Ghirardelli: Fall Assortment

Winding up my trio of Halloween chocolate candies is a set that is not specifically Halloween but simply fall-themed. Ghirardelli squares are a sturdy standby for any time of year, and usually any seasonal approach that Ghirardelli does is light. There are three flavors in here, two which are standard (Caramel and Fudge Caramel) and only one seasonal (Pumpkin Spice Caramel). Pumpkin Spice can of course take you all the way from September through November.

On one hand, this would also seem not to be a Halloween bag because who would want to give away Ghirardelli squares or even put them in your Halloween candy bowl--they're too expensive, right? But they fall right in between the prices of the other two. So yes, this is more expensive than a bag of KitKats, but still at a standard price for its genre, shall we say. If you use the Nutrition Facts to estimate, there should be 14 squares in here, which would be 34 cents each; again, I don't know if I somehow miscounted out of daftness, but I only counted 13, which would be 36 each (I paid about $4.79 for the bag). So if you're doing maybe a mini trick-or-treating event just for your family or keeping them in your candy bowl, the price isn't unreasonable.

This is the least decorated bag of the three. A rich brown color and some leaves, pumpkins, and acorns in the corners make up the whole of the theming, and there is nothing on the individual wrappers. While this is consistent with Ghirardelli's usual style, I do wish they had at least decorated the Pumpkin Spice Caramel wrappers differently. Maybe a couple pumpkins on there? Or at least a different color to distinguish them from the Fudge Caramels.

Those Fudge Caramels were the ones I started with. It's milk chocolate filled with caramel that tastes more strongly of vanilla than you might normally get in a caramel. It's a sweet, confection treat. The plain Caramel has more of a standard caramel flavor. Ghirardelli's caramel is soft but also not quite free-flowing or liquid; it's a nice balance between the two approaches. It's good, I say with a shrug.

What we're really all here for is the Pumpkin Spice Caramel. If they weren't going to do other fall flavors, as well (maybe apple cider), they could have just made the whole bag Pumpkin Spice. That's what people are after, anyway. That is, I'm after it because it's the seasonal flavor. Normally I'm not too much into the pumpkin spice craze.

There is already a pumpkin spice aroma even before biting in. When you do, you'll find a caramel base pretty much the same as the regular one, except that is infused with that distinctive pumpkin spice flavor. I taste cloves and cinnamon and ginger and maybe cardamom--the usual suspects. It's nice. As I've alluded to before, these are some of the same pieces you would use for chai tea and I do much enjoy a good chai. It's all nice and warm and sweet. In fact, the sweetness of the milk chocolate helps to ground the spices in the way that sugar and milk would in a chai latte. The caramel makes for a good base, as well.

While pumpkin spice by definition does not necessitate the inclusion of pumpkin, there is something of a taste in here of what comes across to me as artificial pumpkin flavor--whether or not that is what it actually is. If you are one with the pumpkin spice, this might just taste like fresh pumpkin pie to you. To me, it's just a little off. So we have another of those instances where you'll know best if this chocolate is for you. It's a nice approach to pumpkin spice; I'm enjoying it. But if someone had a candy bowl of these three flavors, I'd probably choose one of the other caramels and leave the pumpkin for others. Not a disappointment; just a preference. The disappointment here is that there is only one fall flavor in this assortment, but it is otherwise a pleasant bag of chocolates. 

OCHO: Trick or Treat Variety Pack

For day two of my three day Halloween chocolate spree, I have the Trick or Treat Variety Pack from OCHO. Like Tony's Chocolonely, OCHO has also made Easter egg candies, which I looked at last year. I expressed some disappointment that they were organic but not fair trade. But this bag says that they are fair trade, and OCHO's website lists recent fair trade certification. So it's possible that either their sources have recently received certification (not all fair trade cocoa is certified as such) or that they have been transitioning to fair trade certified sources. Either way, again, I'm just glad that it's part of the conversation and part of what more companies are trying to be aware of, even when it comes to candy.

And while the Tony's Chocolonely bag was from Natural Grocer's, you can get OCHO at Target. So this is the option that more people will come across because it's safe to say that more people shop at Target than at Natural Grocer's. While the bag says it has 22 pieces, I counted 19. Maybe I just can't count? This bag was about $8. So that's 36 cents each if there were 22 pieces, and 42 cents each for the 19 pieces that I actually got. Not as low as the Tony's per piece price, but still pretty standard for the price you'd pay for an individual piece of fair trade chocolate. 

