Have you seen this one around? Let me know! lollyaddictaust@gmail.com
Image courtesy Mentos Australia Facebook page.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Gossip: New 'Mentos Mystery II' Release
Following on from the success of the first Mystery flavour last year, there will be a 'Mystery II' released shortly in both the piece and gum range. There will also be a competition like last time as well.
Have you seen this one around? Let me know! lollyaddictaust@gmail.com
Image courtesy Mentos Australia Facebook page.
Have you seen this one around? Let me know! lollyaddictaust@gmail.com
Image courtesy Mentos Australia Facebook page.
Sunday, 16 June 2013
Nestle Aero Bubbles Mint
Netle's new Aero Bubbles might be new to Australia, but they have been available in the UK for many years. I first heard about them through Catchoftheday.com.au a few years ago, where they were imported stock, and even better, in orange flavour (a favourite!) Unfortunately I never ended up placing an order, something I've regretted for ages, but at least now Australia has their own stock!
Well, not quite. These are UK-imported stock, recently confirmed by Nestle on their Aero Australian Facebook page.
The Bubbles are small, spherical bites of the classic Aero aerated confectionery, surrounded by a layer of thick milk chocolate. The centre on Aero Mint products is a 'confectionery' (it's not technically chocolate). I can't say why they don't use white chocolate instead, but I would hazard a guess that cost has a lot to do with it.
The green matte-finish foil package is bright and easy to spot on the shelf as it looks very similar to the standard Aero bars. The bag weighs 35g, while a bar comes in at 40g, but the 5g difference is a lot more noticeable with the different product size (balls versus a bar). I received 12 balls in my bag.
The balls are very similar in size to a Mars Malteser, at about 2cm wide (shown with a Mentos for size below). Although the chocolate layer is a nice colour to it, it looks a bit dinged from its travels. Some balls had a small hole or crater where the chocolate had broken. All of the balls have a noticeable seam in the chocolate as well. They smell very sweet with a sugared-up mint scent, and they are quite strong.
I was surprised to find that the glazing layer over the chocolate was a touch sticky if my fingers were even slightly warm. I would not want to touch these on a warm day! When I bit one open, I found that the chocolate layer was quite thin - less than 2mm - which is very different to the product image on the bag. The light green confectionery filling also didn't fill the entire ball; instead there are fairly even big air bubbles inside. I bit open a few different balls and found most had the big air bubbles.
Luckily the taste is nice. I found these milder than an Aero Mint bar in terms of both sweetness and mint flavour - perhaps it is the proportion of more chocolate to less confectionery centre. The bubbly confectionery centre is quite light - as to be expected from an air-filled product. The chew is not very milky or melty, and the mild mint flavour doesn't hang around afterwards either. I rather enjoyed them as something mild, but I did find that the more I ate, the stronger the sweetness became. I think I can understand why the serving is six pieces, and not the whole bag.
I liked the flavour, but the stickiness is offputting. 3 out of 5 stars.
Made in the UK. Contains milk and wheat. Nestle has said on their Facebook page that the Aero Bubbles Mint "do not contain peanut and tree-nut ingredients" and there is no nut statement on the bag.
Well, not quite. These are UK-imported stock, recently confirmed by Nestle on their Aero Australian Facebook page.
The Bubbles are small, spherical bites of the classic Aero aerated confectionery, surrounded by a layer of thick milk chocolate. The centre on Aero Mint products is a 'confectionery' (it's not technically chocolate). I can't say why they don't use white chocolate instead, but I would hazard a guess that cost has a lot to do with it.
The green matte-finish foil package is bright and easy to spot on the shelf as it looks very similar to the standard Aero bars. The bag weighs 35g, while a bar comes in at 40g, but the 5g difference is a lot more noticeable with the different product size (balls versus a bar). I received 12 balls in my bag.
The balls are very similar in size to a Mars Malteser, at about 2cm wide (shown with a Mentos for size below). Although the chocolate layer is a nice colour to it, it looks a bit dinged from its travels. Some balls had a small hole or crater where the chocolate had broken. All of the balls have a noticeable seam in the chocolate as well. They smell very sweet with a sugared-up mint scent, and they are quite strong.
