December 12th: Conscious Chocolate Fruit Fantasy

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

After my review of the Conscious Chocolate Choca Mocha Magic last week a lot of readers got in touch asking where they could get hold of some Conscious bars. If you take a look at the Conscious website they have a list of stockists, as well as an online ordering service - all of which are HERE. Today I tried another bar from their 'sugar free, pesticide free, gluten free, raw & handmade' chocolate range - the 'Fruit Fantasy'. This bar contained some wired an wonderful fruits in the form of figs, dates and sultanas.

I don't think I need to reiterate my dislike for the Conscious packaging again. Since my review of the Choca Mocha Magic, Emma from Conscious has been in contact and has informed me they are currently the reviewing the wrapper situation. One thing that was notable about the appearance with this bar were the evident fruit pieces embedded in the chocolate. Although not very detectable in the photo above, they were very noticeable first-hand. One thing that I have noticed with the Conscious range so far is the strength of the cocoa aromas that the bars have. This bar wasn't quite as striking with its smell as the Choca Mocha Magic, though the cocoa scents were still forthcoming and enticing.

It wasn't just the smell of the chocolate that was enjoyable, but no surprises the taste was rather good as well. The cocoa flavours were strong, but were never what I would describe as bitter. The unsweetened taste of the cocoa was nicely complimented by the sweet flavours of the fruit. Out of the three different fruits the figs were the most prominent and added a pleasant acidic edge to the taste. The dates and sultanas weren't immediately as distinguishable, as the pieces were so small and broken up within the chocolate. As with the Choca Mocha, the texture of the chocolate was very soft and melted nicely in the mouth. I wasn't all that keen on the squished nature of the fruit, I would have preferred larger pieces as their smaller implementation made some blocks feel a tad 'bitty' in their melt. Despite this I still found this a very satisfying bar, the 40.0g certainly made for a sufficient snack.

Overall, although this probably wasn't my favourite chocolate and fruit combination ever, it was still a very unique and enjoyable mix. Unique is a word I keep seeming to use when describing Conscious Chocolate, and there is no doubting their eccentricity. As well as being unique they actually seem to deliver some really fine chocolate - and this bar was another example of this. I would have preferred the fruit pieces implemented in a larger fashion, though they didn't fail on delivering some pleasant flavours to the wonderful chocolate. If you like your chocolate with an added twist of fruit, this is a bar I would recommend.

7.6 out of 10

December 11th: Seeds of Change Chocolate & Raisin Cereal Bar

Kcal 132 Fat 2.9g Carbs 24.9g

When I see the 'Seeds of Change' brand I instantly think organic pasta sauces and soups. So when I saw this 'Chocolate and Raisin Cereal Bar' sitting in my local OneStop shop I was intrigued to say the least. Constituting of 'chocolate chips, raisins, oat flakes, crisped rice and corn flakes', I thought I would give this a run through the ChocolateMission rating system.

The product came in a deceivingly large looking 36.0g bar. I say deceivingly as it actually looked very thick, bigger than your average chocolate bar anyway. Lifting the bar up revealed this was misleading - a lot of the product was formed of very light cereal pieces. The outer packaging looked a bit plain for my liking. The white background struck me as quite unimaginative, there is definitely room for improvement there. Aesthetically the actual product wasn't up to much either. I guess it is to be expected from a cereal bar, but it looked very shoddily put together. For instance one end of the bar was crammed full of raisins, whilst the other contained none whatsoever. As if the look of the product hadn't set my expectations low enough, the smell was hardly inspiring either. The product only had a minor sweet, dried fruit smell which was far from enticing in the slightest.

Despite the poor presentation the taste of the product wasn't altogether that bad. The bar was nicely held together by a sticky honey glaze that gave the bar an ever present sweet flavour. Though the chocolate chips were not as portioned as generously as they could have been, where present they brought a creamy, chocolaty edge to the dominant wheaty flavours of the cereal. By far the most exciting flavours of the bar came from the raisins, which unlike their uninspiring smell, actually added a nice extra sweet, fruitiness to each bite. Despite the bar feeling quite light, each bite actually felt quite dense, what with the ingredients packed tightly in, it was actually a surprisingly fulfilling bar.

Overall this was thankfully a product that tasted a whole let better than it looked. Seeds of Change aren't going to be winning any prizes with this product in a beauty contest, but as cereal bars go this wasn't half bad. The bar had a nice base formed of different cereals that was held together well by the sweet honey. The real flavours came from the added chocolate and raisins, that where present, offered unique creamy, sweet flavours to the taste. For people who like their cereal bars I would actually recommend this bar, for people like me who are none to fussed by this sector of the market, this is probably just another you can let pass you by.

