Candy Bar Lab

I learned via the internets (specifically JBox.com) that in Japan there are many odd varieties of flavored Kit Kats. So I was super excited to finally get my hands on one (Thanks Thanny) to try out for myself.

The first thing I noticed on the packaging was “Muscat of Alexandria” in large English print right below the Kit Kat logo. That seemed pretty odd, but I figured it probably had something to do with the pictures of green grapes. Sure enough, Muscat of Alexandria is an ancient vine of grape used in wine and raisin production. These are the things you find out writing (and reading) a candy bar blog I guess.

Structure
The package contains two individually wrapped bars. Each bar is two segments of grape flavored, molded white chocolate filled with wafers.

I really like that they added green coloring to the white chocolate.

Texture
The texture is exactly like a regular sized Kit Kat bar. The light crispy wafer and white chocolate coating work well together.

Taste
The grape flavor is subtle, but definitely noticeable - like weak grape bubble gum. The white chocolate helps to balance the slight citric acid flavor that immediately hits your tongue. Overall, it reminded me a little bit of the Choxie Lime Bar.

Verdict
I enjoyed the Muscat of Alexandria Kit Kat a lot. With one caveat though. I don’t think this is a candy bar I could eat all the time. It’s slightly odd and I enjoyed it because it’s unique. Green grape and white chocolate isn’t going to replace peanut butter and milk chocolate as a classic flavor combination, but it’s something you should try if you ever get a chance.

This is the second Cadbury Flake that’s been in my possession this year. The first was brought back from England and was thoroughly destroyed on the trip. Not surprising though, because this is a very delicate product. This one came from Australia and arrived in much better condition.

Structure
A long, thin bar of milk chocolate. The chocolate is layered in such a way that it creates air pockets throughout the product.

Texture
The Flake bills as itself as “the crumbliest, flakiest chocolate” and to that point, I completely agree. The Flake completely crumbles apart when you bite it. The problem is that I don’t think chocolate should be crumbly or flaky. I really hate the texture and worse, it’s messy to eat because it falls apart in your hand. You can tell from the picture above how even slicing it gently with a sharp knife causes the chocolate to explode into small pieces.

Taste
The entire bar is made of Cadbury milk chocolate, so it tastes pretty good.

Verdict
The Flake is very similar to the Galaxy Ripple, except worse. If you’re looking for a light, airy chocolate bar, grab an Aero.

I previously reviewed the Pop Rocks Mega Bar and concluded that it was the worst candy bar I had ever had, partly because the chocolate was crap. Well, some anonymous person contacted me with a profanity laced tirade about that review. They must have been a huge fan of the Pop Rocks Mega Bar because they said my review was crap and my blog sucked. Who knew people would get so upset about a candy blog? Anyway, I figured I’d give the bar a second chance because the first one I tried was admittedly not very fresh and maybe with better, fresher chocolate, the product would be decent. I had serious doubts, but I tried to keep an open mind.

Structure
A 6-segment, molded bar of milk chocolate with Pop Rocks mixed throughout.

Texture
The consistency of the chocolate is okay, but I don’t really like how thick the bar is though. It makes it rather hard to bite through. It would be better if this bar were about half as thick as it currently is. But the chocolate is of course, not the interesting part of this candy bar. The Pop Rocks are. At first, they feel just like regular crisp rice pieces. After a couple of seconds though, their carbonated properties become noticeable. Maybe others enjoy the fizzy, popping sensation, but it’s too much for me. If it only lasted a few seconds, I’d be okay with it. Instead, the popping lasts for a while though and moves down your throat as you swallow. It’s just a really odd sensation.

Taste
The Pop Rocks are completely flavorless, so the Mega Bar tastes like a plain milk chocolate bar.

Verdict
The second time tasting the Pop Rocks Mega Bar was a little better than the first, but only because I knew what to expect this time. That didn’t really help me like it any better though. I think the biggest problem is that the Pop Rocks themselves don’t have any flavor. I actually like strawberry flavored Pop Rocks and think those might work well with chocolate. I came across a review of the Chuao Firecracker Chocolate Bar, which also uses popping candy, but has better chocolate and some other flavors. I’m interested to try Chuao’s version out and see if popping candy belongs with chocolate after all.