Candy Bar Lab

In the interest of full-disclosure, I have to admit that I generally don’t like white chocolate. Since it doesn’t have any chocolate liquor nor cocoa solids, it’s not even really chocolate. On the flip side, I absolutely love Oreo cookies. They’re easily my favorite mass-produced cookie.

Before I try out a new product, I usually guess whether or not I’ll like it. Sometimes I’m surprised. Sometimes the candy bar is exactly as expected; both good and bad. With the Cookies n’ Cream, I earnestly didn’t know what to guess.

Structure
A solid, 12 segment molded bar of white chocolate with little balls of chocolate cookies mixed throughout.

Texture
The white chocolate is very soft; it’s almost not even like chocolate. There’s absolutely no snap when you bite in. Normally, this would be a deal breaker. However, I enjoyed the contrast between the crispy cookie bits and the soft chocolate.

Taste
Again, the white chocolate fails if you apply traditional chocolate rules. It’s very sugary and tastes like artificial vanilla. But, it kind of evokes an Oreo center. The cookie pieces do have some chocolate flavor, but they’re a bit overpowered by the white chocolate.

Verdict
The chocolate in this bar feels and tastes cheap. Any self-respecting chocolate connoisseur would probably thumb their nose at this product. But I’m going to go against traditional wisdom and recommend this product for those who like Oreo cookies. Though, if you’re looking to buy a product called “Cookies ‘n’ Cream”, I’d assume you already are and there’s a good chance you’ll also like this product.

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.