I was shopping in Cost Plus World market in November specifically looking for this Ritter Sport Espresso bar. I’m a big fan of Ritter Sport’s offerings, so I was very disappointed when Cost Plus didn’t have it anywhere in the store. Thankfully I found it on a second visit closer to Christmas, where I was doing some last minute shopping. I immediately snatched up three bars, as I anticipated that they were going to be really good. Finally I had my long awaited new Ritter Sport Espresso bar!

The packaging is classic, with the standard square shape that Ritter Sport is known for. The wrapper is a deep brown color, reminiscent of coffee, with a snowflake pattern all over it. It’s accented with a illustration of nice cup of espresso.

I opened the bar with the special “snap and open” method I’ve only seen on Ritter Sport bars. The chocloate smells rich and toasty with notes of caramel and smooth, roasted coffee. It’s an amazing aroma. I easily snap off a piece from the first, four-sectioned row.

The flavor starts out sweet and creamy with the chocolate. Beautiful notes of chocolate and cream, which are both smooth and very deep. The espresso flavor kicks in about halfway, introducing very intense flavors of smooth, roasted, earthy coffee flavors. The mixture of the two is incredibly heavenly.

This bar is amazing. The flavors blend so beautifully with each other while also remaining distinguishable. The texture of the bar is silky smooth to boot. I cannot wait to have this with a cup of coffee, as I imagine it’d be the perfect pairing. This bar is a must for any coffee and chocolate lover. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Ritter Sport Website

I found this bag of Pumpkin Cheesecake Kitkats when I was out doing some shopping in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. There’s a ton of adorable little shops down there, and it’s my “to-go” place for much of my holiday shopping. While there, I came across these Kitkats. I’ve had many a Pumpkin Kitkat in my time, and I’m always game for trying them. I’m such a sucker for pumpkin anything. Despite being somewhat pricey due to the fact they’re imported, I snatched these up and excitedly took them home.

The package on these is so adorable. Halloween is long and gone, but I still can appreciate the rich brown and orange color scheme and the adorable Jack ‘O Lanterns with their happy grins. The one with the heart shaped eyes is especially cute. Inside the main bag there’s a bunch of smaller, individually wrapped two finger bars. A nice serving size as it’s not to big, not too small.

The Kitkat smells sweet and slight cream cheesy. The color is an pale golden yellow.

The flavor is very sweet and cream cheesy at first. It’s very delicate as there’s more white chocolate in there to cut the tang of the cheese. You do get a hint of pumpkin, which, I am happy to report, is more like the plain squash part of pumpkin instead of pumpkin pie. I like the real flavor of pumpkin a lot, so I’m happy this isn’t dragged down with a lot of cinnamon and nutmeg. The result is this nice blend of the flavors described that does taste like a delicate, Japanese cheesecake. It’s awesome!

I am really smitten with these. They’re be a treat I’d buy regularly if it wasn’t for the limited availability and the import price. Still, I am going to enjoy the rest of my bag to the fullest. These are a terrific little afternoon pick me up, and they’re also diving with coffee. I recommend these highly to any fan of pumpkin. Mixed with Kitkat, it’s a match made in heaven!

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Kitkat Website (Japanese)

Since I am conducting a test of the boxed chocolates you can get at your local store, today I am doing the small Russell Stover sampler. I am curious to see if differs from the Whitman’s Sampler at all, since they are made by the same manufacturer.

This box is a small same sized box as the Whitman’s sampler. This one has the design of a rose cluster on the cover. Again, beautiful and simple. No cute animals for me!

Opening the box, this one also has three pieces of chocolate. The shapes are different and they smell sweet with a hint of coconut.

The first piece, is a square covered with milk chocolate. The bite is dense, and inside it’s a smooth, thick, chewy caramel. The Whitman’s caramel was softer and less dense than this one. This one is robust and chewy, but also not sticky. The flavor is a nice mix of the sweet chocolate and the very buttery caramel. A nice combination.

The second piece s oblong and ark chocolate. It smells sweet with an accent of coffee. I take a bite and inside is a fluffy, rich, fudge center. Again I am reminded of the Whitman’s sampler, as these on takes oddly familiar even though this one is enrobed in a different chocolate. This one tastes like a chocolate chip chocolate ice cream. Sweet, creamy, with a nice dark chocolate flavor.

