May 14th: Thorntons Fudge Milk Chocolate

Kcal 557 Fat 36.7g Fat(sats) 23.1g Carbs 49.2g (per 100.0g)

Continuing my way through Thorntons' new square bars range I today tried out their 'Fudge Milk Chocolate'. This bar came very simply described as 'milk chocolate with fudge pieces', though closer inspection of the on pack blurb revealed that the milk chocolate was formed of Papua New Guinea cocoa in a 35% recipe. 

Just like the rest of the range the bar came in a 90.0g form that I ate over the course of two separate occasions. There isn't much to say about the presentation of the product. The outer packaging made use of an appropriate beige colour, though despite the bar itself looking nice with some well integrated patterns in to the surface the fudge pieces seemed very lacking aesthetically. Despite being rather anonymous lookswise the fudge element could be heavily detected in the smell, where a heavy vanilla sweetness complimented some standard cocoa scents. 

This was literally bar of two halves in that the second half I ate was a lot better than the first. The first 45.0g offered little more than a standard flavoured milk chocolate with just the smallest of honey type hints in its aftertaste. Every block I ate in my first sitting was devoid of any fudge pieces whatsoever ... a pretty stark contrast to the second 45.0g I ate that contained plenty. In the blocks where the fudge was present the chocolate tasted absolutely superb and had an extra buttery caramel element to its taste - it was absolutely delicious. The texture of the bar was also markedly improved with the fudge as it seemed a lot thicker where present. This chocolate was not the most substantial ever, though 45.0g at a time made for a fair enough snack.

Overall this was a hard bar to rate as my experiences from both servings were very varied. Where the fudge pieces were implemented the chocolate was very enjoyable indeed and provided a type of chocolate that no other brand is currently offering on the market. Frankly though there is no excuse for the lack of consistency with the dispersion of the fudge - there simply needs to be the same amount in each half of the bar, and by that I mean that Thorntons need to double up the fudge content and not just balance out the current 7%. This is certainly a bar with great potential and possibly worth trying if you fancy it.

7.6 out of 10

 

May 13th: Oreo Chocolate Bar Green Tea

Kcal 200 Fat 11.6g Carbs 21.4g

Pete at J-List told me it is getting rather hot in Japan so be sure to order all your chocolate from the J-List website very soon as it will be removed in the coming weeks. A few days ago Pete was so kind to send me along this Oreo Chocolate Bar Green Tea variant which I thought as product was probably about as Japanese as they come. This bar offered the same proposition to the mini size Original and Strawberry mini variants I reviewed a few weeks back but of course had a green tea flavoured centre.

The bar came in a 36.5g size that came in one single piece. I thought the packaging looked petty funky and liked the use of the light green colour to communicate the flavour theme of the bar. Apologies for the level of brightness on the cross-section picture - you will probably be able to make out the very distinct green centre. On one hand I thought it looked pretty unique, though part of me couldn't help but think that my chocolate had gone mouldy :) The aroma that emanated from the chocolate gave a clear indication of the taste of the bar and the tea element was very evident.

When I reviewed the Kit Kat Maccha Tiramisu the green tea element was more in the background of the taste and was not quite the star of the show. In that context I thought it worked rather well but I must admit my perception of the flavour here when it was more of a figurehead wasn't quite as positive. Just as with the mini Original and Strawberry variants the outer milk chocolate was extremely thin and didn't particularly give a chocolate hit of much note. The inner centre for me had both its good and bad points ... the bad mostly associated with the green tea flavours. I did enjoy the crunchy yet soft texture that it had and thought the sweet, buttery bursts of chocolate cookie flavour were very enjoyable indeed. Unfortunately though the aftertaste was really not that pleasant and the green tea flavour came across as very strong and imposing with its herby, almost bitter taste. Due to the lack of cocoa emphasis from the coating and light textured centre the bar really didn't feel like the most substantial of snacks.

Overall I guess the green tea and chocolate combination was one that I just never got to grips with. Just as with Oreo mini variants I reviewed despite the lacking chocolate hit the actual bare constituents of the centre filling provided an enjoyable chocolate cookie based taste. Unfortunately though I just didn't enjoy what the green tea flavours brought to the mix and just felt that they were out of place within the context of the chocolate. I guess this is one of those combinations you either 'get' or you 'don't' ... a bit like Marmite. When it comes to being a lover or a hater though, I guess when it comes to this bar I would have to say I was more the latter.

