Candy Review: Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: A light but enjoyable taste for Christmas

Cons: Could use more peppermint, no chocolate

The Bottom Line: 

Different for Christmas

Not a traditional Kiss

But still worth trying

Kiss Shaped Piece of Pepperminty Goodness

I knew that Hershey's and introduced some variety to their popular chocolate Kisses, but I wasn't aware just how many until I was walking through a Target before Christmas.  I stopped to look at the various Christmas varieties of Kisses, and I had to try a couple, starting with the Candy Cane flavor.  It took a couple to get used to them, but I like them.

To call these Kisses is a bit of a stretched.  Yes, they are shaped like Hershey's Kisses, but they don't have chocolate in them.  Instead, they are made from mint flavored candies.  They are mostly smooth and white with red stripes and bits of peppermint candy in them to give them a bit of a crunch.

As I mentioned, my first impression wasn't favorable.  These Kisses are sweet, and I was expecting a bit less of that.  Plus the peppermint flavor is very subtle, and I was hoping for something stronger.

But I had a complete bag to eat, so I plowed on and kept eating.  Over a couple of days, I started to notice something; these were pretty good.  I grew used to the sweetness of them and actually found the milky base it provided to be quite nice.  I do still wish the peppermint flavor was stronger, but I'm enjoying them.

Of course, these candies aren't good for you.  Nine Kisses give you 220 calories, half of them from fat.  The ingredients are variations of sugar, milk, and oil with bits of other things thrown in.  Then again, I pretty much expect that when I pick up a piece of candy to eat it.

Purists won't like the Candy Cane Kisses because they don't have chocolate.  While I enjoy them, they aren't on my list of favorite Kisses.  But they are certainly enjoyable for something different at Christmas.