Kcal 260 Fat 8.0g Fat(sats) 5.0g Carbs 46.0g
A few weeks ago the kind people from Mars US sent me an e-mail asking if I would like to sample their new formulated 3 Musketeers bar. Sitting in a comfortable joint third position on the ChocolateMission leaderboard there wasn't a chance I was ever going to let this opportunity slip me by so I of course accepted without hesitation.
The marketing blurb that accompanied my samples informed me that the new recipe 'adds more satisfying chocolate taste to the delicious nougat and with 45% less fat than average of the leading chocolate brands'. Looking at the nutritional information and ingrdients list there were surprisingly no changes from the original recipe that had been in market previously. As you will see from my cross-section picture above the first actual noticeable different was the darker coloured nougat.
So did I notice any difference to the taste? Well the outer chocolate was no different whatsoever, it was still milky sweet standard Mars chocolate. The nougat inside was a little differentiated from previous experiences, though not so much so that it made me feel any differently about the 3 Musketeers for better, or worse. As nougat goes it was still exceedingly tasty and it's chocolatey taste was still just as creamy as I'd ever experienced. On the balance of things it was possibly a touch less sweet and smoother in delivery of it's chocolatey flavours, however like I said above it wasn't all that noticeable.
Overall my review from three years ago remains still my relevant in my eyes, and I still hold the 3 Musketeers bar as one of my all time favourite mass produced chocolate bars. As I have referred to above, the change in recipe is obviously quite a minor thing and wasn't significant enough to shift my opinion on the product. There might have been a day when a brand making a fuss like this on such minor changes would irritate me, but when the bar tasted as good as it did orignally anyway I'm happy to stick by the way of thinking of why fix something that doesn't need changing.
9.3 out of 10
Kcal 260 Fat 8.0g Fat(sats) 5.0g Carbs 46.0g
This is a hugely popular bar in the States, and it came with quite a big reputation ... suffice to say I had been really looking forward to reviewing it. The standard 3 Musketeers bar weighs in 60.4g and I must say it really does satisfy a rumbling stomach. The wrapper looks superb with it's bright silver foil, and it claims it contains 45% less fat than other comparative 60g bars. This may be true, but what one can't ignore is the very high level of carbs (46g of which 40g sugars), it sure packs one big sugar hit! In composition the bar is very similar to the Milky Way bar we have in the UK and comes described as 'chocolate flavoured nougat covered in milk chocolate'.
Now, I have complained about nougat bars being stodgy and flavourless before (see Reese's Fast Break), however this was thankfully not the case here. The nougat felt delightful in the mouth and was very fluffy and light, and melted on the tongue with a real softness delivering a fine malty chocolate taste as did so. The chocolate coating wasn't anything overly spectacular, but it more than did it's job of delivering a sweet milky chocolate flavour hit. Considering that it was never going to be the best quality chocolate around, it was really quite nice in comparison to other mass manufactured US bars. Most importantly it complimented the inner nougat amazingly, making for a sublime creamy milk chocolate and malt flavour combination. I savoured the entire 64.0g from start to finish.
Now, I have complained about nougat bars being stodgy and flavourless before (see Reese's Fast Break), however this was thankfully not the case here. The nougat felt delightful in the mouth and was very fluffy and light, and melted on the tongue with a real softness delivering a fine malty chocolate taste as did so. The chocolate coating wasn't anything overly spectacular, but it more than did it's job of delivering a sweet milky chocolate flavour hit. Considering that it was never going to be the best quality chocolate around, it was really quite nice in comparison to other mass manufactured US bars. Most importantly it complimented the inner nougat amazingly, making for a sublime creamy milk chocolate and malt flavour combination. I savoured the entire 64.0g from start to finish.
Overall this was definitely the best bar I have ever had from the US. I honestly don’t think I could choose it over the Cadburys/Galaxy Caramel bars, which still lead the way on the ChocolateMission, but it is certainly in the same league. In terms of recommendations, I would suggest that if you are a fan of the UK MilkyWay this would be a bar you would really enjoy. I am really looking forward to reviewing the 3 Musketeers mint, which should be on its way to me in the very near future. In the mean time do yourself a favour and buy one of these original 3 Musketeers - you wont regret it.
9.3 out of 10
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66 comments:
i agree with your rating of the 3 musketeers! it's been a favorite of mine since i was in the third grade. the chocolate fluffiness of the inside of the bar is heavenly :).
i was wondering if you have already tasted the other variants of milkyway, particularly the midnight variant? it sort of reminds me of this candy bar, however the milkyway midnight is much sweeter because of the caramel. there are other 2 variants i believe of milkyway, the strawberry fluff and the vanilla/milk fluff.