6.8 out of 10

May 13th: Lindt Cassis Mit Wacholderbeere

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

Before you all go rushing off to Google Translate please let me do the honours - Lindt Blackcurrants and Juniper Berries. As you can probably guess this was another bar sent to me by Dean-German-Grocery from the ever expansive range of Lindt goodies they stock. This bar constituted of a 'milk chocolate mousse filling with a Blackcurrant liqueur and Juniper berry layer, coated in milk chocolate'. I have to say this was one of the more intriguing bars I have tried in a long while so this review is well worth your read .... honest ;)

This product was yet another in the Lindt filled 'Pods' range, and again came in the familiar 100.0g size. As always with this format I was impressed with the presentation - the outer packaging communicated the flavour theme well with some appropriate wild berry pictures. The chocolate pods also looked enticing with the dark coloured jam like substance seemingly very well portioned above the inner truffle filling. The jam not only looked appetising, but also had a large influence on the aroma of the product, which was notably very fruity in its fragrance.

One thing that particularly impressed me about this bar was the way the blackcurrant and Juniper berries were implemented into the taste of the chocolate. The milk chocolate that coated the product and formed the lighter truffle filling was not the most forthcoming in its cocoa flavours, however had a very pleasant dairy creaminess. The transition of the melt from the outer chocolate to the lighter truffle centre was very flowing in its smoothness, and really contrasted nicely with the more solid, almost jelly like texture of the berry filling. Personally I thought that the balance of the berry flavours was absolutely superb - combined they brought very striking, tarty, juicy red fruit flavours yet at the same time had a very complimentary sweetness. The aftertaste had the smallest of alcohol kicks it (due to the 'Creme de Cassis Liqueur!!), which increased the flavour longevity left in the mouth and made for an altogether more satisfying chocolate.

Overall this was a bar I wasn't expecting too much from, however delivered a very progressive flavour experience. The transition from the creamy chocolate to the fruity berry filling was extremely well implemented in each pod, and the smallest of alcohol kicks in the aftertaste ensured that the flavours were left nicely lingering. If your a fan of Lindt milk chocolate then this is yet another bar that I am sure you will enjoy. This is of course dependant on your love for red berries and currants, though I am sure, like me, you will all have been partial to a bit of Ribena in your childhood. Yet another recommended bar from Lindt's fine range.

8.6 out of 10

Visit Dean-German-Grocery for products like this ... and many more!

May 12th: Hotel Chocolat Puddles Rhubarb & Custard / Raspberry Ripple

It has been a while since I last reviewed something from Hotel Chocolat (well a month or so!) but last week brought one of those awesome days when the postmen struggles to my door holding another box of samples. The latest batch of goodies contained Hotel Chocolat's new summer product lines, included in which were four new flavours of their infamous 'Puddles' aka Chocolate Buttons.

As you will see below they came in nice looking plastic packages which held 140.0g of chocolate (plenty!!), although simplistic in looks they did the job nicely and kept the product in a fresh state. The two I chose to review today were of a white chocolate variety and were based on some of my favourite desserts when I was a kid. Hopes were indeed high and this what I thought of both of them:

Hotel Chocolat Puddles Rhubarb & Custard:

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

Described as 'rhubarb swirled in custard flavoured white chocolate' this particular variety had me foaming at the mouth Homer Simpson style. They say a way to a mans heart is through his stomach - sure, I think even Ann Widdecombe would have a good chance getting into my pants if she served me up Rhubarb Crumble and Custard ... I simply love it!

Opening up the packet I was met with a rather mild custard like aroma that neither struck me as amazing or unsatisfactory. Mind you, due to my incredible anticipation it wasn't as if I hung around smelling them long as I immediately dove straight in. Unfortunately I was met with a feeling of disappointment and I thought there were a few glaringly obvious things wrong. Firstly I couldn't detect the rhubarb in any shape or form - it was as if they forgot to put the 'rhubarb crisps' promised on the back of the pack actually in the product. Secondly the white chocolate was nothing like the creamy heaven sent vanilla tastiness of usual but was actually comparable to the truly detestable Cadbury Dream chocolate. Ok ok maybe it wasn't that bad, but the taste was so sugar rooted I got that awful throat burning sensation.

