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Kcal 551 Fat 35.5g Fat(sats) 20.9g Carbs 47.2g (per 100.0g)
In true blink and you'll miss it style, Thorntons have been celebrating their 'Chocolate Jubilee' 100th birthday this year. Indeed for such an amazing feat they have gone about telling everyone in a very underwhelming fashion - as a marketeer I can't help but see the missed opportunity they had here! Anyway, as part of their understated celebrations they have been releasing a few limited editions to their square bars range - the latest being this Bakewell Tart flavour. I first tasted this chocolate back in February when I was the recipient of some pre-samples courtesty of of one of Thornton's' PR agencies. Ever since this time I'd been really looking forward to writing this review - Thorntons were on to something here!
As with all Thorntons limited editions this one came in a 80.0g size and it took me the best part of three sittings for me to finish it. Colour wise the packaging was all sensible and nice looking; Thorntons really are starting to run out of colours for these square bars though, they are going to have to repackage them soon if they are to avoid it starting to get confusing. The chocolate blocks themselves were styled in the usual block format though when broken apart there were tiny specs of red fruits and biscuits clearly visible.
The most immediately striking thing about this chocolate that I noticed both times I tried it was that the chocolates' aromas were very strong, and really set the Bakewell Tart flavour experience up nicely. The 37.0% cocoa milk chocolate at the heart of the bar was on the whole enjoyable in it's own right with it's honey noted milky flavours, however it really just acted as an unfussy 'carrier' chocolate for the Bakewell Tart elements. From the very first to the very last piece, it was the almond, biscuit and dried raspberry contents which dominated the taste and boy did they achieve the Bakewell Tart taste superbly. Quite frankly this was what a Bakewell Tart flavoured chocolate would taste like in it's ideal form - they couldn't have achieved the flavour creation they set out to make any better. There were elements of red berry fruit, buttery nut and even a pastry like flavour input that created a sensationally engaging and ever developing taste. On a minor note, texturally this bar wasn't ideal as the fruit seed particles from the dried raspberry created a bitty, unecessary roughness to the mouth feel. I'm sure some may think the contrary and that it adds to the authenticity to this fantastic tasting offering.
Overall this was a delicious chocolate that achieved it's proposed flavour expertly. As I stated above, if you ever wanted to create a chocolate that was Bakewell Tart flavoured, this is exactly how you would go about it. The Bakewell Tart experience was executed about as well as possible, with the only real drawback for me being the texture of the melt which at times was far from ideal with the rough feeling seeds. Looking over at Dom's review on Chocablog (See HERE) our thoughts on this chocolate were largely consistent so I'm quietly confident that my own displeasure at the seed issue isn't me being overly fussy. If we are talking purely taste I honestly can't recommend this chocolate enough - even more so if you are a fan of Bakewell Tarts generally. For all their failings communicating their 100 year birthday they haven't half created a delicious chocolate here.
8.4 out of 10
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66 comments:
Lol looks like you are all over the limited editions this week huh Jim? This sounds like a cool flavour to me. It's not one I would have asked that they make but I would be happy to try it someday for sure. Being nice about thorntons is much better than having a moan at them all the time.
This sounds lush. I love the bakewell tarts you can get from waitrose. They are so much better than the mr kipling ones. I have to try this now.
This is odd. I don't really like bakewell tarts but im intrigued to see how they managed to cram all the different flavours in to a chocolate. This was shouting gimmick at me more than any other i have seen of recent times. Its got me curious I will give it that.
When I first saw that wrapper I thought this was just that god awful vinegar flavoured choc they once made. Im still annoyed they got hold of my money with that one.
All new this week then Jim :) Liking the reviews my man.
Lol you get pre-samples and then samples? Are you a taste tester for them or something?
Kudos to Thorntons here.
They look to have made a flavour of chocolate that is completely unique and note seen before. Well done.
Hey J
Big day today isn't it :) I'm not going to be able to focus on anything at all today. I'm going to have SSN on all day looking at who is coming in and out. I'm not too sure we are going to get anyone at Liverpool but who knows eh!? Strange things have happened on these transfer window days before.
