Califia Farms Peppermint Mocha (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Well, the weather is hot and I have a new cup specially for milkshakes and iced coffees, so of course I couldn’t resist browsing to see what drinks I could pick up. I spotted this Califia Farms Peppermint Mocha on the Ocado site and gave it a try.

It arrived in a good sized bottle. The drink is fairly thick and has a lovely minty aroma. It filled my huge cup to the brim and still had enough left to go back in the fridge.

This drink is dairy free. I’m not dairy intolerant, I just wanted to try it, and the peppermint flavour sounded perfect for the sunshine. I was impressed with the first sip. Coffee, mint and chocolate could have felt like too much in one cup, but the flavours were really well balanced. It’s sweet from the chocolate with plenty of cocoa, the coffee comes through nicely, and then the peppermint adds a refreshing finish with a proper minty kick. It reminded me of melted After Eights in an iced coffee. Pure yum.

Whatever you are drinking, do remember to stay hydrated in all this heat.

Tetley Chocolate and Mint Tart Tea (Morrisons) By @cinabar

I can’t resist trying teas that are a bit different, and this one from Tetley sounded like fun. These are Chocolate and Mint Tart tea bags, and as someone who loves a choc-mint combo, I was definitely in. That said, I don’t think I’ve ever actually eaten a chocolate mint tart. Chocolate tart, yes, but not with added mint. I would if I saw one, though.

 

I opened the box and found the tea bags are round. The instructions said to brew for 3 minutes, so I put the kettle on and followed along. Interestingly, it also mentioned the tea could be served with a splash of milk, so I did. You’d never add milk to plain peppermint tea, so I appreciated the guidance.

Once it was ready, I gave it a sip and really enjoyed the flavour. There’s a mild sweetness from the chocolate, but the cocoa comes through more strongly, and the mint shines. It’s a very soothing drink, and I preferred it to plain peppermint thanks to that subtle chocolate twist. It would make an ideal after-dinner tea, peppermint to aid digestion and just enough sweetness to round things off.

It’s always good to try something new, and I’ll definitely enjoy the rest of these Tetley Chocolate and Mint Tart tea bags, a refreshing and unique treat.

The Shamrock Shake (McDonald's) By @Cinabar

Monday is St Patrick’s Day, a time to celebrate Ireland’s patron saint. McDonald's contribution is the new Shamrock Shake, a milkshake inspired by the lucky Irish shamrock. It is green in colour, but thankfully not shamrock flavoured. That would probably just taste leafy. This new drink is peppermint, and I couldn’t resist picking one up as a Friday treat.

When the milkshake arrived, I could see that it was green, but only mildly so. A brighter shade might have put me off. I gave it a taste and found it sweet and very minty. I had expected something similar to mint choc chip ice cream, but without the chocolate, all that remained was intense sweetness and mint. I really liked it and found it refreshing, but I do love mint. I also have a sweet tooth, so this worked well for me, though I can imagine it being a bit much for some.

As much as I enjoyed the Shamrock Shake, it doesn’t beat the limited-edition blueberry Grimace Shake. Still, it is worth trying, and don’t forget to raise a glass (or a cardboard cup) to St Patrick.

Terry’s Chocolate Mint Minis (Tesco) By @Cinabar

After trying Lindt Lindor Dark Mint, I’d almost convinced myself that the only chocolate mint for me was After Eights. But I know there are plenty of other great chocolate mint combinations out there, so I decided to see if anything new had popped up. It is Christmas, after all, and mint, like cinnamon, feels like a flavour of the season.

This year, Terry’s has stepped away from their iconic oranges to release their Mint Chocolate range, and I must say, I’m a fan. Alongside it, they’ve introduced these Terry’s Chocolate Mint Minis, which looked irresistibly cute on the shelf, so naturally, I picked up a bag.

The packaging is pretty and festive, but my first impressions weren’t entirely positive. The “peel here” tab on the back turned out to be more of a “rip it here awkwardly and hope for the best” situation. To make matters worse, the bag isn’t resealable, which feels like an oversight. The chocolates themselves had rubbed together inside the bag, so they lacked the polished, glossy finish you get with the full-sized version. A little disappointing.

