I'm back just in time to celebrate the end of a decade!
Like always, my hiatus wasn't planned, and proof of that is...I kept buying stuff, so much stuff, and telling myself, "it's okay it's for a review." Well, we both know that didn't happen. To make matters worse (or better), I kind of jumped into the Halloween clearance section with both feet. There is a LOT of fall-themed backlog to get through, but I consider that a win since I'd rather ruminate in fall flavors than dig myself into further foodie-debt with winter offerings.
To speed up the de-hoarding process, today's post is double trouble. Today we have two different apple themed chocolates, which one will be more a-peel-ing?
These caught my eye because...they were 50% off, AND they weren't pumpkin spice.
Pumpkin spiced chocolate just isn't for me. It all tastes like Bath and Body Works Candles, and I have the posts to back me up. (Goal for 2020: No more wasting my money on candy no one is my house will eat even if it is fun and wacky.) Maybe it's like cilantro, some people swear it tastes like burning soap (like my sister), but other people love it. Pumpkin spiced chocolate is my cilantro. So I was really happy to see both Hershey's and Dove embracing apple in 2019, although they both did so in pretty unique ways.
First up, Hershey's. They opted for an apple-shaped milk chocolate candy filled with apple-flavored caramel. I love the foil wrapping, and the shape of the apple-mold they used. Wrapped, they would look adorable as filler in a "teacher gift," like a mug filled with pencils.
Taking a bite, this tastes...pretty okay. The chocolate is classic Hershey's, sweet, creamy, milky, and melts quickly, nothing new or interesting to report there, but the filling...it's shocking how the fake apple flavoring almost completely overpowers all of the other flavors. The best way to describe it is fake apple, but not in a Jollyrancher-way, this is the apple Snapple of candies. I can't think of any better way to sum it up. If you've ever tried apple Snapple, you'd understand.
It's weird, and bold, but not bad. The apple flavoring and chocolate lingers, even after the candy is long-gone, but the aftertaste mellows out, more like you drank apple juice and ate chocolate at the same time. If that sounds like a good time to you, you'll probably love these.
Next up to bat, Dove. They opted for a white chocolate base with caramel apple flavoring, and crispy graham cracker bits. No cutesy shapes this time around, just a rounded square like all the other Dove chocolates, but the foil wrapping is varying patters of green and brown, we have solids, stripes, and even plaid. I really dig the plaid, but the lack of uniformity means these aren't as cute in a candy dish as the Hershey's variety.
If you're new to Dove, the foil wrappers have hidden phrases inside. Things like, "Shine on, Harvest Moon." Which is some hippie nonsense, but then I got the more ominous, " For now, falling leaves. Soon, falling snow." I feel like Dove's messages are either completely random nonsense, or slightly judgmental advise. There is no in-between.
Messages aside, the candy is...bizarre. The white chocolate quality is pretty good, melting nicely on the tongue with a lovely texture, and the crispy mix-ins (which I am pretty sure are just a vanilla version of the same cookie bits in Cookie's n' Creme Hershey's) don't add much graham flavoring, but what they lack in flavor they more than make-up for in texture. I love the added crunch, but these flavors just don't work for me. The white chocolate base is very sweet, mixed with a hint of cinnamon, sweet artificial apple, and sweet coffee-flavoring caramel syrup? There's nothing tart or bitter to balance everything out. It's teetering on throat-burning territory.
Such bold lingering flavors lack snack-ability. You're never left wanting more because these flavors will never leave, that being said...I'd never re-purchase either flavor. Even if they were 50% off. They're not bad candies, are far from inedible, but they are inescapable! It's been 20+ minutes, and I can still taste the fake apple! These are an improvement over pumpkin spice, but just barely.
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