Monday, May 21, 2007

Factory Fresh Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Fresh from the FactoryHershey’s is offereing a new product line/service on their Hershey’s Gifts site: Fresh from the Factory.

You can now order selected products to be delivered fresh from the factory. If you live within a certain zone (see the map) you’ll actually have it within 96 hours of when it rolls off the production line.

Which leads me to wonder, does fresh candy taste better?

They’re offering Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Twizzlers (red & black), Good & Plenty and Payday Bars.

Hershey’s contacted me a couple of weeks ago asking if I’d like a taste ... I figured what the heck. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried fresh stuff from Hershey’s. I’m guessing that the candy that I’ve bought at Chocolate World is particularly fresh (especially the special trial items that they give out at the end of the Chocolate World ride), but other than that, I can only say that most of the stuff I eat is only fresh ... not factory fresh.

I’m already known to be a huge fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. So instead of just reviewing them, I thought I would pick up a package from the local grocery store to compare. The grocery store freshness code said 40HLV2 8C which means that the cups were good until March 2008. Sounds pretty fresh, too.

First, the look. The cups from the grocery store are .75 ounces each. The cups in the Fresh from the Factory jug were .55 ounces (not quite a miniature, not quite a full grown ... maybe I’ll call them juniors). The ingredients lists were exactly the same.

image

Grocery Store RPBC

The store-bought cup was good. The chocolate was cool on the tongue and sweet with a slight coconutty flavor. The peanut butter center was salty and nutty and though it’s not chunky and not creamy peanut butter, it’s slightly crumbly. If I could compare it to anything, it would be peanut butter cookie dough. Definitely a good associaiton.

Fresh from the Factory! RPBCFresh from the Factory! RPBC

The FFTF Reese’s smelled overwhelmingly like peanut butter. There was not a trace of chocolate to the smell. The junior sized cups were even looking, and of the half a dozen or so I’ve eaten so far, not one had a physical flaw to it. The cups were completely unmarred by shipping damage.

The bite and snap are good. The chocolate is sweet and fresh, but the real difference here is in the peanut butter center. It feels fluffier. It tastes a little saltier and has a more intense and fresh peanut taste.

Are they that different ... if you put both in front of me and blindfolded me, could I tell the difference? Probaby. Do I prefer one over the other? Not really.

The price here is steep. $20 for 1 lbs 7 ounces. (I could buy the same amount of Reese’s for $6 at the grocery store.) The jar is nice, but made of clear plastic and not terribly special. It does a good job of storing the candies for easy access and opening it does deliver an incredibly mouth-watering aroma.

As a novelty or special occasion treat, I might indulge in this once a year if that’s when the roll around. May is a pretty dicey month to be shipping chocolate to Southern California though ... it was only through their good packaging (with a chill pack) and a respite from otherwise warm weather that kept these safe and tasty.

Of the list of other products on the list, I think the one that interests me most would be the Good & Plenty. I love Good & Plenty and suffer through the leathery chew quite often. I found last year that they now offer Good & Plenty in peg bags (I got mine on the Penna Turnpike on my way to my sister’s wedding). They were so fresh and chewy it was like I was eating a completely different candy.

If you’re a die hard fan of one of these candies, I think it’s definitely worth it for the experience. It also makes a great, inexpensive but special gift for the candy fan in your life. Graduation and Father’s Day are around the corner. Or perhaps a wedding couple you know have registered for it ... or should?

Patti at Candy Yum Yum also got her sample this weekend, have a look at what she says.

POSTED BY Cybele AT 4:20 am Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReese'sReviewHershey'sReese'sChocolatePeanuts7-Worth ItUnited StatesShopping

Comments
  1. I remember visiting Hershey Pennsylvania when I was an adolescent, and having a Hershey bar there, and finding it quite remarkable.  I don’t otherwise like Hershey’s chocolate, but when I’m in the town where it’s made, I’ll have a bar.

    Plus, y’know, chocolate-dipped pretzel-ice-cream-cones.  That was awesome, too.

    Comment by Steph on 5/21/07 at 7:25 am #
  2. I dream of eating them off the conveyor belt, ala Lucy and Ethel.

    Comment by :: jozjozjoz :: on 5/21/07 at 7:40 am #
  3. Yes, the Good ‘n Plenty is on my list!!!

    Comment by Sera on 5/21/07 at 8:22 am #
  4. I placed an order for these on Friday, the day I got an email telling me they were available.  Last time I got the email I waited too long to order and they sold out.  I haven’t received them yet but I’m hopeful that they’ll make the trip to CA in good shape since they require you to use express mail.

    Comment by Maura on 5/21/07 at 9:26 am #
  5. My hometown is a half hour away from Hershey. I love going to the Hershey factory and buying candy. Anyway, I went and ordered some peanut buttercups and red licorice. smile (since I won’t be in Pa. for a while) Thanks for the heads up on this one!

    Comment by Diva on 5/21/07 at 2:38 pm #
  6. “The grocery store freshness code said 40HLV2 8C which means that the cups were good until March 2008.”

    Uhh…how did you know that? How have you deciphered the mysterious code?

    Comment by Terry on 5/21/07 at 5:38 pm #
  7. I’m with :: jozjozjoz ::, I would eat them off of a conveyor belt. Or if they were crushed, I’d eat them through a funnel.

    Comment by Marvo on 5/21/07 at 5:56 pm #
  8. Cybele's avatar

    Steph - mmm, pretzel ice cream cones.

    Joz & Marvo - that’d be good too. That’d be really good. I looked around on the website ... you can’t buy that service, dangit!

    Sera - let me know if you get it before I do!

    Maura - did they charge you the $5.95 shipping or more? I’m eager to hear how you like them. They went over really well at the office today.