Overall I am left asking the question ... what happened here!? These were hardly inedible but these were truly so far off the usual Hotel Chocolat standard it seemed implausible. I honestly wouldn't recommend these to buy but on the same note I would like to hear from other people who have tried them ... is this me going bonkers!?? The disappointing 140.0g of these I consumed suggests not!

6.2 out of 10

Hotel Chocolat Puddles Raspberry Ripple:

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

Having ranted and raved my way through the first section of this double review I thankfully get to be a lot nicer here. Described as 'nibbles of raspberries in white vanilla chocolate' these were the least I was looking forward to out of the two but were actually far superior.

Unlike with the Rhubarb variant the fruit content of these was made evident from the outset and the sweet wildberry smell was extremely enticing. The all important factor of course was whether this was going to be back up in the taste and I was not left disappointed. Placing the 'Puddles' on the tongue the initial flavours were the strong raspberry tones that were delivered with a wonderful fresh zingy emphasis. As the melt developed the cream based flavours of the chocolate came through and just as the description suggested had some pleasant vanilla notes that made for a multi-dimensional taste. In the later stages of the melt the berry flavours were further enhanced with the small specs of raspberry bringing some added flavour hits to make for a well rounded but emphatic overall taste.

Overall ... PHEW :) I don't like being down on products so I am glad to be able to report that these get a double thumbs up. They were truly delicious and were fruity, creamy and wonderfully moreish with a thick longing melt. Unlike the Rhubarb variant I would really suggest you try these if you like the sound of them. They are truly splendid straight from the fridge or served with vanilla ice cream.

8.5 out of 10

May 11th: Oreo Double Stuff Cool Mint Creme

Kcal 140 Fat 7.0g Fat(sats) 2.0g Carbs 20.0g (per 29.0g - 2 cookies)

I mentioned in my review of the Oreo Limited Edition Candy Cremes that I had also been sent a pack of Double Stuff Mint Creme by *IShop4YouII*. Having now worked may way through the entire 482.0g (it took me a few weeks!!) I can now pass my judgement on these 'mint flavoured chocolate sandwich cookies'.

As you can see in the picture above the packaging contained a resealable pull tab, that sealed back completely air tight. This impressed me as IT ACTUALLY WORKED!! As I said above it took me a few weeks to get through the entire packet, and this seal really did keep the cookies fresh all that time. Despite the day glow green centres I thought the cookies looked really rather appealing. The vibrant coloured creme centres appeared plentiful in their portioning (so they should be for double creme!!), whilst the biscuits had the usual Oreo branding on their surfaces. When opened the cookies emanated a very similar, appetising peppermint smell as with the Candy Creme variant.

As I had over 32 cookies in this packet I experimented with different ways of eating them. I tried them with milk, hot chocolate, ice-cream ... you name it I tried it. In every single eating occasion one thing I noticed each time was the strong, refreshing peppermint flavours. It varied ever so slightly from the Candy Creme variant in that it had more a menthol type minty nature, whereas the Candy Creme was a little more sugar based in its creme. Frankly I couldn't get enough of these. The mint centre was nicely refreshing, yet completely moreish with a fantastic creaminess. Again the biscuit could have had more of a chocolate impetuous, yet the combination of the sugar and salt elements still kept me coming back for more. Despite their moreish nature I still found that two biscuits made for a nice snack and felt that these were more fulfilling than any other Oreo variety I have tried.

Overall these are simply my favourite Oreo biscuit that I have reviewed. The combination of the refreshing minty centres and tasty chocolate biscuits made for a truly addictive taste that worked in a variety of different eating occasions. If you have never tried an Oreo Mint Creme milkshake then you simply haven't lived ... it was truly my favourite way of consuming these. I would be interested to hear from you all about your unique ways of consuming Oreos. If you are yet to try these fine cookies and are an Oreo fan I suggest you really make the effort and do so!

8.5 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.

