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Kcal 220 Fat 13.9g Fat(sats) 8.3g Carbs 21.4gOnly a few weeks after reading the original press release I today got the opportunity to try the new Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss thanks to being a sent a sample by one of Cadbury's PR agencies. If you missed the articles I posted in my last two '7Days of Chocolate Reviews' news roundups you can see the statements that Cadbury released to the trade HERE. In those articles they make reference to a '£2.2m marketing campaign', as well as a partnership with Nails. Inc (oh joy! Haha). Suffice to say, it would appear that Cadbury are taking this new launch pretty seriously. After the disappointment of some of their latest 'innovations' (I'm thinking Cadbury Wishes and Cadbury Spots V Stripes) I had a little more confidence that this 'Dairy Milk milk chocolate with a vanilla centre' proposition may well prove to be a little bit more to my liking.
The new Bliss bar comes in a 41.0g size and with an RRP of £0.53. My first impressions of the wrapper were that it was remarkably similar to the Cadbury Dairy Milk Apricot Crumble (See HERE). Had it not been for the Bliss branding and on-pack vanilla flower and pod pictures, it would have been almost impossible to tell the two apart. Although I think it would have been wiser for them to have made the packaging a little different, I altogether still thought it was pleasing on the eye. The chocolate inside came in a different style of Cadbury block than I have seen before, with the bar devised into six nicely sized chunks that had smooth edges. When cut in to, the filling looked nice and plentiful, with small specs of black vanilla pod evident throughout the cream colour centre.
Taking in the aromas on offer from the chocolate, the smells were distinctly Cadbury with the usual milk and sweet chocolate scents seemingly unaffected by the large proportion of vanilla flavoured filling. As soon as I placed the first block in my mouth, the outer Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate began it's well paced caressing melt and fast established it's delicious cream based, sweet cocoa flavours. As much as I enjoyed the Dairy Milk chocolate, my overall perceptions were obviously going to be determined by the quality of the vanilla filling, and I'm delighted to tell you that I thought it was very tasty. To be honest I was fearing an overly sweet, artificial tasting gloop, but in actual fact what I tasted was a very well balanced filling. The cream and vanilla flavours delivered weren't the strongest, but the mild suggestion of both worked nicely in tandem with the chocolate and progressed the taste with a pleasant elegance. Texture wise the filling had a slightly drier feel, which did well in prolonging it's longevity in the mouth and thus added aided it's mild flavour impact. Eating the whole bar in a single sitting was by no means a problem for me. If anything I think it could have done with being a little bigger given the lightly flavoured filling.
Overall after the last two disappointments we have had with Cadbury's latest innovations it is nice to see them return to some sort of form with this Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss offering. I'm not sure if Kraft had any sort of hand in the concept generation or manufacturing of this product, but I did get a sense when I was eating this bar, that it was highly reminiscent of some previous chocolates I have tried from Milka. Given my liking of Dairy Milk chocolate I was never concerned about the quality of that part of the product - it was always going to be all about the vanilla flavoured centre. To my delight it exceeded all my prior expectations, and actually reminded me a lot of the Ritter Sport Stracciatella that I lauded earlier this summer. The vanilla element was genuine tasting and just about the right strength to enhance the chocolate rather than try and overpower it. If we think about some of Cadbury's innovations I have reviewed over the last few years (even months) I haven't always been so confident about them sticking around on our shelves for long. In my opinion the Cadbury Dairy Milk Bliss has a better chance of passing the test of time than several of the last few offerings. If you fancy the sound of the Bliss it is certainly worth giving a trying - I would love to hear your opinions.
8.2 out of 10
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45 comments:
Oh I had the slight suspicion that you would have the Bliss review up today. :-) Cinebar over at foodstuff finds reviewed it the other day as well. There it was also well received, though I found it sounded rather sweet and the vanilla aroma not terribly strong. Which slightly damped my anticipation for this bar since I am a vanilla junkie and could do with a good, strong vanilla dose. ;-)
But maybe it actually IS well balanced? Your review definitely makes it sound as if it is just strong enough to be nice without killing the chocolate flavour of the DM. I guess I will just have to run a get myself a bar ones these come out in October and see what I think. :-)
Cool beans I wasn't expecting a review of this for a while.
Great review Jim. I will definitely be giving it a try when it comes out now.
Well this looks a bit gorgeous doesn't it. I have never seen a Cadburys chocolate look like it has such a big filling in it. Normally the caramel or the turkish delight you get is piddly, the vanilla here looks immense. Great pics and description Jim. Thanks so much.
