Tuesday, July 10, 2007

3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate

3 MusketeersOnce upon a time the 3 Musketeers candy bar made sense. Back when it was first introduced in 1932 it was actually a set of Neopolitan bars. One was a vanilla fluff, one was a chocolate fluff and one was a strawberry fluff. In 1945 all three segments were switched to the chocolate fluff. Then sometime later (I think in the late sixties) it was formed into a single bar as we see it today.

The current 3 Musketeers bar is supposed to taste kind of like a malted milkshake. A chocolate outside and a chocolatey malted milk fluff inside. Though it’s not malty enough for me (and they long ago dropped that marketing aspect), the bar is very popular, especially among dieters who like the heft and satisfaction but lower fat (though it does still contain 260 calories at 2.13 ounces). The package even mentions that it has “45% less fat than the average of the Leading Chocolate Brands.” The commercials lately feature skinny women at the office and movies.

So that brings us up to today where 3 Musketeers is finally extending their line of bars, not by looking back to the glory days of Strawberry but forward to the cluttered field of Mint and Dark Chocolate.

image

The new 3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate is a very attractive set of bars. The package weighs significantly less than its chocolate progenitor at only 1.24 ounces but boasts two Musketeers inside. Dark Chocolate coating with an appealing and clean looking white fluffy filling. (I was afraid it was going to be pink or green or have sparkles.)

3 Musketeers SizesThe little bars are, well, little. They’re less than half the length of a regular 3 Musketeers, not as high and not as wide. (But the dark chocolate coat is probably slimming, too.)

I rather like bars that come in smaller portions inside the pack. I like it in my Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, I like it in my Goldenberg Peanut Chews and I think it was the right move for 3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate.

I’m not a huge consumer of 3 Musketeers, I prefer them in the miniature size but sometimes I’ll eat a frozen one. So with that in mind I bought two packages of the 3 Musketeers Mint and froze one.

The room temperature 3 Musketeers are nice. They have an easy bite and an appealing sort of spongy give like the regular 3 Musketeers. However, my first impression after the nice dark chocolate shell is SALT. Then comes a light hit of peppermint, but really it tastes salty to me.

DSC02369rSo I went and found a York Peppermint Pattie, just to see what the salt content is on that (and figured, what the heck, I’ll take a photo of it and really compare the two candies). The 3M (I just can’t keep typing that long name) has 65 mg of salt (3% of your daily value) ... that’s 52 mg per ounce. The York Peppermint Pattie has 10 mg in a 1.4 ounce pattie ... that’s 7 mg per ounce. So let’s see ... that’s more than 7 times a salty.

Maybe that’s the new fad 3M is starting here. They’re going after the crowd that enjoys artisan sea salt caramels ... it’s the new rage ... salted mints! (Hey, it’s been working for Licorice for a long time!)

Okay, all that aside, I enjoyed the salty difference. It didn’t feel cloying and sticky like some peppermint creams can. There was a bit of a grain to the fluffed center (as there is with the regular 3M bar). But since I had the York PP sitting nearby, I had to have some of that as a side by side comparison. The YPP is smooth and has a very noticeable minty blast, much more noticeable than the 3M.

However, upon taking the 3M out of the freezer, I noticed that the salty flavor wasn’t quite as apparent and the actual cold supported the cooling mint quite well. Freezing it though does make the center a little tacky and chewy, not really a selling point for me.

So, if you like a really strong minted bar, this isn’t for you. It you dig a really subtle hit of mint and perhaps need to recharge with some electrolytes (salt) this may be a pleasant change. Also, because this bar weighs less than the regular 3 Musketeers, it’s only 150 calories but still really quite satisfying. (For reference the slightly heavier York Peppermint Pattie is 160 calories).

Other recent reviews: Patti at Candy Yum Yum and April & Ryan, Archebaldo at Message Whore.

3 Musketeers Mint have egg whites in them so are unsuitable for vegans. They are Kosher though ... may contain Peanuts.

Name: 3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate
    RATING:
  • 10 SUPERB
  • 9 YUMMY
  • 8 TASTY
  • 7 WORTH IT
  • 6 TEMPTING
  • 5 PLEASANT
  • 4 BENIGN
  • 3 UNAPPEALING
  • 2 APPALLING
  • 1 INEDIBLE
Brand: Mars
Place Purchased: 7-11 (Silverlake)
Price: $.89
Size: 1.24 ounces
Calories per ounce: 121
Categories: Chocolate, Mint, United States, Mars, Kosher

POSTED BY Cybele AT 9:33 am Tracker Pixel for Entry    

Comments
  1. Egg whites are not suitable for vegetarians? Do you mean vegans?

    Comment by kfan on 7/10/07 at 10:16 am #
  2. I tried this last week—my one purchase at a Simpsons’ branded “Kwik-E-Mart” since all the Simpsons stuff was sold out—and while I liked it, it mostly just made me really want a York Peppermint Pattie.

