If you missed my review and haven't tried this candy yet, a Hershey Gold is a caramelized "creme" bar containing tiny bits of pretzels and peanuts. Even though it took me a while to come around to the "salty and sweet" combination that arose over the past decade or so ("sea salt and caramel" in chocolate was not an option when I was a kid), I loved Hershey Gold immediately. I was extremely relieved to learn that, unlike the last odd "gold" junk food I liked (7-Up Gold...look it up!), this one has lasted more than a few months and has clearly made it past the introductory stage. So, apparently I, and my former office mates, are not the only ones eating them.
I must therefore apologize for being remiss in not reviewing the "Kisses" version of the candy when I first heard it had been released. To be honest, I wasn't planning to write about them at all, figuring that (as with all the other "Kisses"), they were just smaller, "drop" versions of the same Hershey Gold candy bars I knew and loved. But, unfortunately, I was wrong! (cue sinister music.)
The first clue I had that something was amiss came when I opened the bag and got a whiff of the smell of caramel popcorn. Well, perhaps not quite caramel popcorn, but definitely a strong caramel smell, and certainly sweeter than the smell you would get from simply melting down Kraft caramel squares before dripping them onto an apple.
(Since I specifically called out the "first" clue, you are probably expecting a "second" clue. But, to be honest, there wasn't really a second clue. I just put one in my mouth and realized that it wasn't the same. I suppose if I had read the bag more carefully, that could have been the second clue, but then again, it would have been more of the solution than a "clue." If you can see the bag in the picture, you'll notice it says only "pretzel bites." Yes, that's right, one essential ingredient was left out--the peanut bits!)
I'm not sure why Hershey omitted the peanuts. Perhaps they couldn't get a consistent "drop" shape with both pretzel and peanut chunks in the mix? But I definitely think using the Hershey Gold name in this case is misleading. Hershey Gold bars have three ingredients--peanuts, pretzels, and caramelized creme. The kisses have only two of these ingredients! You wouldn't call chocolate and vanilla ice cream "Neapolitan" would you? Would you?!?
In the end, I decided not to deduct a point from the review score to account for Hershey's treachery, although I was sorely tempted. The candy is sweet and salty, but definitely more sweet than salty, and not what I was hoping for. But it is a good candy, and a welcome variant of the kisses which are chocolate-based. If you like them, you will probably like the full bar a little better.
RATING: 4 / 5
