February 18th: Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolates

Kcal 160 Fat 13.0g Fat(sats) 8.0g Carbs 25.0g (per 40.0g - 5 pieces)

Just last week those wonderful folks at *ISHOP4YOUII* kindly sent me across a whole heap of the latest American goodies to try, included in which were these Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolates. Now having reviewed Hershey's milk chocolate in several guises before (Kisses & standard bar) and not been overly bowled by it, I must admit I was pretty sceptical at the promise of a sugar free version. Thankfully I wasn't perturbed by my own preconceptions and gave these a try.

Quite why the nutritional information was displayed in 40.0g servings for a 85.0g pack I don't quite know!? Anyway I ate this bag across two sittings with both occasions providing decent fulfilment. I thought the presentation was all pretty good, with the sugar free nature of the product not overly elaborated on. Each of the branded pieces were contained in foil packets and were of a nice size and thickness. The foil wrappers meant that the blocks were kept fresh, and some nice dairy cocoa scents were soon made apparent upon their opening.

Having seen that Hershey's are now seemingly committed to taking cocoa butter out of their products, I was surprised to see that cocoa butter was second on the ingredients list. Of course topping the bill was our sugar replacement - Malitol. From the very first piece I tried I was really quite shocked ... this actually tasted rather good. This was nothing like the original sugary chocolate with the quite peculiar tangy aftertaste, but was a completely different proposition altogether. The flavours seemed far more creamy, and the lack of ferocity from the absent sugar meant that the overall taste was more mellow and just a little more relaxed. Of course it lacked real flavour progression, and the cocoa flavour development wasn't at its most profound .... but there was just something about the smooth melting, milkiness that gave the taste a real appeal.

Overall this was nowhere near milk chocolate at its finest, but I still must admit I prefer this stuff to the original Hershey's milk chocolate. It is a real middle of the road milk chocolate, with a lot more emphasis on its milk flavours than focus on real cocoa depth - even so I still found it to have a good deal of appeal. As far as diet milk chocolate goes, this has to be one of the finer options available on the market at present. However odd this sounds I think this review is nicely summed up by saying that if I was offered a bar of original Hershey's milk chocolate, or this Sugar Free stuff ... I would choose the Sugar Free bar all day long ... go figure!

8.0 out of 10

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February 17th: Whizzers Chocolate Beans

Kcal 505 Fat 21.8g Carbs 70.3g (per 100.0g)

To the naked eye these Whizzers Chocolate Beans could be perceived as a 'knock off Nigel' Nestle Smarties product. However, closer inspection reveals that these 'Whizzers Chocolate Beans contain no added dairy ingredients: with every batch laboratory tested!' ... how very reassuring :) These Chocolate Beans were another product sent to me by those fine folk at 'Sweet N Lite', and offer a 'no dairy, no wheat, no gluten' chocolate option for those that need take care with these issues.

I received these in a pack of 50.0g that I rummaged into at random over the course of a few days. The presentation wasn't all that glamorous - the packaging was a simple cellophane packet and the 'Beans' themselves lacked the variation in their colours in comparison to the more vibrant Smarties. The pastel colours were by no means offensive, though they did seem a little subdued, which is a word that could certainly be used to describe the aroma of the 'Beans'. Similarly to Smarties these lacked a smell worth really noting, which if anything was just a little unexciting.

Due to the nature of the product I was quite intrigued to the constituents and studied the ingredients quite closely. I was surprised to see the chocolate actually contained 56% cocoa solids minimum, though was a little less taken a back by this when I tasted them. The sugary shells were well ... sugary shells - they did their job adequately and developed an initial sweetness in the mouth with a satisfying crunch factor. The inner chocolate was forthcoming in its flavours and substantiated an unsweetened cocoa influence on the taste. Admittedly I didn't think the combination of the sweet shells and plain chocolate was the greatest mix, I think the milk chocolate in Nestle Smarties provides a greater synergy. As previously noted I did eat this pack over a few days, and I must say they certainly were a nice little treat to snack on whilst sat at my desk working away.

Overall my conclusion to these Whizzers Chocolate Beans is very similar to that of the Cadbury Highlights ... would I choose them over their comparator products? (in this case Nestle Smarties) ... frankly no! Do I think they are a credible option for people who have restricted diets? ... Yes! Simply put the combination of the unsweetened chocolate and sugary shells can't touch the milk chocolate in Smarties - it just simply doesn't work as well. As I have said though, it is still a highly credible option for those restricted in this part of the market.

7.1 out of 10

Check out Whizzers Chocolate Beans & Other Specialist Dirt Foods at Sweet N Lite!!

February 16th: Eat Natural Cranberries, Hazelnuts, Orange & Milk Chocolate

Kcal 198 Fat 9.8g Fat(sats) 3.2g Carbs 24.3g

I guess this has to be classified as my most relevant review of an Eat Natural product thus far given the fact this one actually contained chocolate of some description. Despite boasting the longest product name in ChocolateMission history (I think!), this bar still didn't manage to quite describe itself fully through its name. It contained all of the mentioned cranberries, hazelnuts, orange and milk chocolate, however also brought peanuts, puffed rice cereal, sultanas and dried apricot into the mix. 

