the kit kat palace

July 11 Means FREE Slurpees!

2008-07-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

Do you love Slurpees? How about a free one?

Well, 7-Eleven's participating stores are offering customers a free Slurpee to celebrate their 81st birthday on – when else? – July 11, 7/11/08, also known as 7-Eleven® Day!

As has been the tradition for many years, the company will celebrate July 11 with free 7.11-ounce Slurpee® drinks for customers visiting its U.S. stores. Special birthday cups will be available while supplies last.

Dave (EVAD) and I (mud) Battle in DDR!

2008-06-25T08:38:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite pastimes has been to go to the mall and play Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) with the local kids. Mind you, I'm at least 10 years older than the oldest kid there. That said, watch as I put my foot down and show the young ones how it's done.

I'm standing on the left, complaining about how the two of us forgot to go to the options screen and my good buddy Dave is on the right. Chris is filming us playing which giving some commentary.

Robert Opie Kit Kat Fridge Magnet

2008-06-16T23:54:00.003-05:00

I picked this up from eBay a month ago from a seller in England. It's a Robert Opie collection Tin Plate Kit Kat Fridge Magnet. I have no idea who Robert Opie is. So, let me write you what it says on the back of the packaging.

The Robert Opie Collection
The world's largest collection of British advertising images, started by Robert Opie in 1963, provides a fascinating insight into the British way of life over the last 130 years. Featured many times in the media, The Collection now numbers over half a million items, and is continually expanding. A part of The Collection is open for public viewing in Notting Hill, London.

It'll be another neat addition to my collection. Cool, huh?

New Kit Kat Branded Products from Japan...

2008-06-15T23:51:00.005-05:00

Here's the lovely Valerie modeling two new products that Jason sent me from Japan. On the left is a Kit Kat Stationery Pack, which includes a regular kitter, a Kit Kat shaped eraser as well as a Kit Kat pencil adorned with the slogan and various flowers. To the right of the Shawn (the sheep) is a Kit Kat Mug. There's nothing really special about the mug except that it's pentagonal and it's from Japan. These two pieces will be great additions to my collection.

On another note, we saw the movie "The Happening". Both of us believed that the movie was miscast, but we were quite excited to see the trailer for the new X-Files movie. Can't wait!

A Huge Bag of Aero Bars!

2008-06-11T08:42:00.005-05:00

My good buddy (cousin?) Miah just returned from Montreal and brought me back some French Canadian goodness. Check out the size of this bag of Aero bars! Hehe... I also had some fun with Photoshop on my face.

Dairy Queen's Kit Kat Blizzard...

2008-06-09T10:36:00.002-05:00

Well, I was unaware of this new Blizzard that Dairy Queen has, so I guess that means that I'll have to take a field trip. This commercial features comedian Kevin Farley, brother of the late Chris Farley.

Kit Kat Palace Hall of Shame

2008-06-09T09:17:00.005-05:00

Today we get to meet the first inductee into the Kit Kat Palace Hall of Shame. Man it takes a lot to get into the HoS, because I'm one of the most easy-going people you'll ever meet.

On January 16, I bought a Kit Kat Euro Disney pin from pin-badges-uk through an eBay sale. I made my payment the very next day and waited patiently until APRIL. At this point I was getting a bit annoyed and tried contacting him via e-mail. After several exchanges, I found out that "Terry" was having some personal problems and blah blah. I offered to pay for the shipping for him to send out another one, because the first one he had sent had obviously been lost in the mail.

Well, it's now June 9 - a full 5 MONTHS after I paid for this item and I still haven't received it.
You know what really saddens me at this point? I've seen this exact pin re-listed by him on eBay. This guy needs to grow up and learn how to be honest.

Terry, (pin-badges-uk) congratulations on being the first inductee into the Kit Kat Palace HoS.

Hersheypark (Part Deux)

2008-06-08T23:48:00.007-05:00

During this trip, we found out that Stella (our Mini Cooper S) is capable of 450 miles to a tank of gas. At one point, the onboard computer was telling us that we had a range of 502 miles, but I dunno if I would trust those last 52 miles, especially coming off a little more than a gallon of gas.

Anyways, on to the events of the day. We started the day riding Hersheypark's new rollercoaster, 97 Fahrenheit, which boasts a 97 degree drop (see picture). After roaming the park and making my annual visit to the Play Dome (see picture), we headed over to the Kit Kat Cafe to indulge in some refreshing ice cream. The temperature had climbed to almost 100 degrees and the humidity was almost unbearable.

The Kit Kat Cafe (located in the upper level of Chocolate World) is a place where one can rest and have a sandwich, salad, or bowl of pasta in a quiet, air conditioned environment. One can also create your own sundae of two scoops of ice cream, three chocolate candy toppings and two liquid toppings. For my sundae, I chose two scoops of vanilla, three helpings of Kit Kats (what else?) and caramel and hot fudge toppings. The sundae itself was nothing special, save for the delicious Kitters. What made the sundae was the wonderful bowl it came in. Mind you I had to pay an extra $1.99 to get the bowl, but it will make a great addition to my collection. Okay, it's nearing 1:15am, so I best be off to bed. I'll write more about the trip tomorrow...

Oh, it's on. Hersheypark 2008.

2008-06-07T21:16:00.006-05:00

Here's the first of several picture posts that I'll be sending during our stay in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Here you see me posing with my buddy, Mr. Kitter. Today, we saw him scare the hell out of two teenage girls who thought he was fake cause he was acting like he was a statue. I bet they don't see too many girls running for their lives screaming and at the top of their lungs in Chocolate World. Tomorrow, I'm gonna see if I can get him to moonwalk or do the robot or something.

Today we also went to a chocolate tasting where "Erma" demonstrated the proper way to enjoy five different types of chocolate. We also got to break open a cacao bean and try the nibs. I drank half a bottle of water trying to wash out the bitter taste!

As usual during one of our trips to Chocolate World, Valerie and I rode on the factory tour ride just to get free chocolate. Last year they were giving out free Take Five bars. This year we got to sample Hershey Bliss Meltaways (3 times!). Here, you can see Kit Kats on the assembly line.

Until tomorrow, adios.

back in action! (for real this time)

2008-04-12T22:14:00.003-05:00

Okay, I know I've said it before, but this time I mean it. I have tons of new Kit Kats to blog about, plus I've traveled quite a bit and have picked up some new chocolates from around the world. Also... I've made some new acquaintances and connections and am ready to get this blog going... Have fun reading!

hershey's chocolate flavor bubble yum (usa)

2007-06-04T20:50:00.000-05:00

I picked this up as an impulse buy while the Target cashier was scanning our groceries and Val was running back to pick up the apple sauce she had forgotten to throw in the cart. I had seen this before but had never actually been daring enough to try it. No, wait. Daring isn't the right word. What I'm trying to say is that I didn't want to spoil the Hershey chocolate flavor by making it a part of a chewing gum which would eventually become as bland as a plastic spoon.

Guess what? Three minutes into chewing this gum, it does taste like a plastic spoon. I was extremely disappointed that Hershey would even put its name on this. Initially there is a slight "false" chocolate taste but it fades quickly... I mean within the first thirty seconds. Then three minutes into the process, you might as well be gnawing plasticine. I don't even think I'll finish the rest of the pack.

Hershey's Chocolate Flavor Bubble Yum (USA)
Size: 8g Calories: 25 Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 6g

news from japan!

2007-06-02T17:29:00.000-05:00

Red from stippy.com has an interesting article about the Yubari Melon Kit Kat I wrote about some time ago. Here's a link to the article if you're interested!

Click Here...

peach swirl (japan)

2007-05-31T22:43:00.000-05:00

Yet another Kit Kat from Japan. I've had a few of these in my possession for more than a month now, and I've been dying to try one of them. I do have to say that there are a couple of the "swirl" flavors going around that I'm quite interested.

The Peach Swirl Kit Kat comes in box which is designed quite differently from other Japanese Kitters. There's a nice gradient mesh fill going on in the background with fuzzy peaches flying around everywhere. Nestle's package design group has sure done its job well, as I'm ready to rip through the package to sink my teeth into the product.

Opening the box reveals the two familiar individual packs each containing it's respective set of "twins". Upon tearing open the inner wrapper, an aroma cloud not unlike that of a bag of sour gummy peaches came rushing out. Oh, the excitement was building! I pulled out the chocolate fingers and to my surprise they looked like a pink and black zebra! (see below) The taste was nothing short of excellent, with just the right amount of peach flavoring mixed into the usual chocolate goodness of the Kit Kat. Collector or not, I have to say that everyone out there should try this flavor if they can get their hands on it.

