June 4th: Milka White & Rice

Kcal 525 Fat 27.5g Fat(sats) 16.5g Carbs 64.0g (per 100.0g)

From the same site that brought you such reviews as Milka Choco & Rice .... I today bring you .... duh duh dunnnnnn ... Milka White & Rice :D :D This was of course another bar sent to me by the fine folks at Dean-German-Grocery who so kindly sent me the latest bars that are gracing the extensive Milka range. As you can probably guess from my dramatic introduction this bar simply swapped the standard milk chocolate for white chocolate, and was filled full of rice cereal pieces.

As with the milk chocolate variant this bar came in a 200.0g form that in comparison to the standard Milka range looked quite frankly huge. Again I liked the addition of the resealable fold that was included on the wrapper - I thought this was particularly handy for a product like this as I can imagine the cereal might have gone a bit stale had it been left 'el natural'. The chocolate itself looked pretty appetising as well with the cream colour of the chocolate nicely studded by the whiter rice pieces. The resealable flap also came in handy maintaining the lovely vanilla sweet smell of the bar that didn't fail to entice.

If you have read my previous reviews on Milka White Chocolate before you will know I am not a great fan. I have previously described as too reliant on its sugar content and that its overall flavours were too monotonous and sickly. I pleased to inform you here that the rice cereal went a large way to curing these problems and really made for a thoroughly enjoyable bar. The white chocolate was of course its normal sweet self, however the inclusion of the rice managed to balance the sugary flavours with a more savoury cereal based taste. The rice not only balanced the flavours but also managed to break the taste down, allowing the vanilla notes of the chocolate to come through more in the aftertaste. The added cereal additionally brought a wonderful crunchy element to the texture, which further added interest to what was really quite a simply product.

Overall I was really quite surprised by this chocolate as it was one that I thought I had made my mind up on before trying. I was expecting to just experience the same overly sugar reliant product that I did with the plain Milka White Chocolate, though I pleasantly found that the rice really managed to compliment it well and bring out its better attributes. As I said with the Milka Choco & Rice this bar reminded me of the Nestle Crunch but just a far better take on the rice and chocolate combination. If you were already of fan of Milka White Chocolate then I think this bar would really be one for you to get hold of. If your a doubter like myself you could also be in for a similar surprise should you give it a try.

8.0 out of 10

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June 3rd: Hotel Chocolat Serve Chilled Cocktails

The last of the goodies sent to me by Hotel Chocolat came in the form of these 'Served Chilled Cocktail' chocolates. On pack Hotel Chocolat describe these as 'perfect for relaxed summer days, summer parties and balmy evenings'. Having just finished a rather mad last few weeks of University life I decided to go with the 'relaxed summer day' occasion, and shared these with a few pals over a nice cool pitcher of Pimms.

These chocolates came in a box full of eight that contained two of the following flavour variants - Margarita, Mojito, Cosmopolitan and Chocolate Martini. Although I wouldn't claim to be a massive drinks connoisseur I had a vague idea of the recipe for each as I have had experience working in a bar.

Just as the product suggested I placed these in the fridge (like I would have done anyway!) and left them to cool before we devoured them. Before I get into my impressions of the actual chocolates I must first express my delight at the presentation. The packaging was bright and colourful and displayed the theme of the chocolates in a non overly elaborate way. The chocolates themselves looked and smelt amazing with some fruity, boozy smells evident as soon as I opened the box.

Below are my thoughts on each chocolate:

Cosmopolitan - The outer white chocolate initially substantiated a good degree of creaminess in the taste and had pleasant fruit and vanilla notes in its midst. The melt of the outer chocolate was superb, as was the soft creme nature of the truffle filling. The filling at first added some additional milk flavours though it wasn't long before the vodka came through and overpowered the taste. The vodka not only dominated the flavours but also gave me a burning sensation in the back of my throat which somewhat ruined the experience for me. Poor.

Margarita - Out of all four of these cocktails the Margarita is the one I have had most often. The outer milk chocolate was of a normal high standard and provided the usual perfect balance between the cocoa and cream flavours. The inner truffle centre had a citrusy lemon centre that had a strong boozy kick in the aftertaste. The aftertaste left a fresh taste in the mouth which I really enjoyed. Good.

