Well, winter, September – who cares? It's chocolate. Let's focus on that.
I find the wrapping very appealing – maybe it's the colours, the combination of brown and white with a bit of green and gold that makes it look stylish to me. The inner wrapping is a silvery one with a fine shimmer – spot-on for something marketed as “winter edition.”
The chocolate is shaped in the traditional Fazer manner, no surprises there. That's a good thing; it would be a disappointment were this classic to change. The chocolate is dark with a 47 cocoa percentage. That's a little on the low side for dark chocolate, but it isn't bitter and might be a good place to start if you're not used to darker chocolates.
The chocolate itself is familiar to anyone who has tasted Fazer's darker chocolates. Not immediately impressive, but makes a good, solid base that doesn't overwhelm the taste of various additives. And what are the additives here? The wrapping lists “apple, caramel and hazelnut”. I was afraid this might be a little too much, and, indeed, when you first bite into the chocolate, it's impossible to say what's in it. Which means you just have to sample some more. (This is serious, people, we're doing important research! I may not be an expert in tasting chocolate, but no one can accuse me of not being thorough!) The hazelnut pieces are small and, unsurprisingly, have a nutty flavor. The caramel morsels are very small, crispy and tasty. I only wish there'd been more! I'd say the apple is the most interesting one of these ingredients, though. I was expecting the sort of overly sweet unidentifiable flavour and sticky, won't-ever-let-go-of-your-teeth consistency of candied fruit that I've usually encountered in chocolate, but was pleasantly surprised. The apple pieces are rather moist and provide a lovely sweet-yet-tart flavour.
So far, the pear and almond chocolate has been my favourite of Fazer's darker versions, but this has now become its rival. The flavours didn't exactly make me think of winter, they're something I'd associate with autumn. Perhaps that's a good thing, seeing that it isn't winter yet... (To be honest, I was so shocked to find “winter” chocolate in early September that last night I dreamed it snowed on September 2nd... yes, that's how exciting my dreams are these days.)
Wow! I really have to order that from Finland!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea! :)
DeleteIt's funny - I posted this review in Facebook also, and immediately people from various corners of the world are telling me they want this chocolate now! :D Maybe Fazer ought to consider exporting it. ;)