This bar came in a 45.0g size that impressivelly clocked in at under 200 calories. I was sort of bewildered by the presentation of the product - on one hand the wrapper looked rather nifty with its good use of colours and display of information, though I couldn't help but feel that the bar itself cut a rather disfigured, ugly appearance. It must be said the smell was a little more  promising, with some delightful peanutty smells proving rather forthcoming in and amongst the sweet, poignant fruity scents.

As you can imagine the taste was a real lottery, with each bite providing a significantly different experience. On the whole the milk chocolate was quite well implemented, with it providing a highly detectable milky, chocolaty background set of flavours to each bite. Personally I would have loved to have seen it more generously portioned, though I guess that would have affected the 'sub 200 calories' malarkey a bit. All in all the fruit aspects of this bar were pleasant. The combination of the cranberries, apricots and orange did make for quite an acidic, sharp taste, however this was nicely counter balanced by the sugary sweetness of the sultanas. It has to be said the zesty orange peel was the most prominent out of all the fruits, though the cranberries were also highly significant with their tart, berry like flavours. Although the hazelnuts were the choice of nuts mentioned in the name of the product, much like the smell suggested by far the strongest tasting were in fact the peanuts. The peanuts made for a long lasting, sustained taste in the mouth, as well as adding a nice crunchy texture that played nicely against the softer rice cereal.

Overall this was another pretty satisfying product from the Eat Nautral range, and one that I would recommend if you are looking for a 'lighter option' in regards to snacks. The milk chocolate although somewhat lacking in presence, did not lack relevance to the taste, and proved to be ever present in and amongst all the fruit and nut elements. Despite a large portion of the bar being formed by puffed rice cereal the product was actually rather fulfilling, and did me well as a pleasant afternoon snack. Although not my favourite, this is another product I would definitely say is worth looking at from the ever growing Eat Natural range.

7.5 out of 10   

February 15th: Toffee Crisp Clusters

Kcal 510 Fat 26.9g Fat(sats) 15.5g Carbs 58.5g (per 100.0g)

Having seen the press release for the launch of these only come out little over a month ago (See HERE), I was a little surprised when I saw these on promotion in my local Tesco just last week. I have seen mutterings on the Internet that these are in fact not a new product, but more of a re-release ... I can't say I remember having them before myself so these were new to me anyway. Billed as 'bite sized pieces of milk chocolate, with crisped rice and caramel pieces', I was hoping they would deliver a product of similar quality to the original Toffee Crisp.

As already mentioned I picked up this 150.0g pouch in my local Tesco for a mere £1. The pack didn't last all that long ... only the two sittings in fact, which I guess slightly indicates a small lacking in fulfilment qualities. The pouch looked vibrant, and used the original orange colouring of the Toffee Crisp brand well. Personally I thought the pictures of the pieces displayed on the front of the product were quite misleading, as they looked distinctly bigger than the rather small looking clusters actually in the pack. I must also note that the surfaces of the chocolates cut a 'dusty' complexion, and just didn't look particularly fresh. Despite my slight reservations at the presentation of the pieces I must say the aroma told a rather different story, and delivered some very indicative chocolaty, treacle smells.

Although disappointed by the size of the chocolates aesthetically they did prove to be a nice size to eat. Almost every piece could be enjoyed in one mouthful and more impressively all contained an equal proportion of chocolate, cereal and toffee. I remember one of my main criticisms of the Toffee Crisp was the lack of relevance the milk chocolate had in the taste, with these 'clusters' the milk chocolate definitely seemed more balanced with the caramel and was able to exert a stronger milky, chocolaty influence. I am not normally the greatest proponent of rice cereal, though the crisped rice did a more than adequate job to fuse the pieces together, adding a nice crunchy texture to the chewiness of the caramel and chocolate elements. As previously mentioned these were not the most satisfying of products - 75.0g at a time sounds a lot, though believe me it was easy to get through.

Overall these were an incredibly moreish product that on the whole I found to be very tasty. The toffee element took more of a backseat in comparison to the standard Toffee Crisp bar, though the chocolate did a fine job substantiating a greater presence in the taste. Given the choice out of the original bar and a pouch of these, I would still probably pick the bar due to its ease of eating, though in sharing situations these are definitely an option worthy of consideration. If you see these around in the next few weeks I would encourage you to give them a try.

7.9 out of 10

February 15th: Marks & Spencer Almond, Apricot & Mango Bar

Kcal 265 Fat 14.0g Fat(sats) 9.7g Carbs 30.1g

M&S aren't a brand to shy away from shamelessly producing copy cat products. One look at their confectionery range reveals that several of their own brand bars are direct rip offs from many already established market offerings. Todays Almond, Apricot & Mango bar exhibited this no better than any other - taken out of its wrapper it would have been almost impossible to distinguish this product from the Eat Natural Almond, Apricot and Yogurt bar I reviewed last month. It was worth noting however that this bar did in fact differ, in that it offered the added element of dried mango into the mixture of the almond, apricot, coconut and puffed rice.

Despite weighing in at the same size (50.0g), I did notice a difference in the nutritional values to the Eat Natural bar. This M&S variation contained another 50 or so calories, as well as another couple of grams of fat ... dieters take note!! As I have mentioned above the bar in its appearance looked identical to the Eat Natural one - the ingredients looked well dispersed and the yogurt coating seemingly fused the bar together well, avoiding the annoyance of small parts breaking off all over the place. In regards to the smell of the product I detected a far greater nuttier presence with this bar. The aroma of the almonds was all too apparent as soon as I opened the wrapper - something that would also latter transpire to the taste.

