REVIEW: Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets

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Many of us here at The Impulsive Buy hold strong candy convictions in our hearts (including candy heart convictions, but let’s wait until Valentine’s Day to debate those). Here is a Whitman’s sampler of mine:

  • Hershey’s chocolate is at its absolute best in nugget form.
  • Chocolate and warm spices pair beautifully.
  • July is not too early for pumpkin spice season. After a season of sticky humidity, I’m ready to pre-game fall.

Given the above statements, it’s not a surprise that I really liked Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets, Hershey’s limited time ode to autumn’s favorite beverage. Described as “extra creamy milk chocolate with pumpkin spice latte flavored crème,” these nuggets are soft, creamy, and rich inside and out.

If you’ve ever tried the Hershey’s Nuggets Truffles line (and if you haven’t, you absolutely should—add that recommendation to my list of convictions above), know that the Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets are a version of that product. Inside the creamy milk chocolate shell is flavored creme, which is thick, supple, and ganache-like. The nuggets melt easily in your mouth, in the summer sun, or if dropped into a steaming hot PSL. As far as luxuriousness goes, they are a worthy opponent to brands like Lindt or Ghirardelli.

The pumpkin spice creme filling is flavored delicately but very well: there is enough warm cinnamon spice to complement the chocolate without overwhelming it or tasting too artificial. The flavor certainly reads as pumpkin spice, but the latte part is missing. I could not taste any coffee flavor whatsoever, even after savoring three nuggets. (Man, these reviews are hard work.) Hershey’s Nuggets have dabbled in coffee flavors before, namely the fantastic Café Espresso and Caramel Macchiato varieties that appeared last holiday season in stocking-stuffer-size assortments and are now available exclusively online. I expected a spiced twist on one of those products, but Hershey’s swapped the coffee for hot chocolate instead.

Although Hershey’s Pumpkin Spice Latte Nuggets has one unnecessary word in its product name, the candy itself is a decadent seasonal delight. The nuggets’ smooth chocolate, luxurious filling, and warm spices are more than enough to forgive the misnomer. Just as I yearn for a chilly autumn breeze in the dog days of summer, I hope that Hershey’s will grant us more seasonal flavors.

Purchased Price: $6.79
Purchased at: CVS
Size: 8 oz (227 g) bag
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (per 3 pieces)150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 35 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 17 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: KFC Kentucky Fried Pickles

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The Colonel has entered the (pickle) chat!

As mentioned in my Popeyes Fried Pickle review, I’m a proud pickle enthusiast. While I’ve since run out of pickle toothpaste, I’ve moved on to delights like pickle de gallo and pickle chips. Shake Shack’s version recently let me down, but that’s a review for another day.

Let me rewind for a moment. The Colonel and I go way back. As a kid, KFC was my go-to. Apparently, it’s slipped to #4 nationally now, but back then, it was my #1 weekly tradition. I loved the silky, overprocessed mashed potatoes and especially those biscuits. KFC was a summer staple in my household.

Fast-forward to today. I hadn’t been to KFC in a minute, but when I heard about its new fried pickles, I was drawn in like a magpie to something shiny. This time, the shiny thing was golden-fried pickle coins.

These pickles are part of KFC’s new “Comeback Era” menu, a refresh inspired by customer feedback. They’re described as “golden-fried dill pickle slices that are the perfect crispy bite.” No signage was up yet at the location I visited, but the staff kindly clued me in: 8 pieces for $3.79 or a 45-piece family pack for $14.99. The family pack was tempting, but I hesitated. What if they weren’t good?!

I played it safe and chose the 8-piece. They arrived hot and fresh in a nugget box. I had hoped for something more pickle-themed, but not a big dill.

First test: shape. Coin-shaped, not spears. That’s a win; I’m firmly in the “coins have better crispy-to-cuke ratio” camp. They were also properly golden-fried – so far, so good.

The breading was flavorful, similar to Popeyes’, but without the Cajun kick. That tracks, since Cajun isn’t really KFC’s thing. I chose ranch as a dipping sauce, but it wasn’t really necessary. The pickles held their own. I did feel noticeably thirstier after eating them, though, which hadn’t happened with Popeyes.

However, there was a bit of sogginess between the breading and the pickle, and they were definitely oily. My napkin had the receipts after just eight pieces.

All in all, Popeyes still holds the S-tier fried pickle crown among national chains. But since theirs were limited-time only, KFC will do for now. I may even spring for the 45-piece!

Unfortunately, it’s also a limited-time item, so I’ll be on the hunt for my next fix soon. One of these chains really needs to make it permanent already!!

Purchased Price: $3.79
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 8pc – 290 calories, 16 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 1400 milligrams of sodium, 32 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 4 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Sparkling Ice Cuties Mandarin Sparkling Water (Video)

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Some of you might notice that my voice sounds a little different in this video. Well, it’s because when I did the voiceover for the video, half of my face was paralyzed. Actually, as I type this, it’s still paralyzed, thanks to Bell’s palsy. It’s nothing serious and I’m not in any pain. It’s just that the right side of my face won’t be cooperating with the left side for a while. But other than that and having to visit several stores to find a bag of Cuties, this was a fun video to make.

