Nestle Matcha "Adult Sweetness" KitKat

Even though I've been away from the blog for a while, I was really tempted to come out of hiatus just to post a review of the incredible "Adult Sweetness" Matcha KitKat. It's everything I love about matcha and KitKats, and I highly recommend you try it if you like green tea.

This summer, I went on a business trip to northern Ontario, Canada, and got stuck there over a holiday weekend. I took a day trip to Toronto with the sole purpose of buying snacks, and I was not disappointed, because I found this KitKat.

This KitKat had a strong matcha scent and a gorgeous green color. The flavor was spot-on: nice and bitter and just a little grassy. The "Adult Sweet" (meaning not very sweet at all) white chocolate added just a hint of milkiness, like a strong matcha latte. Perfect for a matcha enthusiast!

The matcha chocolate was creamy and just a little grainy, which went well with the delicate wafers. The wafers also seemed finely milled in comparison to a normal KitKat. I bought 5 boxes and a bag of mini bars, but it wasn't enough. I miss this KitKat so much. Japanese Snack Reviews reviewed them too, if you'd like an opinion from a less matcha-addled mind.

A+

KitKat Website (Japanese)

Thorntons Chocolates

This review is a long-overdue continuation of another review of Thorntons chocolates from my boss. Thankfully, I took good notes when I ate them, and these were so good that they stick out in my memory.

The remaining bars are Orange & Cardamom and Banana & Custard. Thorntons is a brand that I desperately wish I could find in the United States. As it is, I am grateful for the kindness of my boss, who often brings back sweets to share when she visits her family in the United Kingdom.

Orange & Cardamom smelled of cardamom with a hint of orange. Cardamom is such a clean, appealing, and fresh spice, and it was best showcased in the first bite. I wish it hung around longer, because as the chocolate began to melt, both the cardamom and the orange flavors became subtle. The orange oil was never tart, just mildly citrusy. Finally, the texture was just that of smooth, creamy milk chocolate. It melted quickly and cleanly without being too sticky. A-

The bar smelled like banana ice cream, and the white chocolate was mildly sweet with a heavy vanilla custard flavor. I do love to see vanilla bean flecks! Thankfully, banana chips gave the bar its banana flavor, so it was quite authentic. The crunchy banana chips and the creamy white chocolate were complementary. Though the bar was sweet, it was never too sweet, and I was surprised by how much I liked it. My husband, the true banana lover in the house, adored this one. A-

Thorntons Chocolates Website

Extra Dessert Delights Rainbow Sherbet

Even though they are all interesting, I have yet to really love any flavors from Extra's line of Dessert Delights. I adore how they approach Willy Wonka territory, but like Mr. Wonka himself, there's always something that just seems a little bit off.

Rainbow Sherbet actually didn't have that odd note, and I really wanted to like it. The bright pink packaging is gorgeous, and I've always loved rainbow sherbet (especially when mixed with cream soda, Sprite, or ginger ale).

The gum smelled tart and very fruity, but in a nondescript way. While chewing, I could taste lime and raspberry, but mostly, it was just a little sour. The gum didn't have much orange to it, but maybe that would have overpowered the other flavors. It did indeed taste like rainbow sherbet.

This gum might set a new record for short-lived flavor; I got around 2 minutes. The chew was firm and not very bouncy, and the gum itself was a bit dense. Though I enjoyed the flavor, I tend to just gnaw through entire packs of gum when the flavor dies out so quickly, so my jaw would thank me not to buy this gum again.

B-

Extra Gum Website

Chukar Cherries

My older brother is a cherry enthusiast. Every Christmas, he could count on finding a box of chocolate covered cherries under the Christmas tree with his name on it. You know, the kind with the sticky, syrupy filling, and the remnants of what was once a cherry in the center?¹ These Chukar Cherries are nothing like those.

Appropriately, it was my brother who sent me this box of Chukar Cherries. I feel like I've missed out on so much in life by avoiding chocolate covered fruit, and it was all due to my own misconceptions. These were plump, meaty cherries with intense flavor, covered in lovely, thick chocolate. Here's a little bit about each kind in the box I received.

In the Cabernet Cherry, I didn't really taste the wine, but the tart cherry was wonderful. It was sour at first, but it had a nice bitter flavor. The outside chocolate was thick and only mildly bitter. My husband described this one as fresh.

Classic Cherry had a very sweet and sticky chocolate coating. The cherry within was mild and tender, and sour on the finish. The chocolate reminded me of hot cocoa, but while tasty, this wasn't my favorite of the bunch.

The Black Forest Cherry had a gorgeous dusting of bitter chocolate, and it did taste like black forest cake. The bittersweet cocoa was just right, and the cherry was woodsy with a slightly sour finish. The balance of bitter and sweet was perfect, and this was my favorite of the bunch.

Truffle Cherry was enrobed in sweet and smooth chocolate, with a very sweet, mild cherry center. Like the Classic Cherry, it was by no means bad, just not my favorite.

The Amaretto Rainiers were very sweet with an odd, medicinal note ar the start (probably from the liquor). The cherries were the plumpest of the bunch, but a little overly sweet.

Cherry Rouge had a strong cherry flavor, though my husband thought it was reminiscent of strawberries. These were nice and tart, but I didn't love the extra cherry flavor.

On the whole, I loved the thick chocolate, and the dried cherries in the center were wonderful. It seems a shame to call them dried cherries, because they were so plump and tender! The dark chocolate-covered varieties were definitely my favorites. Chukar Cherries are a Washington specialty, but they are easy to order online.

A

Chukar Cherries Website

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¹ I have heard that some people, for example my brother and my husband, do like cherry cordials.

Butlers Butterscotch Milk Chocolate

Let's skip the part where I explain why I haven't blogged in so long. If anyone is still reading, I'm sorry for my absence! Please accept my sincere apology, and my gratitude. My chocolate and candy consumption certainly hasn't slowed down, and I went over my dental insurance limit for the year, so I may as well blog about it!

Butlers is an Irish brand of chocolate, but my local superstores carry a decent selection of bars. For such a comforting, homey flavor, I haven't seen many butterscotch chocolate bars in stores, so this Butlers bar stood out.

The milk chocolate was embedded with tiny, toffee-like pieces of butterscotch, and it smelled just a little toasty (in a good way). The butterscotch pieces were first crunchy, then chewy, and they were surprisingly flavorful. I could taste buttery nuttiness and hints of burnt sugar.

The milk chocolate had a good consistency, despite being a little sticky. It had a moderate cocoa flavor that played nicely with the buttery pieces. The bar was a bit too thick, but I did appreciate that it was firm and had a decent snap for milk chocolate. The finish was a little too sweet for me, but on the whole, I was pleased.

B+

Butlers Chocolates