Monday, June 30, 2014

Coffee Thins

Coffee Thins are made to look and have the same texture as chocolate but are made with coffee beans rather than cacao beans. Their website claims that each Coffee Thins square is equivalent to a quarter cup of coffee. 



Place purchased: A health food store in Ann Arbor, MI 

Price: $1 for each

Number of reviewers: 2


Coffee Thins Americano



Appearance - 7.0 

The Coffee Thins Americano square looks as though it is made from milk chocolate. 

Flavor and Taste - 5.5 

The Coffee Thins Americano square has coffee and dairy flavor. The square is also very sweet.

C: Sweet and creamy coffee. Not very intense. Has some bitter/metallic off flavor. 

Texture - 4.0

The Coffee Thins square is initially crunchy when bitten into, and then becomes dry and crumbly as it is chewed further. 

C: Has a very weird mouthfeel. Dry at first then almost like vegetable shortening at end.

Aftertaste - 5.0 

The aftertaste is milky, sweet, and bitter. The bitterness lingers much longer than the sweetness.

C: Metallic aftertaste and complete mouth coating. Off note builds with time. 

Overall - 5.5

Coffee Thins Latte



Appearance - 3.5 

The Coffee Thins Latte square has a medium brown and light brown, almost white swirl. While knowing the white color is from the milk solids, it is difficult not to compare it to the appearance of chocolate bloom. 

Flavor and Taste - 5.5 

The Coffee Thins Latte square has a milky flavor and is very sweet. The coffee flavor is very subtle. 

C: Sweet, creamy, get a little coffee but more of a milky taste. 

Texture - 4.0

Again, the square crumbles when chewed. 

C: Very dry, crumbly. 

Aftertaste - 4.5

The aftertaste is less bitter and more milky than the Coffee Thins Americano square. 

C: Mouth coating, mouth drying, metallic. 

Overall - 5.0

Coffee Thins Espresso


Appearance - 7.0 

The Coffee Thins Espresso square is slightly darker than the Coffee Thins Americano square. 

Flavor and Taste - 6.5 

The Espresso square had more coffee flavor and less sweetness and milkiness than the Americano square. 

C: This one tastes more balanced than the other two. Not so milky and sweet.

Texture - 6.0

The square is crunchy like the others, but does not crumble apart when chewed.

C: Better mouthfeel, still a little dry, not as mouth coating. 

Aftertaste - 6.0 

The aftertaste is of sweet coffee. 

C: Coffee, chocolate, milky aftertaste. 

Overall - 6.0

Overall, the Coffee Thins Espresso square was my favorite out of the three. The Coffee Thins Americano and Latte squares both were too sweet and milky. Coffee Thins are claimed to have the same texture as chocolate, yet they are crunchy and dry. 

Friday, June 27, 2014

Aero Caramel




Place purchased: Walmart in Canada

Number of reviewers: 4


Appearance - 6.8


The Aero Caramel bar is divided into bubble-shaped pieces. The bar has a milk chocolate shell with caramel flavored and colored aerated white chocolate. 

E: Kind of looks like styrofoam. 


Flavor and Taste - 5.3


The chocolate bar is very sweet. There is a strong butterscotch flavor in addition to the milk chocolate. 

C: Has artificial caramel.
E: Really artificial. 
S: Tastes like butterscotch and maple.


Texture - 5.8


The Areo Caramel bar has the same texture as all Aero bars. If you bite into the bar, the center collapses and then has a normal milk chocolate texture as you chew. Though, if you let the chocolate melt on your tongue, it feels somewhat bubbly. 

C: Light and fluffy, kind of weird to bite into because it collapses. Kind of dry and crumbly at first bite, then becomes creamy. 
E: Super crumbly - not desirable for me in a chocolate bar. 
S: Kind of waxy - not airy. 


Aftertaste - 5.8


The aftertaste is still incredibly sweet and tastes even more like butterscotch. 

C: Artificial caramel. 
E: Not bad, but fake caramel lingers. 


Overall - 5.9


Overall, the flavor of the Aero Caramel bar is a disappointment. The caramel flavor tastes more like an overly sweet butterscotch than actual caramel. 

E: Not really a fan. 
S: Kind of gross. 

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel Popcorn






Place purchased: Food Basics, Windsor, Canada

Number of reviewers: 4


Appearance - 7.4 

The chocolate bar is comprised of milk chocolate with a layer of whole caramel corn pieces lining the bottom of the bar. 

C: I like that you can see there is a lot of popcorn in the candy.
S: I really like the caramel corn pieces in it. 

Flavor and Taste - 7.4 

The milk chocolate is sweet and creamy. The caramel corn adds saltiness and a slight caramel flavor that is mostly lost under the chocolate. 

C: Chocolate is the predominant flavor, but get a little bit of popcorn as well. 
E: Salty caramel corn adds a nice punch.
S: So delicious! 

Texture - 7.3 

The caramel corn is very crunchy, which is a nice contrast to the soft and smooth milk chocolate. 

C: Popcorn is crisp and crunchy, not soggy. Popcorn is only a thin layer on the bottom. It would be nice if there were pieces throughout. 
E: The crunch is fun, but there are some tough kernel pieces.  
S: Crunchy goodness.

Aftertaste - 6.8 

Milk chocolate is the predominate aftertaste until I pried the caramel corn pieces from my molars. Then the aftertaste was of sweet caramel. 

C: Chocolaty. 
E: A little sour. 
S: Tastes like caramel corn and chocolate. 

Overall - 7.4

Overall, the Dairy Milk Caramel Popcorn bar is a fantastic chocolate bar. The caramel corn pieces are large, plentiful, and provide a pleasant textural contrast to the sweet milk chocolate. 

E: Pretty good! Chocolate and caramel is always a winning combo, and the crunchy popcorn was fun. 
S: Delicious! 


Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Candy Hunting - New Summer Products, Part 3

Juicy Fruit Fruity Chews

Available in Original and Strawberry flavors. 
Place found: Target 
Price: $2.99 for 40 pieces




Peeps Minis Vanilla Crème

Peeps Minis Vanilla Crème are a Target exclusive. 
Price: $2.79



Ghirardelli Minis

Milk Chocolate Toffee Crisp and Sweet Dark Chocolate Cookie Bits
These two varieties appear to be Target exclusives. The other three varieties can be viewed here
Price: $3.99


Ghirardelli Squares Mocha

Place found: Target 
Price: $3.99



Life Savers Gummies Parodise Mix

Flavors: Strawberry Acai, Blueberry Pomegranate, Pineapple Mango, and Cherry Yumberry
Place found: Walmart
Price: $1.78




Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel

This was originally a limited edition release in Fall 2012. 
Place found: Walmart
Price: $0.68


Warheads Sour Twists

Place found: Meijer
Price: $1.89


Werther's Original Caramel Cinnamon

Place found: Meijer
Price: $2.17


Life Savers Mints Spear O Mint

New & Improved Flavor!

Place found: Meijer
Price: $1.99