Dove Whole Blueberries and Dove Whole Cranberries are new releases from Mars that compete with Hershey's Brookside line. Unlike the Brookside brand, these Dove products use whole berries rather than fruit juice centers. Dove Whole Cherries will be released in January 2015.
Place purchased: Meijer
Price: $3.50
Number of reviewers: 6
Appearance - 6.8
The Dove Whole Blueberries in Dark Chocolate are just that: dried blueberries coated in Dove dark chocolate. Most of the pieces only contain one dried blueberry, but there are a few that contain two. Dried blueberries are tiny and even with a generous coating of chocolate, the pieces are still quite small.
E: Much smaller than cranberry counterpart.
J: So small!
Flavor and Taste - 5.7
The flavor is solely sweet dark chocolate until the chocolate melts and only the dried blueberry remains. The dried blueberries are sweet and tart with a flavor somewhere between a blueberry and a raisin.
E: Nice chocolate coating and fruit center, but it takes awhile to develop.
E2: Weird acrid, bitter, burned taste. Chocolate is not dark enough.
J: Blueberry flavor is nonexistent - just adds texture. Slightly bitter.
N: Not much blueberry flavor.
Texture - 5.2
The dark chocolate is smooth and melty, while the dried blueberries are very sticky and seedy. I am trying to remove the blueberries from my molars as a type this. Aha! I just got the last bit unstuck after five minutes...
E: Blueberry is kind of grainy or seedy? Otherwise chewy.
E2: Blueberries are grainy, very seedy, stick to teeth.
J: I don't like the random flakes of blueberry floating in my mouth.
N: A little too sticky.
Aftertaste - 5.3
The blueberry flavor lingered until I removed all of the blueberries from my teeth.
E: Blueberry.
E2: Acrid, kind of sour.
J: Chocolate.
N: Almost none.
Overall - 5.8
Overall, the Dove Whole Blueberries are a good snack. However, I prefer the cranberry version, which has more berry flavor and is less sticky.
E: Flavor is good but texture is off.
Dove Whole Cranberries and Dove Whole Blueberries are new releases from Mars that compete with Hershey's Brookside line. Unlike the Brookside brand, these Dove products use whole berries rather than fruit juice centers. Dove Whole Cherries will be released in January 2015.
Place purchased: Meijer
Price: $3.50
Number of reviewers: 6
Appearance - 6.8
The pieces are larger than I had expected; most piece contain two whole dried cranberries. A thick dark chocolate coating with a shiny glaze surrounds the dried cranberries.
E: Attractive packaging and chocolate pieces are glossy and dark.
E2: Very shiny, glossy.
Flavor and Taste - 7.6
The first flavor noticeable is that of the dark chocolate. While chewing, the sweet, tart, and fruity flavor of the cranberries emerge. The cranberries take more time to chew than the chocolate, resulting in a dominant cranberry flavor toward the end.
E: Intense dark chocolate bitterness pairs well with the punchy sweet/sour fruit center.
E2: I like the fruit and chocolate balance, but the cranberry isn't as tart as I would like.
J: Good mix of cranberry and chocolate.
N: Very fruity, comes in waves.
Texture - 6.8
The dark chocolate melts in your mouth while the cranberries are being chewed, which provides for an enjoyable textural experience.
E: Chewy center and melty chocolate.
E2: Good balance of chew, creaminess of chocolate, cranberry is a little gummy.
J: Smooth, and cranberry adds nice texture.
N: Sticks in the teeth a bit too much.
Aftertaste - 6.8
The aftertaste is mostly sweet cranberries from the pieces stuck to my molars.
E: Lightly sweet and fruity.
E2: Sweet, chocolaty.
N: Fruity!
Overall - 7.5
Overall, I think the Dove Whole Cranberries are an excellent product. The flavor and texture of the dried cranberries and dark chocolate pair well together. These take the deliciousness of Craisins and elevate them with the addition of dark chocolate. Yum.
E: Really tasty and just what you'd expect. Would purchase.
E2: I would like the cranberry to be a bit tarter, but overall satisfied.
J: I like the balance between the bitterness of the chocolate and sweetness of the cranberries.
Dove Whole Cranberries in Dark Chocolate (Review)
Place found: Meijer
Price: $3.50 for 6 oz
Dove Whole Blueberries in Dark Chocolate (Review)
Place found: Meijer
Price: $3.50 for 6 oz
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Cranberry
Place found: Target
Price: $4.99 for 5.5 oz
Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Blueberry
Place found: Target
Price: $4.99 for 5.5 oz
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Sea Salt Cashew
Place found: Target
Price: $4.99 for 5.5 oz
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Spiced Almond
Place found: Target
Price: $4.99 for 5.5 oz
Dove Whole Fruit Dipped in Dark Chocolate
Varieties include whole cranberries, whole blueberries, and whole cherries.
Introduction date for Dove Whole Cranberries and Dove Whole Blueberries: September 2014
Introduction date for Dove Whole Cherries: January 2015
Dove Fruit will be available in sharing size bags (2.83 oz) and stand-up pouches (6.0 oz).
Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel
Milky Way French Vanilla and Caramel was released as a limited edition item in Fall 2012. It is being relaunched as a full time product.
Introduction date: May 2014
Twix Ghosts
Introduction date: With Halloween products.