Of course to be thorough I simply had to do a side by side taste test between this and the Eat Natural variant. To be honest there was very little differentiation between the two, though the odd bite of the M&S bar did deliver a somewhat unwelcome side to its taste. The outer yogurt coating was nicely implemented, with its dried milk like sweet flavours nicely noted with a tangy, soured aftertaste. I am actually quite a frequent purchaser of mango, and it is one of my favourite fruits. Despite it being hard to differentiate between the mango and apricot elements, the ever so slightly more acidic mango was a very welcome addition to the taste. That said it could possibly have been greater in its portioning, as it only constituted 8% of the bar. Surprisingly it was the nut element that delivered the unfortunate side to this bar. The almond and coconut pieces were largely of the same standard as the Eat Natural variant, delivering some wonderful earthy,milky, buttery flavours. However, half way through consuming the bar I came across a poor quality almond, which really upset the balance of the taste. This truly was a bad tasting nut - and gave a rather harsh metallic taste in the mouth that proved unfortunately hard to rid off. To be honest it did somewhat spoil my overall enjoyment of the product, however I think it would be duly unfair to mark M&S down to badly for this as it may have just been an unlucky occurrence. 

Overall I did have a bit of an unsatisfactory experience with this bar, though I am going to give M&S the benefit of the doubt and put this down to my own bad luck at picking up a bar with a bad nut in it. My enjoyment of this bar up until that point was on a par, if not greater than its Eat Natural rival, something largely due to the addition of mango to the overall taste. Frankly if offered either/or between one of these and the Eat Natural Apricot, Almond & Yogurt I would go for the latter, a decision based purely on my own personal experience - in truth though I think there is very little to distinguish them.

7.4 out of 10 

February 14th: Twix White

Kcal 288 Fat 14.2g Carbs 37.2g

This has been one of my most eagerly anticipated bars to review, and it was only last week I finally managed to track down this Limited Edition Twix White. You may recall that I am a huge fan of not only the original Twix, but also a even greater proponent of the Twix Java variant - a simply stunning coffee flavoured take on the standard bar. Well today all the way from the Netherlands (random huh!?), I finally got to try this White variant - a bar that came billed as 'a mix of white chocolate, caramel and crunchy biscuit'. 

This bar actually came sized in a 58.0g form, a whole 2.0g bigger than the original Twix. I really liked the presentation of the product. The bar was contained within a neat looking foil wrapper, that not only looked classy but importantly maintained a fantastic freshness - vitally important due to the biscuit content of course. The actual fingers themselves also looked petty damn enticing - the white chocolate was a nice cream colour, which further accentuated the golden colour of the caramel, whilst the biscuit looked equally as tempting. The aroma department has never been a strength of Twix products and this White variant didn't buck the trend. The scents were not terribly forthcoming, and once found did little to excite, with only the most minor of sweet smells on offer.  

I will be straight with you - the white chocolate was a let down. I was hoping for a creamy, vanilla noted taste (Ala Milkybar), however was only confronted with a very weak set of flavours. The white chocolate was very reserved in its overall bearing on the taste, and offered only a very subtle sweet, powdered milky taste. To be honest it was neither unpleasant or pleasant - just really insignificant. The caramel and biscuit elements still proved to be very worthwhile additions. The biscuit was of a shortbread variety and combined a nice crunchy texture with a sugary, malt led taste. The caramel was as good as in the standard Twix, bringing buttery sweet burnt tasting elements delivered through its wonderfully chewy dexterity. Unfortunately the limpness of the chocolate really didn't make this a very fulfilling snack, especially compared to the other Twix variants.

Overall this bar unfortunately has to join the likes of the White Lion in the ranks of the disappointing 'White' variants category. The white chocolate was just unfortunately lacking in its flavours, and what with the chocolate being such an important constituent to the Twix this really meant it came at detriment to the product. As I have said above the powdered milk flavours it did bring weren't at all bad; they just simply weren't significant enough. I wouldn't propose anyone try this bar based on its taste alone, but I am sure there are many of you very curious to try this for yourselves - if you have done already let me know what your thoughts were.

7.4 out of 10

February 13th: Cadbury Cherry Ripe Double Dipped

Kcal 248 Fat 15.9g Fat(sats) 11.5g Carbs 23.2g

The emergence of this bar makes me wonder whether my review of the Cadbury Cherry Ripe landed smack bang on the desk of the head of Cadbury operations in Australia, hey we can all dream can't we!? In my review of the original bar my main gripe lay purely with the chocolate - it lacked flavour, had a pretty horrible melt and just seemed lost in the actual taste. Well what have Cadbury done with this bar? The clue is in the name! Billed as containing 'ripe juicy cherries and coconut, lusciously double dipped in rich old gold dark chocolate', I was hoping this bar was going to deliver the desired flavour hit I craved from the original.

Despite being 'double dipped' I found it quite odd that the bar actually came in a smaller size than the original. 50.0g was by no means small, far from it in fact, but still it seemed a little weird. I thought the packaging looked a great deal better than the original with its focus on more sophisticated looking colours. The product itself looked a lot darker in its appearance with the chocolate looking far thicker than the original. Despite this I still thought the bar lacked a little bit of character given the lack of branding. Upon opening the foil wrapper I was met with a pleasant wave of cocoa led scents. There was also a hint of fruity sweetness within its midst, which further added a degree of interest.

