For the Love of Candy

Name: Chewy Black Licorice Bites
Manufacturer: Switzer
Rating: 5/5

I had the good luck to come across a bag of Switzer’s black licorice. I am quite happy to report this lives up to my experience with the chewy cherry twists.

These are licorice bites, a little bigger than a quarter, with holes in the middle. It comes in a black plastic bag, and it is delicious. It’s a mild licorice with a strong molasses flavor and a nice citrusy hint to it. It’s also delightfully chewy without any waxiness. Switzer has the best licorice. My mom found both this and the chewy cherry twists at Cracker Barrel, so if you’re looking for some of this licorice-y goodness for yourself, check there.

Name: Chewy Cherry Twists
Manufacturer: Switzer’s
Rating: 4.5/5

In one of my first entries I wrote about how I wasn’t wild about Twizzlers. I had sort of written off the whole non-red-licorice genre then, but happily this has changed my mind.

Switzer’s is actually a St. Louis company that originated in the 19th century; I’m a St. Louisan myself so I’m always happy to support a hometown company. It’s even better when said hometown company makes something delicious.

Chewy Cherry Twists are long, red, and shiny, and come in a red bag, but the similarities to Twizzler’s end there. The twists have a bright burst of cherry flavor–a flavor that tastes suprisingly organic–and a rounded, not too sweet aftertaste. It isn’t too stuff to chew comfortable, and in fact is a nice blend of stiff and elastic that works quite well. They’re absolutely delicious.

Why only 4.5, then? It still has a slight waxiness to it. That may be part of the licorice experience, though.

Okay, I am finally back! I was having problems logging in, but I have things sorted out. Friday I’ll have a review of Switzer cherry twists and next week look for a review of some of Bissinger’s individual chocolates. So glad to be back!

Hey gang–I’m going on hiatus until July, I’m going out of town and then I have some reading for my summer internship. Ssee you guys then!

Manufacturer: Kilwin’s
Rating 5/5

The awesome neighbors behind my series of Austrian candy recently spent a weekend in Louisville and brought me back some fudge from Kilwin’s Chocolate and Ice Cream shop. According to their website, they specialize in handmade confections. If this fudge is an indication of their products, I can’t wait to try more.

They do a top-notch job of packaging–my fudge, milk chocolate in flavor, was wrapped in wax paper and placed in a burgundy cardboard box, along with a small plastic knife to cut the fudge with.

A lot of us have had bad fudge–grainy, overly sugary, even a little tough. This is not this kind of fudge. The outside is very slightly crunchy and the inside is as smooth and creamy as velvet. The flavor is wonderful too–intense and fully rounded, with the predominate flavor being chocolate and not sugar. It’s incredibly rich, so a small piece goes a long way.

This is worth ordering, if you have a fudge craving.

I have some delicious fudge to review, and will be doing so this weekend. Apologies for not getting up last night (well, I guess it’s still last night, as it’s 4:33 a.m. here). I’ve been keeping odd hours lately, and I’ve been too tired to write a decent review.

Name: Twin Cherries
Manufacturer: Haribo
Rating: 4.5/5

I love buying Haribo products, because I know I’m going to love them. This is no exception.

I have to admit I love cherries. The fruit, the flavor, the appearance–I have tons of cherry-themed things. So when I saw these picking them up was a natural.

This are rather large, maybe about the size of two quarters stacked on top of each other, in a classic cherry shape and color; green stems and two red cherries. They have a bright, delicious cherry scent that carries into the flavor–rounded, slightly piquant, less artificial than many cherry candies. The consistency is yummy too, chewy but not so gummy that your jaw ends up hurting.

I recommend these highly.

Name: Tootsie Roll Pop Drops
Manufacturer: Tootsie Roll
Rating: 4/5

I’m so glad they started making these again. I practically squealed when I saw the package in the supermarket checkout line; they were one of my favorites when I was a kid.

Tootsie Roll Pop Drops (henceforth known as TRPD) come in orange bags branded with “Tootsie Roll Pops Without a Stick.” That’s pretty accurate. TRPD is penny-size hard candy filled with Tootsie Roll, just like the pops of the same name. They come in the same flavors as well–chocolate, cherry, blue raspberry, orange, and grape. The hard candy is the same tangy and delicious candy found in the pops. The only problem is the amount of filling–some pieces have a nice quantity, others have almost none.

4/5 without a doubt–these are so good. I just wish they’d work out the filling issue.