As an added bonus from this month’s Licorice of the Month Club, I received a small sample of licorice and licorice mint flavored Dutch caramels. I didn’t think much of the small package, and put it away to try after I reviewed the month’s other candies.
Once I rediscovered the caramels (I’m not known for a strong memory), I thought I should give them a try. In all honesty, I didn’t think I would like them. Licorice and mint? Ew. But, because of my strong sense of duty to the site, I figured I had to at least taste one.
Aside from the color, these look like a typical caramel. They’re small, individually wrapped squares, with the licorice mint flavor being a swirl of white and black and the plain licorice flavor being totally black. I tried one of the licorice mints first. My first impression was total shock. Unlike the hard to chew, sticky caramel texture I was expecting, this candy was extremely soft.
The flavor… well, that was almost indescribable. I expected something overpowering, and instead found a flavor that was neither licorice nor mint; it was a perfect combination of the two. The texture was smooth, almost like a very soft taffy than a caramel, and the flavors blended beautifully. I’ve never tasted anything quite that flavor before, and I enjoyed every last second of it. My only complaint was that there were only three in the sample!
The plain licorice caramels were also very enjoyable. It had the same smooth, soft texture, with a licorice flavor that wasn’t overpowering. However, I was so bowled over by the mint combination that the plain ones kind of fell to the wayside. Had they been by themselves, I certainly would have enjoyed them, but they were completely overshadowed by their even tastier cousins.
I have since learned from those-in-the-know that these are products new to the U.S. I would highly recommend that anyone who enjoys a mild licorice flavor seek them out. What a treat!
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