However, once I got past the packaging quirks, I was pleasantly surprised. These bite-sized chocolates are adorable, and the flavour is absolutely spot on. The milk chocolate is creamy and sweet, and the mint shines through beautifully. The crunchy texture from the mint crystals mixed into the chocolate adds a satisfying bite. Taste-wise, they’re a complete win.

That said, I’m not entirely sold on the value of miniaturisation in this case. While the smaller size is undeniably cute, I’m not sure it offers much beyond aesthetics compared to the full-sized Terry’s (not an) Orange.

Lindt Lindor Dark Mint Chocolate Truffles (Ocado) By @Cinabar

My brain was expecting After Eights, and it couldn’t let go of the comparison. I love After Eights; we only have them occasionally, but I’ve eaten so many over the years that I can taste them perfectly in my mind. When Lindt Lindor released their Dark Mint Chocolate Truffles, the first whisper from my subconscious was: giant After Eight in a ball. Naturally, I had to track them down.

I managed to get a box in an online grocery order and immediately tucked in. Unfortunately, all I could do was compare them to After Eights, and yes, I did feel bad about it. The chocolate shell is a proper dark chocolate: slightly bitter with a strong cocoa flavour, and not at all sweet. The filling is minty and creamy, making it much milder. While there’s plenty of peppermint, it doesn’t deliver that intense, sweet, minty blast of fondant I was hoping for. Instead, it’s subtler and less sugary.

If this Lindt Lindor Dark Mint Chocolate Truffles had been the first mint chocolates I’d ever tried, I think I’d have been quite pleased. But years of After Eights have conditioned me to expect more sweetness and a triple hit of peppermint. Because of that, I came away a little disappointed, wishing for a bolder flavour. Oh well, perhaps I’ll add a box of After Eights to my next shop, just for old times’ sake.

Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

There have been a lot of new flavours of coffee recently. I’m certainly not complaining, but it seems you can buy an epic array of varieties of flavoured coffee and a very limited selection of interesting hot chocolates. I’m a little bit sad about the lack of hot chocolates, but happy to stock up on interesting coffee.

This is another one in the form of instant sachets: Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha. That sounds like a lot of flavours in one drink, but I’m more than happy to give it a go. I opened a sachet and put it into a mug. I added hot water and stirred. Then I followed the instructions, waiting the prescribed 20 seconds before stirring again. Why does it then ask me to tap the mug on the table? I did because I’m good at following instructions, but what does that step do?

Anyway, once it was cooled, I gave it a sip, and the drink was rather lovely. The main focus on flavour is the coffee and chocolate, and the mint is there, adding a refreshing edge to the drink. I’m a peppermint lover; I’d have dialled up the flavour on the mint, but that might be a personal taste. Perhaps I just need to add cream and some Aero Peppermint Bubbles for that extra effect? Either way, I will enjoy the rest of the sachets of this Nescafe Aero Peppermint Mocha, and fingers crossed they will make a hot chocolate too at some point. 

Junior Mints Minis (Petrol Station) By @Cinabar

It has been a while since I tied Junior Mints and I really liked them, but it is much easier to find Mint Poppets than imported sweets at a reasonable price. I recently spotted these Junior Mints Minis at a petrol station here in the UK, and I couldn’t resist picking up a bag. As a fan of chocolate mint, I was excited to try this mini version of the popular American treat, which I haven’t seen before. I also like that they are in a re-sealable bag, I wish more sweets did this. 

Pouring some out, I noticed how small they were and was initially worried that the balance of mint and chocolate might be off. Some products come in giant or mini versions, and it changes the flavour a bit. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I gave one a try. Despite their size, the peppermint flavour was prominent and paired perfectly with the dark chocolate, making them absolutely delicious. In fact, there was still a wonderfully minty blast and the rich, smooth dark chocolate working perfectly together. 

The chocolate mints are fairly soft; there is a slightly firmer texture from the chocolate coating, but they are certainly not hard mints. This soft texture makes them easy to eat, and  I absolutely love chocolate mint. Overall, Junior Mints Minis are refreshing and tasty, as a chocolate-mint lover I am really pleased a bought a bag. 

