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Packaging wise I thought both were a little disappointing. Yes I will admit that they did manage to catch my eye, though I didn't think the use of the green colouring on either of the variants was very in keeping with Guylian's normally perfect sense of premiuimality (yes I'm making up words now!). Both chocolates were maintained in good condition thanks to a layer of foil packaging - the milk variant was by far the stronger smelling establishing a nicely nut hinted set of chocolatey aromas.
Below are my thoughts on each variant ...
Guylian Milk & Hazelnuts - Kcal 563 Fat 36.3g Fat(sats) 18.0g Carbs 49.6g (per 100.0g)
'How a chocolate smells, is always very indicative of the taste'. That is a phrase you will have found in several previous reviews and 99.0% of the time it is generally right. Out of the two chocolate types on offer today it was this milk variant that smelt strongest, however when it came to the taste it proved to be a little bland in comparison to it's white comparator. The chocolatey flavours had a very smooth milkiness, but there were very little cocoa flavours generated throughout the entire experience. Luckily for this chocolate, another one of my 'chocolate rules' of 'chopped nuts always being worse than wholenuts' was also proved totally wrong. Indeed, the chopped bits of hazelnuts were delightfully flavoursome and established a very forthcoming set of savoury woody flavours that left a lasting impression in the mouth. This was a chocolate very much saved by a very tasty helping of hazelnuts.
7.5 out of 10
Guylian White & Hazelnuts - Kcal 582 Fat 37.8g Fat(sats) 18.9g Carbs 55.0g (per 100.0g)
Contrary to expectations this white chocolate was actually very flavoursome, and fast established a thick creamy vanilla taste as soon as it entered the mouth. The pace of the melt of the chocolate was well timed, whilst the feel of transformation from solid to liquid was also pleasantly smooth. As much as the white chocolate was noteworthy to the taste, the majority of the experience was once again dominated by the chopped hazelnuts that were plentifully portioned throughout each block. The contrast of the creamier, sweeter white chocolate and the savoury hazelnut pieces was more extreme compared to the milk variant, which made the taste that little bit more exciting. I don't often say this but I found the white chocolate the more satisfying out of the two.
7.5 out of 10
Overall despite these being pretty average offerings from Guylian they were still fascinating to review given that they held several surprises ...
* Surprise #1 - Their place of origin!? ... I still have no idea how they made it to the UK.
* Surprise #2 - The white chocolate was tastier than the milk chocolate! ... This is something I don't find myself writing all that often.
* Surprise #3 - The chopped hazelnuts were actually pretty good! ... In both bars the chopped bits of hazelnuts generated a decent level of flavour and actually led the taste as soon as they were chewed.
Although I did prefer the taste of the white variant, it's failure to ignite any excitement with it's lacking aromas before the taste test has resulted in it scoring the same as the milk chocolate offering. To be honest I wouldn't get all that upset if you never come across these yourselves. They are both nice enough, but they don't offer anything that isn't available elsewhere on the market - See Lindt Excellence Caramelised Hazelnuts.
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29 comments:
I don't think you will be surpised to hear that I haven't ever seen these. In fact the only Guylian product I have ever seen are the sea shells. I had no idea that they did anything else.
Out of the two I think I would like to try the white chocolate one more. One of the best chocolates I have ever had is the Ritter white chocolate with hazelnuts. This sounds a bit similar to that but not as good. Thanks for the review.
Rxxx
Jim I think you will find these are now available in all Sainsburys. I saw them in my local one a few weeks ago.
I was put off by the bits of hazelnuts. I like things flavoured with nuts but I don't like them when they are bitty.
Yuck that is a disgusting looking wrapper. I still don't think that green is a good colour for nuts. It makes me more think of mint or fruit.
Would I just look plain annoying if I was to sat I would rather try a dark chocolate one lol.
I'm still desperately trying to find a decent enough white chocolate that doesn't cost an arm and a leg to buy. This could well be worth trying.
Thanks for the review Jim. Thorough as ever my boy.
Both of these are the kind of chocolate bars I would be suckered into trying the once only to be disappointed.
Unless I see them on a special offer I don't think I will bother with them now.
Cheers
Nice pics. I'm a little underwhlemed by the way they look. I would have thought Guylian would have tried making them look more impressive. When you consider how much effort they put into their truffles these look well boring.
I thought Guylian would have been better than these. Both of the milk and the white choc look well average if you ask me. You don't exactly make them sound any more appealing either lol.
Dx
I knew these were in trouble as soon as I saw they had small chopped nuts and not big ones.