The third chocolate is cup shaped. very much like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup mini. The top has a texture to it to suggest there’s something crispy in this one. It smells powerfully of coconut. Sure enough, my first bite reveals a delicious solid with chocolate filled with coconut flakes. It’s very flavorful, the texture has a nice play of chewy and smooth. Very delicious.

I also want to mention that these are a little nostalgic for me, as I recall my Mom buying these for my and my sisters when we were littler. So there’s my review of the two most common boxed chocolate varieties from your local drugstore. They’re both slightly different while remaining somewhat the same, which is a terrible conclusion since it’s somewhat confusing. My point is, you really can’t go wrong with either the Russell Stover or the Whitman’s sampler as they were both delicious. Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day, it’s the thought that counts!

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Russell Stover Website

One thing that I find frustrating about Valentine’s Day candy is the shelf space that is dedicated to the heart shaped boxes of chocolates. They come in all different sizes and each had a collection of frontal designs to choose from. I find this part of the candy aisle both daunting and annoying. You know they’re all boxes of chocolates, but which is the right size? Which has the assortment you would like? All these answers are unknowns until you buy one to see. That’s exactly what I decided to do.

I decided on the smallest heart shaped box that retailed for about $1.69 at the local drugstore. The color is a beautiful deep red with a rose illustration that looks like it was done in needlepoint on some red fabric. It’s very simple, pretty and romantic. I could have chose one that had a cute animal with googly eyes on it, but I find those obnoxious. I when with both a Whitman’s sampler and a Russell Stover sampler, even thought they are made by the same company.

Inside are three pieces, nicely settled in a plastic tray to keep them protected. They are a middle, milky brown color with a subtle sheen.

The first piece is a molded solid milk chocolate piece with the relief of a delivery boy carrying a box of Whitmans. It smells sweet with a hit of cream and caramel. The chocolate itself tastes of pure nostalgia to me. It’s sweet, creamy, has a nice toasted malty flavor to it which really brings out a “milk chocolate” flavor to it. Simple and tasty, while the piece is small enough to satisfy without going overboard.

The second piece is square shaped, smooth but with rippled from the enrobed chocolate. Like the first piece, it smells sweet with notes of caramel. My first, dense, slow bite reveals that this one has a thick caramel on the inside. The caramel is dense and chewy, but it’s not sticky or too hard. The flavor of the milk chocolate is sweet and malty, and the caramel adds a bright buttery note to it. Tasty, but not refined like more “upscale” caramels that I’ve gotten accustomed to.

The third pieces is an oblong oval, also with enrobed chocolate details on top. Inside this one is a smooth chocolate mousse. It’s light, creamy and fluffy that gives off an intense chocolate flavor that reminds me of chocolate ice cream. Delightfully flavorful and sweet, it went beautifully with a cup of coffee.

For the cost of this sampler, I think it’s a pretty nice little collection of chocolates. Sure they’re not anything overly gourmet or fancy, but there’s something so familiar and satisfying about these in their simplicity. I thought the chocolate was flavorful, way more than any Hershey’s bar I’ve had recently. If my fiance presented me with one of these, I would be pleased.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links Whitman’s Website

I found this Tea Room Midnight Mocha along with the Pina Colada bar the other day in Cost Plus World Market. I’ll say again, I love that store! It’s a candy adventure every time I go in there. I was impressed to see that this is the first chocolate bar by the tea room to not have tea, but instead coffee, in it. Regardless, I was really excited to see a new flavor to try from them.

This bar is described to have 72% dark chocolate, yum! The wrapper is just gorgeous. It has rich tones of purple accented by bright pinks. Opening the bar it smells, deep, and earthy with a nice chocolate and coffee aroma.

The flavor is not acidic at all, which is a pleasant surprise. The flavpr starts off sweet and mild, with an excellent hint of chocolate. then the coffee flavor blooms with nice earthy tones kissed with cherries. It’s a wonderful mix. The texture is smooth and silky, thankfully not gritty as some coffee chocolates are. The flavor blends beautifully and is a wonderful pairing. I was worried the mixture of dark chocolate and coffee would be too acidic. The flavor comes of rich and delicious, with excellent notes of both the coffee and the chocolate.

Coffee and chocolate are a winning combination no matter how you cut it, and this bar is a beautiful example of how a coffee chocolate bar should be. The flavor isn’t acidic, the texture is silky (not gritty like some bars are) and the overall all balance of flavors is heavenly. One again The Tea Room hits another home run.

Rating: Will Buy Again

Links The Tea Room Website