As we all know, Hershey’s Kisses celebrated its 100th birthday this past year, withstanding the test of confectionery time. Here at Candy Addict we’ve followed the recently limited editions that Hershey’s has rolled out in celebration of the Kisses centennial. With flavors like Strawberry Creme, Candy Corn, Malt, Coffee, etc., how could Hershey possible introduce something new to the Kisses line? I found the answer to that question toward the end of the year, in the form of larger-than-normal-sized Kisses that come in a pack at the checkout counter.
This is a bold marketing move on Hershey’s behalf. For years Hershey has tried to find a profitable way to sell Kisses in other forms than the large bags but with limited success. A few years ago Kissables made a debut and they partly solved the problem with the cute size and crunchy candy shell. Kissables still aren’t the Hershey Kisses we all know and love though, they’re really more like a step-sibling. With the induction of these new larger Kisses in the single pack however, I think Hershey has found a solution to their longtime dilemma. Prior to this year, I’ve only seen the Chocolate Truffle variety available in this new larger size and packaging. That all changed when I was in my local pharmacy the other day and I discovered not one, but three new flavors of this new breed of Kiss: Cherry Creme, New York Style Cheesecake and Vanilla Creme.
These new Kisses come five pieces to a very attractive triangular tube package (which weigh in at 1.3 oz). I’m slightly reminded of Toblerone, except these are wrapped in opaque shiny plastic as opposed to cardboard. Each Kiss is pretty big, I’d say about 2x the size of a normal one with the bottoms being about the diameter of a quarter. The Kisses have a nice brown color and they’re very glossy. These Kisses are molded as opposed to the traditional “kiss” of the solid chocolate kind.
Cherry Creme Kisses: The Kisses all have a nice rich chocolately color and a subtle sheen to them. These have a strong aroma to them though; the cherry scent seeps right though the chocolate. It doesn’t smell so great to be honest; it’s very artificial and reminds me of a mix of Chapstick ad cough syrup. Biting into it, I was immediately surprised: unlike the normal sized Cherry Cordial Kisses, which has inside a thick syrup, these have a creme (hence the name) that’s like a hard fondant with a light pink color. The flavor of the creme isn’t as bad as the smell let on, but it’s still not so great in my mind. It’s a very sharp fake cherry flavor with almost a metallic taste at the end. It’s quite strange. I don’t think it’s cough syrup-like, but at the same time, there’s a medicinal quality to it. Unless you’re a die-hard cherry fan, or maybe even if you are, I’d recommend passing on these.
New York Cheesecake Flavored Creme Kisses: These smelled like butter cream frosting when I pulled the tray out of the packaging. Creamy, cheesy and very sweet. Again, the inside is that hard fondant creme like the Cherry flavor. The cheesecake interior is a light yellow and feels greasy in my mouth. The flavor is cheesecake-like and it tastes like it’s a mix of standard white chocolate, vanilla, with some cream cheese and a little hint of salt mixed in. It’s especially nice and decadent feeling when eaten in combination with the chocolate shell of the kiss. With all those flavors going on, these are obviously quite rich. The sweetness may also be pretty intense for those of you who are more sugar sensitive than others. Regardless, I really liked these and urge you to try them if you see them!
Vanilla Creme Kisses: I was excited to try these since I missed trying the normal sized kind that was released last spring. The creme isn’t flowing like I expected, but it’s firm and soft instead just like the other two. The flavor is a strong artificial vanilla: nothing more, nothing less. I like how the flavor of it melded with the chocolate and made it much better tasting, since Hershey’s chocolate isn’t the greatest in my mind. The large size also really helped this Kiss, since I felt like I was getting a stronger overall flavor.
I really like these larger Kisses in the new packaging. I certainly feel less guilty picking up a pack of these in new limited edition flavors than I do buying a whole bag, especially when I know I may not eat them all. The size is also refreshing too, since it’s just different enough to feel new, but also since it’s based off such a classic candy you know what to expect. So have you tried any of these new flavors yet? What did you think?
Buy Hershey Kisses online:
- at Candy Crate
- at Old Time Candy
- at Amazon.com
I tried the New York Cheesecake flavored Kisses and I thought they were pretty good. Maybe not something I would buy all the time, but I’ll probably pick up another pack if I happen to run across them again. I haven’t been able to find the Vanilla Kisses yet, but I love vanilla flavored candy so I have high hopes for them. I hate cherry flavor paired with chocolate so I probably won’t try the Cherry Cordial ones. Anyway, thanks for the review!
February 13th, 2008 at 3:10 amI have bought a whole bag of the normal size kisses that you have mentioned except for the vanilla ones. I would have to say that I liked the aroma of the cherry that seeps through, you can taste the cherry before you even bite down. Yea it’s kind of fake, but not as bad as the normal size cheese cake ones. Those are absolutely awful. I think the cheese cake ones are more like eating chapstick then the cherry ones (normal size mind you). I don’t know if the bigger is better policy works here. But I’m willing to give it a shot. I bought the cheesecake ones because cheesecake is like my favorite indulgent for desert. I was extremely disappointed. I tried pawning it off on a co-worker, and she had one and got mad at me. She said it tasted awful and that she wasn’t going to trust candy I give her. I promised that it was the only one that I got that I didn’t like and since people have different taste buds, I was hoping she would like it so it doesn’t go to waste…
February 13th, 2008 at 9:19 amI’ve actually tried all of these now. I love the single serving packages. It’s a much better vehicle for trying new flavors.
