July 20th: Lindt Caribbean Dream

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

The sheer amount of innovation coming from Lindt for this summer is quite amazing - we really do have nothing of the sort here in the UK. Luckily though there are companies like Dean-German-Grocery who sent me this bar today all the way from Germany. I suggest that if you like the look of any of the German produced chocolate bars on this website that you pay them a visit - they ship worldwide! This Lindt Caribbean Dream bar was formed of 'white chocolate with coconut flakes and pineapple pieces.

The bar came a 100.0g format that was broken down in to rows that had five small blocks in each. The wrapper had a very summery look and implemented a pleasant turquoise colour theme with the traditional white background. As aforementioned the bar itself was broken down in to small blocks - personally I would have preferred them to be a little bigger but regardless I still liked the look of the chocolate with the white bumpy fruit running throughout. As well as being evident aesthetically the fruit also played a key part in the aroma of the bar with the pineapple and coconut nicely complimenting the forthcoming dairy smells.

If you familiar with my previous Lindt white chocolate reviews you will be aware that I am a pretty big proponent of it. In this bar it was once again superb and had a sweet cream based taste that melted at a delightful pace and smoothness. The usual vanilla note made way for the fruit flavours though it was hardly missed due to the strength of the pineapple and coconut. What I liked about the fruit implementation here was the way that Lindt managed to give both an equal say in the taste. Some pieces had more of a coconut influence, whilst others more pineapple. Both gave the chocolate another flavour dimension with their fresh flavours though I must admit that at times the pineapple did add just a touch too much sweetness which meant that consuming this bar more than a few blocks at a time wasn't the greatest idea.

Overall when consumed in small amounts this bar was as decent as any of the Lindt white chocolate range. The slightly rough feel brought by the dried fruit pieces meant that the texture of the bar wasn't the greatest though I guess neither the coconut or pineapple could have been implemented any other way. The taste was certainly refreshingly with the two different fruit elments and had the usual distinct cream flavours experienced with other Lindt white chocolate bars. If I had one small criticism it would be that this wasn't a chocolate I could eat in great quantities which meant that on the whole it wasn't the most satisfying or fulfilling. I would say this is a bar definitely worth a look at if you like your white chocolate.

8.2 out of 10

Check out Dean-German-Grocery for all your German Chocolate an Grocery needs

July 19th: 7Days of Chocolate Reviews - Edition 6

The ChocolateMission Omnibus:

The high standards of the week before continued this week with most products scoring the upper 7.0s and lower 8.0s.

Starting the week off to a flier the Zentis Belnuga racked up a simply brilliant 8.8 out of 10 and was worth every point with cracking it's integration of a hazelnut praline centre into its tasty marzipan. This bar especially seemed to catch the eye of readers Lu, Lottie and Deano who e-mailed me asking where he could lay he hands on one (Dean-German-Grocery!).

My look at Taste of Nature's Cookie Dough Bites range also continued this week with me reviewing both the Fudge Brownie and Dark Chocolate variants. General consensus about these is that although they don't appear to be of the highest quality at least they are a lot more interesting than the cinema snacks we get here in the UK ... cheaper as well!

By far and away the most popular review this week was my look at the Nutella&GO snack. This review brought all the Nutella fans out the woods with Heidi, Claudia, Mark, Chris and endless others expressing their love for the nutty toast topper. The Twitter feed especially got a lot of feedback about this one ... if you want to 'follow' me on Twitter click HERE.


News from the Chocolate Market:

* Scientists in Switzerland have created a low calorie chocolate with 90% less calories than a standard chocolate bar ... looks like I am going to have to review this one. This article was submitted by my own Mother :) See HERE

* Mars have lost a court case over the trademarking of the aesthetic look of the Bounty bar. See HERE

* Thorntons' have just announced their Q4 results which have come in at -2.7% ... they have blamed the hot weather. See HERE

* Nestle have ditched the 'designer' style look for their Black Magic range and have reverted back to their traditional packaging. See HERE

* Ethical food supplier Brand Strand have revamped their own packaging by adding a slogan 'chocolate saves trees'. See HERE


Posts from other Blogs I enjoyed this week:

* GiGi Reviews - GiGi looked at another flavour from the Haagen-Dazs FIVE range - this time Ginger. Milk, Cream, Ginger, Sugar and Eggs .. simply made, and simply delicious according to GiGi. See HERE

* Foodstufffinds - Continues to seek out the newest products hitting out Supermarkets and this week got to grips with McVities' Penguin Bakes. See HERE

*CandyBlog - Cybele reviewed the latest Snickers Limited Edition - Fudge ... this is one I would certainly love to try myself. See HERE

* Chocolate&PeanutButter Blog - has some photos of some utterly delicious looking cupcakes ... I suggest you take a look for yourself. See HERE


Question of the week:

'What is your favourite recipe that includes chocolate?'

July 18th: The Original Cookie Dough Bites Dark Chocolate

Kcal 200 Fat 10.0g Fat(sats) 6.0g Carbs 26.0g (per 40.0g)

Today I took another trip to the cinema and another look at a variant from Taste of Nature's Cookie Dough Bites range. The movie - Bruno ... the Cookie Dough Bites - Dark Chocolate. My opinion on the movie was that it didn't reach the levels of hilariousness of Borat, which by my estimation is one of the funniest films ever made. Whilst the movie was disappointing I at least got my chance to get to grips with these cookie dough bites covered in dark chocolate thanks to CandyPirate. Having tried the Milk Chocolate & Fudge Brownie flavours already I was hoping for similarly positive things from these.

