December 22nd: Marks & Spencer Snowy Balls

Kcal 460 Fat 28.2g Fat(sats) 19.7g Carbs 46.7g (per 100.0g)

I have been studying for my finals in the last few weeks so sugar based snacks have been of high consumption recently. I am a bit of an M&S fan, and have recently been paying more attention to their confectionery offerings. Given my love for M&S and desire for sugar laden snacks, these M&S Snowy Balls that constituted of 'solid milk chocolate balls in a crispy candy shell with icing sugar', sounded like a product that fitted my needs entirely.  

These Snowy Balls came in a 100.0g bag that contained 15 or so spherical pieces. I liked the design of the outer packaging, the Christmas theme was well incorporated and refrained from being overstated or tacky. The pieces themselves were wonderful to look at, though left a trail of icing sugar on anything they came into contact with i.e. they were a little messy. Although a highly decorative product, these lacked any sort of an aroma. Aside from the most minor of sweet smells the pieces largely were scentless, which disappointingly didn't really do anything to indicate the nature of the taste. 

Before consuming these I wasn't entirely convinced at the thought of the pieces being coated in icing sugar and a crisp sugar coating. I thought the combination of the two might make the taste overly sweet, but this wasn't to be the case. Of course it was sweet, but the sugary flavours were more refined and subtle than expected. The icing sugar was light in texture, and the crispy shells were really smooth - not like the gritty sugary shells you can get with similar products. The outer sweet layers really set up the chocolate nicely. The chocolate was relatively forthcoming in its milky cocoa, driven flavours. It was not the most intricate or sophisticated of milk chocolates, though its was flavoursome enough, and left a relatively long lasting cocoa taste in the mouth. 

Overall these were hardly a spectacular product, though they did the job in terms of providing a pleasant sweet chocolaty snack. Despite my initial predisposition to the icing sugar and crispy shells combination, they actually ended up delivering a unique and enjoyable basis for the chocolate. As I said above it was not the best tasting milk chocolate ever, but it was tasty enough to provide a satisfying experience. I wouldn't say you should go massively out your way to buy these, but if your passing through M&S anytime soon these could be worth a try if your a fan of Smarties, M&Ms etc. 

7.7 out of 10 

December 22nd: Lindt Lindor 60% Extra Dark Truffles

Kcal 70 Fat 6.3g Fat(sats) 4.3g Carbs 4.5g (per truffle)

Having just reviewed the Lindt Lindor Noel Christmas truffles, I noticed there was a glaring omission from the Chocolate Mission Lindor reviews ... these 60% Extra Dark truffles. Although pretty widely available in the UK (see the supermarkets etc!!) Dean-German-Grocery yet again provided me with the product for today's review. Combining an outer dark chocolate coating with a smooth truffle centre, these were far from the strongest Lindt dark chocolate I had tasted, but I was hoping that this 60% formulation would do the Lindor format justice.

As you can see above these came in the usual Lindt Lindor wrappers - the black colour was obviously highly appropriate given the product. The truffles looked identical to the mint variant until cross-sectioned, upon where the product lacked the contrasting filling colours. I was disappointed at the slight blooming effect that was apparent on the surface of the truffles, I hadn't had this trouble with any other Lindt offering before, regardless the distance the product had travelled. The aroma wasn't quite as forthcoming as some other dark chocolate Lindt bars I have tried, though it still had a detectable cocoa scent that set the mood nicely for what was to come.

As expected the dark chocolate was not the strongest in comparison to other Lindt Chocolates I have tasted, but it was full of flavour. The outer chocolate had a fantastic melt that was wonderfully smooth but still thick, even at the most progressed stage of its melt. The chocolate was wonderfully flavoured, the cocoa taste became increasingly intense as the outer chocolate melted, though it was never near what I would determine bitter. This was largely due to the ever existing milky undertone that accompanied the dominant cocoa flavours. The truffle centre was as ever luxuriously smooth in its texture - there isn't anything quite as soft as a Lindor truffle centre. The one problem I have had with Lindor truffle centres in that past is that at times the fast melt of the centres have meant the flavours have disappeared all too quickly. Luckily this wasn't the case here, the centres were not quite as cocoa intensive as the outer chocolate, but were just as flavoursome, with a divine creaminess that had a hint of vanilla in its aftertaste. These were very enjoyable truffles, and due to their richness even gave a satisfying chocolate hit when eaten one at a time.