Burger hi there buddy welcome to the blog!!
Unfortunately the 3Musketeers isnt a bar I get to have all that often being based in the UK!! Its such a fantastic bar though!!
I have tried the Milky Way Midnight see here
http://www.chocolatemission.net/2008/06/june-23rd-milky-way-midnight-dark.html
I havent tried those other variants though! Are they quite readily avalible in the US!? I should defo try get hold of them if they are!
Cheers for the input
Jim
Hey Jim
these look very much like our milkyways used to (altho bigger). I miss the chocolately centre in ours, I'm not so keen on the white centre. I keep seeing these online and am very tempted to try one! lol
Alan
Well worth the investment my friend! Head to Candy Pirate!
Best eaten straight from the freezer! Man I could go for one right now!
Jim
In the UK the "other Variants of Miolky Way" are known as the Mars Bar
Ok Jim,
THESE ARE AMAZING! lol just ate 4 bars :( today! and feel quite ill now they are soooo good so much better than our milkyways they remind me of what they used to be before they lost thier way :D
10/10 from me :D
This has been really interesting to see. More often than not when you see those wrappers that say 'new recipe' they change the smallest detail just so they can plaster the thing with the word 'NEW'. Obvs living in the UK I'm not sure how they communicated the new recipe of this one in terms of advertising or anything but the fact they made just that small adjustment to the wrapper implies they didn't go to town making a right old fuss. Lol someone from the US is blantantly going to tell me I'm wrong now and inform me that they went mental with it.
Cool review jim you can clearly see the diff in the colour of the nougat vs the old one.
I hope that was achieved through the extra chocolate and not food colourings or anything. Did they have the ingrdients on the wrapper? I think they would have to state that if that was the case.
Hmmm I thought it was against your rules do reviews over again? Its not exactly fair on some of the other bars that I think you underscored first time round.
There's a whole host of them you could do again if you were prepared.
No bits and bobs this week then :( What happened Jim you promised us one a week not long ago. It's not like you to go back on your word.
The three musketeers bars is one of those american bars ive wanted to try for ages. I hear so many good things about it but to me it just says like an extra large version of the milkway. I think i need to get my headstuck in to american soda and figure out how much it would be cost to get some sent to me.
Mental!! I never realised you had rated this so highly previously. The only scores like that you give out nowadays are to people like hotel chocolate. Its been ages since you last gave a rating as high as this to a bar that is so cheap. You must really really like this one.
Jim do you have a perspective on the mint version of the musketeer? Im looking for a review but I cant find one?
p.s. if you havent ever had one its one you need to review asap.
Its going to be an interesting thing to see how you compare the new mars bar to this one. They should just be the same thing but with the Mars having another layer of chocolatey syrup in it. Its another US vs UK comparison that you should have done Jim.
Ahhhhhhh now I understand :-) Lol I was trying to get to your review of the 3 musketeers the other day but it kept on saying 'page cannot be displayed'! It must of temporerly taken it down as it was in your review queue again.
I think the 3 musketeers bar is unquestionably the best they do out there. I used to think it was the baby ruth but I that was before I had laid hands on a 3M. Do you think they will ever bring it out over here Jim? I appreciate we have companies like american soda who sell them but it would be nice to be able to get them in a normal shop for like whenever you fancy it.
<3 <3 <3 3 MUSKETEERS
would the difference between the new and old have even been noticeable if you weren't told about it b4? Sorry im always sceptical with these things.
Looks good Jim I will have to buy some next time im in London.
ps. good win for the gooners in italy eh ;) bring on sunday and old trafford I say.
Hey J
Did you see Pools win against the might Exeter :-) :-) You must be well worried now. If that doesn't prove we are title contenders this year then nothing will (j.k). I can't believe this time next week all the transfer business will be over with. Do you think you are going to sign Sneijder or do you think the deal is dead now?
This is a bar I've always wanted to try but have never got the opportunity. Next time I do find somewhere selling us chocolates it will be one I will look out for. I am a lover of the odd mars after all so I expect it would sit well with me.
Cheers
N
You put up a convincing arguement that I need to get a wriggle on and try this. I'm not a big lover of nougat but its just scored so highly here it sounds like one i should try just anyway. Lol I think I must just buy one anyway so I can just I've tried it now. 'Get it out the way' so to speak lol.
Thats a good point someones made about Mars not going OTT with the whole shouting about it being NEW NEW NEW thing. I hate it when companies do that when they have only made the teeniest adjustment. Most the time these changes aren't even noticeable.