Nestle Peach Swirl Kit Kat (Japan)
Size: 21.5g Calories: 115 Fat: 6.1g Carbohydrates: 13.8g

woo hoo! back in action!

2007-05-29T13:35:00.001-05:00

Sorry for all the days of no posting. I promise you, we're back in action. Val and I just bought a new car (as pictured above). It's a MINI Cooper S, red with white racing stripes. It's a 6-speed manual with 168 supercharged ponies under it's hood, making for about a six and a half second 0-60. Nice. :) Now, if I could only get Val to agree to the Lambo doors...

exotic hokkaido kit kat (japan)

2007-05-16T16:52:00.000-05:00

Mmm... I got a few of these singles from Japan because I didn't want to break open the bulk pack that I have in my collection. I've been dying to try this flavor for quite some time. The Exotic Hokkaido Kit Kat is packaged in an elegant white plastic wrapper adorned with the Le Patissier Takagi logo as well as a screened "Exotic" logo in the background. It's quite a change from the normal and chunky style Kit Kat wrappers.

Upon opening the wrapper that familiar scent of milky white chocolate came rushing out. Being that the Exotic Hokkaido flavor is based on a berry and cheesecake palate, I was expecting something like the blueberry fromage that I had reviewed some months back. This one tasted something like a raspberry cheesecake that had been left out in the warm air for some time. The chocolate was smooth a milky and the wafer was crisp as always. However, I wasn't really sure if I liked the combination all that much. Overall, if you really like kitters, I say go ahead and try it, but this one isn't for the everyday sweet tooth.

Exotic Hokkaido (Japan)
Size: 13.5g Calories: 75 Fat: 4.5g Carbohydrates: 8g

hubbs toggi (greece)

2007-05-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

Here's a new one for you. I'm really not sure who makes this bar, but it seems to be imported from Greece to Canada by a company called "Hubbs Importing". From the looks of it, this chocolate bar is going to be tasting a lot like a chocolate covered Monogatari's without the extra fruit flavor. The packaging is nothing special but is labeled with "Fine European Chocolate Wafers". At $1.35 for the bar, I'm not exactly how "fine" this chocolate can be.

Opening up the package revealed two sticks of chocolate covered wafers, looking no different than the similar Little Debbie snacks. Biting into them was no different either. There was nothing special about them. The chocolate was smooth but I don't think it was any better than a standard Nestle chocolate bar. On this one I'll have to recommend that you pass on this unless you're really looking to try every chocolate bar out there.

Hubbs Toggi (Greece)
Size: 50g Calories: 270 Fat: 16g Carbohydrates: 30g

here we go!

2007-05-08T14:56:00.000-05:00

So, unfortunately my grandfather died last night. It was a somber time when everyone's eyes were teared and those souls who had dry ones held a weight heavy in their chest. At least he went out with his loved ones surrounding him. God take care of him.

On a positive note, I was able to see my nephew, Luca. He's the cutest thing! He's got huge cheeks and a "muffin top" (new to my vocabulary thanks to Scott at work) and his smile is absolutely adorable. I'll post pictures of him when I get something a bit more recent. I was also able to see my cousin Lee Ann (NaRF!) who I hadn't seen for many years because of her living in California and the Philippines. It turns out that she had been training for a marathon but her training got cut short because of her transfer abroad. There's something about the Philippines that screams "You shouldn't be running for pleasure here."

On yet another note, I should be receiving yet another order of Kitters from Japan. Hopefully they come shortly and I can write them up in this here blog. Man, I'm so behind in reviews. The problem is, everytime I review a chocolate bar, I wind up eating it. Herein lies the problem. All the pounds I lose from running get put back on courtesy of the kit kat palace. Great. Look for another post shortly.

the birth of a new blog...

2007-05-06T15:01:00.000-05:00

I realize that I've been a bit lax on posting lately. I've been doing a little thinking and have come to the conclusion that this blog needs to branch out a little bit. Although I will continue to post reviews on Kit Kats and other fine worldly candies, I'm also going to start adding a lot of personal notes, rants, reviews and comments on many other things. This will include (but is not limited to) movies, tech, current events, and even happenings within my own life. This new change will let me share with you a lot about me and what goes on in my mind. Look for the new post soon. Cheers!

morinaga grape hi-chew (japan)

2007-04-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

I had read about these on another blog, though I can't quite remember which one. I've seen them on j-list and asian grocer but had never been able to try it. I won't lie to you, this package looks like it was designed by a ten year old.

The actual chew was much smaller than I thought it would be, about half the size of a Starburst. The candy had a purple center surrounded by a white "White Rabbit" type chew. It was a bit harder and tougher to digest than I would have liked it, but the flavor more than made up for it. The grape was that of a Welch's grape soda and perhaps even better than that. It tasted like the first bite into a piece of grape Hubba Bubba.

Anyways, I would buy this again, if just to try the other available flavors. I wish it were a bit softer, but perhaps the pack I bought had been sitting on the shelf for a while.

Morinaga Grape Hi-Chew (Japan)
Size: 50g Calories: 210 Fat: 5g Carbohydrates: 42g

More News on FDA Chocolate Takeover...

2007-04-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

For those of you who read my last post and helped out by signing the petition against the FDA's approval of the definition change of chocolate, here's another article from the LA Times.

Flowers Brand Haw Flakes (China)

2007-04-23T13:49:00.000-05:00

I know what you're saying to yourselves. They look like little Chinese rolls of pepperoni. Well, I'd be lying if I said that they didn't. I was first introduced to these buggers when I was around 8 or 9 years old. My sisters and I would get them from this Asian food market called "Ding How". Oh, the memories. We would make pretend that one of us was a priest (usually me) and use them as Communion wafers.

Anyhow, yesterday I was in our local Asian super center and picked up a few candies, this being one of them. These are Haw Flakes. Simply put, they are slices of Tea. They are somewhat bitter to the taste but have a good amount of sugar added to counter it. Personally, I really don't know what I used to see in them, except that you could buy like 20 rolls of these for a dollar. Times really haven't changed very much, as a six pack still only set me back 39 cents. Maybe if I liked tea better, or perhaps if I scraped my taste buds out with a spoon these would taste much better. Then again, maybe not.

Flowers Brand Haw Flakes (China)
Size: ? Calories: ? Fat: ? Carbohydrates: ?

new shipment has arrived!

2007-04-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

My latest shipment of international treats has arrived. From Japan, I received two Pineapple Kit Kats. From Mexico arrived a Bubu Lubu bar, which (assuming I've translated the Spanish correctly) is jelly and marshmallow cubes with chocolate flavor... I'll have to see about that one. From Canada, I got Cinnamon and Peanut Butter Kitters. Finally, from the US came a pack of Kona Creme coffee flavored gum. I'm quite interested in that after my wonderful experience with the Ritter Sport bar the other day. Consequently, I'm still working on that bar. I've been eating a little bit each day because of the massive calories and amount of fat that it has. I'll be reporting on the Bubu Lubu bar first. I'm not usually a fan of jellied candies, so I don't know how this is going to fair with me. Until then...

a funny commercial...

2007-04-16T23:06:00.000-05:00

Check out this video I found on iFilm...

ritter sport - cappuccino (Germany)

2007-04-16T21:41:00.000-05:00

This is one I've been wanting to try for a while. Believe it or not, it was the super simple packaging that drew me to it. As I wrote in my last post, I've always been a fan of simplicity in package design. The blue logo contasted well against the white square and metallic gold ink. I was quite excited to rip it open and try it.

The chocolate itself was divided into 16 squares, each bearing the Ritter Sport logo. I broke off a square and bit into the chocolate. The smooth milky chocolate melted in my mouth as the cappuccino filling gushed from between the chocolate shell. Together they created a heavenly bliss which I don't believe has been matched by any other coffee flavored chocolate that I've ever happened upon.

I will definitely be buying Ritter Sport bars in the future as they have now tickled my tastebuds. This one fails to receive a perfect score only because it's quite possibly the most unhealthy bar I've eaten! I'm running a race this Saturday and should really be slimming down, but I just can't stop eating this chocolate delight!