The bag has a little more of a clip art look. OCHO seems to be still a pretty small company, despite their increasing availability in store, so I guess this is fine. and it's still a fun, Halloween look. Again, I like that these are happy jack-o-lanterns rather than spooky ones. It would be nice to have some pumpkins on the individual wrappers, too, though. While the yellow and orange fit in with a Halloween color scheme, the blue doesn't and the white is the most prevalent color. So they don't look very festive. Granted, most of the Halloween candy that's for sale isn't in special holiday wrappers--and many of the bags that hold the small pieces aren't even decorated at all, either. So this isn't necessarily a complaint, just something it would be possible to improve on. Especially since when you see a Snickers wrapper, you get excited about candy--but when you see an "alternative candy" wrapper, you see "alternative candy." So having a festive holiday look can really give the alternative options a visual boost.

I do apologize for the lack of a picture of the candies themselves. I didn't go in to the store to look for chocolate, so I completely forgot that these were in the car when I got off at one more stop. And one more stop in a hot car is all it takes to melt chocolate (although the Ghirardelli made it out unmelted, so I'm not sure what the difference was there). I didn't want to be more wasteful in buying a second bag, so we'll just imagine that the candies looked as nice unmelted as they do in the pictures on the bag.

There are three flavors in here: Peanut Butter, Caramel, and Coconut. Or Reese's, Milky Way, and Mounds, if you like. The familiarity is good.

I've talked about the Peanut Butter before, though it was in Easter egg shape then. The peanut butter filling is alright; it has plenty of salt to make it akin to the Reese's Cups we all grew up with. But there is a certain soft texture in it that blends with the flavor that isn't favorable. There are other Reese's Cup alternatives that are better--but this one is fine. It's a nice bite of peanut butter chocolate candy. 

The Caramel is in the chewy range. Not only is it a good sub for caramel chocolates but also for those with nougat. The Milky Way comparison really does work, even without nougat. There is a lot of vanilla flavor in here and plenty of chocolate compared with a Snickers or Milky Way. I really enjoy this one, and would definitely reach for it when I'm craving a chocolate candy bar. 

I ate one of the Coconut candies because I'm self-sacrificing like that. I've never had a Mounds or Almond Joy because you know I, being not overly fond of the flavor, usually avoid coconut. I don't know, maybe I'm starting to get over it. It's chewy, creamy coconut filling. While I can't say for sure, I do believe there is likely much more chocolate here than in a Mounds bar. So if you're going to have a coconut chocolate candy, this one's pretty good. 

Overall, this set was better than I had been expecting. Though the peanut butter chocolate is what I associate most with OCHO, I don't believe it's their strongest flavor. So the Caramel and even the Coconut helped lift my esteem of the brand. These are exactly what they're marketed as: fun size, organic chocolate candies. 

Tony's Chocolonely: Halloween Tiny Tony's Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt

Because I have collected more fall products than I'd anticipated, I'll be ringing in October with a trio of Halloween chocolate candy bags covered in the next three days instead of three weeks. I'm not overly fond of Halloween, but I do like dressing up and I like candy and I'm always after seasonal chocolate products to review. So the increasing availability of seasonal products around this time of year can get even me excited. 

Tony's Chocolonely has certainly been showing up for the candy holidays. They make the Chocolate Eggs for Easter (this has turned out to be one of my most-viewed reviews--perhaps because there is indeed demand for such a product?) and now they have an option for Halloween, too. The thing is, I don't necessarily think it's sustainable to have all Halloween candy be fair trade chocolate. For me, part of the idea of fair trade cocoa is consuming less cocoa (I am aware that this can sound hypocritical coming from a chocolate blogger). So if I were handing out candy, no, I wouldn't be handing these out--and not just because the bag of 27 pieces is about $9. But if you knew you were only going to be handing out a small amount of candy or if you were just having them at home for your own circle of friends and family, then this works.

Philosophy aside, let's get back to the product. Of the three brands of Halloween chocolate I've had so far (I don't think there'll be anymore, but you never know what else you find), this was the only one that had an accurate count. The bag says that there are 27 pieces inside and there are 27 pieces inside. That comes out to 33 cents each, which is also the best value of the three options. I'm not going to start counting grams, but they're decent-sized chocolates, too.

