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As you may have guessed from the title I have a two-for-one Thorntons review for you today, with both the Thorntons Continental Cappucino Truffles and the Thorntons Classic Coffee Creams facing the ChocolateMission rating system. If you have been reading the site for any time whatsoever you will be well aware that coffee and chocolate is one of my favourite combinations - lets see which I rated better out of the two.
Thorntons Continental Cappuccino Truffles:
Kcal 68 Fat 4.5g Carbs 6.4g (per chocolate)
'white chocolate with a coffee mousse centre finished with a sprinkle of chocolate powder'
Who remembers me reviewing the Thorntons Continental Cappuccino Bar before?? If you do ... get out more :D ... See HERE! These truffles came in a 95.0g bag that I purchased for a mere £1.69. The plastic packet packaging was nothing too spectacular, but the truffles themselves certainly looked the more appetising out of the two of view today.
It isn't often you find that a chocolate that's description doesn't do it justice, but these truffles were a little more intricate than I was first led to believe. As expected the outer white chocolate was of a good standard and had a pleasant vanilla hinted taste that made for a creamy experience from the outset. Inside the mousse filling was soft in texture and had a fine coffee hinted taste that led nicely onwards from the white chocolate exterior. What the on-pack description failed to state, and what I was talking about earlier, was the fact that each truffle had a small disc of dark chocolate that sat under the mousse filling - it is just visible in the photo above! What this did nicely was ensure a pleasant unsweetened cocoa flavour hit to the latter stages of the melt of each truffle. It perhaps did overshadow the coffee flavours a little, but it was a nice touch to finish off each piece.
8.1 out of 10
Thorntons Classic Coffee Creams:
Kcal 61 Fat 2.9g Carbs 8.3g (per chocolate)'Milk chocolates with white chocolate decoration and a creamy coffee centre'
If someone had presented me with both these packets of chocolates without telling me the price, I don't think I would have been alone in thinking that the above Continental truffles would have been the more expensive. Well I would have been wrong!! Seemingly we all have to pay a little extra for the 'Classics' as these Coffee Creams set me back £2.49 for a 109.0g bag.
My experience of Coffee Cream chocolates in the past have been limited to the coffee chocolates we used to get in Cadbury Roses tins, though now even they have been cruelly taken away from all us coffee lovers. If I had to describe the taste I would say that these were a lot less complicated in terms of flavours than the Continental Cappuccino truffles, and were certainly less progressive. Despite being made with 'real double cream' (as the packaging cared to tell me), the taste was a whole sweeter and more sugar routed than the creamier Continental chocolates. The outer milk chocolate was nice tasting with it's sweet cocoa taste, and it let nicely into a drier, whipped fondant like centre. The filling was very sugary, but the coffee note was detectable and made for a decent enough experience.
7.0 out of 10
Overall I wouldn't say either of these chocolates provided the killer coffee truffle I was really after, but both of them were fine for what they were. Taking the Coffee Creams first I would like to think that this sort of chocolate is more classic than just appearing in Roses Tins in the past. If they do have deeper history in British confectionery than I am giving them credit for then I guess someone else might get more nostalgic pleasure than I did from the sugary coffee chocolate experience that these offered. My favourite out of the two was obviously the Continental Cappuccino Truffles - they didn't have the espresso strength flavour dosage of coffee that I desired, but that was obviously never going to be on the table. If it is a mild and creamy flavoured coffee chocolate you want then they are a good option to look at.
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28 comments:
I thought the coffee creams were going to be better. I had a pack not long ago and you were right they were deeply reminiscent of the old ones you used to get in roses tins.
Nice photos Jim. The cappuccino truffles sound more my sort of thing. I don't like coffee that much so I wouldn't choose to buy a pack of coffee flavoured chocolates on there own. As part of a wider selection they are ok though.
Rxxx
I think most people were glad when they took coffee creams out of roses. I don't know about you but they were always the ones that were left in the tin at the end.
I've tried neither of these but the cappuccino look the prettier out of the two. The creams don't look bad either.
I don't know if I am speaking out of turn but I feel totally lost with Thorntons now. I don't think they are posh enough to give their chocolates away as presents and I don't think they are worth paying more than something like Dairy Milk for.
I haven't bought a Thorntons product for well over a year now. I just don't see where they fit in within mass produced and better quality chocolate.
I hate coffee chocolates. If I ever buy a box of chocs that has any in I always palm them off on my dad who loves them. It always keeps him happy whilst I eat the nicer ones lol.
