Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme

Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme is one of the three limited edition bars for Summer 2014, the other two being Raspberry & Cranberry Yogurt and Strawberry & Vanilla-Wafer. This product is called Ritter Sport Eiscafé in Germany. While I received this bar during the Sweets & Snacks Expo, it will most likely be available at World Market and some other specialty grocery stores. 

Place purchased: Free sample from the Sweets & Snacks Expo

Number of reviewers: 5

Appearance - 7.4

The Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme bar has the traditional Ritter Sport format: a 100 g square with 16 segments. The bar consists of a milk chocolate shell with a light filling with tiny coffee bean flecks. 

Flavor and Taste - 8.6

The flavor is a combination of mocha and creamy vanilla. It tastes very similar to a sweet mocha coffee drink. The intensity of the coffee flavor works perfectly with the milk chocolate. 

C: Has a nice creamy flavor, and has the flavor of latte. Can taste it, but not overpowering. 

E: Dreamy mocha flavor. If only it were dark chocolate...

E2: Nice balance between the exterior chocolate and interior filling. Maybe a little more coffee.

S: Tastes good! Slight coffee. Balanced very well.

Texture - 8.5

The filling is very smooth, while the milk chocolate exterior has a harder texture while still having soft bite. 

C: Nice and creamy, both the chocolate and inside filling. 

E: Nice firm chocolate exterior and creamy center. 

E2: Creamy and smooth.

S: Creamy, almost like a pudding. 

Aftertaste - 8.1

The aftertaste is mainly that of milk chocolate, though there is a hint of coffee flavor that comes through. 

E: Lingering sweet coffee flavor - yum! No sour or off-notes. 

E2: Delicious, lingers in mouth. 

S: Chocolate. Don't really get a coffee aftertaste. 

Overall - 8.5

Overall, the Ritter Sport Coffee-Vanilla Creme bar is probably the best Ritter Sport bar I have ever eaten (and I have tried nearly all of them that existed within the past few years), and now one of my all-time favorite chocolate bars. 

Shokomonk Dark Chocolate Peppermint

Place purchased: Plum Market, Ann Arbor

Number of reviewers: 4

Appearance - 6.4

The chocolate bar is segmented into several pieces, each imprinted with the Catholic monk that also appears on the wrapper. Inside the bar are small pieces of hazelnut. 

Flavor and Taste - 4.3

The chocolate bar is bitter and has a very strong menthol flavor. It tastes like they added concentrated menthol rather than peppermint oil, despite what appears in the ingredients list. Also, the hazelnuts add no flavor to the bar. 

C: Weird taste. Heavy menthol on front. 
L: Mint is medicinal.
S: Too bitter. Similar to baking chocolate. Needs more mint to cover the bad taste of the chocolate. 

Texture - 4.0

The chocolate is dry. Also, there are small crunchy hazelnut pieces throughout the chocolate bar. 

C: Oddly crunchy. Cocoa powder mouthfeel. 
L: Too drying. 
S: Hard and brittle. 

Aftertaste - 3.0

The aftertaste is very bitter and astringent.

C: Medicinal. Really bitter. 
L: Medicinal. 
S: Bitter flavor kind of stays in mouth. 

Overall - 3.8

This chocolate bar was very disappointing. If the bar contained less menthol or a more well rounded peppermint, it would have been much better. 

Ritter Sport Winter Edition 2013

There are three Ritter Sport Winter Edition bars: Caramel Orange, Coconut Macaroon, and Caramelised Almonds. I did not review the Caramelised Almonds bar because I tried that one last year, and I almost never buy the same candy twice.  

Ritter Sport Caramel Orange

Place purchased: Cost Plus World Market

Number of reviewers: 4

Appearance - 7.3

J: The inside should be more orange. 

Flavor and Taste - 6.5

The flavor starts out tasting like caramel flavored cream. Then it tastes like orange. It's not bad, but the flavor combination is very strange and does not work well together. 

C: Orange is the first thing I taste, but it's not too overpowering. 

J: Caramel and orange is a weird combo.

S: I didn't really taste the caramel, but the orange was subtle but apparent. 

Texture - 7.5

The filling is very soft, and the chocolate provides some bite. I wish Ritter Sport would have used caramel as the filling instead of caramel flavored cream. 

C: Creamy, mouth coating. 

J: Creamy, smooth.

S: Rich and creamy. Similar to the texture of caramel. 

Aftertaste - 6.5

Orange is predominant in the aftertaste. Once the the orange flavor subsides, there is a weak caramel flavor.

C: Lingering, coats entire mouth. 

J: Orange aftertaste is good.

Overall - 6.9

This chocolate bar is not bad, but the pairing of orange and caramel is too odd for me to eat more of it. 

Ritter Sport Coconut Macaroon

Place purchased: Cost Plus World Market

Number of reviewers: 4

Appearance - 7.6

J: Cute packaging and nice colors. 

Flavor and Taste - 8.1

The filling tastes like toasted coconut and vanilla, which works well with the milk chocolate. The chocolate and filling are both very sweet. 

C: Toasted coconut comes in at the end. Mostly creamy/chocolate on the front end. 
J: Chocolate tastes great! 
S: Like toasted coconut. 

Texture - 8.3

The cream filling contains coconut flakes and crispy rice pieces, which impart a soft crunch. 

C: Crunchy, but not too much. Creamy.  
J: Very creamy. 
S: Creamy with delicate, crunchy pieces. 

Aftertaste - 8.0

The aftertaste is mainly coconut. 

C: Pleasant, mostly toasted coconut flavor.  
J: Great taste that lasts and changes more to coconut. 
S: Maintains flavor, but does not last too long.

Overall - 8.3

This kind of chocolate bar exemplifies why I love Ritter Sport. The filling is smooth and crunchy, and the flavor of the coconut filling combined with the milk chocolate is outstanding.