Chocolate Martini - This chocolate gave the strongest chocolate hit and it provided a wonderful richness in its cocoa flavours. Although the taste wasn't as complex as the other variants I enjoyed the initial strength of the cocoa flavours and thought they transcended well in to the strong Martini liqueur flavours. Once again I did get a little burning sensation in the aftertaste though it wasn't as strong as with the Cosmopolitan. Standard.

Mojito - This was certainly my favourite out of the lot and was one that I particularly enjoyed. The white chocolate delivered some wonderful cream base flavours and had a terrific note of vanilla that added depth. The liqueur content of this chocolate seem not as strong compared to some of the other variants as some mint and lime influences had a greater say in the overall taste. This was frankly to my preference as I found it made for a more relaxing and refreshing taste experience. Very Good.

Overall this was an interesting selection of chocolates yet by no means the best ever product produced by Hotel Chocolat. Some of the variants (most notably the Cosmopolitan and Martini) were overly strong in the strength of their liqueur which reflected badly on the chocolate as it rather muffled the other flavours. Part of me can't help but feel that these weren't the greatest of ideas given that Hotel Chocolat are most noted for the quality of their chocolate - by having such strong liqueur elements it wasn't really the chocolate that was the main focus which in my opinion came at slight detriment to the product as a whole. Despite this gripe this was a fun selection to try and I must say they make a nice talking point when shared amongst friends. On that basis I would recommend them, however if it is chocolate quality your looking for you might want to check out some of the other products Hotel Chocolat have prepared for this summer.

7.6 out of 10

June 2nd: Lotte Toppo

Kcal 196 Fat 11.3g Carbs 21.1g (per 12 sticks)

Despite the seriously hot conditions in Japan at the moment J-List are still stocking some suitable chocolate based products - one of which I got my hands on to review today. These Lotte Toppo are described on J-List as 'inverted Pocky'. This is a pretty accurate description as they are simply hollow biscuit sticks filled with a milk chocolate creme - aka inside out Pocky!

I was the lucky recipient of a 80.0g box that included two packets of twelve separate sticks. I guess by Japanese standards the packaging was a little reserved - personally though I thought it managed to combine both a stylish and friendly look. The sticks themselves looked exactly the same size as Pocky though due to the chocolate being on the inside didn't look quite as funky or interesting. Despite not matching up aesthetically I was impressed that the product was kept in foil packets - this certainly helped maintain freshness and the sweet chocolaty aroma.

Recently when reviewing products like Mikado and Pocky I have often been impressed with the quality of the chocolate involved. I am happy to say that Lotte certainly didn't buck the trend here either - the chocolate creme that filled the sticks was devilishly moreish. It was by no means the greatest quality milk chocolate ever but its cream based sweet flavours had a nice cocoa strength and brought the desired chocolate hit to each piece. Complimenting the inner creme nicely was of course the outer biscuit. The biscuit was a little different to the base sticks of Pocky and had more of butter based, brown sugar taste - I didn't necessarily prefer it but more found it equally as pleasant. I did eat both the two separate packets over different sittings, though I must say I didn't find either particularly satisfying.

Overall these were yet another tasty snacking product from Japan but like so many of them didn't quite deliver the desired hunger fulfilment. The chocolate that lined the biscuit tubes frankly tasted delicious - the outer biscuit base wasn't half bad either. The single problem with this product though was the way that although the packets were getting lighter and lighter as I munched my way through them, my hunger really wasn't being cured. If your looking for a tasty light snack then I would recommend these but if your looking for something more substantial these probably wouldn't do the trick.

7.7 out of 10

June 1st: Lindt Milk Chocolate Creamy Caramel

Kcal 568 Fat 38.0g Carbs 51.0g (per 100.0g)

According to Google translate 'Lindt Vollmilch Feinschemelzend Sahne - Caramel' roughly translates as Lindt Fine Milk Chocolate Creamy Caramel. This was yet another product sent to me by Dean-German-Grocery and is yet another latest addition to Lindt's ever expanding range. Lindt always seem to be a bit hit and miss with their caramel products with them ranging from the extremely average Lindt Caramel Nougat bar, to the impressively awesome Lindt Excellence Crunchy Caramel. Described as 'milk chocolate with creamy caramel' and formed of only eight ingredients I was hoping for a clean cut taste.

