Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky (double caramel)

Product name: Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky (double caramel)
Calories: 109 for half a 42g bar (218 per bar)
Country of origin: Bulgaria

I’ve been looking out for this Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky (double caramel) for a couple of weeks but was unsuccessful in the shops I’d visited. Thankfully, my colleague was able to locate it in a newsagent, although she refused payment so I don’t know how much it set her back!

I had been wondering why there’d been no advertising campaign around this variety but, on reading the gold-themed wrapper, I realised it had been imported by Nestlé Singapore so figured this was the reason.

The bar felt noticeably lighter and less, well...chunky, than the other varieties I’ve reviewed. It turned out that all the UK versions are 48g – it’s amazing what a difference those extra 6g made! The image on the wrapper showed that there was something else different about this bar, though, since it was split into two milk chocolate covered ‘chunks topped with contrasting fillings’: one contained smooth caramel and the other was crunchy with caramel pieces (the bar contained 3% caramel flakes overall). I was vaguely aware of this multi-flavour concept existing overseas but this was the first time I’d come across it in reality so I couldn’t wait to try it.

Still containing no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives, the chocolate looked a tiny bit paler than that used on the traditional Chunky. There was a nice, deep dent to make it easy to split the sections apart, although I did think it was silly that a portion was only supposed to be one half. The smooth side’s caramel had a lovely, gooey appearance, whilst the crunchy filling was a much milkier colour and contained lots of dark flecks. These toppings produced a really sweet scent that was more like caramel than chocolate but, if I hadn’t know that’s what it was, I’m not sure I would have made the connection.

I tried the runny side first and found that the thick, smooth caramel was properly soft and gooey. Its flavour contrasted really nicely against the chocolate and wafer and gave an overall feel of brown sugar.

I expected to prefer the crunchy side and thought it would be like a textured version of the old Kit Kat: Chunky (caramel). In reality, it was a lot sweeter than the other side of the bar, but not quite as enjoyable in comparison. However, it still tasted good, with the tiny pieces providing a buttery toffee flavour and a brittle-like texture that blended with the crispy wafer beneath.

In terms of the Chunky’s basic features, I found the smaller size was noticeable but, thankfully, the chocolate still felt pretty chunky. However, one thing that wasn’t quite as enjoyable was the wafer’s texture which was a little chewy in places. Whether this was down to a different recipe or just having softened from being in contact with the toppings, I’m not sure, but this was only a minor issue for me anyway.

Eating this bar was certainly a pleasurable experience and, whilst I preferred the smooth side, I could happily eat a whole bar of either flavour. I think Nestlé UK need to get more adventurous!

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 7.75/10

Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky (peanut butter)

Product name: Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky (peanut butter)
Purchase details: £0.60 for a 48g bar or three for £1.20 (tesco.com)
Calories: 259 per bar
Country of origin: UK

The Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky (peanut butter) is one of my all-time favourites. However, I’ve obviously been slacking as I know for a fact that, since I started this blog 14 months ago, I’ve only had one (and that didn’t even get a review as I ate it on a motorway journey!). This treat was certainly long overdue.

The ‘crisp wafer finger with a creamed peanut topping (19%) covered with milk chocolate (60%)’ came in a red Kit Kat-branded wrapper that feature a yellowy-orange panel to represent the flavour. I also noticed, for the first time, the clever way the recycling image on the back used the logo’s ‘K’ to look like a person putting rubbish in a bin!

The bar had the same outward appearance as the original Chunky but cutting it in two revealed its soft inner secret. The thick peanut butter layer was quite dark in colour and almost looked like a caramel. I also thought that the filling between the wafer sheets looked darker than normal and wondered if this could be peanut butter, too, but it turned out to be chocolate.

As soon I opened the wrapper, the aroma was apparent, with an emphasis on the peanut butter rather than the standard Kit Kat scent. Whilst this was good, it didn’t quite compare to an actual jar of peanut butter.

Obviously, the base flavour and texture was the same as the plain Chunky, but the 10% ground roasted peanuts and 2% peanut flour combined to provide a great flavour. It was nice and salty on the sides of the tongue, there was a peanut aftertaste, but the usual sweetness of the product was maintained.

