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Kcal 250 Fat 16.0g Fat(sats) 10.0g Carbs 21.0gNow I am not going to start out this review by boldly claiming that I have a great understanding of the Canadian confectionery market because I simply just don't. Being all the way over the pond, it is a market I feel quite removed from, however one thing I have noticed is that dark chocolate is becoming increasingly more popular in Canada if their NPD (new product development) is anything to go by. If you look at the latest products to be released by Nestle you will see that all of them follow quite a consistent theme, and this dark chocolate Aero is a perfect example of what is now on offer. After pulling a few strings I was able to track down a sample to try for myself and I was intrigued as to what sort of quality this dark chocolate was going to be.
On the face of things this Aero 70% cocoa looked no different to either the original or mint variants that are readily available here in the UK and it weighed exactly the same at 42.0g. Indeed even the packaging was remarkably similar with only the bold looking 70% gold logo providing an aspect of differentiation from the other two flavours in this medium bar range. Conversely the actual chocolate itself was slightly different and the patterns etched into the surface of the bar indicated that the chocolate should be consumed in smaller blocks. Given this was a dark chocolate bar this did make sense, however the bar wasn't easy to split up into the sizes indicated which was more than a little annoying.
Once I had mastered the task of breaking the chocolate up I took a smell of the chocolate and it was at this point I started taking its potential seriously. In terms of aromas the chocolate smelt far stronger than I expected and it really gave an insight in to the taste that I was about to experience. Getting straight to crux of things this chocolate really surprised me in the quality of the flavours I experienced. The taste was far deeper than I was expecting and whilst it didn't provide the progressiveness of flavours of some of the more premium chocolates it was still relatively tasty nonetheless. Far removed from the mass consumer friendly experience I was expecting the taste had a fair volume of unsweetened cocoa flavours with notes of coffee, smoke and a dash of sugar to round of the taste nicely. In terms of the aerated texture it really delivered in line with expectations and it provided the desired bubbly experience to further spicen things up a bit. All in all, despite the quick melting nature of the chocolate it still served to be a satisfying snack - one might want to check out the nutritional values though as they don't happen to make happy reading for dieters.
Overall I have to admit before I ate this chocolate that I was very sceptical indeed as to what sort of quality Nestle were going to produce here. If you look at some of the products currently on the global market there isn't much to inspire confidence in a mass produced dark chocolate. More often than not these products end up simply being unsweetened versions of milk chocolate predecessors but thankfully Nestle didn't hold back in terms of flavour strength half as much as what I expected and to my surprise they have produced a good dark chocolate. As I described above the taste was far more complex and rich than I thought it would be and it was so much the better for it. There isn't much in the way of true innovation or 'new news' here, but if this 70% bar is price aligned with the rest of the Aero range (which I think it is!) I would strongly suggest you give it a try.
8.3 out of 10
Posts
34 comments:
I'd not heard of a dark Aero before.
It's odd how we never see any of the Canadian chocolates on the internet or anything. We seem to be able to buy American stuff easily but not Canadian.
70% sounds way too strong for me. That is crazy strong when you compare it to the mass produced dark chocolates we get in this country.
The likes of Galaxy and Cadbury dark chocolates are only around 30% strength.
Rxxx
I love that wrapper. The gold looks so nice on the black wrapper. The big seventy percent number is a little threatening though.
Don't take this as gospel but I think we once got a dark chocolate aero in the UK.
It must have only been a limited edition though because I don't think it lasted very long.
I don't fancy an Aero dark at all but I'm still pretty furious about my all time favourite Aero orange being taken away from me.
It used to come in both big and small bars, then only a bigger bar, and as of last year now not at all. Bring it back dammit.
The mint flavoured aero is the only one anyone need bother with. I love it so much.
I do wish we would get the wispa mint back though because that was even better.
It doesn't surprise me to see other countries have lots of different aero flavours.
In its hayday Aero used to have loads of flavours in this country aswell. I remember there even being a cappuccino one a few years back.
The reason why there are so many new dark chocolates in Canada is because they really believe in the health benefits of cocoa.
If you do a search looking for research about chocolate being good for you, you will see that loads of the articles come from Canada.
God they didn't hold back here they did they.
I bet someone in the Aero factory got his numbers mixed up or something. I can't imagine a manufacture like Neslte ever wanting to make a chocolate with 70% cocoa in it. Thats way too strong for the average aero person.
Dx
70% is too strong for me so I don't think I would like it.
I would be interesting to see how much it would cost. I can't imagine that they would be able to sell it for the same price as the normal milk chocolate one because all the ingredients have to cost a bomb in comparison.
