End Middle: Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bars Are About Average!

The Good: Interesting flavor, Wonderful quality, Does not melt easily, Good company!
The Bad: Comparatively expensive, Melts fairly easily, Comparatively expensive
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bars do not effectively bring out the banana flavor, but the quality of the chocolate and eventual peanut butter flavor keep it from being a total loss!


All good things come to an end . . . and for me, the stockpile of Wild Ophelia chocolates my wife gave me is now at an end. My collection of chocolates is completed with a bar of Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana. And, in some ways, it is sad for me to end on . . . not so much a downbeat as it is an unfulfilled promise. The Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bar is made of predictably wonderful chocolate - all Wild Ophelia products I've had have a high-quality of chocolate - and the peanut butter flavor does manifest, but the bananas in this chocolate bar are thoroughly underwhelming and the peanut butter is more of an aftertaste than a primary flavor.

Basics

The Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bar is a solid dark chocolate bar from Wild Ophelia. Each 2 oz. chocolate bar is wrapped in a cardboard wrapper. Inside the cardboard case is a thick metallic plastic wrapper (with a seam resembling a Pop Tart more than a chocolate bar). The actual chocolate bar is 4 1/2” long by 2 13/16” wide by 1/4” thick. The Bar has no identifying marks or logos on it, but it is segmented to make four 1 1/8” wide by 2 13/16” long bars. The top features ribbing that give the bar a very Art Deco look that is distinctive.

The chocolate is firm, dark and not at all waxy; this is a high-quality chocolate bar. Individually, the bars are found in the $5.99 range. Given the lack of banana flavoring in them, that makes these bars seems just a little expensive for their price.

Ease Of Preparation

Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bars are chocolate; preparing them is as easy as unwrapping the candy bar. Because the chocolate is a premium chocolate product, I recommend eating this a little at a time, not just biting right into the bar.

Taste

The Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bars smell like peanut butter and and, more mildly, of chocolate. The aroma from this candy bar is fairly strong and the peanut butter scent is definitely the dominant scent from this bar.

In the mouth, the Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bar tastes sweet. The sugary flavor in the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bar develops into a milky, chocolate flavor that is creamy and more deep than a simple candy bar. The peanut butter in the chocolate bars is comparatively mild and the chocolate overwhelms that flavor in most bites. The banana in the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bar manifests more readily as a texture than a flavor, but it adds a sweetness to the bites that possess the banana. While some of the bites of the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bar have the flavoring of the peanut butter in them, none in my bar tasted distinctly of banana. The chocolate bar is very sweet and the chocolate is distinct and good, but the two promised flavors within the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bar are nowhere near as distinct.

The Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bar has a peanut butter aftertaste to it, which is interesting given how mild the peanut butter flavor is within the bar itself.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia makes their fine chocolates with quality ingredients, which is arguably why the range in price in the real world and online is a bit more than other chocolate bars! With the primary ingredients being milk chocolate, peanut butter, and dried bananas, the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bars are a candy bar, not a legitimate source of nutrition needed to survive. That said, Wild Ophelia uses natural ingredients and organic ingredients where possible; none of the ingredients are unpronounceable. In a full 56 gram serving (2 ounce), there are 300 calories, 180 of which are from fat. This represents 32% of one's RDA of fat (53% of the RDA of saturated fat). Each bar has 70 mg of Sodium (which is low considering there is peanut butter and sea salt in these candy bars) and 5 grams of protein. There is a smattering of Vitamin A and Calcium (2% and 8% RDA, each) and a decent amount of Iron (20% RDA), but no other vitamins and minerals. In other words, this is not a snack to try to survive on.

While the candy bars are all natural with no artificial ingredients and have no preservatives, they do contain soy. As well, there is an allergy warning for milk, soy and peanuts, which might make them inappropriate for those who observe a Vegan diet.

Storage/Clean-Up

Because the chocolate is generally hard, though as a milk chocolate this bar is a little easier to melt than some of the others, the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bars will stain if they melt into fabrics. Despite their meltability in most environments the Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bars remain solid, these should be kept cool in order to not melt, but I have not had any problems with mine. As long as they are kept cool and dry, these bars will last at least six months (the ones my wife gave me two months ago would have lasted until February 22, 2018, had I not eaten it up first).

Clean-up is easy, so long as the chocolate does not melt. The Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate bars have wrappers that ought to be properly disposed of, but otherwise, the chocolate washes off skin and non-porous surfaces. It the chocolate melts onto fabric, consult a fabric guide.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Peanut Butter & Banana Chocolate Bars are interesting, but do not live up to the potential of their promised flavor or the quality of their ingredients.

For other Wild Ophelia candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups
Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bar
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Smoked Chipotle Chili And Milk Chocolate Bar

4.5/10

For more chocolate reviews, please check out my Chocolate Review Index Page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A VERY Sweet Treat, Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bars Are Good!

The Good:A good embodiment of all the promised flavors, Decent quality, Does not melt easily, Good company/corporate ethics!
The Bad: Comparatively expensive, Somewhat generically sweet as it stays in the mouth.
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bars are good as long as one wants something that is exceptionally sweet!


I tend to like sophisticated flavors; flavors of foods that have depth and multiple layers to them. Sometimes, I encounter something that lives up to its promised flavors, but lacks a lot of flavor depth. The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bars are definitely one such chocolate. The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bar lives up to all of its promised flavors, but the net result is a somewhat generically sweet candy bar, which for the price is a little problematic.

Basics

The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bar is a solid milk chocolate bar from Wild Ophelia. Each 2 oz. chocolate bar is wrapped in a cardboard wrapper. Inside the cardboard case is a thick metallic plastic wrapper (with a seam resembling a Pop Tart more than a chocolate bar). The actual chocolate bar is 4 1/2” long by 2 13/16” wide by 1/4” thick. The Bar has no identifying marks or logos on it, but it is segmented to make four 1 1/8” wide by 2 13/16” long bars. The top features ribbing that give the bar a very Art Deco look that is distinctive.