It seems a little silly running through the finer details of the packaging as I have already done it twice before (with two flavours after this one still remaining also!) ... so I will keep this short. Just like the previous the bites came in an 88.0g box that contained one single plastic packet with the large pea sized pieces contained within. The outer packaging used the same design and font work, however incorporated a purple coloured background which I thought represented the dark chocolate flavour well enough. Inside I was surprised to see that the outer chocolate was a little lighter in colour than I was expecting. That said I did perceive a relatively nice chocolaty smell that gave the proposition at hand a little more promise.

Despite Sasha Baron Cohen's camp antics proving relatively distracting I did manage to focus enough on these to substantiate an opinion on the taste for me to write about. Just as I thought like most mass confection dark chocolates the chocolate was not 'dark' as such but more unsweetened in its taste. In comparison to the Milk Chocolate variant I didn't really perceive any greater impetuous from the strength of the cocoa flavours but what I did notice was that the dark chocolate here lacked the sweetness of the aforementioned which made the taste a little less monotonous and more multi channeled. Whilst I enjoyed the Milk Chocolate variant I felt the sugaryness of the chocolate and the cookie dough filling made for a rather one dimensional taste and that there wasn't much of a distinction to be made between the two layers. Things were a little different here as the dark chocolate was more differentiated which meant the taste progressed from the chocolate to the cookie dough more noticeably. The chocolate first substantiated a fair chocolaty base taste that when melted away then revealed the sugary, wheat flavours of the inner cookie dough. Once again I shared these with friends meaning I got around a third of a pack at most - this proved to be a decent enough amount.

Overall these are my favourite I have tried from the range so far as I thought the dark chocolate worked a little better than the previously reviewed Milk Chocolate. Although Bruno the film was a little bit of a damp squib at least I was able to munch down on a pretty decent snack that I certainly enjoyed. The dark chocolate was never going to be of the highest quality but at the same time I thought its unsweetened nature worked better than previous chocolate coatings from this range which have proved to be a little on the sweet side. If your looking for a decent enough cinema snack you would do little wrong having a look at these.

7.5 out of 10

Head to Candy Pirate to get all your American Candy & Chocolate needs

July 17th: Niederegger Marzipan Ginger

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

I think it is pretty widely known that I am generally a big proponent when it comes to most Niederegger products and Dean-German-Grocery haven't exactly been backward in regards to supplying me with their products. Most products of theirs I have tried I have enjoyed and until recently I thought they were untouchable in the marzipan sector ... that was until Zentis proved they could be equally skilled with their marzipan craftsmanship. Given the previous I was pretty excited at todays Niederegger offering as it combined several of my favourite ingredients. 'Bitter sweet chocolate with ginger marzipan' certainly sounded a tempting prospect to me.

Niederegger have some funky product formats but this one came in a standard 100.0g bar. The packaging was pretty attractive with the usual red colour background replaced with a differentiated yellow theme. As with other high quality products this one was protected in both a foil layer and cardboard sheaf to ensure that the bar remained in top condition. Altogether I was very impressed by the presentation of the product - because it was Niederegger I wasn't all that surprised. The chocolate looked appetising with a plentiful helping of marzipan whilst it emanated a spicy ginger smell that set my expectations even higher.

I hate repeating myself but sometimes it is just necessary and ultimately impossible not to do so. I wish I could say the chocolate was of a great standard here but if I did I would frankly be lying. It was by no means terrible by any stretch of the imagination but just like any other Niederegger product it lacked the true quality that the accompanying marzipan deserved. At best the cocoa flavours were shallow and altogether what I would describe as muffled as the flavours never developed enough to deliver a true chocolate hit. Your probably thinking that if the chocolate was that disappointing the marzipan would of had to have been something special to get an 8.0 in the taste test ... it was! Conversely to the chocolate the marzipan was bursting full of different flavour tangents with the taste rooted in the delicious dough flavours that I now instantly recognise as Niederegger. In addition to the bread like undertone the almond nut flavours were evident from the outset and were nicely complimented by the additional ginger element. The ginger wasn't perhaps as strong as the smell suggested it might be but it was enough to leave a lasting impression in the mouth.

Overall I can't deny that I didn't enjoy this product, however on reflection I am a firm believer that if something isn't broken it shouldn't be fixed. By this I mean that the marzipan didn't quite need the extra ginger - I thought it was nice nonetheless but I would have been happier with just being able to savour the marzipan in its usual form. As I have said so many times before I can't deny that Niederegger marzipan isn't of the highest quality ... it simply is. Niederegger have their marzipan recipe spot on - they just need a little work (or reformulation) on their chocolate! In regards to this bar I would recommend it if you fancy a little change up from the traditional Niederegger offering ... personally though I think I might just stay with the original.

