Green & Black’s Classic Collection

It’s about time I continued working on my backlog of reviews. First, a PR representative for Green & Black’s kindly sent the lovely Classic Collection of miniature chocolate bars. The first thing that popped into my head when I saw the tiny bars was that they would be a great size for an American Girl doll (my favorite childhood toy). Maybe that's why I still think miniatures are so fun!

The cutest thing about the bars was that they were perforated, just like a full size bar! Adorable. The perforations worked, too, which is always a plus! The collection includes six varieties: Milk, 70% Cocoa, Ginger, Cherry, Almond, and Toffee. There were two bars of each kind, so I recruited my husband as a guest taster and have included some of his comments below. I should also mention that, to quote the press email, Green & Black's sources high-quality organic and fair trade certified ingredients for all of its bars, and that this collection will be available for $9.99 in US major retailers starting in September.


look how cute these are!
Even though it's a standard flavor, Milk was not my favorite of the set. It's really just my personal preference (which is typically > 60% cocoa or bust). It was very sweet and milky with a sticky melt (which is what my husband likes about milk chocolate). I detected a hint of what almost seemed like mintiness, but it could have been my imagination.

However, when the milk chocolate was combined with Toffee, I loved it. The bar had a nutty, caramelized flavor that went very well with the sweet milk chocolate. The chewy, slight crunch of the toffee was just right (Heath bars are too hard for me). The finish was very sweet, but it went well with the subtly salty toffee.

The Almond bar smelled milky, and the chocolate was soft and sticky. the almond pieces had a tender texture with a slightly crunch coating. The flavors mixed well, and it had a well balanced sweetness.


But you know I was waiting for those dark bars. The Dark 70% bar had a satisfying snap and a nice, sweet start. The middle was fruity and slightly bitter, with the bitterness in the forefront on the finish. It had a lovely smooth melt and hints of toasty marshmallow flavor. It was never too bitter or too sweet, making it a fine specimen of dark chocolate. I'd be tempted to buy this bar alone in full size if I had a dark chocolate craving.

Cherry consisted of dried cherries in dark chocolate, and I was immediately stuck by just how sour the cherries were. My husband and I both love sour cherries, but neither of us were crazy about them here. The cherries struck me as especially tangy against the dark chocolate, and I might have liked it better with a sweeter chocolate to counteract the sour. It might have been because of the small size, because I noticed bites that had more chocolate than cherry were much better.


Finally, the Ginger bar was a standout for both myself and my husband. It totally hit the spot. The 60% cocoa went very well with the sharp and noticeable (but not too strong) ginger pieces. The bar was clean, refreshing, and unique. The ginger added a tasty crunch and spicy flavor without a sinus-clearing burn. I could definitely see this as a great dessert after a pungent meal.

Green & Black's Classic Collection has a lot to offer, with the Toffee, 70% Cocoa, and Ginger bars standing out in particular. While I wasn't crazy about the Cherry, I did appreciate its boldness, and it was really only the Milk that didn't excite me. The Classic Collection felt fresh, and tasting the set was a very enjoyable experience.

A-

Green & Black's website

Product was submitted for review by a PR representative. No compensation was received and the product was reviewed just like any other.

Isala Amaretti

This summer, a scientist from the Italian branch of my company came to work at our lab for a couple weeks. Before she left, she shared some treats from Italy. Our lab interns warned me that they tasted weird, but I was undeterred; I thought the Amaretti macaroons looked delicious!

Almond can be an intense flavor, and I think that might have been what scared off some of my coworkers. My dad (who works in the same office) sampled the cookies before me and described them as fragrant. For the record, he enjoyed them.


The Amaretti smelled strongly of almond extract, heavy with woodsy, cherry-like notes. I was surprised that the cookie was very soft and had a sugar-like crunch. It chewed from a light and fragrant fluffy nut paste to a slightly bitter but very sweet finish. I got a strong sensation of amaretto, but there was no alcohol taste.

The Amaretti was moist with a gritty, soft crunch - not at all doughy. The delicate texture reminded me of French macarons, although the Italian Amaretti were much denser and had a much stronger flavor. I enjoyed the heavy aromatic almond sensation, but those less keen on almonds or amaretto would do well to avoid these.