I was surprised to find that the glazing layer over the chocolate was a touch sticky if my fingers were even slightly warm. I would not want to touch these on a warm day! When I bit one open, I found that the chocolate layer was quite thin - less than 2mm - which is very different to the product image on the bag. The light green confectionery filling also didn't fill the entire ball; instead there are fairly even big air bubbles inside. I bit open a few different balls and found most had the big air bubbles.
Luckily the taste is nice. I found these milder than an Aero Mint bar in terms of both sweetness and mint flavour - perhaps it is the proportion of more chocolate to less confectionery centre. The bubbly confectionery centre is quite light - as to be expected from an air-filled product. The chew is not very milky or melty, and the mild mint flavour doesn't hang around afterwards either. I rather enjoyed them as something mild, but I did find that the more I ate, the stronger the sweetness became. I think I can understand why the serving is six pieces, and not the whole bag.
I liked the flavour, but the stickiness is offputting. 3 out of 5 stars.
Made in the UK. Contains milk and wheat. Nestle has said on their Facebook page that the Aero Bubbles Mint "do not contain peanut and tree-nut ingredients" and there is no nut statement on the bag.
Friday, 14 June 2013
Gossip: New Allen's Minties, Jelly Beans and More
Allen's Lollies, owned by powerhouse Nestle, has been busy with all sorts of new creations!
First up, the brand as a whole is slowly moving through and changing all of their lollies over to natural colours - which means bye-bye to artificial food dyes. That also means no more blue snakes in the Snakes Alive packs, or blue racing cars in the Party Mix bags. But it's all for the greater good, right? Curiously, I haven't seen a whole lot of advertising about this.
Allen's have just released their own take on The Natural Confectionery Company Bliss lollies under the name of 'Cheekies'. I will be reviewing both flavours shortly.
The Jelly Beans are getting a shake-up with two new flavours: 'Sour Rush' and 'Funfair Thrills'. Coles seem to be stocking them already (and IGA as well according to Allen's Facebook page), but Woolworths doesn't have them yet. Have you seen them around?
Finally, there's an update to the 90-year-old favourite Minties, in the form of 'Choc and Vanilla Smooth Mint' flavour. What do you think; do they sound good?
First up, the brand as a whole is slowly moving through and changing all of their lollies over to natural colours - which means bye-bye to artificial food dyes. That also means no more blue snakes in the Snakes Alive packs, or blue racing cars in the Party Mix bags. But it's all for the greater good, right? Curiously, I haven't seen a whole lot of advertising about this.
Allen's have just released their own take on The Natural Confectionery Company Bliss lollies under the name of 'Cheekies'. I will be reviewing both flavours shortly.
The Jelly Beans are getting a shake-up with two new flavours: 'Sour Rush' and 'Funfair Thrills'. Coles seem to be stocking them already (and IGA as well according to Allen's Facebook page), but Woolworths doesn't have them yet. Have you seen them around?
Finally, there's an update to the 90-year-old favourite Minties, in the form of 'Choc and Vanilla Smooth Mint' flavour. What do you think; do they sound good?
Monday, 10 June 2013
The Natural Confectionery Company Smoothie Chews
It's been a while since The Natural Confectionery Company added something new to their massive range of lollies. (The last was Strawberries & Cream Bliss, back in October of last year.) TNCC have already produced a range of chews, a lolly type which isn't hugely common here in Australia. They are available in a bag, and years ago were also available in a bar format. The current 'Fruit Chews' bag contains the following flavours: raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, orange and lemon.
The first of TNCC's two new Chews bags is 'Smoothie Chews', a bag containing lollies that are a 'smooth combo of fruitiness and creaminess'. (The other flavour is 'Sour Chews' which I will be reviewing at a later date.)
The four flavours included are apple & raspberry (green), mixed berry (purple), mango & passionfruit (orange) and strawberry & banana (pink). These definitely sound like smoothie-inspired flavours that I'm excited to try. Unfortunately when I tipped the bag contents out, the selection was definitely lopsided, with only three Mango & Passionfruit chews included, but lots of Mixed Berry.
Each of the chews are wrapped in a colour-coded label, also marked with the name of the flavour, so they are good to toss a couple in your bag. The pieces are about 2.2cm long by 1.5cm wide and high, so they are not too small but also not too big. The chews are also each made up of two colours representing the flavours.
