March 21st: GooGoo Cluster

Kcal 230 Fat 12.0g Fat(sats) 4.5g Carbs 30.0g

My pals over at CandyPirate have got a whole host of new goodies in from the US and have kindly set me across another sampling package full of their new latest lines. Included in the selection was this 'GooGoo Cluster'. This is a product with a rich heritage, and was first produced in 1912. In fact according to WIKI it was the first ever combination candy i.e. it was the first product ever manufactured that contained several different types of candy in a single bar. This product constituted of 'milk chocolate, peanuts, caramel and marshmallow' ... if you want to read up more on the brand I suggest you go HERE.

CandyPirate were kind enough to send me across a few of these, each of which I consumed in one serving (50.0g). The packaging was pretty fair, I perhaps would have liked a cardboard sleeve included to protect the product however the pieces I had made it to me in very good condition. The product itself cut an appealing look, with the peanuts looking especially well portioned and enticing. The aroma of the product reminded me very much of the Snickers Rockin' Nut Road, in that it had some amazingly fresh nutty scents mixed in amongst some sweet smells from the mallow.

This thankfully wasn't a product all about it's looks - it actually tasted superb as well. The outer milk chocolate was quite thick and substantiated a nice set of initial creamy flavours in the mouth. Sat below the chocolate were layers of both caramel and marshmallow that combined well together to give a fantastic chewy, dense and fulfilling feel to the product. To be honest I was expecting a lighter mallow, however it was a lot more viscous and had a simply delicious coconut edge to its sweet taste. As aforementioned sat on top of the product were a load of peanuts, which subsequently added a wonderful contrastive savoury element to the sweeter ingredients below. They tasted fresh, buttery and left longing roasted nut notes with their long aftertaste.

Overall despite this products age it was a thoroughly enjoyable one from beginning to end. The combination of the ingredients made for a wonderful variety in its flavours, which were all well placed in and amongst some well crafted texture variations. My favourite part to the product were the nuts, however the coconut hinted marshmallow was also a real standout. If you like the sound of this product I strongly suggest you try it out. I simply can't wait to try the rest of variants from the range.

8.5 out of 10

Want to try the GooGoo Cluster for yourself!? Head over to CandyPirate for this and more American Candy & Foods.

March 21st: Hershey's Sugar Free Caramel Filled Chocolates

Kcal 150 Fat 11.0g Fat(sats) 7.0g Carbs 28.0g (per 43.0g - 5 pieces)

These are another variant from the Hershey's Sugar Free range that *IShop4YouII* provided me with, and I have similarly been sampling these for the last week or so in conjunction with the other offerings from the range. I must say these came across as one of the more puzzling products ... how on earth do you make a sugar free caramel? Looking at the back of the pack the words 'Malitol Syrup' seemingly gave me my answer.

As with the rest of the range these were received in a 85.0g bag that I consumed very rationally over the course of the last week to save me from 'experiencing a laxative effect' ... too much detail. The packaging didn't have the same dull, faded look of the Reese's Sugar Free product yesterday, and actually looked relatively well presented. The chocolates were all contained within foil wrappers that looked not all that dissimilar to the Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolates. When cross-sectioned the inner caramel was alarmingly runny, though this didn't cause too much upset as the pieces were nicely suited to consume whole anyway. Aroma wise the pieces really failed to create an impression on me, they radiated just a minor sweet scent.

Despite being far from the atrocity of yesterdays Reese's Sugar Free showing these were again not all that great. The milk chocolate was the same used in the standard Hershey's Sugar Free Chocolates I reviewed a few weeks ago. It was relatively mild in its flavours, though still had an enjoyable subtle milky sweetness to it. Unfortunately these already quite weak flavours lost the chance of creating a real impression on the taste due to the inner caramel proving really quite dominant in terms of in mouth presence. Although being highly detectable with its fluid like state the caramel failed to create an impact with its flavours. To be honest the caramel felt really quite odd ... it just didn't influence the taste whatsoever and just proved to be a distraction from the fair tasting chocolate.