The chocolate is firm, despite being milk chocolate and usually more susceptible to melting and not at all waxy; it’s a quality chocolate bar. Individually, the bars are found in the $5.99 range. Given the quality of these bars, it is tough to call them too expensive.

Ease Of Preparation

Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bars are chocolate; preparing them is as easy as unwrapping the candy bar. Because the chocolate is a premium chocolate product, I recommend eating this a little at a time, not just biting right into the bar.

Taste

The Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bar smells sweet and creamy, the scent of milk chocolate dominating the candy's scent. There is, surprisingly enough, a slight buttery scent to the aroma, which insinuates caramel in the candy bar!

On the tongue, the Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bar tastes overwhelmingly sweet. The crispy rice is reminiscent of a chocolate-covered Rice Krispies treat . . . but even sweeter! This is an incredibly sweet chocolate bar with the added sweet, buttery caramel flavor that effectively coats the crispy rice in the Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bar making the milk chocolate even sweeter.

The Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bar has a strongly sweet aftertaste to it that endures in the mouth for only a few moments after the last of the bar is consumed!

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia makes their fine chocolates with quality ingredients, which is arguably why the range in price in the real world and online is a bit more than other chocolate bars! With the primary ingredients being milk chocolate (41% cacao), caramelized puffed rice, and sea salt, the Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bars are a candy bar, not a legitimate source of nutrition needed to survive. That said, Wild Ophelia uses natural ingredients and organic ingredients where possible; none of the ingredients are unpronounceable. In a full 56 gram serving (2 ounce), there are 290 calories, 160 of which are from fat. This represents 29% of one's RDA of fat (54% of the RDA of saturated fat). Each bar has 105 mg of Sodium (which is low considering the sea salt in these candy bars) and 4 grams of protein. There is a smattering of Calcium (8% RDA) and a decent amount of Iron (20% RDA), but no other vitamins and minerals. In other words, this is not a snack to try to survive on.

While the bars are all natural with no artificial ingredients and have no preservatives, they do contain soy. As well, there is an allergy warning for milk, tree nuts and peanuts, which rules them out for those who observe a Vegan diet.

Storage/Clean-Up

Because the chocolate is generally hard, though milk chocolate melts easier than dark, the Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bars are comparatively hard to melt. Despite that, these should be kept cool in order to not melt. As long as they are kept cool and dry, these bars will last at least six months (the ones my wife gave me last month would have lasted until October 5, 2018, had I not eaten it up first).

Clean-up is easy, so long as the chocolate does not melt. The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate bars have wrappers that ought to be properly disposed of, but otherwise, the chocolate washes off skin and non-porous surfaces. It the chocolate melts onto fabric, consult a fabric guide.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Caramelized Crispy Rice Chocolate Bars are good, but not particularly complicated for the flavors they promise, making it a slightly tougher sell than some of Wild Ophelia's other bars.

For other Wild Ophelia candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites
Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Smoked Chipotle Chili And Milk Chocolate Bar

6.5/10

For more food reviews, please check out my Food Review Index Page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Overwhelm The Center: Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites Are A Tough Sell!

The Good: Amazing flavor for the chocolate and coffee, Great ingredients, Awesome corporate ethics
The Bad: The vanilla center is entirely overwhelmed by the incredible chocolate coating!
The Basics: Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites are interesting, but the center cannot hold its own against the rich chocolate and coffee coating!


When it comes to incredible chocolates, sometimes finding the balance in the promised flavors is the key to success. I love all sorts of chocolate and almost all of my favorites are blends - like chocolate mint or dark chocolate coffee. Wild Ophelia usually manages to find the right balance between the flavors they promise. Once in a long while, Wild Ophelia produces a chocolate that is very much out of balance. Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites are one such chocolate that doesn't quite get it right.

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites have an amazing chocolate and coffee-flavored coating, but the center is more generically sweet than it is a ganache that is able to hold its own opposite the chocolate coating.

Basics

Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites are a fairly new candy. The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites are like square bon bons. They come as a quartet of treats on a thin cardboard tray. The 1.39 oz. package houses four candies which are each 1" by 1" squares that are 7/16" thick.

Ease Of Preparation

These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the wrapper, removing it from the plastic wrapper and the cardboard tray, and then eating the candy. There is no trick or mystery to eating Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites. As long as you have opposable thumbs and a mouth, the Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites are pretty much yours to enjoy!

Taste

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites smell powerfully of dark chocolate and coffee. The coffee and dark chocolate blend together in the aroma of these chocolates to entirely overwhelm any other scent that might have come from them.

In the mouth, the Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites taste dry and rich with the chocolate and the coffee flavors manifesting powerfully. The center is sweet, but contrasting with the dark chocolate and coffee flavors that explode from the candy's shell, the center tastes more generic than truly vanilla. The center is all right, but not impressive compared to the chocolate coating.

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites have a dry, but pleasant and slightly sweet aftertaste to them that lasts only a few minutes after the last of them is consumed.

Nutrition

These are candy, so they are not exceptionally health-oriented. Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites are not nearly as bad as they could be on the nutrition front, which is unsurprising given how good the ingredients in this chocolate are. The primary ingredients are bittersweet chocolate, caramel, and sugar. There is nothing unpronounceable in these candies; everything in them is easily identified.

A serving of the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites is considered one package (four pieces). From a single package, Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites provides 190 calories and 14 grams of fat. There is 1% of the RDA of cholesterol and they are sodium free. There as 2 grams of Protein and 4% of one's daily Potassium in the Bites, as well as 20% of the RDA of Iron.

Honestly, these are candy and anyone looking to them for actual nutrition needs to get a reality check. These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on equipment that processes peanuts and tree nuts! They are not noted to be kosher, though they are gluten-free and made using Non-GMO ingredients. There are allergy warnings for milk and soy.