Personally I do prefer them to be chopped as I think they take up too much space if they are put in there whole.
I can't recall a chocolate that does put nuts in them whole now I think about it. There must be a reason why they don't.
That is utterly disgusting if these have travelled all that way.
Talk about having a carbon footprint. The amount of travelling these would have done is horrible to think about. These companies should be more responsible to environment.
If these were like £1 each I might give them a go but Lindt do some really similar bars (I don't think you have reviewed them yet) which offer the same sort of thing + look a bit more fancy.
I don't have anything agaisnt Guylian but these aren't exactly anything new.
I wouldn't have a problem eating the milk chocolate one but I wouldn't be keen on the white chocolate at all.
I'm probably totally wrong but I got the idea that maybe Guylian made these because they had too many nuts left in their factories to make their truffles lol. I don't see another reason why they would make bars of chocoalte. I have never seen them make them before these
N.B. Ah Jim I forgot to say I saw some dark chocolate guylian seashells in town the other day. Can you review them please? It would be nice to know if they are as good as the normal ones.
Thanks
I'm all for Guylian trying new things but dont you think they should have tried something a little different from chocolate and hazelnuts? It's not like they have pushed the boat out with either of these bars is it :)
I'm not fussed in the slightest about trying either of these if I'm honest with you. Thanks for the review though :)
I give up on you Jim :-) I'm not going to even bother asking you to do it anymore .........
These bars cost £1.49 folks. That is according to this site
http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Shopping/FindProducts.aspx?Query=guylian
That is a reasonable price I think.
What a shame these are so average. I do buy the sea shells for gifts on occasion. I would say they are like the perfect mix for looking good but being relativel inexpensive. These look just cheap in comparison. You wouldn't ever give them away as presents would you. Lol well I wouldn't
You must have been pleased with your result last night Jim? Giggs and Scholes are like timeless classics aren't they. Even I can respect them and your our sworn enemies lol.
I don't find anything about either of these chocolate inspiring. The packaging looks pretty didge for Guylian. It just doesn't look right them trying to make chocolate bars and not truffles.
Lol I think these look quite nice actually, if I saw them I'll give them a go if theyre not too expensive. Theyre far worse bars out there lol
Perhaps they could have branded the blocks, but I think the wrappers are nice enough. I find the green inoffensive (its hardly a new colour for hazlenuts - just look at Ritter!). It makes a change to get something else from Guylian other than truffle related products.
@ Warren - lots of bars have whole unchopped nuts in - Cadbury wholenut, Cadbury Fruit n Nut, Ritter wholenut etc
They have sold these in Germany here for many years. I have tried them only one time before but i decide not to buy them again.
Many thanks
It's always great to see brands try new things but when they are as empty in gesture as these both are you do wonder why they bother at all.
These are fundamentally just Guylian truffles spread out in to the shape of a bar and with a few bits of bigger nuts put in. I wouldn't say thats particularly impressive.
I wouldn't have put my money on you liking the white chocolate over the milk. Often you say that white chocolate is too sweet and sugary for your tastes.
I don't like nuts so these wouldn't be something I would ever buy. I can't see a reason why someone would choose to buy them over the Lindt bars though. They do the same job but look and taste better by the sounds of things.
I think that anonymous person has gone over the top with what they say about the air miles being bad but I do sorta see where they are coming from.
If these have flown/been transported from Belgium, to Australia and then back to the UK that is pretty bad. I wouldn't get quite so dramatic about it though lol.
I do my shopping in Sainsburys and I'm going later. I will let you know if I see them in there. lol Im not going to buy them, they don't sound that good.
If this was a sales pitch you have epically failed in selling these to me :)
These come across as real run of the mill chocolates that don't have anything about them. I wonder how they thought they were persuade people to switch from what is already available. To me it doesn't look like they offer anything more or less than what the likes of Cadbury, Lindt and Thorntons already dish out etc.
If Richard is right about their price of one fifty then it isn't like they are significantly under cutting any of them either.
PART 1
David
They have a few selection boxes out on the market also. They aren't very good mind you! I certainly wouldn't recommend them. Just stick to the sea shell truffles.
Rachel
No problem. I also really rate the Ritter bar you are talking about. It's not the easiest bar to find nowadays though is it. This is a substandard sub but it might do the job for you to an extent.
Emma
Really? I thought they might have just been in one or two as they had surplus stock. A few more people might start filtering through with their thoughts on these soon if this is the case.
