The First New Hershey's Flavor in 22 Years Isn't Even Chocolate

COURTESY OF HERSHEY'S/MAGGIE ROSSETTI/THRILLIST
COURTESY OF HERSHEY'S/MAGGIE ROSSETTI/THRILLIST

Milton Hershey first graced the world with his soon-to-be-iconic chocolate bars in 1900. When you get something right like that, you don't mess with it, and Hershey's has stuck by its milk chocolate rectangle-of-rectangles. In the years since that first candy bar, the company has only released two variations: the Special Dark flavor in 1939 and the white chocolate Cookies n' Creme bar in 1995.

That's about to change with the release of a brand-new flavor, the first in over 20 years. In fact, it won't even be a chocolate bar.

Behold: Hershey's Gold.

COURTESY OF HERSHEY'S

Instead of chocolate, this candy bar is made of something called "caramelized crème," which definitely sounds fancy enough to be called "Gold." In that caramelized crème is a blend of peanuts and pretzels -- a perfectly wonderful substitute for chocolate.

Food & Wine had a chance to try the latest entry to the Hershey's line and had this to say: "Hershey’s Gold has a satisfying crunch, while the saltiness of the peanuts and pretzels give the bar a savory taste that isn’t overpowering... it still tastes like a Hershey’s product even if there isn’t any chocolate in it." 

As to what the base actually is: “We use a proprietary cooking process to transform the white creme into a golden bar by caramelizing the creme, which helps maintain a sweet, creamy taste,” Melinda Lewis, senior director and general manager of the Hershey’s Franchise at The Hershey Company, said in a press release.

It may not be chocolate, but it sounds like it'll do.

Unfortunately, Hershey's Gold won't be available until December 1, but that's just in time to disappoint your kids with a lame promise of "Gold" in their stocking.

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James Chrisman is a News Writer at Thrillist who is also testing new flavors. Send news tips to news@thrillist.com and follow him on Twitter @james_chrisman2.