B+

Lake Champlain Five Star Chocolate Bar Granola

I was raised on breakfast cereal, and there's none more delicious than granola. It's so filling (and usually packs a caloric punch), and that crunch just gets me. Even though it's not as hearty as full on granola, I think I could eat Honey Bunches of Oats every day for the rest of my life.

For this reason, the Lake Champlain Five Star Chocolate Bar in Granola called out to me. I bought it at the same time as their mammoth caramel bar. As you can see in the next picture, this one had a creamy chocolate filling with granola bits, nuts, and cranberries throughout.


The bar smelled salty when I opened it. The chocolate filling was very creamy and smooth, making for less of a mouthful than the caramel bar. However, the bits and pieces in the middle made the bar incredibly salty.

I liked the flavor of the almonds and cranberries, and the oats and granola bits added an subtle, slightly earthy vanilla flavor. The crunchy texture was fun, and the granola held up well in the filling. Unfortunately, it was just too salty for my tastes, so I had to detract some points from this otherwise delicious and unique chocolate bar.

B-

Lake Champlain website

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

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

Sarah's Pastries & Candies

While on vacation in Chicago, my sister and her husband stopped at Sarah's Pastries & Candies while downtown. My sister knows I love a good local sweets shop, so she kindly included some treats (Royaltines and Chocolate Delights) from Sarah's Candies in my Christmas present. After the small sampling I had, I will definitely stop in next time I'm in Chicago!


The Royaltines looked delicious, and they sounded tasty, too: Dark or milk chocolate mixed with crispy Feuilletine wafer pieces and caramelized almonds.

From the first bite, I was immediately reminded of the crunchiness of cereal, only a delicate, more gourmet version. The bitter dark chocolate was just a bit fruity, and the wafer pieces had a light vanilla taste. I couldn't get a sense of the almonds, but the crispy, light, flaky texture was so pleasant.

The milk was a bit softer, and I could taste the nuts better flavor. The smooth, creamy milk chocolate warmed the flavor up considerably as compared to the dark. The wafers reminded me of Rice Krispies here, but the flavor seemed more decadent because of the milk chocolate.

A


Chocolate Delights were described as a delicious blend of dark, milk, or white chocolate, caramelized almonds, roasted pistachios, and crispy rice, and they were very attractive.

Milk chocolate was first up, and it was very crispy and nutty, with the almond flavor holding most of my attention. The crisp rice added a fun crackle, but the crunch of the caramelized almonds dominated the texture. The milk chocolate was smooth and melted quickly on the tongue, making for a very decadent treat.

The flavor of the dark chocolate stood out more against the almonds, and it also brought out the caramelization. Here, I was struck by the heartiness of the Delights. I almost wished they had a tad more rice cereal in them, because with all those almonds, they were very filling. It's probably a good thing that I couldn't eat too many in one sitting, since it forced me to pace myself.

Of the three flavors, the white chocolate Delight went best with the pistachios. The white chocolate itself was mild with hints of vanilla and, most importantly, wasn't too sweet. It was also delicious with the almonds, but again, I feel like these make a better snack than a dessert, due to the intensely filling nuts.

A-

Sarah's Candies 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.

Niederegger Lubeck Marzipan Classic

There's a lot of chocolate in my house these days, and I've been slowly working my way through it. Thanks to various colds and sinus issues, I haven't been in the mood for tasting much of anything, but my taste buds seem to be functioning again so I'll keep trying to stay on top of it.

This bar was part of a birthday present from my sister, so I'm not really sure where she got it. Marzipan is a new favorite of mine, discovered when I tried Ritter Sport Marzipan earlier this year. When marzipan pieces are included in chocolate or truffle boxes, they are always some of my favorites, but my exposure is still pretty limited.


The gorgeous gold wrapper caught my eye, as did the glossy bittersweet chocolate. The bar had a nice slightly bitter cocoa scent with a subtle, cherry-like hint of almond, which was a great start. The pieces snapped apart in a satisfying (though sometimes uneven) way, and the marzipan inside looked moist (in an appetizing way - some people are weird about that word).

The chocolate coating had a decent balance of bitter and sweet, and it did a good job of accenting the marzipan with a slight fruitiness. This marzipan had all the lovely cherry or amaretto notes I adore. The paste was slightly drier than in other marzipan chocolates I've tried, but I was able to put that aside because the flavor was really lovely.