May 10th: Glico Pocky Chocolate Crush

Kcal 71 Fat 3.4g Carbs 9.0g (per 14.1g)

My foray into the world of Pocky continued today with me trying the 'Chocolate Crush' variant. Of course this was yet again provided to me by J-List who stock all kinds of Japenese goods (See HERE!) and who just so happen to ship worldwide. With the packaging being all in Japanese I obviously couldn't read the product description - from the on pack pictures though it was pretty evident that this 'Chocolate Crush' variant was formed of standard milk chocolate Pocky with pieces of chocolate cookies embedded.

J-List sent me a box that included six packs of four sticks. I thought the packaging looked wonderful and the golden colour theme brought both a stylish and appealing aesthetic appearance. In addition to the nice looks of the packaging etc I thought the Pocky pieces also looked very appetising. They were exactly how they were displayed on the packaging with the knobbly surfaces giving a really distinct and cool look. Although contained within plastic packets and not foil ones the sticks had a very fresh feel about them and this became immediately apparent from the strong chocolaty aroma that emanated once opened.

Thinking back to my review of Glico Mikado last week I remember being astounded at the strength of the chocolate hit that was delivered from the thin coating. To be honest I didn't quite the same impact from the same layer here but it was still relatively strong in its cocoa flavours. The cookie pieces that lined the milk chocolate gave the same sort of flavours that you get from the biscuit of Oreo cookies. They added sweet bursts of wheat flavours and had left just the slightest of buttery notes in the aftertaste. As ever the biscuit sticks held up their end of the bargain and brought some sweet shortbread base flavours to each bite with their fresh crunchiness. These Pocky were a lot larger than many other Pocky variants I have tried so far and I felt that one packet made for a pretty adequate snack.

Overall this was one of the nicest Pocky flavours I have tried so far and would certainly have it again. Although the milk chocolate coating didn't quite have the same strength of Glico Mikado the additional cookie pieces made for a more substantial snack and one that was more variable in its flavours. The more flavours I try from the Pocky brand the more I am starting to understand why it is so popular. The concept of different flavoured biscuit sticks is a simple one but it is one that can still deliver big in terms of flavours if done correctly - like here. If your a fan of Glico Pocky I would really recommend these.

8.2 out of 10

May 10th: Baileys Original Irish Cream Truffle Bar

Kcal 506 Fat 29.0g Fat(sats) 17.5g Carbs 54.2g (per 100.0g)

Back in June last year I reviewed some Baileys Original Irish Cream Truffles that I found in my local Tesco. Well accompanying these truffles on shelf now is this 'Truffle Bar', a product which simply constituted of 'milk chocolate with a Baileys Irish Cream liqueur filling'. A closer inspection of the packaging showed that the bar was produced by Lir Chocolate Ltd, I can't say I have heard of them myself, though they claim to be 'premium Irish chocolatiers'. 

The bar came in a 100.0g size that I ate over two separate sittings. The aesthetics of the product were a bit hit and miss. The outer cardboard wrapping looked very nice indeed and cut a very sophisticated and premium type look with its glossy finish. Inside though things were a bit different, as you can see above the bar lacked any sort of branding and just looked like any old generic bar. Once I split the foil wrapper I was met with some reasonably nice boozy, dairy smells that unfortunately seemed to depart very quickly making the product mostly scentless. 

Despite its very generic look the chocolate was actually quite tasty. It was very sweet and milk based in its flavours and despite getting dominated by the filling whilst in its presence, also managed to establish a nice vanilla note in the aftertaste. The textures and melt of both the chocolate and filling were very smooth, with the Baileys innards particularly having a pleasant softness. In regards to taste the Baileys liqueur centre was certainly forthcoming in its flavours. For my liking the alcohol hit was a little forceful, though once the initial flavour kick was tempered the delicious cream flavours came through. The taste longevity of this bar wasn't all that long, though 50.0g made for a reasonably filling snack.

Overall although I didn't enjoy this bar as much as the truffles it was still a reasonably satisfying product, and will certainly be enjoyed by all fans of Baileys. Personally I would have loved to have seen the Baileys filling implemented in a dark chocolate coating, as I think the unsweetened nature of the chocolate and richer cocoa flavours would make for a greater balance against the sweet, creamy filling. As I have said, fans of Baileys will get a lot of enjoyment from this product - for those people I recommend this bar. 

