August 2nd: Milka Happy Cows

Kcal 530 Fat 29.5g Fat(sats) 17.5g Carbs 59.0g (per 100.0g)

My world tour of Chocolate has once again swung past Germany with today seeing me try yet another of Kraft's Milka range - the rather oddily named 'Happy Cows'. This bar was formed of a base of Alpine milk chocolate with splodges of white chocolate inserted into the surface...this gave the bar the 'cow' like appearance.

As standard with the Milka range this came in a 100g package - this served me for three sittings...normally I would have consumed 100g in two but due to the taste I chose to eat this over three. I must pass comment on the new 'reclosable' packaging - not only did it serve its purpose keeping the bar fresh but it also handily sealed back up with the ingenuity of the seam of the wrapper being slightly tacky...simple but effective. The design work of the bar itself was certainly unique and despite my small uncertainty at the name of the bar, the splodge theme certainly made it interesting to look at. The bar had a nice aroma that seemed even more dairy based than the original Alpine milk...the cocoa smell didn't quite come through as strongly though it still smelt damn appealing.

The divine texture that im so accustom to expect with Milka was yet again evident from the very first block I placed in my mouth. The milk chocolate melted almost the instant it hit my tongue releasing the milky cocoa nature of the Alpine milk chocolate. The Alpine milk was its usual balanced taste of milkyness and cocoa and the only slight discrepency I noted in this bar was the sweeter aftertaste that misplaced the usual subtle nuttyness. Due to 'splodged nature of the white chocolate it was not present in every block, though even in the ones that it was present it struggled to establish a real flavour apart from adding a sweetness to the aftertaste as noted above. The sweetness unfortunately soon became quite arduous and it slightly spoilt the overall flavour. The added sweetness was solely down to the white chocolate and when I actually tasted it in isolation (after some intricate operation board game like manouevers splitting it from the milk chocolate base haha!) it was very very sweet and tasted somewhat like the Cadbury Dream white chocolate...never a good thing!

Overall despite having a nice base flavour with the Alpine milk chocolate the added white chocolate did little but spoil the subsequent taste. Although largely dominated by the creamy flavours of the milk chocolate the white added an unfortunate sweetness to the aftertaste making this a slightly less attractive option when placed next to an original Alpine Milk bar. The texture, presentation and appearance of the bar are still of a high standard though I will tell you this for nothing - I will not be running to try Milka's white chocolate bar anytime soon. If your after a recommendation from me regarding the Milka range I would point you in the direction of the standard Alpine Milk. Though if you truly believe you can handle the sweetness, then this bar wouldn't be a bad shout either.

7.5 out of 10

August 1st: Kit Kat Custard Pudding

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

Im normally inclined to leave the whole Japanese Kit Kat sector to Terry over at The Chocolate Review, who to date has done a sterling job at sampling all sorts of weired and wacky flavours (see HERE). Despite Terry's dedication to the Japanese Kit Kat cause I simply couldn't resist the temptation of trying a few of the different flavours out for myself via a bit of Ebay wheeling and dealing.

Today I sampled the ever so traditional Japanese themed 'Custard Pudding'* ;) The Kit Kat itself was of a conventional standard form - two coated wafer fingers. Unfortunately it came in a disappointingly small serving size...it was about the equivalent of one and a half standard Kit Kat fingers. This was no Mr T 'real man sized' snack and did very little at satisfying my mid-afternoon stomach rumbling.

The Kit Kat came in a nice sealed glossy package - complete with authentic Japense writing*. The fingers themselves (despite being ridiculously small grrr!) were nicely formed as per your usual Kit Kat, and had the logo finely etched into the surface. The product had a rather striking yellowish colour which fitted relatively well with the flavour context. The foil pack ensured a pleasant freshness and once opened released a particularly fragrant sweet dairy smell - it was very alluring and suprisingly strong relative to the small size of the product.

The fingers split nicely with a satisfying crisp crunch from the wafers. The outer coating was extremely soft in its texture and literally melted instantly in the mouth, revealing the crisp light wafer. Despite the short longevity of the solidity of the coating its flavour was still very strong and impactful. It had a simply luscious milky base flavour, with a very strong vanilla aftertaste that provided a devilishly creamy combination - truth be told it was absolutely gorgeous. The wafer had a nice crispness which contrasted nicely with the super smoothness of the melted coating; its flavour was sweet with a slight saltyness...rather like a rich tea biscuit.

Overall if it not for its size this would be up there with the best of the Kit Kat range....yes even the peanut butter variant!! The 'Custard Pudding' flavour is remarkably well delivered with a strong creamy vanilla taste that I would aliken very much to the cream filling of a custard creme biscuit...sweet indeed but incredibly moreish which is unfortunate given the ridiculous serving size that the product came in. If you ever come across this product (Ebay is a good place to look!!) then I strongly suggest you try it out - Kit Kat fans will simply love this variant...who knew the Japanese were so hot on their custard!?? I certainly didn't!

