Remember last year’s Hershey’s Flavor of America campaign? The one that produced weird flavors like BBQ Payday, Hershey’s Cherry Cheesecake, and Key Lime Pie Twizzlers?

Most flavors were met with a polarized response, but one consensus favorite emerged: Strawberry Kit Kat.

So Hershey’s changed it.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat

Kit Kat Chocolate Covered Strawberry (Taste of New York)

Let’s pause for a moment and think about the implications here:

Last year, the Flavor of California was something nutritious. Simply, strawberry.

This year, the Flavor of California is something more indulgent. The strawberry is covered in chocolate.

I guess California is getting fatter.

The new Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat shares its looks with that of the traditional Kit Kat. It is simply brown milk chocolate, and nothing about its appearance would suggest strawberry. It’s not sexy and visually striking like most people in California.

Compare to last year’s, which was covered in pink creme:

Why hello, sexy! You must be from California.

Thankfully, the reboot tastes pretty darn good too.

There are definite differences between the pink creme covered Strawberry Kit Kat and the new Chocolate Covered Strawberry Kit Kat. As expected, there’s a bona fide milk chocolate flavor in the new iteration that draws more parallels to the original Kit Kat. The strawberry flavoring isn’t as creamy sweet as it was last year, but to its credit it is not bitter and medicinal like many others (Recall, and then forget: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Oreos).

What’s here pairs well with the classic chocolate.

At the same time, a bit of novelty factor is lacking when compared to the pronounced “strawberry milk” flavor that last year’s Strawberry Kit Kat possessed. Combine with the crisp wafers, last year’s tasted like the candy bar equivalent of Strawberry Sugar Wafers. This years is just a fruity variation – albeit a fine one – of regular Kit Kat.

Overall, I think people will be disappointed that they toyed with a fan favorite, and then they’ll begrudgingly accept and welcome the new Flavor of California.

California, you’re getting fatter by the minute.

Burning Questions:

1. Why do you think they changed it? Because they were bored.
2. Why do you review everything?  Because I am bored.
3. You spelled “fat” wrong? Whoops.

Place of Purchase: CVS

Rating: 7 out of 10

To keep up with all of our product finds and Junk Bantering in real time, follow us on social media at the links below!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/junkbanter
Instagram: www.instagram.com/junkbanter
Twitter: www.twitter.com/junkbanter
Snapchat: junkbanter

To contact us via e-mail, send a message to junkbanter@gmail.com