Ritter Sport - Cappuccino (Germany)
Size: 100g Calories: 660 Fat: 45g Carbohydrates: 60g

mild bitter kit kat (Japan)

2007-04-15T22:22:00.000-05:00

I've had this one in my collection for a while and figured that it was time I gave it a try. The packaging is sure promising. Bitter chocolate. Mmm. I'm not sure if it was implying that the contents were of the dark chocolate variety or it the chocolate itself was made bitter. I was intrigued. The package design itself was pretty decent looking. Clean and simple, one of my mottos when designing.

Anyways, I tore open the box to reveal the two, two-finger packages inside. My first bite into it was one of surprise... It wasn't that the chocolate was milky or dark or used more or less cacao; it's that there was a lack of flavor for the first few seconds. Then after chewing the wafer and chocolate, the flavor of the high cacao content became very apparent.

Now, one might ask what the difference between this and a dark chocolate Kit Kat is. The regular dark chocolate Kitter is still sweet. This one is more indicative of baking chocolate. The normal sweetness seems to have been replaced by the natural sugars of cacao bean. The Mild Bitter Kit Kat, while quite good, is definitely not for everybody.

Mild Bitter Kit Kat (Japan)
Size: 21.5g Calories: 118 Fat: 6.6g Carbohydrates: 13.2g

don't mess with our chocolate!

2007-04-12T15:37:00.000-05:00

Apparently, some lobbyists are attempting to "change the definition" of chocolate by allowing inferior non-dairy product to pass off as the real thing. Read the post, then click on the link above to help do your part to save our chocolate. Thanks!

The rules currently state (basically) that chocolate must contain cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Other things can be in there, like milk fat and milk solids to make milk chocolate and a small amount of milk fat can be added to dark chocolate as well. The new proposal would allow products that contain NO COCOA BUTTER to be call chocolate.

Here's a passage directly from the "Don't Mess with Our Chocolate" website...

We love it just the way it is; made with 100% cocoa butter and real milk, rather than some concocted blend of fats and other substitutes. The following lists the primary reasons why we oppose their petition and why this is not in the best interest of the consumer:
1). Without proper labeling, consumers will find it difficult and confusing to differentiate the current gold standard of real chocolate vs. this new concoction, which has substitute ingredients. This will amount to economic fraud to the consumer as the product will become cheaper with inferior ingredients.
2). None of what is being proposed benefits the consumer, nor was any consumer research submitted to support such changes.
3). Their proposed formula will contain large quantities of bad Trans fats, which are not good for your health.
4). They are meddling with everything that we love about chocolate.
5). Cocoa butter is unique; vegetable fats can only masquerade as cocoa butter.
6). The eating properties, flavor and mouth feel will all be different.
7). All manufacturers, even those who do not want to support this, will be forced to convert to the new concoction due to the economic advantages associated with the new formula and their wanting to remain effectively competitive within the category. The net effect will be a total downgrade in the eating enjoyment and quality for chocolate.

ferrero duplo (Puerto Rico)

2007-04-12T11:03:00.000-05:00

See? Even Buddy Christ thinks you would enjoy the Ferrero Duplo. But in all honesty, what makes this hazelnut treat any better than any of the other Ferrero offerings? Nothing really. This is another twist on the chocolate/hazelnut/wafer combination. Hey, if it works for them, why screw with it?

Anyways, this one looked like a giant Lego block, with three bumps protruding from a rectangular base. There were strips of chocolate on top of the entire bar. The packaging was simply white with red lettering and bore a picture of the contained goodies.

I broke off a piece and enjoyed such goodness. The hazelnut cream was about as creamy and delicious as possible. The pieces of hazelnut that were swimming in the filling were tiny and soft and provided a perfect compliment. The wafers were extremely light and the chocolate was super-milky. This was almost a perfect score, though I personally don't like nuts in my chocolate. Nice job Ferrero.

Ferrero Duplo (Puerto Rico)
Size: 26g Calories: 150 Fat: 10g Carbohydrates: 13g

nestle lion (England)

2007-04-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

Here's another one from the foreign section of the supermarket. I've actually had this bar before while I was on a cruise several years ago. I remember it being quite tasty, but not so much that I was inclined to search for an online retailer. Naw mean?

The packaging is just okay from a graphic artist's point of view. I've definitely seen better from Nestle. It actually looks quite dated and lacks the flare of new packages. The bar itself was quite good, and was made with a mixture of caramel, filled wafers, crisp cereal and milk chocolate. It taste like a conglomeration of Milky Ways, Nestle Crunches and Kit Kats. One would think this would be heaven. However, there's just too much going on here and while there are a lot of good flavors, but none of them is distinct.

Nestle Lion (England)
Size: 55g Calories: 269 Fat: 12g Carbohydrates: 35g

olza prince polo (Poland)

2007-04-02T18:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a new one. I'll give you a little background info on this bar from its wiki...

Prince Polo is a Polish chocolate bar. It is sold in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary under the name Siesta, and is popular in Iceland (as Prins Póló), where for many years it was one of the few chocolate bars available. It has long been Poland's top-selling candy brand, but in recent years the similar Princessa brand (manufactured by Nestle) has achieved similar popularity.

Prince Polo was introduced in the early 1950s, during the early years of the Polish People's Republic, by Olza SA in Cieszyn. It is a chocolate-covered wafer, with four layers of wafer joined by three layers of chocolate-flavored filling; it was easily identifiable by its metallic gold-colored wrapper.

I found this bar in the foreign foods section of our local supermarket. The picture on the metallic green wrapper made me wonder if this is a monogatari (see previous post) mint flavored chocolate. The bar felt very light in weight and I was quite eager to rip into it.

As I took my first bite, I realized that I couldn't really place the flavor, but enjoyed the treat nevertheless. It definitely wasn't mint, but reminded of a peanut-like flavor. The wafer was very thin, light and crispy and the chocolate was fresh and left a slightly bitter aftertaste. Apparently this is the most popular chocolate bar in Poland and I can understand why. Though this one might be a bit harder to get your hands on, I would recommend you to try it if possible. It's not my nearly my favorite, but it's not too shabby either.

Olza Prince Polo (Poland)
Size: 38g Calories: 200 Fat: ? Carbohydrate: ?

a kit kat ebay find...

2007-03-29T23:49:00.000-05:00

This is just ridiculous. After doing my usual eBay surfing, I stumbled upon THIS listing... Now, if you read carefully, the items for bid are 12 coupons for $0.25 off a Kit Kat purchase. The shipping on the item is $0.70. So, basically upon buying this you are effective saving a whole nickel. Great.

mango crispy monogotari (Japan)

2007-03-28T23:44:00.000-05:00

If you look closely at the cover of the box on the left, it appears as if there are huge wafers stuffed in the middle of a regular Kit Kat. This however, is not the case. Boy was I surprised when I ripped open one of those brightly colored orange packets and found... No chocolate? Did I get a defective one? What was the deal with this Kit Kat? Something was amiss here.

Actually, nothing was wrong with this Kit Kat. Through a little bit of Googling, I was able to find out that this particular kitter is also known as the "naked" Kit Kat. Ahh... Now it all made sense. But then, what was this kitter going to taste like? After all, without the chocolate, it was just a regular wafer cookie that you could buy from Target. In fact, I just bought a whole 30 pack of passionfruit ones from the Goya section for a whole ninety-nine cents.

So... I bit into the Crispy Monogatari. You know what? I wasn't very impressed. In defense of the Crispy Monogarari, the wafers were extremely light and the mango creme that was sandwiched between was quite tasty. However, when it came down to it, they were still just a glorified version of those Goya wafers. If you're a collector, go ahead and add this one. However, if you're just a casual kitter chomper (that's my new one), save your self a few bucks and head down to Target. It's a shame that something so simple as a creme wafer could have the Kit Kat named tacked on to it and more than sextuple its price. Although it was decent tasting, I'm giving this a mere 6 Goodness Points for lack of originality and deceptive packaging.

Mango Crispy Monogatari
Size: 10.5g Calories: 56 Fat: 0.85g Carbohydrates: 6.5g

nestle honeycomb kit kat chunky (Australia)

2007-03-27T12:52:00.000-05:00

Ooohh... A yellow wrapper. For the uninformed, yellow is my favorite color. This layout sports a screen printed flood design on a foil wrapper with little pieces honeycomb spread around the logo. Simple, but impressive. I bought this one (and several others for that matter) from an eBay seller in Australia. I've been holding on to this one for the right time to try it out...

So I'm here holding this honeycomb kitter in my hands, pondering how this will affect my glucose levels when I run my 10 miler in about an hour. Ehh... Who really cares? I'm more interested in the kitter.