The bar came in a 100.0g size that was split in to ten nicely sized pieces. The product had a nice colour theme to it with the caramel flavour nicely represented by the golden colours and pictures on the wrapper. The chocolate itself looked very reminiscent of other Lindt products I have reviewed before and included the impressive logo branding on each of the ten squares unblemished surfaces. As the product was contained within the standard Lindt branded foil the smell of the bar was well maintained and certainly proved to be enticing with some strong cream based smells on offer.

The first thing I noticed when tasting this chocolate was that the milk chocolate was not quite as strong as other Lindt milk chocolate I have had in the past. This had both its positive and negative aspects in that there was a noticeable lack of strength from the cocoa, however the taste were particularly smooth and consistent. Much like the smells suggested the initial flavors present were mostly milk based though as the melt progressed the creamy caramel element came more to the fore. As the chocolate transcended from its solid state to a smooth thick liquid the taste became noticeably focused on what I would describe as a burnt brown sugar note. This was more pleasant than it sounds - if you can imagine the layer of sugar on top of a creme brulee you will largely know the taste I am trying to describe. This taste did become a little dimensional and predictable when the chocolate was eaten in large quantities but on the whole I would still say it was an altogether nice chocolate.

Overall the chocolate and caramel part of the market is one that has literally been done to death with there being so many products available. In my opinion Lindt have come up with a pretty unique take on the combination here ... it just isn't necessarily the best one. To be honest I think the name is a little misleading as it is the chocolate that is in fact the creamy element and not the caramel. If anything the caramel provides a harsher take on the flavour than most other bars and didn't strike me as creamy at all. If your getting bored with your normal chocolate and caramel combination I see little reason why you shouldn't give this bar a try. Its not quite Hotel Chocolat Caramellow standard but that's obviously asking quite a bit.

8.2 out of 10

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May 31st: Fazer Liqueur Fills Vodka

Kcal 390 Fat 8.6g Fat(sats) 5.1g Carbs 68.0g (per 100.0g)

Dean-German-Grocery have sent me some pretty interesting products to review, but these Fazer Liqueur Fills Vodka have to be up there as one of the most unique. Fazer are a brand who originate from Finland and I have previously reviewed their quite delicious 'Peppermint Cremes'. Todays product however took less of a conventional form, and constituted of 'chocolates filled with vodka (4.7%).

I got sent a 150.0g box of these chocolates, which I shared with a few friends to get some further opinions. The presentation of the product was fairly standard, the outer cardboard packaging was reasonably well designed and each of the chocolates were nicely wrapped in branded foil wrappers. I was slightly disappointed at the look of the chocolates themselves as they lacked branding and had to be eaten in one mouthful as biting into them caused the fillings to spill everywhere. The smell of the pieces wasn't all the enticing either - they were largely scentless though the minor cocoa scents that were present were not particularly that fresh smelling.

As I have mentioned I did try these along with three other 'co-reviewers', as I must admit I am not a particularly big fan of vodka. The outer chocolate seemed reasonable enough - much like the smell suggested they were not the most forthcoming in their flavours, however once the melt was quite far progressed an unsweetened, milky type taste had been established. At the centre of the pieces lay the vodka fillings which were contained within a thin layer of crystallised sugar. This sugar layer did partially contain the sharpness of the alcohol, but the vodka really did have quite a strong initial kick. Personally I just didn't think there was much of a relationship between the chocolate and the vodka - this was a few shared with the majority of the people who tried them. We all had about four chocolates each but had no real desire to eat anymore.

Overall these are a product which had a lot of novelty value, but just didn't back it up in the taste. The mixture of the plain chocolate and fluid vodka centres just didn't really really work in my opinion, there was nothing particularly wrong with either element ... it was just their combination wasn't all that great. As I have said they did have a sense of novelty, and certainly provided a bit of a talking point and excitement prior to trying them. In that sense I would recommend them, but not as good quality chocolates.

6.9 out of 10

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

May 30th: Zotter Bacon Bits

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

Having really enjoyed my first bar from Zotter I decided to be a little more adventurous with my next pick from their range. 2008 seemed to be the year of the chocolate and chilli combinations - 2009 looks set to be the year of the chocolate and bacon concoction with more and more products appearing on the market. Today I got to grips with Zotter's Bacon Bits bar which came described as 'dark chocolate filled with nougat and pork crackling'. I can't say I am the biggest fan of pork crackling as a pub snack let alone as an ingredient to a chocolate bar - this one was going to be interesting.