Apple & Raspberry is up first. Apple and raspberry flavour mixes remind me of a childhood favourite, the apple and raspberry-flavoured Prima (which is a flavoured fruit drink for non-Australians). This chew has a green outer and pink centre. It feels quite stiff and has a mild berry scent. In the mouth, the apple is the first obvious flavour but is quickly balanced out by the raspberry, leading me to believe the colours are purely decorational and not individully flavoured. The chew softens quickly, and tastes a bit like a toffee apple (an actual toffee-covered apple) - it's sweet but delightfully tart and very juicy. I don't get any 'smoothie' notes from this as the flavours are bright and bold. I really enjoyed this flavour and wish I had a bag of them all by themselves.
Next is Mixed Berry, in the purple wrapper. This chew has a pink outer with a dark magenta centre. It has a mild sweet scent of nothing in particular. The first flavour I get is a tart raspberry, followed by notes of mellow blackberry. Like the Apple & Raspberry, the flavours are quite strong - they make me think more of smoothie syrup rather than a smoothie itself. I found this chew a little bit tart as well, but not as much as the Apple & Raspberry, and a little less sweet.
Mango & Passionfruit is in the orange wrapper, and has an orange outer and yellow centre. It has a vague citrus scent that is nothing interesting. The mango flavour is very strong and bold. It's actually quite a close representation of real mangoes in flavour. I did get a touch of creaminess in the flavour, but not enough to balance out the flavour. I couldn't taste the passionfruit at all. I am not a fan of mangoes so didn't not really enjoy this chew.
The final flavour is Strawberry & Banana in the pink wrapper. It has a yellow outer, and pink centre. This is he most smoothie-like of the flavours. The banana is first present, but quickly sweetened by the presence of the strawberry. It's nice and much less mild than the other flavours, and is also more creamy.
If you feel contemplative while eating these, check out the wrappers - they contain questions. I wonder if they are supposed to rival Nestle's Allen's Fantales (which have movie star trivia questions). The questions are rather boring: "Who is your favourite relative?", "What song do you secretly love to listen to?", "What is the most embarrassing thing you have done?" but I suppose they have to keep them family friendly.
Interestingly, these are made in Thailand! The Natural Confectionery Company Smoothie Chews are a sugar confectionery, and contains wheat, glucose syrup and may contain traces of soy. A serve is 3.3 pieces.
The first of TNCC's two new Chews bags is 'Smoothie Chews', a bag containing lollies that are a 'smooth combo of fruitiness and creaminess'. (The other flavour is 'Sour Chews' which I will be reviewing at a later date.)
The four flavours included are apple & raspberry (green), mixed berry (purple), mango & passionfruit (orange) and strawberry & banana (pink). These definitely sound like smoothie-inspired flavours that I'm excited to try. Unfortunately when I tipped the bag contents out, the selection was definitely lopsided, with only three Mango & Passionfruit chews included, but lots of Mixed Berry.
Each of the chews are wrapped in a colour-coded label, also marked with the name of the flavour, so they are good to toss a couple in your bag. The pieces are about 2.2cm long by 1.5cm wide and high, so they are not too small but also not too big. The chews are also each made up of two colours representing the flavours.
Apple & Raspberry is up first. Apple and raspberry flavour mixes remind me of a childhood favourite, the apple and raspberry-flavoured Prima (which is a flavoured fruit drink for non-Australians). This chew has a green outer and pink centre. It feels quite stiff and has a mild berry scent. In the mouth, the apple is the first obvious flavour but is quickly balanced out by the raspberry, leading me to believe the colours are purely decorational and not individully flavoured. The chew softens quickly, and tastes a bit like a toffee apple (an actual toffee-covered apple) - it's sweet but delightfully tart and very juicy. I don't get any 'smoothie' notes from this as the flavours are bright and bold. I really enjoyed this flavour and wish I had a bag of them all by themselves.
Next is Mixed Berry, in the purple wrapper. This chew has a pink outer with a dark magenta centre. It has a mild sweet scent of nothing in particular. The first flavour I get is a tart raspberry, followed by notes of mellow blackberry. Like the Apple & Raspberry, the flavours are quite strong - they make me think more of smoothie syrup rather than a smoothie itself. I found this chew a little bit tart as well, but not as much as the Apple & Raspberry, and a little less sweet.