I break open the wrapper, half expecting it to taste like a mixture of breakfast cereal and chocolate. The outside of the bar looks like a standard Chunky, but there's something different about this. There's the sweet aroma of something other than honey leaking out from the chocolate. My first bite into the Kit Kat was one of surprise. The wafer inside is encased with chocolate speckled with tiny crystalline pieces of honey. Together they made a loud "crisp" noise when I bit into it! Chewing the kitter only added to the wonderful flavors that were swimming in my mouth. At this point, the honey flavor began to really emerge and linger. What a treat this was! I'm recommending this one to all of you out there, Kit Kat fans or not. It definitely needs to be tried.

Nestle Honeycomb Kit Kat Chunky (Australia)
Size: 60g Calories: 330 Fat: 16.4g Carbohydrates: 36.6g

Choxie Warm Spiced Caramels (USA)

2007-03-26T21:25:00.000-05:00

Saturday, we were doing our weekly shopping at Target. As usual, I was scouring the candy aisles, looking for my weekly treat. I decided on a tin of Choxie Warm Spiced Caramels. I was quite intrigued by the the few words written on the lid. It read, "caramels infused with exotic signature spices, encased in milk chocolate". I couldn't help but buy it.

I didn't expect there to be many chocolates inside, after all the tin only held 1.5 oz of goodies. There seemed to be only about 30 pieces inside. And, true to Choxie's reputation, this was an expensive treat... $2.50 for 1.5 ounces? Ouch! Anyhow, I popped the first one into my mouth curiously excited. The chocolate was smooth, the caramel was soft and gooey (just the way I like it) and... Oh! What was this? Spices! It tasted like I was munching on a gingerbread cookie wrapped in caramel and chocolate... and I liked it! I went ahead and popped about five more in my mouth, one after another.

I had many compliments but only a few complaints. I wished the container and the chocolate itself was a bit bigger. Eating a piece left me yearning for more and feeling quite unsatisfied. I didn't quite like the fact that there were only 30 pieces in the tin and a normal person would need three pieces to feel even somewhat satisfied. Finally, the price. It always seems to be an issue when it comes to the price of Choxie. I can't ever argue the quality of the chocolate, but the price needs some serious re-evaluating. Until next time

Choxie Warm Spiced Caramels (USA)
Size: 43g Calories: 180 Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 25g

le patissier takagi brandy & orange kit kat (Japan)

2007-03-22T22:48:00.000-05:00

I bought this box from Jason over in Japan. It's a special edition Kit Kat made with flavors and ingredients hand selected by Le Patissier Takagi aka Iron Chef Takagi. This package of Kit Kats was unlike any I have ever seen before. As you can see from the picture at the above left, the box comes in a spectacular rice paper wrapper and is sealed with a Le Patissier Takagi emblem. The wrapper is patterned with Kit Kat logos and stripes made of the words "Le Patissier Takagi". However, the beautiful packaging doesn't stop there. Peeling off the outer wrapper reveals a glossy embossed boxed, sparkling with gold foil letters and a somewhat holographic heart-shaped sticker. For all the Kit Kats I have seen in my life, never before have I witnessed such beauty.
Taking my first bite into the this marvel was something out of a dream. What was I eating? This didn't taste like a standard Kit Kat! The chocolate was extremely creamy, like a Lindt truffle. And there was something else... The wafer was extremely delicate and light. The finger itself was about three quarters of the normal height of a regular kitter, but about one and a half times wider. Looking inside the chocolate covered finger, I could see the wafer and a thin layer of white, brandy and orange flavored cream directly above it. The brandy flavor never really came out, but it didn't hurt the overall taste at all. The orange was not overwhelming and complimented the smooth chocolate well.

I was very impressed with this chocolate and understand very well why this box of chocolates cost me almost $30.00. Perhaps if I liked the orange-chocolate combination better to begin with, I would have given this a perfect 10. My advice for those who like these flavors... Go buy a box!

Le Patissier Takagi Brandy & Orange Kit Kat (Japan)
Size: 18g Calories: 100 Fat: 6g Carbohydrates: 10.5g

new kit kats and aero bars from Japan!

2007-03-18T00:21:00.000-05:00

I got home from the mall today and look what was waiting outside my door! Jason's package from Japan had arrived. As you can see above, there are two of the "Exotic" series - The Tokyo and the Kansai. These ultra-premium Kit Kat editions fetch for about $25.00 each. Also included in the shipment were two Mango flavored Kit Kat Monogataris, two Cantaloupe Flavored Aero packs, Patissier Takagi's Chocolatier Kit Kat featuring a mixture of strawberry, pistachio, almond, and thyme flavors, and finally, a few singles so I could taste the exotic flavors without opening up the larger boxes. Keep reading, I'll definitely be reviewing some of these in the next few days.

nestle coffee crisp (Canada)

2007-03-14T22:53:00.000-05:00

I recently got my hands on a Nestle Coffee Crisp. I didn't think I had eaten one of these since the last time I was in Canada, several years ago. One strange thing I noticed about the packaging on this bar is that it was half in Spanish. Last time I checked, Canada had only two official languages. The outside of the wrapper described this bar as "wafers with coffee creme center" (galletitas con centro cremoso de cafe). It was an extremely chunky looking bar and relatively cheap for its size.

The bar itself looked like a lumpy Kit Kat Chunky. It had a very thin layer of chocolate surrounding the wafers. Each of the several wafers in turn had a very light coffee cream sandwiched in between. The actual taste of the bar was much lighter than one might expect. In fact as I ate it, I could picture Brits eating these with their tea. All in all, the bar was quite good, but not exactly as coffee flavored as I would have expected. I also would have like to have seen the chocolate be a bit thicker. Otherwise, this was a decent chocolate bar.

Nestle Coffee Crisp (Canada)
Size: 50g Calories: 250 Fat: 13g Carbohydrates: 32g

williams-sonoma chocolate cooking class...

2007-03-11T22:07:00.000-05:00

Today, Val and I went for a chocolate cooking class at Williams-Sonoma. The head chef was a former Procter & Gamble chemist. She was very informative and reminded me a lot of a female Alton Brown. On today's menu was a Chocolate Sorbet, a Mocha Cake with Spiced Caramel Sauce, a Warm Molten Cake and finally a Chocolate-Banana Croissant Panini, the latter being my favorite. Everything was quite delicious except for the mocha cake which I found to be quite salty.

The head chef (Maral Apelian Banks) explained to us the differences in the type of chocolates that you use for cooking and baking. Let me pass on a tip that she gave us. Try not to use domestic chocolates in baking because they are usually coated in wax and oil for shipping and the flavor is not usually as pure as European and other imported chocolates. Above, you see me holding a 10 pound bar of Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate. Wow. And I thought that the 5 pound Hershey bar was big!

This morning I picked up a few new chocolates that I'll be reviewing in the upcoming days, including a new brownie flavored Hershey bar. It should be interesting. Until tomorrow...

kit kat websites around the world...

2007-03-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

Last night I sat through Frank Miller's "300", an ultraviolent death fest - and I loved it. My brother Jono, my cousin Miah and I went to see a soldout screening last night. It's been a while since I've come out of a movie in complete awe.

So tell me... When you go to the Kit Kat Denmark website, does something look odd? Before you click the link and think you're on the wrong page, Nestle has set up several "Kit Kat Freestyle Web Games" sites around Europe. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with any Nordic languanges and can't really read anything on the pages, save for the few English words. http://www.kitkat.dk/ If you want to give the page a go yourself, click on the picture.

godiva chocolate mini-box (USA)

2007-03-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

This one will be a short one. I got this box of Godiva chocolates at the Christening of my new beautiful Godson Luca. Following the baptism, we were all led like a herd cattle to a wonderful Italian restaurant. From there we commanded the entire second floor where we drank and dined like gods, if only for a few hours. Anyhow, set in front of every place setting was a miniature box of Godiva chocolates. It's impossible to miss the telltale gold box.