7.7 out of 10

*This is a long shot but if anyone can actually read Japanese and can confirm to me that this is 100% branded as 'Custard Pudding' on the wrapper it would be very much appreciated....it certainly tasted like it anyway :D - Jim

August 1st: Lily O'Briens Organic Dark Chocolate

Kcal 507 Fat 42.1g Fat(sats) 25.1g Carbs 48.6g (per 100.0g)

As you all know for the past month I have been working my way through a load of samples that Lily O'Briens sent me. Up until today all of the bars I had reviewed had been comprised of milk chocolate - well today saw me sampling their 'Organic Dark Chocolate'.

Like all the other bars in the range this came in a 80g serving, packaged using the same dull styled matted wrapping. Once again I would like to stress the poorness at the design of this bar, it was again particularly plain looking and didn't have half the appeal or the attractivness of say the Kshocolat dark bar...the design work (or lack of) just seemed plain lazy. Despite it's poor appearance the bar had a relatively nice smell...it had a dark fresh coffee like aroma that certainly gave me hope that this bar was going to be full of flavour.

The taste didnt let me down, and as the smell suggested this was certainly a rich tasting bar. The bar contained a relatively high 70% cocoa solids and this translated into the taste which was a full on intense dark experience. Each block had an initial burnt harshness to its flavour that really awoke the tastebuds. As the chocolate melted the flavour developed into a more mellow well rounded cocoa taste...never getting to the point I would describe as sweet tasting but just full of flavour like a rich tasting dark coffee. Each block had a slow almost lazy melt on the tongue that eventually formed into a viscous but wonderfully smooth fluid chocolate - it slipped down the throat ever so easily. This made for a long taste that was a truly satisfying richly flavoured experience.

Overall if it not for the lacklusture design work this would be a really well rounded dark chocolate bar. It tasted wonderful and provided a luxurious mature tasting chocolate that had a delightfully smooth texture. 40g of this (half a bar) was more than enough for a fulfilling and enjoyable portion. A mention must also be made to the source of the ingredients...all five of which are free of artifical flavours and colours and which were all organically sourced...im not really into all that spiel but they tasted fresh and of high quality nonetheless. If Lily O'Briens could sort out their sloppy design work they could really have a bar of chocolate here to be proud of. This is not the full well rounded product of the Lindt and Hotel Chocolat equivalent bars but its taste comes relatively close - well worth checking out if your after a good quality dark chocolate.

8.2 out of 10

July 31st: Ritter Sport White Whole Hazelnuts

Kcal 210 Fat 14.0g Fat(sats) 7.0g Carbs 18.0g (per 38.0g)

I really am motoring my way through the Ritter Sport variants at the momment - and im going to tell you this now...this 'White Whole Hazelnut' bar is gonna take some beating for the title of best in the range.

This bar contained 'White Chocolate with whole hazelnuts and crispy rice' and came in a standard Ritter 100g bar. The packaging had a nice distinct look to it with the focal point of the design being a picture of the lumpy hazelnut pieces poking out of the white chocolate...this was at least at little more imaginative and distinctive than the standard colour coding of the rest of the range. The bar itself also looked even more impressive than previous Ritter bars...each block still had the same fine logo design work, though the golden hazelnut pieces further added colour to the bar. Splitting the bar into its sections it had a nice dairy milky smell...yum this bar was certainly shaping up nicely.

Generally I find white chocolate takes longer to melt in the mouth, as the texure tends to normally have a waxier feel...this was not the case here as the chocolate melted delightfully in to a smooth like paste. Each block once melted left a delightful array of nuts and rice crispy pieces, all of which added a nice crunch to the experience. The variation of textures was delightful and made each bite that more interesting.

The different ingredients not only added a lovely contrast of textures but also flavours. The white chocolate was among the best standard I have tasted...yep as good as the Thorntons white chocolate! It was delicately balanced with a milky sweet base flavour that had just the right amount of vanilla to make for a long but deep taste...great stuff. Anyone who follows Chocolate Mission will know that I appreciate a good wholenut, and the hazelnuts implemented in this bar were of a great standard. Their crunchy bitey texture was backed up by a delightful fresh toasted flavour that complimented the soft flavour of the chocolate just superbly. Truth be told the rice element added very little to the flavour - I could at times detect a small hint of malt though largely it was dominated by the milky nut flavours...not at all suprising considering the small portioning of the ingredient...3% compared to 23% hazelnuts!

Overall this bar is my favourite of the Ritter Sport range so far and as I have said, its seriosuly going to take some beating. The flavours and texture are balanced near perfectly - the white chocolate is sweet, smooth milky and the hazelnuts and rice add an extra depth of crunchyness and flavour. This is just an incredibly moreish bar which I must admit I ate all in one sitting...its possibly not the most fulfling bar ever but its still a very satisfying one. For fans of white chocolate this is a must try...its simply delicious and comes with a Chocolate Mission recommendation. Clear some more space in the 'top rated bars' table - this is slotting straight in there!

8.9 out of 10

July 30th: Kshocolat 72% Dark Chocolate

Kcal 508 Fat 38.7g Fat(sats) 24.2g Carb 31.6g

Kshocolate are a relatively new company to the chocolate market having launched in only 2003. Despite their relative infancy their products are avalible in retail stores across the UK, US, Asia, Australasia and throughout Europe - the chocolate itself is actually produced in Glasgow, Scotland. Up until last week I must admit to being rather oblivious to their existance...that was until Kshocolat sent me five bars from their range for me to sample! Today I tried their 72% Dark chocolate bar.

