Candy Review: Ghiradelli Jack O'Lanterns Assortment

 

Though my Halloween candy consumption has slowed over time, I am always on the lookout for ONE new Halloween candy to celebrate the season.  It's on my Halloween Checklist.  'Doesn't need to be brand new.  Just new to me.  And I never know what the candy's going to be.  I tend to skew to non-chocolate (varieties of candy corn, some Sour Mike and Ikes, Tootsie Roll flavors, etc.) but this year a bright orange bag across the shopping aisle caught my eye and when I got closer and saw the word "Jack O'Lanterns" I just grabbed the bag.  No questions asked.

 

Let's talk about that bag for a second:  

The bright orange bag features black and gold bats in various states of flapping flight.  Two crooked trees frame the sides, and there's an old iron gate arching over each bottom corner IMPLYING a graveyard nearby... though no graves can be seen.   There's even a shiny gold "Limited Edition" pumpkin in the upper left corner that made me feel like I was buying a comic in the '90s.  IYKYK. 

 

Flavors: 

To my surprise and delight, the first featured flavor on the bag is CARAMEL APPLE!  I looooove caramel apple-flavored candies.  Caramel Apple anything.  Even actual caramel apples.  They're all amazing.  The second flavor in the bag (and my 2nd favorite) is "milk chocolate caramel."  Bringing up 3rd place (and my least favorite) is just plain ol' "milk chocolate."

The caramel apple actually tastes like (artificial) caramel apple.  If you've ever had Caramel Apple Cow Tales or Caramel Apple Sugar Babies (two favorites from my past Halloweens) you know what I mean by the (artificial) flavor.  I find it delicious.  YMMV.

If you've ever had Ghiradelli chocolates in their native, square, form you'll know what the milk chocolate caramel and milk chocolate flavors are like.  There's a specific sweetness to the chocolate--- and a trademark drippy deliciousness to the caramel that lets you know it's a "Ghiradelli." 

Size:

I was struck by how small the candies themselves are.  They only measure about 3" in their packages.  And outside of the package they lose another inch.  This makes them ideal for handing out to trick or treaters, but eating-wise--- I usually had to have about 2 of a flavor at a time to --sort of-- hit the 'snack sweet spot.'

The wrappers are color coded which really helps with snagging the flavor you want, easily:  green for caramel apple, yellow for caramel, blue for chocolate.  The wrappers are identical except for the flavor names and colors:  a smaller smiling jack o'lantern stacked on a larger one.  I respect the choice of making the pumpkins two slightly different shades of orange.  and the top one has a green stem.  They didn't have to do that.  THAT'S a nice little attention to detail.  

I see you Ghiradelli work-for-hire artist--- and I like what you're doing.  

 

 

I took a crack at doing a cut-into/cross-section pic of each chocolate and that didn't go well.  This attempt was merely an homage to iMockery's wonderful Halloween candy reviews--- a Mandela effect because after typing that, and then pausing to go find a link, I realized Rog never cut into the candies.

 

Speaking of the candies themselves the detail on them is AMAZING.  I really expected a nondescript oval blob with the bag and wrappers having done all the work of selling 'jack o'lantern' but I was SO wrong.  The same detail that's on the wrapper is on the chocolates!  From the pumpkin ridges, to the triangle eyes and smiling mouths, all the way down (up?) to the stem on the top.  Delightful.  

 

Overall I'm delighted with this bag o' treats.  I love the bright, Halloween-focused, design of the outer bag and inner wrappers, I LOVE the caramel apple flavored candies.  The other two flavors are a new shape to traditional Ghiradelli flavors---if that's your thing.  I think a few bags of these to pass out to trick or treaters on Halloween night would be ideal, and they seem designed specifically for that.  

Having each flavor in its own color would also make these great for putting out in a candy dish for seasonal decorating, or Halloween parties.  Point:  The "Halloween" is not lost by removing them from their giant orange bag.  

As a piece of constructive criticism--- I would, personally, rather have had the chocolate be dark chocolate over milk chocolate--- for the solid bar at the minimum.  I also think the non-sweet of the dark would pair well with the super sweet caramel.  

 Recommend?  Yes.