November 6th: Ritter Sport Neapolitan Waffle

Kcal 547 Fat 35.0g Fat(sats) 18.4g Carbs 49.0g (per 100.0g)

Rarely a week goes by lately without me dipping in to the Ritter Sport brand at least once. Sent to me again by the kind folks at Dean-German-Grocery, this 'Neapolitan Waffle' variant was formed of three Neapolitan waffle (aka wafer!) layers (10%), which were separated by two layers of hazelnut creme (35%) and coated with milk chocolate.

I was surprised this bar came in the same size and weight as the other Ritter Sport variants. I based this assumption on the fact the product contained wafers, which normally take up a lot of space but little weight. Anyway, I was wrong and this came in the standard 100.0g form. The outer packaging was coloured largely the same as the 'Peanut' variant, though the clear picture on the front made this variant highly distinguishable. I liked the look of the bar aesthetically, the top of the bar as ever was branded cleanly with the Ritter Sport logo, whilst the layering of the middle waffle and creme layers looked distinct and enticing. The smell of the product was largely hazelnut rooted, which was not surprising considering its large portioning (16% hazelnut mass!!). The strong nutty scents were complimented nicely by some underlying sweet cocoa scents.

The Ritter Sport milk chocolate provided a suitable background milky context for the filling. The melt was smooth as ever and revealed the inner wafer and creme layers at a nice rate. As I always say, the milk chocolate isn't anything to get excited about, but it consistently delivers at providing a nice base taste to the products where it is implemented. At the centre of the bar the wafer and hazelnut creme were placed in five intermittent layers. Despite being able to appreciate products like the Kit Kat, I must admit I am not the biggest wafer fan. I generally find wafers are pretty meaningless and often lack flavour. Thankfully this wasn't the case here. The wafers provided a delicious sweet wheaty element to the taste, and also retained a nice crunchy texture despite the moist creme layers being in constant contact. The hazelnut creme layer reminded me a lot of the Ritter Sport Praline bar and had an absolutely delicious, creamy nutty taste. The wafer element meant that this wasn't quite on the same hunger fulfilment levels of the 'Whole Hazelnut' variants, though 50.0g was satisfactory enough.

Overall the combination of all the layers provided an outstanding convergence of tastes and textures that was highly enjoyable. If I was to a liken this to anything I would say that it was like a superior version of the Kinder Bueno and Kit Kat Senses. I wouldn't say the hazelnut filling is quite on the same level as the Bueno, though there is no doubt in the fact that the chocolate and wafer layers are far, far superior. I wasn't massively excited about trying this variant, but it is definitely one I would have again - recommended.

8.6 out of 10

Fancy trying the Ritter Sport Neapolitaner Waffel for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 6th: Milka Amavel Mousse au Chocolat

Kcal 560 Fat 36.5g Carbs 51.5 (per 100.0g)

Before Dean-German-Grocery sent this to me I wasn't actually aware that Milka had more lines than just their standard bars. This 'Amavel' range comprises of big Milka Alpine Milk pockets that are filled with various fillings. Dean-German-Grocery have been kind enough to send me across four different flavours, all of which I will be reviewing in the coming weeks. Today I tried the 'Mousse au Chocolat' flavour.

Due to the bar comprising of deeply filled pockets, the design of the bar was distinctly different to the standard Milka range. The bar was about four times the thickness, and was split into ten seperable pods. The pods were a little on the big side for my liking, it might have made more sense to have 12 instead of the 10 ... but that would be being very pedantic. The outer packaging gave the product a very premium look. The hard cardboard box was well designed with a fantastic looking picture and stylish gold font. The bar was wrapped in a layer of silver foil, releasing the bar from this foil revealed the all too familiar sweet dairy scents of the Alpine Milk choolate.

Despite its 160.0g size I ate the bar in only two sittings - five pods at a time. This provided a very satisfying serving, though to be honest you would come to expect that eating 80.0g worth of chocolate - oh blobby blobby!! As I have mentioned above the pods were slightly arkward in their size, however this didn't effect my enjoyment of the product to a massive extent. The distinction between the Alpine Milk coating and Mousse filling was all too obvious, there were distinctive texture and flavour differences. The Alpine Milk was far thicker and dense in comparion to the lighter, whipped filling of the mousse. The milkier flavours of the Alpine Milk were a perfect build up for the more intense and concentrated cocoa taste of the mousse. The two elements really worked perfectly in tandem, delivering a long lasting smooth taste that grew stronger as the melt progressed and the mousse filling revealed.

Overall this was a great first showing from the Milka Amavel range. I live by the motto 'save the best till last', so I reserved the more extravagant and exciting flavours from the range to review in the coming weeks. I guess I thought this bar might be a bit of a gimmick, with no distinction in the flavours of the two different elements of the coating and the filling ... to be honest I couldn't have been more wrong. The combination of the milkier outside Alpine Milk and the fluffier but more cocoa intensive mousse worked fantastically, producing a really moreish taste. If your a Milka fan this is a bar I strongly recommend, it is up there with the best of them. I honestly can't waite to try the rest of the range.