Rxxx
I see what you mean about the wrapper lol. It does look pretty identical to the apricot choc they used to make. Lol do you think they had some material leftover in the factory or something lol.
Anyway it's good to hear that it is better than a lot of their other attempts as of late.
This looks cool. Do you have any idea as to when we will be able to buy it in the shops? Is it going to be available everywhere?
How do you get hold of these things so early? I still haven't even seen one of those Twix Finos yet grrrr.
Its nice to hear about these things before I buy them, but still it would be nice to just be able to go out and buy them. This will be a must try for me at some point.
I like the idea of a vanilla filling but I just can't see me ever buying it instead of my usual fruit and nut. Its the bar I have bought for years, I will definitely try it, but I don't think it's going to be a world beater. I bet it doesn't even last a year.
This has Kraft written all over it. Milk chocolate with a milky filling sounds a lot like loads of the milka things that they make don't you think. I don't like the wrapper much but I will still be buying one when I see it come out.
To be honest I was fearing an overly sweet, artificial tasting gloop, but in actual fact what I tasted was a very well balanced filling. The cream and vanilla flavours delivered weren't the strongest, but the mild suggestion of both worked nicely in tandem with the chocolate and progressed the taste with a pleasant elegance.
This sounds so tasty. I can understand you thought it might be really sugary. Loads of their flavours before have been like that but this sounds v nice.
If you fancy the sound of the Bliss it is certainly worth giving a trying - I would love to hear your opinions.
Dont you worry Jim I will be ;) I hope I like it as much as you do.
I bet you loads of people wont even notice that this is new if they keep the packet looking like that. What the hell possessed them to make it so similar to that other chocolate they used to make? It must be such a no-no for making a new product. They should have made it look all new.
It's good to hear that cadburys are back in some kind of form jimbo, great review.
Lol you must have enjoyed the football yesterday. I thought you guys had blown it when we equalised. Berbato was outstanding.
Thanks for including the price jim :D lol I think 53p is a fair one, it will just be interesting to see what my local shops make of that. Some of them have been known to bump there prices loads grrr.
I dont like vanilla that much but I will still be giving this a try.
Theres no holding you back with these reviews huh jim. I wasn't expecting to see you review this yet nice work. I really fancy tasting this, I don't recall Cadbury having ever made anything like this previously, it's something totally new.
I don't want to focus on the negatives but if only '72%' of people said they would buy it again what did the other '28%' think of it?
That is quite a substantial amount of people who wouldn't bother buying it again. Hmm it doesn't sound out of this world.
I don't want to focus on the negatives but if only '72%' of people said they would buy it again what did the other '28%' think of it?
That is quite a substantial amount of people who wouldn't bother buying it again. Hmm it doesn't sound out of this world.
Thanks for the review Jim it is always nice to hear what these things are like before the come out to buy.
I do love the look of it in your pictures, you are right about the blocks we have never seen them in that shape before. Dairy milk is my favourite chocolate ever, I just wish they used it in all their products instead of just some of them. A dairy milk wispa would be the bomb.
This looks a little special doesn't it :) I don't like vanilla as a flavour all that much but from what you have written it doesn't feature that much anyway. I'm not massivelly excited about trying this one like I was the fino but I will be buying one.
Do you have the new senses bar to try yet?
Here I was hoping to see a hotel chocolat monday but this is even better :) Well done jim this is a really nice post. You describe it in great detail, I can nearly taste it ..... not quite :) I will have to try it myself to be sure lol.
Well this looks positively yummy. I never thought we would see anything exciting from cadburys again, they seem more content with just re-releasing old things or just making repackaged things of what they already make. It's brill seeing something completely new.
I cant be the only one to not think this looks nice. That vanilla stuff looks horrid and yellow, if I'm being well disgusting I would say it almost looks like its puss. No thanks not trying this one.
I like your optimism Jim but do you really think that this is going to be around for anything more than a year?
IF you think about anything they have made in the last 5-10 years nothing they have made have ever stuck around. It's always the classic that end up being sold. New things are nice to see but I hold out little hope this will ever become one of the elite.
Interesting review but I wont be convinced until i give it a go myself. I like the concept but I just hope cadburys make the most of it. some of their latest bars have been crap. I hated all of the bars of plenty.
If you got any left you could send one on for me to try Jim ;) I will be more than happy to give you a second opinion lol.
@Daisy I think you could be right about the Kraft thing. Jim does it say it is made by kraft or cadburys on the wrapper?