The bag is pretty cute. A standard Halloween orange comes with a pattern of little skeletons and brooms and ghosts and jack-o-lanterns. Again, being that I'm not big on Halloween, I prefer this cute, goofy look to anything truly spooky. It's neutral, too. It can be the candy you buy for your kids or it can be for adults--the packaging doesn't lean too much in one direction or the other.

It's a paper bag, too, which is kind of cool. The individual wrappers are "recyclable plastic;" while maybe we should give them some credit for trying, the fact is that probably not a single one of these will in fact get recycled--even if someone wanted to, finding the right place to send them would be an issue. 

All three of these companies kept their standard packaging for the small wrappers. But I do like the Tony's look best of the three. They already make these Tiny Tony's as part of their product line, and the Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt is already orange (the milk chocolates are red and the dark chocolates are blue, neither of which would look very Halloween--perhaps they'll bring out the milks for Christmas, though?). The bright orange wrappers have a fitting Halloween look. These are the only individual wrappers of the three brands to not include the ingredients list on them, but there is a link to their website to view that info. 

I've never had any of the Tiny Tony's before. They're pretty cute. It's just one little link on a circular piece of chocolate. The chains (which are part of their message/goal about ending slavery, particularly child slavery, in the cocoa industry) look like they're a Halloween design. Again, they just used a product they already make, but the look is great for the season. And it's a great way to link the season with their message. "Hey, did you know that these grotesque chains don't belong to a Halloween monster, they represent the huge issue of child slavery?" (Now I'm picturing someone on the street passing them out as part of a campaign . . . . )

As I mentioned, these candies are the Milk Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt. I've covered it before, both the whole bar and in the Easter eggs. Probably it is most favorable in this form, though that may just be my own bias (the large Tony's bars are so big that they put me off). The chocolate is sweet, nice enough in small doses like this. Lots of caramel and vanilla flavor to it. The caramel itself comes in those little small crunchy bits, along with some big chunks of sea salt. I definitely feel like there is more prevalent salt in here than there was in the bar, though that could just be my memory being fallible. These are big hits of sea salt.

You know, the price tag may be higher on these, but you're paying for more than just fair trade. Not only are these candies possibly slightly bigger than some of the fun size chocolate candies (just a guess), but they also have more chocolate. This is solid milk chocolate except for the sprinkles of salt and crunchy caramel. While Tony's milk chocolate doesn't top my list for milk chocolates, it is certainly better than what probably all of the standard chocolate candy brands make. So the value here is pretty decent.

I started with Tony's because it was the first of the three bags I came across. I don't want to peak too soon, but I definitely score it the highest of the three based on value, quality, and visual appeal. 

Kimmie Candy: Choco Rocks

Happy July 1st, everybody--I'm super excited because the 4th is almost here. I'm celebrating already by wearing red today, white tomorrow, and blue on Friday. Saturday I'll be all decked out in all three colors.

So for today I'm just going to review a casual chocolate candy from the U.S. that is also semi-regional. They sell a lot of chocolate rocks (both this kind and other kinds) at shops and museums around Arizona because they look good with the other tourist mercy and they hold up to heat a little better than other chocolates. I've also seen them for sale at World Market. These particular ones are made by Kimmie Candy Company of Reno, Nevada. They proudly say on the label that they're "100% Made in the USA."

For chocolate, they really do look a lot like rocks. They come in various colors: light blue, sage green, pale pink, earthy red, golden tan, and coal black. Each color has that gritty-looking texture, though they're almost smooth to the touch. Shapes range from tiny to triangular to long and thin. From looks alone, they're great. 

Basically, these candies are M&Ms. I know they look like they would be rather different, but they're very much like M&Ms. A thin, crunchy, colorful coating of ingredients that shall not be named surrounds a small piece of chocolate. I never thought I'd say this, but the chocolate in M&Ms is better than in these: this compound chocolate. If you're unfamiliar with the phrase, it means they added palm kernel oil to the chocolate; it's cheaper this way. 

You know the Palmer chocolate they sell around Easter? That's compound chocolate. So recall that taste. I used to think that chocolate was pretty good when I was seven; it had kind of a nutty taste. But now it just tastes undeniably cheap. So I'm terribly disappointed that that's what these rocks are made with. I'll let you be the judge, though: at the same time as I see it as cheap, I'm also getter a nice fudge taste from it. 

You know what I do like better than in M&Ms? The shell is thinner. It makes a light crisp sound when your teeth touch it that makes it, in my view, much nicer than the hard cracking of the M&Ms shells. 