7.9 out of 10

Head to Dean-German-Grocery for all your German Chocolate needs

July 16th: Lucky Star Chocolate Cornet Cookie

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

I never have, or even tried to understand the whole 'Anime' or 'Manga' craze that is so popular in Japan so I was surprised to see a rather large box with several Japanese cartoon faces on the front in my latest sampling package from J-List. At first I was sure they had mixed up my parcel with another one of their customers but upon closer inspection it was obvious that within this rather odd looking box were some cookies. A quick look at the J-List website revealed that these were in fact a pack of Lucky Star Chocolate Cornet Cookies - a biscuit like product that is supposedly rather legendary in the Lucky Star series. To be honest my interest didn't extend further than having a quick glance at the Lucky Star Wikipedia page to get more detail (See HERE) - by the looks of it 'Lucky Star' is just one of the many Anime that is shown in Japan.

I have no idea how much the box weighed but inside it contained ten individually wrapped cookie pieces. As I have already commented on I really don't get the whole Japanese cartoon thing but regardless of that I thought that the presentation of the product was on the whole pretty fun and lighthearted. The packaging design was distinctly Japanese and had a welcoming look to it as well containing several protective layers such as a plastic tray, film and wrappers to keep the cookies in good shape. The cookies themselves were of a nice size and smelt pretty damn enticing out their wrappers with their tempting sweet, freshly baked cookie aroma.

As you can imagine I was really unsure what these cookies were going to deliver and wouldn't have been surprised if they were just foul tasting gimmicky biscuits. Having munched my way through the entire pack though I have to say these were pretty damn close to being some of the best cookies I have ever had and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed them. In terms of size these were best eaten in two bites which due to their crumbly nature did mean they were a little messy to eat. This frankly was all forgiven though as the texture complimented the taste wonderfully and I will do my best to describe it. The majority of the cookie was made up by a quite a soft light outer biscuit that had a taste none to dissimilar to shortbread except it was perhaps just a little bit more malty. The taste was mostly butter led but had intermittent notes of brown sugar and salt which made for a stunningly delicious biscuit. Sat at the heart of each cookie were two thin splodges inner milk chocolate creme than ran length ways. The creme not only added a much needed bit of moistness to the biscuit but also some creamy, chocolaty flavours that nicely enhanced the divine flavours of the biscuit. The whole box of ten cookies lasted me only two sittings - it was very much a case of 'just one more' as they were ridiculously moreish.

Overall these have to be one of the most surprising products I have reviewed this year - they were utterly fantastic. I keep trying to tell you all I am not the greatest biscuit/cookie fan but given products like these and the Oreo Double Stuff Mint cookies I can tell you that my opinion is quickly changing. Reading the product description on J-List it seems that these have a bit of an iconic status in the cartoon and having tasted them I can really understand why. Whether you a fan of that genre of entertainment or not, all that simply matters here is whether you enjoy cookies. If the answer to that question is yes I suggest you give these a try.

8.7 out of 10

July 15th: Nutella &GO!

Kcal 259 Fat 12.9g Carbs 31.4g

Despite receiving several requests demanding a review of Nutella over the past two years I have for some reason or other never gotten around to doing one. I used to eat Nutella sparingly as a kid (peanut butter was always my choice of toast topping!), but before today I hadn't eaten it in any form for a good few years. That was until Dean-German-Grocery sent me this Nutella & GO! snacking product which was pretty much the same proposition as the KP chocolate dips we get here in the UK (see HERE). They came described as 'sweet bread sticks with a hazelnut chocolate creme dip'.

The snack pack was formed of 13.0g of bread sticks (15 or so) and 39.0g of Nutella spread. The presentation was simple yet effective. The branding was clear and maintained the usual quirky red and white colour theme that is so synonymous with Ferrero products. The actual design of the pack was all very good as made for a very portable and good for 'on the go'/ out of home snacking. The top of the product was sealed by a foil layer; once this was removed I was met with some delicious smelling sweet hazelnut scents.

Although I have mentioned the snack was well designed I still couldn't help but make a right old mess eating it :) Despite some very careful and measured bread stick dipping I still managed to get a fair share of chocolate dip down my white shirt ... amateur! The times I did manage to get the product in my mouth I very much enjoyed it. The bread sticks were ... well bread sticks -crunchy and wheaty tasting with just a touch of brown sugar. A wave of nostalgia hit me the instant the Nutella hit my taste buds - it was extremely sweet yet devilishly moreish with its sugary, buttery cocoa flavours. Of course though what makes Nutella stand out from other chocolate spreads is the hazelnut factor which seemed to just take the edge off the sugar with its nutty woody tasting influence. As far as snacks go this was a pretty satisfying one. It provided a chocolate hit in a pretty satisfying and enjoyable form.

Overall this product has led me to go out and buy a jar of Nutella for the first time in years - I guess from that you can tell it was one that I did really like. The idea was simple yet executed perfectly. The bread sticks were pretty standard though I guess I wouldn't have wanted anything more elaborate as it would have just detracted focus from the Nutella dip. The Nutella brought some wonderful nostalgic memories back to me whilst not failing to provide an incredibly tasty chocolate hazelnut dip. If your a fan of Nutella I really think this is a product you would get pleasure from. It is definitely something I would consider having again as it proved to be a perfect snacking option to cure my mid afternoon munchies.