Cadbury dark chocolate has often failed to impress me (look no further than Cadbury Bournville), but I actually really quite enjoyed the taste of the 70% Old Gold. It was gone with the awful lazy melt, and in with a nicely flavoured dark chocolate. It was by no means the most flavoursome I have ever tasted, but its unsweetened cocoa flavours were ever present throughout the entirety of each bite, and even left a longing chocolaty taste in the mouth. Given the strength of the flavours of the cherry and coconut filling this was really quite a feat for the chocolate. The delightful fruity, syrupy, crunchy appeal of the coconut and glace cherries was again highly forthcoming, providing a taste that was not only unique but also highly pleasurable. The full 50.0g was a nicely sized serving, though I guess you would hope so too given the fact a single bar constitutes half of the RDA of saturated fat.

Overall I must say I was very impressed with this bar, and that I felt it really solved the originals fundamental problems. The dark chocolate was far better delivered. It was not only greater in its presence, but also had a more agreeable set of flavours that actually created and sustained impact on the overall taste. There was never any doubting the delicious cherry or coconut elements, and these were both equally as adept at delivering their wonderful fruity, sweet flavours. Anyone who feels similarly towards the standard Cadbury Cherry Ripe, I urge you to try this bar ... if you were a fan already your in for a right treat.

8.5 out of 10

February 12th: Walkers Chilli & Chocolate Potato Crisps

Kcal 131 Fat 8.3g Fat(sats) 0.7g Carbs 12.5g (per 25.0g bag)

You can't say I don't mix it up on this site ... today I bring to you ChocolateMission's very first Crisps review :) ... that's 'Chips' to you Americans. So what do we have here then? Well we have Walker's latest marketing campaign - 'Do us a flavour' ... this 'Chilli & Chocolate' variant has been chosen as one of six finalists, along with some other even more obscure sounding flavours ... 'Cajun Squirrel' anyone? (More HERE)

I sampled these today in a 25.0g multi pack bag, which rather oddly complimented my lunch time sandwich. Now I can't really pass comment on the presentation of crisps - to me they all look the same ... suffice to say though the standard Walkers foil bag kept everything fresh, and the comedy picture on the front provided some interest. I can't say I was a massive fan of the smell of the product ... to be honest I thought they would have had a sweeter aroma, though the smell was very much spice led.

Despite the smell indicating the more savoury nature of the product, the first flavours I encountered were predominantly quite sweet. If you have ever tasted hot chocolate powder before mixing it, these were the sort of flavours that were present in and amongst the starchy potato ones. To be frank I thought this wasn't particularly striking me as that pleasurable, though the later elements to the taste made the whole experience partionally better. The chilli and paprika elements were obviously far more suited to the crisps format, and were by far the dominant flavours come the aftertaste.

Overall although these were a bit of fun trying, I can't say these are a product that I would bother buying again. I definitely wouldn't buy these in place of another Walkers product, and I doubt very much they will be the eventual winner of the 'Do us a flavour' competition. I have seen some odd products in the form of chocolate coated bacon recently, which gave me hope that this combination of sweet and savoury might actually work. For my money though, this is a variant probably best stayed clear of.

6.5 out of 10

February 12th: Ritter Sport Diet Yogurt

Kcal 497 Fat 37.0g Fat(sats) 20.8g Carbs 42.0g (per 100.0g)

You may remember that at the start of the year I had best intentions of reviewing some of the 'lighter' choices available on the chocolate market. Well unfortunately due to the lack of quality products I sort of abandoned my search before it really got going. Thanks to Dean-German-Grocery, today I resumed my search with the Ritter Sport Diet Yogurt bar. You may recall that I reviewed the Ritter Sport Diet Milk Chocolate bar in January, well this bar was formed of that same milk chocolate, just containing a plentiful yogurt creme (42%!).

The product came in the usual 100.0g Ritter Sport size, and looked pretty much identical to the original Ritter Sport Yogurt branding aside. The only minor difference I could distinguish between the two Yogurt bars was the fact that this Diet version was slightly flatter in regards to the heights of the blocks ... the fact that I can actually notice this really underlines how much Ritter Sport I have tucked away in the last year and a bit! Anyway, the yogurt filling looked damn plentiful, and thoroughly appetising wedged in between the milk chocolate. The smell of the product wasn't all that strong, it largely smelt of dried milk, with a sweet, dairy led scent.

When I tried the Ritter Sport Diet Milk Chocolate a few weeks ago I was pretty unimpressed with the taste. The substitution of the sugar for the artificial sweetener was very noticeable in the aftertaste, though this wasn't such an issue with this bar. The milk chocolate definitely wasn't as enjoyable as in the standard Ritter Sport Yogurt bar, but it wasn't the focal point of the taste, which made it less noticeable. The smokey kind of taste that I detected with the Diet Milk Chocolate variant was present once again, though it didn't affect the aftertaste as significantly as the yogurt creme was largely dominant. To be honest I couldn't detect any difference in the taste of the yogurt creme from the original bar. It was creamy, but with a soured, tangy aftertaste that really gave a it an enjoyable progressive taste. The textures of the chocolate and filling were fantastic, with the chocolate melting at a nice steady rate before revealing the tender, silky yogurt creme. I ate this bar 50.0g at a time, with both servings really delivering a satisfying snack.

