Review: MilkyWay from Mars (Danish)

There seem to be a number of country specific versions of this bar. This one is directed at the Danish Market and is described as a “Milk chocolate with an airy nougat filling”. Here Mars might consider a clarification as in Denmark, nougat is usually understood to be made of sugar and hazelnuts, whereas this egg white and sugar based nougat is usually known as “French nougat”.

The wrapper could be nicer and more clear about what this proposition is about. The chocolate itself appears less than nice as it is dull looking lacklustre, Appearance 6 out of 10.

The aroma is very fatty and smells of vegetable oil. Also, it is not very chocolatey. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10.

Texture wise this bar is unfortunately very uninteresting as it has only soft textures with no crunch or snap to break all the softness. and no crunch. The filling is very soft and the chocolate provides no snap nor crunch. In addition the filling is light yet sticky. Texture: 6 out of 10.

The flavour is very sweet and burns in your throat. There is no clear character of neither chocolate nor filling. Also it tastes of vegetable oil. Flavour: 6, 5 out of 10.

Average: 6, 25 out of 10.

Review: Revisting Marabou Premium 86%

A reader asked med to do a re-review of the Marabou 86% (Premium series), as she believed the score should be somewhat higher. Having revisited this bar, however, did not lead to any major changes in my perception of this bar.

 I will not cover what I already said of this chocolate. I still think that aroma and snap are both nice.

The major problem area, in my opinion is the flavour. The initial sweetness I described in my original review is still there, but it disappears faster than I remember. The remaining flavour is so bitter and chemical tasting that it’s simply not a pleasure to eat. Perhaps you will say that bitterness is characteristic of such high content cocoa bars. That’s true enough – to a certain extent. First of all I have had nice 80+% bars that I am quite happy to munch into. Second of all, this bar has no fruit or complexity in the flavour. I found that flavour improved a little a day after opening, but not enough that I would buy it again.

If anything I would score the flavour a full point lower than the 7/10 I had assigned it in the originalreview.

This would result in am average score of 7 out of 10.

After having done a retest of this bar I have a hard time imagining what the target group is for this bar. Perhaps people who thin that 86% chocolate is acceptable on a diet? I don’t know. But I do not think you get very good value for your money with this bar.

Toms extra mint

As with the Tom’s Orange offering I reviewed here last week, this chocolate is produced by Ghanaian cocoa in special trays, a process that supposedly adds extra flavour dimensions as well as being better on the environment. This offering, entitled “Mint & Caramel” is described as a “Dark chocolate with caramel, cornflakes and peppermint oil” and contains a minimum of 60% cocoa.
The box is OK looking and well represents the proposition of a mint flavoured chocolate. The chocolate has a nice shine, though I feel the appearance is somewhat ruined by the orange specks (cornflakes?) on the surface. In cross section view it is somewhat better looking with white specks (caramel?) inside. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

There is a good, perhaps too overpowering, whiff of peppermint, though there is too little chocolate aroma and no discernible scent of caramel. Aroma: 7 out of 10.

The bar has a real nice snap to it. There is a little crunch from the cornflakes and/or caramel. But as this is so finely ground,. It makes little sense to have these crunchy elements in, as the chocolate has a nice the crunch in and off itself. Texture: 8 out of 10.

The chocolate flavour is quite neutral. A nice balance has been achieved in terms of sweetness, not too sweet and not too bitter. Unfortunately there is no fruit in the chocolate flavour. There is a good taste of mint. Certainly a good balance is struck so that the mint flavour is not too overpowering. Still, the peppermint lingers a long time in the mouth in form of aftertaste. Also, there is a bitter aftertaste from the chocolate. The caramel flavour is not very pronounced. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 7, 375 out of 10

Review. Ritter Sport Yoghurt

Ritter Sport has quite a good number of different offerings and this offering is a another to combine yoghurt and chocolate. I reviewed the yoghurt and strawberry offering here, and today’s review will be of the plain yoghurt offering. The wrapper describes it as a “Filled milk chocolate with skimmed yogurt cream (45%)”, with cocoa contents of about 30%.

The wrapper is nice looking and gives a good indication of the bar. Also, the chocolate has a nice light brown colour and it looks good in a cross section view. Appearance: 8 out of 10.

The aroma is sweet and full of milk chocolate, though not much by way of yoghurt in the aroma. Aroma: 7 out of 10.

The snap is fairly good for a milk chocolate, and as such provides some contrast to the filling. The yoghurt filling is a bit too dense which ruins the texture which is a shame as the dense texture makes the chocolate stick to the teeth. Texture: 7 out of 10.

Flavour wise there is a nice twang from the yoghurt filling, but other than that it is nothing much special about this offering. Still, if you like milk chocolate and yoghurt you might very well find this offerings nice. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 7, 25 out of 10.

Other reviews

Jim's´chocolate mission review

Food Junk's review

Chocablog's review

Review: MilkyWay Crispy Rolls

I suppose this is a “light” snack that can come in handy be if you are in the mood for a small and quick little something. It is described as “Wafers filled with milk cream (47%) and covered with milk chocolate (30%)”. Still, weghing in at a measley 25g I am not sure if these are going to satisfy many. Unless of course they are supposed to be sold bundled up.

The wrapper is not the prettiest I have seen and might be designed with a little more visual appeal. However, the two rolls inside look decent. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

In my opinion the aroma leaves much to be desired. There is a little aroma of dairy but it seemes a little of as if it has gone a little sour. Aroma: 5, 5 out of 10.

The filling melts away immediately after the crunch is gone, which leaves you somewhat unsatisfied. Texture: 6, 5 out of 10.

The flavour is sweet with hints of sourness and malt (wafer?) and a little milk chocolate. However, the flavours disappear so quickly and the flavour is very onedimensional, not offering much excitement. It is not really a bad bar, though it needs much improvement to make it something a litlle more special, that folks would want to buy, if you ask me. Flavour: 6, 5 out of 10.

Average: 6, 375 out of 10.

Other reviews of MilkyWay Crispy Rolls:

Jim's Chocolate Mission review

Chocablog's review

Candyblog's review

ZOMG's review

Review: Tom's Extra Orange

I am not really sure which target group this offering from Danish Tom’s Confectionary group is aimed at. This particular 100g bar is part of a series called Tom’s Extra, a series that include a wide range of flavoured chocolates as well as chocolate on its own. The box states that the chocolate is of a high quality and that the cocoa beans have been fermented in special trays that are 10 cm in height which develops the flavour and adds extra flavour dimensions. In addition, according to the box, this method is better on the environment.

This particular offering from the series is made with Ghanaian cocoa beans and is described as a “Dark chocolate with cornflakes and orange oil”. It contains a minimum of 60% cocoa.

The cardboard box looks OK and well signals its contents. The chocolate itself appears quite elegant with a shiny dark brown colour. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is not very powerful. (as can often be the case with orange flavoured bars) It has notes of rubber, orange and dark chocolate. The rubber, is not so pleasant and I miss a more distinctive aroma. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10.

