Orbit Strawberry Remix

Happy Independence Day to my American readers, and belated happy Canada Day to my Canadian readers! I was curious about the national holidays of other countries, and came across this list. It looks early July is a fairly common time for Independence celebrations around the world, so best wishes to all who are celebrating.

Something that always catches my eye at the grocery store is a new flavor of Orbit gum. Recently, I've seen commercials for Tropical Remix and Strawberry Remix, and since I'm such a fan of Strawberry Mint, I had to go with Strawberry Remix.

The gum had a strong fruity scent, and it was strawberry-like, but with a little citrus scent. The flavor was tart, slightly sour, and had a fruity berry flavor. It wasn't terribly authentic or just strawberry, but I suppose that's the remix. Still, the gum was juicy and pretty good.

The flavor was solidly fruit - no mint and no cooling sensation. The chew started out very bouncy, but it did harden as I chewed. Most of the flavor was gone in 2 or 3 minutes, and even though the leftover flavor wasn't bad, I wished the gum wasn't so short-lived.

B

Orbit website

Look Matcha Anmitsu

I really need to replenish my stash. It's down to just one KitKat (Yakiimo). This weekend, I had wanted to go to Toronto for a little shopping, but various parties and gatherings kept us in town. The weekend was fun, anyhow, but my candy supply is in critical condition.

This flavor of LOOK is Millstone Ground Matcha Anmitsu. I'll just take them for their word on the millstone ground bit, but anmitsu is a Japanese dessert made with jelly cubes, sweet red beans, black sugar syrup, and in this case, matcha. Everything is better with matcha.


The pieces just smelled like milk chocolate. Inside the shell, the matcha filling was creamy with small, grainy, millstone ground bits that melted smoothly. The flavor was a bit bitter and grassy, but it was very mild. Above the matcha filling was a thin layer of anmitsu, which was just slightly bitter with a hint of azuki flavor (only detectable when the syrup is tasted alone).

The milk chocolate was sticky, but the sweetness balanced the mildly bitter flavors nicely. I liked the grainy to smooth texture of the filling, but it would have been interesting to see some of the jelly texture brought in (I suppose that's best left to Tirol). It's hard to recreate the marriage of tastes and textures that is anmitsu. Matcha Anmitsu LOOK was pleasant, but the flavors, especially the matcha, just weren't strong enough to wow me.

B

Fujiya LOOK website

Tirol Matcha Soy Latte and Peach Pie

I am such a sucker for new flavors of Tirol, and I can't resist matcha anything, so purchasing these flavors from napaJapan was an easy decision. It's slowly getting warmer where I live, meaning the end of chocolate shipping season is in sight and I need to get all my orders in soon before I come home to a pile of melted KitKats!

Matcha Soy Latte sounds like it was made for me (I don't get along with lactose), although I'm certain it was made with milk. Peach Pie sounded more like something my sister would love, but since last year's Apple Pie Tirol was so well executed, it seemed worth a taste.


Even though I love actual peaches, peach-flavored candy and chocolate often doesn't agree with me. In Tirol's Peach Pie, the flavor was pretty good. The white chocolate felt cool to the tongue and had a mildly sweet flavor, but I was reminded a bit of artificial sweetener. There were chunks of peach gel and "crust" crumbles in the chocolate, and the piece pieces alone had a good, fairly authentic flavor. The crumbles added a crunch that reminded me of soft granola, but they didn't add much flavor. It was nothing like the peach pie I'm used to, but still a good, unique Tirol flavor. My husband really liked this one. B


If my heart made its own Tirol flavor, it would be Matcha Soy Latte. The chocolate was a bold, grassy green with a white stripe in the center, and it smelled like milky green tea. I was delighted to find the matcha flavor stronger than the average green tea chocolate. It was slightly bitter but well balanced with some sweetness. Inside the flavored white chocolate, there was a gummy center that added a fun texture and a mildly sweet flavor (perhaps this was supposed to represent soy milk). I really enjoyed the strong matcha flavor, but didn't get much of a sense of soy milk. It's possible that it pulled a bit more vanilla than normal, but I'm not sure. A

Japanese Snack Reviews also reviewed the Matcha Soy Latte Tirol.

Tirol website

Fujiya LOOK Dessert aux fraises a la Francaise

After thoroughly enjoying LOOK's Italian-themed chocolate assortment, I was compelled to buy this collection of French desserts with strawberries. The box is adorable and inspires me to work hard for my French class (at least that's what I tell myself).