Overall these are up there with the very best of the Lindor range. The combination of great flavours and textures made for a superb truffle - maybe not quite the standard of the comparable Ferrero Rondnoir, but still a wonderful dark chocolate truffle nonetheless. I don't think you have to be the biggest fan of dark chocolate to enjoy these, the cocoa strength was evident, but never over done; and the added creaminess of the centre further made this a non-issue. I would very much recommend these, they are bound to be a favourite for a lot of people this Christmas.

8.6 out of 10

Fancy trying the Lindt Lindor 60% Exra Dark Truffles for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

December 21st: Lindt Milk Chocolate Snowballs

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

Thanks largely to my friends at Dean-German-Grocery, I have been able to try some of Lindt's finest Christmas goods. Although there have been the odd anomalies *cough* Lindt Christmas Punch *cough*, there have also been some absolutely fantastic offerings (see Lindor Noel, Magic Selection). Today I tried yet another product from their Christmas range, the Lindt Milk Chocolate Snowballs. These came described as 'milk chocolate balls with a double cream filling'.

I bought these in a 100.0g packet that I ate in one very greedy sitting. The presentation of the product was nice. The outer packaging had a pleasant looking Christmas theme, and avoided being overly elaborate. The chocolates themselves looked remarkably similar to the Lindt Kristallzauber I reviewed back in the November. They looked like mini Lindor truffles, and had very appetising looking cream filled centres. Although pretty much scentless in the plastic bag, when released from their mini foil wrappers the chocolates had a dairy led enticing smell.

It wasn't just presentation where this product sparkled. From taste to textures, these were very enjoyable mini chocolates. Although the chocolate was only of a 30% cocoa recipe, and actually quite thin, this still didn't stop it from establishing a strong chocolaty base taste. As soon as the chocolate entered the mouth the distinctly milky, cocoa flavours were immediately present, and grew in their strength as the smooth, thick melt developed. The double cream fillings felt utterly luxurious, and had a super soft feel to compliment the added burst of dairy flavours they offered to the taste. My only slight reservation with these was that due to the super smooth textures, the chocolates didn't last that long in the mouth. This combined with the fact they tasted so good was a deadly combination, as I said above I tucked away the full 100.0g bag in only the one sitting.

Overall these were hugely enjoyable mini chocolate truffles, however they weren't quite a full rounded satisfying product. The milk chocolate was of a high quality, and the double cream truffle fillings really made for a divine overall taste. The textures of the product were superb, with the chocolate only beaten in terms of smoothness by the fillings, which felt almost like silk in the mouth. Unfortunately it was the smoothness and quick melting textures, which made these quite unfulfilling. These are a product I would love to see in the standard Lindor format, if your going to buy some of these, I suggest you buy a few packs - they are incredibly addictive.

8.2 out of 10

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

December 21st: Ritter Sport Jamaica Rum Truffle

Kcal 512 Fat 30.9g Fat(sats) 19.7g Carbs 52.2g (per 100.0g)

As if my Ritter Sport 'to-review' list wasn't long enough, Dean-German-Grocery kindly sent me across the latest 'Winter Varieties' liqueur based range. Having just reviewed the Ritter Sport Rum Knusperstuck, I thought I would compare them to this 'Jamaica Rum Truffle' variant. This bar was formed of 'milk chocolate filled with butter truffle and rum (3%)'.

This 'Winter Variant' came in the same 100.0g form of the standard Ritter Sport offerings. I particularly liked the look of the packaging - I thought the black portion of the wrapper gave the product a more sophisticated look, whilst the pictures were highly relevant to the filling. The chocolate itself wasn't the most striking of Ritter Sport bars, though a clear distinction between the outer chocolate and inner truffle layer could be made. Much like the 'Rum Knusperstuck' this bar had a very forthcoming Rum smell - the aroma wasn't quite as sweet, but it was equally as indicative of the taste.

I really enjoyed the flavour progression of this bar. The outer chocolate was of the usual Ritter Sport milk chocolate standard and performed its task well of 'carrying' the inner truffle centre. The milky smooth taste of the outer chocolate melted slowly in to the more intense flavours of the truffle centre, the taste growing ever stronger as the melt progressed. The taste of the truffle filling was highly enjoyable - it combined both smooth buttery flavours wonderfully with the ever present rum element. The rum taste was more friendly than the edgier 'Rum Knusperstuck' and had a creamier nature due to the truffle context. Despite not being quite as sharp, the rum flavour lasted for a long time in the mouth, delivering a relatively rich experience.

Overall this was a pretty satisfactory bar that delivered a highly enjoyable rum centric taste. The milk chocolate provided an initial creaminess which set the smooth flavours of the truffle filling up nicely. The concentration of the rum was just about right for me, it was strong enough to stamp its presence on the taste, though not overly alcoholic tasting. I preferred this bar slightly over the Ritter Sport Rum Knusperstuck as it provided a richer, more fulfilling taste. To be honest though, if your a fan of liqueur chocolates, particularly rum, then they are both products you will want to check out.