The chocolate has a very good snap, and a good crunch from the cornflakes crisps. This is clearly the best executed part of the bar. It has a nice and slow melt with good texture. Texture: 8 out of 10.

Initially the chocolate is sweet, with a tiny bit of fruit. The chocolate then develops a bitter aftertaste which is really unpleasant and surprising considering it has such a “low” cocoa content and that it uses orange oil rather than orange peel. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10

Average: 7, 125

Review: Snickers limited edition Maximus

Peanuts and chocolate is a great combination and this Snickers limited particular promises to step it up a notch wit the words “Maximum load of peanuts and caramel” appearing on the wrapper. It is described as a “Milk chocolate (35%) with a centre of caramel (38%) and roasted peanuts (26%)”.

The wrapper is nicelooking and gives a good indication of the bar’s content. I for one like it better than the original Snickers’ wrapper. The bar itself looks OK but is a little dull in appearance. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The bar has aromas of roasted hazelnuts. Also, there are some burnt note which are not so pleasant. And there are aromas of some sort of vegetable fat which I am not able to define more precisely, but this aroma too is not entirely pleasant. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10.

The texture is chewy and tough and very dense, in my opinion far too dense. There is a little crunch from the peanuts but on the whole there is too far between those peanuts that have not been too finely chopped. Here I would have liked much more crunch to cut the otherwise very dense texture. Texture: 6, 5 out of 10.

The bar is not particularly sweet. It does, however, have a rather strange bitterness and burntness to it, as if some of the ingredients are not top notch. The caramel and the peanuts lack in flavour as does the milk chocolate covering the caramel and peanuts. Flavour: 6 out of 10.

Overall I was disappointed with this bar and did not feel it lived up to the expectations set up for it. I consider the original Snickers proposition superior to this one.

Average: 6, 625 out of 10.

Other reviews

Jim's chocolate mission review

Exquisite candy's review

Foodstuff finds' review

Lotochoc's review

Gone fishin...Happy Easter

Happy Easter to all! I will be back after Easter with more reviews. Next week will feature a review of the Snickers Maximus limited edition as well as an offering from MilkyWay.

Review: Änglamark Organic Milk Chocolate

I have previously reviewed Änglamark's dark chocolate bar here. This review is of the milk chocolate variety. As with the dark chocolate bar, Änglamark is the organic private label of COOP one Scandinavia’ largest super market chains, and is produced by S. P. A. Leccio in Italy. Since this manufacturer delivers to big supermarket chains it should be available in several countries under various labels.

It is simply described as an “Organic milk chocolate” with a minimum 32% cocoa contents and comes in a 100g bar. In addition to being organic it is also Fairtrade certified, containing
72, 48% Fairtrade ingredients.

The box looks quite nice and the chocolate itself has a clean and attractive appearance. Appearance: 8 out of 10.

The aroma is nice and sweet of dairy and cocoa and the cocoa is clearly discernible. This is nice as it it is not always the case with milk chocolate. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

The bar has quite a good snap for a milk chocolate and a very nice creamy and smooth texture. Texture: 8 out of 10.

This bar has a pleasant and sweet flavour with notes of caramel and vanilla and perhaps the only minor drawback is the sweetness. While this bar certainly lacks the complexity of high end chocolates, it is clearly a quite nice no frills bar. And thus is a decent and cheaper alternative. Flavour wise it should have e a broad appeal. Also, this chocolate can be used for cooking as it melts to a nice shiny liquid. In other words this is a versatile bar. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

Average: 8 out of 10.

Other reviews:

Bitten by chocolate's review

Review: Marabou Milk chocolate

This offering is simply described as “Milk chocolate” and has a minimum of 30% cocoa. Presumably the chocolate in this bar is the basis for some of Marabou’s various offerings I have previously reviewed. So I was excited to find out what it tasted like on “its own”. The bar contains milk fat, whey product (whatever that might be) as well as flavourings and “At least 30% of the cocoa comes from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms.”

The wrapper looks OK even if it could be a little more explicit, graphically speaking, that this is a milk chocolate. The chocolate is nice looking with a nice glossy shine. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

The chocolate has a nice aroma which is sweet and mild and should not bother anyone, though perhaps there could be more in the way of cocoa. Aroma: 7, 5 out of 10.

The chocolate has a good snap for a milk chocolate. Texture wise it is a little hard initially which makes the melt much too slow in my opinion. Perhaps – though I am not in the know here – some of the milk fats act as hardening agents or inadvertently become hard. Further the texture is very waxy and sticky which is not so nice, in my view. In sum, the snap is good though the rest is less than optimal. Texture: 6, 5 out of 10.

The flavour is very sweet. It has fair notes of caramel as well as clear dairy flavours. And while the flavour is unspectacular and lacks complexity, it should still have a quite wide appeal. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 7 out of 10

Review: Galaxy Caramel (Mars)

This bar from Mars is for some reason not commonly available in Denmark, though I was able to pick it up at a small convenient store, where it caught my attention. It is described as a “Milk Chocolate with a soft caramel filling (40%). It is ranked second (with a bunch of other offerings) over at Jim’s Chocolate mission (link below).

The wrapper clearly communicates the caramel part of the proposition. However, it seems a little dull and for one I missed a more graphic presentation of the proposition. The content is divided into two bars, each with three pieces. The colour has a standard not too exciting light brown colour. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

The aroma is not very strong though there are scents of caramel andmilk chocolate. It is in my view simply too uninteresting and lacking in character. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

This is a very soft bar with a sticky caramel and only a hint of a snap in the chocolate. I find the texture too one dimensional in its softness and I think it could be vastly improved with a superior snap. Texture: 6 out of 10.

This is a very neutral – and perhaps also a little bland - tasting bar. Initially it is not too sweet (though it eventually becomes sweeter) and it takes a little while for the flavour to kick in. The little flavour there is, is mostly caramel and not very exciting at that, in my opinion. It simply lacks character and distinctiveness. Flavour: 6, 5 out of 10.

Average: 6, 375 out of 10.


Jim's Chocolate mission review

Chocablog's review

Review: Confiserie Heidel, Milk Chocolate

I have to admit that I have never heard of Confiserie Heidel, who manufactured this bar. Confiserie might be traslated as candy store, which seems quite right for an Easter chocolate for kids. A friend presented this bar to me in order that I review it. I was not sure what to expect of it. On the one hand the wrapper did not signal a high quality bar, but on the other hand it did boast of having 37% cocoa a relatively large amount for a milk chocolate. I know that the percentage is not in and of itself a sign of good quality. However, I thought that a manufacturer who is willing to invest so much relatively expensive cocoa in a milk chocolate bar would not do so without also caring about making high quality chocolate.

The bar is described as a “Whole milk chocolate of high quality”, with a minimum of 37% cocoa solids. It does contain vanillin (artificial vanilla) which strikes me as a bit odd considering that the manufacturer used a whopping 37% cocoa and then opted for artificial vanilla.