Is that ten grams of saturated fat for just one normal sized bar? That is mental if true.
Its a bit odd they decided to go this strong isn't it. I think the 70% strength would put a load of people off in this country. Reading the review it doesn't sound like it tastes bitter, but I don't think there is a big enough following of dark chocolate for it to become a credible bar for the UK. I could be proven wrong lol.
They also make a 70% cocoa Kit Kat in canada. Its mad if you ask me, a bit OTT if you will.
I don't think the average Aero eater is going to be the sort of person who would be interested in buying a 70% chocolate. What a total waste of time. I don't think this will be lasting that long.
I'm not a fan of Aeros but this is something I would want to try. I don't get all the nagativity about it being too strong.
Normally everyone complains about these companie's dark chocolates being too weak. Make your minds ups.
@Nigel I too miss Orange Aero - I've no idea why they stopped making it! I think it's been more than a year though, I think it's been several :(
I'd love to try this, it sounds cool. I don't see why Aero eaters would not want to try it purely down to it's strength, afterall, we get plenty of dark chocolate in this country from the likes of HC, Lindt etc. I enjoy dark choc and milk choc so I'd happily buy this now and then.
I like the idea of a dark aero but I'm a little scared by this 70% stuff.
I bet it is just Nestle trying to sound all impressive but it isn't like they can lie really. I too yearn for my orange aero once more. It was one of my all time favourite chocolates and it got curelly taken from me :(
I've been waiting to see a review of this for a while now, was always curious to how it tasted. I love the sound of a dark Aero because I find the milk one quite boring. I'm surprised they haven't brought one out here yet, since they did the dark Kitkat.
I think I mentioned I had a 'Boci Aero' some months back, it was an orange Aero coated in dark chocolate - it was very tasty indeed. I have never seen it since.
Man if you look on the Nestle Canada website they do some awesome sounding bars.
They have a Kit Kat Chunky with Xtra Chocolate. Coffee Crisp snack bites. There are loads of things that look amazing. We never hear about them in this country do we.
@Eric - I believe they also used to do a lime Aero and strawberry Aero a long time ago, when it was first launched. And I think about 7 years ago they did one with honeycomb pieces? I remember the TV advert with the mouse.
Jim out of interest how much does it cost to buy chocolates from Canada? I sense the air shipping would cost more than the actual chocolate bars themselves correct?
I would never buy this for either myself or my kids. I think it would be too bitter for them. They are more than happy with their sweet tooth milkybars.
I picked up one of these bars last week. Stupid expensive, even though we're on the same continent - $1.75 when next to it was some very nice Ritter Sport for a similar price.
I know this isn't aero related but it's an old ad for Reeses Peanut Butter cups:
http://www.candydirect.com/media/catalog/category/92b8cf56-5616-4460-88ba-d0cdc53bbf06.jpg
I love the little boxes the put them in! Also ona side note, did anyone see Mary, Queen of Shops last night? She was helping a struggling store in Cornwall and took them to Paul A Youngs in London to speak to him about what makes a successful shop, the importance of food taste and appearance etc, and they had a go at making and selling chocolate :)
@cybele that is about one British pound I think. The day I pay a pound for an aero bar will be the day i reprioritise my spending habits. Total rip off.
Actually Nick according to current coversion rates
1.75 USD = £1.18 GBP
Steep huh!?
Actually Nick according to current coversion rates
1.75 USD = £1.18 GBP
Steep huh!?
PART 1
Nick
I have no idea why that is either? American foods are far easier to source in this country than Canadian ones. A certain store with the initials CC stock some of these bars thoug.
Rachel
It is very strong in comparison to the average mass produced dark chocolate recipe we get isn't it.
Anon
Threatening? I never thought it was threatening haha! The wrapper looks cool though doesn't it.
Nick
Really? I never recall ever seeing one myself. I have never been a big Aero eater though.
Nigel
I never tried that orange bar but I know it certainly had its fans. I may be wrong but I remember it being available in multipacks aswell in the supermarkets.
Katie
Who knows eh!? The Wispa Mint may one day make its return. The Wispa Gold did after all didn't it.
Eric
A few people have mentioned that cappuccino bar before. I do remember the Aero brand being a lot bigger though.
Fran
Is that really true? If you look at the nutritional values attatched to this bar you would have to think otherwise.
Chocolate isn't good for anyones physical health, but it makes people happy which means it does have some emotional/mental health benefits. Thats my theory anyway.
