Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts
Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Hammond's Caramel Mocha

Hammond's Caramel Mocha

One of the best things about having this candy blog is that people in my life are sweet enough to bring me candy when they travel! This Hammond's Caramel Mocha bar came from my boss after her trip to Denver. It had a friend, called Pigs n' Taters (bacon and potato chips) but my husband finished that one before I could blog it. For the record, it was good.

Hammond's is a Denver company that has been around for quite a while. There are some other fun-sounding flavors on the Hammond's website: Whoopie Pie, Cookie Dough, Malted Milkshake - I was impressed! As flavors go, Caramel Mocha isn't too out there, but I appreciate a well-executed classic as much as funky innovation.

Hammond's Caramel Mocha

The chocolate had a rich, glossy look to it, and it smelled like coffee and very dark chocolate. Surprisingly, the coffee flavor wasn't that strong - good news for me. The chocolate had a big, crisp snap, but it didn't break along the perforations at all. This is a pet peeve of mine, especially in a caramel bar, because it makes a big sticky mess.

The caramel was extremely sticky and creamy (not at all runny). The caramel also didn't have much of a burnt sugar flavor, maybe because it seemed to carry the mocha aspect of this bar. The flavor conveyed the richness of a mocha, but the actual coffee flavor reminded me more of coffee grounds than liquid. Still, it went well with the bitter flavor of the cocoa. The bar was good, but not my favorite, and it was sticky as all get out.

B

Hammond's website

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

TCHO Mokaccino

TCHO Mokaccino Bar

Even though I'm not by any means a picky eater anymore, there are some foods I'm not crazy about. Olives, banana-flavored candy, and coffee-flavored candy fall into that category. As a child, I used to hate fish, asparagus, brussels sprouts, and mushrooms, but age has changed my palate and I love them now. Project Olive (in which I try to make myself like olives) has been an abysmal failure thus far, but I'll never give up. My husband thinks that if your first experience with a food is really bad, then it can sour you for life, but if your first experience is amazing, then even poor imitations will remind you of the best version.

By that theory, TCHO's Mokaccino bar is definitely the coffee chocolate bar to try if you're on the fence! It was one of our tasting samples at the World of Chocolate Museum and Cafe, and I was surprised to find that I loved it! My husband was also a fan, so we bought the full bar in the shop. Now if only I could find some really good olives...

TCHO Mokaccino Bar

The bar had a strong coffee aroma, and strong coffee was the first thing I tasted, too. Although it was almost too bitter at first bite, the rich flavor of the milk chocolate cut away most of the bitterness and acidity, leaving behind a mellow mocha. The combination was great, especially since I'm not usually a huge fan of coffee and chocolate together.

The chocolate itself was incredible, and I just could not get over how smoothly it melted. It wasn't sticky or waxy, and it seemed like there was nothing standing between me and the cocoa butter. For that alone, this bar is worth a little splurge. The hints of caramelized milk were subtle, but with the coffee flavor it really was like drinking a good mocha. Basically it was another stunner from TCHO.

A-

TCHO website

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Tirol Mix 9

Tirol Mix 9

It's time to emerge from blogtirement! It's been a little while, but before it got too hot to ship chocolate to my house, I purchased this 9-pack of Tirol chocolates from napaJapan. It's the standard assortment, though Tirol always rotates a few limited edition flavors in and out of these packs. If you bought this assortment now, you'd get Lemon Cookie instead of Caramel Bis.

Some of these flavors have been reviewed here before, including Milk, Hot Cake, and White & Cookie Crunch. Some of the never-before reviewed on this blog flavors in this assortment are classic Tirol chocolates, so most of them should be easy to find online or in Japanese import grocers.

Caramel Bis Caramel Bis

One of the rotating flavors in this mix was Caramel Bis, which is a twist on the classic Bis. The dark chocolate and caramel chocolate layers reminded me of purin. The lighter caramel chocolate was sweet and creamy, and it mixed well with the darker, slightly bitter chocolate base. The center biscuit added a fun crunch, but as usual, not much flavor. The darker chocolate was a nice touch and it made this flavor stand out.

