Look, there’s no crazy song and dance to start this review for a few reasons:
1) I’ve got THREE new candy bars to review.
2) You’ve only got a few minutes on the toilet to read it.
3) It’s getting increasingly difficult to sing and dance when I’m constantly out of breath.
Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch Bars
Introducing New Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch Bars. According to their press-release, these bars are one of Hershey’s most anticipated products in over 16 years, earning some of the highest consumer scores the company has ever received in testing. Hershey’s explains:
““We recognize eating habits are evolving and that consumers are moving away from traditional meals and into multiple snacking occasions that include various tastes and textures throughout the day” (Mary-Ann Somers, General Manager and Vice President, The Hershey Company.)
Yes, yes, yes!!! Let’s all stop eating real meals and start eating more junk all the time!
… Did I get that right?
Anyway, Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch Bars combine Hershey’s chocolate candy with crunchy cookies and decadent fillings. They come in three different flavors: Mint, Vanilla Creme, and Caramel.
Now let’s get to it, shall we? Just typing all that out has me out of breath.
Hershey’s Mint Cookie Layer Crunch Bar
Hershey’s Mint Cookie Layer Crunch bars are the only ones made with dark chocolate, adding chocolate cookie bits and a mint creme to play along.
Opening the package unleashes not only a strong mint aroma, but the unmistakable smell of a crisp dark chocolate. We all knew this one was going to be good and it is. The balance favors mint over dark chocolate, and the taste reminded me of Andes mints. The mint flavor lingers proudly in the aftermath and is awfully soothing. The dark chocolate has a surprising creaminess to it – something I usually associate with milk more than I do dark. It’s the textural explosion of crunchy cookies and tender creme that makes this a real winner, and makes me prefer it slightly over the Hershey’s Cookies & Mint Bar.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Hershey’s Vanilla Creme Cookie Layer Crunch Bar
Hershey’s Vanilla Creme Cookie Layer Crunch bars are made with milk chocolate, chocolate cookie bits, and vanilla flavored creme.
Once broken apart to reveal the insides, some delicious memories of the Milka Oreo Big Crunch Bar came rushing back to me. And the truth is that this bar is constructed very similarly. The most notable differences are a thicker creme layer and a lesser amount of cookies. It’s this change-up that makes the flavor profile something more of a reverse Hershey’s Cookies & Creme bar. You taste more classic Hershey’s milk chocolate than anything, with the milky sweet white confection lurking in the background. The cookies offer their expected crunch but don’t deliver that same punch that the Oreo wafer does to the Milka Big Crunch bar. On top of that, the milk chocolate isn’t as rich as Milka’s. Hershey’s version is tasty but it’s a little safe and a little unspectacular.
Score: 7 out of 10
Hershey’s Caramel Cookie Layer Crunch Bar
Last but not least (maybe though) is Hershey’s Caramel Cookie Layer Crunch bars. These are made with milk chocolate and a caramel filling, and then they audible to shortbread cookies instead of chocolate.
Oh, not the least at all. Hershey’s Caramel Cookie Layer Crunch Bar is my favorite of the three for multiple reasons. First, it’s the most unique. I’ve outlined the rival products the other two flavors compete with above. This caramel one competes with nothing. The caramel at the center is softer and chewier than the creme in the other varieties, making the textural contrast the most pronounced and therefore most enjoyable. The shortbread cookies subject a different kind of sweetness to the candy bar too, providing the most flavor contrast. Shortbread is a less redundant choice than chocolate cookies when the next step is covering it all in more chocolate. The caramel is plentiful and tucked tightly into the center. I do with the caramel was more buttery, but I say that about most things.
Score: 8 out of 10
Hershey’s Cookie Layer Crunch Bars are a very successful launch for the brand. Hershey’s figured out that we don’t know what the hell we want in our food, so they just gave us all of it: chocolate, cookies, breath fresheners… you name it. They’re conveniently packaged in multiple sizes so you can gain weight at whichever pace you prefer. It’s also neat that they break apart easily; now you can reward yourself when you deserve some candy, and punish yourself with candy when you don’t deserve anything.
Cookies & Candies & Crunch Rating: Oh My! out of 10
Breaths I Have Remaining Rating: 0 out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10
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