July 21st: Whittaker's Zestful Dark Orange

Kcal 508 Fat 26.0g Fat(sats) 16.6g Carbs 64.2g (per 100.0g)

Last month having received dozens upon dozens of requests for me to review some Whittaker's products I finally got around to trying out their '72% Ghanaian Dark Chocolate'. That bar was very well received indeed even gained itself a coveted ChocolateMission 9.0 rating. Because of this I was absolutely delighted when I was given the opportunity by Shopenzed to have a try of the 'Whittaker's Zestful Dark Orange' variant. Comprised of orange peel in dark chocolate I was admittedly a little sceptical, though given the previous success I was very much willing to give it a go.

The presentation of this bar was almost identical to that of the '72% Ghanaian' and came in a 250.0g format. The outer packaging was once again superb and combined the same golden coloured background but this time with a very apt orange secondary colour scheme. The chocolate itself was sectioned up nicely into bite seize chunks which surprisingly didn't crumble apart despite the heavy portioning of the orange peel slithers. I was a little cautious at the potential of the orange peel within the chocolate though my confidence became greater when I noticed the gorgeous juicy orangey scents that were released when the thick gold foil wrapper was unravelled.

I guess prior to trying this I was a little worried that the added orange might ruin the lovely flavour development of the dark chocolate and that it might prove to be more of a nuisance rather than an enhancer. I am glad to report that I didn't perceive this to be the case and was duly impressed by the way in which the dark chocolate was first allowed to substantiate itself before the orange came in to play. Just as I experienced with the plain dark chocolate Whittaker's bar the base dark chocolate flavours were both full of flavour and friendly in regards to taste. It had a wonderfully smooth melt that ebbed and flowed with the increasing degree of cocoa flavours that it lay down in the mouth. The chocolate was unsweetened, yet never bitter due to both the consistent cream undertone and the sweetness from the orange peel that came into play later on. Despite my scepticism at the orange peel it was frankly utterly delicious. The dark chocolate did have a hint of orange fruit to it, though the real bursts of orange came when the glace peel pieces were left in the mouth once the chocolate had melted away. They were a wonderful way to round off the taste and provided a sweet, juicy fruit flavour hit with their soft, slightly chewy textures. The resulting taste was one that developed nicely in the mouth and kept my interest from the first to the last piece.

Overall I have completely bottled it with the score here as I haven't been able to decide whether I prefer the dark chocolate solus or it with the added orange as with this bar. The conclusion is a simply one and it is a matter of mood and state of mind - would I prefer a plain dark chocolate or a fruit infused one? Both bars were equally tasty and I would quite happily indulge in either again in the short term future. Whittaker's are proving to be quite a favourite brand of mine as both of their products I have tried have been superb. If your a chocolate orange fan I would seriously suggest you try this bar as it is easily up there with some of the best of this part of the market - it comes with a two thumbs up recommendation from me.

9.0 out of 10