I will refrain from evaluating the wrapper of this Easter offering. However, as I mentioned I do not think that the wrapper signals high quality. The chocolate itself does have a nice shine and a nice light brown colour. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is nice and sweet and dominated by dairy and cocoa. Aroma: 7, 5 out of 10.

The snap is almost non-existent in this one and disappointing even for a milk chocolate. Otherwise it has a nice and light texture which is not too sticky and often a problem with milk chocolate. Texture: 5, 5 out
of 10.

The flavour of this chocolate is a rather bland, which strikes me as odd, as this is not usually the case with milk chocolate offerings that are normally rather sweet. It does have a very, with slight hint of caramel and a slightly bitter aftertaste, again something not usually found in milk chocolate. Flavbour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 6, 875

Review: Toms Orangebuer (orange arches/or bows)

These orange arches (or bows) from Tom’s Confectionery Group is described as a “Dark chocolate with orange flavour”. This is simply dark chocolate flavoured with orange oil in a roundish shape, with an arch. The chocolate has 50% cocoa and contains both milk powder as well as artificial vanilla (ethyl vanillin).

The box is OK looking, though the orange theme might, from a graphical perspective, have been more explicit. The appearance of the chocolate itself is attractive with nice, smooth and shiny surface. Appearance: 7, 5. out of 10.

As soon as you unwrap the plastic that is before even opening up the box you are greeted wit a strong orange aroma. I very much like the aroma of sweet cocoa and orange. Aroma 8 out of 10,

The snap is quite good as is the melt. The only drawback in terms of texture is that the chocolate is a bit on the dry side. Were it not for this fact it would have scored higher. Texture: 7, 5 out of 10.

Initially the aroma is sweet and pleasant, though there is not too much in terms of orange which is disappointing, especially considering the strong orange aroma. However, after a few moments the flavour turns bitter and off in a very pleasant, and this ruins the entire experience. Flavour: 6, 5 out of 10.

Average 7, 375

Review: Marabou Premium 70% Cocoa Pistachio

I think chocolate and roasted pistachios is a brilliant idea. It is hard to think of any major challenges in the execution of such a bar, at least none that manufacturers consistently have problems with.
So I was excited about trying this offering. The Marabou Premium 70% Cocoa Pistachio is described a “Dark chocolate with pieces of caramelized pistachios”. It contains both butterfat and aromas. I think I have already commented on this issue a few times so I see no reason to say more about this.

The box looks nice and conveys that this is a chocolate and pistachio proposition. The chocolate has a nice smooth and matte finnish though it has specks of green pistachios on the surface (not simply in cross section view) which detracts from it otherwise nice appearance. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

The aroma is dominated by toasted nuts and toasted breadin a nice way. The only downside is that there is not much in terms of cocoa aroma, which is surprising given its 70& cocoa contents. With more cocoa aroma it would have scored higher. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10.

The snap is clearly the best part of this proposition. It is quite excellent and even though the pistachios are very finely chopped they provide an OK crunch. Also, the melt is good and with the thinness of the bar it seems that Marabou7Kraft Foods has found an optimal balance in thickness to give it the best possible snap. Texture: 8 out of 10. Very nice indeed.

The chocolate is a little bland. At first, it has a tiny bit of fruit which is good. However, after the first few bites the flavour turns very off and bitter in an unnatural – an unpleasant way. Flavour: 6 out of 10.

Average: 6, 875 out of 10.

Review: Ritter Sport Neapolitan wafers

According to wiki Neapolitan wafers is an Austrian invention made up of wafers and chocolate cream. The chocolate cream featured hazelnuts imported from Naples. Nowadays many a manufacturer has a take on this combination, though many cover the wafers with chocolate.
And indeed this is exactly what this proposition offers. It is described as “Milk Chocolate with hazelnut cream filled wafer leaves (10%) and a praliné filling.” Cocoa solids is given to 30%.

The wrapper looks OK, though it is hard to see the connection of the orange colour and the proposition. The milk chocolate looks nice and the bar also looks nice in cross section. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

The aroma is nice though not spectacular. Hazelnuts and dairy are dominant. There are no malt or honey notes as is often the case with wafer bars. Aroma: 7 out of 10.

The wafer is the Achilles heel of this bar. problem It is too light and a little bit too dull to be really interesting and rather quickly melts away. When this happens, after two or three bites, the surrounding and quite substantial cream and chocolate kicks in with avery soft and sticky texture. And this makes it way too one dimensional. Texture: 7 out of 10.

This bar has cocoa cream flavour much similar to the Butter Biscuit (review here) bar, as well as praline flavour very similar to the Ritter Sport Praline bar I reviewed here. This is a fairly nice flavour that should appeal to most. You can taste the wafer though it is flavour wise not very pronounced. Perhaps this one might use a little salt. However, since this is mostly a cross bewtween the Butter Biscuit and Praline offerings, I am not sure there is any justification for this one. I think most consumers will like the Butter Biscuit and/or the Praline bars better. Especially the butter biscuit has, in my oppinion, a much superior biscuit as compared to the wafer. Aroma: 7, 5 out of 10.

Average: 7, 125 out of 10.

More reviews

Candyblog's review

Jim's Chocolate Mission

Sugarbuzzjunkie's review

Review: Irma’s Organic Dark Chocolate with peppermint filling

I have previously stated that I am not convinced by the proposition of chocolate with a cream filling infused with peppermint oil. This proposition did somewhat change my mind. It is not that I was blown away or anything like that. But the execution was much better than what I have reviewed on the blog so far. It is, after all, possible to mass produce a decent peppermint chocolate!

This organic and Fairtrade certified offering from Irma’s private label (Danish supermarket) is described as a “Dark Chocolate with peppermint filling – 68% cocoa content”. The wrapper does not state who produced this bar but I suspect it was produced at Ludwig Weinrich’s, as are some of the other bars in Irma’s range.

The wrapper looks OK, though to my taste the colour scheme is a little too dark. However, the wrapper does succeed in conveying the type of proposition, fulfilling an important function. The chocolate itself is nice looking. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

The aroma appears well balanced and not too strong in the peppermint department. This allows the chocolate aroma to come out nicely and it is clearly discernable in contrast, to for example, Ritter Sport’s peppermint bar I reviewed here and the Fazer mints I reviewed here. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

The chocolate has an excellent snap and good melt. The peppermint cream is slightly sticky, though this is not too serious. Texture: 7, 5 out of 10.

The chocolate flavour is quite nice and well compliments the peppermint filling. The peppermint flavour is a bit on the strong side, though clearly toned down and, in my opinion, superior compared to the Fazer mints and the Ritter Sport Peppermint varieties. It is also less sweet, which is nice. The chocolate (or the cream) has good fruit in the flavour. Flavour: 7, 5 out of 10.

I consider this an overall well executed proposition, even though I am not too fond of the peppermint cream/chocolate combo and in my opinion it is superior to many similar offerings. If you are a fan of this type of offering I think you will like this bar.

Average: 7, 5 out of 10.