Mango & Passionfruit is in the orange wrapper, and has an orange outer and yellow centre. It has a vague citrus scent that is nothing interesting. The mango flavour is very strong and bold. It's actually quite a close representation of real mangoes in flavour. I did get a touch of creaminess in the flavour, but not enough to balance out the flavour. I couldn't taste the passionfruit at all. I am not a fan of mangoes so didn't not really enjoy this chew.
The final flavour is Strawberry & Banana in the pink wrapper. It has a yellow outer, and pink centre. This is he most smoothie-like of the flavours. The banana is first present, but quickly sweetened by the presence of the strawberry. It's nice and much less mild than the other flavours, and is also more creamy.
If you feel contemplative while eating these, check out the wrappers - they contain questions. I wonder if they are supposed to rival Nestle's Allen's Fantales (which have movie star trivia questions). The questions are rather boring: "Who is your favourite relative?", "What song do you secretly love to listen to?", "What is the most embarrassing thing you have done?" but I suppose they have to keep them family friendly.
Interestingly, these are made in Thailand! The Natural Confectionery Company Smoothie Chews are a sugar confectionery, and contains wheat, glucose syrup and may contain traces of soy. A serve is 3.3 pieces.
Friday, 7 June 2013
Gossip: Mars M&M's Orange
It was only back in December that I reviewed the M&M's Orange release, and now they are back on the shelves! That's quite a short period of time between releases. I don't think that this is the Crispy version (but I could be mistaken) so perhaps they could be the dark chocolate version, or maybe they have been added to the regular lineup (unlikely). Why do you think we are seeing this flavour again?
Wednesday, 5 June 2013
Mars Bounty Cherry
As with most of their products, Mars likes to cycle through a seasonal variation alongside the regular or original flavours. Both Mars Bar and Snickers are good examples of this. Bounty, on the other hand, tends to be left out of this cycle (or at least doesn't rotate through it as quickly as the other bars). In the past it has been available in dark chocolate, which is no longer available, and cherry first became available in 2009, and disappeared shortly afterwards. Now it's back!
The red and silver packaging is immediately obvious compared to the blue and silver of the standard plain coconut-flavoured Bounty. On the side of the pack, the bar claims to contain 'moist tender coconut and cherries in dark chocolate' and happily the pack contains graphics of both cherries and coconut.
Inside we have the two small bars with rounded ends, and three triangles/flows of chocolate on top. (Wikipedia tells me Mars attempted to trademark the bar shape and the three triangles back in 2003, which ultimately fell through.) The chocolate is nice and rich in colour, a nice dark brown with faint gloss. Even through the chocolate is thick and solid, I can smell the coconut and a faint cherry scent as well. Thankfully, neither are overbearing as some bars tend to be.
The chocolate layer is quite solid and thick (almost 2mm in places), and holds in place the bright red coconut inside. I was surprised to discover that the coconut didn't really resemble the long thin pieces you would find in a bag of dessicated coconut, but instead looks like wet sand that has dried. It has a faint faux-cherry scent to it too, though the chocolate keeps it from becoming too medicinal. There are also no signs of cherry pieces (like one would find in a Cadbury Cherry Ripe), so the bar seems to be just cherry-flavoured coconut. The ingredients list states that the bar contains the equivilant of 4.6% fresh cherries, and 'red cherry puree' is sitting down in sixth position on the list. So that line of 'moist tender cherries and coconut' is bull!
The solid chocolate coating provides a lovely crunch, and the flavour is surprisingly nice. The coconut provides mostly texture rather than flavour, and the cherry and chocolate balance each other out to provide a bit that is mild but presents both flavours equally. If you're looking for a very mild version of a Cadbury Cherry Ripe, then this is your bar, but otherwise it provides no competition. The coconut is pleasingly moist and chewy.
I'm not a fan of coconut and the way it sticks in your teeth so this is not a bar I would personally purchase again, and this may colour my rating somewhat.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
One piece is one serve (22.5g). The chocolate contains a minimum of 38% cocoa solids. It may contain treenuts, egg, barley and peanuts.
