Today's Review: Starbucks Fudge Hot Chocolate

I've been somewhat disappointed with the Christmas drink offerings this year, but I always like to hold out hope. So to Starbucks I went, tempted with the idea of their fudge hot chocolate. Because why not? It's a fudge flavoured hot chocolate, didn't seem there was anything too extravagant that could go wrong. Turns out this isn't just a fudge hot chocolate, it's also topped with fudge flavoured cream, as well as the golden chocolate curls.

The cream is great, a lovely instant hit of fudge flavour, and the golden curls add a little crunch and a nice hint of chocolate. Underneath the flavours aren't quite as intense, but there's a distinct fudge taste that runs throughout a pretty great, creamy hot chocolate. I'm glad it wasn't the other way, with a fudge overload, but it would have been nice for the main drink to have a bit more flavour. Still, this is a simple but effective twist on the hot chocolate, and definitely my favourite festive drink of the year so far. Check it out.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Haribo Pick 'N' Mix Machine

At the base of the stairs it called me. The sound of children's laughter, followed by that classic theme. "Kids and grown ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo." Yes! I'm a grown up, and I love it so! This monstrosity of a vending machine drew me in from the start, and I was sold when I saw what was on offer. It's a pick 'n' mix machine, whereby you pay £3, choose up to five sweets from the selection, and watch as tiny conveyor belts fill up the cup before your eyes. £3 was a little steep for a pick 'n' mix cup, but look at that selection! Terrific Turtles! Crocodiles! You can't get bags of them easily around here. Also, there were some rhubarb & custard flavoured pencil things that looked utterly amazing, so I tapped my phone and watched this thing go to work. Did I mention that it takes Apple Pay? This is truly the machine of the future.

At least it would be if it worked. You know those rhubarb & custard sweets I was aching for? Turns out that specific conveyor belt didn't work, so I only got the other four selection in my cup. Of course, I only knew this after I'd paid. My friend also got a cup, which was utterly devoid of jelly cherries due to a blockage, and his cup was only three quarters full at the end. It seems like this thing requires a lot of maintenance, the concept is good, but maybe it's just a bit too ridiculous to function. 

Oh, and also the sweets are stale. It turns out leaving unwrapped Haribo sitting on conveyor belts in a not entirely airtight vending machine means they're not the freshest when they're eventually chosen to fall into a cardboard cup. I mean, I ate them, but they were very dry and firm. This is a flashy vending machine with a lot of flaws, designed to reel in kids and suckers. I was one of those suckers, but let this be a warning to the rest of you. Don't get drawn in by the happy music, just go and buy a bag of Starmix instead.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Asda Coconut & Vanilla Popcorn

Just when I thought the fancy popcorn fad was coming to an end, Asda have brought out this delightfully sweet sounding flavour. I'm not sure I've had coconut popcorn before, especially as I only just recently started to like coconut, so I was pretty excited about how this would turn out. Even if the coconut didn't work out, I'd be able to rely on the vanilla, right?

This stuff is fairly coconutty. It's a nice, sweet, bold flavour, that is a pretty good fit with the popcorn. The flavouring, however, has a bit of an odd texture, lending a sort of chalkiness to the kernels that hangs around after eating. It detracts from the coconut flavour a bit, but thankfully there's a nice undertone of vanilla that provides a mellow sweetness, and in the end it works out pretty well. The texture didn't ruin this as much as I thought it would, and underneath there are some good quality kernels with a satisfying crunch. A unique popcorn flavour that can be picked up for a pretty reasonable price.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Pop Tarts Brown Sugar Cinnamon

It's nice to find American Pop Tarts during random supermarket visits, I picked these up in a Co-Op I stopped off in to get some milk. To be fair, they sound and look pretty brown and unappealing, but my new found love for cinnamon drew me to these. 

These are actually pretty damn good. They're pretty uniformly brown in colour, so they're not exactly the best looking, but the insides boast a sticky, slightly gritty sweet filling that has a darkly sweet taste. Like molasses, with a hint of cinnamon heat. It's not quite as decadent as the other colourful Pop Tarts varieties out there, but they're pretty tasty, with just the right amount of cinnamon. I'll be picking these up again (if I see them around.)

