New Kit Kat Branded Products from Japan...

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!

peach swirl (japan)

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

exotic hokkaido kit kat (japan)

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

here we go!

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.

morinaga grape hi-chew (japan)

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

new shipment has arrived!

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...

mild bitter kit kat (Japan)

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

mango crispy monogotari (Japan)

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

le patissier takagi brandy & orange kit kat (Japan)

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!

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.

glico almond crush pocky (Japan)

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

blueberry fromage kit kat (Japan)

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)

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...

nestle banana aero bar (Japan)

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

mild bitter & orange kit kat (Japan)

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.

white chocolate kit kat (Japan)

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.

kit kat best friend hearts (USA)

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.

fruit parfait kit kat (Japan)

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.

back from vacation...

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!

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...