Nice sounding choc today btw. I think those pips and seeds would wear me down eventually though it sounds like the taste is so good it might be able to cover it.
Cheers
N
I hope this is included in the mini range of these blocks they now do. It would be good to try a little bit of it first before paying the full amount.
Why did they have to choose bakewell tarts? Talk about the lamest cakes ever. The only cakes I hate more are those fondant ones.
This all sounds brill but where are the glacier cherries? You can't have a bakewell without a cherry.
WOw I don't think I've wanted to try a chocolate like I do this one for a long time now.
I've recently been becoming warn out by all the so called innovative chocolates that have been released. Most thing these days just seem to be all talk and not substance. This sounds like it walks the talk.
Thorntons have let me down so many times I now refuse to buy anything from them unless I hear some uber good things about it.
I think ive read enough good things about this one to consider getting it.
Ive read a fair few reviews on this one now. All of them have been really positive. It's great to hear.
This is exactly the sort of stuff I want to see Thorntons making. Not the cheap crap we've been subjected to lately. This sort of chocolate must require a lot more time and effort put in to it's creation etc but its so much better than just the endless random chocolate shape sort of products they have been making. Lol does everyone remember the Thorntons Lovebirds LOL!!!! Thorntons if you are reading this please keep making these sort of new chocolates. It reflects so much better on you.
Hmmmm I think I might need to get a few bars of this to cheer me up if Arsenal don't sign anyone today. Lol it's going to be so depressing if Arsene fails to splash the cash again :(
*claps* Thorntons deserve some good press for this.
Finally someone has created something that is different from the norm. You compare the level of thought and innovative thinking put in to this compared to that mars bar on monday and there is only one winner don't you think! I bow my cap to them.
Not for me. I have nightmares about bakewell tarts, they make me shudder lol.
My parents used to be obsessed by them and never bought any other type of cakes. I have longstanding issues with them because of this I think.
Man you aren't wrong about the need for new packaging. Not only is it starting to look old but I think they've got to the point of recycling the colours. That deep coloured red is one that has deo been used before.
Man you aren't wrong about the need for new packaging. Not only is it starting to look old but I think they've got to the point of recycling the colours. That deep coloured red is one that has deo been used before.
I dont know why im telling you this but I nearly just wet my pants hearing that the wispa gold is coming back. That makes me so ridiculously happy. YAYS :-) :-) :-) :-)
Hey hun fabulous review today. I was going to post you a jokey comment about not doing a bits and pieces post again this week but I see what you are up to bringing us these ones about the new chocolates. Bakewell Tarts sound all fab to me :) gimme gimme gimme.
Rxxx
They've been a little boring not doing anything with the packaging.
Its been this way for years now. I get they are trying to do the ritter sport effect but even ritter modernise the way their wrappers look every now and then.
God hearing it's their 100 year anniversarry and then hearing about their worrying sales performance it makes me even more worried for their short term future.
If they can't shift their chocolate in such a historic year for their company then surely they are going to be struggling even more when they don't have even that to play off. Next year could be a right old struggle for thorntons dont you think.
Yum yummy. When can we expect this one to be coming out Jim? Im still yet to try the last lemonade one, I hope they haven't stopped making them already. Not al of us hate popping candy :p
Gr8 review today J. Its always nice to hear about thorntons doing things well. Its all too often we bitch and moan about how crappy they are and what a let down they've been. This bakewell tart sounds brill, chocolate heaven if you are bakewell fan.
I wish they had gone with apple pie flavour instead. That is one that still needs to be made yet. I can see a custard flavoured white chocolate with apple and biscuit being tremendous. Lol Thorntons should get me on the payroll to come up with ideas for them =)
I can't keep up Jim. I'm still trying to find that god damn mars bar from Monday lol
I had absolutely no luck whatsoever in Sainsburys yesterday :(
I don't know what the bigger surprise is! The fact Thorntons aren't kicking up a fuss about their one hundred year birthday or the fact they have created a half decent new product lol.
Looks great to me Jim. Thanks for this.