    Diva - I haven’t been back to the area since ‘05. (Though I’m not sure how it’s going to be in the future with the closing of all those ancillary factories.)

    Terry - Yes! I blogged about the codes here courtesy of another reader, Dave. Let me know if you know of any other code systems. Most companies have changed to simple dates, which is nice and certainly more transparent.

    Comment by Cybele on 5/21/07 at 6:43 pm #
  9. Thanks Cybele. My Hershey’s Cookies n Chocolate bar had a strange code on the back of it, I had no idea what it meant. Turns out it’s BB April 2008, so no worries!

    Comment by Terry on 5/21/07 at 7:26 pm #
  10. They charged “only” five dollars more for the express shipping, above the standard $5.95, which I guess isn’t that bad compared to some shipping prices I’ve seen.

    Sadly, the order tracking shows that they haven’t shipped mine out yet.

    Comment by Maura on 5/22/07 at 8:58 pm #
  11. My order arrived today!  They travelled across the country well; I wouldn’t say mine were completely unmarred by shipping, but any damage was limited to a few of the tips of the ridges.  The peanut butter smell was intoxicating and the freshness…!  I’m in Reese’s heaven tonight.  grin

    Comment by Maura on 5/31/07 at 8:32 pm #
  12. Mine came yesterday and oh boy. They smell soooo good and taste even better. Thanks for posting about this! Now I am just waiting on the twizzlers I bought. =)

    Comment by Diva on 6/01/07 at 2:57 am #
  13. Yesterday, I actually heard the GM for Chocolate World talk about Fresh from the Factory from a marketing perspective.  She brought samples thankfully! I have to say, there is a difference in the peanut butter cups. The aroma coming out of the container when we first opened it was incredible. We also sampled Twizzlers, which were soft, fresh and tasty. 

    [Cybele (this is Kelly, Eileen’s daughter)].

    Comment by Kelly McCall on 6/12/07 at 4:09 am #
  14. thats very interesting. its almost like the easter reese’s eggs….to me the PB taste better in those then the regular reese’s, never tried facotry freash though!

    Comment by heather on 10/18/07 at 11:03 am #
  15. I ordered some for valentines for my girlfriend and I could definately tell the difference… The peanut oil on the wrapper was more abundant than on normal reese’s, which means, according to a company official, that they are fresher. The peanut butter was where the real difference was. It was creamier and softer and more intense of a flavor. If you like Reese’s cups, I’d definately suggest buying some straight from the factory. It was well worth it.

    Comment by Zak Welsh on 2/25/08 at 11:44 am #
  16. can i order some ELVIS PEANUTBUTTER and bananacups whith elvis logo on it

    Comment by s.feenstra on 4/17/08 at 3:43 am #
  17. I think that these candies are delicious.  This is my first time on the site and I was overwhelmed with joy to find people who are chocolate lovers just like me! Anyways the Hershey’s reese’s easter eggs were delightful.  The peanut butter complimented the chocolate as always.  I hope to taste more of Hershey’s and Chocolate World creations very soon!!

    Comment by Analia on 6/03/08 at 3:03 am #
  18. Those sound simply AWSOME and WONDERFUL and TASTEY and I am saying all this becouse I LOVE REESES PIECES PEANUT BUTTER CUPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!=b those sound yummy….

    Comment by Candy Lover on 7/11/08 at 3:37 am #
  19. Do yall make candy

    Comment by britni on 10/03/08 at 10:03 am #
  20. HI!!! My boyfriend and I both love reese stuff!!! We are currently having a debate on which product came first the Reese cup or the pieces… I think the cup because it’s a legend. I think Reese puffs rocks!!! I gotta win this one!!! lol

    Comment by Katie Desomer on 10/21/08 at 9:04 am #
  21. wghere can i get ELVIS cup o peanut-butter

    Comment by steven charles glasssco on 2/05/09 at 4:18 pm #
  22. I always have loved the cups but never did much research (always busy). I just bit into the worst tasting (...ok only worse because it’s the most resent) cup I have ever had. I have had this terrible thing happen many times throughout my life. Now, at 36, I’ve found out (through your site) the freshness code. This poor old cup is dated “best by” 8L….Dec 2008. I have had fresh ones and loved it but can’t imagine “Fresh from the Factory” being that much better. I am curious.

    Now it’s all about the money (trying to be frugal this year). Can you help me with the following, in case I got it wrong?
    The Hersey’s site states “Total net wt. 1 lb. 11.5 oz”. You said “1 lbs 7 ounces”, net weight should be just the candy not gross weight of the container as well. Even at 23oz (1 lb. 7 0z.) that would be the equivalent of 15 or so 2 cup packages or 18 based on 1 lb. 11.5 oz. I don’t think I could find that for $6 anywhere. But then there is shipping and it seems that the next shipment goes out in first of March. This hot weather delivery service jumps the shipping price to $14.90 down to Orlando, Fl. Totally out of the question until winter but it?s worth more than $6 of store bought cups right?
      Thanks for your great info and reviews. Their site doesn’t state the size of the cups of even how many there are.

    Comment by Marco A. on 2/27/09 at 12:50 pm #
  23. where can they tell me how they put the peanut butter in the peanut butter cup??? i need to know for english smile

    Comment by Brittany on 3/10/09 at 6:21 am #
  24. They are the BEST EVER straight from the factory.  You can tell the difference because they just melt in your mouth.

    Comment by Christi Johnson on 4/02/09 at 7:33 am #
  25. Wondering how much the elvis peanut butter cups are and how I can get one.. Do you still make them? I have one but think it would be fun to have more. Thanks Amber Hansen

    Comment by Amber Hansen on 6/27/09 at 12:01 pm #
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