A few weeks ago I got a note from a Starbucks rep who let me know that they had some newish chocolate items by the register at the coffee shops. (Launched last Fall.)
I picked out their Starbucks Salted Almond Chocolate Bites since some of the other varieties looked like they were a bit melted. They also have Salted Caramel and Almond, Caramel Brûlé, Creamy Peanut Pretzel, and Berry Medley.
The package describes them as, “Triple chocolate covered almonds with gray sea salt.” They’re made with milk chocolate, though it’s a very dark milk chocolate both in appearance and flavor. The tube is about 3.75 inches tall and 1.5 inches around. So it fit easily in my purse but still holds a hefty 2 ounce single portion.
The thing I noticed is that these are small. In a way, that’s a good thing. They fit well in the tube and they are consistent in size. But they’re barely the size of a Peanut M&M. So I knew that either the chocolate was very thin or the almonds were very small ... or a bit of both.
The chocolate is good quality and has a soft and smooth melt. The salt is in the chocolate, and also may be clinging to the almond. The salt is integrated, not in little flakes or crystals. So the whole thing had a salty note. Honestly, too salty for me. There’s more than 200 mg per package, which is far too much for something that’s supposed to be sweet. Often the salted caramel items that I get have 60 mg or so ... this is just too much.
The almonds are perfectly roasted so they’re crunch and have a toasty flavor (I usually eat my almonds raw) and balance well with the ratio of chocolate. But I can’t buy these again because of the over-salted flavor. I’m still up for giving the other varieties a try. It’s a pretty good value for a premium-styled product sold at a store where this is an average price for a good. The portion is more than fair, especially if you’re in the mood to share.
They’re made on shared equipment with peanuts, other tree nuts, wheat and eggs. There’s no statement about the sourcing of the chocolate, which is disappointing because Starbucks makes such a bit deal about their sourcing of their coffee.
Related Candies
- Gardini Bitter Chocolate and Gianduia with Sea Salt
- Toblerone Crunchy Salted Almond
- Dove Sea Salt Caramel Dark Chocolate Promises
- Ghirardelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree
- Lindt Excellence Dark with a touch of Sea Salt
- Marich Chocolate Sea Salt Cashews
- Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels
I am the owner of http://www.cstoredistributors.com and I think the StarBuck chocolates would be a hit.
I just tried these for the first time today. I agree that there is too much salt in this candy!! It’s overpowering!!
I love the Starbucks dark chocolate almond bites with sea salt, but I cannot find them anywhere. Can you please tell me where I am able to purchase a BUNCH of them. Thank you
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