I’ve always appreciated the aggressive nature of Altoids. They simply aren’t a wallflower candy. Instead, they are more like the uncle who has one too many at family gatherings and inevitably ends up dancing with his shirt off or passed out under a porch. These are mints you eat with anticipation. You know that there will be flavor, oh yes, and sometimes it may slightly overwhelm you with potency. But, like the expectation of a wacky uncle’s trademark bad behavior, there is something comforting about the flavor and effectiveness of Altoids. After all, they consistently freshen even the most critically vile breath.
The new Crème de Menthe and Dark Chocolate Dipped Crème de Menthe are no exception. And I’ll say it right now: they are delicious.
Both are based on a sweet mint-flavored liqueur called crème de menthe, which comes in both colorless and supernatural green versions. My experience with crème de menthe primarily involved clandestine swigs from bottles in my parents’ liquor cabinet as a teenager and many years serving vodka stingers as a cocktail waitress. I had never been particularly impressed with the liqueur - probably because I had only come across the scary green goblin blood version.
Lucky for me, the Crème de Menthe Altoids did away with the icky green food coloring. Instead, the regular Crème de Menthe Altoids are a pale, subtly boozy, minty delight. The alcohol flavor is understated enough that you would pass a Breathalyzer test, but the aftertaste has the pleasant kick of liqueur.
The Dark Chocolate Dipped Crème de Menthe Altoids consist of the Crème de Menthe base mint dipped in a glossy coating of dark chocolate. And they are good. Really good. Much like Brian when he tried earlier incarnations of the chocolate dipped Altoids, I couldn’t help but eat one and then immediately reach for another. The dark chocolate is imparted with just a hint of the liqueur flavor, and when you crunch down on the mint, it’s like eating a crunchy Junior Mint for grownups. The booze flavor seems slightly milder in the dark chocolate dipped mints than in the non-chocolate version - the sweetness of the chocolate cuts the alcohol taste.
With their sophisticated adult flavor, these Crème de Menthe Altoids, and especially the Dark Chocolate Dipped Crème de Menthe Altoids, are slated to become part of my personal repertoire of breath-freshening candies. Actually, they may be my number one.
Buy Chocolate Crème de Menthe Altoids Online:
- at Candy Direct
Ugh, i hate a whole tin of these things and they made me sick xD. now i cant bare to look at them (i recommend not eating them all at once, even if they are delicious)
July 6th, 2008 at 2:36 pm