8.2 out of 10

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

December 20th: Terry's Chocolate Orange Minty

Kcal 510 Fat 29.5g Fat(sats) 17.0g Carbs 57.0g (per 100.0g)

To say I was a little bemused by this product is a bit of an understatement. 'Terry's Chocolate Orange goes Minty' constitutes of 'dark chocolate with peppermint oil' .... notice anything missing here? Kraft are obviously relying on the 'Terry's' brand to shift this product, but surely branding a product 'Chocolate Orange' and it not containing an orange flavour of any sort is a step to far?

I bought product in the standard 175.0g sphere that was broken into twenty segments. Despite being slightly disgruntled at the misleading outer packaging I could still appreciate the look of the chocolate itself. Terry's Chocolate Orange *ahem* spherical presentation really does have a uniqueness of its own - it would be silly to see any other brand try and imitate it. The chocolate was contained nicely within a foil layer - all of the pieces appeared very clean cut, with very shiny surfaces. The presence of the peppermint oil was very evident from the smell. I could detect elements of cocoa, but the aroma was largely led by the mint.

In terms of dark chocolate quality I wasn't particularly bowled over by the 40% recipe of this product. As I have referred to with many mass produced dark chocolate before the taste was very 'mass consumer friendly' ... i.e. it tasted more like unsweetened milk chocolate rather than having its cocoa flavours amplified. Although not the most strongly flavoured, the dark chocolate still provided a tasty chocolaty background for the more prominent minty flavours. The peppermint oil had a nice cool, refreshing flavour, however its dominance meant the taste was quite one dimensional. The intensity of the peppermint meant the product offered very little in the way of flavours progression  - the taste didn't change whatsoever from the chocolate first entering the mouth till the aftertaste. Five segments provided a reasonable snack, though I must admit I was getting a bit bored of the product once I was near finishing it.

Overall this was a real no frills chocolate mint product. I am still a little peeved at the 'false advertising' of the 'Chocolate Orange' branding - I know it would be one wired mixture with the mint, but surely everything is worth a try. Anyway, forgetting what might have been, this product was a pretty run of the mill offering. The dark chocolate was far from offensive, but at the same time decidedly average. The mint flavouring was strong but a bit overly so, its dominance made for quite a monotonous overall taste. If your a fan of chocolate mint combinations then this would probably be a product you would enjoy, for the rest i wouldn't recommend going massively out your way to try it.

7.3 out of 10

December 19th: Lindt Gold Reindeer

Kcal 272 Fat 16.5g Fat(sats) 10.0g Carbs 27.5g (per 50.0g)

Way back in March I reviewed my first ever Lindt product. It was an Easter themed goodie, the Lindt Gold Bunny, and I remember really enjoying it. Since then, and many reviews later, I have come to be a massive appreciator of most things Lindt. Given all this there was no way I was going to turn down giving this Lindt Gold Reindeer a review. Almost identical to the Gold Bunny, this was a hollowed out milk chocolate product.

Although available in various sizes, I bought this Gold Reindeer in the 100.0g form. The product was beautifully presented in a gold foil wrapper and included a decorative red bow. The chocolate itself was nicely shaped and included a small amount of detail on its surface, which further added to its authenticity. Granted this wasn't the most practically formed chocolate, though there was no doubting that it looked impressive. I was also quite impressed with the smell of the product. As soon as I split open the foil wrapper I was met with a very appetising dairy based smell. Presentation is always a strong point of Lindt products.

Although it was pretty to look at, the truth of course was in the taste, and of course it didn't let me down here either. The milk chocolate was of a 30% cocoa recipe and offered much the same taste as the Lindt Excellence Milk Extra Creamy chocolate. It was predominantly milky in its flavours, though its thick, smooth melting texture gave it more the feel of double cream in the mouth. The chocolate melted at a lovely rate, with the cocoa growing ever so slightly in its prominence and strength as the melt progressed. The chocolate was relatively sweet, and had minor caramel like notes in its aftertaste. Although it was not the strongest tasting the chocolate I have ever had, the density of its melt made 50.0g (half) a very satisfying serving size. 

Overall there were no surprises here, and this was as expected a very enjoyable milk chocolate product. The chocolate lived up to the glamourous presentation and was of a good quality, with a sweet but exerting creamy taste. It is little under six days until Christmas now, and if your struggling for stock fillers, or little smaller gifts, then this would be a good little present. After all, who doesen't apprecitate chocolates at Christmas!? Especially when it looks and tastes this good.

