I picked these up several months ago, the same time I got the Chocolate Covered Sugar Babies. I ate a few, and while they were fresh, they weren’t really stunning and I gave the rest of the package away.
When I was at the All Candy Expo, Tootsie really seemed to be pushing them, so I thought I’d give them another try.
My first mistake was eating a Storck Chocolate Riesen before eating a Mini Chew ... how could a Tootsie Roll, chocolate coated or otherwise, ever measure up to the chocolatey perfection of a Riesen? Let me just say that it can’t.
The glossy little Mini Chews are certainly cute, though they look like some sort of pelletized animal feed.
The chocolate is sweet and smooth once you get past the food-grade shellac that makes them so shiny. They’re not very chocolatey, but certainly more complex than the Tootsie center.
The Tootsie centers were nice and soft, easy to chew and had a slightly chocolatey hit that never really reached that creamy state that you expect.
If anything, the chocolate coating makes it quite evident that a Tootsie roll is no substitute for chocolate. It tastes too much like cardboard. Watery cardboard.
However, if you set aside your expectations for a chocolate experience and come at Tootsie Rolls like they’re taffy or a chew, they’re pretty good. The best thing about Tootsie Rolls is their durability. With the summer months, I often look for a chocolate alternative because of the heat and Tootsies were often a solution. The Mini Chews probably won’t fit the bill because of the real chocolate though. If you’re dieting, they might be a good option - a little blast of chocolate, but not much in the way of fat. For me, I’m sticking to Orange Tootsie Pops as a Tootsie delivery device.
I find tootsie rolls somewhat addictive, however adding actual chocolate doesn’t sit well with me. Tootsie rolls are like their own food group which really has very little to do with chocolate. Kind of like how Yoohoo is to chocolate milk.
I’m not fond of tootsie rolls at all, but I must say, when they’re coated in chocolate I don’t mind eating them. I thought these were a vast improvement over plain tootsie rolls—although I don’t know that I’ll ever purchase them again. They weren’t that good.
I’m glad to see that you’re getting tougher on these babies.
I used to love Tootise Rolls as a child, because they lasted so long—perfect for car rides while my mother was doing errands.
But my taste (and my 30 year old teeth) have matured since—and along with Cadbury’s Flake, I have a bit of a prissy issue about ‘candy that looks like dog poo’ after purchasing a chiahuahua.
I think you’re right, the Riesen beforehand was bound to set these up for disappointment.
The small tootsie rolls - especially the ones with red, white, and blue wrapping - are one of the predominant candies thrown at Fourth of July parades around here. (Unlike the Santa parade in December, where people throw peppermints that shatter when they hit the ground…) Between that and our decision to use them as potty-training-incentives, my 3 year old is nearly an addict at this point! :^) But after your review, we’ll steer clear of these chocolate-coated ones.
I have to say that I’ve never been a big fan of Tootsie Rolls though I’ve never been sure quite why. However, there were a few boxes of the minis in a bag of candy I treated myself to recently, so I decided to try them. I am totally hooked on the little buggers now! The only problem now is that I can’t seem to find a source for them! If only I’d never picked that darn bag of candy! lol
HeartofGlass, you make a very good point (though I’ve gotten into eating them again after the similiar, “disgust”. Have not really encountered “actual choco-covered” Tootises..I got five Midgees at a toy/penny candy store.25 cents>) Five cents each..
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