8.3 out of 10

Head to Dean-German-Grocery for all your German Chocolate & Candy Needs

July 14th: The Original Cookie Dough Bites Fudge Brownie

Kcal 180 Fat 9.0g Fat(sats) 4.5g Carbs 27.0g (per 40.0g)

I have been going to the cinema rather a lot recently so I was pretty grateful when CandyPirate sent across the whole range of Taste of Nature's Cookie Dough Bites. Today I saw 'The Hangover' and decided to munch down on these Fudge Brownie Bites. I must say the film was pretty damn hilarious but I guess you guys are less interested in my film reviewing skills and more wondering what I thought of these 'fudge brownie flavoured cookie dough bites covered in milk chocolate' ... well without further ado let me reveal all.

The product came in a 88.0g box that contained dozens of large bean sized pieces. I thought the outer packaging did a nice job and looked welcoming with its bright colours and appetising pictures though I was a little less impressed with the contents inside. The description on box suggested that the contents be eaten in two servings but failed to split these out with the whole lot contained in a single plastic packet. Aesthetically the pieces didn't appear to look anything too special, however they were noticeably darker inside when compared to the Chocolate Chip variant which I previously reviewed. I was a little bit disappointed by the nature of the plastic packet but I still detected a reasonably enticing sweet, chocolaty smell when I opened it.

Of being in the cinema environment I had to share these with some friends so it didn't take long for them all to be eaten. Despite this I still got a fair share of handfuls and was reasonably impressed from what I tasted. The taste was instantly familiar to the Chocolate Chip variant I previously reviewed but on the whole these Fudge Brownie ones seemed to provide just a little something more to the experience on the whole. The milk chocolate that coated the pieces was pretty unremarkable and altogether provided little more than a basic chocolaty taste to each mouthful. The melt of the chocolate was a little waxy and laboured though I guess this was emphasised by the expected rougher, grittier texture of the cookie dough below. The cookie dough innards were sugary though had elements of wheat, syrup and burnt fudge notes providing a bit of variety to the sugar laden taste. As I said I shared these so I most likely got around a third of a packet. In all fairness I thought they were reasonably fulfilling and found them surprisingly rich for such small pieces.

Overall these were not one of the most remarkable products I have reviewed on ChocolateMission though I still thought they did rather nicely as a snack for a cinema visit. These Fudge Brownie bites just had a little more in the taste department than the Chocolate Chips equivalents which is why I have rated them slightly higher. These were quite a sugary product so if you are adverse to sweet chocolate you might just want to look somewhere else for your cinema snacks. Taste of Nature have put together a wide range of variants in this range including Mint, Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate. Those reviews are all coming soon so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

7.4 out of 10

Head to Candy Pirate for all your American Candy Needs

July 13th: Zentis Belnuga

Kcal 307 Fat 18.7g Fat(sats) 5.2g Carbs 30.0g

A little over a week ago I took my first look at the Zentis range and was pleasantly surprised at how much I actually enjoyed it. I have not made my disliking of marzipan a secret on this site - aside from the Niederegger brand I generally find it far too sweet and on the dry side. Well as just mentioned last weeks Zentis Belmanda broke this cycle and in my estimation came pretty close to Niederegger. Given that success I was very much looking forward to trying todays offering from the Zentis brand - the 'Belnuga'. This bar was pretty much the same proposition as the Belmanda but had an additional hazelnut nougat layer running through the centre of the almond marzipan ... this was going to be interesting.

Just like the Belmanda this Belnugat bar came in a very fulfilling 60.0g size. The wrapper was also very similar, incorporating the same style of fonts and design but just with a bronze coloured background. The bar itself looked particularly intriguing - the darker hazelnut nougat contrasted well with the lighter marzipan whilst the outer chocolate had a very smooth and unblemished surface. The aesthetic prestige of the product was certainly not let down by the delightful mixture of nutty smells that were released from the foil packet. They smelt as fresh as they did tempting so I didn't hang around before getting stuck in.

I thought one of the greatest features of the Belmanda was the quality of the outer chocolate - this is a department where Niederegger suffer quite badly. The milk chocolate implemented here was superb and had a delightful smooth, thick melt that the unruffled surface suggested. The cocoa flavours were relatively strong but were more playing robin to the batman cream and milk flavours. The marzipan below seemed just a touch moister than in the Belmanda and this was obviously due to the hazelnut nougat that lined the centre. The marzipan was stilling lacking the bready, dough flavours of Niederegger though brought some magnificent sweet almond influences to the party. The hazelnut nougat came into play during the latter stages of the melt and delivered not only a nice bit of lubrication to the marzipan but also some fine extra nut and cocoa flavour bursts. The texture wasn't silky smooth and had a bit of grit to it but I preferred this as a soft truffle filling would most likely have got lost in the denser marzipan. The extra hazelnut and chocolaty influences brought to the aftertaste were very welcome and ended each bite with just a little bit extra interest.

Overall this bar has ended Niederegger's dominance of marzipan and has proved that other manufactures can get it as equally as right. What I especially loved about this bar was the progression of the different flavours influences in the taste. From the creamy chocolate, to the sweet almond to lastly the chocolaty hazelnut paste it was delicious on so many different levels. At 60.0g a bar this would cure any hunger pang known to man - its rich yet ridiculously moreish and would certainly be a bar I would pick up again in the near future. If you enjoy your marzipan I urge you to get hold of one of these bars - move over Niederegger you now have company!