Storage/Clean-up

The package of these Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites remain fresh for quite some time. The ones my wife got me for my birthday would have expired on April 18, 2018, had we not eaten them up already. Given that they are wrapped in a very sealed package, it is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing. These Wild Ophelia chocolates do not seem especially susceptible to melting, though.

As for cleanup, simply throw the wrappers away in an appropriate place. There is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If this chocolate melts into most fabrics, it will stain. Getting them to melt, though, takes quite a bit.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Mexican Vanilla Chocolate Coffee Bites have good components, but the quality of the chocolate overwhelms its center.

For other coffee flavored candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Cappuccino Jelly Belly jelly beans
M&M's Premium Mocha
Lindt Cappuccino Lindor Truffles

3.5/10

For other food reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars Are Not One Of Wild Ophelia's Greatest Hits!

The Good: Tastes good, Decent quality, Does not melt easily, Good corporate ethics
The Bad: Comparatively expensive, The almonds do not actually manifest in the flavor
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars are flavorful, but those looking for a good nut/chocolate balance are likely to be disappointed.


The last month, I have been pretty thrilled to try all sorts of Wild Ophelia chocolates. Wild Ophelia is a pretty amazing company, doing good things with its corporate profits, making chocolates with impressive and high-quality ingredients, and creative flavor combinations. Wild Ophelia is a cool company and they have a ton of great products. Today, I sat down to enjoy Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars and the chocolate and even the sea salt in them maintains the high standards I've come to expect from Wild Ophelia. But, for an almond-enhanced chocolate bar, I found the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars a bit underwhelming on the nut front. The balance between the chocolate and the nuts is not all that good in the Almond Sea Salt bars; the almonds make less of an impression in the bars than the sea salt. I might not be much of a fan of nuts in chocolate, but the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars underwhelmed even me.

Basics

The Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bar is a solid dark chocolate bar from Wild Ophelia. Each 2 oz. chocolate bar is wrapped in a cardboard wrapper. Inside the cardboard case is a thick metallic plastic wrapper (with a seam resembling a Pop Tart more than a chocolate bar). The actual chocolate bar is 4 1/2” long by 2 13/16” wide by 1/4” thick. The Bar has no identifying marks or logos on it, but it is segmented to make three 1 1/2” wide by 2 13/16” long bars. The top features ribbing that give the bar a very Art Deco look that is distinctive.

The chocolate is firm, dark and not at all waxy; it’s a quality chocolate bar. Individually, the bars are found in the $5.99 range. Given the quality of these bars, it is tough to call them too expensive, especially with premium potato chips in them.

Ease Of Preparation

Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bars are chocolate; preparing them is as easy as unwrapping the candy bar. Because the chocolate is a premium chocolate product, I recommend eating this a little at a time, not just biting right into the bar.

Taste

The Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bar smells strongly of chocolate. The chocolate scent is potent and there is a hint of bitterness in the aroma that implies the dark nature of the chocolate in the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bar.

On the tongue, the Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bar explodes with surprisingly sweet chocolate flavor. The dark chocolate is not nearly as bitter as one might expect or in comparison to many of the other Wild Ophelia bars. The chocolate flavor is enjoyable and sweet without tasting generic, buttery or waxy. The almonds in the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars manifest as a texture - a bit of crispiness in the solid chocolate bar - as opposed to a flavor. In fact, in the bar of Almond Sea Salt, there were more bites that had sea salt flavoring than almond flavoring, given that there were some that were flavored with the salt and none that tasted like almonds.

The Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bar have a slightly sweet aftertaste that does not endure very long in the mouth after the last of the bar is consumed.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia makes their fine chocolates with quality ingredients, which is arguably why the range in price in the real world and online is a bit more than other chocolate bars! With the primary ingredients being bittersweet chocolate, roasted almonds and butterfat, the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bars are a candy bar, not a legitimate source of nutrition needed to survive. That said, Wild Ophelia uses natural ingredients and organic ingredients where possible; none of the ingredients are unpronounceable. In a full 56 gram serving (2 ounce), there are 310 calories, 220 of which are from fat. This represents 39% of one's RDA of fat (72% of the RDA of saturated fat). Each bar has 70 mg of Sodium (which is low considering there is actual sea salt in these candy bars) and 4 grams of protein. There is a smattering of Calcium (6% RDA) and a decent amount of Iron (35% RDA), but no other vitamins and minerals. In other words, this is not a snack to try to survive on.

While the bars are all natural with no artificial ingredients and have no preservatives, they do contain soy. As well, there is an allergy warning for milk, tree nuts and peanuts, which makes them unacceptable to those who observe a Vegan diet.

Storage/Clean-Up

Because the chocolate is generally hard, as a dark chocolate, the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bars are comparatively hard to melt. Despite that, these should be kept cool in order to not melt, but I have not had any problems with mine. As long as they are kept cool and dry, these bars will last at least six months (the ones my wife gave me last month would have lasted until October 5, 2018, had I not eaten it up first).

Clean-up is easy, so long as the chocolate does not melt. The Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate bars have wrappers that ought to be properly disposed of, but otherwise, the chocolate washes off skin and non-porous surfaces. It the chocolate melts onto fabric, consult a fabric guide.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars are fine for what they are, but unimpressive for what they are supposed to be. The expectation one has when getting a chocolate bar with nuts is that the consumer might actually taste the nuts and that the nuts would add something substantive to the bar. That does not happen with the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars. That makes the Wild Ophelia Almond Sea Salt Chocolate Bars one of the few comparative failures from the venerable chocolate maker.

For other Wild Ophelia candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups
Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crispy Crunchy Caramel Corn And Dark Chocolate Bar

4/10

For more food reviews, please check out my Food Review Index Page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Dry, Bitter, Delicious: Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups Deliver!

The Good: Good chocolate and peanut butter flavors, Great ingredients, Awesome corporate ethics, Good sea salt flavor
The Bad: Could use more sea salt, A little more expensive than other peanut butter cups with minimal differences
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are enjoyable, but they could use a little more sea salt in the chocolate to truly make them pop.