I know this sounds stupid but I think Thorntons might have seen a suggestion I wrote on this site about a year ago and honestly done something with it :D
Jim do you remember me saying they should make a load of British dessert chocolates :D It was round about the time you did a review of their summer desert collection. I don't think I said bakewell tarts but I said a lot of things that were close.
Thumbs up choccie man. I hope I can get one of these soon to try. They better not run out what with them being limited edition, I do love a good bakewell.
What a lovely surprise :) You never normally as fast with the new Thorntons chocs. Its good to see you get a review up so soon, thanks.
I like how you can see the tiny bits of fruit in the chocolate. I always find it reassuring when you can see that. The only thing I don't like hearing about are those seeds.
Jim FYI the other chocolate blocks are mostly 90grams and not 100grams. For some reason they have never been 100gs.
Its good they started packaging them all in foil packs and not those horrible looking cellophane ones. They immediatedly cheapened them.
Now this is the sort of thing I want to see Thorntons making from now on.
Forget the crappy seasonal crap, they should just focus on creating new creative things exactly like this.
Do you think they put the pips in there just to give it a feeling of having real fruit in there Jim? I can't see any other reason why they would do it.
Happy Birthday Thorntons =)
I see what you are saying about the 100 years thing but on the flip side we would all likely have got sick of it if they had been bleating on about it all year. I say we just sit it out and see what they do in the last few months of the year. They could go for it big time at the end of the year and we could all end up wishing we hadn't asked them to start going on about it lol.
I lost faith in thorntons the moment they start releasing all those craptastic cheapo chocolates. I don't think I've bought anything from one of their shops for a good year and a bit now.
Dx
I haven't found myself saying this often about Thorntons as of late but this does sound a bit grand. Sorry to repeat what everyone else has commented but it does just looked totally unique to anything else I can think of. I can't think of an alternative put it that way.
I know this always gets asked but is this one going to cost the same as the rest of the Thorntons bars?
Most (all I think!) of the new limited editions have been price aligned to the rest of them. It would be an odd development if this one was suddenly more expensive so I'm not exoecting it to be.
Im totally with you on the under playing of the 100 years thing Jim.
I don't understand what they must be thinking :S its like the perfect opportunity to say something good about themselves and they are just letting it pass them by.
They need to sack their marketing department for this cock up.
I saw your msg about changing your reviews to new things this week and thought this might just make an appearance. Its gr8 to be able to see this review so quickly so thanks for that Jim. Its one that has got my interest I freely admit.
Unfortunately I cant see myself trying it straight away. I need to catch up with the mars bar first. Im still not seeing it in any of the shops round and about my area. Its starting to get awfully frustrating grrrrr.
I SO want to get me a bar of this.
Has anyone tried the new my kipling trifle tarts? Omg they are like the best things ever created. I ate three last night (greedy pig lol).
x
x
For someone who doesn't really like bakewell tarts I have a strong urge to give this one a go.
I think its just that we haven't had anything like this before. Looking through the entire review it looks like you don't have a bad word to say about it which can only be a good thing.
Cripes Jim they must really think your opinion is worth having if they give you two sets of samples lol.
I would be happy with just the one man.
Aren't bakewell tarts supposed to have cherry in and not raspberry?
Thorntons are lucky to still be in business let alone making new chococolates. Credit where its due thought this does sound as if its a whole lot better.
I did see that other review last week but I thought I would waite on the JCM pov. It does sound like it is one worth trying now. 9.5 for taste is more than enough to get me interested :-) p.s. well done to thorntons on 100 years.
As good as this sounds its just given me thoughts about how sweet a trifle flavoured chocolate could be. White chocolate, strawberry flavoured chocolate and then a layer of biscuity bits. I might just copyright that idea right now.
I posed up a review of this yesterday and had similar thoughts!
Yes, I completely agree with you on this one!
Great review timing cause I just got this on a three-for-five deal and was curious to see how it would rate. I loved the raspberry and the biscuit bits. Thorntons using no artificial flavors is especially impressive. The only thing I didn't like was the almond flavor was too strong for me, though overall I loved the combination of the flavors. I've never had Bakewell Tart but if this is what it tastes like I'm in for a treat. PS Thorntons gave me a 100th birthday coupon for 1 off, too. PPS I think they could mix up the colors of their fonts if they run out of backgrounds. Ritter has the same problem don't they?