Basic story: this is good-looking novelty candy that most people are also going to enjoy eating. It would just be so much better if it wasn't made with compound chocolate.

Milka: Nussini

After our fairly cool Spring, it looks like we're plunging straight into summer with three digit temperatures this week--and it's supposed to be 108 on Saturday. The top for this area is usually only about 104; temperatures approaching 110 are rather disgusting. 100 is fine; it's just hot. But close to 110 is when you step outside and instantly feel exhausted. 

So it is during this approach of warmth that I decided to break into a Milka bar that had been waiting for me. You see why this isn't a good idea? The milkier the chocolate, the quicker it melts--I can't seem to even touch this one without it melting right into my fingertips. (And, no, I'm not too interested in putting it in the refrigerator.) Oh, well, I suppose I can manage. When there is hazelnut chocolate involved, I'll manage.

That is, hazelnuts, chocolate, and wafers--oh, that's plenty to get my attention. I suppose the name of this bar is Nussini--it's "wafers with hazelnut cream filling covered with milk chocolate." As you can see, not only is there hazelnut cream, there are also some hazelnut pieces on top of the bar. So this is a crunchier candy than a KitKat, and there is plenty of hazelnut flavor. 

It's the hazelnuts and wafers I would go to this bar for, but it's also worth noting that I like Milka's milk chocolate, too. If you want a casual milk chocolate, do go for their plain milk chocolate; it's good. So the chocolate that coats all of the wafers here is also acceptable. Maybe I also appreciate that it isn't too thick: there is enough of it but not so much that the candy becomes greasy or overly sweet. It's the right balance of elements. 

These are all brief comments, but this is just a candy bar and there is generally less to say about a candy bar. All that I can say now is that this is a candy bar after my own heart: decent chocolate, wafers, and hazelnuts delivered in the right amounts. I would definitely buy it again and definitely prefer it to a lot of the American candies. 

Anastasia Confections: Chocolate Gator & Gummi Gators

It's a wonder that I remain so thin. I never skip a meal, and here I was all morning, sitting at my desk and typing away and eating candy. I don't eat a lot of processed food, but I love candy.

I also love such friends as will bring me back candy from a trip to Florida. So the candy that I have been eating and the candy that they brought me back is this Chocolate Gator and Gummi Gators box, made by Anastasia Confections in Orlando. Given that it's all candy, this isn't really a proper chocolate view--but I'm just so excited about alligator candy that I had to at least do an almost review.

The thin cardboard box comes covered in clear wrap. When you lift this away, the box opens up from the top, which is a lid that can close again to let you finish the candy in as many sittings as you like. That's convenient, but what's kind of odd is that the chocolate alligator is covered in a clear plastic, form-fitting cover. Presumably it's to keep the gummy candy from melting against the chocolate--and maybe even to keep the chocolate alligator in its shape even if you leave it in a little too much sun. Practical, except when you want to start eating everything together. 

So I lifted up the plastic, to find that it was sealed onto a sheet of clear wrap that you have to peel away. The alligator free, I tried to rearrange the gummies all around it again. That seems like the funnest way to eat everything: chocolate and gummy gators together. Given the size of it all, it could be a fun thing to share while you're out on vacation--or to keep for yourself to eat at your desk like I'm doing.

The chocolate's a little better than I was expecting, though still a pretty standard candy-level milk chocolate. Since the alligator is solid, there are no empty air spaces, which is kind of nice. And the gummy candy is also standard, though absolutely adorable. I feel like I have a beautiful present box in front of me for how excited I am. And just look at that adorable reptile, all carved in chocolate and smiling, surrounded by its green and red and yellow little buddies. I haven't been this excited over a novelty chocolate since the huge chocolate salmon from Dilettante. My precious little alligator; I think I'll adopt it as my pet--until I'm finished eating it, that is. 

Clever Candy: Halloween Milk Chocolate

I wish I were going to get a free bag full of candy tomorrow . . . in costume, I could probably pass for under twelve, anyway, right? I should do that sometime, pretend I'm eleven and go trick-or-treating. Since, however, acting half my age is not in my plan for tomorrow, I have to get my own candy. One bar of chocolate that has come into my ownership is this milk chocolate from Clever Candy, distributed by Nassau Candy.

