, we stick with Hershey's products, but we end up paying the extra dollar for Dagoba or Scharffen Berger chocolates. We talk often about how the chocolate used to taste, and we wonder if Hershey would be better served to introduce a "Hershey's Classic" line -- Hershey bars and Kisses that recall the good old days, when chocolate was...well...chocolate.

It's In The Bag

A few more new-ish Hershey's products were on the shelves at Chocolate World last week, and I've had a chance to try them. It's grueling work, but I am all about making sacrifices to share the chocolatey goodness, ya know?

I noticed a few new varieties of Hershey's All Natural Extra Dark squares -- mint, raspberry, espresso and pomegranate -- and picked up the two that sounded the most promising: the espresso and the pomegranate.

I had high hopes for the pomegranate squares, but they just didn't have the rich pomegranate flavor I expected. I had expected a taste close to the Hershey's Extra Dark chocolate with blueberries or cranberries, where the tart fruity flavors matched well with the dark chocolate. Having said that, the pomegranate squares disappeared in record time -- visiting family loved them. And surprisingly, they were a huge hit with the kids, ages 5 to 12.

The espresso dark chocolate squares (technically, the "Hershey's All Natural Extra Dark Pure Espresso Dark Chocolate With Coffee Bits") had a strong scent of overroasted coffee beans. I love the combination of coffee and chocolate, though, and these were right up my alley. They compare favorably with the Starbucks Mocha Dark Chocolate bars, a little less "mocha" and slightly lesser dark chocolate flavor.

Finally I tried the Hershey's Milk Chocolate Covered Macadamia Nuts...and polished off the 4.2oz bag in a day. Which is to say, I was totally enthralled. And somewhat addicted. And sort of left wanting more. So I will be unable to have these in the house, because I evidently lack the self-control necessary to STOP eating them. But as an occasional treat, I'm right there (friends and family can consider that a hint for future gift-giving occasions). Yes, it's sweet milk chocolate -- but it's not one of those "chocolately flavored" coatings, it's the real deal.

All three of these new Hershey's offerings should be on grocery store shelves now (or try Target, which always seems to have a nice selection of premium mass-produced chocolates).

Starbucks Dark Chocolate Mini Beans

On a tip from Sera, I headed out to Chocolate World last night in search of Pumpkin Spice Kisses, another new limited edition Hershey's Kiss for autumn. No luck: "We had them here for about three days," a clerk told me, "try K-Mart."

Naturally, I was disappointed. But my experience with Chocolate World has shown me that if I peruse the shelves and take my time, I'll usually find something interesting and new. And I did, in the Starbucks Chocolates display!

First, there was a new display of Starbucks chocolate bars in more traditional shelf-friendly sizes. So I was able to snare my favorite Mocha Dark Chocolate in a 1.2-oz. bar.

Then, I spotted an intriguing little tin -- yep, this was new. Starbucks Dark Chocolate Mini Beans in a convenient 2 oz. tin. They're not chocolate-covered beans; rather, these are bean-shaped lentils of dark chocolate with tiny bits of Starbucks Espresso Roast beans inside. And they're good -- almost as good as the Mocha Dark Chocolate, which features bits of Starbucks Casi Cielo beans rather than the Espresso Roast.

The only downside to my little find was the price. At $3.95 per 2 oz. portion, these are not everyday chocolates. But it *would* make a luxurious addition to a gift basket...or an excellent pick-me-up after a bad day at the office!

Spunow: A New Hershey Candy

Check it out here.

A big thank you to Candysnob, who forwarded the original post.

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.