I dabble in many things, but can hardly be considered an expert in any. In some areas I might know more than some, like computers or making videos. In others I am enthusiastic in practice while woefully unschooled in the field's formal elements, be it carpentry or plumbing. And in still others I have enough just enough knowledge where the line between useful and dangerous is perilously slim, like the law and fashion.
That said, a loose interpretation of Malcom Gladwell's maxim that it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of subject puts me squarely in that rarified territory in one very tiny sliver of the world. In this particular case it's not so much "hours" as "pieces," and on that basis I yield to no man. And so with that minor stipulation to the Gladwell Rule, I feel completely qualified to weigh on as an authority on the big news this week. Forget the stimulus bill, forget the Golden Globes, forget Harry and Meghan and Oprah. We're talking about the announcement of Reese's Ultimate Peanut Butter Lovers Cup.
This is not the first time that Hershey has played around with the iconic candy created by HB Reese in 1928. Many were simple size variations: Miniatures for one-bite consumption, or the Big Cup for sharing. There have been seasonal offshoots as well, such as Peanut Butter Eggs for Easter and Peanut Butter Hearts for Valentine's Day. But these are more changes in form vs. function, taking the iconic chocolate cup with peanut butter filling and changing the container vs. the taste. It is true that the flavor balance gets tweaked a bit to accommodate the alternative structure, as the chocolate to filling ratio changes along the way. But while the mouthfeel might be slightly different, the overall sensory and emotional impact is still the same. (And you wondered about my mastery of the topic and whether I was qualified to have this discussion. Still wonder?)
Along the way there have been numerous one-offs trying to introduce other flavors to the mix. Caramel cups introduced a layer of that filling, while the marshmallow version did the same. Pretzel bits have been included, as have crushed chocolate cookie pieces. Each of those options and others turned out to be a flash-in-the-cup and were discontinued, with only a version with the namesake Reese's Pieces included still widely available. For purists like myself, all were worthy of curiosity but hardly adoration.
While the key to the confection's longevity is that aforementioned balance, the company has tried tilting the scales before. It's 2003 twin offerings of Chocolate Lovers and Peanut Butter Lovers varietals sought to appeal to those further from the center. Both had the essential flavors, but weighted towards their eponymous non de guerres. However, neither survived the cut. Still, perhaps it was inevitable in our hyperpolarized environment that they would eschew the very compromise that is both its core and strength, and seek to cater to one side at the exclusion of the other.
Before I render a judgement, let me say as a disclaimer that I have not tried the new confection. It is due for release in April, and since my status in the field is one of (I think) talented amateur as opposed to professional, the company has not felt it appropriate to include me in the run-up. And so what follows is done at a remove, and final judgement will have to wait for actual experience.
But let me say with some authority as a self-proclaimed aficionado: this will not do. No matter how good the new product might be, its very composition goes against the bedrock design, principle and indeed spirit that old HB set out to achieve. No shame in trying, but if I want a Kiss, I'll have a Kiss. If I want some PB I have a spoon and jar of Skippy. While the new product might be seen as an homage to the original, it is a bridge too far. And so while I will gladly try it, I find it hard to believe that it will survive as more than a footnote.
And with that, my well of specialization is dry. That said, happy to critique your outfit, dissect your career plans or outline my blueprint for world peace. A lack of expertise in those particular areas has never hindered me before, so why stop now?
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Marc Wollin of Bedford considers himself an expert in sweets. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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