Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Hershey’s Kissables

Name: Kissables
Brand: Hershey’s
Place Purchased: 7-11
Price: $.85
Size: 1.5 ounces
Calories per ounce: 140
Type: Chocolate

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Dang if these aren’t the cutest candy with a shell to come along in years. Vibrant primary and secondary colors in that familiar Kiss shape only smaller and more “poppable.” When I saw the promo stuff on the internet at first they looked a lot like the tops of crayons and now that I have them in front of me I still think that. The shells aren’t quite as pretty and consistent as an M&M, but the vibrancy of the colors is pretty phenomenal.

Though Hershey’s Kisses are wonderful little candies, Hershey found out long ago that folks only buy them in large bags. Hershey tried for a while to launch smaller bags, but people just don’t buy them that way. Here’s an easier way to take Hershey Kisses to a movie (less unwapping, thankyouverymuch).

But let’s get to the eating, because convenience and color doesn’t mean diddly if it’s not tasty. These are tasty. I bought two bags - one to spill out in front of the unopened package (you actually get more than shown in the photo in the package, I ate or rejected about ten of them). The shell is a lot like the familiar M&M shell, it’s crunchy, sweet and has no flavor of its own like the UK Smarties do. The little fellows are about the size of chocolate chips instead of the large Kisses. The inside is Hershey’s chocolate - very sweet, a little milky and with an overall pleasant smoothness. The biggest issue I have with this is that I can’t eat them quite like M&Ms. When I’m eating a plain M&M, I’ll arrange the candy in my teeth on edge and crack it so that one half of the shell falls away and I get pure crunch, then mostly chocolate. These just don’t cleave that way. But maybe I’ll find some other interesting way of eating them, at the moment biting off the little tips seems pretty fun.

If you like M&Ms, you’ll probably like these. I don’t see Hershey’s coming out with a version with nuts anytime soon, as there’s just no room in there for one (well, maybe a sesame seed). Interesting fact: when M&Ms were first developed they contained Hershey’s chocolate. In fact, one of the Ms in M&M is for Hershey’s sales manager, William Murrie (or his son Bruce who was in business with Forrest Mars during the period they developed the candy-coated chocolate).  They were made with Hershey’s up until the late sixties (I can’t find the exact date).

Other Reviews - CandyAddict gives it a positive, Accidental Hedonist’s musings on candy coated chocolatesJunkFood Blog points out that these are made without peanut traces, which M&Ms are not.

Rating - 8 out of 10

UPDATE 8/7/2008: Hershey’s reformulated Kissables sometime in 2008 and they are no longer made with real chocolate. Full review & comparison here.

Related Candies

  1. Hershey’s Bliss
  2. Hershey’s Favorites - Sugar Free
  3. Hershey’s Cacao Reserve
  4. M&Ms Line
  5. Hershey Eggs

POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:48 am Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReviewHershey'sChocolateDiscontinued8-TastyUnited States

Comments
  1. Hersheyets are finally back, but in a new shape.  In my opinion, they always were better tasting than M&Ms;.  Hersheyets disappeared a few years ago.  I hope this new product stays around.

    Comment by Matt on 12/20/05 at 11:55 am #
  2. These look adorable!  I doubt I’ll ever try them unless someone gives me a few though because I never buy…these huge bags of kisses.  If it were Japanese, it would come in smaller packages!  raspberry

    Comment by Robyn on 12/20/05 at 1:11 pm #
  3. oh oh here’s one more blog mention on hershey’s kissables (one of the first, cuz it wuz NEWS back then)

    Comment by tg on 12/20/05 at 2:37 pm #
  4. I like the colors of these Kissables!  They are certainly vibrant.  Funny you mention cracking normal M&Ms; open from the side because I eat the majority of them that way too.  It’s almost like cracking sunflower seeds when you stand it up on end like that…

    Comment by Bryan on 12/20/05 at 3:09 pm #
  5. I just got a bag of these this morning, just finished the last one and was thinking about emailing you! I love them and hope they stick around.

    Comment by Jodi on 12/20/05 at 4:36 pm #
  6. Looking forward to your next post and I have a suggestion if you don’t already know about it.

    Comment by Jodi on 12/20/05 at 4:37 pm #
  7. Bought these the other day.  Had them fight with the Mega M&Ms;.  The Kissables won.  Bryan is right the colors are definitely more vibrant than M&Ms;.

    Comment by Marvo on 12/20/05 at 11:38 pm #
  8. Cybele's avatar

    Well, I had two bags and now both are gone. Pretty good recommendation overall.