Overall these proved to be another disappointing showing from the Hershey's Sugar Free range. I asked the question in my opening paragraph ... How do you create a sugar free caramel? ... Based on this evidence you simply don't ... you just create something that looks like caramel and call it that. These were nowhere near as appalling as yesterdays Reese's Sugar Free effort, as at least the milk chocolate tried to bring something to the table. I am still nowhere near recommending these to anyone though.

6.3 out of 10

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

March 20th: Kit Kat Milk Chocolate Azuki Bean

Kcal 110 Fat 6.0g Carbs 12.4g (per 20.5 - 2 fingers)

You may recall that I reviewed the Kit Kat White Chocolate Azuki Bar way back last September and being really rather impressed with it. Well when J-List offered me the chance of trying out the milk chocolate version I was never going to say no. Those of you who have never come across Azuki Beans before, I can inform you they are a red coloured legume, and are traditionally used in sweet foods in the Far East.

I received this Kit Kat in a 41.0g pack that was split into two double finger servings. Again I feel the need to pass comment on how well the product was presented in both a cardboard sleeve and foil wrappers. It seems that Nestle in the Far East pay a lot greater attention to presentation than Nestle do in the UK. Despite the on box pictures showing the azuki bean creme as purple, the actual Kit Kats looked no different to the standard milk chocolate ones we get here in the UK. Unlike its aesthetic looks though, the smell really distinguished this bar, and emanated curious fresh cut grass like scents in between the standard sweet biscuit smells.

The outer milk chocolate was really what you would come to expect from Nestle. It was a relatively standard milk chocolate in that it had predominant sweet, milky flavours. The wafer also contributed its standard malty type flavours that were of course delivered with that beautiful resounding crunch in texture. Sitting in the middle of this wafer was were the azuki bean creme lay and it wasn't slow in establishing a firm grip on the overall taste. The creme brought all kinds of different flavour elements - it had interchanging sweet caramel, soy, earthy notes that made for a highly variable and unique taste. The resounding flavours in the aftertaste left a slightly bitter, nutty taste however I must say the range and longevity of flavours made this one of the most fulfilling Kit Kats I have tried yet.

Overall just like the white chocolate version this was a highly enjoyable Kit Kat variant. It is definitely a hit or miss sort bar - the azuki bean creme certainly doesn't hold back at all with its unique flavour qualities. Personally this was a bar that I found satisfying and a little exciting - it is not often you come across such weird and wonderful flavour variants - I always find it nice to try something new. If your a fan of Kit Kats then you should add this to the growing number of flavour variants you simply have to try!

8.2 out of 10

Want to try the Kit Kat Chocolate Azuki Bar for yourself!? Head to J-List to find this and many more Japanese Candies and goods!

March 20th: Reese's Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures

Kcal 160 Fat 12.0g Fat(sats) 5.0g Carbs 24.0g (per 39.0g - 5 pieces)

*IShop4YouII* have been so kind to send me across the entire Hershey's Sugar Free range to sample, included in which were these Reese's Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures. In addition to containing several ingredients I had never heard of before - Lactitol? Polydextrose? ... the packaging also carried a warning stating 'Individuals sensitive to sugar substitutes may experience a laxative effect' ... suffice to say I didn't indulge in too many of these at a time.

I received these in a 85.0g bag that I ate over the course of a week (not the two servings as suggested on the pack). The packaging incorporated the usual Reese's theme, though you might be able to tell from the picture that the actual plastic material used gave a rather dull looking complexion. The pieces were a little better aesthetically and were contained within both foil and paper cups - when cross sectioned the peanut butter appeared as generously portioned as ever. Opening up the plastic bag I was met with a familiar Reese's peanut butter smell - it was ever so slightly less fragrant than normal but it was still very tempting.

I am one for normally carrying on about how Reese's milk chocolate lacks flavour, however these pieces really brought things to a lower level. The milk chocolate was even milder than the surprisingly enjoyable Sugar Free Hershey's Chocolates I tried the other day, and really just gave nothing to the end taste. The texture of the chocolate was disappointingly waxy and lazy in its melt, but was surprisingly upstaged in its awfulness by the sheer terror that was the peanut butter centre. Reese's peanut butter normally has a degree of dryness to it, but it still retains a lovely smooth texture - this wasn't the case here. The texture was dry, lumpy and cloyed in the mouth ... really unpleasant. What was probably more disappointing was that not only was the peanut butter lacking in its sweet appeal, but it also lacked its usual buttery, nut flavours with the hint of salt its only redeeming feature. As mentioned above this was not a product I felt like consuming in anything more than two at a time, it was hardly like the taste was leaving me wanting more anyway.

