Wilbur Buds
Name: Wilbur Buds
Brand: Wilbur
Place Purchased: Phone Order from Factory
Price: $26.99 (plus shipping)
Size: 5 lbs (that's $5.40 per pound)
Calories per ounce: 162
Type: Chocolate
I've mentioned my favorite chocolate before, it's Wilbur. Wilbur is made in a small town in Pennsylvania, Lititz, a scant 27 miles from the more famous Hershey. Wilbur, in fact, predates Hershey and even has a version of the kiss, known as the Wilbur Bud (which was also introduced several years earlier than the Hershey Kiss).
The Wilbur bud comes in milk or semi-sweet chocolate and is pure simplicity. It's just a large chocolate chip, with a little curl on top and a molded bottom that says Wilbur. What's great about the Wilbur buds is that they are incredibly smooth and creamy. Where Hershey and Nestle chocolate has a slight grain to it, Wilbur has none, it's pure chocolate smoothness. The milk chocolate is European style, so those who are fond of Cadbury will appreciate it's milkyness. The semi-sweet is bold, with a strong cocoa taste, complex and slightly bitter but melts easily on the tongue. Part of this explained by the cocoa butter content. I know a lot of people are into this movement of 70%+ cocoa solids, but besides the smoky flavor of chocolate, what sets it apart from all other candies is cocoa butter. Cocoa butter is one of those rare fats that is solid at room temperature and liquid at body temp. The more cocoa butter, the more melty the chocolate.
So knowing all that, it should come as no surprise that I would go to such lengths to purchase said chocolate. A few weeks ago I called up the factory order line and got a five pound box. After all, it's the best deal. And I have a wine fridge to store it in through the hot summer months.
One of the big things about chocolate is that there are two kinds: there are candy chocolates and savoring chocolates. Wilbur, for me, falls into both categories. Because of the high cocoa butter content (only 50% cocoa solids) it's more snackable but the creamyness makes it wonderfully rich. I love eating these with other foods, too. It's great in a homemade trail mix for hiking where you mix in some dried fruits (cranberries, apricots or raisins) and nuts (almonds, hazelnuts or cashews) and some pretzels. When I've got a stash, I usually keep a small bowl of them around at all times.
Rating: 9 out of 10 (if I could find it easily it'd be pure 10)
8 Comments:
What other sizes do they come in?
I think five pounds, for me, would be very dangerous.
On their website they offer them in lots of different sizes. Mostly 12 oz or so, or a simple one pound bag. I figure if I'm paying for the shipping, I may as well make the most of it.
Their chocolate covered nuts are divine as well ... try the triple coated almonds.
Woo Hoo! I just heard you on the radio. You sounded GREAT! But beware PETM (People For the Ethical Treatment of Marzipan) might be mounting a backlash! :)
In my own defense, they did edit that a bit. Well, not the part that I didn't like marzipan, but that I love almonds, it's just the amaretto-ish flavor or marzipan that I don't care for.
Of course I can hardly quibble. They edited it very nicely so that there was far less hemming and hawing on my part. I sounded downright snappy.
Hi, also caught your interview on NPR , which brings me to your site. It's great ....My childhood nickname was " Candy Crazy ", so there !!!Keep up the good work
What a great site!! I'd never heard of Wilbur chocolate before--can't wait to try. Thanks!
Cam
I love Buds. In fact, "Buds" is what we called Hershey Kisses when I was a kid, or "Buzz," before we were capable of pronouncing the real word. They are great. Vermont Country Store ships them when the weather's cooler.
Oh My God. I'm so glad you did this. Growing up in PA I always loved Buds and Wilbur's chocolates...I went to Herhsey Park a million times but we went to Wilbur just as many! It's so awesome you recognized them!
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