Love is in the air! To best prepare for Valentine’s day, the Axe staff sampled, rated, and discussed five select Valentine’s-themed candies. Keep reading to find out which sweets to get for your friends, family, and beloved, and which to avoid.

Most Romantic & Most Festive: Strawberry Creme Hearts – 3.35/5

“These are good in theory… after one bite I felt the cavities manifesting in my mouth. just a little too sweet and strawberry-y.” – Abby Ketchum

The Hershey’s Strawberry Creme Hearts are a relatively safe and inexpensive option. They’re a combination of the classic Hershey’s milk chocolate with a small amount of creamy strawberry filling at the center. 

Most Nostalgic: Sweethearts Candies – 1.75/5

“It’s a classic, and I don’t care that it’s basically just sugar.” – Story Frazier

“First of all, they are as hard as a rock. It’s so hard to bite them and when you do it opens up to feeling like the fluoride they paint on your teeth at the dentist’s office. Absolute awfulness.” – Atticus Flynn

“Sweethearts are cute but too sweet so I think most practically, they could be used for Valentine’s decor or maybe as sentimental value that someone doesn’t necessarily have to eat.” – Penny Deitz

The Sweethearts Candies are the classic pressed candies we all remember from the kindergarten classroom. While packing a nice flavor, depending on who you ask, most find them to be too hard and sweet.

Overall Favorite: Hershey’s Kisses – 3.85/5

“Now that’s how you make candy. Singular. Monumental. Recognizable silhouette. Delicious chocolate flavour.” – Emmett Coughlan

“Yummy, classic, good size, cute shape. but sometimes I eat too much and get a headache.” – Abby Ketchum

There’s not much we can say that will add to your knowledge of the instantly recognizable Hershey’s Kiss. It’s sweet, flavorful, and cute, making it one of the most versatile Valentine’s treats. 

Most Unique: Cordial Cherries – 1.35/5

“I would give it a zero if I could. Utterly disgusting. The cherry syrup is uncomfortably thick yet liquidity. Felt like drinking overly sweet oil. The chocolate looked good, but after the first bite, the overwhelmingly horrible taste overwhelms all the niceties of the chocolate. If you give this to me, I’m breaking up with you.” – Oscar Guillemin

“Definitely complex. I appreciate that it has a full cherry, but it’s way too sweet.” – Zev Wacks

“If I could give it a negative number I would, the absolute worst taste I’ve ever felt. I’m genuinely disturbed like beyond words it looks like an open wound. I’d literally prefer to eat anything over that” – Maggie McMillen

“I did not care for that. Please do not get this for anyone, it might make them sad.” – Penny Deitz

Our staff did not enjoy the Cordial Cherries, despite their supposed class and elegance. Whatever they may have in complexity and uniqueness, they’re ruined with overwhelming sweetness, unpleasant textures, and a rather messy eating experien

The Curveball: Fun Dip – 3.55/5

“Cherry – Sweet, tangy and fun. Blue Raz – Dull and bland 😦 Both – Fun and classic!” – Zev Wacks

“For blue: this doesn’t even feel worth eating because it’s just a tasteless stick and powder… also tasteless. I used to eat these all the time when I was little and I swear they used to be more flavorful. I’m very disappointed. For red: this flavor is much better, I’d rate it 4/5. More festive and tasty and it stuck to my stick better than the blue one tho idk if that’s related to the flavor.” – Abby Ketchum

“Lots of fun. It’s a little bit of a loud flavor. I think having blue teeth is a worthy cost for enjoying a blue raspberry Fun Dip.” – Penny Deitz

Conclusion

Overall, based on our Newspaper Staff’s mediocre ratings for our candy assortment, we’d encourage you to play it safe if you’re on a budget and go for the classic Hershey’s Kisses. If you have a budget, go for higher-quality favorites like Lindor, Ghirardelli, or local Euphoria’s Chocolate Company.