Review: White Toblerone

This is another white chocolate that I looked forward to dig into. It is described as “Swiss white chocolate with honey (3%) and Almond nougat 10%” Cocoa(butter) contents not given.

Graphically the box clearly indicates that we are dealing with a white chocolate, though the nougat/honey part is not graphically represented. And I think it could be. The chocolate itself has a nice smooth white colour. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is nice with white chocolate and citrusy notes (acid) and “cake” notes (probably stemming from the honey). Aroma: 7, 5 out of 10.

Toblerone’s classic triangular shape gives a very compact piece of chocolate. In my opinion it is too chunky and massive a texture. The almond nougat is very finely ground, and adds, in my opinion, too little in terms of texture. The compact nature of this offering ensures that crunch is not sorely missed. The chocolate is very waxy and therefore its melt and mouth feel isn’t the best in my opinion. Texture: 7 out of 10.

This bar strikes a good balance, not being too sweet and has a pleasant aftertaste of honey. However, the white chocolate itself is unfortunately not very exciting. It is too milky. Nevertheless the honey does good job in adding a bit of depth, flavour wise. In my opinion the honey is indeed this bar’s strong point, though in my opinion a better executed white chocolate flavour might turn this into an excellent proposition indeed. Aroma: 7, 5 out of 10.

Average: 7, 375 out of 10

Other reviews

Jim's chocolate mission review

Review: Nestlé Die Weisse, Finest Swiss Chocolate (white)

As I have stated several times on this blog, I am a sucker for white chocolate and I was hoping that Nestlé might have produced a decent offering. The bar, named “Die Weisse”, is described as the “Finest Swiss Chocolate” (cocoa contents not given). The bar comes in a 100g size and so I suspect the target group is people looking for a quick sugar fix. In other words, this is not a family or “sharing” size bar as, say, the Marabou 200g bars.

The wrapper looks OK, and certainly gives a good idea of both the bar and its famous Swiss origins. The chocolate has an excellent white/yellowish colour and appears looks very smooth. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10

I have to admit I did not like the aroma of this one. It smells very buttery with only a hint of cocoa butter (which is otherwise fairly characteristic) and vanilla in the aroma. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The texture is quite soft and has no real snap (even for a white chocolate). The mouth feel is much too greasy and sticky, and in my world it could and should be be more elegant. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The flavour is quite sweet but perhaps passable. However, the flavour is real flat and there is very little flavour besides sweetness. It is as if Nestlé has produced a white chocolate that does not really have the character of white chocolate. While this may be pleasing to many consumers I for one was disappointed. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

Average: 6, 375 out of 10.

Other reviews:

Jim’s Chocolate Mission review

World in Chocolate’s review

Review: Lindt Excellence Dark Chilli

I still have to be convinced that chilli and chocolate is a good combination. Let me modify that. In the savoury kitchen I am a believer. However, in the sweet kitchen I remain a skeptic as I a look for something sweet and find that the hotness of the chilli ruins the sweet or “dessert” experience. Also, I was wondering how sweet or intense the chocolate would have to be in order to strike the right balance with the chilli. As it turned out this offering was rather on the sweet side and the chocolate had very little in terms of intensity. Thus, there was no conversation between the fruit in the chocolate and the power from the chilli. For the record I should state that the chocolate is not the same as that of Lindt 70%.

It is described as a “dark chocolate with chilli extract”. With 49% cocoa solids min. According to declaration this bar contains both butterfat and flavouring. Perhaps chilli extract is defensible (longer shelf life, no specks of chili?) though, as I have written before, I do not think butterfat should play any part in a chocolate described as dark. And then I am not sure what flavouring means in this context. If we are talking about natural flavouring such as vanilla or salt then I guess it's OK. But then again why not declare it as vanilla or salt? If, on the other hand, we are talking about artificial flavourings such as vanillin or something else, why not declare it as such and let the consumer judge for him or herself?

Appearance wise the box is nice and gives a good idea of the content. The chocolate itself appears nice with a very smooth and light brown colour for a dark chocolate. It has Lindt engraved. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is sweet with nice depth. There is only a hint of chilli in the aroma, though one immediately feels in the eyes. Aroma: 7, 5 out of 10.

The chocolate has a decent snap, good mouth feel, as well a nice melt. Texture: 7, 5 out of 10.

The chocolate is very sweet and the chilli is moderately hot. It is an OK chocolate but not very spectacular no hints of fruit or nuances in the taste. Also, the chocolate is not very intense. It could use a little salt. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 7, 375 out of 10.

Other reviews

Mikey's kitchen review

Jim's Chocolate Mission

Zomgcandy's review

Candyaddict's review

Review: Ritter Sport Strawberry

This offering is described as a “Filled milk chocolate with a cream (42%) of skimmed yoghurt and strawberry, crispy rice (1,1%) and strawberry pieces (1%)”. Milk chocolate: cocoa solids: 30% min.

I was supposed to review this one around Christmas, but never got around to it. Why Christmas? Well, the wrapper’s colour – rather than the strawberries – seems most appropriate for the Christmas season. I have to admit that I was suspicious about this combination as yoghurt and chocolate is a combination that is not easy to get right. Also, since dried rather than fresh strawberries are used in this type of bar, you run the danger of adding “wineguims” to the bar which does not really go well with chocolate. I have to say, however, that I was pleasantly surprised and indeed Ritter, really coped well with these challenges to produce a nice bar.

The wrapper looks nice indeed and plainly conveys what this offering is about. As with many other offerings from Ritter the graphical overweight is on the right hand side which is compounded in the German edition. The milk chocolate has a very attractive light brown colour. The only drawback in presentation is the filling which has no really “clear” colour but is somewhere between white and pink. The strawberry pieces are very bright and red appear almost like chilli. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is rather hard to define as it has no clear direction, perhaps the milk chocolate, the yuoghurt filling and strawberries are vying for first, but the result is a somewhat artificial or perhaps “childish” or “blended” aroma with no clear direction. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10.

The texture is nice and soft and melts quite nicely. The rice crispies add a little crunch giving it a just enough texture for a good balance between softness and crunch. The strawberry pieces are not discernable in terms of texture. Texture: 7 out of 10.

It is very hard to taste the milk chocolate as it does not come through the sweet and tangy filling. The filling has a nice acidic youghurty twang to it but is a little too sweet for my taste. It is less artificial than what might have been feared. It has notes of almonds. All in all it is nicely done. Aroma 7, 5 out of 10.

Average: 7, 125 out od 10

More reviews

Candyblog's review

Foodjunk's review

Zomgcandy's review

Chocablog's review

Jim's Chocolate Mission review

Marabou with Hazelnuts

Chocolate and (hazel)nuts is an excellent combination and has in fact proven itself as one of the best selling items. The top 3 best selling Ritter Sport flavours, for example, are all whole roasted hazelnuts with milk, dark and white chocolate. And in fact this is a combination that is relatively well executed by the mass producers. This offering from Marabou is described as a "Milk chocolate with chopped hazelnuts”, with cocoa solids of min. 30% and 17% hazelnuts.

