Candy Review: Reese’s Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

Thursday, November 13, 2008 - by Robby

The first thing my little sister said to me when I told her that I scored a gig reviewing candy went something along the lines of the following:

“So what sort of candy are you going to give me?”

I had not even written my first review, and she was already trying to milk the perks. Being the good, older brother that I am, or maybe just feeling guilty remembering all the stuff big brothers put their little sisters through when growing up, I send her care packages every now and then with candy.

When we spoke several weeks ago, I inquired if she had received my latest shipment. She told me she had and continued to explain how she disliked everything I sent her. Mind you, she and I have very different ideas of what constitutes tasty when it comes to candy.

She did explain that as a candy reviewer, I was letting down the general public and her by not devoting enough time to Reese’s products, her all-time favorite. I tried explaining that there were simply no new products to review. This fact failed to placate her. Knowing the wrath a little sister could release, I picked my battle and told her the next time I saw a new Reese’s product, I’d not only review it, but also send her a box of whatever it was.

I thought this idea was foolproof, not having heard a word about any new releases from the company. And I am not sure how (though I am sure she is somehow behind it), but the very next time I stroll into Walgreens, I am confronted with a display of the latest spin-off of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Reese’s Crunchy P.B.C. So here it goes Jessica, just for you….

The cups are immaculately shaped, smelling like regular cups, but belying the idea that there is anything remotely crunchy inside. Even before biting into it, I am questioning the merits of the word “crunchy.”

When I think crunchy, I think Crunch Bars, Butterfingers, etc. You know, something that is puffed or toasted; however, the packaging on this indicates that this apparent new crunch is caused by the addition of peanuts.

Letting my mouth have the final say on the matter, I took a bite. It tastes like… like… like… a regular peanut butter cup, but with peanuts. I’m sorry, but as much as I attempted to find an interesting way to express the flavor, that is really all I could come up with.

In fact, I would go so far as to say this is what a NutRageous, the superior product of the two, would taste like if you put it in a cup form. The actual cups themselves do not even contain a lot of peanuts, resulting in a minimal crunch at best.

As a plus, I did find the overall piece to contain a muted sweetness that was sweeter than your regular cup, but that was most likely because of a creamier and fresher nature than its crunch-less/nut-less counterpart.

So did I like these? Not really. I didn’t really understand them. To me, adding peanut pieces to a peanut butter candy is just overkill. In fact, candy-making people out there, stop adding nuts (or legumes, in this case) to things just because you can! I would be interested in seeing a fully-realized idea of a crunchy peanut butter cup. Maybe throw a little puffed rice in there, you know?

So Jessica, I hate to disappoint you, but that’s my verdict. Of course, I am sure you, and all lovers of the original, will admire this version too. You can expect them in the mail by the end of the month.

• Reese’s Website

Buy Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Online:

• at Candy Crate
• at Old Time Candy
• at Amazon.com