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Nix And Kix Mango & Ginger

I picked it up when I read "mango", I stuck it in my basket when I saw "cayenne". Yes, this is a juice drink with cayenne chilli pepper mixed in, that was weird enough for me to want to crack this open straight away. The is one of a range of Nix And Kix drinks. The "nix" refers to no refined sugar or artificial nastiness, while the "kix" is obviously the chilli. But does this weird combination work?

I was worried the spice would be a bit much here, but the predominant flavour is the mango, a natural tasting, fruity juice that's very refreshing. The ginger is at a nice level, providing a bit of warmth that helps to bring out the sweetness of the fruit juice. As for the cayenne, it mostly hangs around in the after taste, which isn't a bad thing at all. The sweetness comes in at first, followed by a nice sharp kick that provides a decent amount of heat at the back of the throat. It is maybe a little too much what with the ginger adding some spice as well, but on the whole this is a refreshing juice drink with an interesting kick. I'll be sure to grab the other flavours when I see them, this is a very nice bottle.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: KFC Celebrations Krushem

What's Christmas without a box of Celebrations? Awful, that's what. But think about those who have trouble chewing, what are they to do? Well, KFC has the answer, by introducing a new Krushem that has not one chocolate mixed into it, but five. It's like a box of Celebrations chucked into a milkshake. Featuring Galaxy, Galaxy Caramel, Maltesers, Mars and Twix, this is one I couldn't wait to get my hands on.

I'll start by saying that this is a bit of a mess. That doesn't make it bad, sometimes a bit of mess is a good thing. There's a lot going on in here, so many elements at work together that it's somewhat hard to differentiate. I mean, I don't shove one of each Celebration in my mouth at a time, and from tasting this Krushem I can see why. The shake itself is nice and chocolatey, with a hint of caramel, while the chunks are plentiful and varied. I never thought I'd say this, but I think there are too many pieces, I had to pause between every mouthful to chomp down on some fairly firm bits of chocolate, biscuit and whatever else came up through the straw. So yes, this isn't bad by any means, but it is very busy, and all the flavours that would be great on their own just kind of mix into one. So while it's a great idea on paper, the execution isn't fantastic. A good festive offering to try out while it's around though.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Cadbury 5 Star

It's a little odd that despite Britain being the home of Cadbury, there are bars that turn up in other countries that I've never seen before. This was particularly evident in the Australian bars I used to see lining the shelves at Cyber Candy, but this 5 Star I found in the local pound shop is a particularly odd one, as they're made in Ireland to be sold in Egypt. It's a combination of Cadbury chocolate, caramel, biscuit and a smooth chocolate centre.

In essence, this is a lot like a Boost bar, which would explain why it's not sold alongside them here. Perhaps the gold wrapper and star rating system sells better over in Egypt. But yes, this tastes a lot like a Boost, but, dare I say, nicer? The focus with the Boost is on that glucose element, and I guess that subconsciously rubs off on me, as I can pick up that glucose throughout. It's a little noticeable here, but the smooth chocolate innards win out in the end, making this a creamier, tastier version of the Boost. The caramel, biscuit, and both elements of chocolate have a great balance, and make a very tasty bar overall. Hopefully I can make it back to the shop and pick up a few more before they go out of stock, it's pretty great.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Doritos Bits Sweet Paprika

I reviewed the Honey BBQ Doritos Bits the other day, but I also picked up this flavour at the same time. So here's a quick review of the Sweet Paprika, which are like tiny little spicy Hula Hoops. Well, I say spicy, but they're not particularly. Of course, paprika isn't exactly the hottest of things, but I was expecting a little more heat than I got. There's a nice smokiness there though, and there's a nice sweet hint to it, but compared to the Honey BBQ they fall a bit flat. So a little bit of sweet smoky spice, and a decent enough snack for on the go, but these aren't anything special.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: R Whites Pear & Elderflower Lemonade

Pear lemonade. Pearonade? Nah, that doesn't roll off the tongue. But still, this is a thing. I picked it up in my newest local pound shop, the name of which escapes me right now, but I'm pretty sure it started with "Pound". This was less than a pound, before you go thinking it's some premium priced can of lemonade, but it's made by one of the most well renowned lemonade manufacturers, so I had faith that they were on to a good thing by introducing some pear into their lemonade.