6.8 out of 10

December 11th: Lindt Mousse au Chocolat Milk

Kcal 570 Fat 39.0g Carbs 49.0g (per 100.0g)

I was pretty excited when I saw this bar in the latest package Dean-German-Grocery sent me. I hadn't seen this line of Lindt before, but I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a few from the Lindt Mousses range. Much as I did with the near identical Milka Amavel range, I thought I would start off with the most obvious milk chocolate mousse flavour. The bar on pack came described as 'milk chocolate, filled with milk chocolate mousse (36%)'.

As I expected the product came beautifully presented. It came in a 140g bar that provided me with three pretty fulfilling servings. As with other similar mousse filled offerings, the bar was a lot thicker in order to accommodate the deep filled blocks. The outer cardboard packaging looked classy, combining a stylish gold font and very enticing picture. The bar also looked fantastic, the blocks still had the same amount of detail as the flat bars, with the Lindt logo still present on each. The smell of the bar was quite intriguing, it had a chocolaty, coffee type scent. Don't get me wrong it smelt very appetising - it was just a little odd it smelt like a mocha when it had no coffee content listed in the ingredients. 

In my opinion,  for mousse filled bars to 'work', there has to be a flavour distinction between the outer coating chocolate and the mousse filling. Luckily this was something this bar did very well. The packaging didn't care to mention the cocoa content of either the solid chocolate or the filling, though it did mention the hydrogenated vegetable fats. Normally I would turn my nose up at this, though in this instance I can see why they were implemented - in order to achieve the fantastic smooth textures. Both layers of the bar complimented each other superbly. The solid chocolate had a luxuriously creamy milky taste that was heavily noted with a delicious hazelnut intensity. The melt of the outer chocolate was fantastically soft, and slowly revealed the lighter centers. The aerated, smooth mousse fillings perfectly added an extra surge of stronger cocoa flavours that really left a lasting impression in the mouth. Despite the light nature of the fillings, each block delivered a fantastically rich experience.

Overall the flavour progression of this bar was simply fantastic, and really implemented the mousse filling format well. This bar reminded me a lot of the Milka Amavel Mousse au Chocolat - the distinction between the outer chocolates and mouse fillings were largely the same; with the more cocoa intensive mousse nicely complimenting the creamier solid chocolate coating. As ever with Lindt this was a product of all round quality - crafted superbly in both presentation and actual chocolate - highly recommended.

8.8 out of 10

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

December 10th: Ferrero Mon Cheri

Kcal 404 Fat 19.0g Carbs 55.2g (per 100.0g)

It seems I have found yet another product with some branding issues, similar to the Mars /Milky Way fiasco we have from the UK to US. Having looked over at Cybele's review of Ferrero Mon Cheri at Candyblog - it appears that the American version of Mon Cheri is actually rather like the Ferrero Kusschen - a truffle like product containing hazelnuts. The European version of the Ferrero Mon Cheri I reviewed today, sent to me by Dean-German-Grocery was formed of a cherry surrounded by a 'special liqueur, coated in plain chocolate'.

The pack I sampled contained ten chocolates (105.0g), five of which I was happy to give away to let my housemates sample. I liked the presentation of the product - the box featured some very nice graphics and fonts, and was printed onto a very high quality glossy material. The chocolates looked almost identical to the Ferrero Kusschen, they had beautifully presented two layered wrappers and were a nice shape to fit in the mouth. The pieces didn't offer much in the way of an aroma, there were slight indications of cocoa in and amongst a predominantly sweet smell, but it was not all that apparent.

I am guessing you have already had a peek at the score for this product, so I will reveal to you now there were two fundamental things wrong with the Mon Cheri. The first was the liqueur - it brought back eerie memories of the Lindt Christmas Punch ... to be honest I don't know what type of liqueur they were aiming for here... brandy? cherry schnapps? By my account it didn't taste like either ... frankly it just tasted cheap and horrible. Obviously the main focus of the product was the inclusion of the cherry piece and to be honest I didn't enjoy that much either. Its taste was dominated by the benign liqueur, and its texture had a horrible mushy feel - none to pleasant. My lack of enjoyment of the main theme of the product was a bit of a shame given the quality of the plain chocolate - it had a relatively appealing unsweetened milky taste with an enjoyable smooth melt. By the time I had got round to my third piece I actually found myself dispensing of both the inner liqueur and cherry and just eating the outer chocolate - a pretty crazy thing to do given the main focus of the product, but hey I am not going to lie.