Chocolate Almond Chocolate Almond

According to the Collection section of Tirol's website, Chocolate Almond has been through a few different wrappers before the cute one we see today was introduced in 1996. The tried and true combination of almond and chocolate is just what you'd expect. The chocolate smelled nice and nutty, and it a little sticky but melted smoothly. The almond had a crunchy caramelized coating and it imparted hints of cherry flavor.

Tirol Milk Nougat Tirol Milk Nougat

According to the Tirol website, the Milk Nougat flavor was introduced in 1983 and the Swiss-inspired packaging hasn't changed since then. I tried to break this one in half for the second picture but the nougat was too hard! The piece only smelled of plain chocolate, but the nougat had a slightly nutty flavor. I liked the taste but wasn't crazy about the texture; the nougat was at first sticky like taffy, then crumbly, and finally it got stuck in my teeth.

Bis Bis

Regular Bis is one of Tirol's standard flavors, and it's also one of my favorites. It's a simple combination of sweet milk chocolate and a crunchy, cracker-like biscuit. The biscuit was dry and pretty bland, but it added a nice crunch and balanced the sweetness of the milk chocolate.

Strawberry Tirol Strawberry Tirol

Strawberry was a simple pink strawberry filling covered in milk chocolate. The filling was creamy, fluffy, and full of strawberry seeds. Despite a slightly soapy taste, the strawberry flavor wasn't bad. On the whole, it was quite sweet.

Tirol Coffee Nougat Tirol Coffee Nougat

Finally, the iconic Coffee Nougat flavor. I love the contrast of the colorful lettering against the dark wrapper, but I like the packaging better than the flavor. It smelled mostly of chocolate and just barely of coffee. The nougat had a mild, lightly roasted coffee flavor, and it had the consistency of extremely thick, sticky caramel. This is another stick-to-your-teeth piece, and it's just not worth the potential tooth decay.

Overall, this collection was a B. The Caramel Bis was my favorite of the bunch, but though they may be classics, I just wasn't crazy about either nougat flavor.

Tirol website

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Salazon Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt, and Coffee

Salazon Bar

This bar might have the longest name I've ever seen. The title of this post was shortened to fit on one line, but the full name is Organic Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt & Crushed Organic Coffee. It was part of a birthday gift from my sister, her husband, and their adorable son. Even though he was only about 6 months old at the time, I like to think he picked it out.

Before trying this bar, I was unfamiliar with the Salazon Chocolate Company. They seem to be very serious about sustainability, and this bar was USDA organic and certified sustainable by the Rainforest Alliance. According to the website, these bars are made in small batches in the United States, not to mention hand-sprinkled with sea salt. That's all great, but how does it taste? After all, Salazon's website also states that these bars are meant to be "energy food" rather than candy.

Salazon Bar Salazon Coffee Bits

The unwrapped bar is striking, on both the top and bottom. The back was especially gorgeous. I love a textured bar, so seeing the little flakes of coffee was exciting. The coffee aroma was dominant in the scent, and the bar had a firm (almost hard) snap.

At first, the chocolate was very salty, but this gave way to a mild, bitter chocolate flavor. The chocolate didn't melt on the tongue right away, and combined with the crunchy coffee flakes, it made for a very crunchy bar. The flavors worked well together, but it was a bit dry for my tastes. I suppose that's why it's "energy food" rather than candy.

B

Salazon Chocolate Company website

Friday, February 3, 2012

Fujiya LOOK Baskin Robbins

LOOK Baskin Robbins

It's been a while! Sorry for being so quiet. I'd like to say that I've been too busy with work and graduate school to post, but the truth is, I've had free time, I've just been doing other things. I did notice some new followers, so thanks for being patient with me!

