It’s a Monday. It’s a deadline day. Sometimes you just have to step back from it all and, well:
Back in May we announced the impending release of Nestlé Crunch GIRL SCOUT candy bars, with Nestlé working expressly with the Girl Scouts of the USA to recreate three of their most popular flavors in the form of a Nestlé Crunch candy bar. But even though the bars were slated for a June 1 release, it wasn’t until yesterday that we stumbled across one in the wild. So of course we scooped up one of each to send them through our gauntlet of criticism. Long story short: they’re delicious. But how do they stack up to the real thing?
Peanut Butter Crème: Clearly this is not a “peanut butter crème” cookie but a Tagalong (or a Peanut Butter Pattie, depending on your region) we’re dealing with here – it could have been a Do-Si-Do if not for the chocolate coating, but then it wouldn’t be a Crunch bar either. Anyway: we can’t lie, this one needs a little more of that sweet peanut butter crème. The flavors are all there in a delicious way, but for us the defining characteristic of a Tagalong is the creaminess of the peanut butter filling. The cookie-to-crème ratio is just skewed enough to make the candy bar feel a little off for all but the most desperate Peanut Butter Pattie fan in the throes of cookie withdrawals.
Accuracy: C+
Caramel and Coconut: We’re going for Samoas (or Caramel deLites if you’re nasty) with this one, and it’s solidly accurate. A look inside of the candy bar clearly reveals layers of cookie and caramel, and while the toasted coconut may be less visible, it’s absolutely there in terms of both flavor and chewy texture. Even the top of the bar is drizzled with caramel to mirror the original cookie’s aesthetic. It’s a small touch, but it goes a long way toward showing how committed Nestle is to hitting all the right notes.
Accuracy: B+
Thin Mints: All right, no more messing around with names this time – no matter which Girl Scout bakery caters your region, a Thin Mint is a Thin Mint is a Thin Mint and so is a Nestlé Crunch Thin Mint GIRL SCOUT candy bar. The flavor on this candy bar is absolutely spot on to-the-letter perfect. In fact, it’s so accurate that the rice crisps – the Crunch, if you will – are kind of freaking us out a little. The little additions seem like an afterthought added in to explicitly remind us that this is a Nestlé Crunch bar and not an actual real live Girl Scout cookie in July. An ever-so-slight buzzkill, but we can deal with it if it means satisfying our insatiable mint cookie cravings.
Accuracy: A-