This is lemonade that also tastes like pears, so I guess it does what it set out to do. I wouldn't say it's amazing, but it's a nice enough effort for a different kind of lemonade. The lemon itself is still at the core, so the pear flavour doesn't exactly win out, especially with the elderflower hanging around as well. The fruitiness isn't lost too much, but I would say that the pear and elderflower aren't exactly as strong as I'd hoped, this is pretty much a can of lemonade with a little bit of flavouring thrown in. I was a little disappointed, but this isn't a bad drink. Worth the much less than £1 I paid for it.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Tesco Cranberry, Sage & Onion Bread

Not content with peddling festive muffins and cookies, Tesco have now brought out a Christmas themed fresh baked loaf. It appears to be inspired by the good old Christmas roast turkey and its accompaniments, except with bread instead of turkey. So here we have a loaf containing cranberries, alongside sage & onion, like the stuffing. A bit of an odd flavour combination, I thought, but it definitely piqued my interest.

I ate some of this with my dinner a few hours back, and I've been thinking about this ever since, enough so that I've just scarfed down another few slices at 10pm. A risky game for sure, but it's a testament to how tasty this loaf is. The bread itself is a good quality wholemeal affair, a good crust on the outside, giving way to an inside that's slightly dense but soft. The cranberries embedded throughout are lovely and fruity, and I managed to get a taste in every mouthful. The sage and onion are more evenly spread throughout, and while the sage is a little overpowering, it works pretty well with the cranberries to give a nice overall flavour. I was happy that the onions weren't as strong, they're ever present but mild, a good level that doesn't overtake everything else. This is a very decent loaf of bread, it gave me a festive feeling and it's definitely in keeping with the season. Well worth picking up while it's available in the Tesco bakery.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Doritos Bits Honey BBQ

Doritos Bits, bits of Doritos. I found these little shot style packets of crisps in B&M, but they're not your regular tortilla chips. These are instead small, twisted crisps, but with a flavour quite befitting the Doritos range, honey BBQ. I must say, it's a pretty good representation of both. There's a sweet undertone of honey, with a nice layer of smokiness on top. It's a unique taste that was odd at first, but grew on me as I made my way through. 

They're also not particularly Dorito-like, they're small and thick, more like crisps than chips, so the flavouring isn't quite as generously spread, but they're small enough for it not to be noticeable. This is a nice presentation of a unique little snack, and an interesting flavour that's well worth trying out if you can pick them up.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Jolly Rancher Sour Bites

Jolly Rancher candy comes in all shapes and forms these days, but I don't think I've found one that beats the original sweets yet. This bag is no exception. They swap the classic boiled sweet for a chewier one, and there's a sour element thrown in too. They sounded good enough on paper (or plastic), and they're actually better than a lot of the Jolly Rancher stuff I've tried out. 

They come in apple, watermelon, cherry and orange flavours, and I must say they're pretty close to the flavours of the regular sweets. The watermelon especially is bold and fruity, and all the others also pull off a faithful fruity adaptation. Of course, they don't taste like their real life fruit counterparts, more like those artificial sweet fruit flavours. In the end though, these are pretty average. They're not particularly sour, and they don't taste quite bold enough to leave a lasting impression. Not the best Jolly Rancher candy, but certainly not the worst.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Pret A Manger Festive Flat White

Thanks to Jenny on Twitter, who informed me of the existence of this festive drink available at Pret. As a small aside, since I haven't quite bothered to look it up yet, how is the "Pret" in "Pret A Manger" pronounced? Is it like "Prett", or more French-like, like "Prey"? I tend to switch between the two on the fly, but I'd love to hear your input. Anyways, here we have the Festive Flat White, which is somewhat cryptic, but it's actually a Flat White with a mince pie flavoured syrup. Quite a unique twist in these days of salted caramel and chocolate orange, so I was keen to hunt this down and try it out.