Overall the poorness of the chocolate and disappointing peanut butter summated to what was really a substandard product. The lack of flavour from the chocolate meant it was almost pointless, whilst the peanut butter lacked its usual exerting flavours, and had a texture that was dry and unappealing. I am a massive fan of Reese's products, but I wouldn't recommend anyone go near these. My advice would be to stick with the real stuff and just eat it in moderation if your worried about the nutritional side of things.

4.6 out of 10

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

March 19th: Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin

Kcal 245 Fat 12.5g Carbs 29.1g

This was one of those bars I had to wait ages to try, but I finally managed to get my hands on one thanks to *The Irish Shop*, a UK based Irish firm who import their goods. So whats does the Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin comprise of? It is a pretty simple bar really - 'Dairy Milk chocolate with raisins and biscuit pieces'. What with the Cadbury Dairy Milk Biscuit bar now out of distribution in the UK this is about as close as your going to get to it.

As with every Irish Dairy Milk bar I received this in a 49.0g serving. As ever I really liked the presentation, the paper wrapper and foil combo looked classical and did a job maintaining the freshness - great stuff. Wrapped in the lovely gold foil the blocked pieces looked pretty appetising - I was a little disappointed at the lacking of the fruit and biscuit content though, which didn't look all that generously portioned. The Dairy Milk smelt as fabulous as ever, the sweet smell didn't fail in raising my expectations of what was to come.

In my previous Irish Dairy Milk reviews I have constantly referred to the real thickness of the Irish Dairy Milk melt. This was again present in this bar, and unfortunately again didn't prove to be advantageous. Before I get into that I must express the fantastic nature of the Dairy Milk - I can't say it often enough ... I think its absolutely fabulous for the price. It combines a rich, creamy taste with real lasting and friendly cocoa flavours ... nothing short of delicious. Personally I thought the raisin and biscuit elements didn't quite hit it off with the Dairy Milk. At the best of times raisins can have difficulty exerting flavour in chocolate, and this was very evident here due to the real thickness and dominance of the chocolate. The raisins flavours were really non-existent and couldn't muster a real influence on the taste. The biscuit element was ever so slightly more successful at generating a malty, wheaty hint to the taste, though the sheer lacking in the number of biscuit pieces really limited their impact. That said I did eat this bar in one sitting, and it certainly made for a very delightful snack.

Overall this was a bar that I very much enjoyed, however at the end of the day thought it could have been executed better. The quality of the milk chocolate was as ever unquestionable - simply luxurious. However, it was the thickness of the melt that really rendered the limited presence of biscuit and raisin elements quite meaningless as they really struggled to contribute to the overall taste. To be honest I don't think this is a bar I will be rushing back to try again anytime soon, though being a Dairy Milk fan I am really quite glad I have finally been able to review it. It isn't the best, but worth a look at if you enjoy your Cadbury products.

7.8 out of 10

Click here to head to *The Irish Shop* to see more Irish chocolates and other Irish imported goods

March 18th: Hotel Chocolat The Cocoa Pod Egg

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

Having seen my way through the first of my Hotel Chocolat Easter 2009 offerings last week in the form of the 'Egg Sandwich' I this week have been tackling the prospect of this 'Cocoa Pod Egg'. This was a product that constituted of a 150.0g hollow dark chocolate egg, with a selection of dark chocolate pralines to accompany (60.0g).

The presentation of the product on the whole was stunning. Both the egg and chocolates were presented in a nicely decorated cardboard box, that had large transparent windows on both sides so that the contents could easily be viewed. Below are my thoughts on both the egg and the praline selection:

Dark Chocolate Egg:

Although not actually coated by any sort of foil layer or wrapping within the box, the dark chocolate egg maintained a truly immaculate look. As you can see above there were some stunning cocoa pod patterns woven into the chocolate that combined with its gleaming, smooth surface made it look an entirely appetising prospect - I almost felt guilty breaking it up!