8.7 out of 10

Fancy trying the Milka Amavel Mousse au Chocolat for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 5th: Milka Christmas Chocolate

Kcal 515 Fat 29.5g Fat(sats) 16.0g Carbs 56.0g (per 100.0g)

Milka aren't a brand that miss out on the Christmas bandwagon. All the way from Germany, Dean-German-Grocery sent me this 'Christmas Chocolate', a bar that included 'alpine milk chocolate, raisins, hazelnuts, orange pieces and hints of coriander and cinnamon'. It is lucky I am digging the whole cinnamon and coriander thing, a lot of the German Christmas themed products seem to include these spices (see Lindt Lindor Noel etc!), especially compared to the bars we get here in the UK.

Breaking Milka normality this 'Christmas Chocolate' came in a 150.0g size. It was contained within the same glossy plastic type packaging, and had an image on the front that pictured all the ingredients in a nice festive context. Aesthetically the bar looked very similar to that of the Milka Raisin and Nut bar, with nut pieces and raisins dispersed evenly and generously throughout. The bar had a very distinct smell, with the spices very evident amongst some citrusy, creamy smells - this is going to sound wired ... but it did indeed smell like Christmas :)

The milk chocolate base provided many of the silky smooth dairy flavours I have come so accustom to with the alpine milk recipe. As the smell of the bar suggested, the taste was influenced noticeably by the cinnamon and coriander spices. The intensity of the spices was just about right, they weren't overly strong or dominant, but still left a lasting meaningful impression. The hazelnut and raisin elements were both as effectively implemented here as in the Milka Raisin and Nut bar. They didn't have quite the same meaningful impact on the taste, though the sweet fruity flavours of the raisins, and woody, buttery flavours of the hazelnuts were still both very evident. The real surprise factor of this bar came from the small orange pieces, which really exerted themselves with short sharp citrus bursts. They gave the bar an amazingly sweet, fruity taste which had a real distinctness. It was a bit sweet to eat in large quantities, but it was highly enjoyable eating a few pieces at a time.

Overall this is far from just being a gimmick offering from Milka, and is actually a very unique tasting chocolate. The taste of the bar is extended that bit further from the Milka Raisin and Nut due to the inclusion of the spices and the orange pieces. However, it must be said this did cause the overall taste to lose a bit of balance, with the extra sugary ingredients making the bar a bit on the sweet side; this was my only slight criticism. When enjoyed in the right manner - a few squares at a time, it was a highly enjoyable chocolate and is a bar that I very much recommend. This is what Christmas is all about.

8.6 out of 10

Fancy trying the Milk Christmas Chocolate for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 5th: Dove Desserts Bananas Foster

Kcal 200 Fat 11.0g Fat(sats) 8.0g Carbs 24.0g (per 5 pieces)

Having reviewed the standard Dove bars last week and deciding they were not quite the same standard of our UK Galaxy bars, I today turned my attention to one of the unique offerings from the Dove range. These Dove Desserts Bananas Foster came described as 'a delicious blend of caramel, infused with Bananas Foster Dessert, surrounded by Dove milk chocolate'. I personally had never heard of 'Bananas Foster Dessert' - for those in a similar position I can tell you (via Wiki of course) that it is a desert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream, with the sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur ... that's a lot of flavours - how on earth they could all fit in such a small chocolate?

**I SHOP 4 YOU II** sent me a box of 165g (about 20 pieces!), which I consumed over the course of a night in with a few friends (I know sharing ... whatever next!!). The outer box had a contemporary curved shape and looked reasonably premium. Each chocolate had a nice gold foil wrapper and big inscribed Dove logo ... these were hardly Lindt standard in their presentation, but they were better than your average chocolate. The foil wrappers did wonders for the appearance, though did not do the best of jobs at maintaining a nice fresh smell. The smell of the chocolates was not at all bad, just lacking somewhat with only a minor sweet scent on offer.

The size of the chocolates meant they were almost perfect for just placing on the tongue whole and letting them melt. The texture and taste of the outer chocolate was as with the standard Dove milk chocolate bar, smooth and creamy but just a little thinner in both it's melt and flavours than the UK Galaxy. This product was all about it's flavoured caramel centre, which was pleasant though hardly groundbreaking. It had an enjoyable chewy, caramel dexterity that lasted just long enough in the mouth to establish a firm flavour base against the chocolate. The centre had a pleasant initial sweet buttery taste that was heavily noted with Banana. As the chocolates matured in their melt the flavours converged somewhat with the banana flavour losing significance - this was disappointing as the flavours were actually quite good. The chocolates didn't leave a long lasting impression in the mouth; understandably we made our way through this box rather sharpish.

Overall these were particularly hard to score as they were a product that had both brilliant and disappointing factors. The milk chocolate was steady and provided a nice coating with it's balanced creamy flavour. The taste of the Bananas Foster centre was to coin a phrase 'a game of two halves' ... the initial sweet, buttery banana flavours were superb, however all to soon lost relevance and strength in the overall taste ... meaning that these were very disappointing in their taste longevity. There are very few banana themed chocolates out there on the market so in regards to banana fans these could be a fairly enjoyable product. For the rest of you though, these are by no means 'a must try' - another fairly average offering from the Dove range.