This is a pretty decent Flat White, it's creamy and smooth, with a decent coffee kick. The mince pie syrup is pretty okay too, providing some sweet fruity notes, with a hint of spice, it's actually a pretty great combination that provides flavour and warmth that brings that festive feeling. Definitely more of a Christmas themed drink than some others out there. There is a problem, however, in that this drink is tiny. I got a hot chocolate at the same time as ordering this, and it's no exaggeration that the Flat White was half the size. What is this, a coffee for ants? This may be a pretty nice drink, but I'm going to have to knock down my rating, it's just not great value for money. Try it out if you want to experience something festively different, but I won't be shelling out for one again.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Harvester Chicken & Waffles

What do you want for lunch? If your answer is chicken and waffles, Harvester has you covered. Yes, this all American dish is nestled among the more standard offerings of the lunch menu, but of course I was drawn to it straight away. It's a decadent combination of sweet and savoury that I couldn't pass up, waffles with maple flavour syrup, topped with bacon and buttermilk fried chicken strips. 

Now, I've had bacon and pancakes before, and I've also had piri piri chicken on a waffle, but this is an unholy combination of meat and sweet that I hadn't quite experienced. Despite what you may think upon hearing about this, it's not bad at all. The chicken and bacon were cooked well, a nice light crispy coating on the chicken, although the bacon was a little underdone, compared to the way the Americans eat it anyway. A decent sized portion of good meat though.

What's underneath, however, is not so perfect. The waffle has a nice sweetness to it, but is pretty dry, with the flavour falling flat at times. Thankfully the meat is there to help along with the flavour, and the syrup to help with the texture. It's a maple style syrup, definitely not the real thing, ans therefore a little too sweet at times. Still, it saves the waffle from being a total disaster, and it works well alongside the meat as well. This didn't exactly blow me away, but it's a decent enough attempt at something different. It doesn't quite capture that whole American experience, but it's worth a try. Jst don't expect the best.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Soggy Cereal

I love cereal. Whoever says they don't like cereal just hasn't met the right cereal, I'm sure. It's a ubiquitous presence on the breakfast table, alongside the milk that goes with it. Some people may eat cereal without milk, but then, can they even be considered human?

It's a delicate balance, you see, because dry cereal is pretty awful, but soggy cereal is even worse. I genuinely go into a milk state of anxiety if I pour milk on my cereal and then have to attend to something else, the fear of returning to soft, sloppy cereal is too much to bear. It's like overcooking a steak or having burnt toast, it ruins the meal, and since it's breakfast time that sets up the mood for the whole day. I've learned to clear all distractions, to not pour the milk until I am sure I can instantly eat through the bowl. I even regulate the amount of milk that gets onto the cereal while eating by angling the bowl as I make my way through. In this way, all cereals can retain their crunchiness, be they Weetos, Coco Pops, Golden Nuggets or Krave. Because all cereal deserves to be wet, but none of them deserve to be soggy.

Apart from Weetabix, that stuff's delicious all mushed up.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Air Heads Xtremes Sweetly Sour

Air Heads are readily available in the UK now, but they come in more varieties than just the chewy dragees. These were sitting in the world food aisle at Sainsbury's, some sour belts with a "bluest raspberry" flavour, because just blue raspberry isn't enough apparently. Now, when something says "Xtreme" in big bold letters, I'm often left questioning its sourness by the end, and this is no exception. These things are not particularly sour, nor are they particularly blue raspberry. They're sweet, so that's one thing, but otherwise they're pretty bland flavour wise, and the sour element is fleeting at best. Disappointing, I think I'll stick with the regular chews from now on.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Panda Natural Raspberry Liquorice

I found this neat looking bag of liquorice at Sainsbury's. They're raspberry flavour, which I hadn't tried before, and they're vegan and low in fat, with natural flavours and colours. Now, I'm all for some healthier sweets, but I'll admit that those using less than natural ingredients tend to taste better. Still, I was willing to give these a try, because the raspberry sounded pretty good.