The egg was formed of the 74% Hotel Chocolat recipe, one that I have really developed a taste for. Despite the lack of wrapping the chocolate maintained a magnificent aroma, that became very active as I broke the egg into pieces. Strong cocoa scents quickly emanated from the chocolate, leaving very little to the imagination for its dark sensuous taste.

I really liked the thickness of the egg as it meant that even really small pieces exerted a great deal of flavour in the mouth. The 74% chocolate retained its usual flavour development, with the initial flavours in the mouth substantiating a firm basis of cocoa with a slightly milky undertone to avoid any bitterness. The rich cocoa flavours then developed with the smooth, thick melting transcendence into its liquid form; with elements of coffee and hints of red berry coming and going before a delightful vanilla note finished the aftertaste. Simply put ... Superb!

Serious Dark Pralines:

Accompanying the fantastic dark chocolate egg were these dark chocolate pralines. In the selection of six were two of each of the Chilli (left), Valencia orange (darker coloured) and Gianduja (cross-sectioned) variants. The pack came neatly displayed with the chocolates sitting in a plastic tray within.

Opening the pack I was instantly met with quite a strong hazelnut smell - there was no doubting that these were gonna deliver some fine praline flavours.

I am going to get my minor criticism out the way; you may be able to see above that two of the three variants contained a 'dusted' coating. Personally I found that these coatings quickly dried the mouth, leaving a none to pleasant feel. The minimal dusting of sugar on the Valencia Orange was far preferable in my opinion. Sitting below all of these coatings were thick layers of 74% dark chocolate, you only need to read my description of the egg above to ascertain how highly I rate that. Just as the smell suggested the large majority of the overall taste was led by the praline centres.

The Gianduja variant was very hazelnut focused, and the thick paste like centre delivered creamy, nutty flavours in abundance. A really rich, finely flavoured chocolate praline. Superb.

The Chilli praline delivered the same hazelnut flavours, though the aftertaste contained a ferocious chili kick ... it was seriously spicy! For those that don't like spicy food it might be too much, but conversely for people like me who enjoy that sort of thing it was highly enjoyable. Very Good.

The Valencia Orange had a fantastic zesty nature about it. The orange flavours intertwined with the creamy hazelnut were absolutely stunning and incredibly refreshing. It was another truly satisfying truffle. Superb.

Overall I am sure you have been able to gather that I pretty much savoured every last bit of this product. I wasn't expecting anything less from the dark chocolate egg; the 74% chocolate was as good as ever and just bursting with rich, yet friendly cocoa flavours. The praline selection was also a very welcome addition, and mixed a variety of flavours within a dark chocolate praline context that really worked extremely well. If your buying chocolate this Easter for a dark chocolate fan that likes praline I think you needn't look elsewhere. This is a wonderfully presented product and yet another instance of Hotel Chocolat bringing quality in abundance.

9.0 out of 10

March 17th: Milka Strawberry Yogurt

Kcal 565 Fat 35.5g Fat(sats) 20.0g Carbs 52.5g (per 100.0g)

Packaged in along with the latest Milka 'Winter Varieties' that I have been sampling over the last couple of weeks, Dean-German-Grocery also sent me this 'Strawberry Yogurt', which also just so happens to be another a new addition to the Milka range. Described as 'Alpine Milk chocolate filled with yogurt milk creme with strawberry', the first thing I looked at was the actual % of real strawberry ... get this ... 0.18% ... suffice to say even though I had a mild strawberry allergy as a child I felt very safe eating this bar.

I received this bar yet again in a 100.0g form that I ended up eating over about three sittings. The packaging was as suitable as ever, communicating the flavour well with the addition of some strawberry fruits and red colouring. The bar looked pretty appetising - the creme appeared plentiful sandwiched in between the chocolate layers, whilst some tiny red specs of strawberry could be seen throughout. I wasn't so impressed with the smell of the product - It was certainly very poignant, and struck me as soon as I opened the resealable fold. It was forthcoming, yet not all that enticing - it smelt artificial and not what I would really describe as fruity ... just cheap if anything.

