I have said before that I’m a huge fan of coffee. I recently received some CaffeMallows for review… they are a mashup of gourmet marshmallows and a cup of coffee. The packaging boasts that they are a “pop-in power coffee shot.” Caffeine and marshmallows? What could possibly go wrong?

I sampled each of three flavors, Mocca Mallows, Java Mallows, and Coffee Mallows:

Mocca Mallows:

Packaging: Cello bag with label. Has a Stickybits barcode which you can use with the Stickybits App.
Looks like: A 2″ brownie square
Smells like: Rich, sweet coffee-cocoa smell
Feels like: Squishy, springy when I pinch it
Boasts: A Real Espresso & Cocoa Blast

But how does it taste?

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Before attending the All Candy Expo, all the registered press people were sent dozens and dozens of press releases from various companies advertising their products and inviting us to drop by their booths. That is where I first heard about Landrin Waferatto USA.

The company’s roots date back to the nineteenth century when Georg Landrin began preparing confections for the Imperial Court of Russia. The reputation of his delicacies spread throughout the country and Europe, earning his products notoriety for their quality ingredients and taste.

Landrin USA was recently founded with the intent to market a line of truffles with designs and packaging inspired by couture fashion and art – i.e., appealing to women. I remember checking out some of the photos from their press release to discover all their boxes adorned with orchids, chiffon prints, the elegance of a perfume box, and they somehow unfolded into vases when you opened them.

Elaborate much? Maybe. But the principal and design is aesthetically sound, which is why it’s a current silver finalist for two of the 2009 Sofi Awards (Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation). But part of me didn’t want to like these. They were too pretty. They were too girly.

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I once listened to a radio broadcast about a baker who manufactured artisan bread in Maine. When he was asked what possessed him to become such a baker, he replied with a response of almost disbelief:

“To me, artisan bread just means making the best possible bread by hand. I think everything should be made that way.”

The sheer simplicity and truth of that statement has stayed with me over the years, and it is one that rushed to mind as I began reviewing a line of chocolate bars from Blanxart.

Blanxart is a Spanish confectionery company created back in 1954 by three brothers. Now, Europe is frequently associated with gourmet chocolate, but rarely if ever did I equate Spain with such a thought. Truthfully, as the Spanish were the first to make contact in the New World – where chocolate originated – it would make sense that they retain a claim to being the original European purveyors of gourmet chocolate.

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Sweetriot is chocolate-covered cacao nibs. Some of you might be asking “What are cacao nibs”? If you are, and you’re interested in how chocolate is made, visit this post and watch the video. It’s interesting stuff. Essentially, cacao nibs are the centers of the cacao beans after they have been washed, roasted, and de-hulled. At this stage they are roughly halfway through the chocolate-making process.

Sweetriot takes these nibs and coats them in chocolate – 50% dark chocolate in the Flavor 50, 65% dark chocolate in the Flavor 65, and 70% dark chocolate with a hint of espresso in the Flavor 70. The look of the candy itself reminds me of chocolate-covered raisins, only a bit smaller. Each one is a unique shape depending on the size and shape of the nib underneath. Eating them reminded me very much of eating chocolate-covered espresso beans. The nibs themselves are crunchy and the chocolate coating them is excellent. The Flavor 50 is nicely sweet and very chocolatey. It almost has an Amaretto taste which is very nice. The Flavor 65 has a flavorful bittersweet chocolate taste and is very different from the Flavor 50 because it’s noticeably less sweet. The Flavor 70 is a really rich dark chocolate and the hint of espresso is a nice touch (assuming you like the taste of espresso).

Sweetriot is also all-natural, dairy-free, gmo-free, kosher, gluten-free and is the best candy I have had in quite a while – it is really good stuff. All three varieties are fan-freakin-tastic. I really want to down a whole tin at one sitting, but I have been restraining myself and just having a few here and there for the past few days so they will last. Now the bad news: the sweetriot tins are about $5 each. Pretty pricey, but well worth it for someone that truly appreciates good chocolate. You can purchase sweetriot online at their site or you can check their store locator to see if there is a retailer near you.

UPDATE: Sweetriot is not certified vegan. I have updated the review above to reflect this.

sweetriot website
Video of the Making of Chocolate
sweetriot online store
sweetriot store locator

candy, chocolate, cacao, sweetriot, nibs, cocoa, review, reviews