8.8 out of 10

Head to Dean-German-Grocery for all your German Candy & Chocolate Needs

July 12th: 7Days of Chocolate Reviews - Edition 5

By now I think this post needs no introductions ...


The Chocolate Mission Omnibus:

My first review of the week was the simply fantastic Thorntons Milk Chocolate with Tonka Bean bar which I concluded was one of the best milk chocolates I have had all year. A number of readers agreed that this bar was worthy of its 9.0 score, so I suggest if you are yet to try it you get involved with Thorntons' award winning Tonka Bean special.

Monday was the also the day I received a welcome heads up from ChocolateMission reader Phil who found an article from The Grocer magazine saying that Nestle were bringing out a new Kit Kat Caramel bar. It only took a one day for Susanne to confirm that they were in fact already available in Sainsburys - so I headed on down there and posted my review yesterday - You can see that by clicking HERE. The limited feedback I have had so far from Mark, Susanne and Lottie suggests that I may have been a little generous with my scoring ... the more I think about it the more I think they could well be right.

The standard of the products reviewed this week was exceptionally high with the Cadbury Moro Gold Totally Nuts, Zotter's Bird's Eye Chilli and then Hotel Chocolat's Praline Fusion all hitting scores in the high 8.0s and even low 9.0's in the case of Hotel Chocolat.

Lets hope this weeks selection is equally as good!


News from the Chocolate Market:

* You can view the article that Phil posted earlier in the week that talks about the relaunch of the Wispa Gold and Nestle's launch of the Kit Kat Caramel - See HERE

* Divine the sneaky bastard fairtrade chocolate company have launched a few new bars - See HERE

* Mars are throwing £1m at the advertising of their chocolate milk shake range - See HERE

* Premier foods is launching a new Cadbury Fudge Cake Bites product to its range - See HERE

* Cadbury are launching a new product for the upcoming Xmas market ... bit early don't you think? See HERE

... Have I missed anything? Please share!


Posts from other Blogs I enjoyed this week:

* Chocablog - Dom is running a new competition - get your entry in to be in with a chance to win some Thorntons chocolate! See Here

* Foodstufffinds - Got to grips with some Jell-o that she found in Selfridges. I hear this 'pudding' stuff is pretty popular in America ... I might have to check it out for myself soon. See HERE

* GiGi Reviews - Tracked down the latest Oreo Limited Edition to be churned out by Nabisco ... in all fairness these look rather damn good! See HERE

* Impulsive Buy - Marvo tried out the latest Pepsi Limited Edition - Pepsi Shiso from Japan ... he wasn't all that impressed by the flavour but I still can't get over the toxic colour! See HERE

* CandyBlog - Cybele reviewed Mars' Galaxy Minstrels that we have here in the UK. She obviously thought a lot more of them than I did ... cracking review as normal though, I suggest you check it out! See HERE


Question of the Week:

'Do you eat less chocolate during the summer months? If so what do you snack on instead?'

July 11th: Kit Kat Caramel

Kcal 107 Fat 5.4g Fat(sats) 3.0g Carbs 13.2g (per bar)

At the start of the week ChocolateMission reader Phil shared an article from 'The Grocer' magazine that stated Nestle were bringing out a new 'Caramel' Kit Kat. Having just reviewed the simply fantastic Kit Kat Chunky Caramel all sorts of possibilities crossed our minds. Would it have a caramel layer? caramel chocolate ala Carramac? or would it be caramel flavoured chocolate. Well having tracked them down thanks to a tip-off from reader Susanne (Sainsburys!!!) I can confirm that to most peoples disappointment that they were described as 'caramel flavoured milk chocolate coated wafers'.

As you have probably worked out from the photo above these new Kit Kat Caramel came in a multi-pack that can be found in most supermarkets. Indeed I bought these in a 9x2 finger pack with each two finger serving weighing in at 20.8g. First impressions of the packaging were a little underwhelming. Aside from the yellow colour implemented on the wrappers the new flavour variant hardly had any whooplah attached to it and ultimately failed to raise any sort of excitement. Again if you look at the photos above you can see that the actual Kit Kats themselves looked no different whatsoever to standard milk chocolate Kit Kat. I wouldn't say this was necessarily a bad thing but it is not as if Nestle had gone out their way to really differentiate the product from anything else we have seen before. I am not saying that Nestle should have done anything overly elaborate as I still quite like the traditional Kit Kat design (hence the 8.0 score), that said it would have been nice to have a little shake up. Whereas the presentation failed to excite the smell certainly didn't. Upon opening the wrapper I was met with a pleasant barrage of toffee like scents that certainly gave promise for the taste.

Caramel flavoured milk chocolate wasn't top of anyones wish list when this product was first announced, however as Alan pointed out if it was anything near the standards of Hotel Chocolat caramel flavoured chocolate it could really be something to behold. Of course I never perceived the chocolate to ever be in the same league as the Hotel Chocolat equivalent but at the same time it was in some ways better (and worse) than I was expecting. Due to the mildness of standard Nestle milk chocolate it didn't take long for the caramel flavours to come through and at first they were really rather welcome. The toffee hints added nicely to the usual sweet dried milk flavours and seemed to bring something just a little bit more special to the flavours of the outer chocolate. Unfortunately though I thought that as the chocolate got later in its melt the taste became overly sweet and to the point where the sugary flavours dominated the malty, biscuit flavours of the wafer. The ferocity of the sugar in the taste not only took the wafer element out of the taste but also at times caused a mild burning sensation at the back of my throat. Before consuming one of the two fingers packets I was expecting to eat another packet after. This didn't actually happen though due to the burning feeling at the back of my throat and I decided against further adding to it by having another.