7.2 out of 10 

May 9th: Meiji Donut Gummy Chocolate Flavour

Kcal 83 Fat 0.6g Carbs 18.4g

J-List have sent me some pretty awesome products from Japan over the last couple of months and some of my favourites have been the Meiji bars that I have reviewed. I must admit though I was pretty surprised to see the Meiji logo displayed on todays product as it was certainly something a little different from their standard chocolate bar range. These chocolate flavoured gummies were a unique looking product - I hadn't had anything really that similar apart from the chocolate flavoured Herhey's Twizzlers I reviewed earlier this year.

J-List sent me across a few 25.0g packs that contained around 15 gummy pieces in each. The outer packaging made use of some fun looking cartoons and bright colours which gave the product a friendly and welcoming looking. The gummy pieces themselves appeared relatively appetising though just like the Hershey's Twizzlers I couldn't help but think that they should have been cola flavoured. Once I had opened the mini packet it was instantly recognisable that all probably wasn't going to be well. I can only describe the aroma as very similar to Chinese five spice - it had elements of pepper, aniseed and herbs .... interesting?? ... yes ... appetising?? ... not really - especially not for a supposed chocolate product!

Instead of beating round the bush I will get straight to the point - I didn't get on with these whatsoever. I ate these one at a time and was struck by how they tasted absolutely nothing like chocolate. The initial flavours I got when sucking on the pieces were very dull and uninteresting sweet malt like flavours. The texture of the sweets very really what you would expect and had a slightest resistance in their chewy jelly like softness. When chewed the dull sweet flavours became a little stronger but still yielded the same confusing malty tea herb like flavours. Although sweet they left a quite horrible bitter note in the mouth - one packet was really all I willing to eat.

Overall this was probably the first product that I have had from Japan that I felt was pretty damn bad. I am always pessimistic at chocolate flavoured sweets though these managed to prove my pessimism right and brought things to a whole new level. They not only tasted nothing like chocolate but were really just quite disgusting with a confusing herby malt tinge. Frankly I think the only real reason you guys should try these is to see if you think they are really as bad as I am making out. Japan sure do have some weird and wonderful snacks ... these just unfortunately weren't one of them.

4.6 out of 10

May 9th: Nestle Treasures Revive Cappuccino Truffle

Kcal 240 Fat 15.0g Fat(sats) 9.0g Carbs 25.0g (per 43.0g - half bar)

I am delighted to say this is the last of the Nestle Treasures range, which was kindly provided to me by *IShop4YouII*. If you have been reading the site over the last week or so you would have seen my reviews of the other 'Dark' & 'Caramel' variants. Well today's 'Cappuccino' bar came billed as 'milk chocolate with a creamy filling with crunchy cocoa bits' ... the marketing guys at Nestle sure played up the coffee aspect of this bar didn't they!?

As per the other variants this came in a 85.0g size - I must admit I ate less than half ... I think we know where this is all going. I thought the presentation again was pretty decent, with the dual layered paper and foil wrappers ensuring the chocolate was kept in a reasonably nice looking manner. Curiously the smell of the bar lacked any sort of coffee element, though that's not to say the aroma was poor it actually had a relatively sound sweet, chocolaty smell.

So where did this one go wrong!? Maybe it would be easier to start off where it went right ... ... ... ok done!! From the outset both the taste and textures to the bar were poor. Placing the chocolate in my mouth for the first time I was met the same waxy melting chocolate that I came across with the rest of the range. Sitting in the middle of the blocks were small flavourless pieces of what were supposedly chips of cocoa beans. Unfortunately the only contribution they made to the product was a rough feel to the chocolate, which combined with the meagre coffee taste made them actually come across as coffee granules. As I have just mentioned the coffee taste was weak to say the least ... in fact the bar was pretty flavourless on the whole, with only a poor sweet, offish soured milk taste being substantiated upon the full melt of the chocolate.

Overall you can probably tell that this was my least favourite out of the range. In regards to its flavours, textures and subsequent sustenance it was poor in almost every sense. The cappuccino element was near enough non-existent, though the flavourless cocoa beans certainly made for a truly horrible coffee granule like experience. It seems these are pretty rare chocolate bars to come across; to be honest If you ever do come across this range I would make a sharpish dash in the other direction ... the whole lot are best left alone completely.

4.1 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.