Getting back into the swing of things, I thought I'd give LOOK chocolate another try. LOOK has been hit or miss; their French- and Italian-themed collections were fantastic, but their plain chocolates left a lot to be desired. This is the Baskin Robbins collection, so naturally, the four flavors are ice cream inspired.

LOOK Baskin Robbins

It's fitting to start off with Jamocha Coffee because the coffee flavor seemed to find its way into many of the adjacent chocolates. On its own, it was all right. The milk chocolate went well with the mild coffee flavor, and it definitely reminded me of a blended iced coffee drink.

Strawberry Cheesecake had a slightly tart berry flavor with a hint of yogurt. It didn't really taste like cheesecake, but it was still tasty. As I mentioned, I think there was some flavor mingling going on, because some of the Strawberry Cheesecake pieces had a weird and off-putting coffee note.

Matcha, always the flavor I look forward to the most, had a slight bitter matcha flavor, but it was so subtle that it was easily overwhelmed by the milk chocolate. It was disappointing. One of the Matcha pieces tasted like coffee, too.

Vanilla had a sweet fake vanilla flavor. It was pretty standard fare, but the coffee essence seeped into a couple of these pieces, too. It wasn't too bad for this flavor.

Overall, when the non-coffee flavors didn't taste like coffee, they were fine, but flavor mingling was an issue in this package (even though they were well within the expiration date). It didn't happen to every piece, but I'm thinking the fresher you can get these, the better.

C+

LOOK website

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Caffex CaffeMallows

IMG_5004
Press Sample

I'll admit it, I was a bit apprehensive about trying caffeinated marshmallows. I love my coffee (currently drinking Trader Joe's Dark Sumatra), but energy drinks and shots just aren't my thing. Still, when it comes to food and candy, I will try anything* once. It was with that spirit I accepted an offer for free samples of Caffex Caffeinated Mallows for review consideration. As always, the samples were free but no compensation was received for this review.

Three varieties of marshmallow came in the sampler: Java, Coffee, and Mocca. I kept putting off trying them for a morning when I wasn't drinking coffee, but that never happened. Eventually, I just went for it, sampling each kind on three different days. More on the buzz later, but I was very productive at work those days.

Coffee Mallows

The packages were printed with the caffeine dosages (though I did not capture this on camera), which was a bit frightening for a caffeine novice like me. The Coffee Mallows had 200 mg of caffeine per serving, which is just over the caffeine content of two cans of Red Bull. The pale brown Coffee Mallows smelled of cinnamon, and they had a slightly bitter coffee flavor. The marshmallow was had a slightly gritty texture. I appreciated the aroma, but I'd rather drink coffee. Unlike a cup of coffee sipped slowly over time, I felt the Coffee Mallow right away; I was downright hyper! My coworkers noticed a difference

Mocca [sic] Mallows

The Mocca Mallows were the best of the bunch. They also had 200 mg of caffeine, but I loved how this marshmallow looked-and tasted-just like a brownie. It was dense with big sugar crystals and cocoa nibs, giving it an excellent chocolate flavor. It had the mildest coffee flavor of the three, and while I still prefer a cup of coffee, I really enjoyed this one. Again, I got a pretty strong buzz.

Of course, I forgot to take a picture of the beast of the bunch, the Java Mallow. I saved this one for last. It contained a whopping 280 mg of caffeine, and I was so intimidated, I split it with my husband (and neither of us had coffee that day, based on previous experience). This marshmallow was extremely bitter with a very strong, concentrated espresso flavor. It was absolutely not for me, but someone who enjoys energy drinks might like it more. Even though I split it with my husband, the buzz was intense!

Candy Gurus, Energy Fiend, The Daily Nerdgasm, and Food Junk also reviewed these, and opinions ranged from love to hate. I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

C

Caffex website

* I reserve the right to make exceptions to this rule. "Anything" is pretty general.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Ferrero Gran Soleil Caffe Cappuccino

IMG_4624

The laboratory for which I work has close ties with our facilities in Italy, and people from my office are constantly traveling there for business. I haven’t gotten this opportunity yet, but at least when people from my department go to Italy, they often bring back sweets for my blog.