Overall these have to go down as one of the poorer Ferrero products I have tried. My enjoyment of this product was solely limited to the outer chocolate, the cherry piece and liqueur were as you have probably gathered really not to my taste. I am sure there will be a number of you who are in complete disagreement with me on this one, but I have to tell it how I perceive it. I mentioned above I let my housemates finish off the pack and they actually quite enjoyed them, so there is proof there is definitely some enjoyment to be had from these ... sadly just not for me.

6.2 out of 10

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

December 10th: Montezuma's Connie

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

It has been a long while since I last reviewed a Montezuma's product. It is not that I have actively been avoiding the brand, but at the same time previous products haven't really inspired me to seek more. Anyway, today I decided to give them another go, and sampled the oddly named 'Connie' bar. This bar was formed of a solid base of milk chocolate that was littered with nibbled hazelnuts.

I still find the presentation of Montezuma's products very puzzling - on one hand the outer packaging is superb. The cardboard boxes are nicely designed and coloured, and even contain a good amount of information about the sourcing of the organic ingredients. When it comes to the aesthetics of the bar itself though, the product was really lacking. The chocolate simply looked plain, with no personality whatsoever. I was also disappointed to see the size of the hazelnut pieces - they looked tiny amongst the chocolate. The bar didn't offer too much in the way of a forthcoming aroma. I could detect a slight milky, chocolaty scent, though it wasn't that strong at all. 

I have had a few milk chocolate Montezuma's bars now, and most the time I seem to come to the same conclusion. The taste of the milk chocolate is good, but lacking a real defining edge to make it really stand out from the many outstanding chocolates on the market. Despite the 34% cocoa solids, the taste was predominantly milky based, it is pleasant but at the same time quite forgettable ... there aren't really elements to the taste that really impose themselves on the consumer. The melt of the chocolate was pretty good - nicely paced and relatively thick, BUT ... and this is a big BUT!! The chopped hazelnuts completely ruined its smoothness with their sharp edges - to the point it actually felt like it was scratching the top of my mouth! Not only were the hazelnut pieces detrimental to the texture but they also added pretty much nothing to the taste. At times a slight nuttiness could be detected,though these instances were to few and far between. 

Overall I hate really laying into a local brand, but as far as chocolate and nut combinations this was pretty poor. The milk chocolate was ok, but nothing more than average - the real disappointment though was the hazelnuts. Once again this was further evidence that hazelnuts are so much better when implemented whole. Their chopped nature in this bar not only meant they added very little to the taste, but also caused the bar to have a horribly rough, grainy texture. This isn't a bar I would recommend, your far better off with the Ritter Sport Whole Hazelnuts bars. 

6.6 out of 10

 

December 9th: Lindt Excellence Chilli

Kcal 506 Fat 32.0g Fat(sats) 20.0g Carbs 49.0g (per 100.0g)

I have sampled quite a few chilli containing bars now - Milka, Hotel Chocolat and Montezuma's to name a few. One of the most common requests I have frequently received subsequent to these reviews is for a review of this Lindt Excellence Chilli bar. Given the quality of the rest of the Excellence range it wasn't as if I need much persuasion from Dean-German-Grocery to try this 'fine dark chocolate with chilli extract' offering.

I sampled this chocolate in two 50.0g sittings, this provided me with two more than adequate servings. Lindt refrained from over stating the chilli content on the packaging, the classy style of the Excellence range was maintained with just the simple inclusion of one red chill image ... sometimes I think manufactures go a bit over the top including emblems of fire etc - no such problem here. The chocolate looked no different to any other dark chocolate bar from the Excellence line - it had a nice shiny surface with nicely imprinted logos. As ever the chocolate had a fantastically forthcoming, fresh smell - the aroma was noticeably sweeter than other Lindt dark chocolate offerings.

Much as the smell suggested the cocoa intensiveness was noticeably more subdued. The dark chocolate was of a 49% solids recipe that I thought suited the bar superbly. The texture was sublime, it melted at a nice rate and allowed for good flavour progression. The taste of the dark chocolate was a lot creamier and sweeter than the 70% bar, the aftertaste was significantly shorter, though this was compensated for by the chilli element. The chilli didn't contribute massively to the overall taste until the later stages of its development, upon where spiced, fruity elements left a nice parting set of flavours. The chilli also brought a terrific warming sensation to the feel of the chocolate in the mouth - it was wonderfully balanced and not overdone meaning its presence was roundly welcome. The combination of the chocolate and the chilli made for both a rich and satisfying chocolate.

Overall this was one of the better chilli containing bars I have sampled on Chocolate Mission, and has only bettered by the Hotel Chocolat offering. I did hugely enjoy the 49% cocoa dark chocolate used in this bar, however there was a part of me that was wondering how the highly regarded 85% or 70% Lindt chocolates would have handled the added chilli. Unfortunately it doesn't look like we will be able to gauge that anytime soon, but in the mean time this is still a hugely enjoyable bar of chocolate. For those looking for chocolate with an extra fiery kick, I would recommend this as one of the better, and more affordable options on the market.

