Trader Joe’s Honey Mustard Popcorn With Avocado Oil

Trader Joe’s Kanom Dok Mai Chewy Thai Coconut Cakes

Trader Joe’s Rolled Corn Tortilla Chips Nacho Cheese Flavor

Trader Joe’s Family Style Chicken Florentine Lasagna

Trader Joe’s Tuna Salad Croissant Sandwich

Trader Joe’s Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwich

Trader Joe’s Sliced Seed Multigrain Bread

Trader Joe’s Organic Under The Sea Shaped Italian Pasta

Yup. I still think it looks like yawning. (Spotted by Sage G at Harris Teeter and Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Whenever McDonald’s tries to be Starbucks, the results are usually mixed. And the chain’s Caramel Apple Pie Iced Coffee is no exception.

The fast food juggernaut has a similar frappe beverage available for a limited time this fall. Since I live in a part of America where it stays 90 degrees until Thanksgiving, though, I opted for its iced coffee cousin.

Aesthetically, it’s not much to talk about. It has that muddy brown tone to it that pretty much every McCafe drink sports, a hue that’s about halfway between store brand chocolate milk and the atmosphere of Jupiter. The very top of the drink, though, is a pretty interesting mixture of whipped topping, caramel syrup, and a ton of munched-up apple pie crumbles. Now, I don’t think that McDonald’s makes it by literally crunching up one of its iconic apple pies and sprinkling it over an iced coffee. But really, would any of us be surprised if they actually did?

What we have here is a pretty rare example of intra-corporate co-branding in action. Everybody knows about McDonald’s apple pies, and everybody knows about its iced coffees. So why wouldn’t it try to merge them into a singularity at some point? It’s an idea that makes more and more sense the longer I think about it. Really, this should be a can’t-lose concept.

There’s a massive problem with the drink, however. Despite having the words “apple pie” in its name, the beverage itself doesn’t taste much like apple pie at all. In fact, it tastes like an entirely different kind of seasonal favorite snack — it pretty much IS a Little Debbie Pumpkin Delight in iced coffee form. Who knows, that might be a home run for some people. But if you’re a hardcore McDonald’s apple pie enthusiast, I think you’re going to be quite disappointed by how little this drink resembles its presumed namesake.

The drink isn’t a total loss, thankfully. Once your brain accepts that you’re not chugging a liquified, caffeine-injected McApple Pie, you can somewhat appreciate and enjoy the Caramel Apple Pie Iced Coffee on its own merits. It’s not a bad iced coffee at all, and as far as pumpkin spice-adjacent L-T-O fast food drinks go, it’s one of the more unique to come along in a while. It’s not just another reformulation of nutmeg, whipped cream, and cinnamon, although the apple tincture isn’t terribly palpable, either. It kinda sorta tastes like apple pie every now and then, but for the most part, it mostly drinks like your standard, run-of-the-mill caramel latte. Maybe the flavor feels different in the frappe version, but as an iced coffee drink, the apple pie flavor just doesn’t hit.

It’s OK, but nothing all that memorable. Some people may like it, but I doubt that many consumers will love it. It’s a neat idea, and it kinda works conceptually, but the execution here misses the mark. But hey, at least Pumpkin Delight fans have a reason to get excited.

Purchased Price: $3.79
Size: Medium
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 290 calories, 13 grams of fat, 7 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 35 milligrams of cholesterol, 240 milligrams of sodium, 42 grams of carbohydrates, 28 grams of sugar (includes 25 grams of added sugar), 0 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.