The red and silver packaging is immediately obvious compared to the blue and silver of the standard plain coconut-flavoured Bounty. On the side of the pack, the bar claims to contain 'moist tender coconut and cherries in dark chocolate' and happily the pack contains graphics of both cherries and coconut.
Inside we have the two small bars with rounded ends, and three triangles/flows of chocolate on top. (Wikipedia tells me Mars attempted to trademark the bar shape and the three triangles back in 2003, which ultimately fell through.) The chocolate is nice and rich in colour, a nice dark brown with faint gloss. Even through the chocolate is thick and solid, I can smell the coconut and a faint cherry scent as well. Thankfully, neither are overbearing as some bars tend to be.
The chocolate layer is quite solid and thick (almost 2mm in places), and holds in place the bright red coconut inside. I was surprised to discover that the coconut didn't really resemble the long thin pieces you would find in a bag of dessicated coconut, but instead looks like wet sand that has dried. It has a faint faux-cherry scent to it too, though the chocolate keeps it from becoming too medicinal. There are also no signs of cherry pieces (like one would find in a Cadbury Cherry Ripe), so the bar seems to be just cherry-flavoured coconut. The ingredients list states that the bar contains the equivilant of 4.6% fresh cherries, and 'red cherry puree' is sitting down in sixth position on the list. So that line of 'moist tender cherries and coconut' is bull!
The solid chocolate coating provides a lovely crunch, and the flavour is surprisingly nice. The coconut provides mostly texture rather than flavour, and the cherry and chocolate balance each other out to provide a bit that is mild but presents both flavours equally. If you're looking for a very mild version of a Cadbury Cherry Ripe, then this is your bar, but otherwise it provides no competition. The coconut is pleasingly moist and chewy.
I'm not a fan of coconut and the way it sticks in your teeth so this is not a bar I would personally purchase again, and this may colour my rating somewhat.
2.5 out of 5 stars.
One piece is one serve (22.5g). The chocolate contains a minimum of 38% cocoa solids. It may contain treenuts, egg, barley and peanuts.
Friday, 10 May 2013
Pascall Mallow Bites Chocs Mint
Pascall's Mallow Bites Chocs range has seen a new flavour join the family. Last year's launch included both Vanilla and Honeycomb, and now we have Mint as well. As with the existing flavours, these new ones are also made in New Zealand, rather than in the good old land of Oz.
The foil bag is only 130g but feels rather hefty in the handy. While the bag did a poor job of protecting the bites - mine are scuffed worse than a pair of kid's school shoes - it does keep them nice and fresh. The scent is well-contained too, and with good reason - it's quite strong! With the addition of the Cadbury milk chocolate, the bag smells like a box of after dinner mints. Not a bad comparison if you ask me.
So our bites are scuffed, with broken chocolate and bare sections of marshmallow visible as well. At least marshmallows are otherwise robust! And boy, did Pascall really lay on the colouring for these! The interior is far brighter than what you can see on the picture, or even the product image on the front of the bag. Think of the colour of a green clinker - that's around the degree of colour we have here. Other than that, the marshmallow is lovely and bouncy with a good pull. It feels a little frothy too, as if it's full of tiny air bubbles. The thin chocolate layer also provides a nice texture as well, otherwise it may feel like a mouthful of froth.
The flavour in the marshmallow is nowhere near as strong as the initial scent would suggest. It's rather like mint choc chip ice cream - creamy and sweet but not very strong. Only a few of these are needed for me to feel satisfied. Despite the artificial flavour, it's rather refreshing!
(That's a Mentos there for a size comparison.)
Five bites are one serve (25g), the product contains milk and soy, and they may contain traces of peanuts and tree nuts.
The foil bag is only 130g but feels rather hefty in the handy. While the bag did a poor job of protecting the bites - mine are scuffed worse than a pair of kid's school shoes - it does keep them nice and fresh. The scent is well-contained too, and with good reason - it's quite strong! With the addition of the Cadbury milk chocolate, the bag smells like a box of after dinner mints. Not a bad comparison if you ask me.
