Monica Sandu '24
Co-Executive Editor
Pictured: Candy Cane Kisses.
Credit: Giant Foods.
The time has come. Halloween can no longer hold back the floodgates. Seasonal marketing has taken over. Even now, store shelves are overflowing, ready for consumers such as myself to impulse buy their daily dose of dopamine. While seasonal flavors are not exclusive to wintertime,[1] I took it upon myself to create a definitive ranking of Hershey’s Holiday Kiss flavors for all of your dessert needs. Is this article just an excuse for me to eat copious amounts of chocolate in an effort to distract myself from my impending finals? The world may never know
Candy Cane – 10/10
It’s basically just peppermint bark in the shape of a Hershey’s Kiss, and I love it. It’s the perfect balance of sweet, minty, and slightly crunchy from the candy cane pieces inside. While it may not be the best if you’re not a fan of white chocolate, it’s certainly my favorite (and the inspiration for this article).
Mint Truffle – 10/10
Another mint one? Yes, please! It tastes like an After Eight if it were slightly sweeter and shaped like a Hershey’s Kiss. It delivers on what it promises and isn’t too pretentious. However, I still prefer the Candy Cane, so this takes second place.
Hot Chocolate – 9/10
I really like this one! It does have that hot chocolate flavor rather than just that of a Hershey’s Kiss, and it’s filled with marshmallow-flavored cream! It’s also rich and melts in your mouth easily. A definite go-to. It does get one point deducted because I would have liked more marshmallow flavor.
Cherry Cordial – 6/10
Sadly, this does not actually contain any cherry liqueur like a real cherry cordial would, so it automatically gets some points docked. In fact, there is no cherry inside at all. Instead, the fine print on the packaging calls it a “cherry cordial crème.” Needless to say, I was skeptical going in. I would have liked for it to have some hint of sourness. Instead, it was almost overwhelmingly sweet. However, it does smell just like a cherry cordial, so it gets points there.
Sugar Cookie – 5/10
This one feels like a knockoff version of the Candy Cane—white chocolate, crunchy pieces—but has none of the flair to really put it over the edge. I like the red and green cookie pieces and the overall flavor, but there is a food coloring aftertaste that takes it down a point.[2] I feel like it would work well in a thumbprint cookie or on a crunchy pretzel. I also just like white chocolate, so I’m biased.
Hugs[3] – 2/10
A milk chocolate center covered in white chocolate. Pretty basic, not much to say. It may work well in baked goods, but I’m not entirely sure, given the fact that the center is creamy, while the outside is more solid, so the chocolate may melt at different temperatures.
Kissmas – 1/10
This is literally just a plain Hershey’s Kiss, but with a Christmas Tree design on the wrapper. One point solely for the pun in the name. Otherwise, I could see it being fun in a large candy bowl at a party or if you like plain Hershey’s chocolate, as long as you don’t mind immediately throwing away the one thing that makes it special. It may also be a decent stocking stuffer if you’re confident it won’t melt above the fireplace.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas – 1/10
Yes, this one is real. It’s another plain Hershey’s Kiss, but with the Grinch’s face on the wrapper and the word “Grinchmas” on the paper insert. I gave it plus two points for nostalgia, but minus one point for the use of nostalgia as a soulless marketing trick.
Almond – 0/10
Why. They just shoved a whole almond into a Hershey’s Kiss.
Plain – 0/10
Absolutely no creativity. The only thing that changed was the wrapping, to red and green foil, instead of just silver.[4] The “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” commercial notwithstanding, there is nothing interesting about these beyond their decorative use. They don’t even get a fun name—they’re just kind of there.
(Dis)Honorable Mentions:
Hershey’s Bells—you can’t just break off the point of the Hershey’s Kiss and call it an entirely new product!
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ms7mn@virginia.edu
[1] It was only upon researching for this article that I learned that there is, in fact, a Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kiss.
[2] Perhaps this is a tactic to get you to keep eating them—so you drown out the aftertaste.
[3] These technically don’t say “Kisses” on the packaging, but they’re Kiss shaped and were on the same display as the others, so I am taking the liberty of including them as well.
[4] I don’t know why they didn’t do silver and gold wrapping instead, but hey, who am I to judge?