So I’ve finally gotten around to trying some of this stuff. My grandmother used to get some gourmet cooking magazines and they used to advertise a ton in them, plus Cyble has reviewed them so I thought i’d give it a try.
That is, as soon as I found the bloody stuff and at a reasonable price. The only places carrying G&B;‘s in my area that i’ve found is Target and Walmart. Walmart’s selection is pathtic, just the milk and dark in bars and medalions. Target does a little bit better, letting you pick from milk, dark, medalions and cherry, almond and caramel. I’ve had the almond and now I just picked up the caramel to try. Nobody carries the Maya Gold though, which is what I really want to try! (trade anyone?)
That and the $4.50 a bar price put me off until they go on sale periodically at target for $2.50.
After trying two milk chocolate based bars at G&B;‘s, i’ve come to some conclusions. It’s really not for me. It’s not a bad product and they aren’t bad bars, but it’s not what I expect and am looking for in chocolate. Their chocolte tastes unlike any i’ve ever tried. I don’t know if this is because it’s my first time trying organtic chocolate or what, but the underling flavors kind of put me off. Their chocolate is very “fruity” for lack of a better word. It has some very odd notes in it I’ve never tasted in other chocolates. Maybe it’s just because of how they’re stored, all the sampling i’ve done is from the same store.
But I find myself eating it because it is good, but mostly for this “new” factor and not reallybecause I find it munchable like Ritter Sport. It’s something different, but so far not better. It certainly beats out a hershey bar. Regardless i’ll still try the Maya Gold when I can get my hands on one. The almonds bar was nothing special (not nearely as good as the ritter whole almonds) though it was a fine piece of chocolate with good nuts in it, though they did leave the skins on the almonds whichI found annoying. I had to keep picking them out of my teeth at work. But it just does not excel at what it is, especially at the almost $5 a bar normal price point. It does not satisfy me like Ritter does.
The Caramel is a bit thicker than something like a Carmelo and doesn’t ooze out too badly when you break a square, though it does do it a little. It’s a very odd, brown color as opposed to tan or a golden brown. I find the caramel is too sweet, much like a carmelo bar or cadbury bar. It doesn’t have the deeper flavor an old fashioned caramel cube does. The sugar notes I think Cyble calls them.
It may very well be the thing for some people, but for me and at the normal price, I just don’t feel like it’s good enough when I can have Ritter sport for half the price and it’s much moe satisfying. It’s all good quality stuff, that much is obvious, but it’s just “meh” instead of “wow”. A $4+ candy bar should make you think you just won the lottery when you eat it.