The chocolates contained inside were heart and moon shaped and let me tell you... They lived up to the Godiva chocolate name. I don't usually buy Godiva chocolates, even though they are usually quite tasty, but if they had a box of these exact pieces for sale... You know what? I think I'll just a few extra boxes from the party. Or maybe that's what I already did. =)

Godiva Chocolate Mini-Box
Size: n/a Calories: n/a Fat: n/a Carbohydrates: n/a

hershey reese's easter fudge egg (USA)

2007-03-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

I know that I've fallen behind since I last posted, but fear not - I have several new items to post. Tonight I'm going to write about the Reese's Easter Fudge Eggs that Val and I ate while we were watching Zodiac on Tuesday night. Yes, I'm one of those people that brings food into the movie. But just to make it a little better, I had a small popcorn and medium drink as well. Okay, so Tuesday nights are Free Popcorn Night. But still... The medium drink was $7.00. Heh...

Let's see. the Easter Fudge Eggs are basically Fudge cups in the shape of Easter eggs, only they aren't really eggs. Rather, they look like oblong domed cups sans ridges. So much for specialty packaging. Anyways, we bit into these chocolate treats and were quite surprised about their taste. While obviously lacking the yumminess of the peanut butter, the fudge was a nice substitute.

I guess you can say that the fudge and chocolate combination, while very tasty, was a little too much on the taste buds. I really liked the combination but I don't think it was properly executed. Nice try Hershey, maybe next time.

Hershey's Reese's Easter Fudge Eggs
Size: 1.2oz Calories: 180 Fat: 10g Carbohydrates: 18g

nestle kit kat thimble

2007-03-06T12:17:00.000-05:00

Call me a freak, but look what I found on eBay. It's a Kit Kat thimble and oh yes, it will be mine. I also found a whole bunch of promotional and advertising material that's not entirely too overpriced. I'm still looking out for that Nestle Kit Kat toy truck that I had seen from England, though I don't want to pay a fortune for it. I'll keep you posted.

glico almond crush pocky (Japan)

2007-03-05T23:08:00.000-05:00

For those of you who have never had Pocky, let me explain them to you. Pocky is an extremely popular Japanese treat that has spawned (A) as many flavors as Kit Kat and (B) many many copycats. Summed up, Pocky are biscuit sticks covered in some form of chocolate coating. In this case it's chocolate with "almond crush". I am usually a big fan of the many flavors of Pocky, but this one was just a bit too much for me. I think Glico added just a few too many almonds in this flavor. And while I should have expected it with a name like "Almond Crush", I just couldn't get into it.

MuD: Too nutty for me, but the biscuit and chocolate were gold. I give it a high "7". Perhaps if there were more chocolate to drown out the amount of almonds, it would have received a higher rating.

Val: It was creamy chocolate with a bunch of almonds in it. It has a very nutty taste. I think the almond taste outweighs the chocolate flavor but it's not like the chocolate taste is lacking. It's a candy for nut lovers. I give it an "8".

Look for more Pocky flavors in the future. We'll definitely review them.

Glico Almond Crush Pocky
Size: 20.5g Calories: 110 Fat: 6g Carbohydrates: 11g

cookie dough kit kat (Australia)

2007-03-04T23:25:00.000-05:00

Our latest Kit Kat review involves an Australian treat I happened upon on eBay. True to Nestle form, the packaging of the Cookie Dough Kit Kat was extremely clean and well layed out with pictures of chocolate chip cookies surrounding the all too familiar logo.

My brother has been egging me on to try this flavor for a while. Unfortunately for him, Val and her sisters ate this one with me. I have to say that this Kit Kat surprised me. I guess it wasn't be cause it didn't taste good. Actually, the Kit Kat was very good. It just wasn't cookie dough. I was surprised to find the inside filled with gooey caramel (ala Milky Way) and a general lack of cookie dough "paste". Instead, after swallowing the chocolate and its contents, we all agreed that a slight amount of cookie "grain" was left in our mouths, thus creating a cookie aftertaste. All-in-all it wasn't a bad experience, just not what I expected. Had it tasted more like cookie dough, this Kit Kat would have gotten higher marks.

Cookie Dough Kit Kat (Australia)
Size: 65g Calories: 338 Fat: 18.3g Carbohydrates: 39.5g

blueberry fromage kit kat (Japan)

2007-03-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

This one ought to be interesting. I was supposed to review this yesterday but didn't get a chance. My two sisters are going to give their input as they try the kitter along with me. On another note, I was just informed by Jason over in Japan that Nestle is releasing a new limited edition (read: expensive) Kit Kat fashioned from Green Tea and Rice. I'm looking forward to emptying my pockets for that one. In the mean time I should have a few more Exotics coming in a week or two.

I was unable to get a boxed version of this flavor. Instead I have just a two finger mini-bar from a bulk pack. The wrapper was dull blue with the Nestle Kit Kat logo on it and a few Japanese characters. Upon opening the package, a cloud of "cheese" came rushing out, followed soon after by the smell of blueberries. Below, find the reviews of my siblings.

MuD: It's hard to describe. It tastes like ultra-creamy cheesecake with a hint of vanilla. The blueberry flavor never really came out though.

Jen: It tastes like what you would expect blueberry shortcake to taste like...hard to describe, but still yummy!

Sheila: Semi-yum. Tastes a bit like the Special K blueberry breakfast bars mixed with white chocolate. Wouldn't buy it, but would share another bar with MuD.

Blueberry Fromage Kit Kat (Japan)

Size: 13.5g Calories: 75 Fat: 4.5g Carbohydrates: 8g

bunny ears kit kat (USA)

2007-02-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to do a review on this because it's common knowledge that regular Kit Kats always score a perfect 10, unless I find them under our refrigerator a year later. This special Easter edition Kit Kat has bunny ears that run the length of the Kit Kat. Amazing! What will Hershey think of next? Anyhow, I love 'em. Blah, blah.

In other news, my latest shipment from Japan came. Jason (my contact in Japan) sent me a large bundle of Kit Kats very nicely packaged, as if they were laid out in some formal style. Huh. It's those little extra things. My next order from him will include several new Aero bars and a few new boxed edition Kit Kats. I can't wait! I also think I'm going to reach out to my Canadian resource, as I'm really trying to get a hold of those Cinnamon Kit Kats. Okay, until later on today when I review the Blueberry Fromage Kit Kat...

choxie chocolate flakey truffles (USA)

2007-02-27T13:48:00.000-05:00

God this new camera can't take macros. I should stick to my dSLR... I apologize for the picture. If I have time, I'll shoot another one.

Although Choxie has magnificently packaged goodies in their product line, and their selection of flavors is usually originally large, Val and I don't usually buy them because they cost too damn much! From a graphic artist's point of view I've always loved their "retro" "60's" "simplistic" packaging. They leave the quality of the chocolate itself to do the advertising.

You're going to laugh at me, but I found this package of Choxie underneath our refrigerator while searching for a cat toy that had traveled underneath. Though at least a year old, it looked to be in good shape, and still bore the red "Target Clearance" sticker upon it... According to me, it was still edible. So I ate it.

Let me just tell you up front that this package of Choxie truffles retails for $2.00. Boy was I surprised to open up the box and find a measly TWO pieces inside. Mind you, they looked like two very delicious pieces of chocolate, but still - a dollar each? I would be better off going to Godiva!

So, I finally bit into the truffle. Oh shat. This was heaven! This might actually be worth a dollar per piece. The chocolate truffles were extremely smooth and creamy and the chocolate flakes added to its delightfulness. Could this be the first "10" that I give out? Thinking it through, there wouldn't be a thing that I would do to this chocolate except possibly lower its price! Well kids, you've heard it from me. Go out and buy your own and try it for yourself. You won't regret it.

Choxie Chocolate Flakey Truffles (USA)
Size: 24g Calories: 140 Fat: 9g Carbohydrates: 13g

nestle banana aero bar (Japan)

2007-02-25T19:46:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. Val was a bridesmaid in a wedding this weekend and most of Friday night and all of Saturday was taken up. Let me just tell you thought that they had an amazing chocolate fountain at the Viennese (sp?) dessert table. The chocolate tasted as if they had used freshly melted Hershey Kisses for the filling. On another note, I'm expecting a large order of Kit Kats to arrive from Japan. In the meanwhile, I have Banana Aero bars to review. Mmm. I don't even have to taste them and know that they are going to be insane.

I could barely read anything written on the package of the Japanese packaging, but let me tell you, I loved it! For one, the entire box was covered in yellow and orange air bubbles as well as flying bananas. Top that off with a talking poodle on ice skates and I believe we have a winner! The box had a perforation on top and inside were ten single-serving bite-sized Aero bars.

