Lindt Black Currant

Growing up in America, I have very limited experience with black currant. Writing a snack blog has certainly given me opportunities to try it, but it's still not a flavor I can immediately draw up in my memory.

Lindt's Black Currant bar was one of the first black currant sweets I've seen at my local grocery store, so perhaps this flavor is slowly working its way into American mainstream candy. Maybe one of these days, we'll join the rest of the world in having black currant Skittles instead of grape (not likely, and I hope not, because grape is my fave).


The dark chocolate bar smelled fruity and bittersweet, and the flavor was immediately intensely fruity, with strong, slightly bitter and liquor-esque cassis flavor. The almonds added a toasty flavor and a gritty crunch to the chewy texture of the dried fruit, which went well with the smooth, clean feel of the dark chocolate.

The dark chocolate was fairly standard; it had a good snap and a mildly bitter flavor that was a bit overpowered by the black currant. I don't see myself buying this bar often, but I would certainly go for it over a basic raisin and nut milk chocolate bar.

B+

Lindt website

Damian Allsop CH2OCOLATES Cinnamon & Lemon (Cola) Compact Bar

When my sister-in-law visited London, she said she took great care in finding me a special treat as a souvenir. She's such a sweetheart, and she found the perfect thing: chocolate made without cream and butter! She picked up this bar with the help of a gracious employee at Liberty, and it was made by Damian Allsop Chocolates.

The idea that such a thing exists had never even occurred to me, but this chocolate is made with water. In addition, the flavor combination of lemon, cinnamon, and cola felt fresh and unique. The chocolate was a lovely taupe color, freckled with cinnamon and popping candy.


The chocolate itself was firm with a light, soft melt. The first flavor I tasted was a mildly sour lemon. As the white chocolate melted, its flavor emerged, along with a hint of cinnamon, reminding me of a cinnamon roll. The white chocolate was unlike any other white chocolate I've had. It wasn't too sweet, and had a rich vanilla flavor that went well with the cinnamon.

Finally, the cola flavor was present in crunchy popping candy. It had a fruity, cola flavor with a hint of molasses, and the gentle popping candy made for a fun finish. The chocolate wasn't sticky and had a clean finish. The CD-style shape and packaging were cute, but with a product this tasty and unique, it felt like a bit much; the chocolate spoke for itself.

A

Damian Allsop Chocolates website

Meiji Marshmallow Chocolate Bar

Here's a neat little bar from Meiji with some nostalgic connections. I'm sure you can guess where I'm going with this: Swiss Miss instant cocoa with mini-marshmallows, a.k.a. the best thing about playing outside in the snow. OK, so it's nowhere near as good as fancy drinking chocolate, but it sure hit the spot after an intense snowball fight or an 8 hour shift of building snow forts. These days, the last thing I want to do when it snows is go outside, but I still hit the cocoa every now and then.

The mini-marshmallows in this bar added a new texture for me. I'm sure other companies have done it, but most marshmallow confections I have tried are chocolate-coated marshmallow (or sugar coated marshmallow, like Peeps, but I'd rather not discuss Peeps), which is usually too much marshmallow for my tastes.


The bar smelled like basic milk chocolate, and really, the chocolate was nothing special. It was milky and sweet with a slightly sticky melt, but it didn't need to be anything more. The marshmallows were what made this bar interesting.

Though I was expecting them to be freeze-dried, the marshmallows were spongy, soft, and light. They added an interesting texture to the chocolate, though not much in the way of taste. Since I've never had anything like it, this bar felt fresh and unique, and both my husband and I enjoyed it.

A-

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.


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.


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.


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

Tirol White Strawberry and Strawberry Tart Choco

These two Tirol flavors, while both strawberry-related, did not come from the same collection. The White Strawberry came in a box shaped like a large Tirol chocolate (love when they do that), and it was the only flavor included. I can't remember ever having a white strawberry, but I read a bit about pineberries (hybrid strawberry-like berries that taste a bit like pineapple). I'm not sure if they are the same fruit, but it was an interesting read.

Strawberry Tart Choco came in this year's Ichigo ga Ippai collection. Since at least 2009, Tirol has brought out a strawberry-themed variety pack with some repeats and usually at least one new flavor. Have a look at my reviews of the 2009 and 2010 editions, if you like. This time, there was only one new flavor, so I thought I'd combine it with the standalone strawberry.


White Strawberry had an intense strawberry smell when unwrapped. The top inner layer was a thin strawberry gel, which was tart and authentically fruity. Some pieces leaked strawberry gel into their wrappers, adhering the chocolate to the paper - the strawberry flavor was noticeably less intense when this happened. The inner marshmallow layer nice, pillowy texture and a slight sweetness. The white chocolate shell was cool on the tongue and extremely sweet. There were a couple strawberry seeds embedded in the chocolate, but they didn't add much - just a hint of a crunch like the real fruit.

I liked the flavor of the strawberry gel and the texture of the marshmallow very much, but the white chocolate was just too sweet and cloying. Eating them with strong black tea helped to lessen the powerful sweetness, but the white chocolate tarnished an otherwise delicious Tirol. The strawberry flavor was delicious, so I had no trouble finishing the box, but I wish they had been less sweet.

B-


Strawberry Tart Choco had an ever-so-slightly soapy scent and flavor, but the texture was great. The white chocolate shell reminded me of strawberry yogurt, and it wasn't intensely sweet. Inside the chocolate, there was an extra crunchy, flaky biscuit with strawberry-flavored crystals on top. Those crystals were tart and had a nice, authentic flavor and a neat crunch that reminded me of freeze-dried fruit.

This flavor also had seeds embedded in the chocolate, and again, they didn't seem to add much to the experience. I suppose they added to the authenticity, but they really just got stuck in my teeth later. Still, this was my favorite out of the two strawberry flavors in this review, and probably my favorite in the strawberry variety pack.

A-

Tirol Website