March 23rd: Hotel Chocolat Rocky Road To Caramellow

As you can see I have let the pictures doing the talking a bit for this review. Wrapping up my Hotel Chocolat Easter 2009 reviews I today bring you the Hotel Chocolat Rocky Road To Caramellow; a product formed of a thick shelled halved egg and a selection of different filling chocolates. As you may have gathered from the name of the product half the egg had a 'Rocky Road' theme, whilst the other was formed of Hotel Chocolat Caramellow chocolate.

In regards to presentation everything was presented beautifully - I hope my pictures have done it all the justice it deserves. The whole product came in a lovely black box that had some subtle patterns printed into the surface. In the box the two egg halves were sealed within branded foil wraps that kept both freshness and appearance to a great standard throughout the week or so it took me to consume. Sitting inside the egg halves were two additional foil packets that contained the selection chocolates. I will let you judge for yourselves how appetising the pieces looked, but to me I thought it all looked wonderful.

Extra Thick Egg Halves:

As I have mentioned above the two egg halves had Rocky Road and Caramellow themes.

The Rocky Road half was formed of milk chocolate with white chocolate chunks, rice crispies and cookie pieces. Out of the two halves this one looked the best, though I must say just like the Rocky Road slab it looked a little better than it actually tasted. The milk chocolate was still absolutely divine - the 40% recipe never fails to deliver a creamy but full on chocolaty taste. The ever so slight disappointment came in the additional pieces that really just failed to deliver the excitement in the taste that there appearance suggested. The small cookie and rice crispies added a degree of interest to the texture, though couldn't really influence the cream based milk chocolate to any significant degree. Much like I concluded with the slab, the Rocky Road is an exciting looking chocolate but could just do with having more of a distinct impact flavourwise. Good.

The Caramellow slab sits at number in the ChocolateMission leader board - yet again it didn't fail to impress. This half of the egg was formed of two layers of chocolate with the inner layer formed of the 40% recipe, and the outer layer caramel chocolate. The exterior layer retained the same creamy taste as the 40% though had a strong toffee edge to its cocoa flavours. It had elements of honey, salt and butter that made for a truly magnificent, moreish taste. Despite the sweetness it was a wonderfully balanced taste, which combined with the thick melt made for a truly luxurious, satisfying chocolate. Superb.

As if all this wasn't brilliant enough ... as aforementioned contained within these egg halves were some stunning selection chocolates! Below are my brief thoughts on each:

Easter Chick:
This was one of the more puzzling inclusions for me as it was formed of Caramel Chocolate ... just like the Caramellow half of the egg. What more can I say about Hotel Chocolat's Caramel Chocolate? Wonderfully creamy with a strong toffee flavour edge. Superb.

Pod Bunny:

I thought I would get the two 'boring' pieces out the way :) This piece was simply 40% milk chocolate. I would have preferred another double up of one of the other more unique pieces in the selection, but still who's complaining!? A creamy, strong yet delicately flavoured milk chocolate. Very Good.

Pecan Praline:

This was one of my favourite pieces in the selection. Placed on top of the outer milk chocolate was a nice biscuit piece, though sitting below was were the real treat was. Sitting under a very thin wafer layer was a truly wonderful pecan like butter truffle. Despite the praline name the filling was lighter and more buttery than it was nut based. The taste was long and very lasting. Superb.

Fruit & Nut:

I noticed that this chocolate had a slight greasy feel when I handled it. Indeed the dark chocolate was a little fast in its melt, though what lay below truly made up for this. As you can see above the filling constituted of a peanut butter like filling that encapsulated the word dreamy in every sense. Unfortunately I couldn't quite tell where the fruit element was supposed to figure in things, however the peanut butter filling and almond piece on top made this every nut fans dream. Very Good.

Gianduja Diamond:

This was a pretty simple praline chocolate that was formed of an outer layer of 40% milk chocolate and an inner hazelnut praline centre. The flavour development was truly superb with the milk chocolate establishing a thick, cream based taste before the delicious hazelnut flavours were delivered by the praline. Very enjoyable indeed and left a longing nut flavour in the mouth. Very Good.

Macadamia Bite:
This piece had a thick dark chocolate outer layer that substantiated a rich flavour base before the truly wonderful centre. The light filling was very cream based, though had an earthy, nutty hint. The macadamia flavours were really left to linger in the mouth by a truly superb additional macadamia nut that sat on top of the filling. The nut not only delivered flavour but also a wonderful crunch that contrasted well with the smooth filling. Superb.