    My palate must not be as sensitive as yours, because I noticed something a little off about it, but didn’t realize it was the salt.  Now I see that must have been it.  I’d eat this again, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to find them.

    Comment by Maura on 7/10/07 at 10:58 am #
  3. We got some of these this past weekend (at the Walmart in Torrance - IIRC, they were 48 cents). I love regular Three Musketeers, but wasn’t that thrilled with this (though I didn’t notice the saltiness). Tasty, but not something I’m going to run right out and buy again.

    Comment by Grace on 7/10/07 at 1:49 pm #
  4. I tried one of these last week, but was really disappointed myself. I was actually hoping the center would be green, and I found the filling to be too stiff and almost chalky-tasting.

    What I was hoping for was something similar to the Russell Stover Mint Dream that I used to love when I was a kid in Chicago. I can’t find them anywhere out here in the Northwest, but that was a round-shaped patty with a soft, light-green mint marshallow filling. This mint 3M bar just didn’t cut it for me.

    Comment by Carol on 7/10/07 at 3:06 pm #
  5. I think these are too much like Peppermint Patties to do it for me.  I was hoping for a chocolate-mint center.

    Comment by Alex on 7/11/07 at 4:04 pm #
  6. Man, Portland is really slacking with the new candy procurement.  This is so up my alley - I want one.  Still nowhere to be found.  Well, we did finally get the Elvis Cups just before July 4, so there’s still hope.

    Comment by joanna on 7/13/07 at 7:17 am #
  7. Haven’t seen the Elvis Cups or this yet, but then again I space out the mainstay candy. Good find on the mint 3M. The whole thing sounds awful to me though. Mint, blech, commercial dark chocolate, blech. That Neopolitan combo sounds great. I used to love those Milkshake bars.

    Comment by Jeanna Olson on 7/13/07 at 10:51 am #
  8. So THAT’S where the name comes from! I never did understand the connection…

    Comment by Tricia on 7/14/07 at 5:09 pm #
  9. I’m terribly sorry. I did a search for images and these photos came up.  I did not know they were “your’s”.  They’ve been removed from my site.

    Comment by Beki on 7/17/07 at 9:54 am #
  10. kfan - lacto/ovo vegetarians are good with egg whites… I get confused about what is in and out. I’ll change it to vegan.

    Maura & Grace - I’d definitely opt for this over a regular 3M, but probably not over a York PP.

    Carol - it might have been fun if the center was actually MORE chalky (kind of like those pillow mints).

    Alex - that would have really helped to set it apart from the York PP!

    Joanna - that’s really odd that your stores are so far behind. Is there a trucker strike somewhere along the supply chain or something?

    Jeanna - I think it would have been fun, with this being their 75th year of the 3 Musketeers to bring back the original assortment of flavors (maybe in a bag of miniatures or something).

    Tricia - there are all sorts of weird stories about how candies got their names. I like Chick-O-Sticks personally for their little quirky name.

    Beki - I didn’t say you had to remove them, I just asked that you give credit (I know you work very hard on your blogging, too). I’m sorry that option didn’t work for you.

    Comment by cybele on 7/17/07 at 10:04 am #
  11. I just want to know why these candy bars sold for only 2 weeks in Colorado and not anymore? We want them back…any suggestions?
    Lana

    Comment by Lana Danforth on 7/17/07 at 4:51 pm #
  12. This is so disappointing…. I thought it would be a chocolate/mint nougat filling.  And a bar 58% as big as the original, at the same price?  Feh.

    Comment by cgeye on 9/25/07 at 8:26 am #
  13. Does anyone know where I can purchase the 3 Musketeers Mint with Dark Chocolate candy bars in the Dallas/Ft Worth area?

    Comment by Matt on 9/29/07 at 3:00 pm #
  14. I really like the new mint 3 M.  but I was disappointed how small it is. One is not enough and they are the same price as the regular bar.  I have only seen them at Walmart, too, which doesn’t make them very accessible.  I was not happy to read the huge sodium content since I have to watch my sodium pretty closely.  To Carol about the Russell Stover Mint Clouds.  I find them from time to time and I agree. They are soooooooo yummy.

    Comment by Deb on 10/05/07 at 9:31 am #
  15. i loved the new 3 musketeer mint bar it was sooooooooo delicouis but it needs to be bigger

    Comment by angela garica on 10/09/07 at 7:04 pm #
  16. I love the 3 musketeers they are my favortite candy i love them so much i am doing a whole report on it!!

    Comment by Delaney on 10/16/07 at 4:21 pm #
  17. I was very disappointed with this product.  I did expect to have a chocolate mint nougat (the chocolate nougat being the reason I like 3M’s bars)not something that reminded me of a York Peppermint Pattie. As a consumer, I was insulted by the smaller size, false advertising and still expected to pay the same price that one would pay for a regular 3M’s bar.  This new bar is not a 3M’s bar as far as I am concerned.  I will not purchase this product again.

    Comment by Alison on 10/17/07 at 1:15 pm #
  18. Unlike some here, I found the 3M Mint w Dark Chocolate Bars to be Absolutely Delicious.

