Candy Bar Lab

In the UK and the Middle East, the Dove brand of chocolate is known as Galaxy. This particular product from them seems very similar to a Flake and possibly an Aero. It seems that outside the US, people like air in their chocolate. I’ve never seen anything like this regularly sold over here in the States. I previously enjoyed Mint Aero, so let’s give this one a try.

Structure
The whole bar is very long and thin. The center consists of thin layers of milk chocolate, separated by pockets of air. The layered centered is enrobed with a thin shell of milk chocolate.

Texture
It crumbles a lot. I had to put my hand below my mouth to keep the small pieces from falling on the floor. The scraps of chocolate do melt quicker in your mouth than a big hunk of solid chocolate would. Overall, it’s very light and delicate.

Taste
It tastes like milk chocolate. In terms of quality, I would put it a half-notch above Hershey’s. Dove (i.e. Galaxy) is marketed as a high-end chocolate, but I’m not convinced it’s all that good.

Verdict
There’s nothing particularly offensive about this bar. It’s just boring. I like plain chocolate bars, but I usually reach for something higher in quality if that’s what I’m going for. If the only distinguishing feature of the bar is that it has a unique texture, it should improve upon the regular feel of chocolate. I’m not sure that Ripple accomplishes this.

Aero bars have actually been around since the 30’s. Though as an American, they’re new to me. The name comes from the air bubbles that are pumped into the chocolate right before it solidifies, leaving a honeycomb-like structure.

I’m a huge fan of the packaging. Maybe I’m a little biased because the green and the bubbles remind me of the Candy Bar Lab logo, but the graphics made me want to eat this bar. Also, chocolate paired with mint is a classic flavor combination. Needless to say, I was excited to tear open the green foil and bite in.

Structure
The center is mint-flavored white chocolate tinted green and filled with bubbles of air. This is covered with mint-flavored dark chocolate - molded into a seven-segment bar.

Texture
The air pockets make this bar very light and easy to bite through. It crumbles a bit, which helps the chocolate melt on your tongue. Without the air pockets, this would just be a flavored chocolate bar. The bubbly center elevates it to something special.

Taste
No surprises here - it tastes like an Andes mint. I really like that the mint flavor is found in both the inside and the outside. You can’t miss it. As a side note, Mint Aero smells wonderful as soon as you open the packaging; easily the best smelling confection I’ve reviewed thus far. Then again… anyone surprised that mint smells good?

Verdict
I definitely recommend Mint Aero. It is tasty and refreshing. Most importantly, the texture is unique. The only problem is they’re a little hard to come by. But if you ever see one in the store, don’t miss the opportunity give it a try.

I was able to find a few British bars at a local candy store, so this will be the first of a few I will soon write about. This candy bar from Cadbury is different from any of the mainstream American bars. It’s mainly comprised of honeycomb; a light, brittle confection. Its made by heating sugar to a hard crack or caramel stage then mixing it with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and acid. This combination releases carbon dioxide (CO²), which forms bubbles. The sugar then hardens as the mixture cools to create the final product.

I first tried this bar on a trip to Bermuda a couple years ago. I’m curious to see how much I like it when I really put it through a taste testing.

Structure
A long, square honeycomb center enrobed in milk chocolate.

Texture
Crunchie is surprisingly easy to bite through; it’s very light and crispy. It breaks apart cleanly as soon as you bite in. The honeycomb melts quickly in your mouth and you can feel it dissolve when your tongue touches it. The negative is that the whole bar, including the chocolate, is really dry - almost powdery. I’m reminded of a freeze-dried ice cream sandwich I ate recently. I really think this needs something liquid (i.e. caramel or honey) or even waxy to counter the dryness.

Taste
You’ll mostly taste milk chocolate. The honeycomb releases an odd burnt flavor into your whole mouth as it breaks apart. I’m not sure if this is from the CO² in the manufacturing process or if it’s burnt sugar. Either way, it didn’t work for me.

Verdict
This is a beautiful looking bar that I appreciate for being different from what I’m used to. Ultimately, the texture is one-dimensional and it doesn’t taste that good. I don’t recommend Crunchie unless you’re curious to try something different.