So our bites are scuffed, with broken chocolate and bare sections of marshmallow visible as well. At least marshmallows are otherwise robust! And boy, did Pascall really lay on the colouring for these! The interior is far brighter than what you can see on the picture, or even the product image on the front of the bag. Think of the colour of a green clinker - that's around the degree of colour we have here. Other than that, the marshmallow is lovely and bouncy with a good pull. It feels a little frothy too, as if it's full of tiny air bubbles. The thin chocolate layer also provides a nice texture as well, otherwise it may feel like a mouthful of froth.
The flavour in the marshmallow is nowhere near as strong as the initial scent would suggest. It's rather like mint choc chip ice cream - creamy and sweet but not very strong. Only a few of these are needed for me to feel satisfied. Despite the artificial flavour, it's rather refreshing!
(That's a Mentos there for a size comparison.)
Five bites are one serve (25g), the product contains milk and soy, and they may contain traces of peanuts and tree nuts.
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Kit Kat Caramel Duo
Nestle's last Kit Kat variety from October of last year was an epic fail, so you can imagine I approached this new variety with some trepidation. Visions of mockolate and 'white confectionery' aren't far from my mind, and with a pack that describes the product as 'Wafer Fingers Covered with a Smooth Milk Chocolate base & Creamy Caramel Flavoured Choc Top', I wasn't all that reassured. At least the base is chocolate, and I love caramel, so it can't be all that bad - right?
The packaging is made with the new matte-finish foil wrapper that seems to be the range these days. It still has the bright red, easily-reconisable background and bit Kit-Kat logo, but the bottom right corner of the bar includes a tan-coloured swathe dedicated to the new flavour. Often the packaging will also include an illustration of the flavour - for example, a picture of a strawberry on a strawberry-flavoured product. There's no such guide here. I know caramel can be difficult to illustrate, but that tan swathe could be representing leather for all I know!
Our 45g bar is in the classic four-fingers shape, with the foot or base of each finger made from a layer of milk chocolate, while the rest of each finger has been coated in 'caramel flavoured choc'. The caramel area is a nice tan colour, perhaps a touch lighter than I would expect for a caramel product, and is matte with no discernible gloss at all. My bar is a weeny bit heat damaged though, so that may have contributed. The bar as a whole seems quite heat sensitive too - I couldn't even hold a finger for five seconds without it beginning to melt.
The caramel coating smells suspiciously like caramel milkshake flavouring: it's sweet, and I get a hint of spices there as well (?). It's a little bit like fudge, too. Not bad! The milk chocolate base isn't as nice though; it smells bland, like poor quality Easter chocolate.
In a regular chocolate Kit-Kat, between the layers of wafer you would find a chocolate-based smooth product. Although I can't tell what it is, Nestle appear to have replaced the chocolate with a tan-coloured product inside, presumably to add to the flavour.
The wafers in my Kit-Kat were lovely and fresh and added a good crunch. But then it's downhill from there. The flavour is somewhat boring; the caramel is strong enough to dominate the milk chocolate base, but overall is weaker than the scent it gives off. Although I don't drink coffee, the weak caramel flavour is about what I would expect to find in a caramel-flavoured coffee product - the flavour is there but doesn't do a whole lot else. I don't know what I was expecting, but I'm disappointed. This is not a product that stands on its own. It's okay. There are many other nicer products out there I could have spent my $2 on.
A serve is two fingers (half the packet). This product contains milk, soy and wheat, and is made on equipment that processes products containing peanuts and tree nuts. This product was made in Australia.
The packaging is made with the new matte-finish foil wrapper that seems to be the range these days. It still has the bright red, easily-reconisable background and bit Kit-Kat logo, but the bottom right corner of the bar includes a tan-coloured swathe dedicated to the new flavour. Often the packaging will also include an illustration of the flavour - for example, a picture of a strawberry on a strawberry-flavoured product. There's no such guide here. I know caramel can be difficult to illustrate, but that tan swathe could be representing leather for all I know!
Our 45g bar is in the classic four-fingers shape, with the foot or base of each finger made from a layer of milk chocolate, while the rest of each finger has been coated in 'caramel flavoured choc'. The caramel area is a nice tan colour, perhaps a touch lighter than I would expect for a caramel product, and is matte with no discernible gloss at all. My bar is a weeny bit heat damaged though, so that may have contributed. The bar as a whole seems quite heat sensitive too - I couldn't even hold a finger for five seconds without it beginning to melt.