In keeping with the rest of the Zotter range this bar came in a 70.0g serving size - thank god the nutritional values were not given - I have a feeling they may have been as high as anything we have seen yet. Once again I was very impressed with presentation of the product. The outer paper wrapper gave the bar a sophisticated look, whilst the inner foil wrapper maintained the chocolate nicely. The smell was like nothing I have smelt before - it had a nice backbone of sweet cocoa scents though in their midst I could detect undertones of nut and other more savoury influences.

I really was a bit cautious about this product as I didn't know what the hell to expect. Thankfully on the whole everything was really rather good. The outer chocolate was formed of a 70% recipe though was more subdued in its flavours than I was expecting. It managed to substantiate a nice degree of cocoa flavours in the mouth, though I perhaps would have expected just a touch more strength. Frankly this mattered very little as once the outer chocolate had smoothly melted the lighter nougat filling was revealed and it was bursting with flavours. The nougat filling started off with a very hazelnut centric taste with the woody elements of the nuts coming through strongly. Amongst the nougat though were small granule sized pieces of pork crackling and they brought some wonderful and interesting developments to the taste. The predominantly sweet flavours of the chocolate and nougat were built upon nicely by the crackling pieces that released bursts of salty, smokey flavours that certainly didn't fail to make a positive impression. The overall taste was very rich indeed as the flavours seemed to continually develop in the mouth before leaving a pleasant aftertaste of cocoa and what seemed like a note of cinnamon spice. 

Overall this was another fantastic bar from the Zotter range and the contrast of the flavours brought a taste experience that was as unique as it was diverse. Much like we thought last year with chilli and chocolate, the combination of bacon and chocolate is one that doesn't make all that much sense in your head. As this bar proves though the mixture of the two can certainly work when put in the hands of a high class manufacturer - this product was simply delicious and one that I would definitely have again. If you are curious about trying a bacon chocolate bar I honestly suggest you try this one - its exceptional.

8.6 out of 10 

May 29th: Milka Gipfeltraum

Kcal 575 Fat 38.0g Fat(sats) 21.5g Carbs 52.5g (per 100.0g)

Included in my latest package from Dean-German-Grocery I was lucky to be the recipient of the new summer flavours from the Milka range. A direct translation of the name of this bar 'Milka Gipfeltraum' is 'Milka Dream Summit' which obviously revealed absolutely nothing about the flavour whatsoever. A closer inspection of the packaging revealed that the bar was formed of 'Apline milk chocolate with a blueberry creme filling and crunchy caramel pieces' ... it was a unique combination I will give it that.

The bar came in the very familiar 100.0g size which took me about three sitings to eat in its entirety. As I have mentioned I thought the branding was a little weak, though the pictures on the packaging gave the bar a relative appeal displaying the blueberry fruits and a realistic looking cross section. Speaking of cross sections you can see above that the filling had a rather off purple colouring to it!? I did find myself asking when blueberries had in actual fact been purple in colour? What was worrying me more however was the sweet artificial fruity smell that was emanating from the bar - frankly it smelt cheap and not all that enticing.

Remembering back to my review of the Milka Strawberry Yogurt a few months ago that bar was showing all these worrying signs yet managed to actually pull it out the bag in regards to the taste. Unfortunately I didn't perceive this to be the case here and thought this was a product that was disappointing. The outer Alpine Milk chocolate as ever delivered a creamy, hazelnut noted chocolate though things went noticeable downhill from here. Just as the smell suggested the blueberry element was extremely artificial in its overly sweet taste and just lacked the real fruity flavours that I was hoping it would deliver. To compound the already sweet taste the 'caramel pieces' seemed to do little more than just add bursts of sugary flavours and seemed to just disrupt both the taste and the textures of the bar. Frankly the combination just didn't work for me and the two caramel and fruit elements just didn't compliment each other in any form.

Overall it is not often I am disappointed with Milka products but I have to say this was one of their poorest efforts to date. As mentioned above the blueberry element was so chemically derived it just lost all semblance and grounding of its fruit flavours and really just brought an overly sweet element to the taste. This combined with the fact the caramel pieces seemed very out of place meant that this just on the whole wasn't that enjoyable which is something I not often say about Milka products. My opinion is that this bar is well worth leaving alone - there are far better options in the range.