Overall it has to be said that this bar wasn't quite of the standard of the original Ritter Sport Yogurt, but it was still an offering that I really quite enjoyed. To be honest though, I am massively sceptical as to how this bar constitutes being 'Diet', as it only actually contains 20 less calories, and 1.0g less of fat per 100.0g than the original Ritter Sport Yogurt bar. Despite the yogurt creme still being extremely well delivered, the chocolate simply just didn't taste as good. Personally I wouldn't say it was worth sacrificing the flavour from the chocolate to save the minimal nutritional gains. This is still a pretty good bar of chocolate, but to to buy it on the basis of being a 'Diet' option I think would be a bit a silly.

8.1 out of 10

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

February 11th: Lindt Excellence Crunchy Caramel

Kcal 520 Fat 28.8g Fat(sats) 17.0g Carbs 61.0g (per 100.0g)

Every once and a while a bar comes along that I savour from beginning to end, and this Lindt Excellence Crunchy Caramel was certainly one of them. Described as 'fine milk chocolate with crunchy caramel pieces' it sounded like a bar that was to my taste, and given the fact it formed yet another part of the tremendous Excellence range, I must admit I had certainly been looking forward to this one.

As with every Excellence product this one came in a 100.0g size that did me nicely tremendously for two separate servings. As ever, particular attention was paid to detail by Lindt, with the outer packaging incorporating a number of different golden coloured, smart looking fonts and patterns that suited the product perfectly. As you can see above the chocolate also looked the part with the crystallised caramel pieces appearing plentiful and well dispersed. The sweet, diary concentrated smell was very forthcoming upon the opening of the bar. All in all this product was pretty much faultless in regards to its presentation.

So did the taste match the promising appearance? You bet it did! The milk chocolate was wonderfully balanced in both flavours and textures. It had the smoothest of melts, and seemed to longingly soften into a dense thick liquid. The creamy flavours of the chocolate were tremendously focal, but still allowed for the sweet, cocoa elements to influence the experience. Not only was the chocolate luxurious, but the crunchy caramel pieces were wonderfully flavoured. The pieces added bursts of syrupy, burnt, salty notes that made for an amazingly addictive overall synergy of flavours with the chocolate. The combination of the two different elements made for a very sweet experience, though 50.0g seemed near enough the perfect serving size.

Overall it has been a long while since a product has hit the dizzy heights of the 9 out of 10s, but this bar has done it with some room to spare. There is no simpler way of putting it other than this Lindt offering was a thoroughly enjoyable experience from beginning to end. The presentation? ... fantastic as ever, the taste? ... sheer heaven, satisfaction? ... completely. This is a product I whole heartily recommend, and one I will definitely be enjoying again in the near future.

9.2 out of 10 Fancy trying the Lindt Excellence Crunchy Caramel for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

February 10th: Marks & Spencer Marzipan

Kcal 170 Fat 8.2g Fat(sats) 2.8g Carbs 21.0g

It almost seemed a little pointless reviewing this marzipan bar from M&S, as I was 99.9% certain that it was never going to measure up to the sheer awesomeness of the Niederegger range. Having recently shown a massive interest in the rest of M&S's confectionery offerings though, I thought why the hell not and today took the plunge and tried this 'dark chocolate bar, with a soft marzipan centre, decorated with milk chocolate'.

This bar came in a small 36.0g size that I could tell wasn't fully going to satisfy my rumbling stomach. Small size aside I was reasonably impressed with the presentation. The wrapper constituted of a red, semi-transparent film material that allowed a clear view of the bar, whilst also appearing rather decorative. The product itself was about 10cm long (no I didn't measure!), and really quite thin. Despite its meager presence it looked quite appetising with a consistent dribbling effect of milk chocolate placed on top of the smooth looking dark chocolate. The smell of the bar set a reasonable expectation of the taste. The scents were predominantly cocoa led, though there was strong, sweet smelling undertone that could also be detected.

It won't surprise you to hear that this bar struck many of the same chords as the Thorntons Almond Marzipan bar .... what?? ... an M&S and Thorntons product tasting not to dissimilar ... I never! The dark chocolate was largely underwhelming, its melt was quite lazy and it took too long for the unsweetened, coffee like flavours of the cocoa to be substantiated in the mouth. Presentation aside the implementation of the milk chocolate was meaningless, as it brought nothing to the taste of the product, at no point could I detect an extra wealth of milky flavours. Obviously the dominating aspect of the taste was the marzipan that just as I thought it would be, was no where near the levels of the Niederegger products. I must admit it did differ slightly from the Thorntons bar as its flavours were more almond concentrated, but saying this it completely lacked the buttery smoothness of the Niederegger loaf etc. I was feeling really quite hungry before I ate this bar, and unfortunately after consumption I can't say I was all that satisfied. 

Overall comparing this bar with the Niederegger range was always going to be a harsh as M&S are by no means marzipan specialists. However, given the nature of the product, comparisons are the name of the game and this simply just couldn't match up on any level. Truth be told the dark chocolate was lacking flavour, a place where if M&S were going to deliver a superior product this would of had to be it - unfortunately it wasn't the case. As expected the marzipan just simply lacked the quality of the Niederegger range, there is no other way of putting it. This product isn't a travesty, though I wouldn't recommend you buy it if find yourself in M&S with the munchies - frankly there are far better options available.

