Halloween Kit-Kat

I love Halloween gimmicks.  When it comes to Halloween candy, it wouldn't feel like the season without pumpkin shaped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups or bat shaped Peppermint Patties.  Those little things, the attention to detail, and going the extra mile to celebrate the season are what makes Halloween so special.  Although I've covered most of these individually wrapped candies in the past, I continue to buy them every year for my own enjoyment.  Because they're usually the first Halloween products released, sometimes as early as August, they've become tradition.  They're a sign that Halloween is soon to make it's arrival and a reminder to make a dentist appointment sometime in November.

The 2014 Holidaze Halloween Countdown!

Pumpkin Spice Kisses

I spotted these about a month ago and they've been sitting in my kitchen ever since.  As you all know, I don't like the taste of pumpkin flavored anything.  I really really wish I did because everything comes in a pumpkin variety during this time of year.  There was such an uproar over Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte the other day and I wasn't able to take part in the commotion.  I wanted to be upset over the low supply and high demand as well!  But I couldn't have cared less because I never drink the stuff.  Such a shame.

I've tried tasting various pumpkin items over the years, but it usually results in the same outcome.  Granted, Pumpkin beer was good after it's taste was acquired, but that's about it.  I love the smell of pumpkin pie, but can never make it past the first bite.  I wanted to review pumpkin pie Pop-Tarts, but knew that would just be a waste of money.  It's really annoying, honestly.  I'd love to get my taste buds situated, but they can't stand pumpkin.

Regardless of my own personal preferences, the new Pumpkin Spice Hershey's Kisses were just too new to pass up.  As soon as I saw them, I knew I'd eventually give in so I just went ahead and bought it right there and then.  As I said, for about a month, they sat on the kitchen table in their fancy fall bag, just waiting for somebody to enjoy them.  I admired the design, but didn't feel any urge to open them up.  But I knew, for The Holidaze, it needed to be done.  So I continued onward.

Much like Pumpkin Pie, the smell that hits you as soon as you open this bag is amazing.  It's very spicy, in the pumpkin sense, and gets your appetite working up a sweat.  Even though I knew I'd probably hate these Kisses, my nose was telling my tongue to have a change of heart.  I was giving into everything now and I knew I was on my way to trying one of these new Kisses.  Whether I liked it or not, this review was getting written for The Holidaze season!

First, though, we have to talk about the wrappers.  The Pumpkin Spice Kisses are wrapped in gold and brown foil.  I've always been a fan of Hershey's changing their Kisses' wrappers from color to color to represent the time of year.  For Halloween, it's black and orange.  For Christmas, it's green and red.  For Valentines Day, it's red and pink.  The little things mean a lot to me and, this time, I'm mesmerized by the swirls.  It looks like the Kisses are dressed up in Tiger costumes for Halloween.  I know this is a Fall item and probably isn't mean to be associated with October 31st, but I'm going to go ahead and change all that.  These Kisses can't wait for Halloween and they've taken this opportunity to dress up early and let the whole world know that they're Kissing Tigers made of Pumpkin Spice.  Scares me, at least.

On the bag, the Hershey's Kiss depicted in the lower right corner is light brown, so this was to be expected, but I got such a thrill opening up this wrapper.  Seeing how light and "caramelly" this Kiss looked made my day.  In fact, I wish it was caramel!  That would have been covered weeks ago.  But I love seeing something different, something new, for the change in seasons.  Hershey's made me proud with this one.  But I knew the moment of truth was coming next, so my pride was swallowed and I moved on to the next test.  It was time to eat Pumpkin Spice Kisses.

Honestly, not that bad.  It's not my favorite candy in the world, but it's pretty good.  I'll call it decent, how's that?  Like the bag states, It tastes much more like Pumpkin Spice than it does Pumpkin and, for me, that's certainly a plus.  I'm not sure what type of filling that is in the middle, but it adds a different type of texture to the Kiss.  It makes it chewier, if that makes any sense.  Other than that, it makes for a cool contrast in colors and, even better, awesome alliteration ;)

Overall, this was a good pick-up.  If you're like the majority of people who enjoy pumpkin flavored products, then I'd say this is a must-buy.  If I like it, even a little bit, then you're bound to jump for glory.  Despite my picky eating and low tolerance for anything outside my realm of preference, I do know that this is amazing candy and a great direction for Hershey.  I'm sure, if you try it, you'll like it.  So go ahead, pumpkin eaters!  Purchase a bag of Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses and give it a swirl.  Then let me know what YOU think!