6.6 out of 10

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May 28th: Marks & Spencer Milk Chocolate Coated Butter Toffee Popcorn

Kcal 520 Fat 28.0g Fat(sats) 17.6g Carbs 60.4g (per 100.0g)

Given the sheer amount of times I have bought this product over the last year I am little curious to why it has taken me so long to get round to writing a review? I guess its not the most conventional chocolate product ever but hey we are talking about a site that has reviewed all sorts of random products (See HERE!!). I do have a soft spot for Marks & Spencer, though it is not like they have always blown me away with their confectionery offerings. Today's product on pack came billed as 'Belgian milk chocolate with a butter toffee popcorn centre' ... what possibly could there not be to like here.

For the purpose of this review I bought a 100.0g bag, suffice to say I wish I had bought a few bags at the time as it was empty in no time at all. The presentation was all rather standard with the pieces contained within a relatively simple looking matted bag. Things got a bit more exciting when the bag was opened, upon where I was met with a very butter led, sweet smell. The actual pieces themselves looked generally quite big, though there were a few smaller pieces in and amongst the selection.

The milk chocolate that coated each of the popcorn pieces was of a surprisingly good quality. It had a distinct creaminess to its taste and avoided being overly sweet. The cocoa flavours were not exactly that imposing but they substantiated themselves enough to bring a pleasant chocolate hit with each mouthful. Once the milk chocolate had melted into its thick liquid state, the popcorn centres were revealed and were of a similar highly quality. Each piece had fresh, fluffy yet crunchy texture, whilst both sweet toffee and salt notes were brought with their buttery corn taste. My only criticism of the product was that it was really not that fulfilling, which was obviously a bad thing given that every mouthful had a supreme moreishness. 

Overall there is no wonder I keep finding myself picking up a bag of these nearly every time I head in to M&S. These chocolate coated popcorn pieces are undeniably delicious, but are also dangerously moreish and unfulfilling. The bag I ate for this review was eaten in under 15 minutes ... which when you consider that it contained 520 calories and left me still hungry, tells you that this is not a product to be eaten for hunger fulfilment. If you feel like a chocolate inhibiting popcorn treat though you can do very little wrong here

7.2 out of 10 

May 28th: Ritter Sport Karamell Nuss

Kcal 577 Fat 39.4g Fat(sats) 21.9g Carbs 48.5g (per 100.0g)

Not a month seems to go by without Ritter Sport introducing another new flavour to their already pretty large range. Todays flavours of the month came in the form of this Ritter Sport Caramel Nut bar which was provided to me by the wonderful people at Dean-German-Grocery. This bar promised the combination of 'milk chocolate with a caramel creme centre containing hazelnut pieces and rice flakes'. Previous Ritter Sport offerings have shown that they do some fabulous fillings and this one certainly sounded like it could be a winner.

The bar came in the traditional 100.0g square bar format which I ate in two 50.0g sittings. The colour of the packaging was a nice gold colour and displayed the caramel and hazelnut contents pictorially which gave it a nice appeal. The chocolate itself looked absolutely fantastic as well - as you can see above the filling looked very generously portioned sandwiched in between the chocolate with the hazelnut and cereal pieces nicely on display. The smell of the product certainly matched the aesthetics and a very tempting sweet buttery smell soon emanated upon removal from the plastic packet.

The bar was formed with the standard Ritter Sport milk chocolate which provided its ever commendable creamy cocoa base flavours to each piece. Like most good Ritter Sport bars the flavours and texture of the chocolate really took a back seat and allowed the simply stunning filling to really take a hold of the taste. The key component to the filling was the caramel creme centre which provided an amazingly tasty cream and toffee taste to each bite. It tasted a whole lot like fudge, yet had a more moist feel to it giving it a wonderfully smooth silky texture. Despite the hazelnut pieces being chopped rather fine they delivered the desired woody nut flavours that the bar promised. The crunchy nuts pieces and rice crispies certainly proved to be very complimentary to the caramel and contributed well to what was a stunningly delicious taste. To be honest I am glad Dean-German-Grocery sent me across a few bars of this to sample as despite a 50.0g serving proving really quite fulfilling at a time this was a bar I simply couldn't get enough of.