Biting in the (small) piece of chocolate was heaven! Now, let me tell you that bananas are one of my favorite fruits / flavors and I've tried many different banana flavored chocolates and candies before. None of them, not even the banana flavored Kit Kat has come close to the real flavor of a banana as this Aero bar. The Nestle chocolate, combined with the aerated banana flavored middle makes for quite a delicious treat. They really don't get much better than this!

Nestle Banana Aero Bar
Size: 5g Calories: 28 Fat: 1.7g Carbohydrates: 2.9g

mars triple chocolate twix bar (USA)

2007-02-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

Ohhh... This one excites me. I've always been a fan of Twix, with the crisp cookie in the middle and the sticky, gooey caramel riding on top. I was very interested in trying this triple chocolate version of the famous bar. One of my co-workers picked it up for me, knowing I'm always fond of trying limited edition chocolates.

The package beared the phrase, "Chocolate Cookie, Chocolate Caramel, Covered in Milk Chocolate. Really, how could you go wrong? I ripped open the package and gave the bar a whiff. The familiar smell of the Twix emanated from the wrapper. So far, so good. My first bite into the Twix bar was one of delight and disappointment at the same time. Could it be possible that there was something as "too much" chocolate? This bar had everything right, but there was still something off. I liked it so much, yet thought that it was just a bit much. I think perhaps it was the cookie. It was the cookie that was throwing the whole thing off. One of my mottos I've stuck to over the years is "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." And that's the problem with Twix. It ain't broke and there was really no need to try and mend what was already a great chocolate bar. Oh, well. Until the next Twix special edition...

Mars Triple Chocolate Twix
Size: 56.7g Calories: 280 Fat: 14g Carbohydrates: 36g

ferrero noggy (Puerto Rico)

2007-02-20T16:05:00.000-05:00

One of my friends brought this back for me on a recent visit to Puerto Rico. Really, how many hazelnut-based chocolate candies can Ferrero come up with? I think I remember reading something about this a while back on Candyblog. Seriously though, a dozen chocolate / hazelnut candy combinations is enough, isn't it? Anyhow, let's get on with this review.

Unlike most Ferrero package designs, this one didn't really impress me. Maybe it's just me, but the design of the package usually "adds" to the virtual flavor of the chocolate by enhancing the entire experience. Upon opening the wrapper, five individually wrapped Whopper-sized spheres rolled out onto my desktop. The milky chocolate looked a bit cheap, like what you would expect from a bag of chocolate eggs during Easter. A few specks of hazelnut scattered the surface of the chocolate. The chocolate smelled quite sweet and nothing what I would normally expect from a Ferrero chocolate. Ahh... Now I understood why the chocolate looked and smelled differently. It wasn't chocolate at all, but a chocolate candy coating, a la M&M's or Smarties. The inside was filled with pieces of compressed chocolate and hazelnuts.

I think the Noggy doesn't really live up to the chocolate quality that I've come to expect from Ferrero products. The chocolate tasted cheap, the candy shell ruined the flavors contained inside and I think there the ratio of nuts to chocolate was too high. While this one may be a novelty to eat every now and again, I would recommend others spend their money on a Rocher.

Ferrero Noggy
Size: 21g Calories: 110 Fat: 6g Carbohydrates: 13g

the a. panza & sons ice cream trade show...

2007-02-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

I can't eat anymore. That seemed to be the phrase of the day, as my wife and strolled the aisles of the A. Panza & Sons Ice Cream Trade Show. Ice cream machines and freezers lined all available walls as their attendants begged the passersby to try their wares. Booths were filled with tables of ice cream toppings (pictured above), ice cream cones (pretzel, cookie, waffle, sugar, etc.), and anything else you might find in an ice cream store.

My hat goes to the Columbo Frozen Yogurt stand that was hiding in the corner of the building, but doling out some of the best frozen yogurt I've ever tasted. Thanks to A. Panza & Sons for the invite and for that delicious all-you-can-eat Italian buffet.

dark apple cider chocolate bar (USA)

2007-02-18T22:54:00.000-05:00

After two years of waiting, today was the day of the bi-annual A. Panza and Sons Ice Cream Trade Show. I took a few pictures while I was there and ate way too many frozen products than I would care to share, but you'll hear about all of that tomorrow.

Today's entry is about Hebert's Dark Apple Cider Chocolate Bar. Now, a couple of weeks ago, Justin did a review on another Hebert's bar, the Dark Bananas Foster. As you can recall, he wasn't too impressed with the bar and asked for a wake up call when the flavor improved. I'll go into this review unbiased.

Upon first opening the bar, I could smell the overwhelming aroma of dark chocolate. Not a bad thing at all. However, I didn't smell anything that even closely resembled the apple cider. The bar was broken down into 10 sections and had even diagonal lines running across it. My first bite was one of awe. Whereas the Bananas Foster bar came up short, this one hit the flavor right on the money. The chocolate was delicious and the apple cider filling, though a tad on the sweet side, was en pointe. This is a bar I could see myself buying again. Good job on this one Mr. Hebert.

Hebert's Dark Apple Cider Chocolate Bar

Size: 64g Calories: 290 Fat: 15g Carbohydrates: 43g

new rating system...

2007-02-17T14:11:00.000-05:00

In an effort to make this blog look a little more professional, I've added a new rating system that you'll start seeing at the bottom of the page. Yeah, yeah, so it's a little bit of a bite from Candy Blog, but why not add something that's working really well for her? I've been a long-time reader of the Candy Blog and she's really doing a good job. Hopefully this one will someday be on par with it.

mild bitter & orange kit kat (Japan)

2007-02-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Nice, another fancy flavor from Japan. It seems that Nestle Japan likes to put out a new flavor of Kit Kat each month. But really, who am I to argue with that? So, here we have a Mild Bitter & Orange Kit Kat from Japan. I'm really not sure what to expect from this flavor but I'm quite intrigued.

As I opened up the end of the wrapper, I took a deep breath of the Kit Kat scent. Hmm... It smelled like an orange Starburst with a hint of chocolate. Now I was really interested. I've never been fond of orange and chocolate together, but I was willing to give it a try in the name of Kitters.

It was interesting. The chocolate was a dark, slightly bitter one that wrapped the fresh, crisp wafers. I suppose if I was more fond of orange flavoring, I would like this Kit Kat much better. However, even with my dislike or orange, I still found this Kit Kat extremely flavorful. I'm gonna have to go ahead and recommend this Kit Kat out there to all those Kitter enthusiasts. It's definitely something different.

dark chocolate 100 grand bars (USA)

2007-02-14T14:15:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my other two readers out there. Here's another Target limited edition we picked up while shopping on Sunday. I'm a pretty big fan of 100 Grands, being that they are essentially made of the best parts of Nestle Crunch and Milky Way bars. Yeah, yeah, I know I'm always talking about the packaging and really, who cares? But... Aside from all the nonsense advertising usually on the package, I like the really classy gold ends with black Avant Garde lettering. It really screams, "limited edition". Hehe.

There really isn't much to say about this bar. If you've had a 100 Grand bar before, then you know what this taste like. Substitute the milk chocolate coating with Hershey's ever-so-slightly bitter dark chocolate and you get this special edition bar. The only problem here is that the overwhelming sweetness of the caramel kills any ounce of flavor that the dark chocolate may have given this bar. So in essence, you don't need to run out and buy a bag of these so called "limited edition" bars. Buy the originals. You aren't missing much.

white chocolate kit kat (Japan)

2007-02-13T09:23:00.000-05:00

The White Chocolate Kit Kat is a staple to the Kit Kat world, but Nestle Japan puts a little bit of a twist on it. In addition to the regular ingredients, I believe that they have added honey to it as well, though one would never know from the taste. I've always been a fan of Nestle Kit Kats over Hershey's ones, and this is one of the reasons.

Grr. My computer crashed and I had to retype this next section from memory.

Anyhow, let's get on with it. I pulled out the first of the two packs and unwrapped the two-fingered delight. There was a an aroma of white chocolate that must be personally witnessed to understand. The chocolate itself was the standard issue white Nestle chocolate - white and not too sweet. The wafer was fresh and crisp. Delicious. Muy delicious. I would recommend this bar to all chocolate aficionados as well as anyone looking for a wonderful tea biscuit replacement.

valentine's cherry kit kats (USA)

2007-02-12T11:13:00.000-05:00

Oh man. Yet another limited edition Valentine's Kit Kat from Hershey. Last night as Val and I were shopping in Target, I stumbled across a bag of limited edition Valentine's Cherry Flavored Kit Kats. Now, I'm not really a fan of cherry flavored anything, but I decided to give them a try on behalf of Kit Kat Palace's 3 readers (myself included).

