8 April 2011

Hershey's Chocolate and Kisses [UK Editions] (Asda) [By @Cinabar]


A couple of weeks back I mentioned that Asda had introduced a lot of Hershey goodies on to their shelves. I read about that in a press release, but hadn’t been to the shop until now. My local Sainsbury’s has chosen to solely stock the Herhsey’s Cookie and Cream Kisses, which I’ve reviewed and quite liked. So I went on a mission to Asda and stocked up on loads of the Hershey’s goodies I hadn’t sampled, to give the new range a proper try.


Hershey’s Original Bar
This chocolate has a very distinctive flavour. There is sugar, and cocoa, but the strangest after taste. It’s not a nice taste, it is sour and acidic and really weird. I had to check the bar wasn’t off, which is never a good sign. Being the lovely caring employee that I am, I took some into work to share with my boss and colleagues, after all its good to share. I’m afraid to say “it didn’t go down well” would be an understatement. Some of the descriptive words were “stale”, “like vomit” and “with an aftertaste of cheesy Wotsits”, but others were unpublishable. On the other hand one person liked it and gave it six out of ten. Also this chocolate is ridiculously popular in The States, so I think it is just one of those flavours that works for some and not for others. I think its problem is just that it is so different to anything available in the UK that it doesn’t meet what my perception of chocolate should be. It’s worth trying some if only to experience the flavour and make your own mind up about it.



Hershey’s Kisses Dark Chocolate
Unlike the Cookie and Cream Kisses I tried from Sainsbury’s, the Kisses from Asda are in a good sized sharing bag. These dark chocolate ones are prettily packaged in a purple foil, and look rich and dark when unwrapped. The chocolate has a strong flavour, with a good sweet aftertaste. The chocolate isn’t very strong but it is perfectly nice. It’s nearer Bournville than Lindt, but it is sweet and easy to snack on, and has absolutely no weird aftertaste.



Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolate With Almonds
These Kisses are wrapped in a gold foil, printed with a repeat pattern of almonds and again looked rather appealing. I like chocolate and nuts, I really do, but the milk chocolate covering these Kisses is the same as in the Hershey’s Original Bar, and marred the taste for me. The almond was crunchy and added a nice texture, but that flavour was still there. If you like the Hershey’s taste you will be fine with these, but they weren’t my cup of tea at all.



Hershey’s Kisses Extra Creamy Milk Chocolate
These Kisses are also in gold foil, but it is patterned with a cream swirl. Now here is an interesting concept; this chocolate is ‘Extra Creamy’ and has been released in the UK because its flavour is more like we would expect from a milk chocolate. By that I mean that this chocolate is very sweet, and has a seriously thick melt. There is a creamy taste too, and it is really quite nice. Again, there is no weird aftertaste. I can’t imagine anyone disliking the contents of this bag, and I think it makes a nice addition to the numerous sharing bags of goodies currently available.

In summary, try a Hershey’s Original bar. Think of it as Marmite, and make your own mind up on it, just don’t tuck in expecting something similar to Dairy Milk. If you want something more familiar remember Hershey’s white, dark and extra creamy milk chocolate are all nice. I look forward to seeing how the brand works for Asda, and what other goodies we will get in the future. I was a little surprised to see that they didn’t have any Hershey’s Easter Eggs out, but it is early days I guess.
By Cinabar

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are these actual imports? And not just EU made, or US made with EU regulations?
These bars taste just like the hershey bars I have eaten in the US, and the weight in OZ suggests a US import.
Just can't believe the price for something which is imported over 3000 miles away and risks associated with a non EU product on the shelves of a major UK branded US owned supermarket.

cinabar said...

To be honest I'll have to check next time I'm in Asda. Having said that my guess would be that they are made in the US for the UK. I haven't heard of any Hersheys being made over here - but the Extra Creamy version and the 'grab bag' packs seem specific for the UK market.