    Comment by Cybele on 12/21/05 at 12:14 pm #
  9. If Hersheys would only start doin’ fair trade—

    Comment by green LA girl on 12/22/05 at 12:16 am #
  10. Cybele's avatar

    Green - the sad part is that Hershey was at one time “fair trade” in the sense that Milton Hershey was very aware of the impact his raw material purchases had on the growers and harvesters.

    The concern back then (we’re talking teens through the thirties) were the sugar plantations which often employed child labor. Milton Hershey ended up founding a community in Cuba where he owned his own sugar plantations and treated his workers very well, providing for the children, building schools, homes and infrastructure.

    It’s pretty amazing to think of how quickly things would change if just one huge candy corp like Hershey or Nestle went fair trade ... and I don’t think it’s an impossible goal.

    Comment by Cybele on 12/22/05 at 10:17 am #
  11. Those are so cute! Hopefully I’ll be able to find those, unlike my quest for Pink Peppermint Patties.

    Comment by Nanette on 12/28/05 at 11:33 pm #
  12. Cybele's avatar

    Nanette - I just picked some up yesterday at Sav-On, there was a huge display of them near the checkout and they were 3 for 99 cents! (And they’re not limited edition either.)

    Comment by Cybele on 12/29/05 at 10:25 am #
  13. Love these!  They’re mah-velous!  I LOVE M&Ms;, Smarties, and now, Kissables!  I love buying them in large bags—got a 5 lb bag at Costco for under $10 (7.99???), but I’ve seen them at the grocery store, Target in single serving packages. 

    Does anyoe know anything about Dulce de Leche M&Ms;?  Approximately 4 years ago, I found my last pound bag at a local military PX and have been rationing that same bag ever since!  I have contacted M&M/Mars and never get anywhere. 

    I’m a candy addict and will be visiting often!  Happy New Year!

    Comment by Makai on 12/31/05 at 8:32 pm #
  14. wow there pretty colorful im hungry!

    Comment by Aaron on 3/31/06 at 9:35 am #
  15. Have just tasted one of these as a friend sent some packs over from the states for us to try out. I now have a distinct taste of vomit at the back of my throat.
    Were these the foundation for the sweets in harry potter? If I try the green one will I get earwax?

    Comment by Cassandra on 11/23/07 at 12:40 pm #
  16. I was sooo glad to see the kissables (previously herseyetts) are back, but all of a sudden I can’t find the dark chocolate ones!!!  What is with that-we all know that dark chocolate is much better for you!!  PLEASE DON’T DISCONTINUE THEM!!!!

    Comment by betty on 4/24/08 at 1:58 pm #
  17. These candies are awful! M&M;‘s smoke these in taste!

    Comment by The DOG!! on 4/25/08 at 2:45 pm #
  18. The kissables have changed from a “milk chocolate candy” to a “chocolate candy”- meaning they have taken away milk chocolate as the main ingredient! I was so bummed!  I had bought a couple of bags not realizing there was a difference and they were awful- too sweet, almost having a sweet burnt flavor.  I had a handful and then tossed the rest. I had to call Hersheys a couple of times and finally found out they changed the recipe! Too bad! They took my favorite candy and made it unedible!

    Comment by Deb on 7/23/08 at 11:29 am #
  19. I left this post elsewhere on 6-9-08 and only found the above Kissable comments today, so I repeat…Why can?t I find anything on the web about how a once perfect chocolate candy, Hersheys Kissables, suddenly tastes like…something else? I can only surmise the pod-people have taken over Hersheys and the only way we can tell is that pod-people can?t make good chocolate. For many years marketed at Hershey-ettes, I used to look forward to seeing them on the shelves during the Christmas season. I actually thought I would have a conniption when my grocery store stopped carrying them. I had to go all they way to the drug store to pick up a bag, buying some ?cover? products so it didn?t look like I was on my second trip in a week just for Kissables. Then I was told that Hersheys has moved production to Mexico and has sold the product line. What a crappy kettle of fish. Hershey Kissables were on the tips of everyone?s tongues when talking about a really good chocolate fix. My grocery store has finally started carrying them again. Too bad. I should have warned them not to bother.

    Comment by Dede on 8/03/08 at 6:48 am #
  20. So looks like Hershey cannibalized a product as a result of trying to make a cheaper item. (kissables no longer being produced, shocker)

    Crazy.  Kinda like the business leasing landlord who raises business rent til all of his tenants end up moving out.  Then he sits with unoccupied space making no money at all.

    I loved the original recipe kissables / hersheyettes and would have happily paid more for them if that was necessary.  Idiots.

    Comment by disappointed consumer on 6/17/10 at 10:13 am #
  21. Those Hershey’s Kissables look like Sorryâ„¢ pawns.

    Comment by joey on 12/15/12 at 8:55 pm #
  22. How do I get my hands on some kissable candies?

    Comment by Katie on 2/05/15 at 5:08 pm #
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