Every now and then, I encounter a product that has a good idea and it does not quite break through to fully realize that good idea. Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are certainly one of those products. Wild Ophelia does a lot right (and it's a pretty great company!), but the two peanut butter cups by the company I have so far tried have not truly blown me away. The Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are good, but for having the dual gimmicks of dark chocolate for the cups and sea salt, the sea salt is not actually prevalent or distinct enough to land the concept. Despite that, the Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are quite good!

Basics

Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are a fairly new candy. The Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are like mini-candy cups. They come as a quartet of treats on a thin cardboard tray. The 1.37 oz. package houses four candies which are each 1"in diameter and 5/8" tall, shaped like a traditional peanut butter cup.

Ease Of Preparation

These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the wrapper, removing it from the cardboard tray, and then eating the candy. There is no trick or mystery to eating Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups. The Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are a ready-to-consume candy.

Taste

The Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups explode with the aroma of peanut butter. The scent from these chocolates is that of fresh roasted peanuts and it is very inviting. There is almost no hint of the chocolate in the bouquet from the Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups.

In the mouth, the Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups taste sweet and chocolatey. For being a dark chocolate, the Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups start quite sweet, before they transition to a dry, dark chocolate flavor. The dryness of the Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups continues with the peanut butter when the bitter chocolate shell of the cups is broken.

The Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups leave a dry, but sweet, aftertaste in the mouth after the last of the candies are consumed; it is not an unpleasant aftertaste and it does not last very long in the mouth.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are comparatively good on the nutrition front, which is unsurprising given how good the ingredients in this chocolate are. The primary ingredients are Fair Trade Bittersweet Chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. There is nothing unpronounable in these candies; everything in them is easily identified, like sea salt.

A serving of the Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups is considered one package (four peanut butter cups). From a single package, Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups provides 220 calories, 150 of which are from the 17 grams of fat. There is 1% of the RDA of cholesterol and 50 mg of sodium. There is 4% of one's daily Calcium in the Cups, as well as 15% of the RDA of Iron.

These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on equipment that processes tree nuts and the cups contain actual peanuts! They are not noted to be kosher, though they are gluten-free and made using Non-GMO ingredients. There are allergy warnings for milk, tree nuts, peanuts and soy.

Storage/Clean-up

The package of these Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups remain fresh for quite some time. The ones my wife got me for my birthday would have expired on May 31, 2018, had we not eaten all of the cups up already. Given that they are wrapped in a very sealed package, it is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing. These Wild Ophelia chocolates do not seem very susceptible to melting.

As for cleanup, just throw the wrappers away in the trash and you're done! There is no real cleanup needed unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that circumstance, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If this chocolate melts into most fabrics, it will stain, which is a legitimate concern, but dark chocolate does not melt very easily.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Maine Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups are flavorful and nice, but they do not have enough sea salt in the chocolate or center to sell the consumer on the concept fully.

For other Wild Ophelia candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites
Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups
District 12 Mining The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Mined Salt And Milk Chocolate Bar

6/10

For other candy reviews, please visit my Candy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Perfect Blend: Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites Succeed!

The Good: Amazing flavors for the caramel, chocolate and coffee, Great ingredients, Awesome corporate ethics
The Bad: Nothing I can find!
The Basics: Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are perfect!


I love chocolate. I tend to love dark chocolate and when it comes to new line-ups of chocolates, one of the chocolates I have been most excited about are the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Chocolate Coffee Bites. The blending of chocolate and coffee is an intriguing and desirable thing for me. When looking over the Cold Brew line, I never would have guessed I would find a chocolate better than the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites (reviewed here!). But, I did.

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are perfect!

Basics

Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are a fairly new candy. The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are like square bon bons. They come as a quartet of treats on a thin cardboard tray. The 1.39 oz. package houses four candies which are each 1" by 1" squares that are 7/16" thick.

Ease Of Preparation

These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the wrapper, removing it from the plastic wrapper and the cardboard tray, and then eating the candy. There is no trick or mystery to eating Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites. As long as you have opposable thumbs and a mouth, the Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are pretty much yours to enjoy!

Taste

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites smell richly and invitingly of sea salt caramel. The chocolate aroma from these Coffee Bites is entirely sublimated to the aroma of the promised caramel. The is a light scent of coffee in the bouquet, but the bulk of the smell that emanates aromatically from the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites is that of the sea salt caramel.

In the mouth, the Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are dry and milky on the surface. As the milk chocolate slowly melts away, it is infused with the darker, richer flavor of coffee. As the chocolate shell cracks, the fluid center of the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites is revealed and the buttery, salty caramel center explodes delightfully in the mouth!

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites leave a salty, slightly sweet and dry chocolate aftertaste in the mouth. The flavor that lingers in the mouth is not at all unpleasant and it does not endure in the mouth for very long after the last of the chocolate is consumed.

Nutrition

These are candy, not a health food. Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are not nearly as bad as they could be on the nutrition front, which is unsurprising given how good the ingredients in this chocolate are. The primary ingredients are milk chocolate, caramel, and sugar. There is nothing unpronounable in these candies; everything in them is easily identified.

A serving of the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites is considered one package (four pieces). From a single package, Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites provides 190 calories and 12 grams of fat. There is 3% of the RDA of cholesterol and 55 mg of sodium. There as 3 grams of Protein and 4% of one's daily Potassium in the Bites, as well as 16% of the RDA of Iron.

Honestly, these are candy and anyone looking to them for actual nutrition needs to get a reality check. These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on equipment that processes peanuts and tree nuts! They are not noted to be kosher, though they are gluten-free and made using Non-GMO ingredients. There are allergy warnings for milk and soy.

Storage/Clean-up

The package of these Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites remain fresh for quite some time. The ones my wife got me for my birthday would have expired on June 14, 2018, had we not eaten them up already. Given that they are wrapped in a very sealed package, it is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing. These Wild Ophelia chocolates do not seem especially susceptible to melting, though.