Campbell’s Chunky Buffalo Wild Wings Parmesan Garlic Chicken Noodle

Old El Paso Cheesy Beef Taco-Style Soup

Old El Paso Chipotle Steak Burrito Style Soup

Progresso Pitmaster Charbroiled Bacon Cheeseburger Soup

Bob Evans Protein Macaroni & Cheese

Farm Rich High Protein Blueberry French Toast Sticks

McCain Craft Beer Battered Potato Slices

Good & Gather Take & Bake Margherita Flatbread Pizza

Good & Gather Limited Edition Take & Bake Butternut Squash & Feta Flatbread Pizza

Kirkwood Garden Veggie Chicken Patties

Kirkwood Bacon Ranch Chicken Patties

Park St Deli Potato Cheddar Egg Bake

Park St Deli Sausage Uncured Bacon & Cheese Egg Bake

Meal Simple by HEB Chicken Coconut Curry

Meal Simple by HEB Bang Bang Chicken

Meal Simple by HEB Salisbury Steak

Meal Simple by HEB Beef Pot Roast

E.T. phone Earth. (Spotted by Sage G at Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Breakfast, lunch, or dessert? Them words make me want to eat these for dinner. Don’t disrespect dinner. If I can eat cereal for dinner, I can also eat pumpkin spiced pancakes for dinner. You wanna, fight, Belgian Boys. I’ll take you both on. I’ll knock those hats off your heads and I’ll shave those mustaches off. Don’t worry, dinner. I’ve got your back. (Spotted by Amanda Y at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

I thought carrot cake was a spring thing. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Oreo is taking a page out of the Lay’s potato chip playbook with mostly normal-sounding flavors and one way-out-of-the-box flavor for its Twist Lick Vote promotion, with the normal-sounding ones being Deep Fried and Banana Pudding, while the wacky one is Chicken & Waffles.

Lay’s has gone this route multiple times with its Do Us A Flavor contests. In 2017, the flavors were Crispy Taco, Fried Green Tomato, and Everything Bagel. In 2014, they were Cheddar Bacon Mac & Cheese, Mango Salsa, Wasabi Ginger, and Cappuccino. In 2013, when the contest first started, the finalists were Cheesy Garlic Bread, Sriracha, and Chicken & Waffles.

Oreo Chicken & Waffles Cookies

While those Chicken & Waffles potato chips were okay, what’s not okay is this similarly flavored Oreo cookie. I ate a serving size and have no desire to eat another. The only desire I have regarding these cookies is for them to lose this Twist Lick Vote contest badly. I want it to lose so resoundingly that the folks who came up with the flavor get demoted to developing Fig Newtons for the rest of their career.

If it does win, it really should be renamed Chicken Instant Ramen Packet Oreo, because that’s what I smelled and tasted. There’s some sweetness that I guess you could point to as the “waffle” part, but it’s way more savory than sweet. No bueno. After two cookies, my mouth was yearning for anything other than the flavor of this cookie. The only really positive thing I can say is that it’s not gross enough to make me gag.

After a palate cleanse, we’ll get to the Deep Fried Oreo cookies.

Ugh. Chicken instant ramen packet mouth…still there. Time for a deep palate cleanse.

Alright, I ate a bunch of saltine crackers, which taste better than the Chicken & Waffles Oreo, by the way, and my taste buds are no longer haunted by chicken-flavored seasoning.

Size: 10.68 oz
Rating: 2 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein.

Oreo Deep Fried Cookies

Now onto the Deep Fried Oreo cookies that don’t taste fried.

While they have a fried dough-flavored cookie, there’s no fried aroma to them, which was a little worrying. Even though they look like Golden Oreo wafers, they definitely don’t taste like them. There’s a bit of uniqueness, which I guess you could call “fried,” but it’s so mild that it becomes an issue when the cookie is eaten whole.

The chocolate creme, which looks like the standard chocolate Oreo creme, tastes a bit different than the usual stuff; it reminds me more of chocolate pudding. There’s also a sliver of white creme that tastes slightly different than the stuff in a regular Oreo. While the individual components taste slightly different from the originals, I can’t say the cookie hits any different from a Golden Oreo with chocolate creme because the “fried” part just doesn’t sizzle.

These Deep Fried Oreo Cookies are okay and inoffensive enough that I could see them eking out a win. I will say they have the best looking packaging of the three, with a tasty-looking cross section of actual deep fried Oreo cookies.

Size: 11.46 oz
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) – 180 calories, 9 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 115 milligrams of sodium, 25 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 15 grams of sugar (including 15 grams of added sugar), and 1 gram of protein.