8.5 out of 10

December 19th: Annabelle's Rocky Road

Kcal 240 Fat 11.0g Fat(sats) 4.0g Carbs 34.0g

Someone at CandyPirate must really must have taken a liking to their retro candy bars lately, as straight off the back of my Necco reviews, they sent me this 'Rocky Road' bar. Formed of 'milk chocolate coated marshmallow and cashews', it reminded me a bit of the UK's Tunnocks Teacake (minus the biscuit of course - review coming shortly). This bar is part of the Annabelle's portfolio - a brand that also produces the Abba-Zaba & Big Hunk bars.

The product came in a large looking 51.0g serving, in a very distinct looking red foil wrapper. Personally I thought the wrapper looked a bit tacky, it didn't have the retro appeal of the Necco Sky Bar, to be honest I thought it just looked quite cheap. Despite this the bar itself looked pretty good. The milk chocolate coating held the product together well, and the generous, white fluffy look of the marshmallow looked quite appealing. The smell of the bar was nothing too special, I would describe it as more sweet than anything else, the chocolate and cashews were not all that apparent in the aroma.

The biggest disappointment with this bar had to be the outer chocolate. It lacked a telling taste and really lost relevance in both its texture and flavours due to the prominence of the marshmallow centre. Where the chocolate was distinguishable it offered a pretty uninspiring very sugar led, sweet taste. Its texture wasn't all that impressive either, the melt seemed to have a bit of a grainy texture ... on the whole it was really just disappointing chocolate. Sitting below the chocolate was of course the marshmallow layer, which I had mixed feelings about. It was a lot different to the marshmallow we get here in the UK, its texture was much lighter, with a fluffier feel. Initially I didn't enjoy the taste all that much ... it was just a little to sweet for my liking. However the more I ate, the more the vanilla flavouring of the mallow came to the fore, making its taste that bit more enjoyable. The presence of the cashews can only be described as minimal. Not only were they sparse, but where present their chopped nature meant they did very little for the overall taste. Despite weighing at 51.0g this was a pretty unfulfilling product.

Overall I would say that I was pretty disappointed with this bar, it just didn't deliver on its full potential. Pretty much all the different aspects of the bar could be improved. The milk chocolate could have done with a more distinctive taste, it would probably hugely benefit from being a little thicker. The marshmallow was pretty fair and I enjoyed its unique texture. The implementation of the cashews needs a lot of refining - they need to be far more generously portioned and in a whole nut form. Much like the Necco bars I wouldn't recommend this product on its taste, but if you are interested in trying old fashioned, nostalgia rich candy bars I would give this a look at.

6.9 out of 10

Interested in trying The Annabelle's Rocky Road for yourself? Find this bar and many more American candy & foods delivered directly from the UK at CandyPirate!!

December 18th: Cadbury Heroes

Kcal 510 Fat 27.7g Fat(sats) 16.6g Carbs 60.3g (per 100.0g)

I haven't had 'Heroes' in a long time, but blimey have there been some changes. Some good, many not so good: out with the 'Miniature' branding, Timeout - out (Boo!), Cadbury Dream - out (Yay!), Picnic - out (Boo!), Crunchie Bites - out (Boo! Boo! Boo!), Cadbury Eclair - in (Yay!), Cadbury Bournville - in (Boo!) .... sooo many changes. 

So whats left you ask? The lineup now takes the shape of: Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk with Caramel, Dairy Milk Whole Nut, Fudge, Bournville, Twirl and Eclairs. I bought a large pack of these (445.0g) and shared them with a few friends. The general consensus was that the recent substitutions weren't all the favourable - the lack of Picnic and Dream pieces seemed a particularly spiky topic with some. 

I thought the product was well presented - the outer packaging looked sharp, though I was left a little bemused with the ridding of the 'Miniatures' part of the branding!? The chocolates themselves were presented well, each with their own branded mini wrappers. I found it quite funny that Cadbury felt the need to warn me there were nuts in the Whole Nut block - well DUH!!! 

Below are my thoughts regarding each piece:

Dairy Milk - What is there to say!? I liked the fact the block was split into two smaller pieces. The melt was smooth and thick, and the taste was wonderfully sweet and creamy. I wasn't expecting anything different - great stuff. Excellent.

Dairy Milk with Caramel - (soon to be back to Cadbury Caramel ... See HERE!!) Heaven in a chocolate block :) Still by far my favourite Cadbury product. Its sweet, sticky caramel and delightful creamy chocolate combination just can't be touched in the mass confectionery market ... well apart from the Galaxy Caramel! Typical really that I only got four of these in the whole pack. Excellent.

