Monday, February 23, 2015

Russell Stover Big Bite Coffee

DSC_8678rbRussell Stover Big Bite House Blend Coffee is a new all-year item from Russell Stover. The 2 ounce pieces are actually big bites, more than a single serving but less than a sharable piece.

The package says: smooth dark chocolate enrobes a robust coffee-flavored center.

This is the first I’ve seen a coffee flavored item from Russell Stover in their single serve line, though I think they do some coffee items in their boxed chocolates.

DSC_8682rb

The dark chocolate coating is pretty thick and sticks to the filling well. The filling is what I’d call a cross between a ganache and a fudge. It’s thick and has a good melt. The base is made from sugar and cream, so it’s like a ganache, but doesn’t have that much chocolate in it. Instead it’s just loaded with coffee. The coffee flavor is woodsy, with a little bitter acidic note to it. It’s definitely strong, and not terribly sweet, considering the amount of sugar in there.

It’s nice. However, it’s big. I don’t want this much chocolate and ganache. I want about half as much, and maybe in more of a stick or plank format than a big patty. Or maybe a smaller patty, like a Peppermint Patty format, but with a coffee ganache center.

DSC_8675rbRussell Stover Big Bite Cappuccino is similar to the House Blend Coffee, instead of a dark chocolate shell, it has a white chocolate shell, kind of like a cappuccino has a milk foam topping.

The package says: Rich coffee-flavored filling surrounded by creamy white chocolate & dusted with cocoa.

My photo didn’t turn out very well, partly because it’s actually a low contrast wrapper. It’s a light gold foil with other darker gold accents and a mix of brown and white text. Not easy to read on the front and even worse on the back.

DSC_8686rb

It smells similarly coffee-ish to the House Blend Coffee, only there’s a more sweet note from the white coating. The combination wasn’t appealing to me on paper, as I was expecting it to be cloyingly sweet. However, the bitterness of the center can actually accept quite a bit of sweetness from the white chocolate coating, which is especially thick at the middle. It never quite mixes to create a good approximation of a cappuccino or latte, but does give me more of a coffee ice cream note to the whole thing.

On the whole, Russell Stover has done an excellent job with their coffee flavoring for the center. It has a lot of the right flavor elements without tasting too much like instant coffee or including actual coffee grounds in the center. I wouldn’t mind seeing these in the seasonal varieties, mostly because those are a bit smaller than the Big Bite line, but I think this is a good addition to their line. Since there aren’t many coffee flavored chocolates out on the market, it’s a nice option.

Related Candies

  1. Russell Stover Big Bite Pecan Pie
  2. Good and DeLISH Morning Rush Coffee Bites
  3. Trader Joe’s Chocolate Kona Coffee Truffles
  4. Russell Stover Big Bite Caramel Apple
  5. Russell Stover Big Bite Dark Chocolate S’Mores
  6. Meiji Corot & CoffeeBeat
  7. Javaz - Milk & Dark Chocolate Covered Coffee Beans


Name: Big Bite House Blend Coffee
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Russell Stover
Place Purchased: Walgreen's (Glendale)
Price: $1.00
Size: 2 ounces
Calories per ounce: 150
Categories: Candy, Russell Stover, Chocolate, Coffee, 7-Worth It, United States, Walgreen's


Name: Big Bite Cappuccino
    RATING:
  • SUPERB
  • YUMMY
  • TASTY
  • WORTH IT
  • TEMPTING
  • PLEASANT
  • BENIGN
  • UNAPPEALING
  • APPALLING
  • INEDIBLE
Brand: Russell Stover
Place Purchased: Walgreen's (Glendale)
Price: $1.00
Size: 2 ounces
Calories per ounce: 150
Categories: Candy, Russell Stover, Coffee, White Chocolate, 7-Worth It, United States, Walgreen's

POSTED BY Cybele AT 4:51 pm Tracker Pixel for Entry     CandyReviewRussell StoverChocolateCoffeeWhite Chocolate7-Worth ItUnited StatesWalgreen's

Comments
  1. I also saw a “lemon cake” egg as part of their Easter lineup this year.  It’s not bad, I really dig the slightly grainy texture of their cake-themed chocolates.  But my favorite will always be the UBER-SWEET wedding cake one smile

    Comment by Ruffy- on 2/24/15 at 10:29 am #
  2. I wish Russell Stover would do more of the Big Bite flavors as eggs. I guess I’m going to have to start cutting BBs in half.

    A lemon-cake egg is something I’ve wanted since they introduced cake flavors—maybe it’ll show up locally if I check enough Walgreen’s.

    Russell Stover shot up in price this year. Eggs used to be regularly 59 cents but always 2-for-$1. Now they’re regularly 99 cents, on sale for 77 cents. At that point, $1 for a BB that I can treat as two servings looks a lot better.

    Comment by eilonwy on 2/28/15 at 5:44 am #
  3. Well, I found 2-for-$1 RS eggs here in San Francisco at Walgreen’s, including the lemon cake one, which I really like. They also have the Big Bites for 99 cents each. So, I’m not seeing increases in RS prices—maybe they are regional?

    Comment by JefferyK on 3/06/15 at 9:42 am #
  4. I was lucky enough to find the Bog Bote House Blend Coffee only to be told they were seasonal and not making them anymore.  Is this true.  Can I buy them on-line.???  They are so very good…..  thanks

    Comment by Jean on 1/22/16 at 11:22 am #
  5. F-ups have already stopped making these.
    Figures, they were of exceptional quality and unique flavor, therefore not dull and banal enough for a corporation to have patience for.

    Comment by Brad on 10/01/16 at 6:17 pm #
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