7.6 out of 10

*** EU & UK Readers Attention*** Ever been been browsing Chocolate Mission or any other Candy Site and felt frustrated not being able to get hold of an American bar/item!??? .... well feel frustrated no more!!! 'I SHOP 4 YOU II'!! is a great service that provides a unique "one stop shop" international shopping experience!!! Visit the Ebay shop - if they dont have the item you want instock simply give them a message - there is no harm in asking. This service comes with a Chocolate Mission Seal of Approval!! It is a genuinely great, fast and friendly service... Just say you came from Chocolate Mission.

November 4th: Lindt Christmas Truffles

Dean-German-Grocery have really spoilt me, sending me a great deal of samples from Lindt's Christmas range. As we have seen already there are some fantastic products this year (see here!), these mini truffles particularly intrigued me.

All three came sized about 30.0g ... think Quality Street Big Ones ... but with a lot more class :) Each of them came stunningly presented in dainty, but classy small boxes. Inside the truffles were protected by plastic film layers. As you can see from the pictures all three truffles looked fantastic. Each had a different nut placed on top, and all of them had detailed and intricate crafting detail. The distinct layering of the fillings further added to what on the whole were some stunningly presented products.

Below are my tasting notes for each - I have done my best translating the names ... any kind people who can confirm/help me out with these please do:

Lindt Christmas Yuletide Truffle:

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

All of these truffles included an amazing amount of layers - this Yuletide truffle in particular which included an outer layer of solid milk chocolate, a layer of lighter whipped milk and white chocolate placed on top, an egg-nogg truffle filling, a vanilla creme filling, all of which was topped off by a sugared hazelnut .... phew!! It smelt fantastic - several creamy, dairy scents released themselves from the plastic wrapping.

I was sad enough to cut each of theses truffles in to four smaller pieces. Each piece provided a delightful set of flavours, that varied largely depending on which constituent was most present. The outer milk chocolate set a lovely context for the inner fillings. It wasn't the strongest in its flavours, but its simple smooth milky taste allowed the overall taste to be expanded by the egg-nog and vanilla creme. The egg-nogg had a wonderful whipped texture and added nutmeg and rum flavours in to the mix. The vanilla creme took a bit of a backseat to the egg-nog, but it noticeably noted the aftertaste. The hazelnut piece topped it off nicely offering a long woody taste. The light nature of the fillings meant this wasn't the most fulfilling chocolate ever, but nevertheless it was highly enjoyable.

Overall a high quality truffle that offered several variable different elements to its taste. I particularly enjoyed the flavours from the egg-nog. Personally I would rather the centre had been completely filled with the egg-nog truffle, rather than shared with the vanilla creme. This was a very minor criticism though - a fantastic truffle.

8.4 out of 10

Lindt Christmas Festive Truffle:Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

This festive truffle was formed of: an outer layer of milk chocolate, a layer of whipped dark and milk chocolate on top, a filling that constituted of half marzipan and half nut creme, and finally a sugared almond. It had similar appealing creamy scents as the Yuletide variant, though it also had spicy elements to its fragrance, due to the coriander and cinnamon contained in the nut creme.

Once again the outer milk chocolate performed its task of providing an understated coating chocolate well, with its enjoyable, if a little unspectacular milky flavours. As the smell suggested the coriander and cinnamon elements were forthcoming, and could be tasted in nearly all the layers. I thoroughly enjoyed their contribution to the overall taste, the mixture of the creamy fillings and spicy notes was very unique. However it must be said that the strength at which they delivered their flavours came at partial detriment to the other layers - most notably the marzipan that struggled for presence in the taste. The sugared almond placed on top provided a nice buttery nuttiness to the aftertaste. Again this wasn't the most fulfilling of truffles, though it delivered some enjoyable and lasting flavours.

Overall another hugely enjoyable truffle, though the flavours of the spices may have needed toning down just a touch to give some of other ingredients a greater say in the taste. Like the Yuletide truffle, it probably could have done with going with an either/or approach in regards to the marzipan and nut creme fillings.

8.0 out of 10

Lindt Christmas Walnut Truffle:

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

The final truffle out of the three I sampled was this 'Walnut truffle', which included a coating of outer milk chocolate and a lighter whipped milk and white chocolate on top. The centre comprised of an amazing three different fillings - vanilla creme, nut creme and a layer of marzipan tucked into the centre ... of course all of which was topped off by a grand looking walnut. As with the other two variants the smell of the truffle was very appealing with some very forthcoming creamy, nutty scents.

It was quite amazing really how Lindt tried packing so many layers into this one truffle. Despite the sheer quantity, each was still very distinguishable when I cross-sectioned the product. Though distinguishable visually, when actually eating the product the fillings converged into one. The mixture of the nut and vanilla creme was fantastic and tasted absolutely delicious when enjoyed in tandem with the smooth melt of the outer chocolate. Although the marzipan could be detected with its firmer texture, it remained largely flavourless. The walnut piece on top had a very fresh, earthy flavour. This was my favourite tastewise out of the lot, though the flavours didn't last the longest due to the nature of the light flavours and fillings. 