Oreo Banana Pudding Cookies

Finally, we have the Banana Pudding Oreo cookies, which should be the winner of the Twist Lick Vote. Okay, I take that back. It’s not “should be”; it will be the winner.

If you’ve read this site, you know I LOVE banana-flavored products, so it might be my banana bias talking about these cookies being victorious, but I really did enjoy these the most, and not just because of the banana flavor. I mean, Oreo could’ve slapped some banana-flavored creme between two Golden Oreo wafers and called it a day, but this tastes like more effort went into getting a bit of vanilla wafer flavor in it.

While there’s an artificial banana layer, there’s also a sliver of white creme, which also has a banana flavor. Both having a banana flavor is confusing because I’m wondering what is doing a good job of emulating the Nilla Wafers in banana pudding, which I especially notice in the aftertaste. Is it the Golden Oreo wafers? Is it the banana creme? Is it the white and banana creme combined? Well, whatever is doing it, it’s working.

Good job recreating that Nilla Wafer flavor too, because it would’ve made for an awkward Mondelez Holiday Party if the Nilla Wafer team got wind that the Oreo team botched their vanilla wafer flavor.

My vote has already gone to the Oreo Banana Pudding Cookie, because it’s truly the best tasting of the bunch.

Size: 10.68 oz
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 cookies) – 140 calories, 7 grams of fat, 2.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 50 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar (including 11 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein.

I’ve been covering food for a long time, and the two product promotions that excite me most are flavor voting contests and mystery flavors. (Although I’m not a fan of the oddball flavors that tend to come out of these contests.) So I’d love to see Oreo and other brands run these promotions regularly, minus the weird entries. Actually, I’d really love to see a contest with three or more mystery flavors, where the winner gets revealed, and the others stay a mystery forever.

Just an idea: Oreo and Lay’s.

Purchased Price: $7.49 each
Purchased at: Times Supermarket

Borden Jalapeno Cheese Dip

Borden Nacho Cheese Dip

Bettergoods Ube Coconut Swirl Breakfast Bread

Kirkland Signature Buttermilk Biscuits

Crumbs Bakeshop Chocolate Peanut Butter Pinata Cake

Pocas Dubai Style Chocolate Latte

Pocas Strawberry Matcha Latte

Califia Farms Vanilla Crème Organic Coconut Creamer

Hero Tortillas Spinach & Herb

Kalona Supernatural Spring Frolic

Kalona Supernatural Buttermilk Cheddar

Kingston Creamery Organic Gorgonzola

Cafe Bustelo Game Face Brazil

Cafe Bustelo Game Face Colombia

Cafe Bustelo Game Face Argentina

Sprouts Spicy Hawaiian Style Pizza

Duros Twists Spicy Queso Flavored

Midtown by H-E-B Goat Cheese Italian Sausage & Fig Preserves Flatbread Pizza

H?E?B Everything Seasoning Bagels

Dave’s Killer Bread Supreme Sourdough

Beekeeper’s Naturals Crayola Throat Soothing Pops Farmstand Fruity Variety Pack

I’d really like to see Dum Dums offer a pack with multiple mystery flavors in it. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Wow. Those football-shaped morsels look so realistic, and I’m sure they won’t melt into football-shaped blobs while being baked in an oven. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

I’d love to sprinkle some Boulder Canyon chips on this Progresso Pitmaster Hidden Valley Ranch soup. (Spotted by Jarred at Publix.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Another year. Another Dot’s Homestyle Pretzel flavor. (Spotted by Evan B at Hershey’s Chocolate World.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

A Taco Bell and Tajin partnership was bound to happen. As far as co-branding opportunities go, I don’t think we’ve seen such an obvious candidate for crossover corporate synergy since Freddy vs. Jason or maybe Alien vs. Predator.

If you’re unfamiliar with Tajin seasoning, it’s a bit difficult to describe. A combination of chili peppers, lime juice, and sea salt, it has a certain spiciness, but what’s more noteworthy is its heaviness. It has a powerful weight to it more than a powerful kick, per se. Imagine a version of margarita salt that’s a little hot, and you kind of get the gist of it.