From the very first piece I placed in my mouth I had mixed emotions in regards to the taste. The chocolate severely lacked relevance, and offered only the slightest indication of its usual creamy, nut noted flavours due to the filling dominating the taste completely. The inner creme was hardly ill flavoured, just it would have been nice for the chocolate to have had more of a prevalence. Regarding the filling, it thankfully tasted a little bit better than both the smell and 0.18% strawberry content suggested. It was dairy led in its milky flavours with a pleasant tangyness in its aftertaste. The taste was incredibly sweet, but also surprisingly fruity, with the small specs of strawberry actually adding bursts of tart, zingy, red fruit flavours to the creme. Despite the really quite fast melt I couldn't eat more than a few blocks of this at a time as the taste was really quite overbearing in its sugary flavours.

Overall this is one of those Milka offerings that I would say is a real 'love it or hate it' bar. Personally I just didn't get on with the dominance of the very sweet, creme centre. The taste was fruitier than I was expecting, but for my liking it still relied to heavily on its sweet flavours with no regard paid to letting the chocolate really establish itself in the taste. This isn't what I would necessarily describe as a bad bar whatsoever, I am sure there are plenty of people that would get some real pleasure from it. Personally not for me, but worth trying if you like the sound of it.

7.1 out of 10

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

March 16th: Kit Kat Maccha Tiramisu

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

ChocolateMission truly has now gone fully global - with J-List (a company based in Japan) being the latest company offering me the chance of some samples. I will be providing impartial reviews of the products that they send to me, if you so wish to make your way to their website to try the products for yourself I suggest you click one of the many banners now included on the site. By the look of their frequently changing stock it looks like we are certainly in for some interesting reviews.

Kicking off my first J-List review I today sampled this Kit Kat Maccha Tiramisu. It seems that Nestle just love trying all sorts of different flavour variants of Kit Kat in Japan, I just wish they had the same attitude here in the UK. This Maccha Tiramisu variant is a seasonal variety and promised to incorporate both green tea and tiramisu flavours ... I told you we were in for some interesting combinations!

I received a large pack of single stick pieces that in terms of size were no different to the standard Kit Kats we get here in the UK. Although individually they didn't make for the most substantial of snacks they looked interesting and were kept within individual foil wrappers. Aesthetically they were striking to say the least - as you can see above they had a light pastel green colour that I thought looked pretty distinctive. As well as being visually striking they also emanated a very enticing aroma that had strong dairy connotations with elements of cheesecake and cream ... it smelt fantastic.

As with every Kit Kat the outer coating, crisp wafer centre and creme filling all made for a wonderful array of textures. The outer coating had a very white chocolate like sweet taste with elements of vanilla and cream very much the dominant flavours. As the melt progressed ever so slight notes of green tea came through in the taste, giving it the most minor of delicate herby notes. The crisp wafer brought the usual malty flavours, whilst the inner creme further supplemented the creamy, milk flavours of the outer coating bringing a delicious tangy yogurt aftertaste. I am not sure what constitutes a tiramisu in Japan as there were obvious elements missing (liqueur, mascarpone etc), however the culmination of all the aforementioned made for an enjoyable, distinct taste.

Overall despite the lacking of some traditional tiramisu flavours, this was a product that delivered a very pleasant and unique flavour experience. The green tea element was subtle, yet still highly detectable amongst all the predominantly cream flavours. In my opinion this was the best way to implement such a flavour as too much of an emphasis on such a flavour would probably have resulted in an odd bitterness. Luckily this Kit Kat variant avoided this, and provided a very pleasant offering. If you are a Kit Kat fan and love experimenting with weird and unique flavours this would be a product I recommend. More coming from J-List very soon.

8.0 out of 10

Fancy trying the Kit Kat Maccha Tiramisu for yourself!? Why not head to J-List by click HERE

March 15th: Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar

Kcal 200 Fat 12.0g Fat(sats) 6.0g Carbs 23.0g (per 40.0g - 4 pieces)

*IShop4YouII* were once again the providers for this review today - the Reese's Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar. Now I am sure you are all aware Reese's products traditionally come in a 'cup' form, though at the back end of last year Hershey's saw fit to produce this bar version. The ingredients read reasonably well - this looks like one of the few products that Hershey's haven't taken the cocoa butter out of recently.