The bar came in a 80g serving which I easily consumed over two sittings. I must admit it wasn't the richest of bars and the 40g servings were not the usual intense fufilling dark chocolate experiences that some other bars have provided. The outer packaging wasn't the most striking - if anything I thought the choice of colours was rather dull...they just didnt really articulate that this was a 'premiuim' bar of chocolate. The dullness of the outer packaging was all but blown away by the beauty of the bar itself. As you will see by the product shot above the bar had superbly engraved cocoa pod pictures carved into the surface...it looked an very impressive bar of chocolate. The bar also had a very appealing smell...it was wrapped tightly in silver foil which made for a very fresh smelling alluring cocoa to exude when unwrapped.

As you can probably guess by the fat content, this bar was crammed full of cocoa butter...37% of the totoal bar to be exact. It made for a wonderfully smooth taste and a chocolate that melted ever so effortlessly on the tongue....this was not a chocolate that required to be chewed - it just simply liquified into a silky smooth pleasant texture.

With this silky smooth texture came a suprisingly soft tasting chocolate. I was expecting an extremely rich cocoa flavour with the 72% solids level, but I found the taste rather reserved and its intensity was not quite the level I was expecting. The flavour of the bar was a pleasant cocoa one...not too bitter but at the same time not too sweet...just a very smooth long tasting cocoa flavour. Due to its slightly reserved nature the bar was not quite the rich dark experience of the Lindt Excellence 70% Dark or the Hotel Chocolat 85%, despite the flavour being a pleasant one I did find it slightly one dimensional...it didn't develop over the course of its time in my mouth and had no other elements to its taste. As I said though the cocoa flavour was pleasant enough and this was a good standard dark chocolate.

Overall this was a nice enough dark chocolate offering, though it didn't quite reach the levels of the finer dark chocolate equivalents from Lindt or Hotel Chocolat. It had a great smooth texture, with a real melt in the mouth luxurious nature to it, and the taste despite not being the most multifaceted was still on the whole enjoyable. This bar could simply just do with having another slight flavour lick to it...if only a very subtle note of vanilla or some sort of nut, it would just make the overall taste that little bit more interesting. If your after a non-offensive, subtle strengthed dark chocolate this would be a good bar for you to check out. If your more looking for a full on dark chocolate with a seriously rich intensive flavour though its probably best you overlook this bar and go for either of the suggested Lindt or Hotel Chocolat alternatives.

7.9 out of 10

July 29th: Skittles Chocolate Mix

Kcal 230 Fat 2.5g Fat(sats) 2.5g Carbs 51.0g

Now I know these aren't strictly chocolate, but what with the inclusion of a whole 2% cocoa solids and reader demand I simply had to get on the case of CandyPirate to send me some of these...as ever the nice guys at CandyPirate duly obliged and sent me a 53g bag for me to sample.

The Skittles Chocolate Mix is formed of an assortment of five different flavours: S'mores, brownie batter, chocolate pudding, chocolate caramel and lastly a rather oddly placed vanilla flavour...I wont even start on why its included in a supposed chocolate mix!!??

The 53g serving provided a nicely sized serving - I definately felt like I had my fill and I was somewhat satisfied with the portion. The packaging of the bag was nice though productwise the flavours could have been slightly more distinguishable in colour...the s'mores and vanilla were at times hard to tell apart, though this was more of a problem with the chocolate caramel and chocolate pudding flavours. Unfortunately these shared the common problem that M&Ms have in the aroma department...they smelt very non descript - not like any chocolate I have had anyway, to be honest they just frankly had an odd sweet smell.

This chocolate mixture had the same sort of texture you get with all Skittles - a pleasant sugary crispy outer shell with a soft chewy centre that released the flavours when chewed. Nothing overly new or out of place here...just simply what you would expect from Skittles.

Just to try out a different way to write up my reviews on taste, below I have simply written my tasting notes that I wrote whilst sampling each of the flavours. I tried eating all the flavours in many different ways: individually, two or more at a time and even mixing the flavours....here is what I noted down for each:

Chocolate Caramel - Nice immersive initial caramel flavour which progressivelly got less palpable the more I chewed on each piece. When eaten more than one at a time the caramel flavour was suprisingly less distinctive.

Vanilla - Very sweet artificial vanilla essence concentrate like taste...extremely sweet and taste quickly became sickly...unfortunately most generously portioned in the packet.

Brownie Batter - Nice doughy cake type flavour hit, Most distinctive in flavour and my favourite of the lot. Strongest aftertaste out of the selection.

Chocolate Pudding - Hardly any hint of cocoa flavour with a taste that can only really be described as sweet tasting. Very non distinctive , bland and entirely forgettable if not for the sickly taste.

S'mores - Very sweet marshmallow like flavour - one of the most distinct of the selection. Slight honey flavoured tinge to the aftertaste...my second favourite.