A Hershey Christmas

When I think of Christmas candy, there are a few things that instantly come to mind.  The first are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.  When I was a kid, the candy cane shaped tube of Reese's was always the first thing I pulled out from my Christmas stocking.  They're classic and, even today, they haven't changed a bit.  We'll discuss them sometime soon, but today we're talking about the second treat that comes to mind -- Hershey Kisses!  I'll admit, I'm not crazy for Kisses, but they're definitely traditional and have always been a part of the season.  I love the flavor, I've just always rathered candy bars over Kisses.  So, in this entry, we're going to look at both!

I'm tired of the boring, old, milk chocolate Hershey Kisses, so I decided to focus on two of the more unique bags out this season.  The first, pictured above, are Hershey's Kisses with Almonds.  The bag, much like the Hershey Kiss commercial, is absolutely perfect for Christmas.  Green, white, and red.  That either screams "ho ho ho" or Columbus Day.  Thanks to those tiny snow flakes, all confusion is erased and we're ready to dive into our bag of Christmas goodness.

What I've always liked about Hershey Kisses, especially around Christmas, is that they're exceptionally wrapped.  Look, Hershey could have won me over with all-green foil.  That would have been more than enough to make me happy.  But no, they added red and gold, too!  Now, when you pour these classics into a candy bowl, you actually have another decoration.  Up close, they look so good that you don't know if you should eat them or let them sit there for Santa to admire on Christmas Eve.  That's why Kisses have become so traditional in my family.  For years, they've been more about atmosphere than anything else.  Their imagery makes more of a memory than their flavor.

Just look at them for a second.  They're so Christmassy I could scream.  But I won't, because that would be girly and embarrassing.  The fact that I even wrote that knocks my man points down a few pegs, but I had to express my emotion and that was all I had.  I could go back and delete it, but then we wouldn't be able to laugh at how sad this paragraph is.  Anyway, admire them for another second before we begin to unwrap harder than Mark Summers.  Oh yeah..

The only difference between milk chocolate Hershey Kisses and Hershey Kisses with Almonds is.. you guessed it... the latter has almonds!  But don't scoff and X out of the Holidaze so quick!  That little almond makes all the difference.  Now every bite is different.  First, you may get all chocolate but, oh, wait, now I'm getting a little almond.  Now I have to actually chew more.  Yeah, now I'm on a roller coaster of flavor and emotion.  See, you can't discount that almond so fast.  That almond is like the unexpected.  Without it, life is just boring.

This bag is going second because I like it a lot better than the first and I always try to build up anticipation before disappointing you with the lack of anything important.  Here, we have Hershey Kisses Candy Cane.  Like the bag says, these little guys are mint candy with stripes and candy bits.  That, along with the unwrapped Kiss graphic, is just too awesome to pass up.  This bag is just yelling at you to buy it, experience a bit of winter, and, while you're at it, have an old-school barber cut your hair.

Unlike the bag of Hershey Kiss Almonds, the Hershey Kiss Candy Cane wrappers are all the same.  But that's not a bag thing, that's a good thing.  We're focusing on red and white stripes here so, really, anything else would just be stupid.  What they did with the traditional silver wrapper and red candy cane graphics is just enough to give you an illusion of a spiral.  As a fan of graphics, and somebody who appreciates the attention to detail, I really enjoy this bag of Kisses and their wrappers.

While the graphics and color scheme are great, I actually didn't know what to expect from their flavor.  I was thinking they'd fall somewhere between Junior Mints and Andes, but really wasn't sure.  However, I was pretty pumped to see what they looked like and give my taste buds a new sensation.  While you may have seen or tried these Kisses before, I haven't and I was looking forward to it.  Let's go!

