Monday, February 23, 2015
Russell Stover Big Bite CoffeeRussell 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. 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. Russell 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. 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
POSTED BY Cybele AT 4:51 pm Candy • Review • Russell Stover • Chocolate • Coffee • White Chocolate • 7-Worth It • United States • Walgreen's • |
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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
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.
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?
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
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.
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