The bar came in a 120.0g format that was split up into several quite large sized blocks. Taking note of the rather high nutritional values, thankfully these blocks proved to be rather fulfilling - three at a time provided a more than adequate snack. Despite lacking the usual 'Cups' appeal, the product was presented reasonably well. The usual orange theme was implemented on the wrapper, with each of the blocks nicely decorated with a Reese's logo. When cross-sectioned I was surprised at the thickness of the chocolate in relation to the peanut butter filling. As ever I couldn't help but be taken in by the wonderfully nutty aromas that were radiated from the bar.

As noted above the milk chocolate was implemented a lot thicker in this bar than most other Reese's products, and this definitely came through in the taste. I am normally very critical of Reese's milk chocolate as I normally find it bland and waxy in texture - there weren't such problems here. The chocolate had a slower melt than normal, which allowed it to substantiate some stronger milky, cocoa flavours; the taste was quite sweet but it suited the bar well. With the chocolate having a greater presence the peanut butter filling was a little lacking in terms of its volume in each block. Don't get me wrong I was pleased that the chocolate was better substantiated in the taste, though I couldn't help but want more from the peanut butter. All the usual creamy, nutty, salty flavours of the Reese's peanut butter were present ... but just didn't get to stamp their usual authority on the taste.

Overall there is no doubting this is a nice addition to the Reese's range, but whether or not you will prefer it to the standard Reese's peanut butter Cups will largely be down to personal preference. If you prefer greater emphasis on the peanut butter like myself then I would suggest you stick with the standard cups, or better yet the Big Cups. If you want more in terms of a chocolaty hit from your Reese's products then I suggest you get hold of one of these.

7.9 out of 10

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

March 14th: Milka Vanilla Pudding Sled Fun

Kcal 585 Fat 40.0g Fat(sats) 22.5g Carbs 51.0g (per 100.0g)

Rounding up my reviews of Milka's Limited Edition Winter Varieties I today tried the 'Vanilla Pudding - Sled Fun' bar, yet another bar sent to me by Dean-German-Grocery. This is a bit of a cheeky one by Milka as I have previously seen a vanilla pudding flavour reviewed by Terry over at 'The Chocolate Review' - so unlike the product claimed this wasn't an entirely new variant. Not to be in the least be perturbed by this I particularly liked the sound of this bar, which came described as 'Alpine Milk Chocolate filled with vanilla flavoured milk cream' ... yum!

The packaging was all standard Milka - the resealable nature of the 100.0g pack proved yet again quite useful as this bar took me about four sittings to eat in its entirety. The vanilla pudding flavour was well communicated on the front of pack, with what looked like a Creme Caramel ... one of my favourite desserts! Out the pack the bar looked very appetising, with the filling cutting a particularly plentiful and tempting look with its yellow colouring. The aroma of the bar was also very enticing, and combined some delightful nutty scents with a very sweet smelling vanilla essence influence.

Milka bars are commonly known for their sweet taste, and this offering did little to show evidence agaisnt this. The Alpine Milk chocolate was as nicely flavoured as ever with some fine cream, cocoa influences dominating the overall taste. The slight hazelnut note was also still present, though had less significance due to the filling quickly establishing its flavour base. Much like the outer chocolate the filling was fantastically smooth in its melt, which made for a delightful set of textures. Flavour wise it was undoubtedly pleasant, but took the word sweet to its extremes. The vanilla cream was very creamy and reminded me a lot of very sweet flavoured custard - as I said it was wonderfully enjoyable, but never something that you would want to consume in vast quantities, which thus made it a little unsatisfying.

Overall this was one of those tricky bars to rate as the product was on the whole very tasty, yet at the same really quite unfulfilling. Milka Alpine Milk chocolate is always a safe bet, and a great flavour carrier for additional fillings. However, both the product's main strength and main weakness came in the form of its vanilla pudding filling, which was great tasting but at the same time just incredibly sweet. For fans of sweet flavoured chocolate then this is a bar I would recommend, for those the other end of the spectrum I guess this is one to avoid.