The flavors, all strawberry based, are a bit ambitious. We have strawberry mille-feuille (a dessert made of layers of puff pastry, custard, cream, and strawberries), strawberry mousse, strawberry fromage (which might be fromage blanc, which is sort of like cream cheese), and strawberry champagne dessert.


I apologize for the lack of a cross-section photo
Strawberry Mille-feuille had an odd texture. There were tiny chunks of wafer that gave a crunchy texture to the creamy filling (to give the feeling of puff pastry). The filling didn't really taste like cream or custard, but was dominated by a bland cheese-like flavor. There was a layer of strawberry jam on top of the cream filling, which, while nice, was too mild to make a difference.

Strawberry Mousse had a stronger strawberry flavor than the mille-feuille, but the chocolate and cream had a very sticky mouthfeel. I'm not a big mousse fan, so it was a pretty good imitation of strawberry mousse in that it was rather dull.

Strawberry Fromage had the nice, tart pop of strawberry I was looking for, as well as a good, creamy cheese flavor. Everything went nicely with the chocolate, and it was pleasant. It was almost like it was a stronger version of the previous two flavors, though.

Compared to the rest of these wimpy flavors, Strawberry Champagne Dessert was a big surprise! The initial kick was quite boozy, but the underlying dry champagne and tart strawberry flavors were excellently matched with the mild chocolate. It was my favorite of the bunch!

I wish there had been more variety in the flavors, but I suppose the strawberry theme was a bit limiting. Though this assortment probably wouldn't disgust anyone, with the exception of the champagne flavor, it was underwhelming.

Check out a different take at Japanese Snack Reviews.

B

Fujiya LOOK website

Tirol Mini Variety Pack

Diving right into my new Tirol selection, I'll start with this mini variety pack. Of the 3 flavors, 2 are new to me: Mango and Pachi-Can (popping candy) Soda. Milk is a classic Tirol flavor that I've had many times before but never reviewed.

I'm not sure why the bag says Thank You, but I guess it's Tirol's way of thanking anyone who purchases their products. Well, Tirol is most certainly welcome (though I can't really accept their thanks, since this was a gift), and the brand has such a good track record that I'd like to thank Tirol, too.


Tirol flavors with gummy centers rarely disappoint, and Mango was no exception. The white chocolate had a mild mango flavor, and it wasn't too sweet. The center was tart and authentically mango. The texture reminded me of the actual fruit, and Mango was definitely my favorite flavor in the bag. A


Pachi-Can Soda smelled and tasted like the Japanese soda Ramune, but the white chocolate was slightly soapy and floral. Despite that, this one was packed with tart, citrusy popping candy. It was really original and fun! The pops weren't too intense, and the tartness of the candy helped the chocolate taste better. B


Milk is not my favorite Tirol flavor. The best thing about it is probably this little cow on the wrapper. Milk didn't really seem to go with the set, since the other chocolates were fruity (and Milk unfortunately seemed to pick up some of the soda flavor during storage). The milk chocolate was very creamy, enhanced by the milk-flavored center, but it has a very mild and slightly soured flavor that I don't enjoy. C+

Tirol Website

Lake Champlain Five Star Chocolate Bar Caramel

Before I get on with this review, let's have a quick chat about social media. It's getting harder to avoid these days (not that I ever avoided it - I'm a Facebook addict). If you are so inclined, please follow Snack Love on Twitter and/or Facebook.

I purchased Lake Champlain Five Star Chocolate Bars at 3 for $5 at the local fancy grocery store. These bars are shaped unlike any other chocolate bar I've tried. They are small, but very thick.


I cut the bar open first, and was amazed to see that it was almost entirely solid caramel. I was expecting a layer of caramel (like a Snickers bar), but instead, the majority of the bar was caramel with some nuts spaced throughout. I think the best way to describe this bar is to say that it's a mouthful.

The caramel was very sweet and buttery, but it was very mild. Along with the almonds, I think there were chocolate chips in the caramel as well. While the bar was good and had a nice vanilla flavor, it was very rich and more caramel than I could handle (and I only had half of the bar). I wished I could taste the chocolate better, but this might be better suited for a die hard caramel fan.

B

Lake Champlain website

Tiramisu Tirol

Thanks to a friend of mine, I have 10 different flavors of Tirol chocolates to review soon! It's a favorite brand of ours, and she often sends me new flavors when she finds them. In preparation, I thought I should post the Tirol review I've been stewing on for a while before I dig into the various new flavors.

I don't really go nuts for tiramisu, but since I enjoyed the Tiramisu KitKat that came out a few years ago, I thought I'd take a chance on Tirol's offering.


