Chocri is a German company that plans to open for business in the US in the new year. Their website allows you to design your own chocolate bars – white, dark, or milk, with your choice of additions, which range from the normal (nuts, fruit) to the more exotic (gold balls, gummy bears, spices).

When they asked if I’d like to order some sample bars to review, I was all “heck yeah,” but as I delved into the site, I began to realize that I am not exactly the ideal customer for this sort of thing. Because A, I have very strong opinions about what flavors go together, and B, I am overwhelmed by too many choices.

So, on the one hand the only things I would be sure I would like were the totally traditional choices like milk chocolate with crispy rice. On the other hand I knew that was totally not in the spirit of the thing. What would be the point of getting a combination that I could get anywhere?

Beyond that, I no longer remember exactly what went on in my mind as I clicked around the options on their site – so many that they claim that more than ten billion combinations are possible. So when the following bars arrived, I thought some crazy person had ordered them:

• White with red rice and mango cubes
• Milk with coconut shavings, candied rose petals and a marzipan rose
• Dark with pecans, sour cherries and orange pepper

Well, on the bright side, they sure aren’t anything you could walk into a store and buy, right?

The first thing I noticed about these bars is that they are larger than they looked to me on the website, and so this also meant that some of the toppings were surprising. Red rice is not small rice crispy things, for example – they’re rice crackers.

Another thing is that the toppings are really on top, not mixed in. (I guess this means if you really didn’t like something, you could pick it off the top. But this would also totally not be in the spirit of the thing.) They are also distributed beautifully but not necessarily evenly throughout the bar. You get big pieces of pecan decorating the top, not little pieces chopped up and thoroughly mixed in.

Now for a little rant: In America, companies that specialize in this sort of thing tend to let the quality of the underlying product slide, figuring it will get lost in the mass of toppings anyway. I’m thinking for example of certain places that specialize in letting you mix toppings into pretty lousy ice cream; pizza tends to be another good example of this.

I was hoping I could expect better of the Germans. I am really not interested in eating a lot of fancy nonsense mixed into mediocre chocolate. Happily, that is not what they are selling.

The white chocolate is particularly excellent, with a great creamy texture and no cheap off-flavors. If you think you don’t like white chocolate, please make sure that you’ve had some that’s as good as this before you give up on it.

As for the toppings I put in this one… the red rice crackers, OK they look cool, but are not really what I want in chocolate. That’s not their fault, it was my choice. The mango chunks are very small, dried and candied tasting. They are fine, and the combination is fine. I have to say though that what I like about this is the bites that happen to have no topping and are just really good white chocolate. Which is, yes, not in the spirit of the thing. So sue me.

The dark chocolate is also good. It’s just a hair sweeter than I like, but the texture is great – I prefer it not too hard and snappy. The pecans and dried cherries are good, and fortunately this one is not a totally insane combination. The orange pepper doesn’t make much of an impression on me one way or another, but that’s fine.

The milk chocolate is my least favorite, but I am very hard to please when it comes to milk chocolate. It has to be much darker than normal, which this isn’t. Candied rose petals add even more sweetness, which this doesn’t need. I’d love to try those with dark chocolate, though.

The marzipan rose is lovely, as are many of the other decorations they offer – these are going to make an interesting gift-giving option for the chocolate lover.

To sum up, despite the fact that they were ordered by a crazy person, I am kind of sorry I mentioned to some other people that I would share these samples with them, especially the white chocolate. I think I may have to temporarily lose track of where I put that one.

• Chocri Website (German)

When asked if I wanted a sample of these to review, I checked them out and the answer was an immediate HECK YES. This is definitely my kind of thing. On the other hand, that means I’m a tough customer. Like, to start, I was not all that excited about the Dark Chocolate Cocoa Beans, because I don’t really see any reason to eat cocoa beans. I mean, there must be a reason that humanity invented the elaborate processes that turn them into chocolate, right?

But wow, they were good. I wondered if it was just because the chocolate coating was good, but upon disassembling one and eating the parts separately, I concluded that although the chocolate is indeed good, it’s the whole combination of chocolate and bean that’s “wow.” It reminds me of the taste of good strong cocoa powder. I mean the good stuff like a soft chocolate truffle might be rolled in (not your Swiss Miss in an envelope with milk powder). If you like that flavor you’ll love these.

And the texture is OK. The bean is perfectly edible, not as hard as a coffee bean.