Stacey - it's already out, I tried it a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was tasty but very strongly marzipan/almond flavour. You can't really detect the chocolate unless you think about it. The rough texture was a bit off-putting as well but overall I enjoyed it. It does taste like bakewell tart, rather than "chocolate with bakewell tart". For a chocolate hit, it doesn't really satisfy your craving, but it is a very flavoursome and tasty bar :)
High praise indeed. I love Bakewell tarts, so I really must give this a try. Hopefully I can find it somewhere. Where did you get it?
Hi All,
I think a few of you have cottoned on to the fact that new products are theme of the week :D
As I said in the review this has been a chocolate I've been waiting to review for ages, ever since I got that first sample earlier this year.
Pips aside I would say it is a really outstanding chocolate which if you fancy trying just one little bit you should make sure you do. As ever I'm stacked with work so I better get a wriggle on responding to some of your questions.
Please keep the feedback coming in.
TONY - No ... obviously just a valued reviewer :D
NIGEL/CHRIS - I've been keeping my eye on Twitter all day with the transfers. How about I comment on it properly tomorrow when we know what has/hasn't gone through. It's all still very up in the air at the moment isn't it.
STACEY - I believe it is already available. It is online anyway.
EMILY - Now you mention it I do remember someone posting along those lines once. I do remember telling you guys that these companies listen to what you say :D It's why it's important you guys comment and contribute to the site. They can only give you what you want if you let them know what it is exactly you want from them in the first place.
ANON - I don't know if the pips were put in there intentionally or not. One thing I do know is that they weren't cool.
RICHARD - It does indeed cost the same as the others chap.
LOT-O & DOM - Us great minded chocolate reviewers think alike huh!? :D We must know what we are talking about.
THEA - Ritter are running out of colours but some of their limited seasonal editions have seen them change things up a bit with their style of wrapper. Never had a Bakewell Tart? You have to try one now just so you can see how accurately they captured the flavours ... it's most impressive trust me.
LINZY - Thanks for helping me field the questions :D It's so hard doing this on my own!
BJ - Errr funnily enough Thorntons sell it :D
Thanks for the comments everyone. I was expecting less feedback this weekend due to these products being unknown quantities but it still seems like you guys have plenty to say which is great.
Keep it coming will check in tomorrow.
JIM
Thorntons should celebrate their 100 years as much as they can. I doubt they will be making it to 105 LOL.
Where's the real jim gone? Who's kidnapped him?
Saying something nice about Thorntons is unprecedented on this blog.
How do you think the transfer window shutting is gonna go today J?
Expecting anyone in the door at Man U?
Omg this sounds so yummy.
I love bakewell tarts. They were the cakes that my old nan used to have in everytime we went round there. She always used to give them to me and my brother which used to annoy him because he didn't like them lol.
I so need to be trying this asap.
Over the bank holiday weekend that just went I baked my own apple tart for the 1st time ever. The rest of my family said it was brill so I might have a dabble at something else this w/e.
im very impressed by this. It is so rare these days that we see something that can be regarded as a fresh idea and I think Thorntons have done exactly that here. I know Thorntons create some rubbish sometimes but I think this goes to prove they are very capable when they put their minds to it. Im impressed anyway.
From what you describe this sounds lush J. How come these PR companies are sending you these chocs and not Thorntons themselves? Its so lame if they don't do any of their own marketing!
There aren't many 2nd povs floating about this review today.
Has this one not been out lond enough or something? Its just funny to see no one expressing an opinion on whether they agree with you or not.
Gr8 reviews so far this week Jim. I want to try both these new'uns youve showed us so far. Can't waite to see whats coming tomorrow :)
Bought 1 of these on the back of your review Jim. Love the chocolate and dont like the pips either!
I bought a bar the other day. The aroma is exquisite. I could have spent ages sniffing it. Unfortunately I hated the taste. It was far far to sweet for me.
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