8.6 out 10

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

December 9th: Milky Way Magic Stars

Kcal 183 Fat 11.5g Carbs 17.9g

My experiences with the UK Milky Way brand have been a bit up and down. I did really enjoy the standard Milky Way bar, though the Milky Way Crispy Rolls are currently holding down a spot in the lowest rated table. Because of this I didn't know what to expect from these Milky Way Magic Stars - well apart from the fact they were 'star-shaped pieces of aerated milk chocolate' ... they sounded safe enough.

These came in a 33.0g packet which contained about 25 small star pieces. The packaging was relatively attractive, though the material used didn't do the best job at keeping the product fresh. As you will see above the individual star pieces looked quite nicely crafted but didn't look all that appetising due to their dusty and unkempt looking surfaces. I can't say they smelt much better either. There was a faint milky smell, however it smelt quite musty ... almost sour.

Well thankfully the taste wasn't as bad as the smell. The chocolate obviously wasn't of the best quality, however it did have some degree of appeal. The sweet, milky taste was passable, though the flavours soon became a little boring due to their one dimensional form. The aerated texture was delivered relatively well, especially considering each of the pieces were so small. As aerated chocolate goes, these Milky Way Magic Stars aren't up there with the Aero or Cadbury Wispa ... these simply just didn't match them for taste. The 33.0g bag didn't provide a fulfilling snack - I was still relatively hungry after eating these.

Overall these were really weren't the best of products on the market, as I have mentioned above there are far better alternatives in the aerated chocolate market. I guess a great deal of the appeal with these is supposed to be the star shapes aimed at kids - but I even found the presentation of these slightly off the mark, the dusty complexion of the chocolate just really didn't look all that appetising. I personally won't ever be bothering with these again, though I guess aerated chocolate fans may want to try them.

6.8 out of 10

December 8th: Cadbury Brunchbar Hazelnut

Kcal 160 Fat 7.5g Fat(sats) 2.9g Carbs 21.2g

Cadbury really have got themselves in a bit of a pickle with the branding of their cereal bars. Back in July I reviewed the Cadbury Snack Raisin Cereal Bar ... a product that looks absolutely no different to the Raisin variant of this Cadbury Brunchbar range (see HERE). That Raisin variant seems to be the most readily available - I see multi packs in the supermarkets all the time, though today I found this Hazelnut variant accommodating a vending machine on my university campus.

Comprising of 'oats, bran flakes, hazelnuts, crispies & honey in a bed of Cadbury's milk chocolate' it seemed like the perfect option for breakfast on the run. Although weighing in at 35.0g it was a pretty fulfilling option and certainly did the job of tieing my hunger over till mid-morning. The product was presented well in a fresh keeping and well designed foil wrapper. It was nice to finally come across a cereal bar/flapjack product that wasn't all half stuck to the insides when I opened it. The bar didn't have much of a forthcoming smell, there was a sweet honey and nut type aroma, though this was very subtle.

In comparison to the quite bland Cadbury Snack Raisin Cereal Bar, I enjoyed this product a little more, however it was still lacking real defining flavours. Much like in the Snack Bar, the milk chocolate tasted fantastic - it had a lovely sweet milky flavour that wasn't to dissimilar from Dairy Milk. Unfortunately it just wasn't generously portioned enough, it was just way too thin to leave a lasting impact against the denser cereal mix. The cereal mix itself had a sweet chewy consistency thanks to the added honey. The cereal mix was noticeably more nutty than in the Snack Bar, the presence of the hazelnut was definitely a welcome addition to the mix. This was a relatively fulfilling snack given the size, though the aftertaste was very short lived and the product failed to really leave me with a lasting flavour impression.  

Overall this bar did its job in providing me with a quick fix breakfast, but there is still room for improvement. In comparison to the Snack Raisin Cereal Bar the added hazelnut gave the cereal mix a bit more flavour, though the coating of milk chocolate was equally as thin and lacking the desired chocolaty hit. I am not a huge fan or cereal bars and the such, but I did get a reasonable amount of satisfaction from this product, for that reason if your looking for a quick, fulfilling solution I would recommend this bar.

7.4 out of 10  

December 8th: Green & Black's Maya Gold

Kcal 184 Fat 11.8g Carbs 16.9g (per 35.0g)

I must admit that I have been largely ignoring the Green & Black's brand, mostly due to the mediocre experiences I had with both the Butterscotch and White Chocolate variants earlier in the year. I have received many an e-mail since then from readers informing me how good the range is. Taking this into consideration I decided to give Green & Black's another go, and today sampled the Maya Gold, which was comprised of 'dark chocolate with orange & spices'.