As for cleanup, simply throw the wrappers away in am appropriate place, as opposed to litter. Outside that, there is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If this chocolate melts into most fabrics, it will stain. Getting them to melt, though, takes quite a bit.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Sea Salt Caramel Latte Chocolate Coffee Bites are a perfect blend of chocolate, caramel and coffee that hits on all its promised flavors wonderfully!

For other coffee flavored candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Cappuccino Jelly Belly jelly beans
M&M's Premium Mocha
Lindt Cappuccino Lindor Truffles

10/10

For other food reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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A Must-Have For Anyone Who Loves Spicy Barbeque: Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate Bars Are An Intriguing Dessert!

The Good:A good embodiment of all the promised flavors, Wonderful quality, Does not melt easily, Good company!
The Bad: Comparatively expensive, Flavors transition, not blend, Very spicy
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate Bars are pretty wonderful for what they promise . . . so long as one enjoys very spicy barbeque!


One of the nice things about returning home after a trip is being able to enjoy comfort foods that are not easily available on the road. For me, that is a few premium cocoas and sodas and premium chocolates, like those from Wild Ophelia that my wife gifted me before my trip. Returning home to try the Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bars might not have been much of a comfort, given how spicy they are, but they were enjoyable and lived up to their promised flavors!

Basics

The Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate Bar is a solid dark chocolate bar from Wild Ophelia. Each 2 oz. chocolate bar is wrapped in a cardboard wrapper. Inside the cardboard case is a thick metallic plastic wrapper (with a seam resembling a Pop Tart more than a chocolate bar). The actual chocolate bar is 4 1/2” long by 2 13/16” wide by 1/4” thick. The Bar has no identifying marks or logos on it, but it is segmented to make four 1 1/8” wide by 2 13/16” long bars. The top features ribbing that give the bar a very Art Deco look that is distinctive.

The chocolate is firm, dark and not at all waxy; it’s a quality chocolate bar. Individually, the bars are found in the $5.99 range. Given the quality of these bars, it is tough to call them too expensive, especially with premium potato chips in them.

Ease Of Preparation

Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bars are chocolate; preparing them is as easy as unwrapping the candy bar. Because the chocolate is a premium chocolate product, I recommend eating this a little at a time, not just biting right into the bar.

Taste

The Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bar smells predominantly like dark chocolate, though there is a hint of a spicy barbeque sauce in the bouquet. The aroma from these chocolate bars is very inviting, but not very potent.

In the mouth, the Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bar tastes like dark chocolate. In the initial flavoring, one only tastes a strong, dry dark chocolate. The potato chips embedded in the Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bars manifest initially as a crunchy texture without adding much to the flavor. However, the more the dark chocolate melts away, the more the spices assert themeselves! And, woah nelly, are the barbeque spices spicy! The spices are enough to open up the nose, they are prevalent-enough! The result, though is a chocolate bar that transitions in its flavors as opposed to blends them. This is a candy that suddenly turns into a spicy snack.

The Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bar have an aftertaste that finally allows the potato of the potato chips to manifest in the palate. Until the chocolate and spice flavors dissipates, the salty potato chips cannot compete on the tongue. However, as soon as the barbeque flavor fades in the mouth, the potato chip flavor asserts itself.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia makes their fine chocolates with quality ingredients, which is arguably why the range in price in the real world and online is a bit more than other chocolate bars! With the primary ingredients being bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao), potato chips, and barbeque spices, the Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bars are a candy bar, not a legitimate source of nutrition needed to survive. That said, Wild Ophelia uses natural ingredients and organic ingredients where possible; none of the ingredients are unpronounceable. In a full 56 gram serving (2 ounce), there are 290 calories, 200 of which are from fat. This represents 35% of one's RDA of fat (69% of the RDA of saturated fat). Each bar has 95 mg of Sodium (which is low considering there are actual potato chips in these candy bars) and 4 grams of protein. There is a smattering of Vitamin C and Calcium (2% RDA, each) and a decent amount of Iron (35% RDA), but no other vitamins and minerals. In other words, this is not a snack to try to survive on.

While the bars are all natural with no artificial ingredients and have no preservatives, they do contain soy. As well, there is an allergy warning for milk, tree nuts and peanuts, which might make them questionable to those who observe a Vegan diet.

Storage/Clean-Up

Because the chocolate is generally hard, as a dark chocolate, the Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bars are comparatively hard to melt. Despite that, these should be kept cool in order to not melt, but I have not had any problems with mine. As long as they are kept cool and dry, these bars will last at least six months (the ones my wife gave me two weeks ago would have lasted until April 19, 2018, had I not eaten it up first).

Clean-up is easy, so long as the chocolate does not melt. The Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate bars have wrappers that ought to be properly disposed of, but otherwise, the chocolate washes off skin and non-porous surfaces. It the chocolate melts onto fabric, consult a fabric guide.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Barbeque Potato Chip Chocolate Bars are good for anyone who loves a spicy, chocolatey treat!


For other Wild Ophelia candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups
Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bar
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Smoked Chipotle Chili And Milk Chocolate Bar

8/10

For more food reviews, please check out my Food Review Index Page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups Intrigue!

The Good: Good chocolate and peanut butter flavors, Great ingredients, Awesome corporate ethics
The Bad: Very weak banana flavor, Comparatively expensive
The Basics: Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are a good idea that Wild Ophelia does not quite pull off.


With the success of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, any number of chocolatiers have begun making peanut butter cups. Wild Ophelia, the high-quality chocolatier, is no exception to this trend. Tonight, I had the opportunity to try the Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups and when faced with the full selection of Wild Ophelia cups, this was my first choice. The idea of peanut butter and banana sounded good and I eagerly tried these treats.

Unfortunately, the Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups do not quite live up on the banana flavoring and as a result, they end up as a comparatively expensive peanut butter cup with little to distinguish them from other peanut butter cup candies.