I've been looking out for someone that sells coffee creams for ages. They a lost art of the chocolate world. I'm surprised you haven't rated them a bit higher. I think they are presented better than 7/10.
I wouldn't have predicted that the cappuccino chocolates would be less expensive than the creams.
I know you got more coffee creams but if you do the maths £/Kg they still work out as being more expensive which is funny because I think the others look nicer.
Ewwwwww chocolate coffee things yuck.
The Continental chocs sound like they could be worth trying. I have tried the bar version of it before, I think it bought it from Tesco however random that sounds. I think you might even be able to buy them in big packs. Anyway I remember it being decent enough but not very coffee strong.
Lol what idiots. Thorntons are proper clueless aren't they. Why possesed them to make the posher style ones the cheapest.
They have no idea how to construct their range properly. It's a total mess.
When did cadbury take out the coffee cream from roses? I never even noticed that? I'm gobsmacked, it was one of the most unique ones you could get in there. I would have thought they had quite a following.
Coffee creams are one of the classic you don't see anymore.Next time I go to Thorntons I am going to look out for pack. It has been way too long since I last had one.
Like Alex I have also tried the continental cappuccino bar before. I thought it was ok but I remember it being relatively small in comparison to an average chocolate bar. It was a similar sort of price to which is what has put me off buying it again.
I don't know why but I'm gagging for some coffee creams now. I don' even like them that much normally but your picture has really tickled my fancy.
Its been a while since I last had any chocolates that were filled with some sort of fondant. I used to really enjoy the orange frys bar but I can seldom find that anymore :(
My mother would really like these I think, she's abig coffee cream fan although I think she'd rather the chocolate have been dark rather than milk. She always says coffee goes better with dark. She also misses the coffee creams from tins of Roses (and Quality Street), they disappeared many moons ago sadly. I seem to remember I didn't mind them either and I'm no big coffee choc lover.
@Estelle I too always enjoy the ornage Frys cream, you see it rarely nowadays, along with the peppermint one. I saw the orange for the first time in ages the other day in a small local independant icecream cafe (famous in the area) which still sells old fashioned sweets and chocs, some which you think had long gone, and its own unique icecream. It's abit like walking into a sweet shop of the 1950's with sweet boxes in the window and a nice display :P
Heres alittle link, thought you might like to see it :)
http://picasaweb.google.com/MikeeNewton/Suggits?feat=flashslideshow#5249248673338907490
I do love coffee creams. They are quite old school in the modern day market though aren't they.
This is a classic review comparing an old style confections vs a new style modern trendy one. I wish the older one had won out :(
I find the cappuccino bag to be the prettier of the two as well.
Any chance of reviewing the Continental Milan? Or any other Continental stuff? Some of those truffles look very nice. Also, I've seen there is a request for Dessert Gallery - have you managed to get those?
Coffee creams were always the ones I left well alone in the roses tin. There would always be about twenty rattling around by the time we got to the end it. We usually just threw them out.
I can't imagine for one minute a situation arising where I would go out my way to buy coffee creams.
Like some of the other guys have mentioned they were always the runts of the roses chocolates in my family - the ugly duckling you will.
Mmmmm now these do look good i already love! the Cappucino and eat them regullary but never seen the coffee creams :O, they look very very sweet though.
That comes from a guy who loves white chocolate though so i might love the sweetness lol.
Now to eat my Zero bar :D:D
Jim you may be interested to know that Thorntons have a limited edition coffee flavoured chocolate out at the moment. It would be great if you could review it before it disappears.
@Alan mmm some of those fondant sweets look very tasty. The fondant is a lost art form isn't it. I know jim always complains about the fondant chocolates in his reviews for being too sweet. The youth of today are so fussy =>
You could tell the continental cappuccinos were going to be better because of the higher fat content. I bet that was what made the melt feel better than the creams. They have only marginally more calories though, were they a lot smaller?
@ Estelle thats very true, it is a lost art form. I think it is probably seen as quite an old fashioned filling these days, hence the reason the only fondant filled bars we really see now are the Fry's bars. I've always been a fondant fan, but I guess its down to growing up in an era when they were still popular chocolates (I'm 28). I think today the popular term bandied about by choc companies etc would be 'chocolate has moved on' which is quite a shame to my mind.
Have you ever tried Needler's bars? Theyre a very old company and you don't see those much these days either but they do several filled bars - you'd never know now that they once competed with the likes of Cadbury and Nestle and co!
