How Caramel Became The Downfall Of Hershey's Discontinued Bar None

Vintage sweets are a common source of childhood nostalgia. Consumers pine over sweets that remind them of simpler times, even more so for discontinued candies that are no longer available to help them relive those years. One such sweet is Hershey's Bar None candy bar. Bar None was released in 1987 and was meant to be a higher-quality chocolate bar. It consisted of chocolate wafers, chocolate cream, and crushed peanuts coated with chocolate. Though the flavor profile was similar to Kit Kat's, it had a richer chocolate taste. In 1992, Hershey decided to make a few changes to the bar, including splitting it in two like a KitKat and adding caramel. This decision alienated loyalists of the bar's original formula.

In addition, the bars before the change were already considered cumbersome and texturally elaborate, making them challenging to consume. The addition of caramel apparently only worsened this problem. Shortly after the change, the bar experienced a decline in popularity until it was ultimately discontinued in 1997.

Prior to the change in formulation, Bar None was quite popular, to the point where it still has loyalists today. More than a decade after its discontinuation, a number of fans old enough to remember the original product were still raving about it on the internet. One Candy Blog commenter lamented, "I pine for the Bar None like no other bar ever made." Others described their memories of eating the chocolate bar as kids or in college, and many were contemplating starting petitions to bring it back.

The only thing fans seemed to dislike as much as the bar's disappearance was the addition of caramel. One noted, "When they changed it, my heart broke." Many drew parallels to the addition of caramel to the Whatchamacallit candy bar, which drummed up a similar distaste. Given these sentiments, it's not exactly surprising the product experienced the drop-off in sales that led to its disappearance. Despite consumers' devotion to the product's primary formulation, Hershey has not expressed any intent to bring the product back.

Though Hershey hasn't resumed production of Bar None, that hasn't stopped other companies from capitalizing on consumers' nostalgic tastes. Iconic Candy, a company dedicated to bringing old candy brands back to the market, relaunched Bar None in July 2019. The remade product adheres to the original recipe in the form of one bar with no caramel. According to its website, Iconic Candy is working to mass produce the treat and make it available in stores around the country.

In the meantime, the bars are available on Iconic Candy's website for $24.99 for a box of 24. The company also sells them on Amazon. In addition, they have been sighted in other candy shops; a Redditor noted purchasing one in a candy store specializing in old-time products.

Too many discontinued candies never see their comeback. Luckily, thanks to the continued love from its fans, this wasn't the fate of Bar None. Today, old and new devotees alike can enjoy this once-beloved chocolate bar — sans caramel.