Rocky road is one of those candies whose parts I love individually. Marshmallows, chocolate, a jelly of some kind, nuts… these elements on their own are delicious. Put them together and voila! instant candy (or ice cream) hit. Rocky road, to me, is a bit like pizza… even when it’s bad, it’s good!
Holding this candy in such high esteem really only means that one day, I was bound to fall off my candy high horse, wasn’t I? Well, dear readers, that day has come. I initially picked up this box of David Medlow Rocky Road because it not only had all the right elements, it also had a bit of innovation. The whole delicious sounding combination of passion fruit, white chocolate and roasted almonds had me drooling just by thinking about it. There was also a dark chocolate and orange version, but this one’s flavor combinations seemed more purchase-worthy.
In anticipation, I actually saved the box for a week or so, waiting for a moment when a candy craving hit me full in the face. Something like this had to be savored! Something like this had to be… a huge disappointment.
On the plus size, the jellies were delicious. Lovely color, great passion fruit taste – not really surprising given that Medlow is more famous for its fruit pectin jellies. The rest of it was a mass of tasteless, cheap chocolate, awful commercial marshmallows and not a single almond to be found. Strangely the candy had nearly no smell whatsoever, until I nearly shoved a passion fruit jelly up my nose in the hopes of getting even a faint whiff.
Reading the marketing blurb on the back almost made me weep. “Imagine the softest marshmallow, blended with rich pure creamy White Chocolate. Chunks of vine ripened passionfruit flavored pectin jellies mixed with freshly roasted almonds complete this unique combination of flavors.” The candy I had was NONE of those things. The candy I had made me want to burst into tears, clutching the box and crying, “Why me? WHY ME?!”
Sense soon came back to me, so I did my research. Apparently this product is as a result of the Medlow company going through a re-branding exercise, so that they are no longer just “Medlow” but now “David Medlow Chocolates.” Heaven help us all, I wish they would just go back to what is tried and true – here’s hoping this product is one which doesn’t get exported to the US (because, really, we should spare you the experience).
Strangely, the website listed on the box doesn’t work! I wonder if that’s an indication of things to come.
