I've noticed the licorice is extremely strong but yet gives me the impression that I'm chewing on pure sugar. I would only recommend showing it for a short while and then spitting it out but that is both a waste and disgusting at the same time so looking for a different product.

I was looking for something that would taste like Callard and Bowser's licorice toffees, which I remember from my childhood. I took a chance on these, and was thrilled when they tasted exactly like the originals. Yummy!

Upon putting one in your mouth, you will go to a happy place. Your eyes will roll back in your head and you will see a heavenly vision of light. As you regain consciousness you will have knowledge of the true nature of reality.

You have to really like black licorice to like these but if you do, these are wonderful.

I used to buy these same types from a candy store on the corner of Arthur Avenue with my uncle. Once a week he would give my sister and I .50 to buy what we most desired. I remember they used to be about .02 each since the licorice flavoring in them was the real deal, so they were a bit more expensive than the cheaper flavored penny candy. When I first found these, I had a few too many that first day and reminded myself of why my parents always told me I shouldn't eat more than 3-4 pieces a day. "Real" black licorice extract has certain qualities that make you rather.... um.... "flush", if you follow. Anyway.... that proved to me they were the real deal. These licorice are just the same as I remember, very strong flavor, creamy, maybe a bit gritty for some people, not completely smooth, but the softest and creamiest as I remember. These are top notch to me as a black licorice connoisseur. Ive had several imitations that didn't quite rate as high, but I think I have found my calling. :)

I've also read some of the previous reviews from some folks who are trying desperately to find repeats of the Callard & Bowser toffee's and have been disappointed. Well, they will be disappointed because caramels are not the same as toffee's, first off. I am a long time candy maker and I have made my own licorice as well. Where I'm located, I have a hard time finding a really true licorice extract so I tend to just buy the candy already produced. The extracts I have found thus far are all plastic and imitation so far, haven't found that really true extract that will ship to my location. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, "no" these "caramels" will are not be a substitute to the Callard & Bowser "toffee's. They aren't supposed to be. Caramels are supposed to be soft and creamy a texture, not a slightly stiff chewy toffee. That's what the word toffee means. If you look up the definition of Toffee, you will find "... a kind of firm or hard candy that softens when sucked or chewed, made by "boiling" together sugar and butter..." If you look up the word "Caramel", you will find ".... a soft candy made with sugar and butter that have been "melted" and further heated..." Just the difference in the production of them, boiling verses melting, makes them different. So of course these won't be the same as the Toffee's people are trying to find. I just wanted to make sure folks understand that. The making of caramels to toffee's is a totally different process so it won't taste the same. So..... if you are trying to find a licorice toffee, you will be disappointed in these. I would stick with anything that uses the word Toffee in the description then it might be closer.

Oh and the comment about these being very salty, yes they do have a salty taste. Only because that is also a major ingredient in making caramels compared to toffee's. The salt doesn't only bring out the flavor of things, but it also helps keep caramels from getting too hard, so it keeps that creamy texture. So the next time you grab a caramel (any flavor), expect it to have an underlying strong taste of a salty sweetness (some more so than others). Toffee's on the other hand are made to be more firm and chewy, so they tend to be more on the sweet side since the sugar makes them firmer.

Sorry,... I guess I am rambling on about this. And I apologize to anyone I may have insulted with my comments above. I wasn't saying all this to demean anyone's opinion, everyone has a right to their own opinion. As I mentioned, I have been making candy for over 50 years, and I guess it still bugs me when folks try to compare things that shouldn't even be compared, like apples and oranges. My bad, and I should stop now. :) But for those folks trying to find a similar candy to the Callard & Bowser, I would focus on those items that specifically describe it as a hard/chewy "toffee". You might get closer that way.