The wrapper looks OK, not too fancy if a little bombastic. It does give an excellent idea of the type of proposition. The chocolate itself has a nice and light brown colour and good shine. In cross section it looks nice with the nuts. However, some nuts protrude the top of the bar which is not really attractive. Appearance: 6, 5 out of 10.

The bar smells very nice indeed, of dairy and chocolate and toasted nuts. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

There is good crunch from the nuts that have been chopped in a nice and rough manner. The drawback of this bar is the waxy texture of the chocolate. Apart from not being so nice in and off itself it also makes the melt too slow and while a slow melt might not be a bad thing the waxy texture ruins it. Also, the waxy texture makes it stick too much the mouth and thus not making for a very good mouth feel. Texture: 6 out of 10.

A mild and sweet milky taste with nice flavour from the toasted hazelnuts. However, the milk chocolate has an off aftertaste which ruins what otherwise might be a taste that would probably appeal to many. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Still I think this is a bar that could have a wide appeal and if the aftertaste and waxy structure could be improved it might compete with, say Ritter Sport with nuts. However, I think Marabou, which comes in 200g slab, caters to a different audience than the 100g Ritter Sport, though now Marabou has chosen to produce 100g bars and perhaps this will cater to the "munch immediately" market and thus compete with Ritter Sport, at least in Scandinavia. Still, I feel that the Ritter Sport whole nuts with Milk chocolate, I reviewed here, is preferable to this Marabou offering.

Average: 6, 875 out of 10

See also Cocoa Heavens review here.

Review: Nestlé Princessa Milk Chocolate

This offering, along with its sister bar, the Princessa coconut and white chocolate (which I reviewed here), was sent to me by a reader for a review. And while the coconut bar was a relatively novel proposition, this bar is more traditional. At least, if Google Translate and I have correctly understood the the wrapper's text as it is described as a “Cream wafers with fluffy cocoa cream covered in milk chocolate”. The Milk chocolate makes up 37, 2% according to the declaration.

As with the coconut bar the chocolate covering is very thin due to the wafer’s large surface. And this makes me wonder whether it will be substantial enough. The chocolate itself looks fairly average and the bar also looks fairly dull in cross section view. The wrapper is OK looking and gives a good idea of the proposition. Appearance: 6, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is strange and fruity with a hint of cocoa. The wafer aroma is not too exciting either. Aroma: 5, 5 out of 10.

The wafer is crisp, though much too light which means it is gone too quickly and leaves you a little unsatisfied. The cocoa cream and chocolate barely hits the mouth before they melt away and there is simply too little substance in this one. Texture: 6 out of 10.

The taste is very dull and the chocolate does not taste too well as it has an off and bitter taste not otherwise characteristic of milk chocolate. There is very little flavour from the cocoa cream, which was a very nice feature in the similar – though much better executed – proposition from Ritter Sport (Butter biscuit) which I reviewed here. Flavour: 5 out of 10.

Average: 5, 75 out of 10

Online reviews of this bar

Jim's Chocolate Mission review

Review: Nestlé Princessa Coconut Maxi

This offering was along with it sister bar (see review next week) was sent to me by a TCR reader for review. The bar is produced by Nestlé Poland and if Google Translate and I have done a decent job of deciphering the text it is described as “Waffles with fluffy coconut cream covered in white chocolate”. The wrapper indicates that the white chocolate makes up a total of 34, 3%.

As a fan of both coconut and white chocolate I was quite excited to dig into this offering. Also, I like the fact that this bar offers a unique proposition of wafer, coconut cream and white chocolate (or perhaps better. a little used combo as I found a similar bar reviewed over at JCM). In fact, I found the idea this proposition so alluring it made me wonder why there is no Bounty with white chocolate.

Unwrapping it, however, made me worry. The white chocolate covering looked too thin (the wafer is visible through the covering) to give this bar enough substance. To my mind the Nestlé Chunky series has proven beyond any doubt that a thick chocolate layer is the way to go. The problem here as compared the chunky series, is the greater surface of the wafer. At any rate, the thin layer of white chocolate appears not to be of the best quality as the colour is not entirely “snow white” (or perhaps foreign fats have been added). The wrapper looks OK and in spite of the light blue used which is a bit confusing, it succeeds to give a good idea of what the offering is about. Appearance: 6 out of 10.

Immediately after unwrapping I was met by a powerful sent of coconut/palm oil which I was more familiar with from a summer day on the beach than from a chocolate bar. This is way too much and it entirely owerpowers the aroma from the chocolate. Aroma: 5 out of 10.

The wafer is crisp, though it is too light which means it is gone too quickly and leaves you a little unsatisfied. The cream and white chocolate vanishes equally quickly and there is simply too little substance in this one. Texture: 6 out of 10.

The flavour is sweet and waffery with notes of coconut. There is little characteristic of white chocolate and in a blind test I would probably have guessed it to be white frosting and not chocolate. Unfortunately, there really is not much good to be said about the flavour which lacks a leading star whether it be the chocolate or the coconut. Flavour: 5,5 out of 10.

I feel there is great potential with this combination, though there is much that has to be done better. I feel the weak spots are texture and flavour. With a Chunky style texture and more characteristic coconut flavour I think you can get an offering worthwhile to get into.

Average: 5, 625

Review: Twix from Mars

Twix from Mars has to be one of the most popular mass market chocolate bars. It is a no frills bar that is chewy, soft and crunchy and is described as a “Milk chocolate (35%) covered caramel (32%) and biscuit 26%” There is no indication of cocoa percentage in the chocolate. As such it does a decent job of satisfying the light sugar hunger, though it is not in any way particularly memorable.

The golden wrapper is quite kitchy though the image nicely fulfils its obligation to convey what type of proposition we are dealing with here. Unwrapping reveals two nice looking twigs with a light brown chocolate covering. In cross section view this bar looks quite nice with the upper caramel layer making up slightly less than half and the lower wafer making up slightly more. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10

The aroma is somewhat odd as the chocolate has very little characteristic aroma with the biscuit being much more prominent, but this one is rather “bland” aroma wise. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The biscuit has nice crunch and it is quite nice that the biscuit is not too light nor being too compact. The caramel is very chewy. A good thing about the texture is that the three components seem to melt at a nice and slow rate. Texture: 7, 5 out of 10.

There is very little chocolate flavour in this bar. The malt in the biscuit and the caramel are much more present. With chocolate being such a nice ingredient it is a shame that it is not felt more than is the case here. The result is a very mild and not too complex offering which will appeal to many. And while this is an OK bar for what it is, with so many similar offerings out there I think Mars has a very good opportunity to add a just a little “something” to stand out from the competition. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 7 out of 10.

Review: Guld karamel, Gold Caramel bar (Toms)

This offering from the Danish company, Toms Confectionery Group, is described as a “Dark chocolate filled with caramel (27%) and soft French nougat (43%)” with a minimum of 54% cocoa solids. Since it is labelled “Guld karamel” (“golden caramel”), which is a popular kind of hard chewy bon bon, invented by Toms, I did expect it to bee similar to this offering. However, it was not really the same thing. I guess this is probably for the good as that offering is quite tough so that a barsize offering would be too hard to finish. So what is this offering all about?