Ehh... They're okay.  They're not great, but they're not bad.  My girlfriend said I should have taken a picture of a bitten Hershey Kiss Candy Cane so it would match the almond photo, but I didn't and, by the time she suggested it, I was too tired to take any more pictures.  Just trust me when I tell you that I tried these and wouldn't buy them again.  I liked the minty flavor, but I wasn't digging those candy bits.  What type of candy was that?  I thought they were candy cane pieces, because that made the most sense, but after looking closely, I can't be sure.  Either way, I'm done eating Hershey Kisses Candy Cane.  I'm just happy that they look awesome in, and out, of their wrapper.  I mean, really, look at how cool the Kisses are.  I'll knock how they taste, but no way will I knock that red and white design. 

As I mentioned, my favorite aspect of Hershey Kisses are the fact that they can be used to decorate your table.  They add an extra hint of Christmas that more extravagant decor doesn't deliver.  You can go out and buy the most expensive decorations you can find, but Hershey Kisses will always do their best to stand out even more.  Maybe that's the child, in all of us, who is still attracted to bright colors and candy.  I can't be sure, but I can bet you can't look at the above photo without feeling happy.  You're here because you love the holidays and, as the blog implies, Hershey Kisses will guarantee a Holidaze.

There are additional Hershey Kiss varieties that I've seen in stores since the time these photos were taken, but I've yet to pick them up.  I probably will, but haven't decided whether or not they're worth it yet.  If I do, you know they'll be here to check out.  For now, let's move on to my tongue's favorite.

We have two Hershey Bars to talk about here and, the first, is this milk chocolate Snowman.  Now, whenever I see a Christmas candy bar, I hesitate to buy it because I never know what to expect once it's unwrapped.  Even though I know what to expect in terms of taste, I've always enjoyed looking at the candy bar designs even more.  I used to hate opening a wrapper only to find the same, crappy, Hershey logo embedded into the bar.  But, if you wanted it, you had no other choice but to take the risk.  Either way, you were guaranteed a candy bar.

However, in this case, I never had to question the inside because the outside told me exactly what to expect.  This is where I really have to tip my Santa hat to Hershey.  They must be well aware that people, of all ages, appreciate the designs on candy bars because they advertised the fact that it was present right on their wrapper.  Way to go, Hershey people!

I just can't explain how happy that Snowman makes me.  He's the reason why I bought this bar at all and he was worth every penny.  Could you imagine how boring this would be without the design?  I love the wrapper, but no way will I support your product on a consistent basis if you're not willing to go the extra mile.  It's Christmas, guys!  It only comes once a year and is the greatest holiday of them all.  This snowman isn't really asking for much. 

I never tried the Cookies n Cream Hershey Bar before, but this Nutcracker enticed me with his mustache and seductive smile.  He wasn't taking no for an answer so, I knew, I just had to give this new flavor a shot.  I had always heard good things about Cookies n Cream candy and my girlfriends little brother goes crazy for it, so it was worth the minimal risk.  For the sake of the Nutcracker, it was time to get cracking.. poorly used pun intended.

Because it's white chocolate, you can't see the design as well as we could with the Snowman, but it's there and I'm happy about that more than whatever flavor I was about to experience.  After taking a bite, I'm pleasantly surprised.  I honestly didn't think I'd like it as much as I do.  It's not something I'd eat on a consistent basis, because I feel as though it's a bit overwhelming, but maybe that's because I'm new to white chocolate.  But overall, it's good and I'd recommend it to anybody who's never tried it.  I'm probably in the minority, but there may be a few nerds left out there.  If you're reading this blog, chances are it's you..

To conclude, I present to you a Christmas Tree I made out of Hershey Kisses.  Okay, I'll be honest, I was trying to make the Hershey Kisses look like one giant Kiss, but that wasn't working, so I'm calling it a tree instead.  Had I never told you, you'd never know, so now you know how honest I am.  So whenever I tell you to try something new, or buy a product you've never seen before, take my word for it and use this moment as your reference.  Now, check out my tree and enjoy your day!

Reese's and Hershey Candy Bags

We all know how important the randomly assorted bags of candy are to the Halloween season.  Every year, they fill the aisles of department stores in giant orange boxes.  It's the time of year when candy companies take every one of their products, miniaturize them, and combine them to create a pinata-like bag of Halloween goodies.  I'm sure you've seen hundreds on shelves already, but here are two that stood out to me.