Gran Soleil is an interesting, ice cream-like treat my boss found in the check-out lane at an Italian supermarket. It comes in other flavors, but this one is Coffee Cappuccino. My boss doesn’t speak much Italian (nor do I), so neither of us knew what it was, but we gathered that it had to be frozen. My stepmother-in-law, who speaks some Italian (thanks to several lengthy assignments there), was able to gather from the instructions that I needed to freeze the package overnight. It was a snacking experience unlike any I’ve had.

IMG_4644

Before freezing, the Gran Soleil sounded like gel when I shook it. It solidified after freezing, and since there were two packets, my husband and I each had one. The frozen paste didn’t really look like the picture, but it was still somewhat ice cream-like. It was quite sticky and had an intense coffee scent.

Gran Soleil must have contained a fair amount of water, because there were plenty of ice crystals. True to its scent, the coffee flavor was strong. This was a good thing, though, because the mixture was syrupy and sweet, even a little cloying. Still, the experience of freezing the package myself was fun and new. I think I’d like to try other flavors, though.

B

Gran Soleil website

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Fujiya LOOK Italian Dolce

First, I hope all readers living in Japan are all right after the horrible earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear instability, and that those with friends and family in Japan have made contact with them. Thankfully, my friends and coworkers in Japan are all right, as many of them live south of the devastated areas. My heart and thoughts are with those who were not so lucky. It will probably be a long time before the damage to the country can really be assessed.

LOOK Italian Dolce

Chocolate and chocolate reviews are definite mood boosters, so I'll get right back on track. Even though I posted reviews of other LOOK assortments first, this is the first LOOK assortment I tried after my long LOOK boycott.

The package contained four flavors: Tiramisu, Mont Bianco, Espresso Mousse, and Delectica Limone. I think that last one is basically a lemon tart. I've always been wary of coffee and espresso flavored candy, but it has been growing on me lately.

LOOK Italian Dolce

Delizia Limone seemed like my safest bet, so I started with that. The milk chocolate coating was sticky, but the lemon cream center was tart and cakey with crunchy candy bits. It was really tasty, and my favorite of the bunch.

Espresso Mousse had a good, slightly bitter espresso flavor and a truffle-like filling, but it didn't wow me like the lemon flavor did. Again, the milk chocolate was sticky and sweet, but the bitter-sweet balance was all right.

LOOK Monte Bianco

Mont Bianco was delicious with a delicate chestnut flavor. It wasn't too sweet or too subtle, and it had a very refined feel. It was a close second favorite!

Tiramisu was my husband's favorite. Of all the tiramisu chocolates I've tried recently, it was probably the best. Though sweeter that the other flavors in the pack, the mascarpone cheese flavor was just right, and the milky, creamy center was delicious.

To sum it up, if you can still find this LOOK assortment, get it! Here are reviews from Japanese Snack Reviews and Sweets Blog.

A-

Fujiya LOOK website

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Tirol Coffee Jelly

Coffee Jelly Tirol

First, this is just a gentle reminder that there is one week left to enter my Trident Layers giveaway! Thanks to everyone who has entered so far.

Normally, Tirol chocolates have adorable packaging designs, but it seems like Coffee Jelly slipped through the cracks. The font isn't eye-catching (not to mention the yellow stroke on brown text), and combined with the grainy picture, it just looks cheap.

Of course, as chocolates go, Tirol is cheap, but it doesn't usually look it. Still, I wasn't too deterred from adding a set of 4 Coffee Jelly chocolates ($2.79, though they are now sold out) to my napaJapan order, and I'm very glad that I did.

Tirol Coffee Jelly

Under the wrapper, the chocolate was quite attractive with its contrasting white top and dark bottom, all with a slightly glossy finish. It had a mild coffee scent, and the chocolate had a great snap to it. Inside the chocolate was a sticky gel center with a pleasant, slightly firm gummy texture.