Basics

Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are a fairly new candy. The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are like mini-candy cups. They come as a quartet of treats on a thin cardboard tray. The 1.37 oz. package houses four candies which are each 1"in diameter and 5/8" tall, shaped like a traditional peanut butter cup. that are 7/16" thick.

Ease Of Preparation

These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the wrapper, removing it from the cardboard tray, and then eating the candy. There is no trick or mystery to eating Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups. The Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are a ready-to-consume candy.

Taste

The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups have the scent of buttery milk chocolate exclusively. While the cups might contain peanut butter and bananas, there is no hint of either in the bouquet. These candies smell entirely of chocolate, without any hints of anything else in them.

On the tongue, the Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are sweet and the outside does contain the strong flavor of bananas. The moment the Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups break open, the peanut butter in the center completely overwhelms the flavor of the banana crumbled on the top. The sweetness of the chocolate blends nicely with the peanut butter in the center of the candies, though both entirely overcome the mild banana flavor on the top of each cup.

The Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups leave a slightly sweet aftertaste in the mouth that does not last very long after the last of the candies are consumed.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups are comparatively good on the nutrition front, which is unsurprising given how good the ingredients in this chocolate are. The primary ingredients are milk chocolate, peanut butter, and powdered sugar. There is nothing unpronounable in these candies; everything in them is easily identified, like dried banana pieces and sea salt.

A serving of the Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups is considered one package (four peanut butter cups). From a single package, Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups provides 220 calories and 15 grams of fat. There is 2% of the RDA of cholesterol and 60 mg of sodium. There is 2% of one's daily Vitamin A and Calcium in the Cups, as well as 10% of the RDA of Iron.

These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on equipment that processes tree nuts and the cups contain actual peanuts! They are not noted to be kosher, though they are gluten-free and made using Non-GMO ingredients. There are allergy warnings for milk, peanuts and soy.

Storage/Clean-up

The package of these Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups remain fresh for quite some time. The ones my wife got me for my birthday would have expired on April 30, 2018, had we not eaten it already. Given that they are wrapped in a very sealed package, it is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing. These Wild Ophelia chocolates do seem fairly susceptible to melting, though.

As for cleanup, I applaud those who actually throw the wrappers away in socially appropriate places, as opposed to litter. Outside that, there is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If this chocolate melts into most fabrics, it will stain, which is a legitimate concern given how the milk chocolate melts fairly easily.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Cups do not taste bad, but the promised flavors are not all evident in the taste and as a result, they feel more expensive than satisfying.

For other Wild Ophelia candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites
Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bar
District 5 Power The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crispy Crunchy Caramel Corn And Dark Chocolate Bar

4/10

For other candy reviews, please visit my Candy Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites Are Well Worth The Price!

The Good: Amazing flavors for the chocolate and coffee, Great ingredients, Awesome corporate ethics
The Bad: Comparatively expensive
The Basics: Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are amazing, making them well worth hunting down.


When reviewing premium products, price is always a factor. Considering price as a factor, "cheap" tends to be a factor of both low price and low quality, while "expensive" tends to be the result of high price relative to the quality or size. In the case of some products, the price is higher than similar serving sizes, but that price is justified by the quality of the product and the net result is that the product is not, technically, expensive. Such is the case with the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites. Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites have an amazing flavor and quality for the price, but despite how fair the price is for the quality, I kept finding myself wishing there were more of the candies for the price.

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are damn near perfect for what they are!

Basics

Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are a fairly new candy. The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are like mini-candy cups. They come as a quartet of treats on a thin cardboard tray. The 1.39 oz. package houses four candies which are each 1" by 1" squares that are 7/16" thick.

Ease Of Preparation

These are candy, so preparing them is as simple as opening the wrapper, removing it from the paper wrapper, and then eating the candy. There is no trick or mystery to eating Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites. As long as you have opposable thumbs and a mouth, the Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are pretty much yours for the consuming!

Taste

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites smell delightfully, perfectly, of rich cacao and coffee. The chocolate component of the aroma is potent, rich and recognizable to anyone who loves dark chocolate. The dark chocolate scent mixes with the dark roasted coffee scent in the bouquet to be instantly inviting to the consumer.

In the mouth, the Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are dry and sweet, flavored with a strong, dark flavor. The coffee and chocolate flavors are magnificently blended top embody both flavors without overcoming the palate with bitterness. By the time the chocolate coating cracks and the filling is exposed, the consumer is already overcome with the full, roasted flavors of coffee and the cacao which embodies the 70% dark chocolate wonderfully.

The Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites leave a dry aftertaste in the mouth that is not actually bitter. Instead, the aftertaste is smoky and dry without being unpleasant, much like if one has just finished consuming a truly potent dark roast coffee.

Nutrition

These are candy, so it is tough to look at these for something nutritious and then blame them for not being healthy. Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites are not nearly as bad as they could be on the nutrition front, which is unsurprising given how good the ingredients in this chocolate are. The primary ingredients are Bittersweet chocolate, caramel, and sugar. There is nothing unpronounable in these candies; everything in them is easily identified, like having 100% arabica coffee beans.

A serving of the Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites is considered one package (four pieces). From a single package, Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites provides 190 calories and 14 grams of fat. There is 1% of the RDA of cholesterol and 5 mg of sodium. There is 4% of one's daily Vitamin D and Potassium in the Bites, as well as 20% of the RDA of Iron.

Honestly, these are candy and anyone looking to them for actual nutrition needs to get a reality check. These are not Vegan-compliant, nor are they recommended for anyone with a nut allergy as they are produced on equipment that processes peanuts and tree nuts! They are not noted to be kosher, though they are gluten-free and made using Non-GMO ingredients. There are allergy warnings for milk and soy.

Storage/Clean-up

The package of these Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites remain fresh for quite some time. The ones my wife got me for my birthday would have expired on May 23, 2018, had we not eaten it already. Given that they are wrapped in a very sealed package, it is hard to imagine just what it would take for these to go bad outside melting and refreezing. These Wild Ophelia chocolates do not seem especially susceptible to melting, though.

