Candy Hunting - New Products from NECCO and Historical Wrappers

Sky Bar Tropical

NECCO Tropical Wafers were released last year, now Sky Bar is getting the Tropical treatment. 

Flavors in the bar include orange, banana, coconut, and strawberry. 

Revamped Clark Bar Line

Includes Clark bars, Clark Jr, King Size Clark, Clark Minis, and Clark Bites. 

Sky Bar Snowman

Historical NECCO Wrappers

Hammond's Cookie Dough

Place purchased: Free sample from the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Number of reviewers: 6

Appearance - 7.3

Hammond's Cookie Dough bar has a milk chocolate exterior, with a thin layer of cookie dough flavored filling in the center. 

Flavor and Taste - 7.0

The only flavor noticeable is that of sweet milk chocolate. The filling does not contribute any flavor to the bar. Even when eaten on its own, the filling only tastes sweet.  

E: Vaguely reminiscent of cookie dough, but too sweet and the flavor is too mild. 

E3: Slightly waxy taste. 

G: I can't taste the cookie dough filling. I had that expectation with reading the wrapper (otherwise I would have thought it was vanilla nougat), but the flavor and taste is good. 

J: Tastes good, but not much cookie dough flavor. Not enough filling. Very sweet.

S: Good chocolate, but I don't taste the cookie dough at all. 

Texture - 7.7

The chocolate is smooth and melts well, and the filling is soft and slightly gooey. 

E: Good balance of chocolate to creamy filling.

E3: Firm, melts in mouth well. 

S: Creamy.

Aftertaste - 7.2

The aftertaste is that of milk chocolate. 

E: Pretty clean, sweet finish. 

E3: Very creamy. 

G: Tastes like chocolate - but I still don't taste the cookie dough filling. 

J: Chocolate, slight cookie flavor starts to come through. 

S: Just tastes like chocolate. 

Overall - 7.3

Overall, Hammond's Cookie Dough chocolate bar tastes good, however there is no cookie dough flavor at all. The bar would have benefited by a higher concentration of the cookie dough flavor and a higher filling to chocolate ratio. 

Candy Hunting - New Products from Ghirardelli

Ghirardelli Minis

Varieties include dark chocolate, milk chocolate caramel, and milk chocolate sea salt and almond. 

I recently found the Ghirardelli Minis at Meijer. 

Ghirardelli Squares Creamy Almond Crunch and Cinnamon Crunch 

Ghirardelli Mango Sunset and Cherry Tango

Candy Hunting - New Products from Mars

Dove Whole Fruit Dipped in Dark Chocolate

Varieties include whole cranberries, whole blueberries, and whole cherries. 

Introduction date for Dove Whole Cranberries and Dove Whole Blueberries: September 2014
Introduction date for Dove Whole Cherries: January 2015

Dove Fruit will be available in sharing size bags (2.83 oz) and stand-up pouches (6.0 oz). 

Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel

Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel was released as a limited edition item in Fall 2012. It is being relaunched as a full time product. 

Introduction date: May 2014

Twix Ghosts

Introduction date: With Halloween products.

Candy Hunting - New Products from Hershey's

Hershey's Krackel

Introduction date: May 2, 2014

Hershey's Krackel bar is now available as single serve size bars (1.55 oz), XL bars (4 oz), and giant bars (6.5 oz). 

I recently found Hershey's Krackel bars at Walmart. 

York Minis

Introduction date: May 2, 2014

York Minis are available in king size bags (2.5 oz) and stand-up pouches (8 oz).

I found York Minis at Meijer yesterday.

Reese's Spreads Peanut Butter Chocolate

Introduction date: December 5, 2014

Reese's Spreads will be available in a 13 oz jar. 

Twizzlers Pull 'n' Peel Fruit Punch

Introduction date: December 5, 2014

The Pull 'n' Peel Twists are a combination of grape, cherry, and orange flavors. 

Twizzlers Fruit Punch will be available in 2 oz and 11 oz bags. 

Twizzlers Strawberry Lemonade Filled Twists

Introduction date: December 5, 2014

Twizzlers Fruit Punch will be available in 1.9 oz and 11 oz bags. 

Twizzlers Mixed Berry Bites

Introduction date: May 2, 2014

Flavors include cherry, black raspberry, and strawberry.  

Twizzlers Mixed Berry Bites are available in 10 oz bags. 

Jolly Rancher Awesome Reds

Introduction date: May 2, 2014

Flavors include cherry, watermelon, strawberry, and fruit punch. 

Jolly Rancher Awesome Reds are available in 6.5 oz and 13 oz bags. 

Jolly Rancher Bites Juicy Filled Gummies

Introduction date: May  2, 2014

Flavors include watermelon, green apple, and cherry.  

The Jolly Rancher Bites are available in 10 oz bags. 

I found the Jolly Rancher Bites at Meijer yesterday. 

Twizzlers Caramel Apple and Jolly Rancher Crunch 'n Chew Caramel Apple

Introduction date: With Halloween products

Hershey's Candy Corn

Introduction date: With Halloween products

Ice Breakers Cool Blasts Chews

Introduction date: September 5, 2014

Flavors include peppermint and spearmint.

Ice Breakers Cool Blasts Chews will be available in 0.8 oz slide packs. 

Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme

Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme is one of the three limited edition bars for Summer 2014, the other two being Raspberry & Cranberry Yogurt and Strawberry & Vanilla-Wafer. This product is called Ritter Sport Eiscafé in Germany. While I received this bar during the Sweets & Snacks Expo, it will most likely be available at World Market and some other specialty grocery stores. 

Place purchased: Free sample from the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Number of reviewers: 5

Appearance - 7.4

The Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme bar has the traditional Ritter Sport format: a 100 g square with 16 segments. The bar consists of a milk chocolate shell with a light filling with tiny coffee bean flecks. 

Flavor and Taste - 8.6

The flavor is a combination of mocha and creamy vanilla. It tastes very similar to a sweet mocha coffee drink. The intensity of the coffee flavor works perfectly with the milk chocolate. 

C: Has a nice creamy flavor, and has the flavor of latte. Can taste it, but not overpowering. 

E: Dreamy mocha flavor. If only it were dark chocolate...

E2: Nice balance between the exterior chocolate and interior filling. Maybe a little more coffee.

S: Tastes good! Slight coffee. Balanced very well.

Texture - 8.5

The filling is very smooth, while the milk chocolate exterior has a harder texture while still having soft bite. 

C: Nice and creamy, both the chocolate and inside filling. 

E: Nice firm chocolate exterior and creamy center. 

E2: Creamy and smooth.

S: Creamy, almost like a pudding. 

Aftertaste - 8.1

The aftertaste is mainly that of milk chocolate, though there is a hint of coffee flavor that comes through. 

E: Lingering sweet coffee flavor - yum! No sour or off-notes. 

E2: Delicious, lingers in mouth. 

S: Chocolate. Don't really get a coffee aftertaste. 

Overall - 8.5

Overall, the Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme bar is probably the best Ritter Sport bar I have ever eaten (and I have tried nearly all of them that existed within the past few years), and now one of my all-time favorite chocolate bars.