Candy Corn Tasting!!
Tis the season for Candy Corn!!
Here's how this went down: Someone in my office brought in a bag of "Gold Emblem Pumpkin Spice Candy Corn" and left it in the communal space for all to consume. Nobody knew who planted it, but dialogue started to spatter around about why someone would leave the candy corn out there. Are they giving it away because they didn't like it? Are they sharing it because it's so delicious? Eventually, it came out that some people DESPISE candy corn on a cellular level. This exposed a feud between groups which inevitably led to the declaration that the BEST candy corn on the market is made by Brach's, and that there was no way that this his Gold Emblem stuff could hold a candle to Brach's Pumpkin Spice candy corn if it exists in the market.
In the end, it was up to the Fat to ensure that this dispute could be settled in a definitive manner. Having a finger on the pulse of the snack world, I knew that Brach's would have a product locater on their website. I was able to track down the Pumpkin Spice flavor, and a convenient purchase location close to home. Little did I know, that by opening Pandora's BRACH'S (you see what I did there?) I would find\a myriad of alternate flavors in addition to the seasonal flavor that I was looking for. Aside from the traditional candy corn that we all know (and only some of us love), additional flavors included:
Pumpkin Spice, Caramel, Smores, and Caramel Macchiato.
Please note: the flavors chosen were readily available at a single location. Two additional flavors (peanut butter cup and fruit creme) were not included in the tasting.
We'll start with the intended Pumpkin Spice taste-off. As you can see, there was an obvious visual difference between the Emblem's and the Brach's. Brach's had a more traditional looking candy corn with an orange base, while the competitor went with the brown cinnamon look for their execution. At first, I viewed this as a distinct advantage because I immediately thought to myself, "ya see? Brach's knows what their doing!" To my surprise, this created a drastic difference in taste between the two in a surprising way. The Brach's corn was MUCH sweeter. The use of the cinnamon base by the Gold Emblem folks made for a much less abrasive sweetness and a slightly more "authentic" pumpkin flavor. However, there was something "off pudding" about the overall taste of the Gold Emblem corn and how the flavors broke down together during the eat. Neither one was really "pleasing" to eat a bunch of. Either could be considered something that a kid would try in their grandparent's candy bowl and not go back for seconds. If I were going to declare a winner, I'd say that Brach's lost the group vote. Some stayed loyal to the brand, but The Fat was \more satisfied by the Gold Emblem alternative as well as other office eaters. Gold Emblem is a CVS brand, and the day might come when I wander into a CVS and grab some traditional candy corn to try out after this tasting. However, I wouldn't seek out CVS corn as a Brach's alternative. Eh, I'm weary of the whole "pumpkin spice" thing anyway.
Now, let's get down to the other flavors.
It is very rare that food (of any kind) kicks up a gag reflex, but hot damn if those S'mores flavored candy corns aren't one of the NASTIEST things I've had in a LONG time. I was SHOCKED at how gross those candy corn were. I'm not sure what the exact problem was because the flavors were so muddled, and I didn't want to dig back in for a more comprehensive breakdown. Just trust me when I tell you... gross.
The Caramel were decent, but as you can see in the picture above there was no white element to the candy corn. I think this was because it would introduce a vanilla flavor to an otherwise consistent caramel flavor, but that just made the whole corn a little lackluster. It was just too much of one note. There was no nuance or depth of flavor to the corn, which made it boring and lifeless. Eh...
The dark horse was the Caramel Macchiato. When asked what the grossest flavor was going to be before ANY of the bags were opened, the universal answer would be "Caramel Macchiato". But I'll be DAMNED if this wasn't one of the more delicious candies I've had in a long time. The balance of the coffee with the caramel, and then (of course) the addition of that milky, vanilla that you get just from the tip (yeah, I said it) was perfect. I thought I might have been going crazy from the mediocre S'mores experience, so I cleansed my palette with some traditional corn and then threw back a few more Caramel Macchiatos. Yep, it was still good. I was so impressed. This flavor vanished quickly afterward because I just couldn't put it down. I would definitely seek this out for a future eat, or perhaps a bring to a party with a group that is candy corn friendly. Surprising. Go check it out for yourself.
Ah... the refreshing, sugary, and delicious taste of the original. This can't be beat. I don't need to remind fans out there how good it is. Just remember that it's out there more than just once a year. Mmmmmm....
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