Overall this was another accomplished truffle that is well worthy of its high score. Although not individually distinct, the fillings were collectively great tasting, providing a very moreish creamy, nutty flavour. As I found in the 'Festive' variant, the marzipan element was relatively lifeless, which had me thinking similar thoughts about whether its presence was actually necessary. On the whole though, another stunningly presented, great tasting truffle.

8.4 out of 10

These were some very high quality truffles that I would highly recommend trying this Christmas if you get the chance. Each had amazing detail, and the presentation was of a very high standard. At times the number of fillings did seem a little to 'busy' for their own good, and maybe could have benefitted from having less ingredients, with more of a focus on one filling in particular. However, largely they were all packed full of flavour, and their stunning presentation in my opinion would make these perfect stocking fillers this Christmas.

Fancy trying the Lindt Christmas Truffles for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 4th: Lindt Excellence White Coconut Chocolate

Kcal 240 Fat 17.0g Fat(sats) 12.0g Carbs 18.0g (per 40.0g)

Devoted ChocolateMission readers will know that when it comes to white chocolate I am a little bit cautious. It seems to be an art that very few can really pull off, and the quality varies wildly from manufacture to manufacture ... from the horrible Cadbury Dream, the middle of the road Milka white to the outstanding Ritter Sport and Hotel Chocolat offerings. Today, courtesy of Dean-German-Grocery, it was the turn of Lindt to show me what they could do. This was no plain white chocolate bar mind, this one had an extra coconut element to it.

I love the standard of presentation of the Excellence range, every single product from the range has thus far justified the name. None more so than this bar in particular; the cardboard packaging and foil wrapping kept the bar in pristine condition, the bar itself looked great with a fantastic light complexion that was interspersed nicely with white flecks of coconut. The bar also had a great aroma, a very forthcoming dairy, coconut mix quickly emanated from the wrapper further adding to the already superb presentation.

I must admit to not being the biggest fan ever of coconut, though the coconut flavours in this bar were nothing short of brilliant. The coconut added a delicious milky nutty context to the overall taste. The white chocolate was amazingly clean and smooth with no reliance whatsoever on sugar to give flavour, it was simply just wonderfully creamy and moreish. Despite the fantastic synergy of coconut and white chocolate culminating in a fantastic overall taste, there were a few factors that were not quite so great. Firstly the taste didn't last that long in the mouth, once the chocolate had melted the flavours disappeared relatively fast - this wouldn't be quite so much of a problem if the nutritional information didn't point out the fact this was a high fat/calorie laden bar. I'm guessing the bar was so high in fat due to it being rich in cocoa butter. This was obvious by the melt of the chocolate, it was silky smooth, though this was spoilt somewhat by the roughness of the coconut pieces. Although this was obviously to be expected, it didn't help the fact that it offset the texture by making it slightly grainy.

Overall I have gone on about the two minor negatives way too much, so it is worth reiterating how fantastic this bar was presented and tasted. It looked stunning and it's taste didn't let it down. It was fantastically creamy and nutty, definitely among the best white chocolate I have ever tasted, not the richest no - but outstanding in it's flavours nonetheless. Whether you enjoy this bar or not will largely be reliant on your enjoyment of coconut ... a bit like the Ferrero Raffaello. If you enjoy coconut and love your white chocolate this is a 'must try bar' ... for the rest of you I also highly recommend it.

8.7 out of 10

Fancy trying the Lindt Excellence White Coconut Chocolate for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 4th: Nestle Princessa Mleczna

Kcal 199 Fat 11.6g Fat(sats) 3.5g Carbs 21.4g

My local Tesco supermarket has recently had a massive influx of Polish foods and goods. Included in the new ranges are quite a wide array of Polish chocolate bars, a few of which I picked up to sample. The packaging was unsurprisingly all in Poilsh, so actually determining what this bar included was a bit of a struggle. After doing some research via wiki I ascertained that this Nestle Princessa Mleczna included 'milk chocolate, with a milk cream filled wafer'. 

In actual physical size, the bar looked incredibly large. Picking it up though, it was that obvious the wafer was the main constituent - it was incredibly light, an unsurprisingly not very fulfilling. The wrapper itself looked pretty good, it had a nice foil glossy look, and the picture on the front actually made the product look pretty appetising. Unlike the wrapper though, the bar looked a bit plain and dull. It was just one long wafer, covered in what looked a pretty minimal layer of milk chocolate. The product didn't offer much in the way of a meaningful aroma, a small sweet smell was detectable, but was far from being anything of note. 

The milk chocolate looked worryingly thin in its appearance, and this sadly translated into the taste. The chocolate offered very little in the manner of a cocoa taste, and its thinness meant it was all but lost in the sweetness of the wafer. The wafer itself was also extremely poor, the milk cream centre added a minor milky context to the taste, however its presence was far more noticeable for giving the wafer an abysmal limp texture. Not only did this make the product completely unfulfilling, but it meant that none of the flavours left a meaningful impression in the mouth.