Brilliant review Jim. I wouldn't encourage that you spend much time redoing all your reviews though. If you have done it before you shouldn't redo them again because that will make it an unfair test on ones you only try the one time.
Omg that picture looks so scrummy. You can just tell that the nougat is yum x 1,000,000.
xoxoxo
The best US bars go in this order
1. 3 Musketeers
2. Butterfinger
3. Oh henry
Others worth mentioning are paydays and york patties. People seem to criticise american chocolate loads but I think they do some good stuff.
I've not had one of these for years now.
Do you think American SOda would consider doing some special discount for Chocolate Mission readers? That would be so cool if they did like 50% of P&P. Something like that would get me interested in using them.
Well done Mars here. Is this an actual instance of a company changing something for the better? I can't even think of another example where you would be able to say that. most of the time it's either them putting up their prices or making the chocolates smaller the cheeky buggers.
Dx
J my lovely you will have to stop doing this. I spent hours the other night on that website dreaking up a loads of things that I wanted to order. Admiteddly most of what I put in the basket were pop tarts but I put a few of the american chocolates in there too.
Can someone please tell me what each of these stand for in the US.
3musketeers?
MilkyWay?
Mars?
I'm so confused as to what is what. Why can't they just keep it consistent like they do the Snickers :S It would be so much easier.
This looks exactly like the new mars bar we are getting. It just doesn't have the chocolate caramel we get thats all.
100% with you on this one Jim. 3 musketeers are amazing. Extra extra amazing if you put them in a chiller cabinet for a bit before you eat one I really recommend people doing that.
Jim would you rate this as the must have American chocolate bar then? I've looked through everything under the american tag and its the highest rated thing I can find including all your reeses reviews. I know how much you love peanut butter so this is gonna have to be something darn special special.
How much do that american company charge for posting and packaging. Thats always the issue I have with these companies. I don't mind paying a little more for the products cause they are specialist, but paying ridiculous posting fees really annoys me. It's just another way of eploiting money out of us.
Before anyone starts accusing jim of saying this is good because american soda sent it to him I want to add my two pennies worth. IMO this is without doubt the best mass produced chocolate bar out there (yes better than the snickers and reeses cups!).
The nougat is so light and tasty. It tastes like the frophy stuff you get on top of hot chocolate. The milkyway is supposed to be our version of it but the two don't compare trust me. If you love the milkyway then you honestly need to buy yourself one of these to try.
The mini versions of these they do are so cute. BTW they also do strawberry ones in the mini size.
Mars America sending you choc now? Thats amazing for you Jim. It must feel good to be internationally recognised.
This would rank in my top 3 bars fomr america but it sits behind the hersheys cookies and cream and the reeses nutsrageous. Apart from those two it beats the rest. You got me craving one now Jim you bugger.
If I had the choice of mars starting to sell one of their american chocolates here in the uk permanently I would choose this one without question. It brings back so many gd memories of when we used to go america on holiday when I was younger. Lol I used to bring back suitcases full of reeses and 3 musketeers but they always used to get so ruined flying back. For some reason they used to always melt, they were never the same compared to when you got them in the us.
Its cool to see that your rating remained the same even though you reviewed first nearly 3 years ago :) I would have put money on your tastes changing since you started this whole thing.
My local asda just got a load of american chocolates but this isn't one they do :( It's all mostly hersheys which is just yuck.
You've made me rethink this now Jimbo. I've ordered from the likes of cybercandy etc a few times now but always left out the 3 musk cause it just sounded so similar to a few bars. The score here is getting me to think a bit diff though. I might just have to bite the bullet and give it a chance.
God this website is so dangerous to my poor bank balance. In the last month you've persuaded me to order 2 thorntons bars, some hotel chocolat bits and pieces and now im thinking of getting some of these. Your a bad bad man Jim.
I just showed the american guy in our office this review and he said that he agreed with you. He said it was probably the best bar they have alongside one called Charlton Chew. Have you reviewed that one before?
Pete - In the US:
3 Musketeers = UK Milky Way (only better and with brown nougat)
Milky Way = UK Mars bar
Mars - doesn't exist as a product, i.e. there is nothing called a "Mars bar" in the US. It is only used as the manufacturers name.
Personally I don't see what all the fuss is about. I've had this bar before twice and while it was tasty, I just didn't think it was that special =\ You've got me curious now though so maybe I'll give it another go.
Thanks for using the time and effort to write something so interesting.
My site:
Rachat de credit www.rachatdecredit.net
Ooh, a full re-review of an old favourite, that could have been risky!! :D I can't believe, given your high praise, that out of all the mass produced American bars, the 3 Muskateers is one of the few I've yet to try. I'll make sure it's the next one I get my hands on, it sounds amazing, with it's smooth and creamyness. Though I can't believe there's no change in ingredients considering the complete change in the nougat's shade.