The first thing I looked at on the back of the bar was what spices were included - a detail I came to find wasn't listed. I do quite like the packaging with Green & Black's, it isn't quite near the standard of Lindt, Hotel Chocolat etc, but the design is generally nice and I like the colour coding used for the flavours. I also thought the design work on the bar was good - the G&B logos displayed on the surface of each block aesthetically offered a bit of interest. A nice fruity orange scent became very evident once the bar was released from the foil layer. The smell also offered evidence of the spices, I could detect an underlying nutmeg type influence.

The orange and spice elements didn't just leave their impact on the product in the smell, they also had a rather big say in the taste. The product had a reasonably nice melt, with the flavours growing in intensity as it progressed. The dark chocolate on its own was not the most flavoursome, offering quite little in the way of strong cocoa flavours. Thankfully the influence of the orange was in particular quite strong and made for a very long fruity taste. Elements of cinnamon and peppery type flavours noted the aftertaste ... in regards to flavour progression this bar was really quite strong. As you can see from the picture above I sampled this bar in a 35.0g format, this proved a very satisfying amount to eat with my afternoon coffee. 

Overall my belief in the Green & Black's brand has somewhat been rekindled with this offering. Personally I don't think the quality of dark chocolate was that high, it just seemed to lack a real defining flavour base. Thankfully, as the smell suggested the added orange and spice elements were quite impactful and made for quite a strong overall taste. As far as chocolate orange combinations go this wasn't my favourite, but this is still a reasonably good bar of chocolate. I shall be dipping into the Green & Black's brand again soon. 

8.0 out of 10

December 7th: Clark Bar

Kcal 220 Fat 8.0g Fat(sats) 4.0g Carbs 37.0g

CandyPirate have recently got hold of a load of New England Confectionery Co. (Necco) goodies, and have been kind enough to send me across a few samples. Included in their latest package was this Clark bar, which consisted of 'honeycomb peanut butter crisp, with a chocolatey covering'. Yes indeed this bar as Cybele at Candyblog would put it, incorporated the famous mockolate (no cocoa butter!!). Anyway I wasn't going to let that put me off - especially where theres peanut butter involved.

The bar came in a 49.6g serving - this proved to be a sufficient snack. I wasn't all that sure about the presentation of the product. The packaging looked a little plain to me, a little stuck in between retro and just old fashioned. Though not setting the world alight with its looks, the plastic wrapper maintained a degree of freshness. The bar like the wrapper was a bit plain looking, but once cross-sectioned I thought the middle looked pretty appetising. I enjoyed the smell of the peanut butter that emanated once the wrapper was opened, however was a bit surprised at the lack of aromas from the chocolate.

Now even though my expectations of the 'mockolate' were really rather low, I couldn't help but be surprised at the pretty poor quality. The outer coating felt extremely greasy to touch, and just didn't feel altogether that nice in the mouth. Even with the extra oils that were obviously present, the melt of the outer chocolate was quite lazy, and had a slightly granular texture. The flavours weren't much better either, it had a very sweet taste with an element of smokiness in its aftertaste. Though smokey flavours can be quite appropriate in some bars, it seemed largely out of context here. At this point this bar seemed destined for sheer disaster, however the rather good peanut butter centre rescued some credibility. The centre was likeable to the Cadbury Crispy Crunch and the Nestle Butterfinger, though was not quite as crispy and had a softer chewier consistency. The nut flavours were forthcoming and luckily dominated the taste of the chocolate. The extra sweetness of the honey brought an extra dimension to the buttery nut flavours, though as you can imagine it did make the overall taste very sweet indeed, and it did get a little sickly towards the end of the bar.

Overall the degree to which you enjoy this bar will purely be dependant on your prior expectations . If your expecting an all round good chocolate bar with a peanut butter flavoured centre your going to be disappointed - simply put, the coating is pretty terrible and among the worst chocolate I have tasted. However, if your looking for a nicely flavoured peanut butter bar, and aren't too fussed about the rest of it , then there's probably some enjoyment you can get out of this product.