The wrappers are nice enough looking. Nothing special, but what can one expect from Hershey? They aren't the creative geniuses behind the Kinder Bueno or Aero Bar packaging, but whatever. It's a Kit Kat and that's what matters. When I bite into the pink wafer I'll get a sudden rush of pleasure from the crisp wafers and delicious chocolate and be quite satisfied. But boy am I surprised when I take my first real bite. What the hell am I eating? This isn't a Kit Kat. It doesn't even slightly resemble a Kit Kat, except for the wafer in the center which when mixed with the cherry flavored white chocolate taste like I'm eating a breakfast cereal. Yuck. Boy, this one is disappointing. However, I can't give it horrible remarks because I don't really cherry flavor to begin with. Anybody out there care to give me their opinion?

old kit kat commercial....

2007-02-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

kit kat best friend hearts (USA)

2007-02-09T00:16:00.000-05:00

Technically, I've already covered this one. A few posts back, I did a review on Kit Kat Conversations. This one is similar. This Kit Kat is meant to be shared and has a message on it that reads "Best Friends Forever". It sports a small heart on each half of the Kitter and one large one in the background. I know, there really isn't much to this Kit Kat except for the packaging and the "sweet" message on top, but a Kit Kat enthusiast can never be too thorough. Regardless, it is a special edition, so I'll add it to my collection. On that note, go buy one and share two fingers with your significant other.

Oh man. See what happens to me when I write my blog entries late at night? I'm tempted to look online to see if there are any new flavors available... Ughh. My next shipment is on its way. More wonderful flavors from Japan.

dark bananas foster bar (USA)

2007-02-08T23:00:00.000-05:00

Greetings Kit Kat Palace! I would have posted sooner, but I was too busy eating organic, non-fat, sugar-free, whole wheat, all natural Kashi bars and doing speedwork. You know how it is. During Rob's marathon excursion to my place of residence, Miami, I had the pleasure of sampling a "Dark Bananas Foster" chocolate bar. While I am not well versed in the ways of confectionary criticism, even my amateur pallete could sense that something was lacking. Bananas. The dark chocolate was smooth, rich, and satisfying. However, the bar's experience simply did not live up to its name. Although there was a slight trace of banana flavoring, it was reminiscent of the power gels I consumed during the race. Overall Mr. Dark Bananas Foster Bar, you suck. Give me a call when you get yourself together.

fruit parfait kit kat (Japan)

2007-02-07T11:31:00.001-05:00

Oh man, here we go with another crazy Japanese flavor. I've had this one for a while, I just never got around to eating it. My gay hairstylist brother came over last night to cut my hair and decided he needed to try one of my specialty Kit Kats. We decided on the Fruit Parfait.

Like other Japanese Kit Kats, this one came in two individually packaged double-finger bars inside a well designed box with pictures of various fruits. The smell and the appearance was very similar to the Cantaloupe flavor that I had reviewed several weeks ago, with white chocolate housing a wafer center with small fruit specks chicken pocking the surface. Unfortunately, this Kitter was a bit of a disappointment. Unlike the Hokkaido Melon, there was no distinct smell or taste. Its flavor was more of a conglomerate. I could taste four or five different fruits, but wasn't able to distinguish any of them. This one is only for the Kit Kat die hards out there. Sorry Nestle, you missed on this one.

ferrero tronky (Puerto Rico)

2007-02-06T16:54:00.000-05:00

I picked up these two Tronky bars from Puerto Rico, after horse back riding through a non-existent forest. Apparently, we were supposed to ride for two hours amidst the native wildlife of a rain forest. Instead, we were treated to a dirt trail through fields between local ranches. Nice.

Anyhow, the Tronky Bar is created by Ferrero, makers of Ferrero Rocher, Mon Cheri, & Kinder Bueno. The bar itself is a large puffed wafer that breaks easily. This bar definitely wasn't made to take a beating. The wafer doesn't really have a taste but can be compared to chewing on a piece of thick newspaper. The inside is a hazelnut goo... Nutella! Consequently, Nutella is made by Ferrero as well. Being that Nutella is one of my favorite Churro fillings (don't ask), that would make this chocolate bar(?) a goodie. Basically, the cardboard outer shell acts as a carrier and armor for the delicious Nutella filling inside. Together, they balance each other well and make for a splendid treat. For those of you who are fond of hazelnut chocolates, this one is definitely for you.

back from vacation...

2007-02-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

We've returned from our 9-day excursion and all I can say is, it's good to be home. I successfully finished the ING Miami Marathon and my speed-demon, eight-foot-long legged, "waaaah, I have to go do more speedwork" brother blazed home an hour ahead of me.

My long-awaited Kit Kats arrived from Japan the day that we left, so I didn't get to photograph or inspect them as I usually do with new arrivals. I was a bit disappointed in the fact that my trip only yielded two new Kitters, none of them being new flavors.

Oh, before I forget, let me introduce (to the other three people who read this blog) my legs-of-fire brother Justin, and my wife Valerie, who will both be writing entries to keep this blog interesting...

kit kats on the way!

2007-01-25T11:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we're leaving for Miami tomorrow and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of a shipment of Kit Kats from Japan. A lot of new flavors were released and I'm hoping to receive them before we leave.

Scheduled to arrive are the following flavors: Blueberry Fromage, Blood Orange Bitter, and Pumpkin. I'm also expect the Kit Kat iStick, which I believe is a Kit Kat which is meant to be frozen then eaten broken apart, similar to a Charleston Chew. To finish off the order, I picked up another batch of Cantaloupe as well as a Banana flavored Aero bar. Can't wait!

I just received two new flavors from Australia; Honeycomb and Cookie Dough. They didn't arrive in the best of shape, but at least they resemble the Chunky's...

kit kat conversations... (USA)

2007-01-24T22:27:00.000-05:00

I'm probably only going to write one more entry after this one and then there will be about ten days of silence. I'm going to Florida to run the Miami Marathon then relax afterward on a weeklong cruise with my wife. We went back to and once again on an impulse buy, I purchased a bag of Kit Kat Conversations.

Basically, they're regular two finger mini-bars with various messages imprinted on top of the chocolate. The wrappers have pink and red hearts as well as new "friendship exchange" logo on the top left corner. The back of the wrapper has spaces to write your name as well as the recipient's. The Kit Kat itself was extremely fresh and true to top notch Hershey flavor. There's a reason why regular Kit Kats are on top of my list.

While on the cruise, we'll be stopping in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and Antigua. I'll be sure to bring back some foreign goodies to review.

jones soda co. green apple carbonated candy (USA)

2007-01-21T22:09:00.000-05:00

Tonight, my wife and I were in line paying for our merchandise at Target (officially pronounced tar-zhay). As usual, I was scanning the impulse buy shelves, searching for my "treat" of the week. My eyes caught glimse of the shiny green, white & black tin from the Jones Soda Co. Carbonated Candy. For those of you who aren't familiar with Jones Soda Co., they are a carbonated beverage producer whose flavor choices tend to be "different" (see www.jonessoda.com for more info).

I had high expectations for this candy and I'm pleased to say that they were met! It's hard to explain what these lil buggers taste like. I think that the best way to describe them is by calling them "Smarties with a kick". They have a true-to-life green apple flavor that fizzes when bit. I melted one on my tongue and was surprised by the tingling sensation produced by these little green suckers. The back of the candy tin says that this carbonated delight is also available in Fufu Berry and Berry Lemonade flavors. In conclusion, if you see these lying by the cash register, grab one!

kit kat chunky (Canada)

2007-01-20T11:33:00.000-05:00

Today I'll be delighting myself by eating a regular Nestle Kit Kat Chunky. These are one of the easiest foreign Kit Kats for me to obtain.

Back in the day (a few years ago!) I was astounded to see my first Hershey Big Kat bar. I loved the reconfiguring of the Kit Kat into one large finger. What a great marketing ploy! Little did I know that the Hershey Big Kat was to be easily outdone in both size and flavor, as well as package design!

