Coles Honeycomb Popcorn Passion

It's always interesting when stores begin to produce a range of items, especialyl when they try and muscle in on a market as big as the chocolate one. One of the major supermarket chains in Australia, Coles, has recently released a range of four chocolate mixtures, each containing an unusual combination of ingredients. The first I'll be looking at is Honeycomb Popcorn Passion.

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The 145g pack is packed in a bright red gusseted bag, similar to the bags used by Cadbury at the moment for their 150g bags (the ones that contain Flake Bites, and more recently, Chocolate-covered Pretzals, and Chocolate-Covered Popcorn). The bag describes the contents as 'brazen bites of hip honeycomb and popcorn, smothered in smooth milk chocolate... It's chocolate art!' How's that for talking it up?

The bites themselves are panned and have a smooth and very glossy finish to them. Due to the conglomerate of odd-shaped ingredients, the bites are imperfect and vary in size, but are generally around 2-3cm in diameter. A single bite is a good size for a satisfying chew. The chocolate coating is on the thin side, and through it you can get glimpses of the ingredients inside. The balls smell sweet and milky, with the faintest hint of honey.

Inside, the bites are quite creatively assembled. Perhaps taking a leaf from the book of caramel-covered popcorn, these bites contain one large piece of popcorn which has then been coated in chocolate that contains small pieces of honeycomb, before being panned to give a smooth finish. It's a rather clever assembly, really, and one that ensures each piece of popcorn receives enough honeycomb. The taste is great. The popcorn has a salty bite with contrasts nicely with the sweet milkiness of the chocolate. The honeycomb pieces are crisp and add a great crunch. I can't pick their flavour out individually but they made a good contribution. I also think the popcorn has been given its own coating of caramel or toffee before being introduced to the chocolate mixture, presumably to keep it crisp and fresh.

I'm surprised at what a success these are. Although they might not be all that beautiful to look at, these Honeycomb Popcorn Passion balls are really appetising. My only fault with them is that there isn't enough in the bag.

Score: 5 out of 5 jelly beans.

Coles Honeycomb Popcorn Passion are made in the United Kingdom from imported and local ingredients. They contain gluten, milk and soy, and may contain traces of egg and tree nuts. They are also vegetarian.