6.6 out of 10

February 9th: Lindt Irish Coffee

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

Whittards turned provider once again for todays bar, at the bargain price of 40p!! As my regular readers will know I am not the biggest of drinkers, but I must say I am always rather partial to an Irish Coffee to finish off a nice meal. I didn't know quite what to expect from this bar, the description on the pack stated 'milk chocolate with a whisky and coffee liquid filling', though I wasn't sure whether this filling was going to be creme like, or pure liqueur. I guess I should have taken a hint from the rather large '7% whisky' in the ingredients, but in my haste I didn't bother looking.

The bar came in the same 100.0g, pod-like form as the Lindt Christmas Punch. I had mixed feelings about the presentation of the product. I was very impressed with the layout and fonts etc of the wrapper, but as already stated I was a little disappointed at the lack of indication of what type of filling was included. That said, the pod format itself was once again aesthetically pleasing, and looked very detailed with the Lindt logo cleanly displayed on each piece. I was quite impressed by the smell of the product, which became evident as soon as I opened the foil layer. A pleasant synergy of dairy, coffee scents were very forthcoming and really enlightened my senses for what was to come.

For me personally this was a bar that really struck me down the middle. I really enjoyed the chocolate constituents of the product - it was absolutely fabulous. The milk chocolate had a fantastically paced melt, that was terrifically smooth and thick. The taste was just as immersive, with strong creamy, slightly coffee tinted flavours that grew wonderfully in their intensity as the melt progressed. This was all wonderful up until the chocolate melted to the point where the centre was exposed. Unfortunately it wasn't the creme truffle like centre I was hoping for, but more of a straight liqueur one. It was almost as if the pods contained a shot of whisky - it was short, sharp and extremely strong in its alcoholic malty flavours ... I am no whisky connoisseur but this wasn't good stuff. As the whisky 'shot' didn't last long in its presence, the creamy flavours of the milk chocolate were the ones left lingering in the mouth, but a slight aftertaste of whisky was ever present.

Overall this was a hard bar to rate, as I guess it is solely down to personal preference. Personally I wasn't a fan of the whisky content - it was too strong, and just a bit of a shock to the system with its striking alcoholic flavours. If it were up to me I would have had a creamy, milk filling, with a hint of whisky to just give it a small indicative edge to taste; I think this would have been the best way to compliment the truly wonderful milky, coffee flavours of the chocolate. I probably wouldn't have this bar again in the near future, but I am sure a number of you will definitely get some pleasure from this unique Lindt offering. 

7.4 out of 10

February 8th: Hotel Chocolat Heart Strings

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

You now have under a week to get your acts in gear for Valentines Day!! Luckily I have already passed my eye over some of Hotel Chocolat's range - including the quite superb Season of Love Selection. In addition to those offerings, for the past few weeks I have been getting stuck into this Hotel Chocolat Heart Strings. This gigantic heart shaped chocolate mould came described as a 'solid milk chocolate heart decorated with cookies coated in strawberry flavoured chocolate and sugar, filled chocolates with Kirsch creme and praline and meringue pieces'.

The product was simply huge - and weighed a massive 700.0g (hence why I have been eating it for a good few weeks now!). There was no denying it looked utterly fantastic; I have said it before about Hotel Chocolat products but this one looked more appropriate sticking on the wall and admiring rather than eating. The box was wonderfully sealed with a lingerie type bow, which when undone revealed the impressive looking innards. The chocolate included swirl patterns, mini truffles, meringue pieces .... I will reiterate ... it looked stunning. As well as looking aesthetically good the smell was also quite forthcoming. It was awash with the usual dairy, cocoa scents of Hotel Chocolat milk chocolate, but also included a degree of sweet smelling berry fruits.

In regards to taste this was a hard product to rate as it was really quite variable in its flavours. The milk chocolate was unsurprisingly fantastic - thick in its melt, creamy yet imposing with its cocoa influence ... simply to die for. At times however it just reminded me a little too much of the Hotel Chocolat Caramel Sweethearts, in that some of the added ingredients such as the meringue and cookie pieces just did little apart from adding an unnecessary sweetness. This was particularly noticeable near the centre of the heart where the sweeter white chocolate was present. Despite this though the additional Kirsch and hazelnut truffles added some fantastic injections of nutty, liqueur flavours to the milk chocolate. I did on the whole enjoy most bites - the base milk and strawberry swirled chocolates were both delicious, it was just the added pieces at times made it all a little too much.

Overall based on looks alone this is a product that is not going to fail to bring a smile to someones face this Valentines Day ... to be honest it is just a huge bonus that it tastes pretty damn good as well. As I have said at times the taste can get a little on the sweet side, though there is no denying the quality of the chocolate, which was simply luxurious. This is one of the more pricey Hotel Chocolat products on offer this Valentines Day, but if your willing to put your hand in your pocket you won't go wrong here. 

8.2 out of 10   

 

February 7th: Hershey's 5th Avenue

Kcal 280 Fat 14.0g Fat(sats) 5.0g Carbs 35.0g 

It has been a long time coming but I finally today got hold of a Hershey's 5th Avenue. The 5th Avenue promises 'crunchy peanut butter in a rich chocolaty coating', yep, unfortunately the real chocolate coating has recently been replaced by 'mockolate' as Cybele would so rightly put it. I have tried many of these 'crunchy' peanut butter bars before, to really not much success. Could the 5th Avenue succeed where the Clark, Cadbury Crispy Crunch and Butterfinger bars have failed? There was only one way to find out! 