Dairy Milk Whole Nut - Another enjoyable piece. I thought this was one was well designed with a single whole nut in the centre of the block. The chocolate was thick, creamy and despite not the having the strongest flavours, the hazelnut piece added a delightful crunch. It was good to have a nutty option in the mix. Very Good.

Fudge - I got about twenty of these in my pack - I won't grumble too much at least it wasn't the Bournville that was over portioned! These smelt very sweet out their wrappers. The milk chocolate was a little thin for my liking, though sucking on the sweet, buttery fudge centre was rather enjoyable. Good.

Bournville - A new arrival to the selection, the words ... why? oh why? Spring to mind :( If you have read my original review of the Bournville bar (HERE), you will know that I am no big fan. I had no better experience here - the melt was poor and clumpy, whilst the taste was overly sweet and what I would describe as cloudy and mirky ... its as if it was scared to express its true cocoa flavours. Poor. 

Eclairs - The second of the two newest additions, and a much more welcome one. Despite being scentless the outer hard caramel was wonderful with its sweet, buttery toffee flavours. As I referred to in my original Eclairs review, the real joy of these was in the anticipation of the chocolate, which just so happened to deliver a fantastic chocolaty burst. Very Good.

Twirl - As its smell suggested its flavours were not quite as sweet as the Dairy Milk variants, which made for a nice change. It was also nice to have a lighter textured option in the selection, which further made it more enjoyable. Good. 

Overall there is no doubting this is a fabulous mixture of chocolates, but it has to be said that the recent changes haven't all been for the better. I can live with the Bournville, as really it has only replaced the Dream, which was equally as poor. What I think was really a bad decision was the exclusion of the Crunchie and Picnic pieces, as straight away two of the more diverse options were taken from the selection. Taking this product at face value and forgetting 'what used to be', it still offers a very nice range of tasty varieties from the Cadbury portfolio - with the Caramel, Eclairs and Dairy Milk pieces the real shinning stars. I would recommend this selection, but be prepared to feel like something is missing.

8.4 out of 10

December 17th: Ritter Sport Rum Knusperstuck

Kcal 89 Fat 5.5g Fat(sats) 3.6g Carbs 8.9g (per piece)

I have been a little wary of my rum containing chocolate ever since the horrible experience of the Lindt Christmas Punch. Saying that it was hardly like I could turn down the offer from Dean-German-Grocery to sample these Ritter Sport Rum Knusperstuck. These pieces were billed as 'filled milk chocolate with hazelnut cream, raisins, broken wafer, crispy rice and rum'. This was all sounded a little busy for me, though I was hoping Ritter Sport could deliver better results than Lindt's attempt.

It was nice to finally see a Ritter Sport product that didn't just come in the 100.0g square format. These pieces came in a 200.0g bag that contained twelve individually wrapped chocolates. The outer packaging was relatively attractive with a blue Caribbean type theme that was also implemented on the smaller wrappers for each of the chocolates. The chocolates themselves looked pretty appetising. The milk chocolate appeared quite thin, though the middle hazelnut cream filling looked tempting with the raisin, wafer and rice pieces all evident. The smell of the pack was very forthcoming, just opening the outer packaging released a very strong sweet rum smell that grew ever stronger removing the chocolates from their individual wrappers. The aroma set the tone nicely for what was to come.

As the appearance indicated the outer chocolate wasn't the most forceful on the overall taste due to its thin portioning. As soon as the chocolate quickly melted the inner filling cream came to the fore of the taste, with the rum element largely dominating. The earthy flavours of the hazelnut were ever present, though the rum was by far the most forthcoming. The rum was reasonably pleasant and had a nice sweetness to its alcoholic taste. The raisin, wafer and rice pieces were also detectable in the creamy rum taste every so often, adding small sweet fruity, wheaty bursts of flavour. The rum left a lasting impression in the mouth, though the overall taste was really quite sweet. Three pieces at a time provided all the sweetness I could take in one serving, though this was still a pretty pleasant snack.

Overall these have rid my fear of rum flavoured chocolate for the time being, and were actually relatively pleasant chocolates. Right from the off the smell of the product heavily indicated that the rum was going to be the dominant aspect of the product, and this transpired with the taste as well. The pieces lacked influence from the chocolate, however the other ingredients more than made up for its lacklustre presence delivering a strong, sweet alcohol rooted taste. For those that are fans of their liqueur chocolates I would recommend these

8.1 out of 10

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

December 16th: Milka Yogurt

Kcal 565 Fat 36.0g Carbs 52.0g (per 100.0g)

I continued my way through the seemingly never ending list of Milka variants today with this Milka Yogurt (Joghurt) bar, courtesy once again from my friends at Dean-German-Grocery. It was only a few months ago I reviewed the Ritter Sport Yogurt, a product I immensely enjoyed. Given the usual high standard of Milka fillings, this was a bar that I thought had a lot of potential.