I thought the Cherry was absolutely horrible — I actually spit it out. The Cheesecake ones have grown on me. The Vanilla were fine too, but I actually thought they tasted a lot like the Cheesecake! I had them weeks between each other though, so it’s hard to compare.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:42 amI have tried the truffle kisses. Being a big fan of truffles, I was excited to try them. I thought they were very good and would definitely buy them again. I do prefer a creamier center though, something melty even, like Lindt truffles.
February 13th, 2008 at 1:31 pmI just tried the cheesecake ones this past weekend, and I’m a little torn. On the one hand, I love the way they look — so glossy and perfectly formed. I’d definitely consider using them as a garnish or something, just ’cause it’d look so nice.
The taste, however, wasn’t really my thing. I found that the scent and flavor of the cheesecake filling was so prominent that even the tip of the kiss, where there was no filling, tasted not of chocolate but of cheesecake flavoring. I also didn’t think the filling tasted much like cheesecake at all, it was just kind of a sour-tart vanilla flavor. Not horrible, but not fabulous like I’d been hoping they’d be.
I was wondering — does anyone know if the malt kisses are still available anywhere? I’ve been looking for them ever since I read the review here, and have never been able to find them in the stores around me (in NC).
February 13th, 2008 at 3:26 pmI’ve only had the Cherry and the Truffle, and I thought both flavors were insanely tasty and divinely delectable –and the pack is one serving, so that’s built-in pig-out control. I love how the fillings in these new Kisses are like cake frosting! I’m one of those people who eat cake mainly as a socially acceptable way of consuming frosting. To me, these kisses are more than candy — they’re a confectionary delicacy! And I did kind of like the cherry kind best, although, like I said, both were delish :-)
February 13th, 2008 at 9:15 pmWell, here’s a perfect example of how different our taste buds and sensory experiences are…some here hated the cherry (me, too), and others really loved it! Well, I did find the single serving size in the cherry and the cheesecake. I bought the cheesecake ’cause I LOVE cheesecake. I was a bit disappointed. They weren’t horrible, but they weren’t as good as I’d hoped. I’m kind of a cheescake snob, though, and like mine plain, only, so I’m probably not a good person to be “judging” this Kiss! Eh.
Vanilla? I’ll try ‘em when I finally find ‘em. I love vanilla Tootsie Roll Midgees, so maybe they’ll taste like those and I’ll love ‘em! I did love the Truffle kisses and missed the Malt ones, dangit! I’d like to give those a shot. Many times!
I think they should let us pick a new flavor to manufacture; have a contest. I’d go for something orange, like an orange creme (if they’re focusing on creme fillings, that is), i.e. a chocolate covered creamsicle! Or hazelnut. How about cafe latte? Or banana split? Cranberry or Cranberry Almond? (Maybe a bigger seller in New England, I dunno, but I’d love it!).
OK, I’ll stop now that I’m craving chocolate, of course!
February 14th, 2008 at 2:09 amI haven’t been going in the candy aisle too often, so i totally missed these. Thanks for the heads up – the truffle one’s calling me. ;)
February 14th, 2008 at 12:33 pmThe chocolate cheesecake ones can be found at Walmart. ;) They’ve been out since sometime in December, and they can be bought in 4 oz bags for about 4$, I beleive. No idea how long they’ll last, but I’m unfortunately addicted..!
February 17th, 2008 at 10:00 pmThey do taste NOTHING like cheesecake, but after a bag (*Cough* I’m a small person! I can handle it! Stop staring!) you do sort’ve get grown into them.
LOL my anti-spam word is brian.
How awesome!
Anyways, I just tried Kisses coconut creme, lemon, and orange. I’m in heaven! The lemon ones tastes like lemon meringue, this is one that you let melt in your mouth. Also the orange one is meant to be melted, chewing them would be a waste of flavor.
When you open the bag you are hit with this delicious aroma of lemons or oranges (matters which bag you just opened). the flavor is amazing.
The coconut wasn’t my fav, maybe because I got myself hyped up for it. I was expecting something from a mix of mounds candy and actual coconut. It was mounds with more sugar. I thought it was a bit high on syrup. Too sweet for me, but still good. My co-workers liked them. So they are still a good buy.
Also target has the bags for 2 for $4. Lucky me.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:04 pmI just purchased 40 pounds (34 18.8 oz bags) of vanilla filled kisses. I got them for 1.00 a bag at walmart… These are going to be perfect for my wedding favors :) I haven’t tasted them yet, but from the reviews they sound good.
August 22nd, 2008 at 11:17 am