As for cleanup, I applaud those who actually throw the wrappers away in socially appropriate places, as opposed to litter. Outside that, there is no real cleanup needed, unless one is eating them in a hot environment. In that case, it is likely one would need to wash their hands. If this chocolate melts into most fabrics, it will stain. Getting them to melt, though, takes quite a bit.

Overall

Wild Ophelia Cold Brew Jet Black Chocolate Coffee Bites have an amazing flavor, are made from high-quality ingredients and are enough to satisfy anyone who wants a powerful blend of dark chocolate and rich, dark roasted coffee!

For other coffee flavored candy reviews, please check out my reviews of:
Coffee Thins Espresso Chocolate Squares
Tcho Mokaccino
Lindt Coffee Lindor Truffles

9.5/10

For other food reviews, please visit my index page for an organized listing!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Erratic, But High-Quality: Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bars Are A Pleasant Surprise!

The Good: Decent flavor for the salt and the chocolate, Wonderful quality, Does not melt easily, Good company!
The Bad: Comparatively expensive, Erratic distribution of jerky
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bars have a decent chocolate and salt flavor, without consistently containing the promised beef jerky.


It has been a while since I had the opportunity to enjoy Wild Ophelia chocolates. Living in the middle of nowhere, it is not a brand that is well-represented in my local marketplace. But, when my wife recently gifted me a whole assortment of Wild Ophelia chocolates for our enjoyment and review, I could not have been happier. I am starting my return to Wild Ophelia chocolates with their Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bars.

Wild Ophelia chocolate bars are expensive, but well worth the price.

Basics

The Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bar is a solid milk chocolate bar from Wild Ophelia. Each 2 oz. chocolate bar is wrapped in a cardboard wrapper. Inside the cardboard case is a thick metallic plastic wrapper (with a seam resembling a Pop Tart more than a chocolate bar). The actual chocolate bar is 4 1/2” long by 2 13/16” wide by 1/4” thick. The Bar has no identifying marks or logos on it, but it is segmented to make four 1 1/8” wide by 2 13/16” long bars. The top features ribbing that give the bar a very Art Deco look that is distinctive.

The chocolate is firm, creamy and not at all waxy; it’s a quality chocolate bar. Individually, the bars are found in the $5.99 range. Given the quality of these bars, it is tough to call them too expensive, especially with the quality of the salt in them.

Ease Of Preparation

Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate bars are chocolate; preparing them is as easy as unwrapping the candy bar. Because the chocolate is a premium chocolate product, I recommend eating this a little at a time, not just biting right into the bar.

Taste

The Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate chocolate bar smells wonderful! These chocolate bars smell like milk chocolate with a hint of something meaty to them. Interestingly, the aroma of the jerky is not able to overwhelm the scent of the 41% Cacao that coats it. The chocolate in these Wild Ophelia bars is aromatic and inviting to anyone who loves quality chocolate.

In the mouth, the Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate chocolate bar is sweet and buttery. The chocolate is enhanced by a very strong salt flavor. The salt cuts the sweetness and accents the cacao flavor in the chocolate. The salt and chocolate blend delightfully. Unfortunately, the jerky manifests more as a texture - hard, then chewy - than an actual flavor. While there are occasional bites within some of these bars that have a distinct flavor of smoked meat in them, most of the bites are dominated by the smoked salt in the chocolate.

The Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate bar has a dry aftertaste. The dry flavor is not unpleasant or very enduring.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia makes their fine chocolates with quality ingredients, which is arguably why they range in price in the real world and online is a bit more than other chocolate bars! With the primary ingredients being milk chocolate (41% cacao), beef jerky, and salt, the Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate bars are a candy bar, not a legitimate source of nutrition needed to survive. That said, Wild Ophelia uses natural ingredients and organic ingredients where possible; none of the ingredients are unpronounceable. In a full 56 gram serving (2 ounce), there are 290 calories, 170 of which are from fat. This represents 30% of one’s RDA of fat (54% of the RDA of saturated fat). Each bar has 150 mg of Sodium (which makes sense given that there is smoked salt in the bars!) and 5 grams of protein. There is a smattering of Calcium (8% RDA) and Iron (25% RDA), but no other vitamins and minerals. In other words, this is not a snack to try to survive on.

While the bars are all natural with no artificial ingredients and have no preservatives, they do contain soy, milk, and real meat. As well, there is an allergy warning for tree nuts and peanuts. Obviously, with the beef jerky and milk, these bars are not Vegan-compliant.

Storage/Clean-Up

Because the chocolate is generally hard, but a milk chocolate, the Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate bars are somewhat susceptible to heat. These should be kept cool in order to not melt, but I have not had any problems with mine. As long as they are kept cool and dry, these bars will last almost a year (the ones my wife gave me yesterday would have lasted until February 17, 2018, had it not been devoured by my wife and I).

Clean-up is easy, so long as the chocolate does not melt. The Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate bars have wrappers that ought to be properly disposed of, but otherwise, the chocolate washes off skin and non-porous surfaces. It the chocolate melts onto fabric, consult a fabric guide.

Overall

The Wild Ophelia Beef Jerky & Smoked Salt Chocolate Bar varied in flavor - our first bite had jerky, but none of the rest of the bar did. As a result, this was an unfortunately erratic representation of chocolate and jerky, but an amazing chocolate and salt bar.

For other chocolate, please check out my reviews of:
Trader Joe's Marbled Mint Crunch Chocolate Bar
Russell Stover Freeze-It Mint Chocolate Chip In Dark Chocolate
Lindt Dark Pineapple Chocolate Bars

8/10

For more food reviews, please check out my Food Review Index Page!

© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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Midnight Release Party Snack! Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate Bar!

The Good: An interesting mix of peanuts and chocolate, High quality, Does not melt easily
The Bad: A bit expensive, More peanut than peanut butter flavored.
The Basics: The Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate Bars are an interesting alternative to sweet treats like Reese’s Peanut Butter cups and are a high quality way to get a chocolate/peanut fix!