Overall Ritter Sport have proved that once again when it comes to making unique and tasty filled chocolate they can really deliver on a grand scale. The milk chocolate was its ever unspectacular self though there is no denying it did well in allowing the centre filling to take centre stage. The caramel creme, hazelnuts and rice pieces made for a combination that was simply brilliant in every regard. It was full of flavour and combined a wonderful array of textures that kept my interest from the very first to the very last piece I ate. If your a Ritter Sport, caramel or hazelnut fan then I strongly suggest that this a bar you try get hold of. This was definitely one of my favourites of the year so far and very worthy of its 9.0 rating.

9.0 out of 10

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May 27th: Zotter Macadamia Nougat with Coconut

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

Todays review comes as a result of a joint request from readers Susanne and Alan for me to review some bars from Zotter. Having received the request Zotter kindly obliged in supplying me with some samples from their range - included in which was this Macadamia Nougat with Coconut. Zotter produce their bars in Austria and comply by Fairtrade standards - all in all they seem to be a very friendly company and as you will soon learn they make some pretty damn tasty chocolate as well (Click HERE for website!!). 

The samples I received came in 70.0g bars - I ate this one over the course of two separate sittings. As you will see above in the pictures the presentation was really quite special - the outer paper wrapper had a nice artistic design on it, whilst the chocolate was sealed nicely in some thick golden coloured branded wrapping. The bar itself came as just one long slab - normally I guess this would have annoyed me but in this instance I thought it worked well and maintained the stylish look. Opening the foil wrapper revealed a strong coconut aroma which gave the bar a tempting fresh smell.

As the bar was just one piece I decided to eat it by taking small slices at a time. One thing I really liked was that no matter the size of the slice the strength of the taste was consistent throughout, which obviously suggests that the filling was well proportioned. As you will see in the cross-section there were two main layers - the outer milk chocolate and the inner filling. At first I was a little disappointed with the initial flavours of the outer coating as it wasn't a chocolate that grabbed the tastebuds straightaway. It established mild milk and vanilla flavours initially though as it warmed in the mouth and melted the cocoa did eventually come through. Where the milk chocolate took a little 'warming up' to reveal its true taste the inner filling didn't need a second invitation. The nut flavours were very forthcoming and the butter flavours of the macadamia and the more milk rooted flavours of the coconut were instantly detectable. The taste was wonderfully complex and developed as the chocolate melted, the nutty flavours had notes of fruits, honey and syrup which further added interest and depth. The textures of the bar were also notable and the smooth melting nature of chocolate was complimented nicely by the slight grainy roughness of the coconut in the filling. 

Overall you can probably tell this was a chocolate that I really enjoyed and I must say I am very impressed with Zotter's first offering. It is nice to see a manufacture moving away from the standard hazelnut and almond combinations and try something braver with the less popular macadamia. Personally I thought the filling in this bar was simply outstanding and the macadamia and coconut brought both a flavoursome and rich taste. Additionally to this review it is worth noting that Terry over at Chocolate Review has also been trying some Zotter bars lately (see HERE) and also been very impressed! If you like nutty chocolate this is a real must try, I really can't wait to get stuck into more of their range.

8.7 out of 10  

May 26th: Kit Kat Cookies+

Kcal 200 Fat 12.6g Carbs 19.4g

Put in the context of the Sweet Potato and Azuki Bean flavours I guess this Kit Kat Cookies+ was one of the more reserved variants I have tried from Japan. This was a product yet again supplied to me by J-List and came with the promise of an extra multi grain cookie influence to the traditional Kit Kat. Although I couldn't read the description on the packaging it was obvious that this Kit Kat constituted of a standard milk chocolate coating, with the wafer layers lined with the extra cookie pieces.

As with most Kit Kats from Japan the presentation was spot on and it actually varied slightly from other Kit Kat products I have had from the region. This Cookies+ product came in a cardboard sleeve and was divided into larger than normal sized fingers weighing 17.5g each. When cross-sectioned the wafer layers looked more defined than normal with some of the layers having a lighter appearance than the ones sandwiching them. In regards to smell the product varied ever so slightly from a standard milk chocolate Kit Kat in that it had a stronger biscuit like smell emanating from the wafer.