Caramel Canape:

This was the only piece that I received two of, though I am not complaining whatsoever. Formed of milk chocolate with a caramel chocolate button and florentine piece sat in the middle it truly delivered a wonderful array on flavours. The creamy flavours of the chocolate wonderfully contrasted with the crunchy, sugar based florentine piece - it not only looked great but delivered in terms of taste. Very Good.

Overall this was a truly fantastic product in pretty much every sense. The Rocky Road half of the egg could have done with an ingredient to really give that extra impetuous in its flavours, though that criticism is very minor given the array of different flavoures that this product included. The selection chocolates were both varied and tasty ... you can't really ask for more. If your gifting chocolate this Easter, and want to give a product that really stands out as something special I honestly think that this is the way to go. Hotel Chocolat deliver excellence once again.

9.2 out of 10

March 22nd: Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares 60% Dark / Raspberry / White Mint / Caramel

Ghirardelli is a brand that I hadn't actually dipped into before today, though thanks to my pals at *IShop4YouII* it finally became an eventuality. Before writing these reviews I thought I would do a little background reading on the brand - to my surprise Wiki informed me that Ghirardelli is in fact an American subsidiary of Lindt ... you learn something new everyday huh!? Given that most of my experiences with Lindt chocolate have been remarkably positive so far I was expecting similar things.

*IShop4YouII* were kind enough to send me a load of samples from Ghirardelli's 'Squares' range. Coming in a rather odd 15.1g size, each were presented in immaculate foil wrappers and had the Ghirardelli logo smartly printed into the surface.

Below are my tasting notes regarding each flavour:

Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares 60% Cacao:

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

The aroma carried a slight coffee indication in and amongst the obvious cocoa scents.

The taste was initially quite mild, though built in its intensity over the progression of the melt. The texture was smooth, if a little thin for my preference with dark chocolate. The resulting taste was pleasant, though just lacking in its strength a bit. I felt it was a little to milky for dark chocolate, but was happy with the friendly and lasting aftertaste.

Overall a pretty standard dark chocolate that failed to really deliver anything more than a mildly enjoyable taste. Good, but just nothing special in the dark chocolate world.

7.6 out of 10 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares Raspberry:

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

I liked the look of the inner fondant which matched the pink colour of its foil wrapper. Unlike some other berry flavoured chocolates I have tried recently the artificial nature wasn't overly detectable in the smell, with a more pleasurable fruity aroma present.

Again I wasn't overly impressed with the outer dark chocolate, it just failed to create a really significant impression on me. The melt was just as good, with the fondant centre well dispersed. The centre was quite jam like in its flavours - very sweet, but fruity at the same time. 

Overall one of the better red berry chocolates I have tried recently. It may not have been one of my own personal favourite chocolates, but for any raspberry fans this could be a real winner.

7.9 out of 10 

Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares White Mint:

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

This cut a very After Eight like appearance but smelt far more cocoa led in its aromas. I must say the white mint filling looked very appetising indeed.

The nature of the dark chocolate seemed to work better in this piece as it seemed more appropriate with the strong tasting centre. The mild cocoa flavours transitioned nicely in to a wonderfully balanced peppermint fondant - the contrast of the smooth and slightly gooey textures was a real delight. The mint flavours seemed stronger than in After Eights which made for a fresher, more clean cut taste.

Overall my favourite of the lot - a real pleasure. The taste was flavoursome, long lasting and wonderfully balanced in its intensity. Really recommended.

8.8 out of 10

Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares Caramel:

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

This was the only milk chocolate square I tried out of the selection today and it just so happened to include one of my favourite fillings.

In my tasting notes I have the word 'American' underlined i.e. it tasted as sweet as it smelt. The textures were very pleasurable, with a soft melting chocolate nicely revealing the inner chewy caramel. The taste of the milk chocolate was very sweet and milky, whilst the caramel delivered a nice buttery impression with just a little salty influence.

Overall this was by all means an enjoyable square, though I was left questioning whether I would enjoy eating a 50.0g serving. The flavours were very forceful in their sweetness, which suggested to me that a whole bar might be slight overkill. Still though, based on this square very enjoyable.

8.1 out of 10

Overall colour me impressed! I must admit I didn't fall all that in love with the standard of the dark chocolate, though when in the presence of additional flavours Ghirardelli seem to be a brand on the right lines. I have started with these small chocolate squares as *IShop4YouII* were kind enough to include some bigger bars from their range in my latest sampling package! From what I have seen here ... bring it on! Some great tasting chocolates. 

*** 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 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

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