Overall this was a really quite a poor product, and not the best of starts for this Polish range. The milk chocolate was woefully inadequate and the moistness of cream filling meant that the wafer was on the whole limp and lifeless. This sort of reminded me of a rubbish version of the Nestle Crunch Crisp, it is funny how Nestle don't extend their best practices for products across their company. I understand the company is run regionally, but the sheer variance in quality is huge, and pretty inexcusable when the company already has the knowledge internally on how this product could have been made much better. I would recommend you stay clear of this one.

5.2 out of 10

   

November 3rd: Hotel Chocolat Cool Yule

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

For the last two weeks I have been sampling various parts of the Hotel Chocolat Christmas range, mostly in the form of some of their smaller offerings (Kissing Mistletoe / Little Angels etc!). Well included in my Christmas sampling package was this 'Cool Yule' 500.0g slab - which took the form of 'a background swirl of 30% and 40% milk chocolate, pressed with a white chocolate snowman and sugar snowflakes'. 

This 500.0g slab took me well over a week of constant nibbling (and some sharing!!) to completely finish. The presentation was fantastic, the slab came in a nice looking paper, plastic wrapper that although wasn't the most protective type of packaging still did a relatively good job, and even included a handy resealable flap. As you can see above the slab also looked superb. The swirl effect of the chocolate and the white studded snowflake pieces gave the background an interesting look, whilst the snowman was crafted with a great amount of detail. The slab smelt very enticing with some very familiar Hotel Chocolat dairy, cocoa smells all very evident and forthcoming. What was more impressive was that the smell was still just as strong when opening the packet on the fourth day of nibbling away - it was very impressive how it kept such a fresh appeal. 

Obviously with the slab being so large, different parts of the slab offered varying tastes. Apart from having a slightly milkier taste I couldn't detect too much of a difference between the 30% milk chocolate and the 40%. Both had wonderfully creamy, heavily cocoa rooted tastes that were very enjoyable and devilishly moreish. The white chocolate snowman was a splendid addition, I must admit I was sad enough to break off all the chocolate around it before devouring it. As the snowman was printed onto the milk chocolate background, I largely ate the white chocolate in tandem with the base. The white chocolate gave the milk chocolate an even creamier context and noted the aftertaste with a nice vanilla element - it brought back some good memories of the Milk & White Fusion slab. Another little touch I really enjoyed was that the snowman's scarf had an additional cherry flavouring added to it. The fruity flavour addition was mild, though it gave the slab a little something extra. I enjoyed this slab immensely, however there was one element I think could do with some revision. As I mentioned above the milk chocolate was studded with some white sugary pieces (to give the snowfall effect!!). Personally I would rather these had been left out, as in my opinion they broke up the smoothness of the chocolate and the extra sugar burst they released I felt wasn't all that necessary. I must reiterate this was only the most minor of observations, and it didn't affect my overall high satisfaction with the product whatsoever. 

Overall this was a typical high standard, highly enjoyable Hotel Chocolat product that I enjoyed immensely. This was the first Hotel Chocolat product I have had to consume over more than a few days, and I was quite simply amazed at how fresh the bar kept over the course of a week. The slab maintained all its creamy, cocoa rich flavours, which were delivered with some wonderfully thick, but smooth melt in the mouth textures. Personally I would prefer a few mini slabs like in the Peepster Boxs, rather than a huge 500.0g one, as there is potential for more variety. Despite this, there is no doubting that this is one high quality product that is ideal for gifting this Christmas.

8.7 out of 10        

November 3rd: McVitie's Hobnobs Milk Chocolate Biscuit Flapjack

Kcal 321 Fat 15.4g Fat(sats) 7.0g Carbs 41.7g

My exploration of the flapjack world continued today with me sampling the McVitie's Hobnobs Milk Chocolate Biscuit Flapjack ... mouthful of a name eh!? Despite not overly enjoying McVitie's attempt at the Snickers Flapjack, I was looking forward to trying this Hobnobs version, which came described as - 'Rolled oats baked with Hobnobs biscuit pieces, butter & syrup, topped with milk chocolate'. I am not the biggest of biscuit eaters, but if I had my choice of biscuit I would always go for a Hobnob.

In size this flapjack fitted slap bang in the middle of both the Cadbury and Snickers flapjacks I had reviewed already, at a plentiful 65.0g. The packaging and flapjack itself looked relatively nice, though both were rather plain in their design. I did again have the slight issue of the flapjack sticking to the wrapper ... would it be too much to ask manufactures to include a thin plastic tray!? The product didn't offer much of an aroma but there was a slight buttery, oaty scent.

Despite the milk chocolate consisting of only 13% of the total constituents, the chocolate had a significant presence on the overall taste. It was hardly milk chocolate in all its full glory, but it still provided a relatively nice milky sets of flavours, and melted quite smoothly and softly against the coarser flapjack base. The flapjack base tasted pretty fantastic. It combined all the good elements of the Hobnob biscuit and implemented them well into a flapjack context. The sweet biscuit flavours were still wonderfully complimented by the ever so slight salty kick. The extra oats and syrup element further accentuated the buttery, sweet taste. The full 65.0g was a satisfying and enjoyable mid-afternoon snack. 