Terry’s Chocolate (Not Orange) Mint (Ocado) By @Cinabar

I know the weather isn’t great, but I just don’t think psychologically I’m ready to skip straight to Christmas. Everyone knows we get new Terry’s Chocolate Orange editions at Christmas, yet here we are in July with this Terry’s Chocolate Mint (ok, it doesn’t actually say orange, but it is the same shape). 

As I have experience with Terry’s Chocolate Oranges, I know to tap the ball of chocolate before unwrapping it, as this loosens the segments, so that is what I did. Once unwrapped, all the pieces fell apart nicely for sharing. As this is a mint chocolate, I assumed it would be made with dark chocolate, but once the wrapper was off, I spotted that it was made with milk chocolate.

I took a piece of Terry’s Chocolate Mint and gave it a try. There is some serious mint in this chocolate, and it was an absolute blast of peppermint chocolate goodness. I love mint; I’m really glad the flavour is strong, and as you chew, all the sweet, creamy tones of chocolate shine through. This is a delight to eat. I meant to stop after only four pieces, but you know it is a bit good. 

I don’t know why we have a new flavour in the summer, but I am rather pleased with how yummy this Terry’s Chocolate Orange is. You could always add a piece to a bowl of mint chocolate-chip ice cream as the perfect summer topping, or just eat it straight from the wrapper like I did. 

Poppets: Minty Brownies (B&M) By @Cinabar

This is a bit of a strange crossover for the brand Poppets, as they are stepping into the cake market. I associate Poppets with the boxes of sweets, and the mint ones are little peppermint sweets coated in chocolate, which I really like. Here we have a box of five, individually packed, Poppets Minty Brownies.

Inside the box are the five cakes in the branded wrapper. Each brownie also has chocolate pieces mixed in. I opened the wrapper and found that they were also in paper cases. They looked quite cute. Once you see the final size of the cake, multiply it by 5 and try to work out why the box is so big. I was a bit lost. I guess the goal was to stand out on the shelf with a large box and imply that the cakes are huge. 

The Poppets Minty Brownies were nice, though. The sponge was moist and soft, and it had a light crispiness to the top. The flavour was nice and chocolatey, and there was a good hint of mint; it wasn’t overpowering like an actual Mint Poppet. I enjoyed the brownie; it was a nice treat. The smaller size meant that the calories were lower too, just 110 kcal per brownie, so a nice treat with a coffee even if you are watching the calories. 

I think there was an opportunity missed in making them a proper tie-in with Mint Poppets. They should each have a Mint Poppet on top, or Mint Poppet pieces in each cake. To just make a chocolate mint-flavoured brownie and call it Poppets just seems a bit like they weren’t really trying to link the cake to the brand and were focused on just getting the logo on the box. 

Cadbury Triple Decker Mint Edition (CandyMail) By @Cinabar

I think I have to start by saying, I bought green chocolate! Mint and chocolate are a fairly common combination (think Mint Twirl, After Eight, etc.), but actually making the chocolate a green colour is a braver choice. This Triple Decker Mint Edition bar is from Cadbury, but it is imported from Australia; perhaps they are braver with coloured chocolate there. 

Inside the pack is a large sharing bar, and the green shines through, but there are actually three layers: milk chocolate, green mint chocolate, and a topping of white chocolate. 

I gave the bar a try and really loved it. The texture is that of solid chocolate, but when I bit, it seemed to split into the three pieces a little bit. The mint is lovely and strong, and my senses were filled with sweet peppermint, followed by the creamy white chocolate that seemed to be dominant in the flavour. This gave the bar a nice, soothing, refreshing feel, and I had to remember that it was meant for sharing and not to accidentally eat the whole thing while watching Netflix. What a delight this Cadbury Triple Decker Mint Edition is! I wish they would bring it out in the UK, and I even forgive the green colour. 

After Eight Mini Eggs (Iceland) By @Cinabar

After Eights have an association with Christmas for me; they are a regular stocking filler at that time of year. In terms of chocolate sales, Easter is a big business, so here we have a special edition of them called After Eight Mini Eggs. They need to get in on the Easter chocolate celebrations and gifting.