7.8 out of 10

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

March 13th: Emerald Chocolate Caramels

Kcal 190 Fat 8.5g Fat(sats) 5.5g Fat(trans) 3.0g Carbs 28.0g (per 43.0g - 5 pieces)

These were another product sent to me by the delightful fellas at 'The Irish Shop', and although never having heard of the manufacture Oatfield before I was very open to trying these 'Chocolate Caramels'. These didn't carry an on pack description though this bothered me less than the quite worrying 3.0g of trans fat stated in each serving ... to be honest I don't think I have ever seen a product have such a high amount. Despite my initial predisposition I still decided to give these chocolate coated caramels a try.

I received a 96.0g bag, which contained about 15 or so pieces. The presentation cut quite a classic look, the outer packaging and individual wrappers communicated their Irish heritage well with their dark green colour scheme, the additional gold element added to what was a relatively sophisticated look. The chocolates were about the size of the comparable Cadbury Eclairs, though obviously differed in that these were chocolate coated rather than the chocolate filled. I was a little bemused by the smell of the product - it radiated scents that I would neither describe as cocoa led or caramel ... it was more of a burnt , treacle like aroma that was pleasant but just not entirely fitting.

What with the lack of product description and startlingly high trans fat content I was quite taken aback by the taste when I first placed one of the pieces in my mouth. The outer chocolate had a slight graininess to its texture, and the reason why was revealed as the melt progressed. Dispersed in both the chocolate and the inner caramel were small pieces of dessicated coconut - for me this brought both its benefits and its drawbacks. I thought it was beneficial in the fact that it added interest to what was a very mild mannered outer chocolate - it certainly brought some extra milky nuttiness to the quite subtle cocoa flavours. Unfortunately I didn't like the texture it added. Given the nature of the product, sucking on the pieces to enjoy the buttery, sweet flavours of the caramel seemed the most appropriate way to eat them. As I said before though the coconut pieces added a slight roughness to the texture, which didn't make this as pleasurable as it should have been. Much like the chocolate the inner caramel was neither that forthcoming in its flavours, which overall didn't make for the most satisfying or fulfilling of products.

Overall I guess I did get some degree of enjoyment out of these 'Chocolate Caramels' as the proposition of the coconut with the milk chocolate and chewy caramel did make for a unique offering. However, there are just a few things that bothered me about this product and I must admit these worries were rooted in the trans fat content. I personally don't think there is an excuse for a product to contain such a high level, especially when the taste was not truly special. The coconut element certainly brought a degree of uniqueness in comparison to Cadbury Eclairs - but for my money I recommend you stick with the Cadbury's and give these a miss ... if only for your health.

5.8 out of 10

Head to the Irish Shop for many more Irish Chocolates / Foods & Goods

March 12th: Hotel Chocolat Fruit & Nut Easter Egg Sandwich

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

Yet again Hotel Chocolat have been kind enough to send me across some samples of their latest seasonal Easter line. Starting with the smallest item in the selection I today took a look at the Hotel Chocolat Fruit & Nut Easter Egg Sandwich. Now I can't say I am the greatest fan ever of egg sandwiches but to be honest this one sounded an awful lot more appetising than your standard egg mayo and cress :) billed as 'slabs of fused dark and milk chocolate studded with dried fruit and nuts' this sounded a very enticing proposition indeed.

The 'Easter Egg Sandwich' came in a 100.0g size that was very conveniently split into two 50.0g halves. Both the packaging and chocolate were very distinct in design. The packaging was especially unique with the outer cardboard intricately folded to contain the plastic tray within. Although it looked nice I was somewhat disappointed with the fact that quite a few of the fruit and nut pieces fell off when I removed the egg from the tray. The lack of fruit and nut influence in the aroma was also slightly disappointing, however the rich smelling cocoa scents didn't fail in raising my anticipation.