So Taco Bell’s coming at us with two Tajin tie-in LTOs: the Tajin Cheesy Gordita Crunch and the Tajin Taco.

The Cheesy Gordita Crunch probably doesn’t need a reintroduction to most readers, but if you’ve been out of the Taco Bell loop for a while, it’s basically a hard shell taco layered inside a soft shell taco. It’s worth noting that the hard shell interior is also seasoned with Tajin, although it’s nowhere near as potent as the undiluted stuff that comes in the limited time only side packet.

Between the soft shell exterior and hard shell interior, you’ll find the usual Taco Bell triple blend of shredded cheddar, mozzarella, and pepper jack cheese. Inside the hard shell, you get a hearty dollop of juicy beef, lettuce, more shredded cheddar cheese, and a generous squirtin’ of Spicy Ranch sauce. What’s a bit unusual about this Gordita Crunch variant is that it also contains a very flavorful sprinkling of mango salsa, which is probably the best overall thing about the entire product. It’s such a sweet and tangy addition to the formula that it kinda makes you forget you’re eating something from Taco Bell.

I think the issue here is that beef and Tajin seasoning isn’t the most harmonious combination. If this was a chicken Gordita Crunch, or even a steak Gordita Crunch, it might be a different story. As is, with the Tajin seasoning in the mix, it sorta feels like you’re getting salt on top of salt — which might be a positive for some people who try it. Alas, that just isn’t my thing, and it left me a little underwhelmed considering the fairly steep $5.99 price point. It’s good, but I’m not sure it’s $6 plus applicable taxes and additional surcharges good.

Then there’s the Tajin Taco.

It’s an easy product to review, yet a difficult one to review at the same time. The taco itself is basically just a mild variant on the chain’s supreme taco formula — you get beef, you get shredded cheddar cheese, you get lettuce, and you get a ranch sauce that isn’t anywhere near as spicy as I anticipated (so it’s either a recalculation of the chain’s beloved Spicy Ranch sauce or something altogether different). The mango salsa is sort of the X factor here, and, to be fair, it is a big difference-maker. It’s amazing how just a little bit of sweetness and pulpy fruit changes the entire experience of a Taco Bell taco — it’s almost like you’re eating an upscale street taco.

The Tajin seasoning is mostly complementary to the interior taco ingredients. There’s definitely a unique mouthfeel to the seasoning — its lime-adjacent flavor basically wraps your tongue in a bear hug, and it can be a pretty bizarre experience for those unaccustomed to such exotic flavorings.

As with the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, the special edition seasoning and the ground beef element of the taco do not play well together. You get two very sharp tastes going in opposite directions, with both flavors Ultimate Fighting for supremacy on your bicuspids. At nearly $3, you’re not getting much more than you’d get from a regular supreme taco at the chain. And if you already have Tajin seasoning at home — well, what’s the point?

It’s an interesting experiment, but the Taco Bell and Tajin partnership isn’t exactly the marriage made in heaven both parties hoped for. I wonder who’s getting the mango salsa after the divorce?

Purchased Price: $5.99 (Cheesy Gordita Crunch), $2.89 (Taco)
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Cheesy Gordita Crunch, 6 out of 10 (Taco)
Nutrition Facts: Tajin Cheesy Gordita Crunch – 460 calories, 22 grams of fat, 9 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 50 milligrams of cholesterol, 1150 milligrams of sodium, 45 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams of fiber, 7 grams of sugar (includes 2 grams of added sugar), and 19 grams of protein. Tajin Taco – 210 calories, 12 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 25 milligrams of cholesterol, 690 milligrams of sodium, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 4 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar (includes 2 grams of added sugar), and 8 grams of protein.

