The last of the three expired limited edition pieces of candy I purchased from the Dollar Tree Store was the now defunct Reese’s Big Cup with Caramel and Nuts. Honestly, I don’t remember hearing about them when they were out.
Also being frank, I wasn’t too thrilled to get my hands on these any more than I am with any new candy that presents itself. At least with the Hershey’s Special Dark Raspberry Flavored Macadamia Bar and 100 Grand Dark Bar they sounded appetizing. But a Reese’s Big Cup? With caramel? And with peanuts?
Though I do admittedly like Reese’s products in theory, it’s more that I enjoy the way they manufacture their peanut butter filling, which so many copycats seem to get wrong in the chocolate ratio; however, too much of the filling is overpowering.
I have always shied away from Big Cups simply because they were denser than your regular peanut butter cup, which I felt could use more chocolate in volume. Throw in caramel and peanuts, and you just have a mess of bold flavors competing for the attention of your taste buds, which usually results in nothing tasting that good. So as you can see, I was a bit hesitant to try this one.
Smelling the cup, I was struck by how fresh it still came off, as a noticeable milk chocolate aroma pervaded my nose. When picking it up with my fingers to taste, I couldn’t escape the fact that it felt greasier than most peanut butter cups, but this attribute might only ring true because of the candy’s age and chocolate naturally releasing more of its oils with time.
I didn’t have to struggle to get a bite in, as the piece was very soft. Immediately, the chocolate tasted aged, but not by a great deal. Though I originally believed the caramel and peanuts would destroy the delicate balance of the peanut butter to chocolate harmony of the candy, it didn’t. Rather, each was subtle in its presentation, yet still obvious, offering hints of cream and milk sweetness. The presence of the nuts also added a crunch to the piece that was texturally interesting compared to the classic method of consumption.
Oddly, despite how I felt this would be the worst of the three pieces of candy for my little experiment, it turned out to be the best. When I tried to rationalize it, I guess it makes sense since caramel, peanut butter, and nuts have a longer life span than something like crisp rice.
It might have been because this product was fresher, it might have been because the ingredients retain flavor better, and it might be something else I am not even conceiving… either way, if I learned anything about this experiment of mine, it was that candy can surprise like no other, and yes, you probably shouldn’t buy that old candy bar on the shelf, but it’s sometimes more fun to do it just to say that you did.
Buy Reese’s Big Cup Online:
- at Candy Direct
- at Amazon.com
I don’t know; it seems like it’s trying to do too much. I don’t need my candy bar to work so hard…..
October 7th, 2008 at 7:59 amI agree with missmoxie. Give me a plain Reese’s Cup any day!
October 7th, 2008 at 10:04 ami’m with them-pure, unadulterated reese’s pbc. i don’t need them to mess with the formula.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:50 amMost of the time I don’t like all the variations that keep coming to the Reese’s line, but I actually really like the plain Big Cups. Contrary to the popular belief that the ratio of chocolate to peanut butter is what makes Reese’s so good, I think the crumbly peanut butter filling is what truly makes a Reese’s cup so delightful. In other words, more is more! I’m also quite fond of the Reese’s cups with caramel, so it’s a shame I never got a chance to try these. However, I don’t really like nuts in my candy bars, so I guess I shouldn’t be too disappointed.
October 7th, 2008 at 11:23 pmYou know, we have tried many of the variations that Reese’s has come out with, and all left us thinking “Just stick to the original”. Maybe I am just old and crotchety, but many of the big names are, in my opinion, best in their original state. Like Hershey’s kisses.
October 8th, 2008 at 11:31 pm