Overall I am a real fan of the standard Kit Kat and I have to say as a headline I didn't think this was as good. The added caramel had both its plus and minus points. As I have stated above it did bring an extra dimension to usual mild milk flavours of the chocolate with its sweet, buttery, toffee flavours. Unfortunately though the first word I used to describe it came a little over bearing and the sugary sweetness became all too much dominating not only the flavours of the wafer but also causing a slight discomfort at the back of my mouth. If your a fan of the Kit Kat range I am sure this is worth you trying, at the same time though I should warn that you shouldn't get all that excited about it.

7.8 out of 10

July 10th: Lotte Toppo Coffee Eclair

Kcal 232 Fat 13.6g Carbs 24.8g (per 1 packet - 42.0g)

'Did these actually have any form of chocolate in Jim?' Will inevitably be the first question that springs to mind when you guys first read the name of this product review. To be quite honest with you all I hadn't the foggiest idea as the packaging was of course all in Japanese - to be honest I didn't really care :) Never in a million years was I going to turn down the opportunity to try these Coffee Eclair flavoured Lotte Toppo when propositioned by J-List. Frequent readers of my blog will know that I am pretty willing to try any sort of confectionery that has the word coffee involved - needless to say as soon as I received these I didn't hang around and dug straight in.

Immediately from the outset I was impressed with this product. As already indicated I hadn't a clue what all the on package description said due to the obvious language barrier but anyway the pictures of the cakes that were featured did enough to seriously whet my appetite. Inside the wonderfully presented box there were two 42.0g foil packages that contained several stick pieces; all of which managed to remain unbroken despite the serious air miles that the product went through. The stick themselves looked a little plain until snapped, upon where a plentiful amount of dark beige coloured creme emerged. Up to this point I had really been taken in by the product and the temptation only increased when the quite frankly gorgeous smell of sweet coffee and pastry emerged from the foil packets when opened.

Up until this point everything seemed to be bang on the money - the proposition sounded great, the presentation was good and the smell was absolutely to die for ... there was only one thing left to do and I truly obliged. My first observation of the stick pieces was that they seemed to be far heftier than previously similar products I have reviewed i.e. Pocky. Indeed each stick did feel heavier in hand and ultimately did make for a more fulfilling snack - having finished marvelling at the weight of the thing I finally got stuck in. The first flavours that came to my taste buds were from the outer biscuit which had a quite mild buttery, shortbread like taste. On the whole the biscuit was pleasant but I think the taste could have been a little stronger especially thinking back to other products like Pocky which seemingly always manage to deliver a strong malty context to the taste. The story happened to be much the same for the coffee eclair flavoured filling. The smell suggested the coffee element would come through very strongly but when it came to the actual taste it was more reserved than I was expecting it to be. The filling was very cream rooted and seemed to just have a hint of coffee rather than a real flavour hit. Despite being slightly disappointed by the lack of impact by the coffee I still very much enjoyed the smooth milky taste and needed no second invitation munching away on one pack in a single sitting.

Overall I guess in a way it would have been more accurate to describe these as cappuccino flavoured as at the end of the day they delivered much the same experience. With cappuccinos I tend to find you get a deliciously milky moreish taste but never quite manage to get your entire coffee fix. As I have described above these on the whole were pretty tasty and I must say I did enjoy them. As far as coffee flavoured products go though I would say that if your looking for a strong coffee flavour hit you should approach these with caution. Conversely if your after a biscuit with a mild coffee creme these are a pretty perfect snack that I would very much recommend you get hold of. If your a fan of Pocky or Toppo I wouldn't necessarily say these are a must try variant, but at the same time would agree that they are very much worth sticking on your J-List wishlist.

8.0 out of 10

July 9th: Zotter Bird's Eye Chilli

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

Not so long ago I declared that 2008 was the year of chilli flavoured chocolate as I felt that it was really last year that this flavour combination went mainstream. Since then I have covered several manufactures attempts ranging from the simply fantastic Lindt Excellence Chilli to the not so good Milka Fever bar. Today I got my chance to try Zotter's Bird's Eye Chilli - a bar that was billed as 'Noble bitter chocolate filled with chilli cream'. Given the high quality competition I was a little anxious to see how Zotter would do; my recent successes from the rest of their range did give me a little confidence.

This was another standard Zotter bar and came in the usual 70.0g size. The presentation was as ever pretty spot on with the paper wrapper sporting an arty sophisticated look and the thick golden foil wrapper ensuring a pleasant, fresh and unblemished look to the surface of the chocolate. One thing you can always bank on with Zotter products is that you will be treated to some fantastic smells as the foil packaging is unravelled. A mixture of rich smelling chocolaty scents and hints of spice filled me with anticipation - suffice to say it didn't take me long getting stuck into this one.

