Lindt Excellence Raspberry Intense

The newest addition by Lindt and Sprungli to the Excellence 100g chocolate block range is another fruit flavour: Raspberry.

Lindt Excellence Zest of Lime

While in the last few weeks, Lindt has exploded with new flavours across many of their subranges, I'm still struggling to catch up! A new addition to the ever-expanding Excellence range, Zest of Lime was released mid-last year.

Cadbury Cherry Ripe In A Block

I'm more than a little late with this review; these limited edition blocks from Cadbury are no longer available. Forgive my tardiness and enjoy the review anyway!

Lindt Creation Sublime Mint

Last year, Lindt & Sprungli added yet another version of their Swiss chocolates to their constantly growing range: Creation. The initial release of the flavoured 100g blocks included Velvety Vanilla Almond, Creme Brulee, Divine Hazelnut and Sumptous Dark Orange. The first three are milk chocolate, while the later is made using dark chocolate. Recently Lindt added another dark chocolate block to the range: Sublime Mint.

Follow the link to read more!

Cadbury Cherry Ripe Dark Ganache

2014 marks 90 years since Cherry Ripe was first released in Australia. It's clearly a favourite with the general public, but Cadbury still likes to mix it up and give us a seasonal release based on old faithful. This year they've fancied it up and offer Cherry Ripe Dark Ganache, a twist on last year's seasonal release Cherry Ripe Burst.

Head after the jump for more!

Gossip: Cadbury Cherry Ripe 90-Year Anniversary

Cadbury's famous Cherry Ripe bar celebrates its 90-year anniversary in 2014, and to celebrate Cadbury are putting out two limited editions of the coconut cherry bar.

There will be a new 'Cherry Ripe Ganache' in the medium bar range:

The bar is described as a Cherry Ripe bar 'enhanced by a layer of dark chocolate ganache'. Yum! It may come in a pink wrapper or a red wrapper as pictured above. Which do you like more?

And Twitter user @nevereverKatie has identified the second release; a large block of Old Gold dark chocolate with pieces of Cherry Ripe filling scattered throughout.

Will you be trying these when they land in your area? Isn't it amazing - what a milestone for one of Australia's favourites!

Lindt Excellence Cherry Intense

Lindt is well-known for their quality Swiss-made chocolates, and also for interesting flavour additions to their chocolate block range. The Excellence 100g blocks have a wide variety of flavours; some that I have reviewed in the past include Passionfruit Intense and Strawberry Intense. One of my favourite flavours in this range is the Touch of Sea Salt blocks, where tiny grains of sea salt beautifully complement the rich dark chocolate.

Head after the jump to read the rest!

Cadbury Cherry Ripe Burst

One of Cadbury's newest releases is their seasonal variation on the old Australian favourite, the Cherry Ripe. In previous years, the variations have included Cherry Ripe Roll, Cherry Ripe Dark Cherry, and last year's version, Cherry Ripe Double Dipped. This year's version is the inspired 'Cherry Ripe Burst'.

If you're unfamiliar with the Cherry Ripe product, it's a long, rectangular bar that contains moist, cherry-flavoured coconut and coconut pieces, and enrobed in dark Old Gold chocolate. It's a product that tends to be a favourite with the older generation of Australians; after all, it has been around since 1924 (albeit under a different brand)!

Encased in a silver foil wrapper and emblazoned with the bright red Cherry Ripe logo, the new 50g bar is easily recognisable. The sale line describes the bar as 'ripe juicy cherries and coconut with an extra luscious fruity layer in Old Gold dark chocolate'. Interesting! My first thoughts went to the Cadbury Raspberry Coulis Mousse block and I wondered if it was going to be similar.

The bar itself is a bit smaller in physical size than an original Cherry Ripe, despite weighing only 2g less than its big brother. It's a good 1cm shorter in length, and a couple of millimeters in width and height. The solid feel of the Burst bar makes up for it, though. The other immediately noticeable different is in the chocolate enrobing. On an original Cherry Ripe, the chocolate layer is quite thin, and has distinctive ripples running across the top. The chocolate on the Burst, however, is very thick and smooth in comparison.

Snapping the bar open reveals the 'extra luscious fruity layer' as promised on the wrapper. It's a jam like layer on the top of the coconut, and a warm, slightly dark red in colour. By itself, the layer is possible only 1-2mm thick, but it has a very strong Cherry Ripe flavour to it. Directly beneath the fruity layer is the red coconut typical of the range. Interestingly I spotted very few cherry pieces, but I could have just missed them.

The thick chocolate layer does a very good job of keeping the bar intact and uncrushed, but it snaps easily enough on breaking the bar in two. It also adds a good texture to the bite, making the chocolate more than just a background flavour. The three textures (chocolate, soft fruity layer and crunchy coconut) work well together. The fruity layer provides some extra moisture to the bite, and balances out the otherwise strong dark chocolate. It is a rather sweet chew, though, moreso than an original Cherry Ripe. Fans of the original may not like the Burst bar if they don't have a sweet tooth, but newbies to the Cherry Ripe product range should enjoy it.

Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

As someone who isn't a big fan of Cherry Ripe, I found this bar quite enjoyable

Disclaimer: This was a furnished sample, but all opinions are my own. See my Disclaimer policy for more.

Cadbury Cherry Ripe Double Dipped

Seems Cadbury have jumped on the seasonal bandwagon with their releases! In 2010 Cadbury released the 'Cherry Ripe Roll', a round version of the Aussie classic Cherry Ripe covered in extra coconut, and then last year we saw the Dark Cherry version of Cherry Ripe.

 
The 2012 limited edition Cadbury Cherry Ripe Double Dipped is a play on the standard Cherry Ripe bar. While both are covered in Cadbury Old Gold chocolate, the Double Dipped version contains 60% cocoa solids in the chocolate (the Old Gold blocks contain 45%). I'm not sure how Cadbury can claim it's Old Gold dark chocolate when it's not - although I suppose if it's not the 'Original' version then it doesn't really matter.

Around this time last year I reviewed the Cherry Ripe Dark Cherry version, and I just went back to check out the photos, as Cherry Ripe bars are not a product I normally pick up for myself.

I was surprised to discover the bar smelled strongly of the dark chocolate, so much so that it almost overpowered any cherry or coconut scent for me. Only after a while could I detect a mild cherry layer. The bar itself isn't strongly scented - it won't make your office or your car smell like chocolate - but the scent is there.

The Double Dipped bar may not have been literally dipped, but it does have a hearty layer of dark chocolate on  top of the bar. At the thickest section, the chocolate is about 4mm thick. It gives a solid thunk when snapped, and definitely ensures that the bar is just about impossible to squash. There doesn't seem to be more than the bare minimum of extra on the sides and base of the bar, though. The distinctive Cherry Ripe ripples on the top of the bar are muted by the extra chocolate to mere bumps only detectable by touch.

The extra chocolate at the top seems to have come at a price;  the cherry and coconut filling seems a lot thinner than I remember, taking up just two-thirds of the bar height-wise. It's still a pretty dense bar, and a good size for its 50g weight.

Inside, the coconut is a dull rosy pink colour, occasionally dotted with pieces of glace cherry.  The flaky coconut is very moist and chewy but does have a bit of that medicinal tang to it. Thankfully, the richness of the extra-dark Old Gold balances that out, instead highlighting the sweet bursts of glace cherry, and then lingering a bit afterwards. The thick top layer is fun to bite through - it's very solid compared to the coconut underneath.

Overall, despite the extra cocoa in the chocolate, the bar is still very sweet. I had trouble finishing the bar, and needed a big drink of water afterwards to clear my throat. Having said that, it would probably make a nice cheesecake (I think I've seen a Cherry Ripe cheesecake recipe floating around somewhere) where you could make the slices very thin.

The Cherry Ripe Double Dipped bar contains wheat glucose syrup, milk, soy and sulphates. It may contain traces of peanuts, tree nuts and wheat. It is made in Australia.

Lindt Excellence Strawberry Intense

Remember back in December when I reviewed the Lindt Excellence Passion Fruit Intense block? Well now Lindt have come out with another variety, Strawberry Intense. (There's also a coconut version, but I'm sorry coconut lovers, I won't be reviewing that one!)

Made with mildly dark chocolate (47% cocoa solids), Strawberry Intense combines 'strawberry pieces' with Lindt's 'fine dark chocolate'. The ingredients listing reveals that the strawberry pieces are in fact pieces of freeze-dried strawberry. Silly me, thinking Lindt would use sub-par ingredients!  Actual strawberry pieces are of course a good thing, and I can't wait to see what kind of flavour they impart on the chocolate.

As with all of the Lindt Excellence range, the block is long and thin, similar in size to the Cadbury 200g blocks, although half the thickness. Still, when I open the matte branded foil I can tell from the strong chocolate-dipped-strawberry scent that 100g will be plenty! It's a delicious and warm scent. If you find the scent of plain dark chocolate to be a little off-putting like me, you should find this block's aroma inviting and friendly.

On top, the block is branded with the Lindt name and distinctive lined pattern. The back shows a surprising number of bumps from the pieces of strawberry - although the block contains1% of strawberry pieces, the rippled reverse indicates that far more is included.

Snapping off a piece reveals the pink and white strawberry pieces, bright against the rich mahogany-coloured chocolate. It reminds me a lot of the cross-section of the strawberry Froots I reviewed earlier this year. The pieces themselves are small (the biggest is around 3mm wide) but if the scent is anything to go by, the flavour they impart should be rich and strong. It's interesting to note that all the pieces are at the base of the block - there are no bumps to mar the smooth and glossy logo side.

When bitten, the chocolate starts out as the main flavour, but soon gives me to a gentle flavouring from the strawberry pieces. Surprisingly, the berry flavour isn't as strong as I had guessed - instead of tasting like a chocolate-covered strawberry, the dark chocolate is still the dominant flavour, but the strawberry adds a light, playful dimension to the normally boring high cocoa content. It's a less-serious version of dark chocolate.