6.8 out of 10

Want to try the Clark Bar for yourself!? Head over to CandyPirate for all your AmericanCandy & Sweet needs all right here in the UK

December 7th: Milka Feuer

Kcal 550 Fat 35.5g Fat(sats) 20.5g Carbs 49.5g (per 100.0g)

This Milka Feuer (Fire) review rounds up my look at the limited edition Milka 'Elements' range. You may recall in the past few weeks me looking at the Milka Wasser (Water), Luft (Air) & Erde (Earth), all of which have offered some interesting flavour variants, though hardly set the Chocolate Mission rating system alight. Excuse the pun, but I was hoping this final variant that Dean-German-Grocery sent me - 'Feuer' would change all that. Comprised of 'Alpine Milk chocolate with a cocoa creme chili flavoured filling', this bar really suggested it could light some fires .... ok ok I will stop now :D

The bar came in the standard 100.0g Milka form and provided me with two reasonably satisfying servings. The packaging looked nice with the usual purple Milka theme, I thought the fire and the chili image displayed on the front communicated the essence of the product well. The chocolate nicely incorporated the usual Milka logo on each block and the cocoa cream looked well portioned when the bar was cross-sectioned. The chili element wasn't apparent in either the presentation or smell of the bar. The aroma on offer was no different to the usual pleasantness of the Alpine Milk Chocolate.

The outer Alpine Milk chocolate carried the inner cocoa creme nicely. The initial milky flavours of the chocolate nicely preceded the more intense flavours of the centre, and revealed the filling at a nice rate. The transition of the creamy outer chocolate to the stronger tasting centre was an enjoyable contrast. I am firmly of the belief that Milka Alpine Milk is one of the better milk chocolate 'flavour carriers'. The cocoa creme was just as smooth as the solid chocolate, though had a lighter, whipped density. The actual cocoa flavours were not that amplified, though the chili element was very evident during the aftertaste. The taste and warmth of the chili was more forthcoming than I was expecting, though it must be said it didn't take long for these effects to leave the mouth due to the exceptionally fast melt of both the outer chocolate and the creme. Though the chili was highly detectable I would have have liked it to have been a bit stronger - I guess this was Milka understandably playing on the safe side.

Overall this was a reasonably good offering from Milka, though it didn't quite live up to the levels of some of the other bars from the range. The milkiness of the chocolate on the whole rather toned down the effect of the chili - it was a nice contrast but just meant the chili needed a little bit more strength to the make the taste last that little bit longer. If you are interested in trying chili flavoured chocolate, but are normally put off by the fact most chili containing bars are dark chocolate, this would be a bar I recommend.

7.8 out of 10

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

December 6th: Ritter Sport Raisins & Hazelnuts

Kcal 513 Fat 29.1g Fat(sats) 16.6g Carbs 55.9g (per 100.0g)

I really am wondering If I will ever see the end of the Ritter Sport range? Don't get me wrong I hope I don't ... it just seems that whenever I think I must be nearing the end of all their offerings, Dean-German-Grocery manage to magic up another ten or so variants I haven't tried. Today's bar of choice was the Ritter Sport Raisins & Hazelnuts, formed of 'milk chocolate with raisins and hazelnuts. Fruit and nut mixes are one of faves (when done properly!!), and I was pretty optimistic that Ritter Sport could pull it off given their impressive portfolio.

This bar came in the usual 100.0g, 16 block format. I was pleased to see Hazelnuts on the packaging rather than almonds ... one look at my Ritter Sport Whole Almonds review will tell you why. Speaking of the nuts, I must comment on how well portioned they looked in the bar - every single block seemed to have a healthy dosage of hazelnuts poking out every which way. The wrapper claimed that the raisins were far more heavily portioned (17%), than the hazelnuts (7%), though one look at the bar suggested otherwise ... whatever it looked well presented. The bar had a remarkably strong nutty aroma. It smelt absolutely fantastic and really set my expectations of what was to come.

The milk chocolate once again delivered another instance of fine flavours. Despite the fruit and nut ingredients taking up a lot of space in the bar, the chocolate was still very prevalent in the grand scheme of the taste, and provided a delicious milky, chocolaty base. Although the hazelnuts were not implemented whole as in the Whole Hazelnuts bars, they still provided a strong nutty, earthy taste. They didn't quite provide the same sort of crunch to the texture, though this was partially atoned for by the Raisins that added an extra degree of interest with their soft chewiness. As well as adding to the texture, the raisins contributed some sweet, fruity flavours to the taste that contrasted nicely with the more savoury flavours of the hazelnuts. 50.0g of this provided a very enjoyable and fulfilling snack.

Overall just as I was hoping, Ritter Sport delivered a very high standard fruit and nut bar. I would go as far as saying that this one is up there with the best of them, including the Hotel Chocolat Crostini Fruit & Nut and the Toblerone Fruit & Nut. The mix of the hazelnuts and raisins was near perfection, with just about the right amount of each superbly complimenting the milk chocolate. If the bar included whole hazelnuts and a slightly better standard milk chocolate, it would be really putting pressure on the upper end of the Chocolate Mission spectrum. For the minute though this is yet another from the Ritter Sport range I would recommend.