Appearance wise the wrapper and chocolate is a little more elegant than the original Yankie bar I reviewed here. The chocolate is nice dark brown. In cross section view it appears identical to the Yankie bar. Appearance: 8 out of 10.

The aroma is nice with good fruit and cocoa. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

The texture is very soft and chewy, though it is too one dimensional in its softness. The chocolate unfortunately has very little snap which could have contrasted nicely with the softness. The texture is more like soft cocoa fluff than French nougat, which. at least in Denmark, is usually understood as a brittle egg white based candy. Texture: 7 out of 10.

The flavour is quite similar to the Yankie bar, though this one obviously I obviously covered in dark chocolate. One the one hand the dark chocolate adds a little more fruit which is good. On the other hand, however, the dark chocolate does not fit in easily with the French nougat (or cocoa fluff) and caramel, as its slightly bitter aftertaste colludes with other ingredients in a not so nice way. Flavour: 6 out of 10.

Average: 7, 25 out of 10.

Review: Ritter Sport Peppermint

According to Jim's Chocolate mission, this peppermint offering is the third best selling Ritter flavour in the UK.
This proposition is of the "cool peppermint fondant covered with chocolate" type, and I have to state up front that I am not too favourably inclined to this type of offering. It is not that the proposition in and off itself is bad, though I have not had just one that I considered well executed.
My main dislike is that I consider the peppermint oil used for the fondant to be artificial tasting and too overpowering and numbing your mouth and tastebuds with "toothpaste flavour". On that note I also think orange oil tastes too artificial too when used in chocolate and flavouring with orange zest is in my oppinion much superior. Perhaps using mint leaves can produce a better result. In fairness, I have to admit that this proposition appeals to many consumers (for one, it being the third best selling Ritter flavour in the UK), though I would not have guessed so simply by tasting it.

The Ritter Sport Peppermint offering bar is described as “Plain chocolate with a peppermint filling (40%)”. The Plain chocolate has a “50% minimum cocoa solids”.

The wrapper’s light green colour is nice and the depiction of a mint leave is a good indication of the contents of this offering (although to quibble just a bit I think peppermint oil rather than leaves is used). The colour of the chocolate is nice and shiny. This bar is made with low channel depth which means that it well traps the peppermint filling inside each individual square. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

The aroma is so very strong of peppermint that it completely overpowers the chocolate aroma. In my opinion this is much too much. The mint has to compliment the chocolate – not overpower it. I am not sure what the peppermint filling is made of but I suppose from the declaration that it is made from vegetable fat(s) and peppermint oil and/or aromas. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The snap of the chocolate is very good. The texture of the “peppermint filling” is very waxy and a little dry, meaning that the melt is less than good (the melt of the chocolate itself is nice). Were I evaluating only the chocolate snap of the bar it would have scored much better. Texture: 6, 5 out of 10.

This is a very sweet offering that rapidly begins to “burn” in your neck. What is worse, after about two seconds the palate is overwhelmed by the peppermint filling and it becomes hard to taste much. In my opinion it does not well complement the chocolate but simply overpowers it. The chcocolate itself seems quite similar to the one used in the Ritter Sport Marzipan offering I reviewed here, and it too lacks character and distinctiveness, though here the peppermint is way too much for a chocolate to keep up with. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

Average: 6, 5 out of 10.

More reviews of this offering:

Candyblog's review
Chocablog's review
Jim's Chocolate Mission
Nearof's review
Sugarpressure's review

Review: Irma’s Organic Milk Chocolate with cardamom

This offering is from Irma’s private organic label a Danish supermarket, though the manufacturer is German Ludwig Weinrich.
Chocolate and spices can be an enticing combination, though I believe it eventually boils down to a matter of personal preference. And I suppose this offering of organic and Fairtrade certified milk chocolate (38%) with cardamom will mainly appeal to the more adventurous customers. I consider my self in that category and love the thought of spices in chocolate provided it is properly done.

Appearance wise I am not too impressed with the wrapper, which I believe could be nicer. However, the chocolate itself is really nice looking with a rich and shiny brown colour. Appearance: 8, 5.

The aromas are quite nice of dairy chocolate and a distinctive aroma of cardamom. On the plus side the aroma could have been much more dominating than it is in this bar. On the negative side the aroma does overpower any aromas that might have come from the muscovado sugar used in the making of this bar. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

The snap when breaking of a piece is quite excellent though it is much less pronounced when actually biting into it. The melt is very good indeed, even though the chocolates sticks a little to teeth and gums. Texture: 8 out of 10.

The chocolate itself (38% cocoa) is rich with good though not too spectacular a flavour. The cocoa comes cleanly through. There are hints of caramel and spices (muscovado sugar?). As expected the cardamom is quite dominating, and perhaps it could toned slightly down. Ultimately it is a question of either or. However, having only one piece at a time (not my forte :-) makes the flavour intensity just about right. Flavour: 8 out of 10.

Average: 8, 125 out of 10.

Review: Nestlé KitKat Chunky Caramel

This offering is described as a “Crunchy wafer with a caramel layer (19, 1%) coated in milk chocolate (61, 8%)”. The wafer and caramel proposition exists in so many versions, that it seems manufacturers have two choices if they wish to produce a bar that stands out. Either they can choose to do a really nice no frills bar or they can try to create a new proposition altogether and while Nestlé have done things a little bit different with this one I do not feel that the attempt is altogether successful.

The wrapper is OK looking, though the yellow colour does not particularly well illustrate that this is a caramel offering. The bar is not particularly attractive and certainly the chocolate inside the wrapper is nowhere near as attractive looking as the image on the outisde. For one thing, the caramel and chocolate separating the layers on the image is nowhere near as pronounced as it appears on the image. The chocolate covering is a little lacklustre and could have been shinier. Appearance: 6 out of 10.

The aromas are mostly of coffee and malt with burnt notes. The chocolate is disappointingly absent in this one, despite thw wafew being covered with a thick layer. Aroma: 6, 5 out of 10.

As with the White Chunky KitKat I rewived here, the texture of the thick covering is quite nice, However, the wafer in this one was – for some reason - much duller unfortunately ruining the texture. If this is due to the extra filling in comparison to the white I think here is a good opportunity to go back and see if the texture can be improved upon. Texture: 6 out of 10

This bar has sweet malty and coffee like flavours though in terms of chocolate the milk chocolate was flavour wise very absent. The caramel flavour is not like sweet, soft and chewy toffee as you find in say a Mars bar. It is rather a coffee tasting flavour with a burnt flavour (no meant in an unpleasent way). While it does not taste bad, it is in my opinion very uninteresting and lacks character. Flavour: 6, 5.

Average: 6, 5 out of 10.

