Sadly, I do not have the actual packaging to these candies. I assure you the box is quite pretty, and these candies were part of a gift pack that included Christmas Blend Coffee. They were given to me by a friend who thought I would like the candy. I would have used a stock image had I been able to find one. But anyway...
The candies are the size of your average malted milk ball. The outer layer of chocolate is milk chocolate, and...well, it's OK. Reasonably smooth and cool on the tongue. The biggest downside to the chocolate is that it is on the waxy side. It's not that it's bad -- it's just a necessary evil on the way to getting to the caramel.
Burnt caramel may not sound like the bestest-ever name for a candy (well, it does sound pretty good to me, since you ask). But let me tell you that it is great caramel.
Lurking in the deep core of the bland chocolate orb is a pearl of the burnt caramel. The flavor is so intense that it reminded me of the caramelized sugar layer on top of crème brûlée -- only soft and pliable. The caramel has just the right degree of saltiness. There are faint vanilla notes. I know there is no maple in the caramel, but something reminds me of good maple flavor. And butter! The last notes of flavor are all about salt and butter.
I really hope that Starbucks will do something with this caramel that doesn't involve the chocolate. I found myself sucking the chocolate away from the caramel so that the caramel would be the only flavor. The caramel is truly outstanding, and worth dealing with the chocolate to get to. The chocolate itself...meh. Forgettable.
Hard to rate because part of the candy is so good, and part of it is just sort of there, but:
(Without the chocolate, easily would have been an 11)
PURCHASED FROM:
Gift
I love your scoring charts they just get funnier and funnier :)
ReplyDeleteThe caramrel in these sounds great - it is just a shame about the chocolate. I haven't been in a Starbucks here in the UK for years ... I wonder if they do these on our side of the pond.
Good work
Jim
Jim:
ReplyDeleteI am starting to think that you need to move to this side of the pond! it sounds like you guys are deprived... On the other hand the fact that you have been sparred the chocolate offerings sold in Starbucks stores may be a point in the U.K.'s favor (and that should not be confused with the now discontinued Starbucks Chocolate line by Hershey's that were sold every where BUT Starbucks)
I think I need to do more ratings with hot chicks to balance things out. Suggestions?