Overall this Hobnob variant had the best flapjack base I have tasted so far on Chocolate Mission, but was just slightly lacking in its chocolate quality. The simply addictive nature of the biscuits was translated well into the flapjack format, with all the appropriate sweet, salty, and buttery elements as prevalent as ever. The milk chocolate was fair, however lacked the charm of say the Dairy Milk of the Cadbury flapjack. If your a Hobnob addict this is one I am sure you would enjoy, definietely worth a try if your a fan of the biscuit.

7.6 out of 10 

November 2nd: Ritter Sport Voll Erdnuss (Peanut)

Kcal 558 Fat 38.3g Fat(sats) 16.9g Carbs 39.7g (per 100.0g)

Dipping yet again into my seemingly bottomless pit of goodies from Dean-German-Grocery, I today sampled yet another flavour from the Ritter Sport range - 'Voll Erdnuss' ... that's peanuts to us English speaking folk. Comprising of over 30% peanuts, like the hazelnut variants the milk chocolate was literally bursting to the seams with nuts a plenty.

The outer wrapping was pretty brightly coloured for the normally more reserved Ritter Sport brand. Despite not being enamored with the choice of colour for the wrapper, the bar looked fantastic with the peanut pieces especially prevalent. Although the peanuts held a very heavy presence, the aroma of the bar surprisingly lacked the strong nutty impact I was expecting. There were the usual dairy smells from the milk chocolate, but the nutty scents were very mild ... unfortunately a indication of what was to come.

As I have described above the peanuts were very heavily portioned. Despite the large number they failed to fashion any sort of notable impact on the taste of the bar. The peanuts seemed largely flavourless, lacking the expected buttery, nutty flavours that I envisaged before tasting. The milk chocolate was even spoilt somewhat from its usual slightly better than average quality. The milky flavours and smooth texture seemed disjointed and spoilt somewhat by the sheer blandness of the peanuts. The milky flavours of the chocolate had a relatively short lifespan in the mouth, the peanuts offered very little aside from a minor roasted, savoury flavour. The bar failed to deliver any really long sustaining taste, a 50.0g portion was to be honest very unsatisfying.

Overall I guess I really cursed myself last week when I called Ritter Sport 'one of the most consistent brands I have reviewed' ..... DOH!! This bar was far from a tragedy, but it was also by far the worst Ritter Sport flavour I have tried so far. Unlike the rest of the range, this bar simply lacked flavour. I was expecting a strong nutty experience along the lines of the hazelnut variants, but in comparison this bar was severely lacking in flavour depth and agreeable textures. On the whole I wouldn't recommend this variant, it was completely devoid of charm, especially considering the high standard Ritter Sport has set itself. In my opinion probably best to miss this one out.

6.7 out of 10

Fancy trying the Ritter SportVoll Erdnuss for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 2nd: Ferrero Kusschen

Kcal 53 Fat 4.1g Carbs 3.2g (per piece)

Thanks to Dean-German-Grocery I have really been able to give the Ferrero range a thorough look at. The Ferrero Kusschen (translated = 'Kiss') are according to the website only available in Denmark. They closely follow the premise of the Rocher, though vary slightly in their appearance and lack of wafer.

At first glance I didn't recognise these as a Ferrero product. The packaging had a slightly less premium look about it in comparison to other Ferrero products. I thought the orange foil wrappers were ever so slightly tacky looking, however the chocolates themselves had a nice shape and looked pretty enticing when cross sectioned. The individual foil wrappers ensured the chocolates had a nice aroma, I could detect a strong nutty scent similar to that of the Rocher.

Each of the chocolates a thick outer layer of milk chocolate that melted smoothly at a nice slow rate releasing a longing milky flavour. The inner praline was interspersed with small hazelnut pieces, that further accentuated the creamy nuttiness of the filling. The middle hazelnuts seemed relatively fresh and had a nice crunch, though at times I found them to lack flavour. I am not a big fan of wafers, though I actually quite missed the presence of the layer in this product in comparison to the Rocher. It was not a layer I particularly championed when reviewing the Rocher, but with it removed, there was a noticeable loss to the interest of the textures, and even the absence of the minor malt flavours was very noticeable. The nut flavours lasted a reasonably long time in the mouth, a few of these chocolates at a time provided an adequate snack.

Overall I couldn't help but feel that these were a step down from the Rocher. I don't know what the difference is price wise, though I would hazard a guess that these are maybe a slightly less premium line from Ferrero!? Anyone able to shed some light on this? Don't get me wrong - the milk chocolate had a nice milky appeal, and the praline and chopped nuts added a nice creamy nutty aspect; I just felt these were not the full rounded product that the Rocher are. If you really don't care for wafers and enjoy your Ferrero products, it is very likely you will enjoy these ... personally I'm just going to stick with my Rocher and Rondnoir.

