Top Sommeliers, Bloggers and Celebrities Praise New Butterfinger Snackerz

GLENDALE, Calif., Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- This isn't your grandfather's BUTTERFINGER®, but nobody's gonna lay a finger on it either. The 87-year-old classic candy brand today officially launched Butterfinger Snackerz, a new bite-size treat that offers a unique Butterfinger-eating experience. While quintessentially "crispety and peanut-buttery" like the original Butterfinger, Snackerz are delicately smooth, refined, and simply irresistible, as described by some of the nation's top taste-makers.

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Butterfinger approached more than 1,000 influential taste-testers, including celebrities, bloggers, and some of the nation's leading wine sommeliers, with samples and asked them to help describe the unique Snackerz experience. Putting Snackerz to the test, Butterfinger conducted a series of exclusive "Snackerz Sommelier tastings" resulting in rave reviews by a variety of flavor experts.

"Snackerz are deliciously light and such a clever reinvention of Butterfinger," noted Rachel Macalisang, a Los Angeles-based wine sommelier for Moet Hennessy USA, and wine and sake sommelier at Ozumo in Santa Monica. "I've experienced many unique flavors, but Snackerz brings something truly exceptional to the palate. Please don't lay a finger on my Snackerz."

"Butterfinger Snackerz are light, airy, crisp, and buttery like a fine aged vintage Blanc de Blancs champagne," observed Belinda Chang, sommelier and wine director at The Modern New York. "Snackerz offer a long finish on the palate with persisting roasted nut flavor and milk chocolate notes similar to a complex California Cabernet."

In addition to the select sommelier tastings, Butterfinger Snackerz were previewed in June at the 2010 Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago, followed in August by the 2010 BlogHer convention in New York, and most recently, in the hands of TV's biggest celebrities at the 2010 Emmy's festivities in Los Angeles.

At BlogHer, the nation's largest convention of women bloggers across the country, drawing more than 2,400 bloggers, Butterfinger Snackerz became an instant hit with discerning moms and women writers who quickly realized Snackerz were not just a miniature version of the popular candy bar. Moms who also participated in a Snackerz Sommelier tasting at BlogHer, described the benefits of its "convenient take along" size and "easy to share" packaging and then blogged about the "irresistible" and "scrumptious" qualities of Snackerz, with many telling their online readers this was the "must-have" new candy for Halloween 2010.

"At the heart of Snackerz is a smooth Butterfinger candy center, wrapped in an airy, crispy wafer biscuit that is drenched in chocolatey goodness and topped off with a decorative drizzle of peanut butter," said Tricia Bowles, spokesperson for Nestle USA Confections & Snacks. "Make no mistake, Snackerz are not miniature Butterfingers, but a delicious indulgence that you'll still want nobody to lay a finger on."

At the recent Emmy Award's festivities in Los Angeles, celebrities truly were taken by the tantalizing taste of Butterfinger Snackerz. More than 100 personalities from TV and film, including cast members from the Emmy-nominated "Glee" and "True Blood," tried Butterfinger Snackerz and declared them "delicious." A select group attending Emmy's gifting suites, including actors Nelsan Ellis of "True Blood" and Boo-Boo Stewart of "The Twilight Saga," were identified as Snackerz VIP Sommeliers. After tasting and describing the new Butterfinger treat, each was provided with a limited-edition Snackerz VIP Card with a hotline for making special Snackerz-sample requests.

"Snackerz capture the classic aroma of the Butterfinger experience, while providing a new dynamic range of flavors with a long finish," noted Eric S. Crane, advanced sommelier, and a certified wine educator based in Atlanta. "Snackerz create a balance that is harmonious and mouth-watering, sweet but well within reason. Opening a pack of Snackerz fills the room with fantastic smells – there's no reason to let this breathe, but remember to enjoy them slowly and in moderation!"

The new Butterfinger Snackerz are available now at major retailers nationwide. For more information, please visit Butterfinger.com and Facebook.com/Butterfinger.

About BUTTERFINGER®

BUTTERFINGER® is a one-of-a-kind candy bar with the crispety, crunchety, peanut-buttery taste people love. No other candy bar comes close to the intense flavor and texture of a Butterfinger. Keep up with the latest news about Butterfinger at Facebook.com/Butterfinger or follow its sweet tweets at Twitter.com/ButterfingerMmm.

About Nestle USA

Named one of "The World's Most Admired Food Companies" in FORTUNE magazine for 13 consecutive years, Nestle provides quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day. From nutritious meals with Lean Cuisine® to baking traditions with NestlE® Toll House®, Nestle USA makes delicious, convenient, and nutritious food and beverage products that enrich the very experience of life itself. That's what "Nestle. Good Food, Good Life" is all about. Nestle USA, with 2009 sales of $10.4 billion, is part of Nestle S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland — the world's largest food company with a commitment to Nutrition, Health & Wellness — with 2009 sales of $99 billion. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or NestleNewsroom.com.

SOURCE Nestle USA