Daisy
That is what my initial thoughts were. The 70% recipe is no mistake though believe me :D
Steven
Seemingly now they don't sell it for the same price! See what Cybele had to say below! Its crazy.
Golden
It is indeed 10.0g of saturated fat for that single bar. It is a large amount for a single chocolate bar is it.
Paul
I think you're right. The 70% billing would probably put a lot of people off in this country.
On the other hand it may attract a load of different people to the Aero brand aswell.
Anon #2
I have tried to track one of them down but I can't seem to find one anywhere. It is a bar I would really like to try at some point. Keep your eyes peeled for a review.
Justin
I have no idea how well it is performing in Canada or whether it will be sticking around for the forseeable future. Maybe a reader from Canada might be able to fill us in.
PART 2
Andrew
I do see what you mean, but there is probably a balance to strike between the two. To be honest I really liked this 70% bar myself. It perhaps isn't for everyone though.
Alan
I haven't seen the orange Aero for years either. It must be early 2000s I think.
It would be good to see what you would make of a dark chocolate Aero. I think that this bar would have a hard time in this country with all the competition though - like you say there are already so many alternatives around.
Lauren
This orange Aero sounds like it was popular huh!? It musn't have ever sold that well previously or they wouldn't have ever got rid of it in the first place.
Phil
I remember you mentioning that Boci Aero before. Where and when did you see it before?
Was it produced in the UK or was it imported from somewhere else?
Mark
Some of those things on the website do sound interesting don't they.
They seem to have a good presence in Canada do Nestle. I might take a surf on their site to see if there is anything else I should prioritise reviewing for the future.
Phil #2
Blimey I never saw or heard of any of those flavours before. I bet there are some shots of the wrappers on google somewhere. Some people collect these things you know.
Linda
I wouldn't recommend this bar for kids to be honest. It would say it would probaby be a little strong for them. Probably best sticking to the milk one.
Richard
I have never paid myself so I can't comment on that. I can't imagine it would be cheap though.
Cybele
That is pretty expensive isn't it. Had I know this was a little more expensive I'm not sure I would have rated it quite so highly. Don't get me wrong it was nice, but I was rating in line with an average aero bar, which would be about half the price of what you paid.
Some of the Ritter Sport flavours are a lot better than this bar.
Alan #2
Nice find chap. Those do look cool don't they.
I didn't see that programme unfortunately. I will try catch it on Iplayer at some point. Paul A Young gets around on the telly doesn't he ... he was on the apprentice not long ago.
Nick
See what David said below! It is even more expensive than you think.
David
Nice work. That does make it look really expensive in comparison doesn't it.
Thanks everyone - hope you enjoyed the review. I believe we have more products from NZ/Australia tomorrow.
JIM
I am a Brit, currently transplanted to Canada and I feel the need to add a couple of comments here re Canadian chocolates....firstly, haven't tried the 70% Aero, but I have tried the 70% Kit Kat and it is actually really good - it's not too bitter and it tastes much better then the Kit Kat Dark available in the UK. So far I have tried Twix, Kit Kat and Mars (regular versions) and to me, taste-wise, they all seem to fall somewhere between the better chocolate we have in the UK products and the much inferior US versions. Nestle have also produced a 70% Coffee Crisp which I'll be interested to tried given Jim's slating of the original version ;-)
Jim - it was in a local discount store called Specials, it was an import. I did a google search and see they also make a strawberry version. It's made by Nestle Hungary:
http://www.nestle.hu/boci/staticpages/hirek.aspx
Seems like Boci is a brand in itself too.
Also I found the orange one on this site, looks like they sell clearance lines:
http://www.approvedfood.co.uk/Chocolate_and_Sweets/Boci_Aero_with_orange_flavoured_filling_74g_
I first tried it in Montreal (I'm from the DC area), and kept looking for more.
Surprised that no one mentioned the texture -- I like the 'bubbles', which gave the choc an interesting texture!
Maplenut
I will definitely make a point of trying the Kit Kat 70% if I get the chance then. It sounds like my sort of thing alright.
I have to get myself sorted and redo the Coffee Crisp review. It is definitely the review which has brought about most criticism on my part :D
Phil
For some reason it wont let me on the Hungary Nestle site.
That approved food site is interesing. They sell food that is past its 'best before' Im sure most of it is 100% fine mind you.
Anon
The Bubbly texture that Aeros have is special isn't it. It creates a lovely feeling on the tongue.
Thanks all
JIM
I've never been a big fan of aerated chocolates, but this post has made me think about giving aerated chocolate another go. We don't have this particular one here, but I still have plenty to choose from :)
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