May 8th: Yaokin "Dora-Choco"

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

You might have guessed that my latest sampling package from J-List has indeed arrived so be prepared for some more rather eccentric reviews from the land of the red sun. Today I sampled a product named Yaokin "Dora-Choco" - the "Dora" is short for "Dorayaki" which according to J-List is a waffle type pancake that is popular among kids in Japan. The product was simply formed of two Dorayaki pancakes sandwiching a chocolate filling. Although this was a product outside of the usual Chocolate Mission remit I was certainly willing to give it a try.

As you can see above the pack I received had two separate pieces in it. Obviously it was quite hard to represent the scale of the cakes though I can reveal they were really quite small and about the size of a £2 British coin each. Seemingly I am never failed but to be taken in by the look of Japanese products. Like so many others I have reviewed before I thought the wrapper had a fun look and used its colour scheme well to have a real aesthetic appeal. Even more impressively the plastic packet managed to retain the fantastic sweet cake smell of the product that made it self immediately evident once opened.

I would prefer to get the obvious negative of this product out the way as the rest of the experience was on the whole very pleasant. As you can probably have guessed the single pack was not in any way fulfilling as a snack - the small size of the product meant that this was very evident before even consuming it. That out the way I have nothing but nice things to say about these Dorayaki. The Dora pancakes were absolutely delicious and delivered far more in terms of flavours than your standard Scotch pancakes. The cake had a wonderfully balanced sweetness that had notes of vanilla and syrup present throughout the duration of the taste. What I really liked about the Dora was that they had a wonderful moistness to their texture which meant they never developed that dry cake like feel in the mouth. Sat in the middle of the Dora was the chocolate filling. It was pretty uncomplicated in its cocoa and milk based flavours though it certainly delivered the chocolate hit to the product and made a noticeable impact despite the dense nature of the cake element.

Overall despite these being annoyingly small they were on the whole a very enjoyable product. When I first saw these I must admit I was expecting very little as they just looked like Scotch pancakes with a thin layer of chocolate in the middle. It was great to find though what these lacked in size they made up for in flavours. Both the Dora and chocolate elements brought some pleasant flavour elements and made for a thoroughly delicious taste. I would recommend these on the basis that they are a cool and tasty Japanese product; additionally though I would say if you were to order them you should get quite a few packs of these as they wont last long.

7.3 out of 10

May 8th: Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao

Kcal 200 Fat 17.0g Fat(sats) 10.0g Carbs 17.0g (per 38.0g - 3 pieces)

The Ghirardelli products I have been provided with by IShop4YouII have certainly been a little hit or miss. The dark chocolate squares that I tried a few months back seemed relatively tasty when in the presence of an additional flavour element, however solus the 60% failed to deliver anything more than an average dark chocolate. Given that this bar was formed of a 72% recipe I was hoping that this would offer just a little more in its subsequent flavours.

This bar came in a standard 100.0g size that certainly took me a few days to eat. The chocolate came contained within both a cardboard box and foil layer which combined with the sophisticated fonts and illustrations made the it all look rather nice. The chocolate itself was maintained beautifully by the foil with the Ghirardelli logo nicely printed on each block and a surprising fresh, dairy based smell very evident once the seal was broken.

One thing I did love about this bar was the lovely 'snap' sound that the chocolate made when splitting it. The blocks were a slightly awkward size in that they were a little too big to place in the mouth all at once, but a little small too split in half. Back to more important matters ... the taste was slow starting but eventually showed a fair breadth of flavour elements. The taste started out quite milky and weak, though once the melt progressed in its development strong cocoa and coffee like notes came through in the taste. At the end of the melt some strong charcoal like notes came through (not as bad as it sounds trust me!!), which ultimately made the aftertaste quite longing in the mouth.

Overall this was a little better than the Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate I tried before, yet was still a little way off competing with the best of the dark chocolate bars I have previously tried. The taste was extremely slow to develop, which is never a thing that I look upon favourably. Although the resulting taste was relatively strong, up until the melt was quite progressed the weak milk flavours were really quite unimpressive. Despite this being a nice dark chocolate this isn't a bar I would hugely recommend for the sheer reason that I know there are better options out there.

8.0 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.