Despite giving Nestle milk chocolate a bit of a bashing a few weeks ago I thought the outer coating did its usual fine job of supplying a milky flavoured chocolate base taste to each bite. Although the differentiation from a standard Kit Kat could probably be described as minimal there were subtle differences. Most notably the malty flavours of the wafer seemed more progressive and the usual malt flavours were built upon by extra wheat and brown sugar notes. The middle wafer layers also seemed to have an extra degree of crunchiness which gave each bite a nice sound when broken apart. The combined 35.0g made for a decent snack and complimented a mid afternoon coffee nicely.

Overall this was yet another solid showing from the Kit Kat brand though I think that someone importing this bar especially from Japan could possibly feel a little disappointed. I say this as apart from some minor taste and texture differences this bar really failed to set itself apart from a normal milk chocolate Kit Kat. This of course doesn't make it a bad bar at all - as I have said it was pretty damn tasty. If your importing from Japan though you might want to go for something a little more adventurous to make it worth your while - believe me there are plenty more products at J-List that meet that criteria.

8.0 out of 10

May 26th: Thorntons Toffee Milk Chocolate

Kcal 512 Fat 34.2g Fat(sats) 21.6g Carbs 43.7g (per 100.0g)

I couldn't possibly turn down a 3 for £5 on this Thorntons range so your going to have to put up with yet another review from this square bars line. Todays variant came in the form of the 'Toffee Milk Chocolate', which on the back of the pack was described as 'Mexican milk chocolate with chewy pieces of special toffee'. You may remember back to my review of the 'Fudge' variant of this range where I complained that the 14% fudge wasn't sufficient - looking at the 7% toffee pieces stated in the ingredients my hopes weren't all that high. 

The presentation was all same old, same old. The product came in a 90.0g serving that I managed to devour in a standard two helpings. It wasn't until I looked back over my previous reviews from this range that I noticed that the colouring of the packaging of this variant was extremely similar to that of the 'Dark Chocolate and Ginger'. Branding aside they looked almost identical however it must be said I was still impressed by the patterns crafted into the chocolate despite it also being the same across the range. All fears that the toffee element might be lacking in this chocolate were laid to rest when I smelt the bar. A fantastic variety of sweet caramel scents really gave the bar a very tempting aroma that certainly didn't fail to entice.

Had this Mexican milk chocolate been solus and without the additional toffee ingredient I frankly probably wouldn't have thought that much of it. It had a relatively pleasant creamy milk taste, yet at the same time was just a little bit unexciting and lacking a real zip in its flavours. With this bar however the mellow nature of the chocolate played nicely into the hands of the toffee element that despite its minimal sounding implementation (8%) really delivered the desired flavour hit. Behind the smooth melting chocolate were some small crunchy toffee pieces that released some truly wonderful sweet butterscotch flavours when encountered. The portioning of these pieces to me seemed bang on and was correctly balanced to deliver a flavoursome and relatively satisfying chocolate. 

Overall Thorntons' up and down scores continue, but thankfully this bar was one of their better attempts at the combining of one of their chocolates and an additional flavour element. As I said the milk chocolate on its own wasn't anything that special yet as mentioned its mild flavours actually complimented the toffee ingredient very well and allowed it greater expression. This is probably a chocolate that you know whether you would enjoy by name and don't need me recommending it for you ... well I am going to anyway :) If you are looking for a slightly cheaper (but not as good) alternative to your Hotel Chocolat Caramellow you could do little wrong giving this product a try.

8.3 out of 10 

May 25th: Hotel Chocolat Tutti Frutti

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

I am not sure if a lot of youngster nowadays will know what 'Tutti Frutti' is but I remember it being one of my favourite desserts as a kid. Hotel Chocolat say that this slab was 'inspired by memories of ice-creams and summer holidays' and is formed of 'fruit flavoured white chocolate and 40% milk chocolate studded with raisins, cherries and pistachios'. I had never seen a concoction like this one before and having read Dom's very complimentary review over a Chocablog (See HERE) I was really looking forward to getting stuck into this one.