The chocolate had the stronger espresso-like flavor, and the combination of milky white and bitter dark reminded me of a mocha. The gel center had a milder, more delicate coffee flavor. It was like a much more subdued Ferrero Pocket Coffee, and it was delicious. Don't let the unassuming package fool you - there's quality chocolate in there!

A-

Tirol website

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Ritter Sport Cappuccino

Ritter Sport Cappuccino

A few weeks ago, I house-sat for my parents when they were out of town. My parents know me pretty well, because they "paid" me in chocolate! Their two cats are so cute that I would do it for free, but I wasn't about to turn those candy bars down.

Part of my "payment" was this Ritter Sport Cappuccino bar. Although I've seen it many times in stores, I've never purchased it for myself or even tried it. I love drinking coffee, but I'm always a little wary of coffee flavored treats. Too many of them have the sour, bitter aftertaste of cold, old coffee and not enough of the bold, toasty richness of a fresh cup.

Ritter Sport Cappuccino

The chocolate had a mild coffee scent, and the milk chocolate coating was sweet and just a bit salty. The filling was smooth and cool on the tongue, and it had a creamy coffee flavor.

Thankfully, the coffee flavor wasn't too sour, and the sweetness of the chocolate balances the subtle bitterness from the cappuccino flavor. Overall, the bar was enjoyable and sweet without being cloying, and it was one of the better coffee flavored sweets I've tried.

B+

Ritter Sport website

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Nestle Milk Coffee KitKat

Milk Coffee KitKat

This Milk Coffee KitKat has been hanging around in my candy cupboard for a while now, and the only thing that really stopped me from eating it was that I had too many other options. This was a spring flavor, and it's not officially fall yet, so I'm only 1 season late, right?

For the record, this KitKat was slightly expired when I pulled it from my stash, but I don't think it affected the flavor. It might have affected the scent, but more on that later. I got a few new KitKats on vacation and decided that it wasn't fair to review the new ones before this one.

Milk Coffee KitKat

The packaging really drew me in because I love pink, but it didn't really say "coffee" to me. The bars definitely smelled like coffee, along with a hint of cheese (not sure if that's normal). Thankfully, there was no cheese taste - just the flavor of nice, mild coffee with a rather sweet cream.

Coffee chocolates usually aren't my favorite, but this one was surprisingly tasty. The sweetness of the white chocolate was offset by the bitterness of the coffee, with neither flavor dominating. I think it'd be nice with a little black coffee or espresso on the side. If I had a KitKat top 10, I don't think Milk Coffee would make the cut, but it was still an enjoyable flavor.

B

KitKat website

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Thorntons Chocolate Bars

day 168

These bars were a gift from my boss, as a thank-you for watering her plants while she was away. I'm not sure it was fair, because all I had to do was water a couple tiny pots and she gave me all this chocolate! I'm not going to argue, though.

Thorntons chocolate isn't available in the United States, so whenever my boss and her husband return to the UK, they stock up. It's not a brand I've seen in import stores, either, so this was my first time tasting Thorntons. These three bars are Cappuccino, Whipped Fudge, and Mint.

Thorntons Cappuccino

The first bar I tried was Cappuccino, and the first thing I noticed is that it was incredibly soft! It wasn't that it was melted, it was just that the white chocolate coating and the center were light and airy. It had a strong coffee scent, and the center had a strong cappuccino flavor, with a smooth, almost minty coating. The flavors went together well, and overall it wasn't too sweet but a nice and balanced bitter. It melted in my fingers, because the center was almost like whipped truffle ganache. I saved half to take home, but it got a bit melted during the 15 minute drive from work. I should probably mention that my air conditioning is broken... B

Thorntons Fudge Bar

Next, I tried the Whipped Fudge Bar. It smelled like fudge, and had a vein of caramel running through the center. This caramel was the best part of this bar! It was oozy and sticky, and just the perfect level of sweetness. The fudge center was gritty, and it had the texture of faux cookie dough. It felt a little heavy for something with "whipped" in the title, and it was a bit too sweet, but since I'm a sucker for cookie dough, I didn't mind. My husband wasn't too fond of this one, though. B-