Overall as you can see from my notes above the flavour range was not all that great. The only memorable aspects of the vanilla and chocolate pudding pieces were really their complete lack of flavour and their fast developing sickly sweet tastes. The chocolate caramels despite having a nice initial caramel flavour soon developed to only further add to the overall monotomous sweet nature of the aforementioned flavours. The only real winners in this mixture were for me the s'mores and more to the point brownie batter flavour....they at least tasted as described with the brownie batter variant especially providing a distinct long lasting taste that actually delivered on what its description detailed. I wouldn't massivelly recommend these to anyone based on their chocolate credentials, but for fans of Skittles these could at least be worth checking out. I can safely say these do not represent chocolate in its greatest glory - probably best avoided if you have little interest in them.

6.8 out of 10

CandyPirate has all types of American Candy & Food - check out the website for products like thse Skittles Chocolate Mix and many more

July 28th: Hotel Chocolat Milk Rocky Road

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

Ever since I have started reviewing Hotel Chocolat products, time and time again readers were suggesting that I try this 'Milk Rocky Road' slab. Luckily for me one was included with the all new 'Peepster Box' selection that Hotel Chocolat sent me through last week.

The 'Milk Rocky Road' is formed of a base slab of standard 40% house milk chocolate with the inclusion of chocolate chip cookie pieces, puffed rice and white chocolate chunks. This slab was nigh on impossible to split up without bits of chocolate, rice and cookie flying all over the place...but even I will admit it looked awesome! Just look at the picture above! It looked stunningly crafted and the extra ingredients looked extremely generously portioned and interesting! The slab had a less distinct smell than other Hotel Chocolat offerings I have reviewed in the past. The normal chocolatey milky smell took a back seat to a more reserved malty biscuity one...still pleasant, but not quite as enticing or forthcoming as others have been.

What with all the different elements in the bar each mouthful made for an exciting eating experience, as there was some pleasure in the sheer anticipation of awaiting the flavours that would emerge with each bite. As with the plain 40% house slab the milk chocolate was divine...a very long creamy cocoa taste just lit up my tastebuds...it was as luxurious as before and when melted had a silky soft but thick feel in the mouth.

The first added ingredient I came across were the rice crispies, and to be frank they were nothing special. They were rather large in their build and took up alot of space in the chocolate...their texture added a nice crunch though flavourwise they added very little as the milk chocolate soon overpowered their weak malty flavour. The white chocolate pieces were fairly generously portioned in my slab and I enjoyed them immensely. The white chocolate chunks were of the house white, formed of 29% cocoa and 20% milk solids...it tasted very sweet and alot milkier than the milk chocolate which provided a nice distinctive contrast of flavours. In the middle of the bar was a very sizeable 'chocolate chip cookie' piece. When I ate this slab I ate all around this piece...saving it for a 'grand finale' so to speak....unfortunately this finale was somewhat lacking flavour. Suprisingly when I ate the cookie piece the actual taste was very lacking...it was very bland and only offered a minor cookie dough like tinge when it was completely eaten out of isolation from the milk chocolate base...which was fiddly to do nonetheless. Its texture had a nice cookie crumblyness though this hardly made up for its lack of flavour.

Overall this bar all but proves that sometimes its just better to stick to what you do best....and for Hotel Chocolat its seems to be plain chocolate! The milk and white chocolate components were both divine and tasted great. This slab is really let down by the rice and cookie pieces. The rice just seemed like filler and really added nothing to the overall flavour....to me it just felt like they took up space in the slab and I would have preffered them left out altogether. The biggest letdown of the bar has to be the cookie piece which really lacked the biscuity taste I was hoping it would add...it was very disappointing. To be honest I think if your looking to hang a bit of chocolate up on the wall - there aren't many prettier offerings on the market - this slab looks a work of art. Unfortunately though despite still having a very pleasant base milk chocolate, the added ingredients are a bit of a let down and for this reason I would suggest probably looking elsewhere in the Hotel Chocolat range. An interesting variant... just not necessarilly the best one though.

7.8 out of 10

July 27th: Hershey's Milk Duds

Kcal 170 Fat 6.0g Fat(sats) 3.5g Carbs 28.0g (per 13 pieces 39.0g)

What with the cinema season being in full swing at the minute (Dark Knight & Wall-E are both must sees!!) when CandyPirate told me they were sending these across I couldn't help but appreciate their appropriateness, as from what I hear these milk chocolate coated caramels are quite the popular US cinema snack. Speaking of US candy and the cinema, Jeanna over at Wisconsin Candy has been doing some great combined reviews of films and candy...most notbably this review on the Reese's Whoppers - check it out if you have a minute.

I recieved these Milk Duds in a 114g pack which I ate over two sittings - neither of which left me feeling that satisfied. The chocolates came in a yellow cardboard box as you can see above - that packaging aside the Duds litterally sat in the box rattling around loosely. Personally I think an extra inner layer of packaging would have helped keep freshness and maybe have helped the issue of some of them sticking together. The Duds themselves were about the size of a £1 coin though many were odd shaped and misfigured - they also had a not so great looking dusty surface coating. After opening the box I couldn't detect a very evident smell...a very minor sweet smell lingered but was hardly forthcoming.