For me, Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups have become synonymous with Halloween and Christmas.  Every year, they fill up bowls in my living room and usually don't last very long.  Right now, there are probably about 6 left and they'll be gone by the end of the week.  That's the problem with celebrating Halloween so early.  By the time the big day actually arrives, I'll have nothing left.

The bag is perfect for Halloween.  It's simple, effective, and horrifying.  They couldn't have picked two better colors without being confused for their very own bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Pumpkins.  It's good.. I like it.  What else can I say?

These mini peanut butter cups are nothing new.  You know exactly what you're getting and that's a good thing because they taste great.  But the cool thing about the Halloween edition?  The black and orange wrappers.  Much like the Rice Krispies Treats, these wrappers make me happy.  Again, I love seeing companies go the extra mile and they did with both the bag and wrappers.  It's sad how much I enjoy staring at stupid candy wrappers, but that's what puts me in a Holidaze!

The Hershey bag has a similar style, and that makes sense, because Hershey makes Reese's Peanut Butter Cups too.  So, it's no surprise that this bag is decked out for Halloween.  It doesn't take much to celebrate the season.  All you have to do is throw a pumpkin on a bag and draw a few bats and you're set.  It's that easy.  Hear that, graphic designers?

The designers at Hershey must have "heard that" because they've done a fantastic job.  They could have easily wrapped the miniature candy bars in their primary colors, but they didn't.  They chose colors that contrast well with each classic logo.  For example, they used green to go along with the Mr.Goodbar logo.  That means they were thinking logically rather than simply throwing things together.  Plus, they used what I consider to be the only true Halloween colors - orange, black, purple and green.  This is my type of work.  I think Hershey should give me a call and offer me a job.  We could do great things together.

As I said, we've all seen these types of bags before.  If you want to pick them up, they're everywhere and easy to find.  It comes down to which variety of candy you prefer and what looks best in your living room.  So far, these two bags have proven to have the best of both worlds.  But, the Holidaze is still young and there's still plenty of time to see what else is out there.

Halloween Treats

Growing up, Trick-or-Treating was one of the highlights of my year.  I loved everything about it.  That cool crisp air whistling through your Halloween mask.  The sound of dead leaves crunching as you walked over them to get to the next house.  The sights and sounds that come from highly decorated houses.  Everything about Trick-or-Treating contributed to the amazing memories I have now and, if I wasn't as tall as I am, I'd probably throw on a Scream mask and do it again!

But..come on, the atmosphere may provide an extra hint of spooky, but we all know what Trick-or-Treating is all about...The CANDY!  Halloween and the season I love to celebrate has become an unofficial holiday in The United States with 9 out of 10 kids in America hitting the streets in search of free goodies.  In recent years, over 2 billion dollars worth of candy flew off the shelves and you can bet your jack-o-lantern that this year won't be any different. 

Now, I may not be out there with the kids, but I sure as hell like the candy and, as I've gotten older, I've grown to love the Fall and Halloween packaging that distributors develop every year.  Anytime you take an ordinary Kit-Kat package and enhance it with cartoon bats, color me interested.  Anytime you change the actual candy itself, consider it bought.  I love those things and, every year, I look forward to seeing what these big companies are going to roll out.

To my surprise, we're already starting to see Halloween merchandise.  I'm pretty sure this is earlier than ever before, but that may just be my own experience.  Either way, here are a few things I picked up while out at Walgreens.

Here's a perfect example of packaging playing a major economic role.  I'm not the biggest Tastykake fan.  I don't dislike their donuts, but I don't love them.  I'd much rather pick up a dozen Dunkin' Donuts than this box but, unfortunately, DD hasn't impressed me with any orange donuts with chocolate bats just yet so, until then, these will have to do.

Regardless of which flavored donut you prefer (I'm boring and go with the plain jane cinnamon), you can't deny how great this packaging is.  It's completely fall with the perfect hit of Halloween.  Those pumpkins make me happy.  The one on top of the powdered donut gets me downright jolly.  I mean, if that pump isn't excited for this season, then I don't know who is.