At first bite, I wasn't impressed at all with these, they were soft, flavourless soft chews, a little grainy in texture. Thankfully, the more I chewed through them, the more the raspberry flavour came out, and it's actually pretty good. It continues to build, and is very present in the after taste, although it doesn't quite make up for the pretty tasteless start, and the blandness and strange texture are still present in some form even when the fruit comes through. A good option for the vegans out there, but these aren't as great as I hoped.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Double Decker Spread

Not content with turning all their chocolate bars into sharing bags, Cadbury now want to blend them up so you can spread them on whatever you fancy. We've had Caramel and Crunchie spreads, now it's time for some Double Decker on your toast. Or bagel, or flapjack, or, you know, anything. As you can see, the contents are split down the middle. On one side there's a chocolate spread embedded with cereal pieces, and on the other is a nougat flavoured spread. Double spread, Double Decker.

It's important to get the balance of chocolate and nougat right when you're spreading, so you get the full effect of all the flavours. With both sides represented, this does taste quite a bit like your regular Double Decker, in spread form. The chocolate side is pretty much the standard Cadbury spread, which ain't no Dairy Milk, but it's still pretty good. There's a large number of cereal pieces scattered throughout, which gives a satisfying crunch, and the nougat side provides another layer of sweet creaminess. It's not as authentic as the proper chewy stuff, but spread on toast, this stuff is pretty great. If Cadbury keep up with their spreads like this, I'll be very happy.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tuc Sweet Chilli

Tuc biscuits are fantastic, we all know that, right? I've tried a few variations on the classic original over the years, mostly from supermarkets throughout Europe, but today I saw this sweet chilli variety in Asda. If you know me, you know I'm a spice fiend, so it's great to see chillies make its way into another food for my tasting pleasure. So, spicy Tuc, does it work?

Yes, yes it does. These are some damn good biscuits. They're the same lovely buttery Tuc at their core, but pretty soon after the first bite the heat begins. The original flavour is noticeable throughout, but the chilli is decent and fairly strong, just not overwhelmingly so. Definitely more of a sweet chilli than any other, it's a great twist on the classic biscuit, and one you should seek out if you're a spice fan. I can't fault them.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Walkers Sensations Spice Keralan Curry

We don't get new Sensations flavours all the often, so it was nice to see a new one when I was walking around Tesco yesterday, this one is a spiced Keralan curry, with a nice mixture of coconut and chilli, incorporated with "curry flavour." Now, I can't say I've specifically tried a Keralan curry before, but the internet assures me it's a masala blend, and I have to say, these taste pretty good. There's a nice creamy curry flavour at the base, a lingering heat that isn't particularly strong, but does do the job of building up heat over time. The coconut is a nice addition, thankfully not too overwhelming, but I'd say it's the most predominant flavour in the pack. Still, everything works together very nicely, and this is pretty much a nice, creamy, coconut curry in crisp form. I'll be sure to pick some more of these up, hopefully they'll hang around.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tesco Millionaire Filled Muffins

While yesterday I tackled the festive fresh baked goods of Tesco, now I've grabbed something from the pre-packaged aisle. Here we have Millionaire Filled Muffins, and unfortunately they're not muffins filled with millionaires, but they are filled with a salted caramel sauce. On top there's a chocolate muffin with chocolate chunks, and it's all crowned with some crumble.

These are some very chocolatey muffins, and they're not bad either. They're a little dry, but the chunks go some way to alleviating that, as well as the sauce in the middle. Unfortunately, it seems to be all caramel and no salt, a lot of people promise salted caramel these days and fail to deliver the goods. Still, a chocolate caramel combination is no bad thing, and these are pretty nice. Also disappointing is the crumble on top, I suppose it's meant to represent the shortbread in the millionaire's, but it doesn't add much to the overall flavour, and is swamped by the chocolate. So a pretty average muffin, I'm sure they could have done a bit better with these, but they'll do for a chocolate fix.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Tesco Chocolate Orange Muffins

Festive baked goods are starting to line the shelves, which is never a bad thing. Tesco have their mince pie cookies that have been on offer in previous years, but they also have these chocolate orange muffins, which consists of a lovely looking marbled chocolate and orange muffin, within which lies a mandarin filling, and some chocolate chips for good measure.