7.4 out of 10

Fancy trying the Ferrero Raffaello for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!

November 1st: Lindt '1001 Nights' Lindor Noel Truffles

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

These Lindt Lindor Noel truffles form another part of the Lindt's '1001 Nights' Christmas range. Having reviewed many of the Lindt Lindor truffles already to pretty much resounding success, I was looking forward to trying this 'Noel' variant, which was formed of Lindt milk chocolate with a 'hint of 'cinnamon and coriander'.

As you can see above the product didn't come packaged like any standard Lindor. Instead the truffles came packed in a festive looking cardboard box that certainly looked very decorative. The truffles themselves came in standard Lindor wrappers and looked no different to their milk chocolate counterparts. Even before tasting these though, one thing made them stand out from the rest of the Lindor range ... their smell. The spices were amazingly forthcoming. When photographing these I was preparing over a weeks worth of different chocolate items, yet these 'Noel truffles' completely dominated my smelling senses ... even when placed back in their box!!

Despite the smell being completely led by the spices, the taste was still very heavily influenced by the milk chocolate. The outer milk chocolate shell had a deliciously thick creamy taste that set up the smooth inner filling perfectly. The middle of the truffle had the usual Lindor melt in the mouth butter texture, but also had an additional tingly, warming element to it. The taste of the centre was largely milky and smooth, though the spices brought an extra dimension of flavours. The flavours varied with elements of dark fruits, alcohol and the obvious cinnamon all adding to the long lasting taste. At times the flavours were a little intense for my liking, though on the whole the interchangeability of the different elements made for an interesting, and delicious taste. Four of these truffles made for the perfect amount and was a pretty fulfilling experience.

Overall these may not be the best tasting Lindt Lindor truffles, but they are the best scoring to date, with their full well rounded attributes - in particular their presentation and smell. The spices really made for a product that delivered big time in terms of its flavour hit. Though the spices were quite intense, the milk chocolate largely stayed in control, and provided the perfect smooth, creamy background for the varying flavours delivered by the soft filling. These are the type of chocolate that would be perfect to enjoy with a nice nightcap, or to go with a coffee. If your after a more unique Lindor experience with a little extra edge, I would very highly recommend these.

8.7 out of 10
Fancy trying the Lindt '1001 Nights' Lindor Noel Truffles for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

November 1st: Harry & David Moose Munch Dark Chocolate Bar

Kcal 290 Fat 22.0g Fat(sats) 13.0g Carbs 29.0g

You may remember a month or so back I reviewed the Harry & David Moose Munch Milk Chocolate Bar, which earned itself a very credible 8.0 out of 10. These Moose Munch bars are Liz from **I SHOP 4 YOU II** favourite bars, and I must say given the success of the milk chocolate version I was looking forward to this dark variant. This dark variant included all the same fudge, popcorn, caramel and nut ingredients, just all coated in a 'rich dark chocolate'.

Weighing in at the same 56.0g this was yet another massively fulfilling bar. There was some partial blooming on the bar, though I decided not to penalise it for this due to the large distance and variable conditions the bar travelled to get to me. On the whole I still thought it was presented well, with a good standard wrapper and even a plastic tray included for protection. I was pretty disappointed by the smell of the product, it wasn't that it smelt bad ... it was just it had no real forthcoming scent at all ... never a good thing as it meant there was no growth of anticipation.

This bar seemed far more packed full of the nut, popcorn and fudge elements compared to the previous milk chocolate version I reviewed. To coin my own phrase, the dark chocolate was very 'mass consumer friendly' in it's flavours, it was nowhere near what I would describe as a massively cocoa intensive taste. It noticeably lacked sweetness in comparison to the milk chocolate variant, and was quite dominant in regard to the other flavours of the bar. The added elements seemed a bit more lost in the context of the dark chocolate, the popcorn in particular really struggled to establish a firm flavour base. Of course all the different elements added an wonderful array of textures ... the nuts were crunchy, popcorn fluffy and the caramel and fudge added a smoothness to the middle of the bar. The dark chocolate flavour lasted for a long time in the mouth and could be tasted for a long duration after eating the bar.

Overall this dark chocolate variant provided a largely satisfying experience, though I think it is marginally inferior to the milk chocolate variant. Despite the dark chocolate not being as intense as it possibly could have been, it was still largely dominant, and nullified the flavours of the nuts, popcorn, fudge and caramel just that little bit more in comparison to the milk chocolate bar. These added elements were better proportioned in this bar, though I think this is something that is somewhat mostly down to luck. If you get the chance to try the Moose Munch range it is one that comes with my recommendation - its not the highest scoring range by any means, but it is certainly a unique one and well worth trying.

7.8 out of 10

*** EU & UK Readers Attention*** Ever been been browsing Chocolate Mission or any other Candy Site and felt frustrated not being able to get hold of an American bar/item!??? .... well feel frustrated no more!!! 'I SHOP 4 YOU II'!! is a great service that provides a unique "one stop shop" international shopping experience!!! Visit the Ebay shop - if they dont have the item you want instock simply give them a message - there is no harm in asking. This service comes with a Chocolate Mission Seal of Approval!! It is a genuinely great, fast and friendly service... Just say you came from Chocolate Mission.