These actually caused some domestic unrest. (”Are you finishing those? Don’t you dare finish those. I don’t care if I said I was done writing the review, PUT THOSE DOWN.”) I would definitely consider buying them again.

I also got a six piece assortment of their filled chocolates. They are large enough that six seemed like plenty, but then I discovered the heartbreak of the small collection of chocolates. The flavors I’d seen on the website that I was most excited to try – ginger, lemongrass, and passionfruit – were not included. I assume the selection is random and you have to trust to luck…

But, I know, shut up and eat your free chocolate…

Ecuador – 70% chocolate ganache filling. I didn’t like this at first. It seemed greasy and not all that flavorful. I wondered if it was affected by the trip – the package came from Florida, and in a week that was unseasonably warm for this time of year – and indeed, it was better the next day after a night in a cool dark house took the oiliness away. So, see where it says on the back of the box to store at 61-64 degrees? Take it seriously.

Le Citron – Meyer lemon – a nice herby-lemon hit at the beginning, almost like Japanese yuzu, although it kind of faded as I ate it.

Salted Caramel – This was not what I expected – not caramel inside, but “the finest caramel ganache,” which is basically a chocolate filling. I’m not sure if I would have identified a caramel flavor in this without a label, but the salt was obvious. I am not really a fan of salt-candy combinations (chocolate and pretzels strike me as an abomination) but this was surprisingly good. The bits of salt explode in your mouth here and there and then fade, making this an entertaining few moments of chewing.

Coffee – this is the mildest coffee flavor I can ever remember having in a chocolate.

Blackberry cobbler – blackberry puree and almond praline. OK, first of all, forget the whole ‘blackberry cobbler’ thing, when I make cobbler it has no praline in it. But setting that aside I still wasn’t crazy about this. Not a strong enough fruit flavor and there was some flavor in the praline part that I can’t pin down but that I didn’t like, kind of like hazelnut (although there’s no hazelnut in the ingredients list).

Amazon – “dark chocolate ganache with Ishpingo, a unique flavor from the Amazon, and a hint of cinnamon.” This was VERY good with a capital VERY. It was more than a hint of cinnamon, unless that was the Ishpingo, which, says the Internet, supposedly tastes kind of like cinnamon too. Chocolate and cinnamon is kind of old hat, but this was not boring at all. Maybe that’s the effect of the mysterious Ishpingo.

The conclusion? A couple of these were very good. The chocolate itself is excellent. The approach to flavorings in the fillings is a little restrained for my taste. I like a filled chocolate with a fruit (or something like coffee) filling to really punch me in the face with the flavor. I recognize that this is a matter of personal preference, so if you’re looking for something very high quality and you prefer not to feel like you’ve gotten a black eye from your chocolate bonbons, these are definitely worth a try.

• Aequare Website

Taza to Go is a ready-to-drink chocolate extravagance from Valor, the renowned Spanish chocolatier founded in 1881. The name comes from getting chocolate “a la taza” in Spain, which means in a small white ceramic cup. It’s an amazing, thick, rich dark chocolate drink served hot. I would call it hot chocolate, but that’s like calling the Casa Milà in Barcelona an apartment. It’s only hot chocolate in the sense that it’s chocolate, which is hot. It’s more like a melted dark chocolate bar with just enough milk added to make it into a thick, drinkable liquid. It’s especially popular at breakfast, but also as a dessert treat.

Okay, great, but what will it taste like when it comes, not from a freshly melted chocolate bar and milk from your master chocolate barista, but from a premixed, imported pouch? Extremely delicious, if properly prepared.

As I sit down with my third cup of Taza to Go, I’m struck by how making this the right way really pays dividends. Let me explain.

When you first open the pouch and pour this dark goodness out, it looks more or less like pudding. Of course I took a spoonful. It was good, but not crazy good. The chocolate side of it was fine, but the reconstituted milk was a little weird. Since it was so thick, I then decided that I should add enough milk to make it like regular hot chocolate. I did that. It was very good hot chocolate, but something was still a little off.

So, finally, I took the pouch directions seriously and simply heated up the thick pudding. Specifically, I put three tablespoons in a small-ish coffee mug (Ikea 365+, you know the one) and heated it for 25 seconds. Removing the mug, I saw that the chocolate had risen about 3/4 of the way up, so 35 seconds probably would have made a molten lava mess. Twenty-five seconds (1000 watt oven) was perfect. The heat had liquefied the Taza to Go, and I gave it a stir.

