The Hands-Down Best Popular Hard Candy Is An Iconic Treat Ripe With Nostalgia

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

One of the best parts about hard candy is that it's easier to savor for longer, with a flavor that's bright and robust to the very last crystal. Many hard candy varieties bring a sense of nostalgia for grandma's candy bowl, and that's exactly the vibe we got from our favorite popular hard candy brand. Our reviewer Melissa Cabey tasted and ranked nine hard candies according to shape, texture, flavor, aftertaste, and overall eating experience. And the top spot goes to Dad's Root Beer Barrels, an iconic treat ripe with nostalgia for our childhood tastes.

These barrel-shaped candies aren't just a unique shape — although this nostalgic hard candy does tend to cut your tongue if you aren't careful — but they're also a unique candy flavor as most of the hard candies sampled were either chocolate and caramel or fruit-flavored. Not only is the flavor unique, but it's spot on in its representation of the creamy, rich, and complex flavor of root beer soda. The balance of spice and herbal sweetness is enough to salivate over, and swallowing it is like taking a sip of actual root beer. And the best part, as noted by our reviewer, is that the flavor of the candy remains strong and present till the very end. In fact, the aftertaste of the root beer remained long after every ounce of the candy had been sucked away. The quality of flavor, aftertaste, and overall eating experience might even be enough to convert a root beer hater.

Dad's Root Beer Barrels evoke nostalgia in customers who took to Reddit to sing their praises. One Redditor called them "Grandma's purse church candy," to which another responded, "My favorite genre of candy." Whether you got them from your grandparents' candy bowl or not, a Walmart customer review sums the experience of eating them up perfectly: "If these don't bring back your memories from childhood I don't know what will." They added that these candies are "delicious and last forever in your mouth ... they are big and taste just like they did back in the day." Another Walmart customer describes the flavor as "rich, fizzy-sweet, and perfectly old-fashioned," adding that Dad's brand "nailed the classic flavor — smooth, buttery root beer with just the right kick."

In terms of pairings for your candy, you could try throwing a few Root Beer Barrels into your next glass of root beer soda to end on a sweet note. Don't worry, this soda and candy combo won't turn into a carbonation geyser like the pairing of Mentos and Diet Coke! Check out our ranking of root beer brands to find a drinkable flavor that's as good as its hard candy counterpart.

If you want a larger soda candy repertoire for your stash, cola gummy candies would add to the theme. You can try the Fizzy Cola Bottles from Haribo or the mixed bag of cola bottles and fruit gummies from Trader Joe's that likewise came in first place in our taste test.