May 7th: Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Chocolate Flavour

Kcal 135 Fat 3.5g Fat(sats) 1.5g Carbs 24.0g

I must admit I am one of those people that is forever hitting the snooze button on my alarm when it goes off in the morning. The upshot of this is I either have no breakfast at all, or have to eat it on the run. Last week in a rush to make it to a lecture I picked up one of these Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Chocolate Flavour bars from my university shop. Described as a 'soft baked crust pastry with a chocolate flavour filling' it sounded like a fair proposition.

The bar came in a 37.0g serving that I of course ate all in the one sitting. The foil wrapper ensured that the product was kept nicely fresh, whilst it also cut a relatively appealing look. The bar itself also look pretty appetising with its golden pastry and well portioned filling. The same however could not be said for the smell of the product, it had a very odd artificial sweet chemical like smell that was really quite off putting. 

Unfortunately the bar didn't fair better in its taste. The outer portion certainly had a rather odd texture ... it wasn't quite as hard as a biscuit, yet not anything like pastry ... to be honest it had just a rather stodgy, odd moist feel in the mouth. In taste it didn't fair much better either - it had an exceedingly sweet wheaty taste that very soon became both monotonous and sickly. Sitting at the heart of the product was the chocolate flavour filling ... which may as well have been described as a 'brown coloured artificial syrup'. Frankly it had added no cocoa influence of any note whatsoever, and only managed to further add a sugary flavour contribution to the already overly sweet taste. Had I not been the hungriest person in the world I would never have finished this bar ... to add some perspective the second bar I bought (for the purpose of the above photos!!) I threw straight away.

Overall it is never a good sign when after the first mouthful I have to check the best before date to see whether the product is in date ... its even worse when the fact is that it was 5 months in date and literally just tasted 'that bad'. The taste could be summed up in just one word which I have used several times in the above paragraph ... 'sweet' ... and boy was it overly so. The pastry had a very odd artificial taste and the chocolate flavour filling had no resemblance to any chocolate I have had before. I seriously would advise against trying one of these, I for sure will not be purchasing one again in the new future ... extremely poor in nearly every sense.

3.4 out of 10

May 6th: Nestle Treasures Relax Caramel Truffle

Kcal 210 Fat 11.0g Fat(sats) 7.0g Carbs 26.0g (per 43.0g - half bar)

Rewind just over a week ago and you will remember me reviewing the Nestle Treasures 'Renew' bar. To be honest it was one of the worst bars I have had in a long while, which didn't fill me with the greatest of confidence in today's Nestle Treasures variant 'Relax'. Cheesy name aside this bar was formed of 'milk chocolate with a caramel filling', and was once again provided to me by the great people at *IShop4YouII*.

Just as with the 'Renew' variant this bar came in a 85.0g size that I ate over two sittings ... yes I did actually finish this one! The presentation was much the same as with the previous review, however the obvious differentiation came in the 'Relax' branding. Opening the gold foil wrapper I was pleasantly surprised - the chocolate looked pretty appetising cross-sectioned with its plentiful caramel portioning, whilst a nice toffee like aroma suggested that this bar may well be alright after all.

Unfortunately looks can be deceiving and in the tale of the taste this was again not the greatest bar of chocolate Nestle have ever produced ... far, far from it in fact. The milk chocolate was superior to that of the 'dark' chocolate from the 'Renew' bar, although it still lacked a cutting edge to its taste. It had a minor milkiness to it though this was quickly dominated by the sweet, sugary taste that quickly exerted itself. As you can probably guess this sugar rush was caused by the caramel ... I always find it a bit silly to describe a caramel as tasting like sugar, but frankly this had no other element such as butter, toffee etc in its taste. As well as tasting like pure sugar it also had a very similar grainy texture that really felt quite horrible in the mouth. Due to the monotonous nature of the taste it really didn't feel like a substantial chocolate.

Overall if your Nestle you're have to feel quite happy with the rather poor score I have given here ... I could have been a lot harsher. The reason why this bar got a 5 for taste and not a 3 was because unlike the last Nestle Treasures bar it actually tasted of something, which although still wasn't that great was actually a step up in one sense. Facing facts this is a pretty simple conclusion - there are far superior milk chocolate caramel combinations out there ... just a small look at the caramel archives will have you pointed in the right direction. Yet again this another Nestle Treasures bar that I won't be recommending.

