The Good: Good chocolate flavor, Easy to prepare, Affordable
The Bad: Weak finishing flavor on its own
The Basics: Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup might be the best baseline chocolate syrup I have tried as it provides pure and true chocolate flavor, even if it does not overwhelm with the strongest cocoa.
Today, I’m not feeling particularly well and, after sleeping much of the day, my wife has been pampering me. It seems like everything she has brought me today – coffee, ice cream, etc. – has been delightfully chocolate-covered. Today’s accent piece has been Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup . . . and it is good!
Basics
The Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup is part of Hershey’s ice cream topping line and it works just like a chocolate syrup and it makes a better glass of chocolate milk than the standard Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Syrup. The 22 oz. bottle has a flip top which allows one to squeeze the fluid out onto ice cream. This doesn’t solidify, but it is one of the sundae syrups that does not run when placed on ice cream.
Ease Of Preparation
One need not even shake the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup. Simply remove the safety seal, flip open the cap and squeeze out the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup. There is no trick to using this sundae syrup.
Taste
For all of my ice cream topping reviews, I am utilizing Blue Bunny Chocolate Chip ice cream (reviewed here!) as it provides a neutral flavor base.
On its own, the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup smells incredible, like a true dark chocolate bar. The scent is bold and inviting for anyone who loves dark chocolate. The flavor is just a touch more watery than the aroma implies. The syrup is chocolatey and its sweetness is definitely sublimated to its cocoa flavor. Still, as the flavor finishes, it tastes more like water than a bold, cocoa kick, which was somewhat surprising.
On ice cream, the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup somehow manages to eliminate its mild finishing flavor! Every ice cream I’ve tried the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup on has suddenly tasted like it was coated in pure, dark chocolate. The flavor is strong, finishes with a dark chocolate aftertaste with just a hint of dryness and it is thoroughly delightful for anyone who loves dark chocolate.
Perhaps the biggest surprise for me was how Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup accents coffee. I like dark, flavorful coffees and my wife recently picked us up a milk frother. Accenting the tops of strong, frothy coffees she delivers to me while I’m working have been various syrups. The only one so far to get me to stop what I was doing and ask her, “What is that?” as the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup. The dark flavor is that bold and pleasant. When a chocolate syrup’s flavor can hold its own against very dark coffee and accent it in a way that pleases, it is a worthwhile syrup to me!
Nutrition
Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup is a dessert topping therefore not the most nutritious thing. I was not surprised (having reviewed other Hershey’s products) that there was nothing unrecognizable in the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup. The primary ingredients are high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, and water. None of the ingredients insinuate that this is not vegan compliant and there are no allergy warnings on the bottle.
What is not a mystery is how high this product is in sugars. In each 2 Tb serving (who measures this out, as opposed to squirting it on their ice cream?!) of Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup, there are 100 calories, none of which come from fat! As a fat free product, it is easy to enjoy this quite a bit without guilt! While there is no fat and no cholesterol, a consumer gets 1% of their recommended daily allowance of sodium out of a single serving of this topping! There is a little protein, but not enough to live off this. The only other nutrient is 4% of the RDA of Iron. This is not a bad-for-you product!
Storage/Cleanup
So long as one leaves the Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup in its bottle, refrigerated after being opened, it ought to stay usable. Given that it has an expiration date over a year away, one assumes it will last quite a while unopened. I was surprised, though, that one 22 oz. bottle yields only sixteen servings, but it does seem to stretch.
Cleanup is very easy as a general rule as it may easily be wiped up with a warm cloth. Because it is a chocolate base, this ice cream topping does stain. On dishes, it washes off very easily.
Overall
Hershey’s Special Dark Syrup is an affordable, easy-to-use chocolate syrup that might well be the best, basic chocolate flavor chocolate syrup on the market at affordable prices. I was impressed most by how this chocolate syrup accents mild-flavored ice creams, milk, and coffee, though it is less impressive on its own.
For other ice cream toppings, please visit my reviews of:
Torani Dark Chocolate Sauce
Smuckers Sugar Free Caramel Dessert Topping
Root Beer Magic Shell
7.5/10
For other ice cream reviews, please visit my Ice Cream Review Index Page!
© 2015 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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