    Not overwhelmed with Mint, and not too thick of a layer of Chocolate.

    A Lite and Refreshing Treat that satisfied my mind and my tummy !

    For myself, it is my Hope that this particular Candy Bar will be arouind for a Long time !

    In a way, this reminded me of Russle Stover’s Mint Dream Candy Bars, except that their’s have a very gooey center, and the 3M center is a much better consistency.

    By the way—the inside of this Candy Bar—Is Pale Green   grin

    Comment by MEE on 10/26/07 at 5:03 pm #
  19. I must admit I love these, too. Especially the mini ones. They are a perfect little bite, and there’s a better chocolate to center ratio.

    Comment by Kate C on 10/27/07 at 3:43 pm #
  20. They aren’t anywhere to be found in Northern cali, however the commercials are everywhere.

    Comment by Jacki on 10/30/07 at 11:33 am #
  21. Jacki: I see the bars at most drugstores, like Walgreens, in NoCal. The minis have disappeared for the moment, but I may have seen them at Target… They blend in, so you have to double check.

    Comment by KateC on 10/30/07 at 11:39 am #
  22. Not all Lacto vegetarians are fine with egg-whites. I am one of those. They just fine with dairy products like milk and cheese, but not with eggs and ofcourse gelatin.

    Comment by Prem on 1/08/08 at 12:02 pm #
  23. Cybele's avatar

    Prem - that’s why I said lacto/ovo, not just lacto.

    Comment by Cybele on 1/08/08 at 12:58 pm #
  24. I was not happy with this candy bar. It would have been better to have out mint chocolate over the top of the original 3 Musketters bar.

    Comment by Sugarfix on 4/11/08 at 5:39 pm #
  25. I was pleasantly surprised by my first tasting of this candy bar.  I bought one out of curiousity at a convenience store today, the clerk didn’t even realize they were selling them, even though they had a nice display set up near the register. 

    I really liked it.  I only ate one of the two bars in the package and enjoyed the lightness of it along with the pleasant though not overwhelming tastes of dark chocolate and peppermint nougat.  I think they should do well with this as more people try it.  A York it is not, nor do I think it is trying to be.  It is definitely unique among the other selections of candy.

    Comment by Kawika Kahili on 6/13/08 at 10:54 pm #
  26. Oh my goodness, I love 3M mint!!! but they don’t have them here north of the border, in Canada, so I load up when I go to Washington State. Bring 3M mint to Canada I say…. I just noticed on the package of the 3M mint I just ate, says made in Canada :/ go figure!

    Comment by Punkybj on 9/20/08 at 2:19 pm #
  27. My kids got these in their halloween bags. I have been searching for me-I need them-I want them LOL

    Where or where can I find them in Ontario, Canada? I am guessing, by all the posts, they are not sold here and whoever gave them to my kids, bought them in the states and have tortured me to no end!!!!

    Comment by Sandra on 11/06/08 at 4:42 pm #
  28. Have you tried ordering them online somewhere Sandra? I saw a commercial for these and then remember seein them in my college’s lil store. Just tried it. Pretty good. It didn’t seem small to me, but then again i haven’t had a regular one in so long.

    Comment by anonymous on 12/03/08 at 8:08 pm #
  29. I tried these when they first came out and they’ve been in my top five favorite candies ever since. I’ve always tried to explain to people that I like the “saltiness” of them, but no one ever really understood what I was getting at. I’m glad that you noticed the dominant salty flavor they have, even if you weren’t so fond of that. I’m a fan of the salty cookie, too. grin

    Comment by Em on 12/12/08 at 6:00 am #
  30. I LOVED THE NEW MUSKETEERS MINT CANDY BAR.  IT WAS A FLAVOR EXPLOSION IN MY MOUTH!  I WILL DEFINITELY BE BUYING THESE FOR MY EASTER GIFTS!  THANKS SOOOOOOO MUCH AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!  MADE MY DAY!!!!!!

    Comment by rob norris on 3/29/09 at 8:59 am #
  31. I found the 3 Musketeers bar quite good, very satisfying.  The coating and center had the right balance.  The mint was not too sweet/strong and the texture of the center was just the right consistency.  It was a good impulse buy I must say.

    Comment by Dale on 9/29/09 at 3:44 pm #
  32. this was very helpful (:, but i have a question; would you happen to know why they switched the strawberry and other kind of bar to only chocolate?

    Comment by Annesha Mondal on 12/15/09 at 2:54 pm #
  33. Im located in Florida. Just found out about this new variety… and would love to try it. Do you know where I could find 3 Musketeers Mint. Please if anyone knows let me know. Thanks =o)

    Comment by Jennifer on 10/30/10 at 2:02 pm #
  34. Tried the new 3M mini (Easter 2011). It is marshamallow. Would have rather it been with dark chocolate instead of milk. Very sweet but good.

    Comment by Detrie on 3/24/11 at 7:34 am #
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