Time for a sip of this premier drinking chocolate, as it’s intended to be enjoyed. Wow. Now we’re talking. And sipping. Then slurping, then licking of mug. Then making of another mug. This is a wonderful treat. It’s a very strong chocolate flavor, but smooth and with several flavor notes to keep things interesting. There’s also a tinge of cinnamon. You can really taste the quality of Valor chocolate in this Taza to Go super drink.

So, you may not be used to drinking hot chocolate like this – very thick, and very rich. But once you try it, it’s good times all around. It’s like the bottom of the mug in normal hot chocolate where the chocolate has settled. Except this is nothing but thick and rich, and it’s got just an exceptional chocolate taste – not that junky flavor you get from low cacao content, cheap fillers, or corn syrup.

Although a bit pricey ($12 for 900 ML/30.43 oz), this big pouch makes many delicious, concentrated servings. I highly recommend this fantastic chocolate drink, especially as fall leaves begin to fly.

Candy Addict received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.

• Valor Website

With the popularity of yoga and its associated clothing, mats and other accessories, I guess it was only a matter of time until the popular fitness/relaxation stretching regime got its own signature candy – Classy Karma Candy Healthy Yoga Treats. Not that it isn’t a bit illogical – what makes less sense than having a post-workout candy treat to gain back all those lost calories?

Ah, but this is a healthy treat – or so the promotional material I received at the All Candy Expo claims. It’s “12 TIMES MORE POTENT than synthetic vitamin C,” contains “ALL NUTURAL (sic) ANTI AGING properties from powerful antioxidants,” and is made with “all-natural berries and spices with no processed sugar.” (The ingredients, however, say otherwise – the first two ingredients are sugar and glucose, which don’t just pop out of the sugarcane without SOME level of processing.)

These are made by the Classy Candy Company, a new company – as far as I could tell, the candies are only available for sale on Classy Candy’s website (which was clearly written by a non-native English speaker – I found its enthusiastic, if slightly fractured, copy kind of charming).

The star ingredient of these treats is the Indian gooseberry, a fruit used in Ayurvedic medicine. Some research has shown that the Indian gooseberry may have medical benefits for those with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes and even cancer. In its raw state, the fruit is very sour and astringent, and it’s usually pickled to make it more palatable. (I guess that’s what all the sugar is for.)

The candies themselves are wax paper-wrapped logs, like elongated pieces of saltwater taffy. They’re a light brown, speckled color. My samples came in a plastic sleeve containing three pinky-length pieces.

Despite containing aromatic spices like cloves, ginger, pepper and cinnamon, they have no smell whatsoever. At first bite, they aren’t terribly sweet and don’t taste like much of anything at all. But after a few chews, I started to get the flavor of the aromatic spices, mainly the cinnamon, and, oddly enough, a tangy taste of raisins. I’m not sure what I was expecting these to taste like, but that definitely wasn’t it. After a few bites, however, they started to grow on me. It’s like eating a cinnamon roll or a good bowl of porridge, only in candy form.

The Karma Candies initially have a firm, taffy-like texture, but if you chew them down to nothing, you get a lot of little gritty bits with a hint of a tea-like tannic flavor – from the gooseberries, I guess. Textural issues aside, I found myself enjoying these more than I thought I would, and if I was (still) in yoga, I would definitely enjoy having one of these tasty and (relatively) guilt-free chews awaiting me at the end of a strenuous session.

• Classy Yoga Candy Website

I have a ton of candy left to review from the All Candy Expo, but I decided I needed a small break from upcoming candy to review some of the candy I already had that happens to have a short lifespan.

My good friend Greg was kind enough to pick up some candy for me from his recent expedition to Europe, which resulted in me receiving a box of Pierre Marcolini truffles. For those of you not familiar with Mr. Marcolini’s work, he is a Parisian chocolatier who travels the world in order to find the best ingredients and flavors for his chocolate.

The round, 15-piece box containing small, spherical truffles dusted in cocoa and set in what looks like a couture hatbox is valued at almost $50, so these are most likely out of your typical Candy Addict’s price range. I was super excited to try them knowing I would otherwise probably never taste such a thing.

Truffe Du Jour: The Truffe Du Jour is Pierre Marcolini’s tribute to the traditional truffle with a dark chocolate ganache made from cocoa beans from Venezuela and rolled in cocoa powder. This piece has an incredibly soft ganache center with a slightly harder shell, but one that is still very pliable. The chocolate quality is very refined, embracing the concept of bitter more than sweet. The taste of this chocolate is an essence, almost like an idea or a hint; rather than scream “I am a Hershey’s Bar!” it dares you to take a bite and figure it out. This chocolate is for food purists.