Jonny Pops Minis Organic Hydro Blue Raspberry Punch with Electrolytes

Jonny Pops Minis Organic Super Cherry Splash with Electrolytes

Ice Cream For Bears Lemon Blue Bear Ice Cream

Protein Pints Fudge Brownie Ice Cream

Simple Mills Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Nut & Seed Trail Bar

Simple Mills Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Nut & Seed Trail Bar

Snack Buddies Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Snack Buddies Birthday Cake Mini Muffins

Snack Buddies Fudge Brownie Mini Muffins

Jumex Reduced Mango Nectar

Jumex Reduced Strawberry-Banana Nectar

Sprouts Lactose Free Sour Cream

Sprouts Rich & Creamy Sour Cream Pouch

Sprouts Date Organic Whole Milk Yogurt

Sprouts Plain Organic Whole Milk Yogurt

H-E-B Carolina Reaper Infused Avocado Oil

H-E-B Carolina Reaper Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ozarka Texas Spring Water MLB Design

It’s back, again! Click/tap here for our review from 2024. (Spotted by Robbie at Randalls.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Welcome to the pumpkin spice party, Brim’s! I hope you’re brimming with excitement! (Spotted by DJ at Dollar Tree.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

If only there was a Favorite Day Cookies & Cream Whipped Dairy Topping. Then we could combine this Gummy Worm flavor with it and the chocolate one to create a Dirt Cup of whipped dairy topping. (Spotted by Erin K at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we see Oreo Ornaments and Twix Trees in a few weeks. (Oreo Ghosts spotted by Robbie at Walmart and Twix Skulls spotted by Allison H at Target.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Just when I think I’m done with Wendy, she casts out her ruby pigtails and reels me right back in.

I was starting to wonder why I still give the Rosso Lasso my business. Wendy’s just doesn’t seem to “hit” the way it used to. I’ve been one of those annoying guys screaming about how “Wendy’s has fallen off” in recent years, yet the Scarlet Siren always knows how to re-snare me – a new Blendy.

Ok, well, a new “Frosty Fusion.” Apple Crumble, to be exact.

I’ll limit my usual Blendy spiel and just say that I continue to love the idea of Wendy’s expanding the Frosty line. While I didn’t love the recent Minions Banana Frosty Swirl, Apple Crumble kinda “hit.”

What you’ve got here is a vanilla Frosty mixed with a spiced apple syrup and an oat crumble. Fans of basically any seasonal apple-based desserts like myself should be on board.

To start, you’re met with the crumble of it all. Not enough crumble, if you ask me, because this was the main highlight.

The few pieces of crumble I had remained crispy, unlike Crumbl, which would have been weirdly undercooked and soggy. Shots fired, Crumbl! Nah, but seriously, this had a texture that sat somewhere between crispy cookie and granola, and I really enjoyed it. It also had a brown-sugar oatiness, as promised. I would eat a bag of this on its own.

The base Frosty was on point here, unlike previous Frosties I’ve whined about. The unmistakable “gritty ice” that separates a Frosty from a shake was present, so it didn’t just feel like your run-of-the-mill vanilla ice cream.

The syrup was mostly pooled at the bottom of the cup, but there was enough ribboned throughout the Frosty to really get the flavor across. This was actually key, because like the banana before it, the apple syrup here was pretty potent and slightly sour on its own. While softly mixed in, you get a sweet cinnamon-apple complement on every spoonful.

As the cold Frosty laid atop it, it turned into a clumpy Granny Smith caramel-like substance that was fine, but I left it at the bottom because a little definitely went a long way. I could see there having diminishing returns on a larger-sized order.

That said, this one is a hit. I paired it with the new iteration of the Pretzel Pub sandwich, and folks, Wendy’s might be back. That Pretzel Pub is a banger.

My one dumb complaint is that eating this on a 95-degree August day felt wrong. This is about as autumnal a dessert without pumpkin can get, and I think it’ll just taste better on a cool, gloomy October day when you’re in the mood for an apple pie/cider leaning treat.

I could have honestly used bits of actual apples too, but now I’m just nitpicking, which I shouldn’t be doing because… I’m gonna say it, Wendy’s is back!

Until it’s not! See you next Blendy.

Purchased Price: $4.19
Size: Small
Purchased at: Wendy’s
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 390 calories, 10 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 30 milligrams of cholesterol, 220 milligrams of sodium, 67 grams of total carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 53 grams of sugar, 9 grams of protein.