The chocolate smelled a bit like cheese (though I was reminded more of cheddar than mascarpone), and the layers were quite pretty. The cocoa powder layer was a nice touch, especially once the piece was broken. The chocolate seemed very soft, and you can see in the picture that it didn't have a clean snap.

The rich chocolate had a slightly bitter coffee flavor with a tempered sweetness and not much in the way of cheese. All of the flavors seemed muted, and while it wasn't bad, it was a bit disappointing. To be honest, I think I would have liked it more if I hadn't just tried the Tiramisu piece in the LOOK Italian Dolce set. Teaser: it was so good that it may have affected my opinion.

Orchid64 also reviewed this flavor on Japanese Snack Reviews.

B

Tirol website

Nestle Daigaku Imo KitKat

Nestle has been recycling KitKat flavors in Japan again, but in this case, it worked out to my advantage. I didn't get to try the candied sweet potato (daigaku imo in Japanese) KitKat the first time around.

I've never had daigaku imo before, but the idea reminds me of the canned candied yams often served in American Thanksgiving dinners - even though I know that's way off (no soy sauce in candied yams, for instance). I looked at this recipe to get an idea of how daigaku imo would taste, but I'll have to try making it soon.


This white chocolate-based KitKat had an odd, buttery smell that reminded me of the Roasted Corn KitKat from 2 years ago. Thankfully, this buttery scent didn't carry over into the flavor. The white chocolate tasted almost lemony with maybe just a hint of sweet potato.

It was very sweet, as white chocolate KitKats often are, but the flavor was pretty good. I couldn't really pin the flavor down, and I would never have guessed that it was supposed to be candied sweet potato. Maybe that's because I've never had the real thing, but all I tasted was a mildly lemony white chocolate KitKat.

B

KitKat website

Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Almond, Toffee, and Hazelnut Bars

Along with the individually wrapped squares, the Ghirardelli Luxe Milk line also includes chocolate bars. Coupons for these bars were kindly provided by a public relations representative. My local Target store only had the almond and hazelnut varieties, but I was able to find toffee at a Wal-mart.

I've certainly mentioned this before, but I'm not typically a milk chocolate person. Dark chocolate (somewhere around 60 to 70% cacao, to be specific) is my preference, but even for me, Ghirardelli's Luxe Milk hits the spot with its rich, creamy, traditional milk chocolate. The pretty, pale gold wrapper helps, too.


Almond smelled of roasted almonds, and the chunky nuts had a meaty, chewy texture and strong, roasted flavor. The chocolate was milky and just a little sweet, and the bar seemed better than the individual squares. It was crunchy, a bit crackly, and very nicely balanced. The milk chocolate was just a little sticky but it didn't bother me. A-


Toffee might have knocked my socks off if I hadn't just tried the new Vosges toffee bar, but that's another review. The Ghirardelli bar smelled only of milk chocolate, but the toffee added texture right from the first bite. It was crunchy like fine hard candy bits, and it imparted a mild salty and savory butter flavor to the bar. The milk chocolate was smooth and cool on the tongue with just a little stickiness, and it was a good match for the toffee. At less than half the price of the aforementioned Vosges bar, it's not a bad choice at all. A-


Finally, Hazenlnut smelled nutty, and the rich flavor and slight sweetness of the hazelnuts brought out the sweeter flavors in the milk chocolate. Although they went well together here, I am not a big fan of hazelnut and chocolate (I don't even like Nutella), so it was a bit lost on me. The hazelnuts were fresh and crunchy, and I think fans of hazelnut chocolate would like it very much. B

Overall, the Luxe Milk line offers a nice range of fillings in good quality milk chocolate, and I think any of these bars would please a chocolate fan.

Nestle Bitter Almond KitKat

My husband and I visited Vancouver, BC during our Seattle vacation, and I can tell you that if you go there, one day is not enough time. It was my fault for overscheduling our trip, but all we really got to do was walk around the various Asian malls in Richmond. It was raining all day anyway, so it worked out rather well.

During those shopping walks, I picked up a couple Japanese KitKats that I hadn't tried yet. These are more recent than the Milk Coffee KitKat I reviewed two weeks after expiration, but they aren't brand new, either. First up is Bitter Almond.


The bars smelled of slightly bitter cocoa. Just like on the package, I could see flecks of slivered almond just below the surface of the chocolate. The almond flavor was entirely on the roasted side of the spectrum (with none of the cherry notes I love), but that was probably a better match for the slightly bitter cocoa.