The product came in the 100.0g format, contained within the usual purple themed plastic packaging. The front of the pack looked very similar indeed to the Milka Alpine Milk Cream, though had an aesthetically pleasing sky blue secondary colour scheme implemented. The bar itself looked pretty appetising. Each block was decorated with the Milka logo, and the yogurt filling looked generously portioned and tempting with its distinct white colour. The chocolate had a pretty nice smell, the usual dairy scents of the Alpine Milk were present as well as an extra sweet, vanilla like hint.

As I have come to expect the outer Alpine Milk carried the flavouring of the bar beautifully. All the usual milky flavours were present, of course delivered through a wonderfully smooth melt. As with every flavoured Milka bar the focus was really on the filling, and in line with all expectations the yogurt element didn't disappoint. The focus from the milk chocolate to the yogurt was well transitioned, with the ultra smooth texture remaining relatively the same from layer to layer. The yogurt filling straightaway established an even milkier coolness to the taste with just the smallest note of vanilla present. As the melt of the yogurt layer progressed the slightly tarty, tangy dairy flavours came to the fore providing yet another progressive development to the overall taste. Despite the impressiveness of the flavour progression the taste was not all that long lasting due to the relatively fast melt - still though 50.0g provided a more than adequate snack.

Overall this was yet another hugely enjoyable flavour variant from the Milka brand. The yogurt filling delivered on all the desired flavours - the taste was smooth and milky but with a slightly soured aftertaste ... in my opinion it ticked all the right boxes. Personally I couldn't pick a favourite between this bar and the Ritter Sport Yogurt - they are both products I would recommend. For those that enjoy sweeter, milkier chocolate this will probably be the one out of the two you will prefer.

8.5 out of 10

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

December 15th: Green & Black's Dark 85% Cocoa

Kcal 591 Fat 53.2g Carbs 19.0g (per 100.0g)

My experiences so far with the Green & Black's brand have largely been what I would describe as underwhelming. I know it is a hugely popular brand amongst many readers, but the bars I have reviewed so far have really not been anything to shout about. You only have to look as far the current Chocolate Mission top rated Hotel Chocolat bar to see that 85% cocoa formulations normally prove to be pretty popular with myself. Today I thought I would give the Green & Black's 85% offering a chance, hoping that it would finally deliver a more exciting prospect.

I sampled this product in a 100.0g bar that provided me with three very fulfilling servings. I liked the look of the packaging, the usual brown base colour of the outer layer was complimented nicely by an additional dark secondary colour and gold font - this gave the bar a sophisticated look. The chocolate was also presented well; with the surface having a very smooth complexion and logos implemented on each block. Releasing the bar from its branded gold foil wrapper a strong unsweetened chocolaty scent was very imposing.

The initial flavours of this bar had a bitter edge, though as the melt progressed the taste transformed into a more mellow experience. As the smell suggested the cocoa was quite intense and it did take time for my taste buds to adapt to the raw sharpness of the taste. The melt of the chocolate was fantastic, it melted with a real smoothness and into a nice thick double cream like consistency. As aforementioned the initial intensity did subside into a friendlier sweeter taste, though it still was exceedingly rich. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this bar was the aftertaste, which was nicely rounded with a lovely touch of vanilla. The flavour longevity of this product was extremely long, I could taste the cocoa in my mouth for a great deal of time after consuming each piece.

Overall I have finally come across a Green & Black's bar that I genuinely very much liked. Although initially wary due to the initial bitterness, preserving with this bar was extremely worthwhile and it provided a fantastic, full flavoured dark chocolate. The texture was wonderfully smooth, and the taste was strong and rich. Personally my preference is still very much with the equivalent Hotel Chocolat bar, and to a lesser extent Lindt's similar offering. Still though, this was a highly satisfying dark chocolate, and is one that I would highly recommend as a cheaper alternative.

8.5 out of 10

December 15th: Montezuma's Vera

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

This 'Vera' bar is the final offering from the range that Montezuma's sent me a while back. On the packaging it says 'to guess how we named this one you have to be a real smarty-pants' ... well I am obviously not very smart as I don't have the foggiest! Anyone!? Anyway, this bar was comprised of the unique combination of dark chocolate and pistachio nuts ... I was hoping this maybe the bar to really make the Montezuma's brand stand out from the rest.