I don’t know if anyone else ever has this problem, but I sometimes find that the chocolate on Kit Kats tastes a bit odd in places. I did find that here but I know from experience that it does tend to vary from bar to bar – it’s a taste I can’t compare to anything but, at the very least, it’s not a natural one. Thankfully, though, this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this particular bar and, overall, there was a great balance of salty and sweet flavours.

The soft, fudgy texture of the peanut butter transformed the bar so I couldn’t not give it full marks in that area! I just loved the way it practically collapsed, before the crisp, as I took each bite. Amazing.

I’m pleased to say that my love of the peanut butter Chunky hasn’t lessened – it’s still a fantastic product. The levels of salt and sugar can both seem a bit intense, at times, but I think this is a good thing as it stops me from eating too many at once! I’m still waiting for a white chocolate version, though, Nestlé.

Appearance: 8/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Texture: 10/10
Overall score: 8.38/10

Nestlé Kit Kat

Product name: Nestlé Kit Kat
Purchase details: £1.00 for a multipack of four four finger bars (Tesco Superstore)
Calories: 233 per 45g bar
Country of origin: UK

I ate a lot of two finger Kit Kats growing up but the four finger kind has always been a much rarer treat. I definitely prefer the depth of chocolate on the Kit Kat: Chunky, these days, but I figured I might as well review the original.

This bar contained the famous red branding and a nice image of the bar, but I did find it a bit strange that the fingers on the wrapper were completely smooth, rather than containing an imprint of the product logo – not very realistic! The packaging also followed suit with the other varieties by being made of glossy plastic rather than the paper and foil of my childhood.

Like most (if not all?) Nestlé products these days, the ‘four crispy wafer fingers covered with milk chocolate’ contained no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives. As well as this, the chocolate (66%) was part of their Cocoa Plan, and the cocoa, sugar and vanilla used in the recipe were all Fairtrade.

The rectangular bar was uniform in appearance but I did notice that the chocolate was a lot thinner on the base, where the wafer was clearly visible. What made me smile to myself, though, was the way that I’m now so familiar with the Chunky bars that I see these standard ones as a smaller version of them rather than the other way around!

Understandably, the sensory experiences on offer were largely unchanged from the Kit Kat: Chunky. The aroma was identical and the flavour was also the same, although I found it had a slightly metallic element to it. As for the texture, the wafer remained incredibly crispy but I found myself missing being able to bite off the chocolate layer on its own. However, this thinner outer lay didn’t detract from the overall chocolatey flavour, so I was very pleased about that.

You’ve got to love a classic like the Nestlé Kit Kat. Just do me a favour and make sure you eat them properly (finger by finger) – none of this, please!

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 7.63/10

Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky

Product name: Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky
Calories: 247 for a 48g bar

I still remember the day I started my love affair with the Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky. I was 10 years old and staying with an aunty during the Summer holidays. I was sat in the back of her car as she filled the tank with petrol and, before she went to pay, she asked me if I’d ever had one because she loved them. I told her I hadn’t and, when she emerged from the little shop, she handed my first ever Chunky in its classic red wrapper. As much as I liked the standard bars, I didn’t find them particularly exciting, so I wasn’t sure how this was going to be any different. It turned out she was right and, until the peanut butter version came out later, it was my favourite chocolate bar!

Anyway, this particular bar was a gift from a colleague (who was oblivious to the back story!) and was made for the UK and Ireland market. It contained no artificial flavours, colours or preservatives and was described as a ‘crispy wafer finger covered with thick milk chocolate’.

In terms of appearance, it looked exactly the same as the mint version, although I didn’t think the chocolate layer looked as thick as it used to, despite contributing to 67% of the product.

The aroma was the great, strong Kit Kat one I’ve grown accustomed to – pretty chocolatey and sweet. The chocolate wasn’t amazing quality but I still loved it since it had a good flavour and a deep sugary taste. The usual sweetness from the wafer tasted as fabulous as ever against this richer coating.

Of course, it’s the very chunkiness of the chocolate that made this bar what it was. I particularly loved biting off each end where the relatively soft chocolate was particularly thick. The ratio of chocolate to wafer basically produced the same great, chunky but crisp texture as the white choc version of the bar.

There’s no doubt about it...the Nestlé Kit Kat: Chunky will always hold a special place in my heart.

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 8.5/10
Overall score: 7.88/10