The bar came in a plentiful 56.0g size that settled my mid afternoon munchies nicely. The outer packaging had a pretty classical look. It was no frills stuff but it protected the bar well and kept a relative freshness. The bar itself looked relatively appetising, I was expecting the outer layer to feel quite greasy, like the Clark Bar, though it managed to avoid this and looked pretty enticing when cross-sectioned. What I particularly enjoyed about this product was the smell that was released when I opened the wrapper. It was very reminiscent of the smell of Reese's products, and was wonderfully nutty.

I was expecting to completely despise the outer 'mockolate' layer, though to be honest I didn't think it was all that bad. Its taste very sweet and short lived due to its thin portioning, but it at least did manage to deliver some sort of milky, cocoa flavours. Often with bars such as the Butterfinger I have found the 'Crunchy Peanut Butter' layers overly sugar based, but I thought the centre here was far more enjoyable. The peanut butter flavours were strong and creamy, and definitely benefited from being a tad more moist than the comparable bars ... it sounds funny to say, but it was just far more like standard peanut butter. Though the outer 'mockolate' quickly melted away in the mouth, the peanut butter centre was much longer lasting in its flavours, and left a longing presence.

Overall compared to its comparative set, I thought this was a far better product. The lack of real chocolate was disappointing, and it unfortunately looks like we won't see it coming back anytime soon, but despite this the 'mockolate' was more than bearable, it was actually ok. The peanut butter centre was far more enjoyable than in comparison to the Butterfinger, Cadbury Crispy Crunch etc delivering a far more satisfying moistness to its buttery, nutty taste, and avoiding being overly sugar rooted. If your a peanut butter proponent this is a bar well worth checking out.

7.7 out of 10

February 6th: M&M's VALENTINES GIVEAWAY!!

CHOCOLATE MISSION COMPETITION!!!

And the winners are *DRUMROLL* ............

Rachel Bignell

Jon Parker

Ben Daubney

Congratulations guys/gals your prizes are on the way!!

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Those Kind people on the M&M's brand team all the way in America have kindly sent me some of their Valentines themed M&Ms s Chocolates to help promote their latest Limited Edition product line.

Want to be in with a chance of winning one of three packs? Then simply send your answer to the question below to Jim[@]Chocolatemission.net (remove the brackets of course!!)

Who Manufactures and Distributes M&M's?

a) Mars

b) Cadbury

c) Hershey's

d) Nestle

Remember to include your address in your e-mail so I know where to send your prize if you are lucky enough to win.

The draw for the winners will be announced on the site on the 14th of February.

Good Luck!!

Jim

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Small Print

1. Competition only open to UK residents

2. Competition rules can change at anytime and to my discretion

February 6th: Marks & Spencer Organic Fairtrade 72% Dark Chocolate

Kcal 580 Fat 47.0g Fat(sats) 29.0g Carbs 34.0g (per 100.0g)

I am forever receiving e-mails from my UK based readers to review more Marks & Spencer chocolate, so today I have truly obliged and have delved into their organic and fairtrade chocolate range. As you can probably guess by the name, I sampled the 72% dark chocolate - a bar that was formed of four simple ingredients: cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter and vanilla. I had already tried some fantastic dark chocolate recipes of this strength (Lindt, Hotel Chocolat etc), so this bar had a lot to live up to. 

The bar came in a 100.0g form that was split into 16 nicely sized blocks. Aesthetically I liked the outer wrapping, the black background with gold writing looked classy, however what I wasn't all that keen on was the information it communicated. Now I am all for organic and fairtrade produce, but was there really a need to mention that this bar met both these standards fifteen times?! Overkill don't you think!! The chocolate wasn't the most inspiring looking, though it was kept relatively fresh inside a cellophane wrapping. I wasn't all the bowled over by the smell, a cocoa scent did emerge once the wrapping was opened, but it was hardly the most imposing aroma ever. 

I was really astounded by the taste when I put the first block in my mouth. This is going to sound odd but it had absolutely no taste whatsoever. It wasn't until the melt of the chocolate started that the chocolate started to release its flavours - it felt odd to say the least. The melt itself was smooth, but quite fast in its later stages. This was by no means a really strong tasting dark chocolate, I actually found it to be particularly sweet and subdued for such a high cocoa concentrated bar. Even when the melt was in full flow the cocoa flavours just didn't seem to have any character, it just lacked any sort of speciality in its taste. The lack of strength in its flavours and very fast melt meant that this bar didn't have a very long aftertaste. Although not the richest of dark chocolates, 50.0g provided a fair snack. 

Overall this wasn't a necessarily bad tasting chocolate, but it just wasn't a necessarily great tasting one either. For a 72% recipe I was expecting a far fuller flavoured chocolate than what was delivered. The overall taste just didn't have anything that excited me, or made me really take notice of its flavours. All in all, I personally just thought this chocolate was just really average ... 'run of the mill' some might say. I am all for supporting fairtrade produce, but I personally wouldn't recommend this bar on its taste alone - there are far better dark chocolate alternatives out there.