Purchased Price: $6.49
Size: 7.5 oz can/10 pack
Purchased at: Target
Nutrition Facts: (1 can) 5 calories, 0 grams of fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 0 grams of carbohydrates, and 0 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Popeyes Chicken Dippers with new Signature Sauce

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Popeyes has probably come up with more ways to present fried chicken than the number of letters in Louisiana. There’s the Signature Fried Chicken, chicken wings, boneless chicken wings, chicken tenders, chicken nuggets, popcorn chicken, and several others I’ve missed. The latest addition is Chicken Dippers, which are thin strips of all-white breast meat that’s hand-battered and breaded with Popeyes’ signature Louisiana herbs and spices. It’s served with your choice of dipping sauce, but the chain wants you to try its new Signature Sauce.

When my order arrived in its sleeve, its presentation made me wonder if this was Popeyes’ attempt to offer a competitor to Burger King’s Chicken Fries. Some of the thin, long strips were curvy, while others were straight. The Chicken Dippers also somewhat remind me of the chain’s Rip’n Chicken (R.I.P.), but not rip’able.

Sans sauce, the breaded poultry has the same Popeyes flavor that we all know and love, and it’s tasty enough that I could eat these without dipping them into anything. Also, there was a good amount of Dippers in the sleeve. However, their crunch was underwhelming. Maybe mine were made wrong? There were crunchy moments, but I remember the chain’s tenders being more crunch-tastic.

However, I came away more impressed with Popeyes’ new Signature Sauce. According to the chain’s website, it’s “inspired by New Orleans food culture” and that it “packs a kick of heat, a hint of sweet, and our signature Cajun spices.” It’s like a concentration of what goes into the batter of Popeyes’ chicken. It amps up all those spices and makes these Chicken Dippers, which are already tasty, even tastier. And if you’re concerned about spiciness, the sauce has a little fire, although I’d consider it more of a smoldering.

Speaking of heat, unlike some of Popeyes’ other options, there isn’t a spicy version of this limited time offering.

Popeyes Chicken Dippers are just Popeyes chicken in a different format, but it’s a format that’s more shareable than the chain’s tenders. While I don’t think you’ll feel any FOMO with the thin chicken strips, the Signature Sauce is something you shouldn’t miss. Fortunately, it’s a permanent addition, so you’ll have plenty of time to try it, and you can do so with whatever fried chicken du jour Popeyes offers at the time.

Purchased Price: $5.99*
Rating: 7 out of 10 (Chicken Dippers), 10 out of 10 (Signature Sauce)
Nutrition Facts: 540 calories, 24 grams of fat, 14 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 125 milligrams of cholesterol, 1950 milligrams of sodium, 24 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 33 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

REVIEW: Burger King BBQ Brisket Whopper

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Burger King’s new BBQ Brisket Whopper is very tasty. However, it’s not because of the tender, slow-cooked beef brisket that’s in it. While its addition makes the burger intriguing and heavier, that’s all it seems to do. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

The newest limited time offering features a quarter-pound flame-grilled beef patty topped with beef brisket, American cheese, crispy onions, tomato, mayo, pickles, and a sweet and golden BBQ sauce. I thought the addition of the brisket would make this Whopper substantially pricier than recent limited time Whoppers, but it was roughly the same price, give or take a dime or two.

Because there wasn’t a significant price difference, I wasn’t overly upset about the brisket being there, but at the same time, not being there. You see, I’m not sure if the extra meat enhances the burger’s flavor, nor does it stand out. I know there was some brisket on my burger because it’s hard to miss the wet cat hair-looking blob, but it doesn’t add anything. Instead, I tasted a lot of the familiar Whopper flavors — the flame grilled patty, cheese, tomato, and pickles.

The barbecue sauce seems to do most of the heavy lifting to bring BBQ brisket to mind rather than the actual meat. I mostly taste a Whopper with a different barbecue sauce than previous BBQ Whoppers, but that tangy, sweet, and smoky condiment makes this worth trying. So much so that I probably would have enjoyed this even without the brisket. But it’s not just the sauce that makes this taste great; the tomato’s acidity, the pickle’s sour kick, and the American cheese all complement the barbecue sauce.

Another ingredient that gets lost is the crispy onions. They might not have been the best choice to include because the BBQ sauce made them sauce-logged, so there was no crispiness. Also, much like the brisket, their flavor isn’t noticeable. Instead, I wished it came with BK’s onion rings, which would have helped with the texture and taste.

I should also note that Burger King is offering a Whopper Jr. version of this, marking the first time the chain has rolled out a limited time Whopper in a smaller and more affordable size.

I don’t regret trying Burger King’s BBQ Brisket Whopper, but if you’re going into this thinking brisket, you’re going to be as brisk-appointed as much as you’re disappointed with me for using the word “brisk-appointed.”

Purchased Price: $10.19*
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: 1010 calories, 65 grams of fat, 17 grams of saturated fat, 1 gram of trans fat, 140 milligrams of cholesterol, 1810 milligrams of sodium, 70 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, 19 grams of sugar, and 44 grams of protein.

*Because I live on a rock in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things are a bit pricier here. You’ll probably pay less than I did.

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