Review: KitKat Chunky White Chocolate

This offering is supposedly the same as the “plain” Chunky KitKat with milk chocolate except that it is covered with white chocolate. I for one like the “chunky” texture much better than the regular as I think the more substantial chocolate layer (and wafer) better supports the texture of the wafer/chocolate proposition.

My only concern here was the quality of the white chocolate. With many such propositions, such as the Lion bar I reviewed here, the white chocolate is replaced with white "frosting" and indeed “white chocolate” did not appear on the wrapper. In contrast, the wrapper of this one describes it as a “Crisp wafer in white chocolate”, unambiguously stating that this is the real McCoy. I am happy to report that white chocolate is indeed an ingredient in this offering and though it may not be of the highest it much to be preferred over white “frosting”.

The wrapper is OK looking and gives a good idea of the proposition. The white chocolate appears quite decent and the whole thing looks nice in cross section too. Appearance: 8 out of 10.

The aroma is very sweet and very buttery (both of dairy as well as cocoa butter) as well as a hint of vanilla. I think the aroma is slghtly overdone in this bar. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The texture is very well done. It has a nice chunky crisp to it with an initially substantial wafer coated with a thick layer chocolate. While the crisp of the wafer is quite quickly gone the thick covering melt at a nice and slow pace providing it with a quite nice overall texture which is technically quite well executed. Texture: 8 out of 10.

Flavour wise this is quite sweet as should be expected of a white chocolate and a generously thick one at that. There is a clear taste of wafer with just a touch of malt/honey notes, though the flavour as such is rather uncomplex and unspectacular. I am glad that this bar has real white chocolate in it, and though it is not of the finest quality, it is much to bepreddered over white covering. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

I think this bar delivers exactly what it should do, namely deliver a those with a sweet tooth with a nice and uncomplicated sweet/snack. I consider this bar superior to the Milk Choclate Chunky KitKat and I think it should have a broad appeal and thus good potential for becoming quite popular. However, it seems that many consumers top choice is not that of white chocolate which may stand in the way of this bar.

Average: 7, 25 out of 10.

Review: Marabou orange croquante (crisp)

I consider orange(zest) and chocolate to be an excellent match and when done properly it adds a nice zing to the chocolate. On the other hand I’m not particularly fond of adding orange oil to chocolate as it is too perfumed and simply does not taste right.

The bar is described as “Orange flavoured milk chocolate with crisp” with cocoa solids of min. 30%, though is impossible to tell by the exterior of this chocolate where the orange flavour derives from. At least for me as a lay person. The declaration simply states “flavourings”. I suppose the only conclusion I can draw from this is that orange zest is not part of this bar or it would clearly have stated so.

The wrapper looks OK looking and with its yellow and orange colours - as well as the image of orange slices - clearly signals that this bar has something to do with oranges, though, as stated above, the source of orange is unclear. My only concern here is that the image of a whole orange gives me the "wrong" associations as in my head only the zest - and not the rest of the orange - has a real part in a chocolate bar. The chocolate itself has many cavities though it looks OK but could be shinier. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

Aroma is OK of dairy chocolate as well as a hint of biscuit. The orange aroma is very strong and in my opinion somewhat too strong. Aroma: 7 out of 10.

There is no real snap in the chocolate and the crunch is way too dull to provide sufficient contrast. The melt seems quite waxy and way too sticky. Texture: 6 out of 10.

This bar is quite sweet and has no characteristic chocolate flavour and I think is best described as boring. The orange is very strong and artificial tasting. The bar has a not so pleasant aftertaste. Flavour: 6, 5 out of 10.

I am not a fan of this particular bar, though I think this particular combination has excellent potential: Milk chocolate, almonds and orange zest sounds quite good.

Average: 6, 625 out of 10.

Review: Mars (Kraft)

According to the Danish description on the wrapper this is a “Milk chocolate with nougat”. Strangely, though, there are no (hazel)nuts listed in the declaration and perhaps it should state caramel instead of nougat. In German it is described as “Milk chocolate filled with fine candy cream”. And sure enough when you bite into the bar it is very creamy indeed.

The bar appears to be made up of three different parts a layer of cream (the “nougat”?) making up the about 2/3 of the bar and is topped by some sort of soft caramel cream. These two components are then covered with milk chocolate. The wrapper in itself does not give a good indication of what type of chocolate this is, but here the Mars name & fame probably means that customers are well aware of what kind of offering this is. The bar itself looks appetizing enough though I think the chocolate should be much shinier than is the case here. Appearance: 6, 5 out of 10.

Aroma: The aroma appears somewhat odd and is hard to describe. Sure enough I can smell sweetness, cocoa and salt but there is also a different – and not altogether nice - smell which I can not define. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The texture is very soft. The chocolate melts away leaving a soft chewy caramel. There is too little snap from the chocolate and no contrast in form of crunch and here I think is a good opportunity for improvement. Texture: 7 out of 10.

This bar has a very sweet dairy chocolate flavour. You can taste the malt with its honey notes and the caramel. The flavour though is uncomplex and probably likely to have a broad appeal. A positive feature of this offering is the salt which in my opinion is much underrated in chocolate. Still this is not enough to make up for the lack of complexity in flavour. I think more intensity in the caramel and cream would considerably improve this one. With a more intense flavour this bar would probably sweep away all competition in its market segment. Flavour: 6, 5 out of 10.

Average: 6, 5 out of 10

Review: Yankie bar (Toms)

This Danish produced bar has an interesting story. According to the candy manufacturer, Toms, American soldiers stationed in Europe after World War II missed their beloved chocolate bars. An agreement was made that Toms was to produce the chocolate bars and the Americans would provide the cocoa beans in return as this it was in shortage. The bar has become quite popular in Denmark and has been manufactured in several versions. This one, as far as I can make out is a bit different from the one labelled “Original” though no other qualification (than “Yankie”). It is described as “Milk chocolate filled with caramel (27%) and soft French nougat (43%) and malt”. The Chocolate has 30% cocoa content (min.).

It is a little similar to the Mars bar which will be featured on Sunday.

The wrapper design does not reveal what type of bar we are dealing with, though it appears as a simple and inexpensive bar. It has an OK looking light chocolate covering and also appears nice in cross section view. Appearance: 7, 5 out of 10.

Nice mild aroma of milk chocolate and caramel with nutty tone and a little fruit. Aroma: 7 out of 10.

The texture is exceedingly soft. When the chocolate has melted away the soft yet chewy caramel remains and this does not, in my opinion, seem to work so well. Also, the softness makes it rather one dimensional and the normally hard texture of French nougat is, for some reason, absent. Having said that the texture is not altogether terrible, though I think here is a good opportunity for improvement. Texture: 7 out of 10.

The most prominent flavours are those of caramel and chocolate bar with notes of malt and vanilla. One can taste the French nougat though it does not taste like what normally is sold under the label French nougat. The chocolate tastes strangely artificial and the sweetness makes it too one dimensional even if there are several flavour notes present. Having said that if you liker a sweet and very soft bar this you will certainly be happy with this one. Flavour: 7 out of 10.