This does look and sound delicious I have to say. I hope this sets a trend with these types of fillings, not just vanilla but other flavours. That would be awesome. I see what you meant about the wrapper now! Its still great though.
@David/Daisy - this is the first bar that kraft have had any hand in, its the first NPD bar to come out since the takeover. I also wondered yesterday if it would have Kraft anywhere on the wrapper.
I know people have had a bit of a moan about some of Cadburys new products over the last few years but although some werent so good others have been great - and lets face it, at least they have been bringing out some new products - when did Nestle bring out a new bar? as for marsUK, they bring out a new bar once every decade lol
Right this is going straight on my 'try list'. You are always so negative about new products, its good to see you have been a little more positive about something for once. I think cadburys also deserve some praise for trying something new. This is the first time we have seen them attempt something genuinely different for ages.
I love Cadbury and this Bliss chocolate looks tasty. It is a biw like the Milka Amavel i think. Will check out if i can find this in the english shop over here next time :)
I like the look of this - can't wait til it's out in the shops! :D
I thought this was going to be destined for one of those reviews were you say it could have been a lot better than it actually was. It's good to see Cadbury attempt something new and come out as winners for once. Nice one guys, I'm covinced enought to buy one with this recommendation.
I just knew this was going to be brilliant :-) I'm desperate to try one now. I'm going to go out to the shops today to see if they have any on sale early.
Thank you for the review Jim it is great seeing an expert opinion on these things before we get to buy them (I'm a bit jealous still lol).
I cant say I care much for the packaging or the way they are pitching this one again at women but I guess this is to be expected and probably sensible on their part.
Di I think you are going to be lucky if you can buy one of these for a long time. It supposed to be a good month until they are out yet.
Nice review, Jim!
It seems that we are severely lacking bars with vanilla filling in the U.S.
Thanks for the review Jim, I like the sound of this. It's nice to have more variety, and I've always liked vanilla as a flavour so I hope this is as good as I imagine.
I see what you mean about the wrapper, maybe they thought people wouldn't notice since those bars were a bit of a failure.
I'm loving this review Jim thanks so much.
Could it be that the cadbury bliss is going to be a bar that we will still be eating in a dew decades time? I doubt this very much but I will buying one the moment I see it. Thanks for providing us with your honest opinions about it.
Glad to see a Cadbury's product finally live up to expectations, especially since this bar seems to have had a bit of a buzz around it since it was first announced. Can't wait to be able to try one for myself as I've been waiting for a Cadbury's bar to replace the Shortcake one they so meanily took away from us and while this bar isn't exactly along a similar idea, it's definitely a bar that sounds like it could come close to filling that void compared to all the other Cadbury offerings since. Thanks for another fab review and happy to hear this is a bar that didn't disappoint.
Glad to see a Cadbury's product finally live up to expectations, especially since this bar seems to have had a bit of a buzz around it since it was first announced. Can't wait to be able to try one for myself as I've been waiting for a Cadbury's bar to replace the Shortcake one they so meanily took away from us and while this bar isn't exactly along a similar idea, it's definitely a bar that sounds like it could come close to filling that void compared to all the other Cadbury offerings since. Thanks for another fab review and happy to hear this is a bar that didn't disappoint.
#1
Hi All,
Thanks for the all the responses and comments today, it is very humbling that so many of you take notice of what I write :D Thanks for all the nice words about my review - I tried to be as descriptive as possible for all of you.
It would take me hours and hours to write back all my comments to you guys fully so apologies if I miss anything out.
Anne - In the grand scheme of things I thought the vanilla was well implemented. It isn't the strongest flavoured filling ever, but trust me that is far preferable than something that tastes all fake and artifical. I think so anyway.
David - Haha they could well of had leftover packaging they needed to get rid of :D
Anon - Release date is mid October I believe.
Sally - I was sent this by a PR agency working for Cadbury. The blogosphere is probably flooded with them right now. Expect the reviews to start doing the rounds.
Stu - Indeed I think it was a silly decision to make it looks so similar. Like you say less observant consumers might not even recognise that it is a new product at all.
Nigel - Haha I think we could have beaten you by about ten yesterday. Berba was fantastic.
Richard - I wrote that bit in especially for you :D I just knew you would ask me what the price was if I didn't put it in there already :D
Golden - Indeed it is ver differentiated compared to some of the blander stuff they have been releasing as of late.
Alex - That is a good point :D perhaps they were just a little ambivalent towards it?
Eric - Agreed it would be better to see them use Dairy Milk more consistently.