The Nestle Kit Kat Chunky is a marvel in itself. It has the appearance of a perfectly shaped, monster-sized chocolate finger with nice sharp edges and a Kit Kat logo emblazed on top. As for the taste - only the regular version of the Nestle Kit Kat and the Hershey's Kit Kat can top it. There are thick layers of chocolate on the top and bottom of the Chunky and a huge stash of crisp wafers sandwiched between. I know that I'm a bit biased, being a true Kit Kat fan, but chocolate doesn't get much better than this.

grape kit kat (Japan)

2007-01-18T01:09:00.000-05:00

Oooh... A pretty little purple wrapper. Honestly, this one was a no frills wrapper because I'm sure it came from a larger bag. Anyhow, it actually tasted much better than I thought it would. I opened up the package and a rather intense rush of grape scent came galloping out of that little plastic wrapper. Man, Nestle Japan sure has their flavor technique down pat. I bit into one of the fingers and was actually surprised. Unlike the overwhelming taste of cantaloupe the other night, this one was more like white chocolate with just a hint of grape flavoring. I had to admit, it was odd eating grape flavored chocolate, but I was definitely pleased. I don't think this would be one that I would be buying an entire bag of, but I'd definitely eat it again.

nestle caramel aero bar (Canada)

2007-01-16T01:11:00.000-05:00

Hmm... Where to begin? For those of you who don't know me personally, I'm a graphic artist. I have always loved the packaging design of the Nestle Aero bars. It's not really the logo itself, as it is just skewed type with a "chocolate bubble" fill, but the good use of complimentary colors and playful fonts (VAG Rounded?).

If you've never had an Aero bar before, you're missing one of the best tasting commercially mass-produced chocolate bars out there. Its gimic are the hundreds of air bubbles trapped in each bar that turn a normal bar of chocolate into an extremely light one which almost melts in your mouth.

I'm quite anxious to try this flavor as I've only had the regular and mint ones so far. This Aero bar is shaped differently than normal ones as it's longer, skinnier and rounder. Unfortunately my first two bites into it were ones of disappointment. There was a lack of caramel in both bites (the "pocket" was empty!) and the chocolate was not as frothy as I had expected it to be. On the third bite, I finally reached the caramel filling and was met with a solid "Old Rolo" type caramel instead of the gooey goodness I thought would be inside.

Although it sounds like this review is one of dismay and complaint, I still give this a thumbs up for its combined taste of the caramel and faux Aero chocolate. Though not on the top of my list, I would still recommend this one to all chocolate lovers out there.

caramel fudge kit kat tempations (UK)

2007-01-14T17:42:00.000-05:00

Hmm... How do I start? I've been very impressed with the Kit Kat Tempations series (though a bit dated now). The wafers live up to the standard level of goodness that Nestle produces in its Kit Kat products. I only wish there was more of it. Besides this, my only qualm about the entire Tempations line is that there a bit too much "filling" for its own good. The fillings, though rich and quite delicious, tend to overpower the rest of the chocolate and wafer. Biting into the bar started off as a nice surprise but ended up with my wincing at the sweetness of the stringy caramel. This might be one to try if you want to be among the few to try all the Kit Kat flavors in the world or if you have a major sweet tooth. If you aren't in one of these two categories, I would recommend you spend your hard earned cash on one of the many other flavors of Kit Kats.

hokkaido yubari melon (Japan)

2007-01-14T01:30:00.000-05:00

I think it's really neat how the Japanese Kit Kats usually come in a ornately designed box. This box in turn houses (2) two-finger Kit Kat bars in a more subtle wrapper. Upon opening up this bad boy, the aroma of cantaloupe melons rushed from the wrapper up to my nose. Being a fan of cantaloupe to begin with, this was a good sign of things to come. My first bite into the Kit Kat was one of pure amazement. The chocolate wasn't really chocolate and it didn't even have the "white chocolate" taste either. Instead it tasted like the traditional crisp Nestle wafer enveloped in a sweet creamy Cantaloupe icing. I was very impressed with Nestle's ability to pull this one off without the product coming off too sweet or fruity. Overall, I would recommend this one to other Kit Kat enthusiasts, but the average chocolate and candy lover might find it a bit on the "strange" side.

more kit kat history...

2007-01-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

This will be it on the history lessons, I promise. From now on we'll stick to product reviews and such.

The Kit Kat has been manufactured in a number of localised versions for overseas markets such as Canada, Germany, Japan, and Australia. Kit Kat bars available in the United States are manufactured under license by The Hershey Company, a Nestlé competitor, due to a prior licensing agreement with Rowntree.

The Kit Kat is the world's #2 chocolate bar after the Mars bar. In the UK, Kit Kat is the number one brand both as a confectionery item and as a biscuit. In both the US and Canada, the Kit Kat is also extremely popular and is one of the top ten candy bar brands. In recent years, Kit Kats have also become very popular in Japan, a phenomenon attributed to the coincidental similarity between the bar's name and the Japanese phrase kitto katsu, roughly translating as "I hope you succeed!" This has reportedly led to parents and children buying them for school examination days as a sort of good luck charm. [However, transliteration is not always in Nestlé's favour - "kitto katto" (where 'katto' is taken to be a katakana transliteration of the English verb 'cut') is understood to bestow Kit Kat with the less positive significance of "you will definitely miss the cut". As such, gifts of a single kit-kat are a running joke for senior high school students taking the University Entrance Examinations in some areas. Further building on the teen market, Nestlé created a music label in 2005 and bundled Kit Kats with CDs which has propelled the Kit Kat to become the #1 selling chocolate bar in Japan as well.

The year 2003 was a turning point for the Kit Kat bar as well as the confectionery industry in general. The popularity of low carb diets and the push to healthier eating stifled sales growth in many parts of the world. In addition, fierce competition from Cadbury's newly formed Dairy Milk superbrand also contributed to sales of the Kit Kat decreasing considerably in its home market of the UK and threatening to dethrone it from its #1 position. The solution adopted by Nestlé and others was to dramatically increase the number of new and unique variations of their confections and market them as limited or special editions whereby they would usually only be available for a few months at a time so as not to impact the sales of their permanent edition counterparts. The strategy initially reversed the decline of the Kit Kat and has been adopted worldwide by Nestlé, Hershey, Mars and others with similar success. This has resulted in many new flavors and varieties of the Kit Kat and other confections appearing globally since then. While some flavors have been hits, many have flopped and have alienated some consumers causing Nestlé to scale back on new releases.

a short background on the Kit Kat

2007-01-13T00:51:00.000-05:00

I figured that my initial readers (friends & family) don't really have much of a clue about the interesting history of the Kit Kat. So... I've taken some of the wiki and printed it here for all to read. Please note that all the following content is published on Wikipedia.org and can be found at this address: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kit_Kat

The traditional four finger version of this chocolate bar was launched in September 1935 in the UK as Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp (price: 2d). The two finger version was launched May 15, 1936. Rowntree's Chocolate Crisp was renamed Kit Kat Chocolate Crisp in 1937, and subsequently just Kit Kat after World War II. The name is believed to have come from the Kit-Cat Club, an 18th Century Whig literary club founded in the reign of James II and located at Christopher Catling ("Kit Cat")'s pie-house in Shire Lane, by Temple Bar. A meeting place of the Kit-Cat Club had such low ceilings that paintings hung inside needed to be especially short. Such paintings were later named after the club as 'Kit Kats', as was a type of mutton pie. The Oxford English Dictionary (1989) writes:

Kit-cat / kit-kat. {f. Kit (= Christopher) Cat or Catling, the keeper of the pie-house in Shire Lane, by Temple Bar, where the club originally met.}

The traditional bar has four fingers which each measure approximately 1cm by 12 cm. Kit Kat Chunky has one large finger approximately 2.5 cm wide and was introduced in 1999. Kit Kat bars contain varying numbers of fingers depending on the market, ranging from the half-finger sized Kit Kat Petit in Japan to the three-fingered variants in Arabia to the twelve-finger Kit Kat Tablet bars in France. Kit Kat bars are sold either individually or in bags, boxes or multipacks. In the UK and Canada, Nestlé also produces a Kit Kat ice cream; and in Malaysia, Kit Kat Drumsticks.

the first post... take three.

2007-01-13T00:38:00.000-05:00

Okay, here we go again! This is my third attempt at a blog creation. The first was a blog dedicated to "stuff" in general. I felt that this was too broad a range of subject matter, so I trimmed it down to just "candy". This in turn was still to broad a category and now I've honed in on the one treat that I can't get enough of... Kit Kats (or Kitters as I so fondly call them). I have no doubt that I'll only have a few readers (friends and family) because honestly... who wants to read about the many flavors of Kit Kats and Kit Kat products that I've collected and amassed throughout the years. So let's proceed an hope there isn't a version four of this blog.