Wise Ridgies All Dressed Up Potato Chips

Daiya Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Daiya Original Cheesecake Bites

Daiya Chocolate Cheesecake Bites

Sprouts Limited Edition Banana Cream Pie Organic Creamer

7-Eleven Slurpee Sour Blue Raspberry Mints

7-Eleven Slurpee Cherry Cola Mints

7-Eleven Slurpee Sweet Shimmers

Specially Selected Apple Cranberry Blossoms

Specially Selected Pumpkin Cream Cheese Blossoms

Foreva Chocolate Pretzel Almond Bar

Foreva Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Bar

Foreva Chocolate Cookie Bar

Keep Snacking Cinnamon Sugar Banana Chips

Keep Snacking Peanut Butter Banana Chips

If it’s orange cream, I’m going to scream. (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Ruh-roh! (Spotted by Robbie at Walmart.)

If you spotted something new, send your photos to theimpulsivebuy@gmail.com.

Trader Joe’s Cherry Pie Cookies

Trader Joe’s Vanilla O’s Cereal

Trader Joe’s Granola Butter

Trader Joe’s Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend (Returning)

Trader Joe’s The Sheepish Pesto

Trader Joe’s Mandarin Crunch Pasta Salad

Trader Joe’s Organic 21 Grains & Seeds Thin Sliced Bread

If you ever encounter me talking about chocolate in the wild, you will probably overhear me downplaying my interest. “I might be wrong, but this chocolate looks new. I stumbled upon it at the checkout!” I will say in a barrage of lies.

I am not wrong. I did not stumble. I have been methodically stalking stores for weeks in search of highly anticipated sweets.

Such is the case with these new Hershey’s creme-filled bars. Available in King size bars and snack size pouches, both flavors—Affogato and Salted Creme Caramel—have beckoned to me so hard that they might as well be waving handkerchiefs and calling “yoo-hoo!” The Salted Caramel Creme variety consists of a milk chocolate base with a thin layer of salted caramel creme and salted caramel filling. The Affogato variety, also milk chocolate, has vanilla creme and espresso-flavored caramel.

I don’t know why I lie about my excitement, but let me come clean here. Both bars are definitely worth my checkout-stalking efforts.

The bars are meant to evoke luxury, and their richness delivers on the promise. The chocolate tastes of a higher quality than a traditional Hershey’s bar. It is super creamy with a stronger cocoa flavor than what you’d find in your typical s’more.

When I saw the thin layer of crème, I didn’t expect it to have much impact in either bar, but it contributes extra richness, creaminess, and flavor to both without overshadowing the caramel. In the Affogato bar, the vanilla crème mellows the bitter-edged caramel, recreating the harmony between its gelato-and-coffee flavor inspiration. The strong espresso flavor—similar to the excellent Café Espresso Hershey’s Nuggets available in the Hershey’s Store—never gets diluted in the process. In the Salted Caramel Creme bar, the creme’s sweetness complements the buttery caramel, while the entire bar pops with saltiness. The ratios of each component work perfectly, and every bite smoothly melts in the mouth.

Eating a square at a time, I felt like the main character in a cliched chocolate commercial, the one who steals away a little moment of luxury at the end of each day with a sensible bite-sized indulgence. Unlike that character, I did not bend time into standing still, nor did I float away on a cloud of silk, but I was highly impressed that good old Hershey’s chocolate could remind me of much more expensive confections.

Several days into my taste-testing, I dug for more criticism. Do the bars need dark chocolate? More creme? Are the wrappers giving an air of pretentiousness?

Nope. I’ve got nothing, folks.

I hope these bars stick around. If Hershey’s expands the line, I promise not to hide my enthusiasm.

Purchased Price: $2.78 each
Purchased at: Walmart
Size: 2.2 oz (62 g) King Size bar
Rating: 10 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 1/2 bar) Salted Caramel Crème – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 80 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein. Affogato – 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 5 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 55 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, 0 grams of fiber, 18 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.