That's a good cross-section right there, like the inside of a volcano running deep into a planet made of cake. This is actually a pretty good muffin. It's definitely chocolatey, it's definitely orangey, and the two work together pretty well. The mandarin filling sort of steals the show, it's very bold and sweet with a nice tartness to it, though it is a bit overwhelming, especially in collaboration with the orange sponge. The chocolate muffin and chips go some way to balancing the flavour out, but it doesn't quite reach the right level. A very decent festive offering though, it's a nice soft muffin, and the filling adds a nice moistness that rounds everything off nicely. Definitely a pack of muffins to pick up before the season is over.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Bundaberg Root Beer

I've had my eye on this root beer for a while, it's been available in four packs in Tesco for ages, but never decreased from its £4.50 price point. Thankfully, they've started stocking single bottles now, which, while they're just under £2 each, was a more reasonable price to give this stuff a taste. This one's Australian, while most of the ones I've tried are American, I believe.

I believe the others are American because they're a lot more flavoursome, those artificial flavours and colours make a difference I suppose. Yes, this tastes like root beer, but it's quite subdued. It's more natural tasting, sure, and is something of a cleaner overall beverage, but it's lacking in the hit of flavour I'm used to with root beer. This stuff isn't bad by any means, it's refreshing, and that distinct TCP-like root beer taste is undeniable. But I'm not sure I'd choose this over the other brands I've tried. I'm in it for the bold taste, and this doesn't quite deliver.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Costa Billionaire's Latte

The Christmas drinks have arrived, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this new latte from Costa, based on the oh so wonderful Billionaire's Shortbread. This is one you'll want to stir up, as it features layers of chocolate and caramel sauce, on top of which is a "mocha blend", topped with cream and shortbread pieces.

The sauces are laid on pretty thick at the bottom but after I mixed it up it looked pretty well incorporated. The flavours are present in the drink, the caramel at the forefront, and the chocolate just sort of... there. In all honesty, it just tastes pretty much like a caramel latte, just with a bit of chocolate chucked in. I don't see how the coffee is much of a mocha blend, there's not nearly as much chocolate as I figured there would be. I mean, that's not a bad thing, the chocolate layer in a Billionaire's Shortbread isn't meant to be overwhelming. But the shortbread here is very unrepresented. Just a smattering of crumbs on top of the cream, they don't even make their way into the coffee, and I doubt mixing them in would do much for the flavour. This really needs some kind of shortbread incorporated into the drink for the full experience, but as it is it's just a pretty okay chocolatey caramel latte. Not the best Christmas effort.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: M&S Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter & Caramel Chunkies

Apologies for the overexposed picture, I took it in the low low light of the cinema. Now, I'm not one to frequent M&S, but it seems like I should probably start. I mean, just look at these things. They don't even have a fancy name to make them sound great, because they sound great as is. They have peanut butter, they have caramel, they have chocolate, and they're... chunky. A combination that cannot fail, surely?

These are certainly chunky, and they're also chocolatey, with caramel and peanut butter. So you know, they do exactly as they say on the packet. These are damn good, all the elements work together wonderfully and are distinctly noticeable. There's a generous peanut butter centre, with a smooth, silky caramel layered on top. The chocolate provides a nice thick coating, wrapping up an extremely decadent bite. There's a lot going on, and while they do get quite sickly, they're not as over the top as they seem. A great combination of sweet treats that you should definitely try out.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Galaxy Mocha Latte

Why have a hot chocolate when you can have a mocha? It's pretty much the same but with that extra caffeine kick. It seems Mars have picked up on this, as you can now grab a tin of instant Galaxy mocha latte, containing "chocolate pieces and coffee". Just pop a few teaspoons into a cup of hot milk, stir it up and you're good to go. But at what cost? Is this stuff as amazing as it looks?