Truffe Champagne: The Truffe Champagne has a milk chocolate center made with cream and champagne sourced from Saint Martin D’Ablois in the Champagne, France. This piece is softer on the tongue and a bit sweeter because of the milk chocolate involved, a brilliant choice as dark chocolate would drown out the subtle flavors. The champagne is a note amid a chorus of flavors – important, but hardly the centerpiece. Despite containing alcohol, it doesn’t really taste of it. This one was surprisingly easy to enjoy without treading in overpowering waters. My favorite.

Truffe Tonka: The Truffe Tonka has a liquid caramel center infused with the South American spice from the Tonka bean. Enrobed in dark chocolate couverture and covered with deliciously crunchy cocoa nibs, this truffle’s center has a sweet and spicy vanilla-like aroma and herbal fragrance. I was a bit surprised to see tonka bean as an ingredient, considering it’s banned in the U.S. for possessing an anticoagulant property that can cause death if consumed in large amounts. Despite it being the fugu of chocolate, it retains a cinnamon essence that meshes well with vanilla. The flavors involved are very subtle but sophisticated, partly because tonka bean is such a complex flavor that it certainly makes any piece of chocolate quite intriguing.

After eating a box of these, I can say that I do think these are fairly priced… but I happen to like this sort of chocolate. None of the pieces are sweet or bursting with potent flavors. That is because Pierre Marcolini enjoys making you think when you consume his products. What exactly is in this piece? What does this remind me of? How is this different and more surprising than anything I have ever tasted? These answers are all deeply personal and individual, but a pleasant surprise from something as mundane as a gorgeously packaged box of truffles.

• Peirre Marcolini Truffe Website

I seriously love marshmallows. Maybe it’s their association with summer and autumn campfires, hot cocoa, and Rice Krispie squares. Or maybe it’s just their incredibly light, fluffy, gooey texture and delicious vanilla flavor. (Though “vanilla” is often used as a shorthand for “boring,” is there honestly anyone who doesn’t like the flavor?)

So I was totally jazzed to discover Mitchell Sweets All Natural Chocolate and Vanilla caramel-coated marshmallows at Hammond’s Candies’ All Candy Expo booth – one of the nicest-looking booths at the show, I might add – alongside an array of gorgeous handmade candy canes and lollipops. Because if there’s one thing I love more than marshmallows, it’s caramel. And chocolate. (OK, that’s two things.)

Individually wrapped in waxed paper, the rectangular marshmallows have a chunky, rustic look, bearing borders of vanilla and chocolate-flavored caramel respectively. They have the appearance of having been cut from a big log of caramel-coated marshmallow (and if you can think of a stickier, messier job than coating a log of gooey marshmallow in hot, sticky caramel, I’d like to hear it). The ingredient list is pretty simple, but not as simple as you’d expect from something bearing the name “all natural” (which, admittedly, doesn’t mean an awful lot these days). Are coconut oil, corn syrup, and invert sugar “natural” products? For that matter, is gelatin? Regular sugar? Who knows?

Vanilla: The caramel tastes like cream and sugar, just like it’s supposed to. It’s also got a little molasses edge, though there’s none listed on the ingredients. It reminds me a little of that Halloween molasses toffee in the orange wrappers.

Chocolate: This was very stuck to the waxed paper – I hope I didn’t eat too much paper with my marshmallow. It has a nice mild, slightly salty chocolate flavor that comes from chocolate liqueur, not cocoa. It’s a very different flavor and texture experience than the chocolate-covered marshmallows I’m used to – chewy rather than snappy, with a flavor that’s closer to a Tootsie Roll than real chocolate. It’s not at all bad, just different.

The marshmallow centers are firm and pillowy, a little dry on the outside, and quite chewy for marshmallow. I’m not sure if they’re supposed to be this dry or if mine have gotten stale already in the month since the All Candy Expo. This is definitely not a bad thing, though – the denseness of both the caramel and the marshmallow were a really good textural combination. I liked how substantial they felt in my mouth. (I don’t think I’m alone in this – just look at how many people won’t eat Peeps unless they’re good and stale.) They have a nice long chew for marshmallows, without being too heavy or sweet like a pure caramel.

In all these are definitely a tasty treat, and I’m really wishing I’d grabbed more than the couple of samples. If you’re a marshmallow (or caramel) junkie like me, you really owe it to yourself to give them a try.