October 31st: Quality Street: My Caramel Swirl / Purple Big One / Green Triangle

It has been a long time since I have had any form of Quality Street, but from what I can remember there were always ones that disappeared from the tin far quicker than others. It seems everyone has their favourite, and Nestle think they are the 'Caramel Swirl', 'Purple Big One' and 'Green Triangle' pieces .... so what have Nestle done!?? Well made them in a grander form that's what! Under recommendation of reader Simon, I decided to give each of them a look at.

My Caramel Swirl:  

Kcal 186 Fat 9.5g Fat(sats) 5.7g Carbs 23.6g

Described as 'milk chocolate with a soft caramel centre',  this was the one I was looking forward to most. It looked impressive in stature and had a relatively dense heavy feel. When cross-sectioned the amount of caramel did look very impressive and had a nice pleasant looking golden appearance. The product didn't offer the greatest of smells, only a relatively low-key sweet smell could be detected.

The milk chocolate was pretty standard Nestle quality. It was by no means of the highest quality, and had little more than a reasonable sweet, milky taste. The caramel centre was not of the highest quality either, it had a relatively pleasant buttery taste, however lacked the real definition of flavours in comparison to the better quality caramels (Cadbury / Galaxy). The texture of the chocolate was partially grainy, though the smooth, chewiness of the caramel made the filling feel very soft in the mouth. The sweetness of the product meant that overall this was a relatively fulfilling snack.

Overall this was by far not the greatest milk chocolate / caramel combination I have tasted, but it was relatively pleasant nonetheless. If I were in need of chocolaty caramel flavour hit this wouldn't be the first product I would seek out, but I would probably settle for it nonetheless.

7.4 out of 10

My Purple Big One

Kcal 190 Fat 9.9g Fat(sats) 5.2g Carbs 23.4g

Is it me or does this name sound rather suggestive :) ... hmmm ok just me!! This 'Purple Big One' came billed as 'milk chocolate, with hazelnuts in a caramel centre'. 

Although I didn't care too much for the shape of this variant, when bitten into it looked pretty appetising. Again the golden caramel looked plentiful, and the added whole hazelnut pieces also looked quite enticing, all this to an extent made up for the clumsy design. The product smelt exactly the same as the Caramel Swirl, with no indication of the nut content at this point whatsoever.

The product not only smelt like the Caramel Swirl, but by and large tasted like it as well, though it must be said the hazelnuts did add a little something extra. The sweetness of the milk chocolate and caramel combination as described above was broken up somewhat by the savoury flavours of the nuts. In my 'Big Purple One' I got three whole hazelnuts, which made relative sense given I ate the piece in three bites. This meant each bite had an additional woody, nutty flavour that was delivered with a relatively fresh crunch. Again relative to its size it was a pretty fulfilling snack.

Overall your preference to this over the Caramel Swirl will be down to whether you enjoy hazelnuts. Personally I do, and I enjoyed the taste of the product that little bit more with the extra nutty element. By my reckoning the best out the bunch, but in my opinion a poor mans take on the Cadbury 'Nuts about Caramel'.

7.7 out of 10 

My Green Triangle:
Kcal 187 Fat 10.7g Fat(sats) 5.6g Carbs 20.7g

My Green Triangle constitutes of 'milk chocolate with a nut praline centre'. The Praline market is one that is generally a focus of the more prestigious brands, and having tried some pretty good offerings from the likes of Guylian and Ritter Sport I was quite curious to the quality this was going to deliver. 

The product had two main layers with the outer milk chocolate coating protecting the inner praline. As with the other two offerings, the milk chocolate offered the same distinctly average sweet, milky flavours. The praline centre had quite a thick, dense texture that I wasn't overly keen on, I would have much preferred the textures to have been a tad softer. Flavourwise it was also largely disappointing, the hazelnut flavours were there but just didn't really establish themselves. The lasting taste I was left with was the sweet chocolate, which was all a bit lacklustre. This was the most unfulfilling out from the three.

Overall I am not quite sure why Nestle would make one of their focus 'Big Ones' a praline offering. It was pretty obvious it was never going to meet the standard of the better offerings from the market, it wasn't necessarily poor, but as far as pralines go it was sub-standard. Add the fact the milk chocolate was hardly dazzling, it didn't take me long to come to the conclusion this was the worse of the lot.

6.3 out 10

Despite not being entirely enamored by any out of the three, I have safely come to the conclusion that the 'Big Purple One' is the best out of the lot. One thing really puzzles me with this range, and it is the question: 'when are these supposed to be eaten?'. Personally I would never choose one of these over a standard chocolate bar, but they are also to big to have as a one off small chocolate. Surely the appeal of the Quality Street brand is the fact they offer several 'okish' chocolates in one product ... why would you choose an average (or just slightly better) as a one off larger item??? I hope you know what I am getting at here, it would be great to hear some opinions on the matter.