The Tutti Frutti is part of the Hotel Chocolat Giant Slab range and came in a 500.0g size. This of course took a good number of days to eat though I often found myself breaking off large chunks to nibble on when I was hungry. As you can see above the presentation was simply first class and the slab looked an absolute treat with the 'graffiti' artwork on the surface. I thought it made the product look more like a painting rather than a bar for eating. When I finally stopped admiring the aesthetics I opened the paper wrapper and was met with a waft of fruity cocoa scents - I knew I was in for a treat once again.

I could bore you and tell you how delicious the 40% milk chocolate was again though I think you have probably gathered from previous reviews that it is really milk chocolate at its finest. Instead I will concentrate of the fruit flavoured white chocolate and the additional fruit and nut pieces - all of which combined for a wonderfully diverse flavour set. The white chocolate had the usual Hotel Chocolat white chocolate cream based flavours though the normal vanilla note was less prominent due to the added fruit flavouring. The fruit flavouring was sweet and gave the chocolate red berry note that I would say was akin to raspberry and strawberry. As with all good chocolate the taste developed and progressed in the mouth with every bite. The initial flavours of the cocoa from the milk chocolate and the creamier milky flavours from the white chocolate were always built upon by either bursts of juicy tarty flavours from the cherry pieces, sugary flavours of the raisins or the bolder woody flavours of the pistachios - some fantastic bites had all these influences in one. All this culminated in a taste experience that was wonderfully progressive and variable - it was almost like you never knew what to expect from each bite.

Overall Hotel Chocolat managed to craft yet another bar that tasted brilliant, had wonderful variable textures and was presented superbly. This Tutti Frutti slab didn't just bring a huge nostalgia hit, but also a huge variety of flavours to the party. Where there is 40% milk chocolate involved you know Hotel Chocolat are going to deliver - it was again simply stunning. The real deal with this slab though came in the way the white chocolate, fruit and nuts combined to give an exciting, diverse and luxurious taste with every bite. What with products like the Arctic Roll coming back to our shelves it may not be long before a Tutti Frutti product makes an appearance. For the minute though if you need your Tutti Frutti craving fulfilled then I would really recommend you get familiar with this offering from Hotel Chocolat.

9.0 out of 10

May 24th: Milka Pasteten-EI

Kcal 535 Fat 35.0g Carbs 47.0g (per 100.0g)

I don't know about you but whenever I get one of those large hollow chocolate eggs at Easter the thought of 'I wish this was solid chocolate' often comes across my mind. Well until now this has always just stayed somewhat of a dream, though thanks to a combination of Milka and Dean-German-Grocery this recently became a reality in the form of this Milka Pasteten-EI egg. This egg came described as a mixture of 'dark and alpine milk chocolate filled with hazelnut marzipan and an almond creme filling'.

The egg came in a 175.0g size which felt very solid and heavy in hand. In regards to presentation the egg came only protected by a thin foil wrapper which I thought wasn't all that impressive. Where the aesthetics of the outer packaging failed the egg certainly looked very tempting indeed. The cross-section revealed the chocolate to be thick, the marzipan plentiful and the almond creme a lovely looking peanut butter like substance. Despite the egg only being sealed by a thin foil layer the product didn't fail in enticing with its plethora of cocoa and nut rooted scents.

The easiest way to eat this egg was to eat slices at a time which was very easy to do once the egg was halved. The product was really a story of two different things - a nice outer chocolate but with some poor fillings. The chocolate that coated the egg was extremely nice and just had a touch more emphasis on its cocoa flavours than the traditional Alpine Milk Milka chocolate. The melt of the chocolate was also very smooth and despite the amplification of the cocoa the hazelnut note in the aftertaste was still present. The marzipan and almond creme fillings though I felt were a let down. The marzipan tasted extremely sugary and had a dry chalky texture - this certainly was no Niederegger. Although the almond filling looked like peanut butter it had no where near the level of taste. It had a pleasant smoothness but seemed completely devoid of any flavour whatsoever which I was extremely disappointed with.

Overall I am sad to say this was one of the poorer Milka products I have reviewed over the past year or so. As you will have gathered from above there was nothing wrong with the chocolate at all, it was just the poor quality fillings that really let this egg down. Both the marzipan and nut fillings were simply just not up to standard which obviously culminated in a pretty underwhelming experience. Obviously it may be a little late getting hold of one of these eggs this year as Easter is well gone - if you come across one next year though I wouldn't really recommend it.

6.8 out of 10

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