At first I ate these singly though it wasn't long before I was shovelling several in my mouth at a time. Im not going to beat around the bush...the milk chocolate coating was awfully poor. Texturewise it was much like its appearance suggested lumpy and grainy - it just felt gritty on my tongue. It wasn't very impactful flavourwise either - it tasted very mundane offering little more than a gritty milk flavour...it really lacked a chocolatey edge. The caramel centres fortunately offered a little more than the poor chocolate coating. The texture of the caramels started as being quite firm and resistant to the bite - though once in the mouth and left on the tongue, softened to have more of a chewy feel. Caramels are very easily made overly sweet though thankfully these didn't have this particular problem. Again like the product in general they were not the most compelling tastewise; they did have a nice buttery flavour that was alogether great tasting, however it just wasn't potent or strong enough to really provide any satisfaction. What this culminated in was a situation that often occurs when I eat Malteasers and that was finding myself eating several at a time in order to achieve a flavour hit of some worth.

Overall its easy to see why these are such a popular cinema snack..they fit the bill 100%. To me the epitome of cinema food is that its bassically grazing food - snacks with very little taste that you can simply sit down and munch through for a good hour and a half. Though they fit the situation in this sense they do not fit the bill as a great tasting option. The milk chocolate had a poor grainy texture and offered a very minor milky taste. The caramel centres had a nice buttery sweet taste though just wern't impactful on the tastebuds. I wouldn't go as far as recommending these but if your visiting the cinema soon and are bored of your Maltesers and Revels these could be worth you seeking out to at least sample.

5.9 out of 10

Visit CandyPirate for all your American Candy & Foods - including Hersheys Milk Duds

July 27th: Mars Bounty

Kcal 268 Fat 13.6g Carbs 36.4g

Well heres a bit of information for you...'when Saddam Hussein was captured by US forces he was found with a pack of hot dogs, a 7-Up and a refridgerator full of Bounty bars'...don't say you don't learn anything new from Chocolate Mission each day now folks ;)

The Bounty bar encorporates 'moist tender coconut covered in thick milk chocolate' and came in a 57g serving of which was split up into two 28.5g bars. I liked the look of the Bounty wrapper - very colourful and fresh looking - it really stands out on the pretty dull looking confectionary fixture in most shops. The bars themselves were very similarly shaped to Mars and Snickers - just long fingered bars with a rippled pattern on top. When broken into the white fluffed centre of the Bounty looked very eccentric and appetising. The bar had a nice aroma - very milky smelling with just an inkling of coconut...it was a good indication of things to come.

The chocolate coating was pretty standard Mars milk chocolate. It tasted very sweet and milky - no not the greatest tasting but pleasant nonetheless. Texturewise it was pretty smooth and melted nicely on the tongue - As you can see in the picture the top of the bar had a thicker layer of milk chocolate which provided a nice initial cracking sensation when bitten into.

Im going to admit this now but im not the biggest fan of coconut....BUT and this is a big BUT....I genuinely really enjoyed the centre of the bar. It had a very unique texture and felt cool on the tongue. Despite looking fluffy in appearance, the centre provided a nice crunch which worked well agaisnt the smooth chocolate. The coconut had a very fresh taste...very milky with a nice nuttyness which made for a lovely long buttery combination of flavours...very nice indeed.

Overall its not suprising that the Bounty bar really has the coconut end of the market sewn up - it uses the ingredient to its full potential in what really is a great tasting bar. As I said im not the biggest fan of coconut, but the nutty milky taste and the cool, crunchy texture made for a delicious enjoyable filling. This in tandem with a decent enough milk chocolate and nice looking appearance made for a truly satisfying substantial product. If your a fan of coconut I strongly suggest you try this bar out! Fans of the Cadbury Cherry Ripe will feel right at home here.

8.3 out of 10

July 26th: Ritter Sport Cappuccino

Kcal 571 Fat 39.0g Carbs 49.0 (per 100g)

Today I took my second dip into the Ritter Sport range sampling the Cappuccino variant. The onpack description informed me the bar was comprised of 'milk chocolate with a cappuccino cream' which accounted for a formidable 45% of the total bar. The ingredients in the bar read pretty cleanly with a 30% cocoa and 19% milk solids mixture - the bar also contained 2% coffee and a rather ambiguous 9% cream powder...now thats one I havent heard of before.

As with the whole of the Ritter range this came in a 100g squared bar, which provided two pretty satisfying servings. The bar came in its impressive customary plastic packaging and sectioned, enscribed blocked appearance. Splitting the bar into its sections a truffle like centre made its presence known, oozing slightly from each block - it wasn't quite as distinclty coloured as the packaging suggested but it was distinguishable nonetheless. The bar smelt absolutely glorious - it evoked memories of freshly brewed chocolate topped lattes from back in the day when I was a younger Starbucks addict (nowadays its just a tall black for me!!)

As is the norm with most the bars I review I chilled this one which slightly hardened the soft centre. The milk chocolate that coated the centre tasted lovely, it had a smooth rich creamy taste...one that I would very much aliken to Milka Alpine Milk with its milkyness...the only difference I would really say there is between the two is that the Ritter milk chocolate didn't have the nutty aftertaste element to it's taste. The milk chocolate melted at a pleasant rate slowly revealing the flavour of the softer cappuccino cream centre - which in texture became softer and softer as it warmed on the tongue...it was very truffle like. The centre was very creamy and smooth tasting, it's flavour wasn't too intense in its coffee flavouring. Though fully detectable it was more of a chocolatey flavoured centre with a hint of coffee flavouring. I can see why the coffee intensity may have been held back just a tad to make it a frendlier taste, though personally I would have loved for it to be a bit stronger. Despite not being quite as strong as I would have quite wished its flavour was still extremely pleasant and very moreish...it tasted just so extremely smooth and velvety which made it very pleasurable to eat.

