The new Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Caramels were introduced this summer with a large advertising push. I’ve seen commercials and large displays at convenience stores.
The Hershey’s Dark Chocolate Caramels (and their Milk Chocolate siblings) are a rather pedestrian extension of the Hershey’s brand. They’re sold in either a pair of caramels in a single package or a stand up bag of something less than a half a pound. The price point makes you think that this is a premium product, I paid $4.29 for 7.2 ounces.
The packaging looks nice and does a good job of protecting the freshness and attractiveness of the product, but it’s maddeningly hard to open. Each caramel is individually wrapped and of the 13 or so pieces in the bag, I was able to open two without the aid of scissors. I can only assume that this is to either help with portion control or help the consumer work off some extra calories wandering around the house trying to figure out where the good scissors went.
My frustrations with the wrappers were ameliorated by the fact that every single caramel was gorgeous. They’re lovely rounded squares with a lightly domed top of thick dark chocolate. (Well, I don’t know how dark it actually is, the ingredients only call it semi-sweet and it contains milk fat.)
They smell nice, a mixture of brownies and hot chocolate. The bite is easy and soft, but not a runny caramel like the Cadbury Caramello bar. The caramel has an excellent smooth texture and good stringy pull, but it’s not quite stiff enough to satisfy me. The chocolate is passable, smooth and not chalky, and not too sweet.
The whole experience is lacking something, perhaps I’m spoiled by my comparably priced Trader Joe’s Butterscotch which strike me as a far better deal both because the price is better, the ingredients are a bit clearer and of course they taste fantastic or the far easier to find Storck Chocolate Riesen. I don’t see Hershey’s new product line surviving in the long run, they’re just not distinctive enough.
These caramels are made in Mexico and are made on equipment that also processes macadamia nuts, almonds, hazelnuts and peanuts. Contains soy and milk. There’s no mention of gluten.
Related Candies
- Droga Money on Honey Caramels
- Russell Stover Big Bite Caramel Apple
- Hershey’s Air Delight Aerated Milk Chocolate
- See’s Double Caramel
- Milky Way Simply Caramel
- Reese’s Select Cremes
- Hershey’s Cacao Reserve
I got the single serve size of it & was surprised it tasted so good. I’m used to Hershey’s being sour.
The chocolate is smooth and not chocolate??
Ohmygosh. Hi Cybele! How are you doing? It’s been forever commenting on CANDY BLOG. Always, always busy working. Sooo, these Hershey’s caramels, unfortunately ..... not good. Will not purchase again, unappealing. On special 2 for $5.00. Milk chocolate and also dark I tried. Both too sweet. My best chocolate covered caramels must taste very buttery + creamy. Like those from See’s or Fannie May. Caramel itself should be made with sugar, heavy cream and of course real butter!!
Thanks for your informative blog. I note the disappointing regularity with which American manufacturers replace chocolate with that vile, unhealthy substitute ‘compound chocolate’. As every mass produced product in the US is reduced to its cheapest, nastiest variant, it’s hard to find actual chocolate these days. And as for actual sugar, that disappeared years ago to be replaced by the godawful and dangerously toxic high fructose sugar syrup. Thankfully in other countries, consumers won’t put up with these cheap rorts. But every so often, they try (and promptly change or go out of business). Cadbury in Australia tried to replace cocoa butter with some palm oil. While the taste was vile, the pbulic outcry was such that they changed straight back. Won’t happen in the US, where tastebuds are um…used to crap.
Next entry: Brach’s Peanut Butter Cup Candy Corn
Previous entry: Candyology 101 - Podcast Episode 21 - Red Licorice