A-

Niederegger website

Ghirardelli Luxe Milk Squares

A couple years ago, I ate at the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in Orlando, Florida's Downtown Disney. I still remember the deliciously bittersweet cookie sundae I split with my husband. This is what immediately comes to mind when I think of Ghirardelli chocolate, so my opinion of the brand is pretty positive.

A marketing company representative kindly provided me with coupons for free products from Ghirardelli's new Luxe Milk line of all natural chocolatse, and in my area, I was able to find the Milk and Almond squares, as well as two bars to be reviewed shortly. As always, I wasn't paid for this or any review.


Though I usually prefer dark chocolate, I can always enjoy good milk chocolate. Luxe Milk Milk was very clean, classic, and quite tasty. The chocolate had a slightly nutty scent with the mild cocoa. The texture was the best part for me; it was smooth and rich but not sticky. The flavor was milky and just a little like caramel. It was quite enjoyable and not too sweet, and it made me rethink my beliefs about milk chocolate. A

Almond smelled milky as well, but the aroma of the toasted almond came through for a nice effect. The almonds were chunks rather than slivers or whole almonds, so the meatiness of the nuts was a nice change of pace. There was just a hint of saltiness which was interesting with the buttery chocolate (it reminded me of popcorn), but I think I preferred the milk chocolate by itself. This was a different take on almond chocolate, though, and I did enjoy this flavor, too. B+

Ghirardelli website

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

Lion Kuma Chara Candy

The cute factor is something that greatly influences my shopping habits. These bear candies were provided by Tsunami.hk, but had I seen them in a store, I would have at least considered buying them because the bag is so cute.

There were four flavors: caramel, salt caramel, almond caramel, and honey caramel. When I was little, caramel hard candies (like Werther's Originals) were boring and for grown ups, but the bear shapes make these a little more kid-friendly.


Caramel was buttery, smooth, and surprisingly rich and milk for a hard candy. It did taste a bit like a Werther's Original, but because of the bear shape, the edges got sharp fairly quickly.

Salt Caramel, a trendy flavor from a couple years ago, smelled and tasted salty, and it was a nice variation from the regular caramel. It was salty throughout the whole melt, with the same creaminess.


Almond Caramel was very buttery and milk, and though it had tasty hints of roasted almonds, I would have liked a stronger almond flavor, perhaps with some cherry notes. As it was, it was hardly distinguishable from the regular caramel.

Honey Caramel immediately tasted like honey. It had the same creamy texture and melt, but the floral honey flavors went well with the caramel and really set this one apart. It was my favorite of the bunch!


May I just point out that the best part is the little round tail? How cute! Rather than rate these separately, I've given them an overall grade. These would probably please fans of caramels, hard candies, or bears.

A

Lion Website

Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut

This bar certainly changed my opinion of fruity chocolate bars. Before it, my only experience with them had been some sort of off brand chocolate bar with dried fruit, and that left a rather vile taste in my mouth long after the one bite I had was swallowed. Thank goodness for Cadbury.

Cadbury starts with good chocolate, at least to my tastes. It has a very distinct flavor that is similar to other non-gourmet European chocolate bars but quite different from Hershey's. The texture tends to be smoother, and the flavor is very milky with just a hint of caramelization.

The bar had the signature aroma of Cadbury chocolate - milky with caramel notes - but I could smell the dried fruits, too. The chocolate was very smooth and melted quickly on the tongue, leaving the tart taste of the raisins and the crunchy almonds.

The whole almonds, easily visible in this picture didn't add much flavor. Almonds have a pretty delicate flavor, so it was probably masked by the intense milk chocolate. The raisins had a good taste and texture, and the texture of the nuts made for a more interesting bar. I prefer this bar to the plain old milk chocolate, and my husband said it reminded him of trail mix.

A-

Cadbury Website

Ritter Sport Marzipan

When I was younger, my father's job had him travelling overseas every few years, and one of the best things about that was the souvenirs he brought back. When he went to Germany, he brought back an assortment of mini Ritter Sport squares. Of course, these can be purchased in the United States, but that was my first exposure to them.