PART 1
David
Really? Have you tried the cappuccino ones aswell then? I thought these were better quality than the ones you used to get in Roses.
Steven
Haha so many people have said that today its unbelievable. I guess they got taken out for a reason.
Rachel
Thanks Rachel I do try my best with the photographs. I love coffee chocolates myself :D I'm happy to try any that come my way.
Lauren
Out of the two I do think that the cappuccinos look the nicest out of the two on show here. The creams hardly looked bad mind you.
Paul
I see where you are coming from but I still think they have some really credible offerings in their portfolio. I get what you mean about some parts of their range being no better quality than any mass produced product. I think they have a lot of work to do making sure each part of their range meets a different consumer needstate.
Kim
Thats a good idea isn't it. Ticks both boxes keeping you and your dad happy :D works both ways.
Darren
Personally I think they looked pretty average ... hence the 7.0. A lost art of the chocolate world? Boy that is a phrase that has been recycled today. I might use that in some upcoming reviews.
Richard
Haha I'm loving your mathmatics there chap. I'm surprised that the Cappuccino truffles don't work out more expensive. I guess they thought the Coffee Creams could be made pricer because they attract certain consumers.
Anon
They aren't for everyone I guess.
Alex
You can indeed buy them in bigger packs from some of the supermarkets I think. I definitely know you can get the Alpini ones in four multipacks. I agree the coffee did need to be stronger in the Cappuccino truffles.
Golden
See what I said to Paul above. I agree entirely. I think Thorntons really have to create some sort of clear tiering ... almost like supermarket own brands do .... value offerings ... mid range ... then a finest range!
I think that would really work out for them.
Nick
I have no idea when they came out exactly. It was only in the last few years I think. I didn't really like coffee at the time so I was never one for coffee creams either.
Daniel
Let me know what you think of them when you finally try them. It would be good to get a second opinion about them.
Linda
I think those bars only weigh about 28.0g so yeh they are pretty small in comparison to what you would normally get for your money.
Estelle
That orange Frys bar still does exist. Good luck finding some of the bars Alan has suggested to you - if you pick up the Thorntons Coffee Creams be sure to let me know what you think of them.
Alan
I think the coffee creams would have been better with dark chocolate aswell. How long ago do you reckon the coffee creams disappear from the Roses' selection then.
Have you seen the new packaging for the orange and peppermint Frys bars? They are the same as the new blue original bar ... the Fry's bars look great now I think. That independent shop you are talking about sounds great. These small sweet shops are making somewhat of a comeback aren't they. I just had a new one open up in my local town.
PART 2
Nigel
It was nice comparing an older style product with a new one. I think I might take a look at some of the Thorntons classics. They seem to have gone down pretty well today.
Ana
I will see what I can do taking a look at them. I quite fancy the look of that Desserts Gallery - I think it has been requested before on the requests page.
Louise / Tricky
A lot of people have said that today. As I said already they obviosuly got taken out for a reason :D I am just intrgigued to know when they did. It must have been quite a sudden decision.
Matthew
Have you been peering in my windows again :D Out of the 1000s of products I have reviewed you have somehow mentioned the one chocolate bar review that I updated today (Zero bar!) .... what are the odds of that :S
Karen
Indeed I have seen that. I think the review is due up on the site next week. Who knows when it will finally make it on though :D the review order changes on a daily basis at the minute.
Alicia
They were about the same size - the creams just have more sugar in (look at the carbohydrate contents!) ... it makes sense given they were the sweeter ones.
Estelle
I'm not that young myself! I do like a decent fondant ... just check out my reviews under the fondant tag.
Thanks everyone - I will see what I can do about reviewing some more of these golden oldies. The coffee creams stimulated some nice chat today.
JIM
Ohh I'd say at least 10 years, I know they went from Quality Streets a long time ago, when Nestle took over the brand from Mackintosh's. I think it was around the same time.
Yeah i've seen the new wrappers on the other 2 bars, they look great, they have a real standout don't they! Classy but modern too. They've just recently updated the Turkish Delight wrapper aswell, it's not massively different but theyve taken away the funny taglines ('as good as ever' etc) and strangely, the background image of the turrets. It's more modern but I'm not entirely sure of the new look whereas the Creams look fab lol For some reason theyve kept the old Fry's logo too which seemed a bit funny to me since theyve changed it on the Creams :P
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