Mint
Yeah I still don't see green as a good colour to indicate nuts either. My initial reaction is always to associate it with mint like you have done.
Golden
It wouldn't be annoying - more good thinking I personally reckon. That way at least it could have been seen to offer something different from the truffles they already do.
Paul
My please. I think all of us can be guilty in to buying things that look all shiny and new. The point of me trying to get some of these things up asap is to guide you guys which ones are worth buying.
Chris
I think people are saying that these don't look as impressive because they are comparing them to the sea shells. I see where you are all coming from if you do compare them like for like. One product certainly comes off looking more premiuim than the other.
Daisy
Haha I have just told it like it is :D I don't have an agenda to make things sound less or more appealing than they actually are. I tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Warren
Whole nuts are always far more preferable in my eyes. You get the bigger flavour impact and a nicer crunch (if they are fresh!).
Off the top of my head I can think of loads of different chocolates that have wholenuts in ... in addition to the ones Alan has mentioned how about some of the bars that Thorntons and Hotel Chocolat make.
Anon
Woah you have very strong views about all this. I wouldn't say that it was disgusting behaviour, but no it probably isn't the most ethical thing to do. I can't imagine that they would have shipped them from Australia. Maybe they just didn't go there in the first place?
LucyLu
I'm totally with agreement with you here. The prices Richard has quoted look right aswell. That makes them only fractionally cheaper than the Lindt equivalent so unless it is the white chocolate one you are after I see little reason why you would go for these.
Duncan
White chocolate isn't for everyone. From what I hear on this site a lot it polarises people in that they either love it or they hate it.
I can see why Guylian have made bars in addition to their truffles. The occasions you eat block chocolate are a lot different to the times you eat truffles.
I will have a look for those Guylian dark chocolate sea shells and let you know if I find them.
I like the sound of these although I'm surprised they weren't better, as Guylian is usually very good quality. Maybe they're trying to sell them on the brand name alone.
I love the sound of the white one! I'll definitely look out for it if I pop into Sainsbury's anytime soon...I still need to try the Thorntons Flapjacks from there, as Morrisons don't sell them.
PART 2
Kaite
They could have possibly tried something a little bit more out of their repetoire for sure. There is the argument to stick to what you know though.
Richard
Why bother with pricing research when I have people like you with their eye well on the ball :D You are no designated price researcher for this website :D
Lauren
No I wouldn't gift these either. Lindt on the other hand I might do.
Nigel
Indeed United were very good last night. I enjoyed watching them.
Guylian also make a line of smaller bars aswell that sorta incorporate the theme of their truffles. I think they fit the brand an awful lot better than these bars do. These just look rather random.
Alan
Ritter hazelnut bars being green!? I don't think so chap! I think the green one is almond ... actually I know it is almond (I need to get out more!)
I agree that it is nice to see Guylian try something different aside from truffles. Like I said above block/bar chocolate suits a completely different eating occasion than truffles do. It opens a lot of doors for Guylian so it makes perfect sense for them to make these sort of things.
Jakub
Is there anything you guys don't get in Germany? It seems like it is the chocolate capital of the world at time.
Joel
I wouldn't say these are an empty gesture at all. They are fundamentally different in what their truffles boxes offer in my opinion.
These aren't the greatest but I think they are getting a bit of a rough ride from people today.
Selina
I do wonder how I have given people the impression I don't like white chocolate!???? I guess my recent reviews of the newest milkybar wouldn't have helped but actually if you look at my reviews of some other white chocolates you will see that there are many I do really rate.
Lena
Indeed I think they were a bit OTT but I think they were just trying to get a point across. I very much doubt they have travelled all that distance around the globe, suffice to say if they have that is pretty bad if you think about it.
Tracey
Do let me know if you see them.
Chris
Two Chris's in one day we have been blessed :D
You don't ever sales pitches from me chap. I wouldn't be very good at them I am far to honest.
The common thread of thought today appears to be about these bars not 'offering' anything more than other closely matched bars.
I can't counter argue that I'm afraid Guylian - like I said in the review the bottom line is that these just aren't as good.
Thanks everyone! I think there is a bits n bobs post coming up tomorrow! I hope you enjoy it!
Cheers
JIM
lol now thats interesting because in Aldi I spotted and bought some of the Ritter Sport Mini trays and in that there is a Milk Chocolate with Chopped Hazlenuts and its in exactly the same green wrapper that the almond bar you reviewed is in lol
Alan
Really? I haven't seen a pack of minis for ages so I can't comment on that. If that really is the case that is a bit of an odd one.
JIM
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