Since then, all kinds of different flavors have popped up, and I still run across the odd (not necessarily new) flavor, just waiting to be tasted. At a local Fresh Market (think Whole Foods but smaller), Ritter Sport Marzipan was on sale, and I couldn't resist. It came highly recommended by both the checkout clerk and the customer ahead of me in line.


The dark chocolate bar was absolutely gorgeous with just the right amount of gloss. A quick break released the wonderful aroma of almonds and cocoa, and from the first taste, I was hooked. The marzipan had a wonderfully gritty texture that reminded me of cookie dough (since they can serve a similar purpose), and the taste reminded me of amaretto liqueur.

Although the smooth, mild dark chocolate would have been okay on its own, it was a wonderful match for the marzipan. It was difficult to put this bar down, and it is close in the running to my beloved Butter Biscuit for my favorite Ritter Sport squares. One small issue I had was that the marzipan was soft and moist for the most part, but there were some dry spots scattered throughout the bar.

Check out the Ritter section at Candy Blog for several reviews, including Marzipan, and have a look at Chocablog's review of the Marzipan bar.

B+

Ritter Sport website

Glico Almond Pocky

It's been a couple weeks since I've done a Japanese snack review, and even long since I've done a Pocky review, so I must be due. There was a lack of matcha sweets at the Japanese import grocer, so I branched out a bit and bought Almond Pocky.

Almond Crush Pocky, which is coated with crushed almonds (how fitting), has been around for years, but I had never seen regular almond Pocky before. Usually, my favorite kinds of Pocky are the ones with lots of chocolate and toppings (like decoration or mousse), but these are the standard, thin coating.


When I opened the bag, the scent reminded me of coffee. It didn't taste anything like coffee, though. The sticks were mildly sweet and had a slightly nutty flavor. The coating reminded me of peanut butter white chocolate in both taste and texture, but it wasn't overly sweet at all and went very well with the biscuit.

Before I realized it, I had eaten half of the pack. It was so addictive! I briefly thought I'd like a stronger almond taste with more of the cherry-like notes, but then the package was gone and I decided I liked them just the way they were. The sweetness was just right, and the creamy chocolate blended so well with the crunchy stick. Unfortunately, they were a limited release and are no longer listed on Glico's website. I wish I had bought more!

A

Glico website

Meiji Creamy Almond Kinoko no Yama

I'm afraid my reviews of Kinoko no Yama are rather predictable. Nearly every kind I've tried has been a huge hit with both my husband and myself. I am a lifetime Meiji customer because of Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato. The shapes are cute, the original flavors are delicious, and there are always new, tasty varieties to try.

We found these Creamy Almond chocolates at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield, OH and bought them without hesitating. We were so excited to eat them that I didn't wait to get home to review them; I took the pictures in the car that night.


The chocolates had a generally nutty and lightly sweet smell. I tasted the chocolate by itself, and it was a mild white chocolate with tiny chopped nuts inside. However, Kinoko no Yama are meant to be enjoyed as a whole, so it doesn't really matter how the chocolate tastes alone.

Together, the crunchy cookie blends well with the chocolate, balancing out any difference in sweetness and adding a fantastic texture. The almond flavor was pleasant, enhanced by the real nut pieces, and never too sweet. My husband and I had no problem polishing off the entire box in under 30 minutes.

A-

Meiji website

Meiji Almond Meltyblend

I'm not sure why I keep seeing Meltykiss and Meltyblend. Here's a picture of the same chocolate, taken by a Flickr contact of mine, but the box says Meltykiss whereas mine says Meltyblend. Maybe they changed the name for sale outside of Japan?

Anyhow, I've written several reviews of Meltykiss and could go on and on about the smooth, velvety texture of the chocolate. But instead, since this is a new flavor, I'll focus on the flavor.


Upon opening, the chocolate smelled very nutty. I was expecting more of an amaretto type almond, for some reason, with cherry notes. While I could smell a little bit of that, it mostly smelled like the nuts themselves.

The taste was pretty similar to milk chocolate, but somehow, Meiji has managed to preserve the taste of almonds without adding any texture whatsoever. Just like the smell, there were mild hints of amaretto, but mostly, it reminded me of eating chocolate with chopped nuts inside, but without any crunch. I must say, I loved these and found it hard to stop eating them.

A

Meiji Website (Japanese)