Average: 7, 125 out of 10.

Review: Ritter Sport Praline

According to JCM This bar comes in second on the Ritter top 3 in Germany just behind the Milk with whole hazelnuts I reviewed here.
This offering is described as “Milk chocolate with Praline filling (42%)” with a cocoa content of min. 30%. Praline – in this case – nougat is a paste made from roasted hazelnuts and sugar that goes extremely well with chocolate. Perhaps the only pitfall of this combination is that it might be too sweet, particularly if the praline filling is enrobed in milk chocolate as is the case with this offering from Ritter Sport. However, I think Ritter Sport did a good job of striking a good balance.

The wrapper has a nice purple colour and I have only two small issues with it. As with the other wrappers using this layout there tends to be overweight in the right hand side graphically speaking, detracting aesthetically. A slightly more serious issue is that the wrapper does not provide a sufficiently clear idea of what this offering is all about. The chocolate itself has a nice light brown colour and a nice shine. Were it not for the wrapper it would have scored an 8. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

The aroma is nice of dairy chocolate and hazelnuts and has a typical Ritter Sport aroma profile. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

This is a soft chocolate with a soft filling which gives it an excellent melt. The downside here is that the praline or nougat is very sticky and slightly floury in its texture. Since the texture is so soft one might suggest to make a variant with something crunchy such as nuts or perhaps a dark chocolate covering with a snap to provide a contrast in terms of texture. Serving it slightly chilled improves texture a little, though I suspect many consumers will buy this product for immediate consumption. Texture: 7 out of 10.

There is nice flavour from the nougat, though I would have liked it to be more intense in flavour. The chocolate is a little bland and it too should have a bit more character in order to play along with the nougat flavour. This offering is perhaps a little on the sweet side, but certainly not overly sweet and personally I think Ritter Sport has struck a good balance (at least if you don't eat the whole bar in one go). Perhaps a little salt might improve on and open up the flavour a little.

Average: 7, 25 out of 10.

Previw of this week’s reviews

Trying to ease my way back into blogging mode after the holidays I post a preview of the reviews to appear this week in order to be motivated not to skip any. This week will be devoted to a mini theme on nougat/toffee chocolate: Tuesday’s review of Ritter Sport Praline will fulfil a reader request and Thursday’s review is going to be of one of the all-time most popular bars, the Mars bar. Sunday will round up the week with the classic Yankie bar, produced by Tom’s confectionary group for the American armed forces during World War II. These reviews should be great fun so be sure to check in during the week.

Review: Marabou Premium 70% Cocoa Mint

There are generally two types of mint or peppermint chocolates. Those filled with a mint cream and those in which the mint is an ingredient added to the chocolate itself. This offering from Marabou Premium is of the later type and is described as a “Full bodied dark chocolate with mint crisps” of which the mint crisps make up 8%.

Mint and chocolate may be a good match. However many a manufacturer exaggerates the mint and the bar ends up tasting too much of toothpaste. Unfortunately I have to conclude that this is also the case with this offering.

The box is OK looking and clearly signals that this is a dark chocolate with mint. What is less clear is that it is in fact mint crisps and that the bar contains a whole lot of foreign fats (vegetable fat) as well as dairy ingredients such as butter, butterfat, skim milk powder, sweetened condensed milk as well as whey powder. If these ingredients are in the chocolate it should, in my opinion, not be labelled “full bodied” dark chocolate. I have commented on this issue before. If these ingredients solely go into the making of the crisps this is perhaps defensible. If not – and I suspect not – as even their plain dark chocolate contains butter fat – I consider it somewhat misleading and at the very least does not give the proper idea of what this chocolate is all about. Another thing which is not clear is whether this bar contains actual mint. The declarations states only “aromas”. The chocolate itself appears nice and shiny. Judging appearance favourably I rate this 7, mainly as there are too many unclear factors. If in fact the chocolate itself does contain any dairy ingredients I would score it much lower as I would then consider it misleading. Appearance: 7 out of 10.

This bar has very strong minty aromas which overpowers its cocoa scent. Also, there is a hint of rubber. I consider the mint aroma way too strong and the hint of rubber unpleasant. Aroma: 6 out of 10.

The bar has a nice snap and good melt and this is clearly the best executed part of this offering. The only drawback is the mint crisps, which are too finely processed to provide and interesting contrast in form of crunch. Texture: 7 out of 10.

Initially the flavour is very buttery. The mint flavour starts of mildly enough but soon becomes tasting way too strong and instead of being gentle and complimenting the chocolate overpowers it. After two seconds it simply numbs your taste buds and makes your mouth full of mint. This suggests to me that aroma of flavour enhancers have been added. Also, the chocolate has a nasty bitter aftertaste. A nice thing, however, is that there is a slight taste of salt which, in my opinion, is nice in chocolate. Unfortunately this is nowhere near enough to make up for the drawbacks.
Flavour: 5 out of 10.

I am not sure who the target audience is for this offering, but I have a hard time imagining that this will become a regular item even with many a chocolate mint aficionado.

Average: 6, 25 out of 10

Review: Ritter Sport Butter Biscuit

I will open 2012’s reviews with my very own favourite from the Ritter range. While it is neither on the top 3 in Germany, England or the world, this one is, so far, my personal favourite.

While plenty of manufacturers has a wafer and chocolate combination in their range I am not familiar with too many that use a biscuit in its place. In general I am not too fond of chocolate coated wafers for the reason that the wafer is often, in my opinion, not substantial enough to carry the chocolate and becomes too light to be really satisfying.

This butter biscuit proposition, however, is much better, I think, for several reasons. First, the biscuit is more substantial. Second it provides better texture in the form of crunch and thirdly, at least for his particular variety, adds smooth and delicious cocoa cream.

The wrapper is OK looking. The chocolate itself is very nice and shiny and also looks good in a cross section view. Appearance: 8 out of 1o.

The aroma of this offering is quite nice too and offers good notes of milk, caramel and cocoa aromas. Aroma: 8 out of 10.

Good crunch from the biscuit filling and very good melt and softness provided by the cocoa cream. This combination is particularly well done. Texture: 8 out of 10.

The flavour of the milk chocolate takes a back seat here and gives way to the sweet and mild cocoa cream and crispy butter biscuit. In short rather nice and certainly, in my opinion, the best tasting offering from the Ritter range I have tasted so far. Aroma: : 8 out of 10.

This is not a high quality bar using the best of ingredients in the making. Nevertheless it is a no frills bar that does exactly what it should do: namely provide a quick and tasty fix for the sugar hungry.

Average: 8 out of 10.

Sneak week preview

Happy new year to all! The blog is not dead even if I had to take a brief time out to squeeze in the holidays. Getting back to "normal" means that I will return to the usual Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday posting schedule.

Thursday I will post a review of my favourite (so far) from the Ritter Sport range. Sunday's review is not 100% confirmed yet but will probably be a milk chocolate or a chocolate/peppermint offering.

If you have any requests for a review please leave a comment and I will get in touch with you.