Options Winter Spice Hot Chocolate (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I am so excited that hot chocolate season is here! I love seeing all the new flavours and, yes, I’ve already been told off by Spectre for buying too many. But if the cupboard still closes, there’s still room for more, right?

This one is made by Options, so it’s made with hot water rather than milk and is lower in calories than the milk-based versions. I was trying to work out if “Winter Spice” was just a code for pumpkin spice, extended to last through Christmas rather than only October, but honestly, I didn’t mind either way and happily took my new tub home.

Once home, I opened it, after struggling with the pull tab on the foil lid, which snapped (is that just me?). I tested the aroma first and could immediately smell the cinnamon (yay!) and, of course, lots of chocolate. When I added the hot water and mixed it, the aroma became even spicier and slightly fruity. A quick check of the back of the packet explained it: it’s a “Baked Apple and Cinnamon flavour instant hot chocolate drink”, much more specific than the front!

I gave it a sip, and as a lover of cinnamon, I was delighted. It’s chocolatey, spicy, and the apple adds a lovely fruity sweetness. It made me smile instantly and is such a comforting mix of warming flavours. It was so good that I’ve already added another tub to next week’s order, don’t tell Spectre!