7.1 out of 10 

February 5th: Lindt Pistache

Kcal 589 Fat 42.0g Fat(sats) 22.5g Carbs 47.0g (per 100.0g)

Despite Dean-German-Grocery supplying me with pretty much anything that has ever graced a Lindt logo, I actually picked this bar up for little next to nothing from the now in trouble 'Coffee, Crockery and Tea shop' Whittards. This bar had been recommended to me on a few occasions, and is formed of milk chocolates filled with pistachio nuts and almond cream. Pistachios are not the most commonly used nut in chocolate, so I was interested to see what Lindt could make of it.

This bar came in a standard 100.0g size that was split into several filled pods, just like with the Lindt Christmas Punch. I must say I absolutely loved the look of the product - from wrapper to bar it looked classy. The outer packaging contained a relevant green coloured theme, whilst the bar was not only protected by a foil wrapping but also by a simple layer of cardboard to maintain it in perfect condition. The pod format also looked superb - unique on the outside and truly tempting when cross-sectioned ... just look above. Not only did it look tempting, but it also smelt it too; sweet, dairy scents were radiated by the bar as soon as it was released from its foil wrapping.

Sometimes I feel the need to be blunt, and I will be here ... this bar tasted absolutely divine in every sense. The milk chocolate had all the good attributes of the Lindt Excellence Extra Creamy - it was tremendously creamy in its flavours, and wonderfully paced in its smooth longing melt. At the centre of each of these pods sat one of the most fantastic fillings I think I have ever tasted - the almond cream. As you probably guess it was fantastically creamy in its flavours, almost like a more solid form of double cream with a hint of buttery nuttiness. The pistachio nut was a fitting finale, and provided an added burst of earthy flavours along with its added crunchy texture. I do have one slight criticism of the bar, and it was that since all the flavours were so smooth and creamy they did not culminate to the richest of overall tastes. I actually managed to eat all 100.0g in one serving which gives you an idea of both how good it tasted, but also how it wasn't the most satisfying of chocolates.

Overall despite this not being a thoroughly fulfilling product, it was certainly a very tasty and enjoyable one. Everything from the packaging, smell, chocolate, inner-cream, and pistachio nuts were all delivered with a touch of Lindt finesse. Pistachios are not the most classical mix with milk chocolate, but here the combination was delivered superbly. If your a fan of chocolate with nutty cremes this is a bar I would strongly suggest you try. This is definitely a bar I will be buying again the future.

8.4 out of 10

February 5th: Eat Natural Bluberries Pistachios & Yoghurt

Kcal 211 Fat 12.1g Fat(sats) 7.8g Carbs 23.0g

Last month I gave my first review of the Eat Natural range with the Apricot, Almonds and Yoghurt variant, a bar that I buy pretty much every time I feel in the mood for an Eat Natural product. Today I decided it was about time I tried another from their vast selection, and sampled the Blueberries, Pistachios and Yoghurt variant - a bar that contained all of the aforementioned plus cranberries, coconuts, brazil nuts, and puffed rice cereal.

As always with Eat Natural products, I ate this bar as a means of consuming my breakfast on the move i.e. I ate it during an early morning lecture. Despite weighing in at a whole 5.0g less than the Apricot variant (45.0g), this bar still tied over my hunger well until lunch. To be honest I absolutely hated the colour of the outer packaging - I mean look at it! The colour reminded me of those awful 70s shell suits (See HERE), seriously what on earth where Eat Natural thinking!? Luckily I was more taken by the look of the bar itself. The pistachio nuts, blueberries and cranberries were all highly visible beneath the thick yogurt coating, and really extenuated the 'natural' properties of the product. The smell of the product was highly likable to that of the Apricot variant, with the tangy dairy scents of the yogurt very prominent, masking most of the nutty undertones.

It would be a lie to say that this bar varied massively in its taste from the Apricot variant, as in truth it largely didn't. As the smell suggested the dominant aspect was the yogurt coating, which supplied a milky, but ever so slightly soured base taste. In addition to this, the bar supplied some wonderfully enjoyable acidic, sweet fruity flavours from the blueberries and cranberries. They didn't quite provide the juicy bursts I was hoping for, however they were still highly detectable in the taste with their sharp, striking flavours. Pistachio nuts are not always the first nut type I would consider to place in a confectionery product, though their presence here was a very welcome one. Their earthy, mellow flavours were nicely balanced with the milky flavours of the shredded coconut. Although they were not the strongest tasting, they still managed to substantiate themselves in an amongst all the other flavours. An aspect where they were a slight let down was in their texture, especially in comparison to the almonds in the Apricot variant, as they didn't quite bring the same crunchiness to the experience. Thankfully the rice cereal was used rather sparingly, and just as a means of fusing the product together.

Overall this bar proved to be another pleasant offering from the Eat Natural brand, though I would say I still marginally prefer the Apricot bar. The yogurt coating was once again very well delivered, and bought an ever present creamy, yet slightly tart taste. All the fruit and nut elements brought pleasurable distinct flavours, but I must admit they didn't quite have the diversity in their textures I was hoping for. Again I feel compelled to comment on the fat contents of this bar; for what I would consider a 'lighter choice' the 7.8 grams of saturated fat does really suggest otherwise. One thing you have to consider with this though, is that at least you know where this fat is coming from, and it isn't from some sneaky chemicals or oils like in most chocolate bars we get nowadays. If your after a fruity, nutty snack on the move, I would suggest you could do far worse than one of these bars.

7.4 out of 10