Overall another resounding success from the Ritter range and very worthy of its high score. This is an all round great bar...its presented brilliantly, smells appealing, has great milk chocolate and a delicious filling ; all this makes for a truly satisfying bar of chocolate. The only slight area I think it could be improved for me personally would be the coffee flavour to be slightly stronger...though its fully understandable this wouldn't be to the majority of peoples tastes so its not really a fault that can be to heavily placed on the part of Ritter. If you love Coffee and chocolate combinations this is up there with the Lindt Lindor Coffee Truffles and Trader Joe's dark chocolate covered espresso beans which I both also rate very highly - thumbs up from Chocolate Mission and highly recommended!

8.4 out of 10

July 26th: Galaxy

Kcal 250 Fat 14.9 Carbs 25.5g

Its puzzling why it takes me so long to get round to reviewing bars like this one - the most simplistic of chocolate bars on the market...the milk chocolate Galaxy bar.

I bought this in a 49g serving bar which split up into 6 sizeable chunks as shown above. As the packaging informed me these chunks were formed in a 'new shape for a smoother taste'.....hmmm right im not too sure how a different shape would alter the taste. That aside the bar looked impressive and the blocks were aesthetically pleasing on the eye.

Taking this from the fridge I unwrapped the foil wrapper and broke the chunks of the bar into a bowl. At this point I gave the bar a good smell assessment and was somewhat disappointed. The bar emanated a very slight cocoa smell - which had the slightest hint of vanilla. It was not as strong as I was expecting and to me this was slightly disappointing as I was expecting a far more imposing aroma.

As I have said the wrapper promised a smoother taste with the new shape of the bar. Unfortunately im not experienced enough with Galaxy chocolate to make a direct comparison between the old and new shapes' texture...what I can confirm though is the sheer luxurious nature of the current. Each block melted on the tongue at optimal speed..not to fast..not to slow and delivered a delightfully smooth silky feel. Bliss.

Tastewise this bar can be described as pure indulgence....it tastes wonderfully rich with a flavour that is heavily cream based. The cocoa level in this bar is slightly higher than the Cadbury Dairy Milk at 25% though it is really the milkier creamy taste of the bar that really makes it so divine and makes for an incredibly moreish chocolate bar...its a shame it was only 49g as I could have eaten far more.

Overall this isn't the most exciting bar in the world...it just a plain milk chocolate bar with no 'raz-ma-taz' attached...but this doesn't mean it isn't fantastic for what it is. It's texture is luxuriously smooth and it tastes so amazingly creamy...I just cant fault it. The only real areas this bar is held back is in its aroma and its hunger fulfilment potential...from a bar with such other high qualities I expected a better smelling - more fulfilling bar. I urge you to treat yourself to a Galaxy you wont be disappointed - just make sure its a bar larger than 49g!

8.7 out of 10

July 25th: Hotel Chocolat 50% Milk Chocolate

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

All good things come to an end and unfortunately this was the last slab that came in the 'Peepster Box' that reader Maxine so kindly sent my way. This 50% milk chocolate slab promised 'ultra creamy milk chocolate with loads of cocoa for an extra chocolatey boost' containing 50% cocoa and 20% milk solids....its always refreshing to see cocoa solids topping the ingredients list and not the usual sugar. Like the other plain flavoured slabs this variant came in two 62.5g slabs which as ever provided me with two plentiful and fulfiling single servings.

Despite spending a longer time sitting around in the Peepster Box the product still felt just as fresh as the other slabs I had started reviewing weeks ago. Im not gonna back down on my initial feelings towards the slab presentation style....it looks great oh yes....buts its practability I still believe to be poor. As I said the slab still had the same freshness as the ones I reviewed weeks before...the same shimmering flawless surface, the same crisp cracking sound as I split it up and the same distinctness of aroma when released from its plastic wrapper. This bar in particular had a strong chocolatey scent that was ever so faintly sweet and floral...very forthcoming and very tempting.

The taste of this chocolate was unsuprising in that it was exactly how it was described on pack. It had stronger taste than the 40% house that I rated so highly...its flavour was less creamy and edgier with its cocoa sharpness...I was expecting this to make the bar richer but the lack of creamyness meant that the texture was less viscous and despite the flavour being stronger than the 40% the taste didn't last as long in the mouth. The stronger tasting chocolate still melted in the mouth at a delightful butter like rate....just so silky and divine. The bar didnt quite have the longevity of aftertaste of the 85% or the 40% though its flavour on the tongue more than held its own.