Thorntons Mint Bar

I saved the Mint Bar for last, and it was worth it. The bar smelled so very minty, and it delivered. There were crunchy peppermint bits in the center of the bar that reminded me of crushed candy canes. The chocolate on the outside was firm, and it was a fantastic pair for the creamy, cool mint ganache-like center. It was a lovely bar, and my favorite of the three. A-

Thorntons website

Friday, March 12, 2010

Lotte Let's Be Mild Coffee

Let's Be

While at one of a local Asian markets, I was in the mood for canned coffee. Suntory Black Boss coffee was available, but it was about $2.50. Since that seemed a bit excessive for a tiny can of coffee, I went for a $0.99 Korean coffee called Let's Be. Lotte is a giant conglomerate with a presence in just about every industry in East Asia, including food and beverage.

I am a bit of a coffee fanatic (though not quite at the Gilmore level). My husband and sister are both sensitive to it, but if I don't mind staying up late, I can drink several cups with no indigestion (so long as the creamer is lactose-free).

Let's Be mild is not the best choice for coffee fans. It smelled mostly of sugar and not very much like coffee. The taste was also extremely sweet, and a bit milkier than it looked. To its credit, it tasted very fresh for a canned drink. The bitterness and much of the acidity were muted by the sweetness.

Let's Be mild just wasn't suited to my tastes at all, but coffee is a rather personal thing. There was nothing wrong with the drink itself, I just wouldn't recommend it to those who like stronger coffee. Then again, it was labelled "mild coffee," so I doubt it would attract those types anyhow. There are bitter and black versions of Let's Be, and I would definitely try them if I found them in the future.

C+

Lotte Chilsung Beverage website

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Ferrero Mon Cheri and Pocket Coffee

Ferrero Mon Cheri and Pocket Coffee

My dad's job has always given him chances to travel internationally at least once or twice a year, and even though I've moved out and grown up (somewhat), he still brings souvenirs for his kids. On a recent trip to Italy, he bought these two Ferrero candies and divided the boxes among the family.

Neither of these candies were quite what I expected. The Mon Cheri seemed like they would be a generic chocolate covered cherry, and I assumed the Pocket Coffee would be solid coffee flavored chocolate. I was completely wrong on both accounts.

Ferrero Mon Cheri

The Mon Cheri smelled like a cherry chocolate, but when I bit into it, some of the strongest liquor I've ever tasted in a candy came pouring out. It actually burned a little going down. There was also a candied cherry inside for texture, but the flavor was dominated by chocolate and liquor. It was delicious, but packed quite a punch. I'm not a huge chocolate/cherry fan, but this was unlike any other liquor or cherry candies I've tried, so I was very impressed. My husband, who loves chocolate covered cherries, liked these even more than I did.

DSC06197

Pocket Coffee was another surprise. It smelled strongly of coffee, and it was a little hard to smell the chocolate. There was a crispy, grainy layer just below the chocolate, and a little online research told me that it was a layer of sugar. It made for an interesting and tasty texture mixture. Oh, did I mention that there is actual strong liquid coffee in this? The chocolate and sugar adds an excellent balance to the bitterness of the coffee. This is not a good bedtime snack, but I'd recommend it to any coffee or espresso fan.

A

Candyblog and Slashfood have both reviewed Pocket Coffee, and Jim's Chocolate Mission has a review of Mon Cheri.

Ferrero website

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Tirol Aloha Pack

Hawaiian Tirol Flavors

This is the last of the Tirol I have to review. I saw this cute little bag with a Wallace and Gromit-esque character on the front and was interested, but the real selling point was the pineapple flavor. I love pineapple, so I was really looking forward to seeing how they would handle it.

Hawaiian Tirol

I liked the muted colors on the wrappers, and even though I'm not usually a fan of coffee flavored candy, I've never tried Kona coffee. Macadamia nuts go well with chocolate, and Tirol does a great job with their plain almond chocolate, so I had high hopes for it.

