Unable to master Spam flavored Kisses, Hershey’s has settled on the much easier coconut for their Flavor of Hawaii.

Hershey’s Coconut Almond Kisses (Flavor of Hawaii)

Hershey’s Coconut Almond Kisses! This is the fifth product in Hershey’s new “Flavors of America” line. If you don’t read my blog like the rest of the world, here’s the rundown:

• Hershey’s Cherry Cheesecake Bar (Flavor of New York)
• Hershey’s Honey Roasted Reese’s (Flavor of Georgia)
• Hershey’s Strawberry Kit Kat (Flavor of California)
• Hershey’s BBQ PayDay (Flavor of Texas)

Coconut beats out other popular flavors of Hawaii such as pineapple, Ahi tuna, pig roasts, and something called “breadfruit.” It’s a nice surprise to see them stick an almond in here, as most limited edition Kisses avoid the nut entirely.

Missed opportunity: they could have made these even more Hawaaiin by using a macadamia nut. Unfortunately that would have driven the cost up to about $10 a bag, but that high price would have made them even more Hawaaiin. A gallon of milk is like $40 way out there wherever the hell Hawaii is.

Unwrapping the foil unveils yet another surprise, since my fat and swollen eyes failed to catch it on the package. Hershey’s Coconut Almond Kisses use white chocolate instead of milk chocolate. This might be the most intriguing thing about them for me. A milk chocolate version with coconut might have landed too similarly to the Almond Joy, but the lack of real coconut would make it hard to favor the Kisses.

There’s something I really like about Hershey’s Coconut Almond Kisses, and I think I know what it is. Coconut artificial flavoring just tastes a lot more natural than most flavors that Hershey’s attempts. Since coconuts have a creamy flavor to begin with, it pairs seamlessly with Hershey’s creamy white chocolate. The coconut flavor is apparent immediately, yet it’s more subdued and far less sweet than some of their other flavors such as, oh I don’t know, the Cupcake Kisses with Cookies or the Birthday Cake Kisses with Cookies. It’s something I can appreciate at this stage in my life, that stage being “30-something year old single male who blogs about candy.”

The almonds inside these Kisses are huge and make a big impact. They deliver a great crunch and flavor as soon as your teeth sink into them. The almonds temporarily take control of the overall flavor before the Kisses level out to a coconut-almond hybrid. Finally, a refreshing kiss of coconut resurfaces at the end and is the lasting flavor.

Hershey’s may have chosen a safe and familiar flavor for Hawaii, but they sure kept things interesting by going with white chocolate and including the almond. They kind of make me feel like I’m on the beach sipping a cocktail while some tan thing in a hula skirt feeds me chocolate…

Or maybe I’m just drunk.

Odds That I’m Drunk Right Now Rating: 8 out of 10
Breadfruit Rating: ??? out of 10
Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10

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