Like the rest of the range the bar came in a 45.0g serving that provided an altogether suitable snack. Despite my own confusion with the name I liked the presentation of the product. The nicely designed outer cardboard box made up for the clumsy looking plastic wrapper the chocolate came in. Although still in the quite boring six block format, the bar had a relatively interesting look with the green pistachio nuts adding an element of colour to the extremely dark looking chocolate. I was hoping for the aroma to give an insight into the taste of the pistachio nuts, though unfortunately all that was on offer was the smell of the cocoa ... at this point I realised there was only one way to find out.

My experiences with actual Montezuma's chocolate has largely been underwhelming, but I must say their dark chocolate was actually quite enjoyable. Comprised of 73% cocoa solids the taste was initially on the bitter side, though once the chocolate had warmed to a sufficient melting point the flavours became more creamy and the vanilla aftertaste was well pronounced. What with the chocolate being of a good standard all that was needed was for the pistachio nuts to deliver and we would have had a good bar of chocolate - unfortunately this wasn't reality. I find pistachio nuts quite restrictive in their flavours at the best of times, but mixed in with the quite strongly flavoured dark chocolate they only mustered a very minor earthy flavoured impression on the taste. I also wasn't particularly fond of their texture, their soft, almost chewiness just didn't feel right in this context. The dark chocolate made this a reasonably satisfying snack, though it was no more or less enjoyable than your average chocolate bar.

Overall this bar was pretty much the story of the Montezuma's range as a whole - neither spectacular or bad .... just pretty damn average. The dark chocolate was of a fair quality, and provided a nice basis for which a nicely flavoured, added ingredient could work off. The pistachio nuts though just didn't deliver, lacking any sort of real flavour ... thus making this just another run of the mill, uninspiring offering from Montezuma's. I am not going to recommend this bar, purely for the reason that for the price you can get far superior chocolates.

7.3 out of 10

  

December 14th: Green & Black's Dark & Gingerbread

Kcal 503 Fat 30.7g Carbs 49.0g (per 100.0g) 

I have been trying all sorts of Christmas themed products for the last two months - but this one particularly caught my eye when I was shopping the confectionery shelf during my latest visit to Waitrose. Todays review is the first of two Green & Black's festive themed bars, and  incorporated 'dark chocolate with spiced gingerbread pieces'. What with this being a Christmas bar the spiced element was delivered through the addition of ground cinnamon and ginger.

This product came in a large sized 150.0g bar that served me well for four portions. I liked the Christmas focus of the packaging - it was not over elaborated, but just had the simple inclusion of the Christmas Tree emblem which was a subtle yet welcome addition. The chocolate itself had a pretty unique look, the gingerbread pieces were ever present throughout the chocolate and added a real distinctness. The spices had a real impact on the aroma - the cinnamon and ginger elements were very prevalent amongst the cocoa smells - it was strong smelling and enticing.

The dark chocolate was formed of a 60% recipe - of course with the array of added ingredients, the chocolate was more of a 'flavour carrier' rather than the main focus. Despite this, the dark chocolate still substantiated a reasonably forthcoming set of unsweetened cocoa flavours. As I commented above the gingerbread pieces were very well portioned, and were present in almost every single piece of the bar. The pieces had a sharp ginger biscuit taste that was rounded nicely with a touch of brown sugar. I thought the crunchy texture of the gingerbread also added further interest, contrasting well with the smooth melting chocolate. Despite the only fleeting mentioning of the ginger and cinnamon spices in the ingredients they were by far and away the dominating aspect of the overall taste. They certainly made for a strongly flavoured and ultimately rich chocolate, though for my liking they were almost verging on being overly dominant. Some blocks of the bar were overly influenced by these spices - which at times meant the strength was a bit too much. Although at times overly present, there was no doubting their favourable impact on the aftertaste, which was very long lasting. 

Overall this was a bar that had a lot of unique attributes that made for an enjoyable bar of chocolate. The dark chocolate was of a good quality, though the attention was really forced off this aspect of the bar, as the added elements were far more prevalent in the grand scheme of the taste. On one hand this meant the chocolate was strongly flavoured and quite rich, however at times the intensity of the spices tipped the wrong side of the scales and were overly forceful. This wont be a bar to everyones taste, but if you like the sound of the dark chocolate and ginger biscuit combination then this would definitely be a bar I would recommend to you.