For those who don't lumps and pieces in their chocolate, you may come across the occasional seed, but the actual pieces themselves crumble easily into the chocolate so as to be barely detectable.

The block is made in France, and may contain traces of almonds and hazelnuts.

Lindt Excellence Passion Fruit Intense block

Lindt & Sprüngli AG, more casually known as Lindt, is one of those brands known world-wide for their amazing range and selection of quality chocolates. The company is based in Switzerland and was founded in 1845. Their collections include the ever-popular Lindor blocks and truffle balls, the Excellence blocks, gift boxes, and seasonal releases of their all-year-range selection as well.

Lindt are very good at keeping their range fresh and interesting, and the Excellence block range is no exception.

Introduced to the Australian market within the last couple of weeks, the Passion Fruit Intense block joins other popular flavours in the Excellence range, such as Blueberry and Sea Salt. Unlike some of the other flavours, Passion Fruit also includes pieces of almond dispersed throughout the 49% cocoa solid dark chocolate block. (I must reveal to my readers here that I am neither a fan of passion fruit nor nuts. Still, in the interests of providing a balanced and interesting blog, review I must!)

It's a warm day here in Melbourne as I begin the review, perhaps a little too warm for chocolate. As I tear open the well-sealed matte foil surrounding the block, I'm greeted with a strong, almost alcoholic scent, though it doesn't have distinct notes. On closer inspection, the passion fruit scent is clear - strong, bold and sweet, clearly the dominating flavour. Despite not liking passion fruit, the chocolate smells delicious!

The back of the block is gently rippled with hints of almond slices, more than I expected. The block breaks with a mild thunk - it's definitely too warm to be reviewing chocolate - and in the seams I can see pieces of almond, big pieces and small, that promise to provide an interesting texture.

In the mouth, despite the strong passion fruit scent the rich heady chocolate notes pop up first, before quickly being replaced with the bold and summery flavours of the passion fruit. Amongst the pieces of almond I can feel tiny little pieces of what must be the 'passion fruit preparation' listed in the ingredients. When I bite them I get a strong taste of what makes me think of Passiona if it were paired with vodka.

As with all Lindt chocolate, the melt is soft and creamy, interrupted with the sharp, thin pieces of almond. Despite the summery flavour, this isn't a block that should be scoffed a la Cadbury Dairy Milk, but a few pieces should be savoured on mild summer evenings.

Cadbury Cherry Ripe Dark Cherry

These little beauties have been around for a few months now, although there has not been much media on them as I would have expected.

The Cherry Ripe is one of Cadbury's most popular chocolate bars, and it is fairly unique in the Australian confectionery market. An original Cherry Ripe consists of a moist cherry-flavoured coconut centre, spotted with glace cherries, and enrobed with Cadbury's Old Gold dark (45%) chocolate.

It's been around since 1924, when it was originally made by Australian company MacRobertson's, and was acquired by Cadbury in 1967. Officially it is Australia's oldest chocolate bar, and is one of the most popular bars in the country.

The new Dark Cherry version of Cherry Ripe is similar to the original only in some ways. Instead of the metallic firetruck red packaging of the original, it sports a warm maroon and gold-themed wrapper, and is easy to spot on the shelf. Unlike many brand variations, the Dark Cherry version is the same size as the original, weighing in at 52g. It also comes in a twin pack (king size) version, which weighs 80g.

What sets the Dark Cherry apart from its relative is not immediately clear. The package indicates the bar is made up of "ripe juicy dark cherries and coconut in Old Gold rich dark chocolate." I'm not entirely sure what dark cherries are in this context (the ingredients list refers to them as 'dark glace cherries', consisting of cherries, sugar, glucose syrup, fruit juice, natural colours (extracted from fruits and vegetables, acidity regular (330), flavour, preservative (220)) and they don't sound hugely different to the glace cherries found in the original Cherry Ripe.

The outer Old Gold chocolate is rich by Cadbury's standards, and has a nice warm scent to it. There's a little bit of al alcoholic note in there too, although the bar contains no liqueur. It reminds me a little of black forest cake. It's coated thickly over the coconut centre and has five neat straight lines on the top, along the length of the bar. For its size, the bar is quite solid and heavy.

Inside, the coconut mixture is darker than the original Cherry Ripe, and is slightly wine coloured. It matches well with the packaging. The chocolate scent mixes well and I get a little whiff of a dark red wine in there too.

Coconut is not my favourite thing in the world to eat (I hate the flakey texture), but the outer chocolate helps to keep it together in the mouth. The chocolate overpowers the cherry flavouring - a thinner coating might help here - but the studs of the glace cherries do help to bring the cherry flavour back into focus, if only momentarily. I can't taste any coconut flavour by itself, and that's where Cadbury have done an excellent job - the inner centre is well combined and the coconut carries the flavour well. The taste lingers for a few moments after the bite, although it is of mostly chocolate.

I can see this bar appealing to an older audience. It definitely strikes me as a winter treat, and I would not be surprised to see sales fall as we go into the warmer months.