Well, first of all, I couldn't get that little frothy top on show up there, but I'll attribute that to the fact that I don't own one of those fancy milk whisks, and had to rely on a humble teaspoon. But, given a hot enough milk and a decent stirring speed, I at least got the stuff reasonably mixed in. I must say, it's not bad. It's a nice, creamy hot chocolate, likely helped along by the milk. But it's sweet, and while the coffee is noticeable, the bitterness isn't too apparent. I don't know how much that speaks for the effectiveness of the coffee itself, but I can't say I got much of a buzz from drinking this. Still, it's a little refreshing, the mix of caffeine and sugar must do something. I wouldn't say it's the ultimate mocha, but it's a pretty good effort from an instant powder.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Virgil's Black Cherry Cream Soda

It's not a particularly regular occurrence, but when Tesco switch up their American food section it's nice to see something new and unique on offer. Here we have a bottle of black cherry cream soda, very sophisticated compared to the cheap cans you normally pick up at corner shops. I was pretty excited to try out a more upmarket cream soda, the flavouring was just a cherry on top, so to speak.

I was hoping this wouldn't be too much to handle in one go, but I must say this stuff is pretty good. The cream soda at the heart of it all is lovely and sweet, and more refreshing than any I've tried before. It would perhaps be a little too sweet, but thankfully the cherry is there to add an element of tartness that balances it all out. It's not the most natural cherry flavour, but it's in keeping with the sweet nature of the soda. This is a pretty great and unique concoction, and I'm hoping to pick some more up while I can still find it. There's also a root beer on offer, so I'll be getting some of that too. Check this stuff out.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Chocolate Peanut Butter Twinkies

For the immense status that Twinkies have garnered for themselves, I always find myself disappointed when I try them. The cake is so-so, the cream is generally underwhelming. I thought it might change when I spied this different concoction containing chocolate sponge and a peanut butter filling. After all, peanut butter makes everything better, and the box assured me these contained the real stuff. So can putting peanut butter in my chocolate make Twinkies a new favourite?

The short answer is no. These aren't great. The chocolate sponge is marginally better than the regular stuff I suppose, but it's still fairly dry, and not all that flavoursome. Some chocolate taste to be experienced, but not a great one. As for the filling, it may contain real peanut butter, but it's not clear exactly how much peanut butter is there, and I'm gonna say it's not a lot. The cream has a pretty faint peanut flavour, but is mostly just an overly sweet cream that doesn't add much to the proceedings. These had so much potential, but every part of it is just underwhelming. Edible, sure, but not worth paying import prices for.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Frijj Irish Coffee Milkshake

It's time for another limited edition Frijj, and this one promises the sweet sweet taste of Irish coffee. So basically like Baileys but without saying Baileys, I guess. It seems a good fit, a creamy liqueur in the form of a creamy milkshake, and it's actually pulled off pretty well. It has that classic thick Frijj texture, couple with a great creamy flavour with hints of coffee. Not so much the alcohol side unfortunately, but it's a nice creamy, tasty shake, and it definitely make me think of Baileys as I was drinking. So while it's not perfect, it's a good, unique choice for a shake flavour that's pulled off well. A lot better than their white chocolate & pistachio anyway.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: American Diner Inspired Müller Corner

Ah, the classic Müller Corner, what a realm of possibilities you can choose from just by sticking a corner bit on your yoghurt pot. This time we have some American diner inspired goodies to mix in, in the form of cookie pieces and brownie pieces. Sounded pretty good to me, those are some pretty solid desserts.

Let's start with the cookie pieces. They're very small and cute, and they also come in chocolate and vanilla versions. They're pretty good, a nice crunchy cookie with almost a shortbread-like texture, and the flavours come through quite nicely. Not the best quality cookies I've had, they can be a bit grainy, but they work for the most part. The brownie pieces are pretty good too, a little on the crunchy side, but there's a bit of chewiness in there, and the chocolate flavouring does a pretty good job. 

However, it's all let down a little by the yoghurt. It's just vanilla flavoured, in both cases. I get that they probably wanted to keep the yoghurt neutral so they could showcase the pieces in the corner, but I feel they could have done something in keeping with the American diner theme. Not that I have any bright ideas myself, but it seems like there could be something so much more than vanilla in these. Perhaps I'm hoping for too much, but I know Müller can pull out some fairly decent flavoured yoghurts, so I was just optimistic. These are still worth a try though, some good biscuit and brownie pieces swirled into yoghurt, even if the latter is somewhat bland.

My rating: 3/5