While the paper wrapper is standard Halloween fare, I'm pausing over the tagline at the bottom: "Milk chocolate to share with your dark side." On Chocablog, we used to talk about the Dark Side in reference to (usually very dark) dark chocolate. So maybe that's why it sounds odd to me to talk about the dark side in reference to milk chocolate. But I think what the line is supposed to mean is that it's sweet chocolate to bring out your good side and banish away the bad/dark side. A cute-style approach to Halloween.

The chocolate is a lovely bar of ten smooth squares. While the vanilla is artificial (why? why?), there aren't any added oils and such. It's perhaps less melty and greasy than Hershey's, but fairly akin in flavor. Those sweet caramel notes are there, but maybe accompanied by a little more of a nutty flavor than you get with Hershey's. 

Yes, it's still sweet and it's still candy before chocolate, but it's okay. It's okay as my version of Halloween candy since no one is going to be giving away a free bagful to me.

Easter Chocolate Selection

Now that Easter is over with, I am left with some remains of Easter candy. My favorites were the Tootsie Fruit Rolls, which I would really like to buy more of if I ever manage to find them again. The little bag on the left with candy corn, jelly beans, and other pastel-colored candies was also rather nice, as well as very pretty. 

Wandering into Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory one day, I thought to buy a chocolate bunny, but walked out instead with the holiday version of their Peanut Butter Bucket in milk chocolate. It has a green butterfly and ribbon--there were also yellow and pink varieties. If you've never had their Peanut Butter Buckets, do consider them next time you're in the store. A Reese's Cup turned from candy to confection. 

Then there are these milk chocolate umbrellas from Simón Coll Chocolatier, who also made the elegant drinking chocolate I tried last year. As usual I'm happy to see a quality chocolate make its way into the holiday selection. Although a simple, 32% cocoa milk chocolate, this chocolate is textured with nutty flavor and richness. You can break it into pieces, or just enjoy sucking on it like a lollipop, which is rather fun to do. I acted like a sophisticated child while eating mine on Sunday night during Once Upon a Time. A definite success.

Returning to the realm of candy, we have this Peeps Hollow Milk Chocolate Egg. I'm not a major fan of either Peeps or marshmallows, but look how cute this is: it's a Peep inside of a chocolate egg. Adorable, right? 

The simple egg is fairly thick, so you get plenty of chocolate. I was somewhat surprised by the quality; it's possibly better than Hershey's (of which you know I have a generally low opinion). Maybe I only say that because I had a very small piece. Point is, it isn't worse than average--and much Easter chocolate is worse than average. 

I wasn't quite sure how to break into the egg, so I used my thumb and the shell essentially broke along the mold divides. Out pops one yellow Peep, which is just the right amount to have for the holiday spirit of it all without getting sick of hard, sugary marshmallow. 

Now why does the next holiday (aka. excuse for candy) have to be so far away?

March Favorites

1) The Lord of the Rings Elven Leaf Brooch - Do you know for how long I've been fascinated with leaf jewelry because of this brooch? Do you know for how long the idea of having the actual piece from Weta was simply a fantasy? At long, long last, I have this beautiful brooch in my possession, complete with its little bag made of the same wool material as the cloaks in the movie. Although, naturally, I prefer the brooch as a pin, it comes with a silver chain so that you can also wear it as a necklace--which does make it easier to wear more often.

2) Grantham Breakfast Blend Tea - It isn't that I'm obsessed with Downton Abbey; it's just that, once I started collecting the show's teas, I couldn't stop. My latest addition is a blend of black tea and ginger. The label suggests adding milk, and I do find that I like it better with a splash of almond to mellow out the ginger some. I do, however, generally like it more as an afternoon or mid-morning tea than as a breakfast one.

3) Bracelets - Now that Spring is here and I'm in short sleeves much of the time, I'm trying to remember to adorn my wrists. My handy bracelet holder is an old copper candlestick I didn't have any other use for. You can see some of my beaded bracelets, green and brown leather, wooden, and the Hillywood Show one on top.

4) Doctor Who - I shouldn't be allowed to investigate anymore franchises. I really shouldn't. I don't know how much more capacity I have: every time I get into something, I have to really get into it. I made my way through the new seasons; now I'm on the classic episodes. I seem to have acquired two books, one DVD, and too many packs of Jammie Dodgers (I had never even heard of these before, then I saw them at World Market just at the time when I was watching Matt Smith's doctor bring them into the script at every turn).