8.7 out of 10

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

December 5th: Bounty Dark

Kcal 134 Fat 7.2g Carbs 17.9g (per 28.5g / half bar)

It seems like forever since I reviewed the original milk chocolate Bounty all the way back in July. I don't know how this dark chocolate variant has evaded me since then, but it caught my eye on the shelf today. The bar follows much the same premise as the original, billed as 'moist tender coconut covered in rich dark chocolate' - the packet had no indication how strong the dark chocolate was formulated, which was of slight annoyance.

The bar came in a 57.0g format that was split into two smaller bars. The quality of the packaging was good and ticked both major boxes - it looked good and kept the product fresh. The only variation in the look of the bar was obviously the darker appearance of the chocolate, if anything it highlighted the pale inner coconut even more. The smell of the bar wasn't quite as strong as the original - I could still detect the coconut, however it didn't offer the same sweet dairy scents.

I am going to tell you right away that I found the taste neither better nor worse than the milk chocolate Bounty. Despite this, the flavours offered were fundamentally different - on the chocolate side of things anyway. The dark chocolate was of a mass consumer friendly type nature - the cocoa wasn't necessarily amplified, but the sweetness of the bar was removed. This had two knock on effects - firstly it meant the chocolate wasn't quite as flavoursome, but secondly it meant that the coconut innards featured more heavily in the overall taste ... to be honest they rather cancelled each other out. The nature of the chocolate meant the melt was slightly slower, meaning the milky, nutty, buttery flavours of the coconut could be savoured for longer in the mouth. I ate this as an afternoon snack and by the time I finished the second bar I found it largely fulfilling experience.

Overall I am going to sit majorly on the fence with this one as I can't pick a preference between this or the milk chocolate version. Which one I would choose would solely depend on the mood I am in and what I fancy at the time. If I was looking for a sweeter, milkier bar I would happily have the original Bounty. If I fancied a richer, nuttier bar I would go for this dark version. Despite not being able to pick a favourite I would very much recommend both as a means of getting a chocolate and coconut fix - its lucky really as its hardly like there are any other readily available alternatives.

8.3 out of 10 

December 5th: Scho-Ka-Kola

Kcal 32 Fat 2.2g Carbs 2.6g (per piece)

I had very little knowledge of this brand before Dean-German-Grocery sent me this product. According to wiki the Scho-ka-Kola brand dates all the way back to 1935, and is a chocolate that contains additional caffeine from cocoa, roasted coffee and cola-nut. The back of the pack told me that eating this chocolate provides 'sustained energy for more power and concentration' and that 'four pieces contain as much caffeine as a strong espresso' .... I smell a gimmick, but what the hell, I am always one for chocolate and coffee combinations!!

The product came in a 100.0g tin that contained 16 triangular pieces. The tin format was very welcome, I can't think of many (if any!?) other chocolates that are packaged in such a way - definitely points there for originality. The actual pieces were nicely designed as well; they were just about the right size to fit in the mouth and had a nice clean cut ribbed design. The pieces had a musty, nutty sort of fruity smell - I didn't find it all that appealing, it didn't seem fitting for the actual product.

The type of chocolate used was plain chocolate, and it had a really middle ground taste. It had more of an emphasis on its cocoa flavours rather than its milk, however neither were really that forceful on the overall taste. The coffee was very much the dominating aspect; but still wasn't quite the intensity of other coffee products I have tried recently (see Ferrero Espresso Pocket Coffee etc!), the flavours were quite forgettable once the product left the mouth. The textures of the pieces were quite nice - the melt was fast but smooth. I can't say I was all to crazy about the slightly bitter aftertaste that was left in the mouth, though it was no where near the levels of bitterness experienced with the Snickers Charged, I guess it was just a bi product of the additional caffeine. I ate all these pieces in three servings (six at a time), aside from providing a fairly fulfilling snack they also noticeably improved my alertness for a short period ... basically they had the same effect as a cup of coffee.

Overall these are not the greatest coffee and chocolate combination currently going, but as a whole product they aren't half bad either. The chocolate wasn't the greatest - to be honest in the grand scheme of things its taste was probably a little sub par, it just lacked a real flavour base. The coffee flavouring was a little better, and on the whole delivered an okish taste. These are a highly gimmicky offering, though the unique presentation and genuine short-term energy boosts these deliver make them a pretty fun product. I wouldn't recommend them on taste alone but as a whole product they offer something a little different - if you like the sound of Scho-Ka-Kola I see no reason why not to give it a try.

