Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Head to Head: Clark, Butterfinger & 5th AvenueYesterday I reviewed the new Necco Clark Bar with real milk chocolate and the Necco Clark Dark Bar with real dark chocolate. At the time I also purchased and compared the two other nationally available chocolatey peanut butter crunch bars: Nestle Butterfinger and Hershey’s 5th Avenue. The bars are all roughly the same size and barring any sales, the same price. All are nationally available, and though Clark used to be hard to find, all of the bars here were purchased at RiteAid, a national drug store chain. Honestly, there are probably two main reasons to chose one over the other: flavor preference and ingredients.
The ingredients and concepts are very similar. A crunchy layered peanut butter crunch log is enrobed with chocolate or mockolate. Necco Clark Bar (introduced by D.L. Clark in 1916-1917)
Noticeable molasses flavor, fresh roasted nuts but not overly salty. The texture varies from bar to bar, some are more hard-candy-like and others have a more crumbly layering with stronger peanut butter notes. Nestle Butterfinger (introduced by Curtiss in 1923)
The center, when compared to the others, is obviously artificially colored. The scent of the bar is overtly “buttery” but without any real source. The coating is chalky looking and matte, without any ripples or variations. The crunch of the center is dense, though there are layers it’s a tightly wrapped bar. This gives it a density and satisfying weight. The mockolate coating is dreadful and the worst part of the bar. Salty and butter-flavored center has a good peanut butter flavor that at least covers the watery cocoa flavors of the outside. Hershey’s 5th Avenue (introduced by Luden’s in 1936)
In earlier versions of the bar it was real milk chocolate and there were several almonds on top of the peanut butter center under the chocolate coating. The change over to a high-quality mockolate was about 4 years ago. The center of the 5th Avenue is by far the one I prefer. It’s like a bundle of spiky peanut butter crunch needles. They melt in your mouth with a burst of molasses, peanut butter and salty flavors. The mockolate is actually pretty good, though often very soft and pasty. The chocolate flavor of it is well rounded and the texture, though fudgy, is smooth. If it were still in its original formulation, the 5th Avenue might still be the #1 bar for me. But given Clark’s new all natural and real ingredients, I have to go with the Clark Bar Dark and then the Clark Bar. Butterfinger comes in a distant #3 (or #4 if we’re using both Clark bars). Related Candies
POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:55 am All Natural • Candy • Review • Hershey's • Necco • Nestle • Chocolate • Kosher • Mockolate • Peanuts • 5-Pleasant • 7-Worth It • 8-Tasty • United States • Head to Head • Rite Aid • |
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Meticulously photographed and documented reviews of candy from around the world. And the occasional other sweet adventures. Open your mouth, expand your mind.
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Nice taste off! I’ll look for that dark Clark Bar. The line up makes me think about the whole issue of “candy bar diversity,” here we have three candy bars but really three versions of one candy bar idea. That Butterfinger is a funny one, it wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I realized it was PEANUT butter they were talking about. I wonder why the peanut part was kept so under wraps, as it were?
You know, it’s funny. I did a side by side of the 5th Ave & Butterfinger and I far prefer the Butterfinger. And I really don’t even notice the mockolate, I think because it’s so thin of a layer, it gets lost in the crispy layers. At least for me.
I love the head-to-head reviews!
Clark Bar for the WIN! I’m so glad there are still candy bars that aren’t cutting corners with their chocolate and other ingredients.
WHERE ARE BUTTERFINGER BB’S??? What happened to them?!?!?
Came across this blog for the first time and was attracted to this post about peanut crunch bars and just had to share one I think is absolutely AMAZING. Redstone Candies from PA (http://www.redstonecandies.com/) has one they call Peanut Butter logs and there’s just something about the chocolate that makes it so delicious. I definitely recommend you should try them at least once if you like Butterfinger bars and the like.
i have a soft spot for butterfingers. i grew up munching on them.
I just compared the BF and the 5TH Ave and I’d rather plead the 5th, as it were. I’m not much of a fan of “wafer” bars so I’ve avoided the BF for a long time. The BF lacks crunch & reminds me of a wafer bar. It’s filling is not well defined.
Once I tried took the 5th, I had to do a side-by-side comparison. You’re absolutely right about the burst of flavor. The filling is firmer and the chocolate coating on the 5th even looks better. Now, where can I find a Clark bar?
They changed the Clark bar recipe (along with the wrapper) about a year ago. It is AWFUL! They ruined it. The wonderful molasses and peanut flavor is gone. It now tastes sugary and watered down. Won’t buy it again—it’s simply not a Clark bar anymore. I wrote the company (Necco) twice to complain but they seemed unconcerned and unapologetic.
I’ve loved the Clark bar since I was a kid, but it was hard to find. Now I see it all over the place—with the horrible new recipe.
Anyone else out there hate the new “Get real” Clark bar?
i like butterfinger
I disagree with this review by a LONG shot… But hey, you can’t go by someone else’s tastes, you have to taste them all on your own pick what YOU like best, not what someone else likes. Bottom line, don’t EVER base YOUR opinion on someone else’s opinion. This review SUCKS ASS!!
Comment by Leilani is awesome! I had those “Peanut Butter Logs” at a candy store that isn’t around any more and they were my absolute favorite.
I agree with Umley, the Clark bar is now dreadful. NECCO appears to think more sugar is always better. 5th Avenue has better texture and more flavor.
I enjoy all three….Of course Butterfinger, which I had at a gas station today, is the uusal one…5th Avenue IS believe it or NOT widely available at these US drug stores
CVS/pharmacy
Rite-Aid
(don’t know if WalGreens stocks them but since the others do, WalGreens obviously should too)
Clark is at Big! Lots (the former Pc ‘n’Save), which also has stuff like Circus Peanuts (both Melsters and Spanglers sold as “Queen City”), Pearsons Salted Nut roll both regular and peanut butter (I prefer these WAY over PayDay), and various Necco candies like the aofrementioned Clark, and Necco Chocolate Wafers (one time,away) and SkyBar.
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