Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate

After my surprise encounter with Halba Swiss chocolate yesterday, I decided to give Ghirardelli a chance to compete with the Swiss. Kinda ironic, since Ghirardelli is a US subsidiary of Swiss company Lindt.
The Milk Chocolate from Ghirardelli has a taste that is in-between Hershey's and Halba. I found it to have that unique and unpleasant "tingly" taste that Hershey's has, yet it also had a stronger chocolate taste than the Halba. My preference is for the Halba, but I can easily enjoy Ghirardelli any time.

Reviewed: Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate
Personality: Trustworthy, rather like a Scout
How to enjoy: Good milk chocolate, but a little too Hershey-ish for me
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Germany http://www.bestcoffee.de/newsletter.php
USA: most larger grocery stores, also online http://www.ghirardelli.com/
UK: http://www.cybercandy.co.uk/aaasmt/ (occasionally stock Ghirardelli)

Coop chocolates from Halba

My colleague Heike was recently in Switzerland on vacation. In addition to watching her 7 year old son climb a big piece of the Alps on a bicycle, she also found some chocolate to bring back to the office. Nice thing is, I sit right across from her, and got first choice of the several varieties of Swiss chocolate this afternoon.
I had the pleasure of tasting the Coop brand from Chocolats Halba. Smooth tasting, good chocolate flavor, and a great activity for a Tuesday afternoon. Certainly makes reading the 300 customer feedback comments I have to read this afternoon much easier.
The Cremant is a mildly dark chocolate, and very smooth. The White chocolate is also rich and a great pleasure. The other types I have yet to try are the Truffes (truffle filling) and the Milk with hazelnuts, but I fully expect them to be ever so yummy.

Reviewed: Coop mini chocolate bars
Personality: Classically Swiss chocolate, smooth and creamy, a real crowd-pleaser
How to enjoy: A great motivator to get your work done
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend (and your colleagues)
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Germany: Drive to Switzerland to visit the "House of Chocolate"

Dove Extra Dark Chocolate

My first love, growing up deep in the Midwest 30 years ago, floated in on the wings of a Dove. Surrounded by Hershey's milk chocolate, milk chocolate with almonds, Mr. Goodbar, and Hershey's Special Dark, I was overwhelmed when Dove chocolate came into the market in the 80's or 90's. I'd never tasted anything so creamy and delicious. OK, sure, we're just talking about my first chocolate-love, not people-love. This is a PG-rated site, fer cryin' out loud.

When I reached the US this summer, I needed a chocolate for my road trip. This Dove Extra Dark called out to me from Target's candy shelves. It was a disappointment until today. I ate a bit of the chocolate during my road trip, but found it not very good. It did at least travel well, in spite of the record-breaking temperatures throughout the South that week.

As I write this review, I'm giving it one more chance, and it's much better than it was during my trip. I can actually taste that famous Dove creaminess, and while the chocolate isn't really a good chocolate, like I know now, it does remind me of those days back in 1990 when I was so happy and in love with Dove.

Reviewed: Dove Extra Dark Chocolate 71% cacao
Personality: The Dove I once knew, but a little cold and unyielding
How to enjoy: If you must, then eat it alone in small bites

Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Germany: you can get Dove in some places, I'm not sure about this bar
USA: any major store, grocery or department
UK and other places sold as Galaxy chocolate

The Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

The Cheesecake factory was my favorite restaurant, at least until I tried Panera Bread. (Tip: Panera's nutty chocolate chip cookies are fabulous)
But The Cheesecake Factory is still a master at cheesecake. My last visit produced a slice of White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake that was so rich it lasted 4 meals. First I brought it home after eating dinner at the restaurant, and ate a few bites when I was feeling a little less full. Second, it made a big portion of the next day's lunch and dinner. Finally on the third day, I ate the last I could eat, and tossed a couple of bites. I was beyond satisfied, it was more like ecstasy.
This cheesecake is about displaying the best that white chocolate has to offer: pure
chocolate flavor with accents of cream cheese and raspberries. I can recommend it when you are looking for a delicate chocolate taste. When you need the big kick of the dark chocolates, go for a truffle cheesecake, or The Cheesecake Factory's Godiva cheesecake.

Reviewed: The Cheesecake Factory White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake
Personality: A delicate queen of taste
How to enjoy: Enjoy in small doses, and focus on the flavor so you don't miss the beautiful white chocolate
Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
At The Cheesecake Factory, including mail order.