Overall another great tasting option from Hotel Chocolat - not the best offering no but I believe it definately serves a purpose in the range in that it could be a great bar for someone looking to bridge the step change between milk and dark chocolate. Its cocoa flavour is noticeably more intense than in the 40% bar but isn't quite the harshness of the 85% bar that some may find just all to much if unfamiliar with stronger chocolate. Personally I like my chocolate either milky or dark...so In honesty I wouldn't go rushing back to this bar all that soon...thats not to say this isn't another luxurious variant...it is! I fully recommend this bar for those looking for an adventure outside their comfy milk chocolate zone but are scared to go for a fully fledged dark chocolate option...in my book theres no better bar to introduce your tastebuds to stronger tasting chocolate...not that I know of yet anyway ;) So I have come to the end of my 'Peepster Box'....lucky the postman delivered another different selection this morning :D with even more exciting flavours from the Hotel Chocolat range - coming soon to a Chocolate Mission near you :D

8.4 out of 10

July 24th: Lindt Swiss Classic Milk Hazelnut Chocolate

Kcal 558 Fat 37.0g Fat(sats) 17.2g Carbs 48.0g

The Swiss Classic range was part of the Lindt portfolio I had not touched upon until today. This particular line of 'Classic' bars fall under the Lindt & Sprungli branding - the difference this has from the original Lindt brand I do not know. The blurb on the back told me that this combination had been 'master chocolatiers since 1845!!' that sure is a long time.

Today I decided to sample the milk chocolate with roasted hazelnuts 125g bar. The ingredients list on the back looked pretty clean - 31% cocoa and 14% milk solids...a slightly odd combination but the cocoa content for a milk chocolate bar is nothing to turn the nose up at. The bar constituted of 17% hazelnuts though one look at the bar and you would have thought the level would be far higher - they were very visible throughout.

The wrapper of the bar looked stylish - it had a premiuim look that set itself apart from your standard packaging....nice solid gold writing with a pleasant looking picture. The bar came foil wrapped which released a wonderfully fragrant milky aroma when split...the smell also had a slight nutty undertone which wasn't suprising due to generosity at which the hazelnuts were portioned....17%!?...I dont think so! As I have described the bar smelt great but looked even better! Despite each block having an abundance of chopped nuts crammed in, the bar retained a stylish unblemished look with the Lindt logo faultlessly encribed on each. Aswell as its classy look it also split up effortlessly and conveniently despite the heavy presence of the nuts.

Taking the first block and letting it melt on my tongue I was initially met with a very familiar smooth milky cocoa intensive flavour - one very similar to the one I experienced with the Lindt Excellence Milk Extra Creamy. Texturewise it was also very similar...it melted on the tongue within a few seconds leaving the hazelnut remnants. Despite the soft enjoyable texture of the chocolate I unfortunately did not enjoy the texture of the nuts. Though shown as wholenuts on the packaging they were infact chopped in the actual bar which meant they gave a gritty and bitty texture that lacked the nice crunch of wholenuts. Thankfully the nut pieces were still relatively fresh tasting and had an enjoyable roasted woody flavour - very distinct and forthcoming in flavour. The combination of the cocoa intensive chocolate and distinct flavours of the nuts made for quite a rich bar that I consumed over three sittings...after each serving I felt very content.

Overall this is another classy bar from Lindt - its not quite perfect but altogether its still very enjoyable. The milk chocolate had a lovely rich cocoa rooted milky taste with a near perfect melt in the mouth texture. The hazelnuts had a fresh distinct flavour though were at slight detriment to the bar due to their chopped nature...they roughened the smooth texture without adding a nicy crunch element, it was also very annoying find bits of hazelnut in my teeth for hours after...this was the bars only true fault. If your into your milk chocolate and nut combinations this is a great option...very worthwhile checking out and is one I would recommend.

8.4 out of 10

July 23rd: Lily O'Briens Sticky Toffee / Honeycomb Crisp

Sticky Toffee Kcal 500 Fat 25.0g Fat(sats) 12.5g Carbs 65.7g (per 100g)
Honey Crisp Kcal 508 Fat 27.5g Fat(sats) 17.5g Carbs 62.5g (per 100g)

You may recall that I recieved a nice sample pack from Lily O'Briens a few weeks ago. Included in this pack were two flavoured bars from their range....the Sticky Toffee and the Honeycomb Crisp. Both bars were formulated using Lily O'Briens milk chocolate (30% cocoa and 20% milk solids) and their respective flavours. The Sticky Toffee bar centre was exactly the same as the Sticky Toffee chocolates I reviewed a few weeks ago with a soft centred caramel like filling. The Honeycomb Crisp had honeycomb pieces and crispy cereal dispersed throughout the milk chocolate.

Much like the original milk chocolate bars I was really rather unimpressed with the aesthetic look of the bars...they just looked so basic..merely blocked and sectioned bars...they looked like cheap supermarket chocolate when taken out of the fairly blandly designed looking packaging. When the blocks were split the Sticky Toffee did look a bit more appetizing with the toffee oozing out slightly...the Honeycomb Crisp was also slightly more interesting looking when sectioned with the crispies providing some textured detail...still though both were pretty uninspiring and plain looking. Both bars smelt remarkably similar - the aroma of the chocolate was the dominating scent I got from both...a soft milky smell with a strong undertone of honey...at least they smelt better than they looked!

The milk chocolate in both bars was idential in taste and texture. It had a nice milky flavour that had a smooth texture that melted at a nice rate of the tongue. As I previously stated in the original milk chocolate bar reviews the taste was still pretty one dimensional and didnt develop alot.. if at all during its duration in my mouth - luckily this wasnt so much of an issue with the additional flavourings in the bars which added secondary layers to the taste experiences.

