Being a big Red Vines and Twizzlers fan, I was excited to find out that Hershey's brand Y&S Candies was debuting a new line of "grownup," bite-sized soft candy, Young & Smylie licorice ($2.99). The licorice is sold in a resealable plastic bag, which locks in the candy's moisture and keeps it soft. Another thing I enjoyed about the packaging was the "licorice lore" on the back: Did you know that the licorice plant Glycyrrhiza, belongs to the pea or bean family?

Enough about the packaging, to see how Young & Smylie licorice tastes, read more.


Peach Mango: This fragrant flavor tasted natural, subtle, and not too sweet with floral and fruity notes of equal parts peach and mango. By far the softest flavor, I would recommend these fruit chews to people who normally eschew licorice for its rubbery texture.

Strawberry: The strawberry flavor wasn't as soft as the peach mango, and it didn't taste quite as natural. However, it didn't have the generic "red" flavor that is sometimes found in punch or mass-market licorice brands. People who love cherry and strawberry Twizzlers or Red Vines will gravitate to this choice.

Black Licorice: The licorice flavor wasn't overpoweringly sweet or spicy. As someone who doesn't care for traditional licorice, I found this to be surprisingly decent. It still wouldn't be my first choice, but if I had to eat black licorice, I would eat this one.

Overall, I had few complaints about these candies. I like the more refined flavors and they might have knocked my favorite licorice Twizzlers Nibs out of first place! To anyone who has tried the new Y&S licorice: what do you think of it?