This licorice is excellent. This licorice is not soft. It takes some time to chew through it. You get "bursts" of pure licorice flavoring the whole time. It is very satisfying. If you love real licorice, you will love this one. HOWEVER, THINK TWICE BEFORE BUYING IT FROM AMAZON! I bought two boxes - 24 packages - they were very stale which made them dry and exceptionally hard, almost brittle. I think they must have been warehoused too long. The packages do not contain a sell by date. I know the difference because I buy the exact same product locally and it is softer and much better.