I haven't had many criticisms of Zotter thus far but I have mentioned a few times that their chocolate hasn't always been as strong in its flavours that I would have like. In previous bars this was never much of an issue as they were generally more about the featured fillings. Things got turned on their heads a little today though as the chilli element was more of a filling enhancer in contrast to the other nougat based fillings which made up the entirety of the filling itself. This of course meant that this bar needed the dark chocolate to deliver - thankfully it did. The cocoa flavours were strong and smooth from the outset and did a fantastic job of creating a wonderful richness with a creamy yet unsweetened taste. The bar had two distinct layers - the outer crisp dark chocolate and the smoother yet still quite firm truffle like centre. Although softer in texture it was the filling that packed the chilli punch. Containing only 0.18% chilli I was initially doubting how much of a say the chilli could have in the taste. My doubt was soon put to bed when my first bite revealed that the chilli element certainly wasn't held back ... boy was it hot. The chilli not only generated a warmth in the mouth but also some very distinct peppery flavours - as a lover of hot food I really enjoyed it and couldn't help but wolf down the whole bar in a single sitting.

Overall this has to be another two thumbs up for Zotter. I don't wish to curse myself but I am yet to try a bad product from the brand and todays bar provided further evidence that when it comes to adding flavours to chocolates these guys know what they are doing. The 70% dark chocolate was of a very good standard and the chilli element was really brought to life with its implementation in the filling. I am not going to kid anyone - this bar may be way too spicy for some - it really does have a devilish kick to it. For that reason my recommendation of this bar comes with an element of caution. If you don't like spicy food stay well away ... if you do ... tuck right in!

8.6 out of 10

July 8th: Hotel Chocolat Praline Fusion

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

If your a keen ChocolateMission reader you will be aware that the Hotel Chocolat Praline White sits among my favourite bars of all time and currently occupies third place in the overall ChocolateMission rankings. Given the prestige of that slab I certainly was needing no encouragement from the Hotel Chocolat team when they suggested I try another similar product from their Mini-Slabs range the Hotel Chocolat Praline Fusion. This chocolate was formed of milk chocolate hazelnut praline swirled with white chocolate hazelnut praline ... yep this certainly took my fancy.

Some of the previous Mini-Slabs I tried before came in the form of two 62.5g slabs (125.0g) but these came in 50.0g servings (100.0g). As ever I could not fault the presentation of the product and I even noticed a few improvements from some of the previously reviewed Mini-Slabs with the old style inner plastic packet replaced with a more decadent foil patterned sleeve. The exterior cardboard box looked as sophisticated as ever though I perhaps wouldn't have chosen the yellow colour out of choice. The slabs looked quite frankly wonderful. Although I didn't capture it in the pictures above the other sides of the slabs showed off the lovely swirl pattern of the two toned chocolates which looked incredible. After opening the foil packet I was literally salivating at the prospect of what lay inside - the nutty smells were amazingly tempting.

I am already running out of superlatives and I haven't even got to the taste ... lets start off with the quick headline that 'this chocolate was bloody delicious'. I started off by eating away at the familiar white chocolate praline end and was quickly reminded of the splendor that was the previously reviewed Praline White slab. It was ridiculously creamy with just the finest of woody, nut flavours that lasted in the mouth for what seemed like an age. The milk chocolate praline was a little stronger flavoured though equally as finely balanced as the white chocolate end. The cocoa was more pronounced in the taste though still had a strong milk undertone that provided a fantastic smoothness throughout. In both chocolates the hazelnut flavours were amazingly distinct and seemed to seamlessly combine with both of the different chocolate types. Where the taste was awesome the texture was equally as so. It was unlike your standard chocolate and had more of a softer Gianduja type texture. It melted insanely smoothly in the mouth, though had the slightest chewiness to it which meant that it didn't disintegrate straight away when placed in the mouth. The soft thick melt meant the wonderfully fresh hazelnut flavours could be savoured and lingered long in the mouth after the chocolate had melted away.

Overall I have to say this was undoubtedly one of the finest chocolates I have ever eaten and is one that I would happily eat everyday if given half a chance. Why has it got an ever so slightly lower rating than the Praline White!? Well having thought about it I did marginally (very very marginally!) prefer the white chocolate end to the milk chocolate end, however I must stress this was the smallest of preferences. The texture was luxurious and how Hotel Chocolat quite made the taste so balanced between cream and hazelnut I don't know. If your a praline fan there is simply no excuse to not trying this bar - you owe it to yourself more than anything to experience such a fabulous chocolate. This Praline Fusion slabs gets two thumbs up from me ... if I had ten thumbs I would give it ten thumbs up - highly recommended!

9.2 out of 10

July 7th: Cadbury Moro Gold Totally Nuts

Kcal 325 Fat 19.6g Fat(sats) 10.1g Carbs 31.4g

Almost a year ago to the day I posted my review of the Cadbury Boost Totally Nuts bar from Australia. Just a few weeks ago Shopenzed sent me a selection of bars from New Zealand - included in which was this Cadbury Moro Gold Totally Nuts. At first I pondered whether there was a point doing a new review as frankly it seemed like pretty much the same product as the aforementioned - it even came described the same - 'a chocolate flavoured centre packed full of peanuts surrounded in caramel, all covered in Cadbury Dary Milk chocolate'. Closer inspection of the wrapper however did indicate there were some very minor differences in the portioning of the nuts and the caramel so I thought 'why not!?'.