The caramel coating smells suspiciously like caramel milkshake flavouring: it's sweet, and I get a hint of spices there as well (?). It's a little bit like fudge, too. Not bad! The milk chocolate base isn't as nice though; it smells bland, like poor quality Easter chocolate.
In a regular chocolate Kit-Kat, between the layers of wafer you would find a chocolate-based smooth product. Although I can't tell what it is, Nestle appear to have replaced the chocolate with a tan-coloured product inside, presumably to add to the flavour.
The wafers in my Kit-Kat were lovely and fresh and added a good crunch. But then it's downhill from there. The flavour is somewhat boring; the caramel is strong enough to dominate the milk chocolate base, but overall is weaker than the scent it gives off. Although I don't drink coffee, the weak caramel flavour is about what I would expect to find in a caramel-flavoured coffee product - the flavour is there but doesn't do a whole lot else. I don't know what I was expecting, but I'm disappointed. This is not a product that stands on its own. It's okay. There are many other nicer products out there I could have spent my $2 on.
A serve is two fingers (half the packet). This product contains milk, soy and wheat, and is made on equipment that processes products containing peanuts and tree nuts. This product was made in Australia.
Monday, 6 May 2013
Cadbury Marvellous Creations Clinkers, Gummi Bears Choc Biscuit
It's here! The delayed (if you believe the people freaking out on Facebook) Cadbury Marvellous Creations Clinkers, Gummi Bears Choc Biscuit flavour has arrived, only a week or so behind its sibling the Clinkers Raspberry Chips Marshmallow. (Thumbs up to Cadbury for using the word 'biscuit' over 'cookie'!)
Clad in the carnival-style striped packaging that accompanies the Marvellous Creations range, the new flavour is a curious creature. Clinkers aren't a new addition - some years ago, Cadbury produced a vending machine-sized 100g block range, and one of the flavours was Dairy Milk with Clinkers - but we haven't seen them around for quite a while. The Choc Biscuit filling is more than likely the same biscuit as used in the Dairy Milk Black Forest block (and a couple of years ago was also used in a Coles-exclusive Dairy Milk Cookie block). There are many fans of the Black Forest block, so I;m sure they will be happy to see it used in this block! Finally, Trolli has had a chocolate block with gummi bears for a couple of years now, although it's not something Cadbury has played with before. Having said that, the Marvellous Creations range is all about fun, so I'm sure this one will fain fans quickly!
At 290g, this is a very large block. The Dairy Milk chocolate is glossy and unblemished, and if you look closely, you can even spot the chocolate biscuit pieces poking through. Underneath, the bottom is wonderfully textured with lots and lots of little Clinker pieces, and there are some biscuit pieces visible too. But curiously, I can't seem to spot any gummi bears!
Only when we snap open the bar do we find the gummi bears, hidden in the thick chocolate. They are smaller than your average gummi bear, measuring just a hair under 1.5cm long. Despite being not that visible in the block, they are still detailed liked gummi bears, which I was pleased to see, and have a strong flavour of their own - in fact, I would say they are stronger in flavour than gummi bears you can buy on their own. Unlike the Clinkers which are limited to just three colours, the gummi bears come in many colours - I've found yellow, red, orange and green so far.
The texture of the bite is very similar to Jelly Crunchie Bits flavour that was released in the initial launch last year. Although the gummi bears are more, well, gummi, the texture is similar. I found that despite the appearance of the rear of the block, the chocolate overwhelmed a lot of the flavour. If you manage to single out a gummi bear on its own, it adds a little flavour to the mouthful, but not enough to overcome the chocolate. Unfortunately the Clinkers contribute nothing but texture and sweetness - and this block is VERY sweet. I didn't even notice the Choc Biscuit pieces either - if I didn't read that these were included, I would never have guessed.
This will be popular with the kids, but be sure to keep a glass of water on hand as the chocolate is quite cloying as well.
Cadbury Marvellous Creations Clinkers, Gummi Bears Choc Biscuit contains 26% cocoa solids and 28% milk solids. It contains milk, wheat and soy, and may contain traces of egg, peanuts and tree nuts.