7.3 out of 10
Fancy trying Scho-Ka-Kola for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

December 4th: Conscious Chocolate Choca Mocha Magic

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

Having seen this range recently featured on ChocoaBlog to rave reviews, I was especially looking forward to getting my hands on this locally produced Sussex made chocolate. Conscious are a small company based in the UK and describe their chocolate as: 'hand made, sugar free, vegan, raw chocolate sourced from the finest ingredients' - for more information check out their website (HERE!). I will be sampling a number of bars from the Conscious range in the near future - today I started with the 'Chocoa Mocha Magic' bar.

This bar came in a 40.0g serving that proved more than sufficient - it was a very rich chocolate. As you may have noticed by the picture it was really no frills presentation - the packaging format is entirely consistent across the range. According t0 the website it is packaging for the 'conscious' minded, personally I would have preffered some form of differentiation for each flavour variant. I am all for the recyclable credentials and the lack of marketing blurb, but I just would have liked to have seen a little more care and attention given here. Saying this I quickly forgot the aesthetic appeal of the product when I opened the inner foil layer. I was met with a utterly fantastic mixture of cocoa and coffee scents - probably the strongest I have ever smelt. I could literally smell the coffee beans, it was masivelly enticing.

The first thing I noticed about the chocolate was its supple nature. Just the slightest touch left a lasting impression on the surface - it was far softer than your average chocolate bar. Unfortunately this did mean it was a bit on the messy side, though it still made for a nicely paced, thick melt. The chocolate didn't have the smoothest texture ever but I guess this was to be expected given its 'raw' nature. The ingredients list made for some interesting reading, it included some things I had never even heard of before - 'agave nectar' and 'carob' (See HERE for more details!). One thing that I was sure of was the quality of the taste - it was superb. The cocoa flavours immediately exerted their influence as soon as the first piece entered my mouth. The chocolate tasted fresh, clean and incredibly rich - on the whole hugely enjoyable. As the melt progressed the coffee element grew in its intensity - in coffee terms it was more of a filter black coffee taste, rather than a creamy mocha. The coffee had an element of bitterness to it, making the chocolate seem all the richer. The roasted flavours of the coffee beans and dark chocolate made for a hugely satisfying and richly flavoured chocolate.

Overall this is the perfect example of why you shouldn't judge a chocolate completely by its wrapper. It's exterior look really didn't inspire much confidence - after unwrapping the bar though I encountered an entirely different prospect. The chocolate was utterly fantastic and was complimented superbly by the roasted coffee beans - the bar was crammed full of flavour. I am sure you are all aware of my love for chocolate coffee combinations and I can say this one is up there with the best of them. I really can't wait to try some of the other variants from the Conscious range - for a unique chocolate coffee experience, this bar is definitely worth a look at.

8.3 out of 10

December 3rd: Milka Amavel Mousse au Praline

Kcal 565 Fat 37.0g Carbs 51.5g (per 100.0g)

After the successes of both the Milka Amavel Mousse au Chocolat & Mousse au Creme Caramel, my hopes for this Mousse au Praline bar were pretty high. Once again Dean-German-Grocery supplied me with this bar - it is such a shame this range is not widely available in the UK ... I am sure many a person would be enticed by the promise of 'Alpine Milk chocolate filled with a hazelnut nougat creme filling'.

As with the Chocolat & Creme Caramel offerings, this bar came in a 160g size that was split into ten separately filled pods. Unlike the Creme Caramel version, a different coloured filling wasn't promised on the front of the packaging. The mousse was as displayed - a lighter brown colour. As with the other variants, I liked the overall presentation. The box was nicely designed, and the podded look of the bar was as ever unique looking, with each nicely decorated with a Milka logo. The smell of the chocolate wasn't as forthcoming as the other variants from the range. It offered the usual pleasant milky aromas, but offered very little indicating the Praline content of the bar.

The outer Alpine Milk further provided evidence of its credentials of a being a great flavour hosting chocolate. The creamy, sweet flavours of the chocolate were forceful enough to impose themselves, yet were subtle enough to let the flavours of the praline take precedence once encountered. Normally Milka chocolate has an undertone of hazelnut, so the hazelnut praline filling tasted entirely fitting. The filling had a delicious creamy nutty taste - it reminded me of the Ritter Sport Praline bar I reviewed back in November. The texture of the mousse was light and contrasted nicely against the denser outer chocolate. Despite its lighter nature, the flavours were still very long lasting, this was both an enjoyable and fulfilling chocolate.

Overall this was yet another delightful offering from the Milka Amavel range. I wouldn't say the praline filling was any better or worse than the Chocolat or Creme Caramel fillings - it was just equally as fantastically flavoured, and offered a delicious nutty alternative. One of the finest things about this range is the way in which the mousse fillings are light in texture, yet so full of flavour - it is a real art. I would highly recommend this bar, especially if your a fan of praline - another highly enjoyable Milka offering.

8.8 out of 10

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