5.6 out of 10

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May 5th: Ritter Sport Raspberry / Wildberry / Peach & Passionfruit Yogurt

Just when I thought I had seen it all from the Ritter Sport range Dean-German-Grocery sent me across their new summer flavour variants. Back in April I remarked that there seemed to be a growing trend of fruit flavoured yogurt chocolate products being created by German chocolate manufactures. Looking at Ritter's three new bars below it seems that this was a pretty on the money forecast. These three new flavour variants all came in the traditional 100.0g Ritter Sport size, a quick look at the Ritter website however did show that they are available in miniature form as well. In regards to the packaging I was impressed with all three wrappers. They all indicated the flavour themes well and were coloured appropriately to the contents and radiated a very fresh look.

Below are my thoughts on each of the three bars:

Ritter Sport Raspberry Yogurt:

Kcal 583 Fat 39.1g Fat(sats) 23.6g Carbs 51.8g (per 100.0g)

This bar came described as 'white chocolate with a raspberry flavoured yogurt filling and rice flakes'. The aroma that emanated from the packaging was predominantly dairy based though I could detect a slight hint of raspberry.

The white chocolate that coated the bar was unsurprisingly splendid. It had a creamy dairy led taste that never verged on being overly sweet; this taste was further enhanced by the milk flavours of the yogurt filling. It did seem slightly sweeter than the outer chocolate initially, though this was kept in check by the tangy element in the aftertaste. Out of the three bars on view here this was the bar that was the weakest in terms of its fruit flavours. The raspberry was very much detectable, however unlike the others this bar didn't seem to have the fruity flavour bursts that really took hold of the taste.

Overall I did find this a very refreshing bar but it didn't quite give the same strength of flavour as the others. I found this to be a creamier version of the Ritter Sport Strawberry Yogurt which I guess some may actually prefer.

8.0 out of 10

Ritter Sport Wildberry Yogurt:

Kcal 568 Fat 35.8g Fat(sats) 22.6g Carbs 52.8g (per 100.0g)

The yogurt filling in this bar contained a whole host of different berries including blueberries, strawberries and blackberries within the milk chocolate coating. The aroma was heavily dominated by the strawberry which was notably amplified in comparison to the others.

The milk chocolate was as ever its wonderfully average self. The mild cocoa and milk flavours provided a solid base set of flavours and really let the filling do the talking here. In this bar the fruit flavours were really quite dominant and took a firm grip of the taste. The creamy flavours of the yogurt were slightly lost but the dried fruit pieces added frequent flavours bursts. The blueberries seemed to feature constantly throughout with blackberries and strawberries more evident when the fruit pieces were encountered. As with all three bars the rice pieces contributed little to the taste but added a nice crunchy element to the texture providing nice variation.

Overall out of the three I found this to be the richest of the selection. The fruit element seemed very amplified in this variant with none of the three berries getting lost in the mix. All the fruits contributed to what was a very flavoursome and satisfying taste - I really recommend this bar if your after a milk chocolate fruit flavoured yogurt bar.

8.4 out of 10

Ritter Sport Peach & Passionfruit Yogurt:

Kcal 585 Fat 39.3g Fat(sats) 24.1g Carbs 52.0g (per 100.0g)

Although I have had previous experiences with peach and chocolate this was the first time I had encountered a chocolate and passion combination. As you can see above this was another white chocolate bar that had a light coloured filling very generously portioned at its centre. Upon opening the bar I was immediately met by some very fresh smelling lemon like fruit smells.

Just as with the raspberry bar the white chocolate proved a perfect foil for the centre fruit filling. What I liked so much about this bar was the way the taste developed with each piece. The creamy taste of outer chocolate was again further enhanced by the initial milk flavours I got from the yogurt. These creamy flavours led wonderfully into the sweet peach flavours that followed as the thick melt progressed. The aftertaste was nicely influenced by the passionfruit element with some delicious tarty, zesty flavours really making for a very moreish overall taste.

Overall this was my favourite from Ritter's new summer range and it combined a pleasant white chocolate with a fantastically refreshing two toned fruit twist. Both the peach and passionfruit elements contributed to the initial cream flavours that were generated by the white chocolate and created a taste that was equally unique as it was satisfying. If you only end up buying one bar from the new variants on offer I would suggest it be this one.

8.5 out of 10

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