Hawaiian Tirol

Kona coffee smelled like coffee and had a toffee-esque caramel inside. The chocolate carried the coffee flavor, while the caramel was bitter and similar to (if not the same as) the caramel inside the plain Tirol flavor. Overall, the whole thing was mildly sweet. It was a nice change of pace, but not something I want to eat all the time. B

Macadamia nut had normal, nice milk chocolate with small macadamia nut pieces inside. It was simple and tasty! My only complaint is that I wish there were more or bigger macadamia nut pieces inside. I would definitely seek out this flavor again. A-

Pineapple smelled just like pineapple, and wow, the jelly center was awesome. It was tender and fruity, like a fruit gem without the sugar coating. The flavor was spot on pineapple, too. The white chocolate on the outside was a little too sweet, but the center was so delicious, I didn't mind. A

A friend of mine said she tried these last year, too, but I saw on the Tirol site that they are a current flavor, so it must be a re-release. The pack was great as a whole, even better for those who love coffee-flavored snacks.

Tirol Website

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Glico Dessert Pocky Tiramisu

Tiramisu Dessert Pocky

Even though I love drinking coffee, coffee flavored candy usually isn't something I enjoy. However, I've had a few tiramisu flavored snacks lately that are beginning to change my mind.

When it comes to Japanese snacks in America, Pocky has become almost ubiquitous. I've seen it in local grocery stores, book stores, and of course, Asian grocers. Unfortunately, Pocky is nowhere near the top of the list of my favorite Japanese snacks, and the kinds I do like (like Dessert Pocky) are still pretty hard to find. I found these at a Japanese grocery store about an hour from where I live.
Tiramisu Pocky

There were three sticks in each bag, which made them a little hard to share with my husband. The sticks were pretty, with intricate crosshatch milk chocolate drizzled over the white chocolate. They certainly looked elegant, and they smelled of milk chocolate with a faint hint of coffee.

The chocolate coating was nice and thick, and as with the scent, the coffee taste was not at all overpowering. The biscuit added a nice texture and kept the sweetness in balance. On the whole, these were not too sweet, and the cookie/chocolate combination did serve to remind me of tiramisu. These were pretty addictive! For another take, have a look at Japanese Snack Reviews.

B+

Glico website

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Nestle Caramel Macchiato McFlurry KitKat

Caramel Macchiato McFlurry KitKat

Has there ever been a KitKat with a longer name? I bought some of these KitKats while in Japan, and the package says it's a collaboration with McDonalds (hence the McFlurry part of the name). But right away, I knew this wouldn't be the KitKat for me. I'm not a huge fan of coffee-flavored things, even though I love coffee. However, with Japanese KitKats, I feel that I have an obligation to taste them.

The box boasts of a "delicate aroma and milky flavor" but the whiff I got when I opened the package was not at all delicate. Like many caramel KitKats of late, my first impression was a strong smell of caramel. I didn't pick up on the coffee or on any ice cream scent. My expectations were pretty low at that point.

Caramel Macchiato McFlurry KitKat

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm a sucker for pretty chocolate, and I do love a swirly looking KitKat. The coffee taste was very much in the background, with the exception of a few bites. It could have been my imagination, but I think the darker swirls in the white chocolate had a stronger coffee flavor. For the most part, the taste was a chemical-y caramel.

The white chocolate itself was creamy and decent (not chalky), and I finished one of the two sticks before my throat started to burn from the sweetness. With some bites having more coffee flavor than others, it seemed inconsistent, and they might as well have left off the McFlurry part, campaign be darned.

So, this isn't in the running for favorite KitKat by any stretch of the imagination, but at least it was better than Muscat of Alexandria (review coming soon). I was a little too kind when reviewing this last night, so as of 11/28, the rating has changed...again. Japanese Snack Reviews also has a review of this KitKat.

C-

KitKat Website (Japanese)