8.2 out of 10

  

December 13th: Ferrero Espresso Pocket Coffee

Kcal 404 Fat 18.4g Carbs 55.5g (per 100.0g)

Long time readers will know my fetish for chocolate and coffee combinations. I have come across many delightful products so far - Twix Java and the Lindt Coffee Lindor Truffles both amongst my favourites. As well as being a fan of chocolate coffee combinations, I am also a huge admirer of a lot of Ferrero products ... marry the two and you get these Ferrero Espresso Pocket Coffee chocolates. These chocolates were formed of an outer coating of dark chocolate, filled with an espresso flavoured liquid centre - not all that dissimilar from Trader Joe's Espresso Chocolates. This again was a product so kindly provided to me by Dean-German-Grocery.

I received these chocolates in a packet of 18 (225.0g). It took me a while to get through the lot, I ate them sporadically over the last few weeks, mostly everytime I had a coffee (most morning/evenings!). The presentation was pretty good - the outer packaging looked very Nescafe Esq! I am not a fan of entirely ripping off other brands designs, but it gave the product a degree relevance. The chocolates themselves were nicely presented, each had a double layered wrapper - one nicely designed plastic layer and another foil layer to ensure freshness. As soon as the chocolates were removed from their foil wrappers a very forthcoming coffee scent further fuelled my anticipation ... they smelt absolutely fantastic.

The pieces were wonderfully sized, and fitted in the mouth beautifully. As I have mentioned I enjoyed eating these alongside a nice freshly brewed black coffee - it was a wonderful mix. The dark chocolate was not the highest quality chocolate ever, but it still provided an enjoyable initial cocoa base flavour. The cocoa flavours were quite strong and smokey tasting, and grew in intensity as the melt progressed. The dark chocolate was filled with an espresso filling that was everything I was expecting it to be. It was very thin and runny, and offered a hugely intense coffee hit. The flavours were sharp, earthy and on the whole extremely rich ... immensely enjoyably. The only aspect of the product I didn't enjoy was the thin layer of crystallised sugar between the chocolate and liquid centre. It didn't spoil the product whatsoever, though it slightly distorted the smoothness of the chocolate and liquid centre.

Overall these were hugely enjoyable chocolates, largely due to the fact that they didn't hold back on the strength of the coffee flavour. The dark chocolate was of a good enough standard, and provided a reasonably tasty base set of flavours. The real shining star of the product though was of course the filling. The product came billed as espresso strength and they simply didn't fail in delivery. This is one I would very much recommend to like minded chocolate coffee addicts - there are very few better ways to get your fix.

8.7 out of 10

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

December 13th: Cadbury Crunchie Nuggets

Kcal 470 Fat 18.8g Carbs 71.5g (per 100.0g) 

I am a big fan of the Cadbury Crunchie so I was happy to pick up a bag of these Cadbury Crunchie Nuggets for only 50p in my local Woolworths - bargain eh!?. Described as 'milk chocolates with honeycomb centres', I have my own theory to how these are made. Personally I don't think these are finely crafted Crunchie pieces, but I reckon they are offcuts from the honeycomb used in the original bar, just dipped in milk chocolate ... I don't think I'm wrong!

The product came in 200g bag that contained a huge amount of nugget pieces. I liked the look of the packaging, the foil material not only gave it a nice contemporary look, but also kept the pieces relatively fresh looking. I can't say I was all too impressed with the look of the nuggets themselves. They varied in size hugely, and the pack contained several minuscule pieces that were just a pain to eat. The presentation wasn't all that bad, what the product lacked in looks it made up for in its aroma. The foil packaging meant the product maintained a pretty alluring chocolaty, sweet smell. 

As I mentioned above the pieces were wide ranging in their size, this meant they were not only awkward to eat, but also variable in their taste. Some pieces were so small they contained no honeycomb at all, and were just small pieces of chocolate that weren't big enough to create a meaningful impression in regards to taste. The pieces that did contain honeycomb were pretty fair. Due to size of the nuggets they didn't have the same slightly moistened honeycomb texture like in the original bar, it was just more of a standard crunch. The taste of the honeycomb was also more straightforward than the bar. The burnt sugar type flavours were still present, though the nuggets lacked the full on honey flavours of the original Crunchie. I ate the whole bag over two sittings, despite a sickly sweetness eventually catching up with me the product felt largely unfulfilling. 

Overall these weren't necessarily a bad product, though give me a choice between a bag of these nuggets or a normal Crunchie and the decision would be pretty straight forward. Personally I just didn't like the format, the varying sized pieces just seemed downright awkward. I think there is a potential for a smaller version of the Crunchie ... 'Crunchie Cubes' or something; but by and large I found these tiny pieces inferior to the bar itself. A novel way to use offcuts, but personally I would suggest you just stick with you usual Crunchie.

7.3 out of 10

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