• Hammonds’ Candies Website

Buy Hammond’s Candy Online:

• at Candy Crate
• at Amazon.com

I had the distinct pleasure of sampling Amella’s Artisan Cocoa Butter Caramels and OMG they are decadent and scrumptious. These caramels have an incredible texture – just a bit chewy and so creamy and buttery that they just melt in your mouth.

Passion Fruit: Out of the three flavors I tried, the passion fruit was my least favorite and it was still excellent. The caramels include real passion fruit, cocoa butter, and Tahitian vanilla and are hand dipped in milk chocolate. The passion fruit flavor is really strong and tangy – if you’re into passion fruit these will make you do the happy dance. Since I think passion fruit is just ok, I’d have preferred more caramel flavor. But even so, yum!

Carrot Cake: Do you like carrot cake? I do. But I couldn’t figure out how they were going to translate that into a caramel. Well, imagine the best carrot cake you’ve had, then give it the buttery flavor and consistency of a super-moist caramel. When I opened the package, my nose insisted that what was inside was carrot cake. These caramels include carrots, roasted pecans, cocoa butter and are hand dipped in white chocolate. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the added textures of the carrots and pecans – they just added to the experience.

Black Forest: Let me just start by saying that I’m not a huge black forest cake fan. It’s ok, I enjoy it, but I’m not likely to order it over something else. So imagine my surprise when these black forest caramels were hands down my favorite flavor. In fact, if a date had given these to me, I might have proposed to him: they were that good. Think of the most buttery, rich dark chocolate added to the creamiest caramel texture, then toss in some hints of cherry – and I mean the really good, soft, chewy tart cherries. These caramels contain Amarelle cherries, 70% dark chocolate, Tahitian vanilla and are hand dipped in white chocolate with dark chocolate sprinkles. Seriously amazing. I’m embarrassed to tell you that I licked the wrappers clean.

Overall, if you’re looking for a truly decadent gift, bribe, thank you – you name it – this is a classy, luscious way to go. The packaging is elegant, the candies beautiful, and the flavor exquisite!

• Amella Caramels Website

Buy Amella Caramels Online:

• at Chocolate.com

I’ve had some good peanut brittle in my time with Candy Addict, but I’ve never seen these nifty flavor twists: Coco Nutty and Yippee Cayenne. I wonder how they’ll work with the brittle.

Jer’s Handmade Chocolates is a relatively new company in San Diego. I was not happy with their Toffee Break Gourmet Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, but I’m still ready to like these Brittle Bites – especially given the quality ingredients.

Let’s try the Coco Nutty bites first. These come in a small 1.6 oz box, with four individual, small bite-sized pieces. I pop one in my mouth. The coconut flavor hits first, and strongly. Then the crispy brittle, which is hard to discern because of the strong coconut flakes. Lastly I notice the dark chocolate, quite far in the flavor background. I can see how some people would like these, but to me the coconut flavor’s too strong, masking the brittle and chocolate elements. Oh, and these are peanut brittle, but I couldn’t even taste the peanuts. Let’s try the Yippee Cayenne.

Hey! These are tasty! Unlike the Coco Nutty, I can instantly tell that I’m eating peanut brittle. And these are wrapped in milk chocolate, not dark chocolate as before. And here, the cayenne flavor doesn’t overpower the rest of the ingredients. Instead, it offers a subtle but distinctive kick to the brittle and chocolate. I was skeptical of these Yippee Cayenne Peanut Brittle Bites, but I’m a convert. You can taste the quality of these ingredients, and in contrast to the two other Jer’s candies I’ve tried, this candy really gets the taste combination right. Nice job, Jer. (Don’t be frightened off by the cayenne component; if you didn’t tell your average candy lovers that pepper made the ingredient list, they’d wonder what made these candies taste so good.)

To sum up my Jer’s Handmade Chocolate experience, I was no fan of the Toffee Break Gourmet Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars or of the Coco Nutty Peanut Brittle Bites, but I heartily endorse the Yippee Cayenne Peanut Brittle Bites. They are unique, and very tasty. For the brittle fan who’s tried it all, give these a try.

• Jer’s Handmade Chocolates Website

Buy Jer’s Products Online:

• at Amazon.com

In the Jer’s Handmade Chocolates press release FAQ that accompanied my sample, founder Jerry Swain asks himself, “Now that you own your own chocolate business, why do you think people enjoy your story?” I won’t bore you with the answer – it’s as banal and self-congratulatory as the rest of the document’s fatuous verbiage. But hey, even hot air balloons sometimes carry good candy, right? So let’s check these out.