5) Antonio Melani Vest - I wear a vest now. Vests are cool. No, you know I've liked vests for a long time; it's just that the vest I have, while it's the best I was able to find for a long time, has a looser fit than what I ideally wanted (probably because it's a size big). So imagine my joy at casually finding a size 0, black, Antonio Melani vest on the sale rack. Perfection. Side note: I am always amused that my two favorite Dillard's brands are Antonio Melani and Chelsea & Violent (M.S.S.P is also good)--and I frequently wear them together. I've worn this vest, for instance, over my green lace dress.

6) Cholula Hot Sauce - There was a time when I was eating tortilla chips and hot sauce every day. I would just crave the flavors and never want to stop; it was good snacking for moving through classwork.  Now I have rediscovered why this hot sauce was my favorite. Valentino and Tabasco and everything else, they just don't taste the same. To each their own.

7) Antonio Melani Flip-Flops - I've resigned myself to getting a new pair of medium-quality, plain sandals for daily use during the warmer months (aka. about half the year). Starfish aren't my favorite, but the gold color is neutral and I found these on sale a few months ago when last summer was winding down, so they work.

8) The Illustrated Jane Eyre - I stalked this copy of one of my two favorite books (the other being The Lord of the Rings, of course) for a while, trying to decide whether or not I liked Dame Darcy's illustrations. Now I suppose I've decided that I find their gothic turbulence compelling and partially fascinating, whether or not I like the style. You don't have to know whether or not you like something to like looking at it, right? And it had been a while since I'd picked up another edition of Jane Eyre.

9) Tocca Florence Soap - Since Florence is my choice of Tocca perfumes, I also ended up with the Tocca Florence soap at some point. Its leafy, golden wrapping is beautiful, as is the mermaid design on the soap mold. While the scent is more perfumey than the perfume itself, the soap is so silky soft and smooth that I think I do forgive it.

10) Tootsie Fruit Rolls - I turned away from these in the Christmas aisle a couple months ago, so I couldn't resist them again among the Easter candies. You don't usually see the fruit version of Tootsie Rolls, and yet I find them such an interesting candy. Vanilla is the best flavor, then cherry. Even orange, lime, and lemon are nice. They all have the perfect blend of artificial flavorings that they just taste like whimsy and nostalgia. These and Smarties are like the best candies ever. I'm so strange.

KitKat: Mint (Nestle)

This isn't so much a chocolate review as a chocolate reflection; then again, most of my reviews these days are probably more like reflections, anyway. I wasn't planning to post about this KitKat, snatched from one of those sets of ten or so that World Market sells. But the second wafer was just sitting there looking at me while I wondered why I didn't have any proper chocolate to review. So I started thinking about KitKats in general, and here we are. 

As you can see, I only photographed the green sleeve, minus the silver-wrapped wafers. In this variety, there are two wafer sticks in each sleeve. But have you caught on what's different about this particular KitKat yet, besides the green wrapper? It looks like Smaug has (I took these pictures against the pocket, 75th anniversary edition of The Hobbit. And please pronounce the "au" as "ow."). Yes, that's a Nestle symbol there because, in case you didn't already know, the U.S. is the only country where KitKats are made by Hershey's. How tragic. 

You see, I like KitKats. I like wafers and I like chocolate, so as chocolate candies go, I like the occasional KitKat. But more and more as time goes by, I like them less: the chocolate just isn't good. I try to ignore it, enjoying the casual crunchiness of the wafer, but I can't get it out of my mind that it's Hershey's. So buying KitKats at World Market is nice because you can get the imported, Nestle ones there (usually from the UK). The thing is, they usually don't have them in plain. It's usually either the big Crunchy bars or these packs of flavored ones. 

What's interesting about the Mint flavor is that it contains peppermint oils. Obviously not made by Hershey's, eh? So for a candy bar, the mint flavor is fairly fresh, although the milk chocolate (as opposed to dark) and mint combination may or may not be everyone's favorite. I sort of have mixed feelings about it. Mint tends to taste better in dark chocolate, yet I can't get over the fact that even this oh-so-normal, kind of cheap, Nestle chocolate tastes better than Hershey's milk chocolate. 

It isn't that I want to turn this into a bash Hershey's day; I just want to appreciate what I consider the true form of the KitKat. Like imagine if Palmer (that company that makes those horrible, compounded chocolate candies around Easter that I thought tasted good when I was seven) started making Hershey's Kisses. You wouldn't want that, right? So in a similar way, I like KitKat by Nestle more than Kitkat by Hershey's. Don't tell the Hershey's KitKat I had two days ago that I said that.