As fans of the franchise queue up for the DVD/Blu-Ray release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (reviewed here!), it’s a good idea to bring a snack! Tonight, the snack I’m recommending is the Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bar. Representing Panem District 6 is the “Transportation” Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bar. This chocolate bar is good, but calls to mind an argument I made when reviewing the Lindt Peanut Butter Lindor Truffles (reviewed here!): if you’re going to make something that tastes like a Reese’s Peanut Butter cup, you have to work real hard to justify charging quite a bit more.

The Wild Ophelia Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate Bars do not suffer from that same conceit; they do not attempt to mimic the popular, inexpensive Reese’s/Hershey’s product. Instead, Wild Ophelia makes a distinctive, solid candy bar with minimal peanut butter and more broken up pieces of peanuts. That might make it more like a Mr. Goodbar or a Crunchy Peanut Butter Cup, but the distinction is enough to take note of. Those looking for a blend of chocolate and peanut butter are likely to be more disappointed than those looking for an incredible combination of milk chocolate and peanuts.

Basics

The Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate Bar is a solid milk chocolate bar with peanut chunks embedded in it (visible and felt on the bottom, which is more textured than most of the Wild Ophelia bars) from Wild Ophelia. Each 2 oz. chocolate bar is wrapped in a cardboard wrapper indicating that it is from District 6. Inside the cardboard case is a thick metallic plastic wrapper (with a seam resembling a Pop Tart more than a chocolate bar). The actual chocolate bar is 4 1/2” long by 2 13/16” wide by 1/4” thick. The bar has no identifying marks or logos on it, but it is segmented to make three 1 1/2” wide by 2 13/16” long bars. The top features ribbing that give the bar a very Art Deco look that is identical to all of the other The Hunger Games: Catching Fire bars I was able to find.

The chocolate is not at all waxy, but it is softer than some of the other Wild Ophelia bars. Individually, the bars are found in the $3.99 range, which is expensive, though I found mine on clearance for $2.99. They are expensive compared to other chocolate and peanut candies, though they taste like they are made with better chocolate and real peanuts!

Ease Of Preparation

Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bars are chocolate, not making your own peanut butter with peanuts you’ve grown yourself! Preparing them is as easy as unwrapping the candy bar. Because the chocolate is a premium chocolate product, I recommend eating this a little at a time, not just biting right into the bar.

Taste

The Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate chocolate bar smells delightfully like both sweet chocolate and peanut butter. The Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bars have an aroma that is very natural (the peanuts smell like peanuts, not like the inside of a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup – there is a difference!) and the chocolate scent foreshadows the flavor wonderfully.

On the tongue, the flavor of peanuts and peanut butter dominates. The Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate chocolate bar has an instantly nutty flavor, cut by the sweet, rich chocolate flavor of the chocolate coating. Interestingly, the chocolate coating keeps the nut flavor from being overly dry, so these chocolate bars carry a very true peanut and peanut butter flavor, without having a salty or dry aspect to it. This allows the buttery flavor of peanuts to blend with the chocolate flavor in a very organic way, as opposed to having the two flavors competing in the mouth.

The The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bar has a sweet aftertaste that endures on the tongue for about thirty seconds.

Nutrition

Wild Ophelia makes their fine chocolates with quality ingredients, which is arguably why they range in price in the real world and online anywhere from $2.99 - $10/bar! With the primary ingredients being milk chocolate (41% cacao), peanut butter, and dry roasted runner peanuts, the Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bars are a candy bar, not a legitimate source of nutrition needed to survive. Because they use real peanuts they have a little more in the way of calories than some of the other Wild Ophelia bars. Wild Ophelia uses natural ingredients and organic ingredients where possible; none of the ingredients are unpronounceable. In a 1 ounce serving (which is unfortunate because the seams make the bar breakable into thirds, not halves!), there are 160 calories, 100 of which are from fat. This represents 17% of one’s RDA of fat (29% of the RDA of saturated fat). Each bar has 25 mg of Sodium and 3 grams of protein. There is a smattering of Calcium (4% RDA), Iron (10% RDA) and Magnesium (6% RDA), but no other vitamins and minerals. In other words, this is not a snack to try to survive on.

While the bars are all natural with no artificial ingredients and have no preservatives, they do contain soy, peanuts, and milk. As well, there is an allergy warning for tree nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, milk, wheat, and soy. Obviously, with the milk, these The Hunger Games: Catching Fire bars are not Vegan-compliant, though they are Gluten-free.

Storage/Clean-Up

Because the chocolate is soft, as most milk chocolate is, the Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bars are somewhat susceptible to heat. These should be kept cool in order to not melt. As long as they are kept cool and dry, these bars will last almost a year (the one I picked up at the beginning of the week would have lasted until August 26, 2014, had I not consumed it already).

Clean-up is easy, so long as the chocolate does not melt. The Wild Ophelia Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate bars have wrappers that ought to be properly disposed of, but otherwise, the chocolate washes off skin and non-porous surfaces. It the chocolate melts onto fabric, consult a fabric guide.

Overall

The Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Crunchy Runner Peanuts In Peanut Butter And Milk Chocolate Bar is good and actually fills the consumer up, but it’s not an extraordinary option for the price, making it a slightly tougher sell than some other chocolate and peanut/peanut butter candies.

For other Wild Ophelia The Hunger Games: Catching Fire candy bars, please check out my reviews of:
District 12 Mining Mined Salt And Milk Chocolate Bars
District 5 Power Crispy Crunchy Caramel Corn And Dark Chocolate Bar
District 7 Lumber Smoked Chipotle Chili And Milk Chocolate Bar
District 10 Livestock Beef Jerky & Smoked Mesquite And Milk Chocolate Bars
District 3 Technology Arabica Coffee & Crystal Salt And Dark Chocolate Bars

6.5/10

For more chocolate reviews, please check out my Chocolate Review Index Page for an organized listing!

© 2014 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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