Emma - No I haven't managed to get one of the new Senses bars yet. I already have a *NEW* product lined up for next Monday mind you :D
Kim - Hotel Chocolat Mondays are being replaced by *NEW PRODUCT* Mondays at this rate :D
Colin - It is probably wishful thinking trying to establish a case for it sticking around for any time whatsoever. The way these things tend to go it could be gone in under 9 months.
Peter - Really!? I think some of the bars of plenty are pretty decent myself. The Morrisons exclusive cornflake and nut was very good.
Estelle - Sorry Estelle I ate them all haha :D You will have to be patient I'm afraid.
David - It says Cadbury on the wrapper chap. No mention of Kraft at all.
Alan - You raise a very decent point about some of those other manufacturers. They haven't brought a totally new concept to market for what seems like years now. If Kraft did have a hand in this, and make this a model of their NPD going forward I think this whole takeover business could work out for the better. I say this because they kept the core conept of the Dairy Milk consistent, yet brought the new idea of the vanilla filling. Good execution by my reckoning.
Andrew - I'm not always downcast about new products at all. I could name several reviews of new products that I have written positively about. Ritter Sport anyone?
Franzi - You are right actually. It was especially reminiscent of the vanilla filling bit in the Milka Amavel Pistache. Let me know if you find it in your British shop.
Claudia - Don't worry not long now! Let me know what you think.
#2
Di - I can't say I like your chances of being able to find one early. Good luck though. I tell you what would be great - if people do start seeing them out and about please share with the rest of the people who follow this blog by posting a comment of where you saw them.
Joel - I wouldn't worry about the whole thing of it being aimed at females chap. Like you say it is pretty sensible on their part to do so. Women and chocolate are a deadly mix.
Rodzilla - Indeed you are!? I can't actually think of a single product that you guys get that is similar. Perhaps it just isn't a popular filling for you guys? We are hardly overloaded with options.
Phil - That is a good point chap. Most people have probably forgotton about those bars now. They properly bombed didn't they, I reckon they must have been with us for under a year I think.
Linda - Like you say I really doubt we will be, but to be honest it has just as good as chance of anything I have tried from them in the past year or so.
Ria - What I like about it is that it is exactly like you say, it's meeting a need that currently isn't being satisfied at all. They don't currently offer anything like it in their existing range at the moment, and they haven't done anything like this in recent memory. It is actually a genuine innovation.
Thanks again for all the responses today. Apologies my own feedback has been pretty short, I am rushed off my feet today. It would be great for you all to leave your own opinons and ratings on the bar as and when you get to try it. That has proved to be a really popular thing to do on the Twiz Fino review.
Like I said above I am sure loads of people would find it usedful if we could get some 'reported sightings' type discussion going. If you see it in the wild drop us all a note so we might know where to look ourselves.
I look forwards to all of your views.
JIM
Loving the review Jim thank you. You have really set this up nicely for me to try now. I can't wait to see if I think as highly of it as you do. I trust your judgement on these things ;) I hope you prove me right lol.
I was hoping this would be today's review after the hints :) thanks for a balanced look at this exciting flavor. One month is a long time to wait...maybe I can convince PR to send me one on the strength of my 'reviewer' status (2 posts on Amazon)? @Rodzilla that's a good point, Kraft although a US manufacturer releasing a more European type product. Imho Europe has it best in just about every flavor category (except for peanut butter!). PS Maybe it's because they are hitting their target market of women lol? but to me the wrappers are very distinct because of the design shape -- the purply part is straight on the old one.
Mmmm this looks really yummy. Definitely a bar I'm going to try now.
this look very yummy,
do get very dissappointed with cadburys as all their bars that are the best, always seem to discontinue, this happened with the crisp bits and orange bits (i think that they were only with a little bar thou, the biscuit bar and the double chocolate bar!! and they've kept the turkish one which i personally think is disgusting (ok so i havent actually tried it but dont like turkish delight)
What makes you so special that you get to try it before all of us hey? I love vanilla flaouvred things, I'm desperate to try this.
Headlline: JIM SCORING A CADBURYS CHOCOLATE HIGHLY SHOCKER
..........predictable much?
Managed to get my hands on one of these from my local Spar and tried it a few nights ago. I'm glad to report that this bar is not a let down and my opinions of this bar definitely match your's Jim. It's lovely, smooth and creamy with a nice hint of vanilla, without it being too strong or sweet. My only issue was that the bar was gone in all too quick a time. Will definitely purchase plenty more of these in future.
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