Season 2, Episode 15: Werther's a will, there's a way.

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Season 2, Episode 15: Werther's a will, there's a way.

Pretty much everyone I know has that one relative in their family that is equipped with a secret stash of candy. Whether it’s a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or older sibling, they are the person that you can count on when the going gets tough and you need a little sugar boost.

For me, it was my paternal grandmother. She was a saint, and always had hard candy ready for when we needed it. While I would like to think it was just because she loved us, I know that it was 50/50 between that and in case she needed to bribe us to behave. Either way, I appreciated it.

This is probably the main reason why I’m always rolling pockets deep with candy during weddings and/or when I’m studying. (shout out to my study group!)

Her candy of choice was Werther’s Original, which is why they hold a special place in my heart. So in her honor, I’m trying a variation of her go-to with a pumpkin-y twist.

Here goes nothing.

DAY 15: Werther’s Original Pumpkin Spice Soft Caramels


Item: Werther’s Original Pumpkin Spice Soft Caramels
Purchase Location: Target
Cost: $3.79


Prior to this, I hadn’t tried (or even heard of) a soft caramel by Werther’s Originals, so this was doubly exciting.

In case you don’t know, caramel is just sugar and butter that has been cooked down until it gets its signature texture. Because of this, it’s a pretty versatile base if you want to add flavor to it. Personally, I am a fan of plain because ones with added flavoring tend to have sweetness jacked up past the regular amounts.

I know that you’re probably thinking, “It is a sugar base, it’s going to be sweet regardless.” On one hand, yes, you’re right. But trust me - no matter how sweet something might be, food manufacturers can ALWAYS find a way to make it sweeter.

The ingredient list is pretty straightforward. They’re using cane sugar again here (#blessed), but no real flavorings for the pumpkin spices.

Cutting the bag, you catch a distinct caramel smell, but nothing really in the way of pumpkin spice. That came later, after I unwrapped what looked like a giant golden tootsie roll.

I know they say to never play with your food, but I had to so I could see what the texture was like. It is very soft and pliable, but without any surface indicators (seasoning or color) to show that it is pumpkin. There is a smell of pumpkin spice, but it’s very faint.

Biting in, it tastes like any other soft caramel I’ve had. The pumpkin spice is almost completely absent, and it really seems like it came through more in smell than anything! I tried a few more to see if I could pick up any other notes, but little to nothing came across.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a good caramel. The sweetness is fine and the texture is silky, but there is nothing in the way of pumpkin spice here.

I imagine it would be different if they used real spices instead of concentrates or artificial flavorings, but I guess we’ll never know.

Final Rating: 1/5 pumpkins (+1 only because the caramel itself was good)


Season 2, Episode 3: It's hip to be a (chocolate) square!
Season 2, Episode 2: The Pumpshank Redemption
Season 2, Episode 1: What is a yogurt pretzel anyway?



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