The almonds added an extra crunch to the texture, and the flavors went together very well. It reminded me of Almond Crush Pocky, only not as good. Stronger almond flavors probably would have won me over, but in the end, this KitKat was good but not great.

B

KitKat website

Nestle 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.


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

Meiji Yogurt Caramels

Welcome to part 2 of my caramel mini-series. You could say it's an unconventional caramel series, because part 1 was matcha, and today is yogurt. As for part 3, all I can say right now is that the flavor is even weirder. To be honest, I'm still a little scared of them.

Although Meiji is a dairy company, I had never heard of Meiji caramels when I purchased these at Mitsuwa marketplace (near Chicago). The size and shape of the packaging, while not identical, is very similar to Morinaga's, and I'm sure it's no accident. In addition, even though there's no mention of Calpis on the package, the blue polka dots look a little familiar...


Meiji's caramels are just barely smaller than Morinaga's, and were wrapped in wax paper (complete with cute face) instead of foil. The yogurt caramels didn't have a strong scent, but the taste jumped right out at me. Surprisingly, they tasted a lot like classic bubble gum at first, but as I chewed, the flavor become more what I expected.

They tasted a lot like Calpis and a bit like Yakult (a Japanese yogurt drink) - slightly milky with a yogurt and citrus tang. The texture got a little grainy as I chewed, and just a bit like plastic (just the texture, not the taste), but I did like how they weren't too sticky. I liked these, but they didn't have that addiction factor.

B

Meiji website

Thorntons Chocolate Bars

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.


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


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-


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

Trader Joe's 85% Cacao Bar

I have to drive almost an hour to get to a Trader Joe's, but I love the store. They carry so many interesting products that I just can't find in my area (even with our fancy grocery store). Last time I was there, this bar, The Dark Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Bar, was an impulse buy.

Unlike the Hageland bars I've been loving recently, the Trader Joe's bar contains soy lecithin - spoiling an otherwise bare-bones list of ingredients. Soy lecithin, for better or worse, can alter the flow properties of chocolate and replaces more expensive ingredients. It's hard to complain because Trader Joe's prices are very low for a reason, but it's definitely possible to make affordable chocolate bars without filler ingredients.


It was very hard for me to place the scent of this bar, and all that I could come up with was that it smelled a bit toasty and nutty. The first bite was very bitter, and it was a bit crumbly to chew. As it began to melt, the bitterness gave way to an intense, fruity flavor.

There was no aftertaste and no oily feeling in my mouth once the chocolate was gone. I've found that many dark chocolate bars have a similarly clean finish. The chocolate was not too acidic and the flavor was pleasant, but a little flat. The fruitiness never went anywhere, and I found myself wishing for a little more depth and complexity.

Read more reviews at Chocablog and Annmarie Kostyk's blog.

B

Trader Joe's Website

Orbit Perfect Peach and Berry Red

Despite my recent lack of Orbit gum reviews, I have continued my quest to try every flavor. Orbit has made that rather difficult lately, with the barrage of new flavors released in the past few months. I've tried them all, but some of them slipped through the review cracks. Don't worry, things are under control at Gum Alert!

But I did review two of the new flavors, Perfect Peach and Berry Red. I liked the bright packaging, and both seemed like good flavors for summer. I haven't seen much peach gum, so I was especially excited for that one.


Perfect Peach smelled sour and juicy, and the initial flavor was pretty strong and fairly authentic. I was reminded of a sour, not quite ripe peach. The gum felt cool but not minty. The chew was nice and bouncy without being too tough, but most of the flavor was gone within a few minutes. B


Berry Red smelled so much like medicine. It didn't taste as quite as strong as it smelled, thankfully. The gum was tangy and juicy, with a false mixed berry flavor that reminded me of bubble gum. Again, the texture of the gum was good, but it lost flavor quickly. The gum was chewable, but too medicine-like for me to buy again. C-

Orbit website

Chocolaterie Chocolates

My sister and her husband went on a trip to New York City and the surrounding area recently, and sometime between sightseeing and attending a taping of The Colbert Report, they bought some chocolates at a shop in Nyack, New Jersey and brought them back home.

Chocolaterie is run by Annette van Loon, a Dutch woman who moved to the United States but missed the chocolate of her homeland so much that she decided to open a European chocolate shop. I've done my best to match the flavors my sister and brother-in-law brought back to the guide on the website, but I could be mistaken.