The Toffee Break package contains two small-to-average-sized, individually wrapped candy bars (50g, 1.75 oz each). Unless you live in San Diego, you’d have to buy these online. On Amazon, when you include shipping, they cost $35 for 4 packages (for a total of 8 bars). That works out to $8.75 per 3.5 oz package of two bars. Geez, these better be good.

Alas, these bars are not very good. I love peanut butter and chocolate. Almost everyone does, right? And my other reviews reveal that I’m a stickler for quality ingredients, and a huge dark chocolate fan. I also like toffee. But for some reason, these bars don’t work. Why, oh why? I kept trying to figure this out between ever infrequent and dissatisfied nibbles, and then my girlfriend tried the bar and said:

“All the individual flavors are fine, but the combination doesn’t work.”

That’s it. Exactly. The dark chocolate is okay (although a little flat), the distinct peanut flavor is fresh (but not very sweet), and if I work hard to isolate some toffee bits, they taste good and buttery. But this combination tastes weird, like the flavors are fighting against each other. It has another problem, too. I often complain when a candy is too sweet, but this bar isn’t sweet enough. It’s almost like it wants to be a protein bar, with toffee thrown in.

Overall, this bar tries to do too many things without doing anything very well. It’s like you went to a baseball game and they started having trumpet-playing jugglers running through the stands, too. I just want a good chocolate peanut butter bar. (In fact, Jer’s Handmade Chocolates makes a bar without the toffee, and maybe it’s fantastic, but that’s not what they sent me to taste.)

So, with the Toffee Break Gourmet Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, I guess I’m saying that Jer needs to stop celebrating himself and work a bit more on the candy. And the price is ridiculous.

I’m hopeful that other Jer’s Handmade Chocolates are far better. I’m going to try the Peanut Butter Bites Coco Nutty flavor, and the Yippee Cayenne variety. Wish me luck.

• Jer’s Handmade Chocolates Website

Buy Jer’s Products Online:

• at Amazon.com

But you might indeed want to grab one of these, either way. Sweetriot’s sense of humor might be annoying but this chocolate definitely was not. If there isn’t an old cliche that says that you should not judge a candy by its cover, there should be.

This chocolate was good, but different. The difference isn’t just the shape – a thick square made of four-subsquares, it’s not your typical bar shape, hence the silly “UnBar” name, I assume. The weird thing about it is that it reminded me of the flavor of chocolate cake frosting, more than a dark chocolate bar – but in a good way: like, I liked it even though I don’t like to eat plain gobs of frosting. I wasn’t sure this made sense as a description, but my tasting assistant agreed immediately.

There is cocoa powder in the ingredients, which I’ve never seen in a chocolate bar before – maybe that’s part of it? Whatever the reason, it was a good thing, different in a good way. And what’s more, few chocolate frostings are actually as good as this, with such a quality dark chocolate flavor.

The texture is also softer than the usual dark chocolate bar, although it was definitely not like frosting, which would be a nasty mess. But as thick as these little squares are, it’s a good thing that the texture is a little more like milk chocolate than your usual hard, snappy dark. As a contrast to the softness, they’re also filled with crunchy little cocoa nibs.

There are two flavors, one which just has the cocoa nibs (I am not, NOT, I swear, going to complain about them calling these crunchy cacao “peaces”) and another which has nibs and raisins. There are many foods in which raisins offend me – I will pick them out one by one from an apple strudel – but I am a big fan of chocolate-covered raisins, and raisins are one of the few toppings with which I will sully a bowl of chocolate ice cream. So as you can imagine, I was happy with this; you can no doubt judge for yourself which flavor to try.

I do have to take one issue with the packaging, which is the part that it says it’s ‘low calorie’ – which is to say, if you only eat one square of the four in one ‘UnBar’, it’s only 45 calories. Uh, yeah. If you only eat one bite of chocolate it is lower calorie than eating four bites, no matter what kind of chocolate it is; and, like anyone is going to rip open the non-recloseable package and not eat the whole thing. Chocolate is not low calorie, nor should you eat it because you are looking for an antioxidant health food – don’t get me started. But, people: it doesn’t NEED to be. Chocolate is perfect at its real job, which is being a pure source of pleasure, and this one is definitely worth a try.

• Sweetriot Website