The base chocolates used in this product were as expected fantastic. The milk chocolate of the product constituted of both a small portion of both the bases and the whole of the egg shapes. It was formed of Hotel Chocolat's 40% recipe that as ever never failed to substantiate some delicious sweet, creamy chocolate flavours with its utterly sinful thick melt. Despite thoroughly enjoying my reacquiantance with the 40% milk chocolate, I savoured the 74% dark chocolate even more. As ever it was quick to establish its kind yet never overly forceful rich, cocoa flavours with its smooth flowing melt. As much as I enjoyed the chocolate I must admit I felt somewhat a little less impressed with the fruit and nut implementation. Whilst the dried cranberries and raisins managed to establish some fruity, tarty flavoured influences on both chocolates, the nuts really failed to exert themselves. Their finely chopped nature meant that where present in the dark chocolate especially the almond and hazelnut really struggled. The small bitty nature also somewhat disrupted the smoothness of both the chocolates in the mouth. As you will above both egg halves included white chocolate centres that included some additional red berry flavours. I found this to be a very welcome addition as it not only added a further variation in the chocolate, but also a fun 'target' which to break the chocolate off around.

Overall I can't say this was one of my favourite ever Hotel Chocolat offerings, though that being said it was still a very tasty little product that offered plenty of variation. One thing your assured with Hotel Chocolat is the quality of the chocolate - indeed both the milk, dark and even small amount of white chocolate on offer here were tremendous as ever. My quite small disappointment with this product resided with the implementation of the fruit and nut. Being 'studded' into the chocolate meant that some of the pieces fell off in the packaging, and their small chopped nature meant they lacked presence within the dark chocolate. These are one of the cheaper Easter themed products that Hotel Chocolat are doing this Easter - whilst not the best they have to offer its worth checking out if your after high quality chocolate on a budget! More Easter Hotel Chocolat to follow soon!!

8.1 out of 10

March 11th: Cadbury Dairy Milk Golden Crisp

Kcal 245 Fat 11.6g Carbs 31.7g

At last I have finally found a source of goods from Ireland!! Enter my new friends at the 'The Irish Shop'!! They are a UK based firm who funnily enough import goods from Ireland - Be sure to check out their shop if any of my reviews tickle your fancy. Phil from the 'The Irish Shop' has very kindly sent me some Cadbury Dairy Milk flavours that are unique to Ireland - the first of which I tried today ... the 'Golden Crisp'. This bar was formed of 'Milk Chocolate with Golden Honeycombed Granules'.

I sampled this product in a 49.0g bar, which I ate in one wonderfully adequate sitting. Just like the standard Irish Cadbury Dairy Milk I reviewed last year the product came in the wonderfully retro looking combination of a paper wrapper with a foil sheath. It looked awesome, I just wish they still made them like this in the UK. The chocolate itself also looked appetising - it was the usual branded eight block format and had the golden coloured honeycomb dispersed well throughout. Opening the foil layer revealed the utterly delightful Cadbury Dairy Milk aroma, it smelt rich, milky and insanely chocolaty ... not many smells can touch it for enticement.

If you have read my review of the Irish Cadbury Dairy Milk you will be aware that the viscosity of the Irish Dairy Milk melt is a lot thicker; I found this yet again with this bar. The taste of the chocolate was maybe the slightest bit creamier along with the denser texture, though admittedly the discrepancy between the milky, creamy sweet flavours was again not all that great. Comparisons aside, I will have to reiterate my love for Dairy Milk chocolate yet again ... for the price it is just utterly superb. The 'Golden Honeycomb' in this bar proved to be a fantastic enhancement, and rather than adding just a cheap tasting burst of sugar, it really brought some substantial syrupy, honey flavours. What was more surprising was that the honeycomb not only added flavour, but also a fantastic crunchiness that didn't detract from the smooth, thick melting chocolate.

Overall this was a bar that combined a great quality chocolate with a wonderful honeycomb element that added to both taste and texture. Having not reviewed the Cadbury Dairy Milk 'with Crunchie Bits', I can't offer a comparison just yet ... but lets just say the bar has been set extremely high by this Irish offering. If your a fan of Dairy Milk and honey this is a product you simply have to try. I can't wait to dip in to the rest of the Irish Dairy Milk range now to see what more they have to offer ... more soon!!

8.9 out of 10

Want to try the Cadbury Dairy Milk Golden Crisp for yourself? Head over to 'The Irish Shop'