Goobers Milk Chocolate Peanuts

Ya gotta love America. Even when certain characteristics of a product are not, shall we say, optimum, there are often other characteristics that fit a market niche.
Take Nestle's Goobers, for example. Compared to Ritter Sport Golden Peanut or Lambertz Peanut Mountains, Goobers fall short in the taste category. The chocolate is too sweet, it has that harsh flavor of a not-very-good chocolate, and the peanuts are quite small, with even tiny broken bits being covered in chocolate.
But Goobers hits its niche well. They must have some sort of agreement with movie theaters to carry them at outrageous prices, so they sell well there, and they are very handy to toss into your mouth while watching a mega film epic like "Becoming Jane."
For active chocolate connoisseur-ing experience, buy the other guys. If you're in an American movie theater, and chocolate peanuts are calling you, enjoy some Goobers.

Reviewed: Goobers
Personality: stale popcorn
How to enjoy: enjoy them when you can't find anything better

Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
USA: Movie theaters in USA
Germany or anyplace else: Don't bother - not even worth the hunt

Ritter Sport Dunkle Vollmilch 40%

This is a tricky little guy. I popped a square into my mouth, expecting the smooth milk chocolate of Ritter Sport, but got a nice little kick. There are definite chocolate undertones to this bar, and I like it a lot.

In Germany, land of many delicious chocolates, there's a shortage of good chocolate chips. I've been known to import them from the US (shh! don't tell anyone) but when I'm in a pinch I'll chop up a good bar of chocolate. Until today, I preferred to use Milka dark. Now I'll use this, and hope that it stays around after this, its premier year.

Reviewed: Ritter Sport Dunkle Vollmilch 40%

Personality: Deceptive - looks like milk chocolate, tastes like dark

Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Magnum Ecuador Dark 62%

The first thing I did on my vacation was the dishes, after which I realized that my priorities were pretty screwed up. Who does dishes on vacation? Especially the first moments. I should be drinking champagne, like my favorite Kir Royal cocktail, a dab of cassis liqueur topped off with a nice champagne.

But I didn't. Instead I worked late and did the dishes. After that I committed to creating maximum happiness during the next 3 weeks. And I started with the principle of "food is love."

Magnum Ecuador Dark is definitely worth loving.

Fabulous vanilla ice cream dipped in the best chocolate coating I've tasted on an ice cream bar. It outshines Dove Bars or regular Magnums.

Reviewed: Magnum Ecuador Dark 62% Ice Cream bar
Personality: Hot and steamy
How to enjoy: enjoy on a hot summer's day, or on a vacation day BEFORE you do the dishes

Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Almonds

Ghirardelli makes good, solid chocolate. This bar is no exception, with a smooth sweet milk chocolate and nicely crunchy almonds.
There were easily 2 dozen almonds and large almond pieces, mostly whole almonds. Nice, even distribution.

Nice.
Even.
Good.
ZZZZZzzzzzzz.

Snark! Snurk! Oh! I'm still awake. Did I mention that Ghirardelli is owned by Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli?

Reviewed: Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate with Almonds
Personality: Safety school. You still get the education, but the partys aren't as good
How to enjoy: Good comforting food

Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Germany http://www.bestcoffee.de/newsletter.php
USA: most larger grocery stores, also online http://www.ghirardelli.com/
UK: http://www.cybercandy.co.uk/aaasmt/ (occasionally stock Ghirardelli)

Happy Peanuts

Happy chickens. Free range chickens, raised on a farm, roaming around, supposedly as happy as can be. Until they die, of course. This has always been an ironic image to me. Now there are happy peanuts.

Happy peanuts? What the Heck?

Sure enough, happy peanuts are made by Clickos. Apparently Clickos also makes multi-colored
Clickos, but these were completely brown. Remember brown M&Ms? I always wondered why the outside of brown M&Ms didn't taste like chocolate. Somehow I never managed to wonder why the red ones didn't taste like cherry, or the yellow ones like lemon.

Good bargain at PLUS supermarkets, compared to M&Ms. Good chocolate, nicely crunchy, fresh peanuts.

Reviewed: Clickos Happy Peanuts
Personality: Brown M&Ms
How to enjoy: perfect movie food

Rating:
1: Better than sex
2: Little bites of heaven
3: Share with your best friend
4: Will do in a pinch
5: Halloween candy

Where to buy:
Germany: PLUS supermarkets