The bar came presented pretty much the same as the Boost Totally Nuts and came in an extremely substantial 60.0g form. The packaging also looked none to dissimilar, with the Moro branding pretty much just replacing the Boost branding. When I cross-sectioned the bar I compared it to the cross-section of the Boost:TN and could clearly see that the nut pieces were not as small, whilst the caremel seemed just a little more plentiful. Despite appearing aesthetically a little different the smell was very familiar with the sweet caramel scents proving very enticing amongst the strong nut aromas.

In regards to the taste test I first ate this bar and then read back over my previous review of the Boost:TN to see if I perceived any differences. On reflection I did notice some very subtle differences but they didn't really alter my perception of the bar that much. The outer Dairy Milk offered the same taste experience as with any other Southern Hemisphere Dairy Milk product - it was less creamy than our UK stuff but still provided an enjoyable chocolaty flavour hit to each and every bite. One of the small variances I did notice came in the implementation of the nuts. The peanuts seemed to be less present in terms of number but were whole nuts instead of broken up pieces. This had a slight impact of the taste as it meant that the nutty flavours were not released until properly crunched and chewed. This allowed the caramel to have a greater say in the overall taste as it was very much the prominent element in between the melt of the outer chocolate and the chewing of the nuts. Although noticeable it was such a minor thing that I never formed an opinion of preference or otherwise. I was frankly to busy enjoying it and the progressive nature of the taste from the chocolate to the caramel and finally the peanuts I thought was just simply magnificent. I ate this bar straight from the fridge which added a little more resistance to the chocolate centre and just a touch of chewiness to the caramel. It took a long time to eat which meant it was both savoured and satisfying - fantastic.

Overall the differences between this Moro Gold Totally Nuts and Boost Totally Nuts were so minimal that only a saddo like myself would be able to notice :) To be honest though I am pretty glad that I have been able to do this comparison as it meant I got to eat another of this simply delicious chocolate bar. Whether you prefer your nuts whole or broken into smaller bits I think you would enjoy this bar either way. The chocolate is of a good standard, the caramel is sweet and buttery and the nuts provide a roasted saltiness that compliments the other sweet elements wonderfully. Whether you come across the Boost Totally Nuts or a Moro Gold Totally Nuts I suggest you just do yourself a favour and indulge in one - mass confections are rarely this good.

8.8 out of 10

July 6th: Thorntons Milk Chocolate with Tonka Bean

Kcal 577 Fat 39.1g Fat(Sats) 23.7g Carbs 48.1g (per 100.0g)

A few weeks ago I was invited to the Academy of Chocolate awards in London but was unfortunately not able to attend due to it coinciding with my Univeristy Finals .... DOH (Dom from Chocablog still went See HERE)! Despite being majorly disappointed I have still been able to indulge in some of the splendours thanks to Thorntons who sent me some of their award winning bars. One of their award winning bunch just so happened to be this 38% Venezulea Milk Chocolate with Tonka Bean which won a silver award in the milk chocolate category. My aim today was to establish whether it was really worthy of this recognition?

As you will have seen from the picture above this bar was another from the Thorntons Blocks range, though it did come in a noticeabley smaller 70.0g size (normally 90.0g!). I don't know why this was, but one would assume that it was down to more expensive ingredients used in this bar. Despite the smaller size chocolate the bar came in the same sized box and was contained within a nicer looking foil packet rather than the plastic one that is usually used for the Blocks product line. Having opened the foil packet I soon realised this wasn't going to be a bog standard milk chocolate as a wonderful variety of different sweet and spicy cocoa scents intermittently made themselves apparent.

I like to do my research on the products I review and a little research into the Tonka bean revealed to me that it is the seed of the Dipteyrx Odorata, a legume tree in the Neotropics. Geeky stuff out the way suffice to say I was expecting something a little special and Thorntons certainly obliged. Having ran this site for nearly two years now I have certainly had my fill of milk chocolate and I can safely say this was certainly one of the best. So what made it stand out you ask? Well this chocolate combined a simply delicious unique taste with a quite fantastic soft, thick melt. The taste started off quite mellow with a milky cream undertone building in strength as the taste progressed. Although this sounds rather simple there was always something about the flavours that sparked interest and they certainly grew in diversity the longer the chocolate stayed in the mouth. The taste had notes of vanilla, honey, butter and small hints of cinnamon; this may sound overly busy but the progression of the taste came in an orderly fashion and was resoundingly smooth and consistent throughout. I was disappointed when I finished the 70.0g in one sitting but I must admit this left me feeling extremely satisfied and I enjoyed it from the very first to the very last piece.

Overall it has been a long time since I have been this impressed by a plain milk chocolate bar but I really, really liked this one. I was a little flummoxed at a how a plain Thorntons bar could be 'award winning' (me sceptical!? Never!) but this bar deserves all the acclaim it gets and possibly more. This bar offered something a little more than just your standard milk chocolate and had an interchangeable taste that was so much more than just a creamy boring chocolate. The varying elements in the taste and quite wonderful texture made for a truly superb product and one that I would extremely recommend for the rather small sum of £1.79. When I say it is as good as Hotel Chocolat's 40% house Milk Chocolate you have to know that I mean business - it is!

9.0 out of 10