Simply put the Sticky Toffee flavour was not quite aswell delivered in bar format than it was in the single chocolate format. The ratio of chocolate to toffee filling was far more weighted on the chocolate ingredient which meant that the flavour of the filling wasnt as impactful. It still had a pleasant sweet taste but the slightly grainy texture and salty aftertaste elements I got from the individual chocolates were absent here. Solely due to the dominance of the milk chocolate these aspects just didnt come through in the taste or texture.

The Honeycomb Crisp bar was quite simiar to the Sticky Toffee in that its added flavour was diluted somewhat by the milk chocolate. The honeycomb pieces and crispy rice added a nice differentiated aspect to the texture - obviously adding an extra crispy and crunchy element. Unfortunately the flavors of both were just simply not strong enough to make a real impact on the taste and apart from a slight added sweet honey note to the aftertaste both their presences were hard to seperate from the milk chocolate.

Overall these are two relatively fair flavour variants from Lily O'Briens though neither are really that spectacularly strong tasting. If I was to pick a 'Sticky Toffee' flavoured product from the Lily O'Briens range I would definately choose the individual chocolates...the filling is simply portioned more thus making for a greater toffee flavour hit. The Honeycomb Crisp added a nice texture to the milk chocolate but flavourwise could be far more impactful - its simply overpowered by the milk chocolate. If your interested in the Lily O'Briens range these are the more exciting option to the standard milk chocolate bars so I would recommend them in that sense. Both are pleasant twists on the original milk chocolate offering...but just beware the flavours here are subtle.

Lily O'Briens Sticky Toffee 7.6 out of 10
Lily O'Briens Honeycomb Crisp 7.9 out of 10

July 22nd: Charleston Chew 'Chocolatey' (US)

Kcal 230 Fat 6.0g Fat(sats) 4.5g Carbs 43.0g

Last week CandyPirate were yet again kind enough to send me another bar to sample - this time another of one of the US's best selling candy bars the 'Charleston Chew Chocolatey'....'Chocolatey' why not chocolate? Well folks further research has revealed that Tootsie Roll Ind have had to name this variant 'Chocolatey' and not chocolate due to the coating being formulated using vegetable fats and not cocoa butter!....oh....oh indeed! Though I sampled the original sized variant, the Charleston Chew has recently become avalible in a 'mini' format which Cybele at Candy Blog has cast her eye across...well worth checking out her review as she battles her 'mockolate' fears.

The wrapper described this as 'chewy flavoured nougat with a deliciously chocolatey flavoured coating'. the wrapper itself was very similarly styled to that of the Tootsie Roll I reviewed last week. Classic and retro in look but still with the TLC touch of an inside cardboard sleeve to protect the bar. The bar itself look pretty plain in appearance...it simply looked like a longer, thinner less detailed Milky Way...not particularly imposing or unique to be honest. This bar came in a huge sinlge serving finger shape that weighed in at a mighty 53.2g - it was not only the size of the bar that made it so fufiling but its nature, the extra chewy texture made it a pretty satisfying and substantial eating experience.

Taking the bar from the sleeve and cutting it into sizeable chunks the bar emanated a subtle vanilla essence like aroma. The chocolatey coating did not seem to have a distinct smell, though the vanilla scent was pleasant enough.

On the wrapper the bar suggested to 'Try me frozen'....so I did. As I said above I sectioned the bar into several bitesized pieces and then let it sit in my freezer for a good few hours. Obviously placing the first piece in my mouth the chocolatey coating took a while to meet its melting point. It must be said the coating really lacked a definitive flavour and was little more than I can describe as sweet tasting with the slightest...and I mean slightest cocoa undercurrant. Its texture was pleasant enough despite the lack of cocoa butter - once at melting point in my mouth it smoothly melted away to reveal the nougat centre.

The nougat/taffy like centre was where this product really came into its own...it tasted delicious and whats more was great fun to eat. As you can imagine when in its frozen state the centre had a hard texture though once warmed in the mouth was enjoyably sticky and chewy. It was tougher than standard nougat but not jaw destroying at the same time. By far and away the best way to eat it was to warm the nougat on the tongue, then slightly chew it to release the flavour and then suck on the remnants till all but melted away. In flavour it was very similar to that of the nougat in a UK Milky Way...deliciously creamy and milky with the slightest essence of vanilla - awesome stuff and incredibly enjoyable.

Overall this is another prouct from the US that like the Tootsie Roll has both brilliant and poor attributes. Lets not beat around the bush...the chocolatey coating is poor! It offered very little in taste and though despite not having an unenjoyable texture, there's just no doubt that it could just be delivered so much better with the implementation of actual higher quality real chocolate! The nougat centre is delightfully tasty, its flavoured sweetly but not overly so and its texture has just the right about of resistance to provide a long but enjoyable creamy vanilla tasting experience. Im going to recommend this product as its something thats slightly different from your average candy bar (especially for us in the UK!)...theres no doubting that with a slight tweaking of the ingredients and delivery of the chocolate this could really be a bar to behold - certainly a bar worth checking out if you like your nougat.

7.4 out of 10

Want to try out the Charleston Chew Chocolatey for yourself? Head to CandyPirate to find American Candy & Foods all directly in the UK!