Cheers for another great review, have a grand weekend
Hi All,
I hope everyone is looking forward to a long weekend here in the UK :D
Its been a long old week for me so please excuse me rushing through the feedback today.
I see a number of you have commented about me going over an old review again. I didn't so much see me going over an old review, I just thought it made sense to add the old one below my thoughts of the new bar as I referenced it so many times.
GOLDEN - http://www.chocolatemission.net/2008/03/march-18th-3-musketeers-mint.html
TIM - No I think they would have brought it out a long time ago if this was coming to the UK.
NIGEL - If I had money to bet on whether Sneijder will end up at United or not I would put it on him being in our shirt next weekend :D
OLLIE - I would rate it (and have done!!) as one of their best yes.
GAZ - It depends on how much you spend I think chap.
ASHLEY - http://www.chocolatemission.net/2008/07/july-22nd-charleston-chew-chocolatey-us.html
LINZY - Thanks for clearing alll that up. I would urge you to give one of these a try.
RIA - I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it Ria. Let me know what you think when you try it.
Thanks for the feedback guys and girls. Now get yourselves away from your computer screens and out into that glorious sun (or rain if you live where I do haha!!!)
JIM
If this is as good as you say it is why do they not sell it all over the world? Look at the Snickers! Thats sold everywhere you can think of.
Its going to be so fascinating see what you say about the new UK mars bar. Imo triple chocolate sounds pretty dull. I would rather they gone with some type of flavour like say a coconut or praline version. We will see in due course i suppose.
I don't want to be seen as a bandwagon jumper-oner but this bar is every bit as good as Jim is making out. I know it sounds like a milky way but trust me guys its so much nicer.
What do you think the americans generally think of the 3 musketeers? Is it one of their popular ones or is it just an average rate bar amongst most peeps there?
Jeepers these high scores are raining in from you lately Jimbob. Whats going on lol Whats putting you in such a generous mood.
They have so many limited edition chocolates out in america at the moment its so easy to forget that they have a load of classic bars that are worth trying like this one. My eyes get so easily distracted to things like the twix coconut etc I keep forgetting to put a 3 musketeers in with my orders.
Its funny how they've just made a limited edition extra chocolatey mars bar here but then gone and made it a standard thing in the states. We always seem to be a step behind them. Its like mars UK are saying 'hey we are going to give you some more chocolate in your bar .... but we are taking it away so be quick to buy it'.
Its just funny seeing how they went about it from diff angles.
I hate being obtuse but isn't this just a mars bar without the caramel. Did you honestly think it was good enough to justify a score that big?
Is the appearance of this bar got anything to do with that new advert being placed for American Soda ;)
Lol theres no getting away from that cross shot of that reeses pb cup now. How cruel Jim its just to tempting for me :P
There's nothing better than putting one of these in the freezer and eating it like that. It makes the nougat really hard and chewy. The chocolate takes ages to melt away so slowly you get to it all that much longer. Mmmmmm i'm hungry now lol.
Great review Jim. You need to review the US version of the milky way one day. That is the american version of the UK mars bar btw.
omg why did no one tell me that AS sell Coca Cola Vanilla? I have no idea why they stopped making it here in the UK but i alsmost cried when I heard they had stopped making it. I'm order a pack of 12 right now. I hope the american on tastes the same as our old one did. Its the nicest fizzy drink ever made.
Did you ever get to the bottom of how they made it 'extra chocolatey?' It sounds very weird to me given that you are saying that it didn't change in calories. You would of thought that having more chocolate would have made it fattier.
I don't buy junky bars of chocolate like this anymore. You've converted me in to a fine chocolate eater now Jim. Lindt is about as 'common' as I get these days.
Great review here Jim. Is this the first time you have ever revisited an old review and checked what you though? If you started doing that the whole mission would start again would it not?
How long has this new recipe been out JIm? It wasn't long ago I had a 3 musketeers. It might have been the new recipe and I didn't even notice lol.
The nougat you get in these sounds so nice. I tend to find the nougat we get in most of our uk bars can be really stodgy and flavourless sometimes. The worst culprit of that are topic bars. They are just awful.
I know this is a little different cause it has a new recipe but I don't you should go and start doing old reviews all over again. Have you not got enough on your plate with all the new chocolates lol? For starters you haven't even reviewed the new mars yet.
Reviews like this one are so depressing for me. I don't have a bank card that can be used online so I don't have the chance to buy chocs like this :( Boo.
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