Candy Review: Hershey’s Sticks

Thursday, March 8, 2007 - by Michelle

I’m always on the lookout for affordable candy, so when I recently saw Hershey’s Sticks on sale at Target, I quickly snatched up boxes of the Mint Milk Chocolate, Rich Dark Chocolate, and the Caramel-filled Milk Chocolate. According to Hershey’s website, Hershey’s Stick are “the convenient, guilt-free way to indulge in chocolate.” Each stick is individually wrapped and contains just 60 calories per serving. Sure they are portion-controlled and might help you watch your diet, but how do they taste?

Mint Milk Chocolate: When I opened up the wrapper and took a whiff of the stick inside, I didn’t notice a strong smell of mint. The stick is about 5 inches long and a little skinnier than an individual KitKat portion. Long and skinny, the stick forces you to eat slower. My brain equates candy with instant gratification so this experience was new. My first bite had the delightful cooling sensation of mint mixed in with the regular Hershey’s chocolate, but the more I ate of it, the less mint I tasted. It’s not like a York Peppermint Patty where you get the “cooling” aftertaste on your tongue. The mint doesn’t linger at all, and by the time I finished the stick, I wondered if I had any mint with my chocolate. Despite this, this was probably my favorite out of the flavors.

Rich Dark Chocolate: I actually like Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate, so I was looking forward to tasting this variety. Frankly, I was disappointed. The best thing about this flavor was the smell. It had a rich dark aroma like hot cocoa or a mocha. When I bit into it, I immediately noticed how gritty it was. This flavor was sweeter than Special Dark, like adding a hint of sugar to your morning coffee. It helps a little, but the sweetness doesn’t enhance or compliment the bitterness at all. This variety has Hershey’s “Natural source of flavanol antioxidants” badge, which means it qualifies as “healthy” dark chocolate. I guess if you’re actively looking for an antioxidant-rich chocolate, this fits the bill, but I wonder there’s a better-tasting brand at a similar price.

Caramel-filled Milk Chocolate: This one smelled like a KitKat when I unwrapped it, but it doesn’t exactly taste like one. As you can see from the picture, this variety had a vein of caramel running through the center. The caramel lent an intense sweetness to the milk chocolate, and I was surprised to discover that it was so sweet I nearly couldn’t finish it! The caramel does nothing for texture because the chocolate is quite firm, and I couldn’t sense much “gooeyness” in my mouth as I chewed. I figure this is because the portion is very tiny and the amount of caramel is so slight. Also, the vein of caramel stops about half an inch from the edge of the stick. I probably would not eat this again unless it was the only chocolate available to me.

I’m not sure if it’s the portion control or the attempt at new flavors, but I wasn’t too impressed with Hershey’s Sticks. They even claim that the chocolate is “smooth and creamy,” but I didn’t find that accurate. Hershey’s chocolate is, in my experience, quite gritty regardless of which variety you try. I don’t usually mind this, but I guess the claim on the box irked me. Yes, these sticks are convenient, and you can carry one in your purse without worrying about it melting, but at $2.99 a box for just 9 sticks, I can’t quite justify the expense. If I were looking for a quick chocolate pick-me-up, I’d probably reach for a Hershey’s Kiss instead of a Hershey’s Stick.

• Hershey’s Sticks

Buy Hershey’s Sticks online:

• at Amazon

candy, sweets, chocolate, Hersheys, Hershey’s, portion control, caramel, mint, dark chocolate