There’s the coy but dramatic term “addicted” and then there is the clinical, serious term “addicted.”Depending on the speaker, they are often one in the same.
If I were to seriously examine my relationship to chocolate, they would be in one in the same. It seems to be an addiction when it’s employed as a coping mechanism rather than a now-and-again indulgence, just for the sensory experience (the tastes and smells). There was the time I abstained from consuming chocolate for an entire year. Such a phenomenon has not occurred since, but it did happen.
After all the pounds of chocolate I’ve consumed (remember New Year’s Eve a while back when I sat and ate a pound of Harry and David Truffles without realizing it? Yeah, that happened) I have developed more discriminating taste towards this cocoa confection.
Hershey’s is fine and all, but there are some bars of chocolate out there that take the flavor to another level: infusing flavors, varying the notes in the cocoa, adding creative fillings. It’s not just a bar anymore. It’s an experience.
Hence the Chocolate Review. I love this creation enough to spend this much time writing about it.
Let’s start with the discovery of Dylan’s Candy Bar. They’re a big deal, apparently, back east of course. I stumbled on this line of chocolate bars on a recent venture down to Southern California. I found the shop in Los Angeles near The Grove. It was a bright spot in that shopping complex.
At first I was certain there was little chocolate there. it was all lollis and sour candies. Then I found the display of bars, wrapped in varying pastel colors: cake-flavored, traditional bars with nuts, even a bacon-flavored option. I grabbed five (don’t judge): Red Velvet, S’mores, Bacon, Brownie Batter, Malted Milk Chocolate.
Here it goes: the review…
I like what Dylan’s Candy Bar has going. The chocolate had the right consistency. It broke off and crumbled in good measure.
Good chocolate will do that: snap off with minimal effort. It will feel solid until you let your mouth melt it. This chocolate had those characteristics. The flavors were quite whimsical…
Red Velvet: it was bold and tasted much like red velvet cake batter. It wasn’t at all muddled, which was nice.
S’more: each component was present. The graham cracker was a little quite though, but I’m not complaining since that is usually my least favorite part of the s’more. It is there for texture and that part of the experience wasn’t in this bar. I was happy that the marshmallow was in good showing!
Malted Milk Chocolate: this was the least obtrusive flavor of the bunch. The malt was hinted at. It was like eating a milk chocolate bar, but with only a slight variation on the flavor. This is a good bar for those who do not want to wander too far from the plain.
Bacon: I’m not a fan. I unwrapped this bar and was assaulted by the aroma. The scent of chocolate was present, but only in a minor way. It could not compete with the smokey scent. Right away I was disconnected. I normally enjoy bacon in my sweets. Maple-bacon cupcakes: yes please! Donuts? Sure! But this bacon bar was a miss. I’m not sure if that’s true of all Bacon-flavored chocolate. I’m going to have to do some comparison research and get back to you on that.
Writeous Ink 