Even the back of the box is completely decked out in Autumn.  Not only is this how you sell a box of donuts during the Holidaze, but it's also how you get a jump start on the competition.  September?  As soon as my family saw this box they said "wow, pumpkins already?"  Yep, already.. That's why there's a box of uneaten Tastykake donuts in my kitchen and not Entenmann's..

Next up.. Candy

Reese's, Butterfinger and York Peppermint Patty all have their Halloween candy out already and that's just how I like it.  This is nothing new but, for me, these packages are a symbol of tradition.  As soon as I see them in the aisles, I know the ominous spirit of Halloween is nearby.

Now, knowing that the flavor never changes in these legendary candy recipes, we have to look at the packaging and candy size and shape to see just how invested Hershey and Nestle are to pleasing that die-hard Halloweenies like me.  First up, York Peppermint Patty..

This is not your grandpa's Peppermint Patty.  No, this is a horrifying York Peppermint BATTY.  Nice touch.  Now, it's not the greatest looking package art I've seen, but I like what they've done.  They stayed true to their classic color scheme but added an overly round bat with yellow eyes.  I'll take it!  But most specifically, I like the fact that this isn't a pumpkin.  Everybody seems to make pumpkins.  Where's the love for Frankenstein and Dracula?  I'd love to see Hershey make a Frankenstein shaped Symphony Bar.  That would be insane but, oh well, at least they created a mint bat.  At least we're making progress here.

Now, let's see what this bat looks like unwrapped..

This is supposed to be a bat. I mean, I see it but he'd have to be mostly deformed.  It's, again, overly round and his sides are uneven.  I was also expecting the filling to be orange when I should have figured it'd remain white.  But, yeah, he's a bat.  See?

Obviously!

I know I've seen this packaging before but I like it so much that I don't mind that they haven't changed it.  Unless you're into the disgusting white chocolate Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, you know Reeses rarely strays from their orange wrapper.  But, every Halloween, they bring out that black and purple.  In my opinion, there are only 4 Halloween colors:  Black, orange, purple and green.  Yellow gets an honorable mention.  Reeses gives you three out of those four.  I love it..

With packaging like that, you know they pulled out all the stops on their peanut butter pump!  Right?

Are you serious, bro?  This is what I get for falling for that same old packaging every year?  This looks like they took two melted peanut butter cups and smashed them together to create a circle.  This is just unacceptable.  I love the taste of Reeses, but no flavor makes up for this complete lack of disrespect...

Obviously, I'm not taking it that serious.. but almost..

Regardless, this is one sad Pump

Ok, we have one left and we're breaking away from Hershey here to see what Nestle has in store for us with their Butterfinger Pumpkin.  Yep, another pumpkin..

Give it up for the package art!  This Butterfinger pumpkin obviously comes from an evil patch and one that we probably wouldn't want to pick from.  Not unless we were gullible enough to believe that Scarecrow Pump wasn't going to come to come alive, unhitch and chase us.  Ha, there's no fooling me, Nestle!

However.. Pedazos en chocolate con leche??  Last time I checked, this was America and our one and only official language is English.  If you don't understand the language, then you don't get to know that this candy features Butterfinger pieces in milk chocolate.  Come on, Nestle.. stop drinking the Kool-Aid.

Anyway.. ¿Qué hace este dulce parece?

To quote one-hit wonder Montell Jordan, "This is how we do it!"  Look at this Pump.. He's perfect.  Not only does he have a face, not only does he have a stem, but he actually looks carved.  He appears to be your typical Jack-O-Lantern and, for that reason, I am willing to forgive Nestle for forcing me to use Google translator.

So, in conclusion, which treat should you pick up when the time comes to make that decision? Well, I'd say get them all but, if you can only pick one, it comes down to who you are.  Are you the type who only wants to eat some candy?  Then go with what you think tastes best.  BUT, if you're the type who cares about the little things and attention paid to detail then, there's no decision to be made.. Butterfinger wins!

This was fun.. I enjoyed reviewing the Holidaze treats and I'm sure there will be many more to discuss in the coming weeks.  Like the Holidaze, this was a nice break from the real world.  But, on this day, there are obviously more important things to keep in mind and remember.  There's a reason why we're able to spend hours talking about candy and donuts and that reason is freedom.  Thank God we have it and may He continue to bless the United States.

Never forget.