The Packaging
Not much to say here; one 13oz bottle is comparable to a rival product with other brands of chocolate/nut butter mixes. The bottle itself is food-safe plastic and has a mouth that is large enough to insert a knife for sandwiches and/or accommodate a spoon for snarfin.... err, for those times when you want to eliminate the middleman and instead opt for immediate enjoyment. The lid goes on securely, but to my opinion was a little tight to open the first time. If you have arthritis in the hands and/or find it difficult to open screw-top lids in general, you may need a little help.
The YUM Factor
Finally, the whole point of this review: the flavor. The chocolate in Hershey's® Spreads Chocolate with Hazelnut (henceforth referred to as HSCH) does not disappoint in keeping with the trademark Hershey's® taste. The exact flavor is comparable to the chocolate in a standard Hershey Bar. That being said, the chocolate flavor is very subtle: the taste is complementary to the hazelnut butter by presenting itself as a background note; if this product was a song, the chocolate would be the harmony while the hazelnut is the melody.
Unlike Nutella® (for example), HSCH pre-blends the hazelnut butter with the chocolate completely, as opposed to stripes of chocolate running through the hazelnut. This thorough mixing means the spread is one solid color. While this may be negligible to some, I found that the taste was more balanced and flavorful. Maybe it is just me, but there were times that Nutella® seemed to subtly change tastes as one person would scoop one portion out more than the other.
The hazelnut butter in this spread, as mentioned prior, is definitely the stronger note in the product flavor. That is not to say that the hazelnut completely dominates the chocolate, rather, the creaminess of the butter and the nut flavor are the initial taste for the party in your mouth, when the chocolate coming in moments later to create the perfect symphony for a snack. The good news is that the spread actually does spread; the texture is comparable to creamy peanut butter and spreads smoothly on potentially delicate surfaces like bread and cake. As a bonus you can also microwave the HSCH and make it pourable so that you can use the warmed-up spread to add an additional flavor to your baking (and don't have to worry about smearing the layer below the spread.
The Final Say
If you are a fan of Nutella® and/or any other chocolate/nut butter spread, Hershey's® Spreads Chocolate with Hazelnut will make your day. While having the classic taste of Hershey's® chocolate mixed with the creamy nuttiness of hazelnut butter, you will find yourself reaching for this jar often. The ease of spreading this product on a piece of bread, or the flexibility of being able to microwave it to create a non-greasy pour able spread of deliciousness means that you will be able to use HSCH in as many ways as you can think of. In the end I found myself falling more and more in love with the taste, ending with me preferring it over the dominate competitor's rival product (of course, I mean Nutella®). I know that personal tastes vary, but I can say with confidence that Hershey's® is definitely giving other manufacturer's a run for their money with a winning formula.
In the end, don't be afraid to give this (or other Hershey's® Spreads flavors) a try. You will not be disappointed and may just find a new, favorite product to grace your kitchen shelves. So, head out to the store and spread the news: Hershey's® Spreads Chocolate with Hazelnut will make your mouth go "YUM"!
I received the Hershey Spread for free from Crowdtap and the opinions expressed in this post are my own. #Gotitfree
