Not Jolly Ranchers Or Twizzlers: This Is Hershey's Best Non-Chocolate Candy By Far

When Milton Hershey founded The Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894, he perhaps didn't imagine it would grow into the massive candy conglomerate that it is today, but he clearly had a vision for success. Hershey's acquired its first brand, H.B. Reese Candy Company, in 1963 and has since grown into an empire spanning every facet of candy creation. While some might argue that Jolly Ranchers or Twizzlers are Hershey's best non-chocolate brands, we'd argue that the actual winner is one of its newer acquisitions: Sour Strips.

While ranking Hershey's non-chocolate candy brands from worst to best, we fell head over heels for Sour Strips. This chewy candy is reminiscent of a tart Fruit by the Foot in looks and shape, but taste and is what differentiates Sour Strips. We found that while its flavor could be a bit more natural-tasting and pronounced, it's doused in a perfect layer of sourness that hides any imperfections. We thought that the blue raspberry flavor, in particular, brought up all those nostalgic feelings of synthetic, fruity goodness and delivered a powerful punch of cheek-puckering tang. The Sour Strip Bites Rainbow, smaller-sized versions of the classic Sour Strips, were also enjoyably fruity with their equally tart layer of sugary coating. Overall, this tangy-sweet creation beat out all of Hershey's other non-chocolate brands by a long shot.

Sour Strips were created by YouTuber and online personality Maxx Chewning in 2019, an experienced entrepreneur unfamiliar with the food industry but overtly familiar with the ins and outs of a good sour candy (here's how sour candy is made, in case you're curious). The launch was a mega success, selling "over 20,000 units in the first hour," according to Hershey's website. Within the first few years of launching, Sour Strips brought in millions of dollars in revenue, with an expected growth trajectory that would take the brand even higher. The Hershey Company caught wind of the success and acquired Sour Strips for $75.5 million in 2024, rendering it yet another one of the staggering number of brands owned by Hershey.

We're not the only ones who thoroughly enjoy the variety of Sour Strips on the market, such as Strawberry, Pink Lemonade, Appleberry, Cotton Candy, and even Wild Cherry. "Blue Raspberry is the absolute best," said one commenter on Reddit, while another Redditor declared that they "love all the flavors." Fans also appreciate the quality of the candy itself, such as this Redditor who said that they "love the softer texture compared to other sour strips being kind of tough-chewy." While there will always be other, newer sour candies on the market, social media commentary leans towards ranking Sour Strips above the rest, like yet another Redditor who argued that Sour Strips "puts Xtreme Airheads to shame."