Clad in the carnival-style striped packaging that accompanies the Marvellous Creations range, the new flavour is a curious creature. Clinkers aren't a new addition - some years ago, Cadbury produced a vending machine-sized 100g block range, and one of the flavours was Dairy Milk with Clinkers - but we haven't seen them around for quite a while. The Choc Biscuit filling is more than likely the same biscuit as used in the Dairy Milk Black Forest block (and a couple of years ago was also used in a Coles-exclusive Dairy Milk Cookie block). There are many fans of the Black Forest block, so I;m sure they will be happy to see it used in this block! Finally, Trolli has had a chocolate block with gummi bears for a couple of years now, although it's not something Cadbury has played with before. Having said that, the Marvellous Creations range is all about fun, so I'm sure this one will fain fans quickly!
At 290g, this is a very large block. The Dairy Milk chocolate is glossy and unblemished, and if you look closely, you can even spot the chocolate biscuit pieces poking through. Underneath, the bottom is wonderfully textured with lots and lots of little Clinker pieces, and there are some biscuit pieces visible too. But curiously, I can't seem to spot any gummi bears!
Only when we snap open the bar do we find the gummi bears, hidden in the thick chocolate. They are smaller than your average gummi bear, measuring just a hair under 1.5cm long. Despite being not that visible in the block, they are still detailed liked gummi bears, which I was pleased to see, and have a strong flavour of their own - in fact, I would say they are stronger in flavour than gummi bears you can buy on their own. Unlike the Clinkers which are limited to just three colours, the gummi bears come in many colours - I've found yellow, red, orange and green so far.
The texture of the bite is very similar to Jelly Crunchie Bits flavour that was released in the initial launch last year. Although the gummi bears are more, well, gummi, the texture is similar. I found that despite the appearance of the rear of the block, the chocolate overwhelmed a lot of the flavour. If you manage to single out a gummi bear on its own, it adds a little flavour to the mouthful, but not enough to overcome the chocolate. Unfortunately the Clinkers contribute nothing but texture and sweetness - and this block is VERY sweet. I didn't even notice the Choc Biscuit pieces either - if I didn't read that these were included, I would never have guessed.
This will be popular with the kids, but be sure to keep a glass of water on hand as the chocolate is quite cloying as well.
Cadbury Marvellous Creations Clinkers, Gummi Bears Choc Biscuit contains 26% cocoa solids and 28% milk solids. It contains milk, wheat and soy, and may contain traces of egg, peanuts and tree nuts.
Sunday, 5 May 2013
Lindt Creamy Milk Chocolate Creme
The paper wrapper describes the block as 'milk chocolate with smooth chocolate nut creme filling'. (The ingredients list this mystery nut as almonds and hazelnuts. Interestingly, there is also coffee in the filling as well (albeit not much as it is the second-last item on the list.)
As with all Lindt blocks, the finish is rich and unblemished, and the chocolate a lovely warm brown tone, less milky-looking than your average Cadbury Dairy Milk block. It smells rich and creamy - the scent of Easter, although perhaps without extra sugar. The 25 pieces snap nicely with a bit of resistance. Unlike the graphic on the front of the package, however, it's difficult to tell the creme filling from the rest of the chocolate. (It's obvious in the photos, but to the naked eye the filling may as well not be there.)
At first the bite tastes like regular Lindt milk chocolate, but then the nut creme filling steps up - and there is no mistaking the almost praline-like flavour. It's bold and stays in the forefront of your mouth, dominating the milk chocolate outer a little. Thankfully, neither the chocolate nor the filling are overly sweet - in fact, I would guess that a block like this would fare much better alongside a non-sweet drink that would allow the nut flavours to develop more.
Don't worry - there is no nut texture like you might find in the Lindt Lindor Hazelnut balls. The mouthfeel is silky and smooth and coats the mouth, but disappears quickly when you are finished.
I found this block quite enjoyable, and typical of the Lindt experience - smooth, delicious and satisfying.
The Lindt Creamy Milk Chocolate Creme block contains a minimum 30% cocoa solids and 20% milk solids. There is no allergen statement on the package, however, the bar does contain 3% hazelnuts and 9% almonds.
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