Papillon (French for butterfly) was Fair Trade Certified, and it had a very buttery filling surrounded by a nice, bitter chocolate. The honey and ginger flavors in the filling were subdued, but it was definitely a nice piece. B+

Aztec Spicy Truffle had a dusty brown sugar coating over sweet dark chocolate, but the ganache was quite spicy. Along with the chili flavor, there were hints of ginger and liquor. Despite the sugar coating, the level of sweetness was just right. A-


The Brandy Truffle had a sweet and milky white chocolate coating, balanced with a milk chocolate inner layer. The filling wasn't distinctively cognac, but it had a very tasty liquor flavor. B

The Rum Truffle was simply fantastic. The filling was ultra boozy and distinctively rum, and the chocolate coating was perfect with it. I'd love to eat this one again! A+


The Ginger & Honey Heart was another nice quality dark chocolate piece. The ginger flavor seemed stronger than in the Papillon, and the honey gave it a slightly deeper flavor. B+

One of the truffles was a bit stale in the middle. I'm not sure what happened, but it had a sugary grit throughout and I don't believe it was supposed to. That truffle was excluded from the rating.

Overall, I enjoyed the liquor chocolates and truffles the most, and was pleasantly surprised by the punch of the Spicy Aztec. If I'm ever in the area, I would definitely stop by to try other kinds!

Chocolaterie Website

Meiji Strawberry Tartlette Takenoko no Sato

Notes for this review have been sitting around since Japan's most recent strawberry boom. It seems to come around every year, but despite seeing the same KitKats every year, these Takenoko no Sato were new to me.

For me, the question was, "Will that little ring of white chocolate around the bottom of the cookie really change the taste enough to distinguish these from any other strawberry Takenoko no Sato?"


I'm not sure I've had a tartlette before, but these had a nice, tart, fairly authentic strawberry flavor. The slightly salty crunchy cookie did remind me a bit of pie crust, but it took a little imagination.

What stood out was the slight yogurt flavor (probably to mimic the cream in the picture), and that extra bit of tartness did make a difference. However, I've said it before and it still stands true - the crunchy/chewy balance just doesn't translate to the big, special versions.

B

Meiji website

Metromint Peppermint, Lemonmint, and Chocolatemint Water

Metromint was something I first saw on the show Unwrapped on the Food Network. The secret method by which this water is infused with mint and flavors without adding any calories piqued my interest, but I thought it'd be yet another product on that show I'd never see.

To my surprise, the fancy grocer down the street carried several varieties of this yuppie water. I got these flavors on sale for 3 for $5, but I don't remember what full price was.

Peppermint (not pictured) had a supposed chill factor of -9 degrees below regular cold water, and it was quite chilly. The mint reminded me of toothpaste, and it certainly seemed like a good thing to drink after eating something with a lot of garlic. The mint was cool and refreshing, but as a result, it seemed incompatible with a lot of foods (think drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth). By itself, it was a nice substitute for gum or a mint, but I can't see myself drinking it often. B

Lemonmint had a chill factor of -4 degrees, and it smelled a bit like a cough drop. It tasted like one, too. The water was a mild mint with just a hint of lemon, and even though the flavors seem at odds, it worked. This water was milder than the peppermint, and was quite refreshing. B

Chocolatemint smelled weird and a bit like a peppermint patty, but it was surprisingly good. Somehow, without any sweeteners (natural or otherwise), it tasted sweet. The water was lightly minty (just -2 degrees on the chill factor scale) with hints of cocoa, and overall, it was literally a very cool drink. B+

Metromint website

Morinaga Cola Hi-chew and Canned Pineapple Hi-chew Jr.

In the past, the flavors of Hi-chew Jr. that I've tried have had tiny, tooth-shatteringly hard sprinkles in them that make them too treacherous for me to enjoy. Thankfully, these two flavors of Hi-chew, provided by Tsunami.hk, were sprinkle free!

The yellow package of Hi-chew Jr. is Canned Pineapple flavored, and the small (but not Jr.) black package is Cola flavored. Both of these flavors are on the rare side in the United States, but both are flavors I enjoy.


The candy had a strong pineapple aroma, and as you can see, it was solid yellow instead of white on the outside like normal Hi-chew. It tasted like pineapple, but it was very sweet, which made it more like the canned variety. There were also hints of cherry and tropical flavors, making it quite authentic. A-


Cola had a good cola scent and flavor, but it seemed extra sticky. It may have been my imagination, but there was a slight fizz to this Hi-chew. The caramelly cola flavor was decent, but I've had better cola candy. More fizz would have made this one a winner for me. B

Morinaga website