When I was a child my Dad and I shared the licorice that you are talking about. I think he got it in a small coal bucket like pail with the little hammer. I have seen the candy in Cracker Barrel but it seems to me that it is just like a hard candy. What dad use to get was truely hard just like a chunk of coal. Instead of breaking off in pieces it broke in shale like slivers. If it aint black it aint Licorice where I'm conserned!! LOL