These mini eggs are in a bag, not a box, and there are no cute paper envelopes; instead, there are foil wrappers. I hate foil wrappers. I tried to get into my first egg, and I was scratching it with my nail, then it broke into tiny pieces, which was super annoying. This is supposed to be a treat; I want something that just opens.

Once I had shredded my way into the little chocolate eggs, I rather liked them. The ratio of chocolate to filling is rather different; the chocolate here is much thicker than the thin shell on a traditional After Eight. There is still a decent amount of minty filling, and they taste lovely. Purely based on the packaging, I’d much rather buy a box of regular After Eights for a chocolate mint treat.

Dunkin’ Mint Hot Chocolate Bomb (Import Shop) By @Cinabar

I love hot chocolate season. I drink it all year, so for me, hot chocolate season isn’t about increasing how much I drink; it is about being able to find lots of new and interesting products. Here we have something I found in an import shop, from a chain in the USA called Dunkin’ Donuts. I’m fine with the missing ‘g’ in the brand name; these things don’t bother me at all.

So this is a Dunkin’ Mint Hot Chocolate Bomb, the idea being that you add it to a mug and add hot milk to activate it. I opened up the box and found the foil-coated ball inside. The foil was very sparkly, and I’m not sure the photo does it justice. I unwrapped it, added it to the mug, and added my hot milk (from the microwave).

The ball spins when the milk is poured; eventually, it melts enough to get a hole and then splits and is flipped open to show the marshmallows hidden inside.

I did then give the drink a bit of a stir to make sure the chocolate was all dissolved and mixed in before I gave it a try. The chocolate used in this is Belgian chocolate, and it mixed in nicely. The flavour was quite rich and fuller than I expected. Being American, I assumed it would be sweeter than it was. My sweet tooth loves American Swiss Miss Cocoa, and I think I thought that was their default for this sort of drink. My Dunkin’ Mint Hot Chocolate Bomb was well balanced, with the mint not too strong and the chocolate shining through. I very much enjoyed it. The marshmallows on top were a pretty addition and looked lovely on top. I wish I had picked up a few more when I was in the shop, as it was a delight to drink.

Terry’s Chocolate Mint (Tesco) By @cinabar

Terry’s has done other flavours over the years for Chocolate Oranges, but mostly they are still orange-flavoured, i.e., white chocolate and orange or orange and popping candy. I do remember a mint one from a few years back, but it was definitely with dark chocolate and this mint and milk chocolate. I love chocolate mint, so I was really pleased to see this new edition on the shelves.

 

I opened up the pack and found a green foiled ball of chocolate. I tapped it, which should release all the pieces, and unwrapped it. A couple fell loose, and the rest were happily stuck! So I gave it a bit of encouragement and managed to rescue a few to try.

This works really well, and I was impressed that the mint flavour was as strong as it was. It was very cool and refreshing and a little sharp, but it was mellowed by the silky, thick sweet milk chocolate. Oh my, this is moreish stuff. I loved that the mint flavour was full-on; it was almost like the blast from an After Eight. Each piece had such a creamy chocolate aftertaste too; I am hooked. I’d be more than happy to get one of these as a stocking filler, and it is certainly something I’ll buy again to share, at least when I can work out how to separate the pieces a bit better.

Ambrosia Dessert Pots: Belgian Chocolate and Mint (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I suppose Ambrosia is a victim of their own success. You say Ambrosia, and I can’t get past the idea of custard and rice pudding. Turns out they have a few other items under their belt. I spotted these Ambrosia Dessert Pots, flavoured with Belgian Chocolate and Mint, in the supermarket and thought it sounded like a nice mid-week treat.

I think I might have been expecting a mousse, but inside it was like a chocolate custard, which, being Ambrosia, made sense. Underneath, there was a minty green custard too, so it had a contrast in colour. I gave it a try, and it was a lovely, thick, minty chocolate substance. The mint wasn’t too strong, and the chocolate was sweet and rich with plenty of cocoa. It had a nice creamy texture, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. This isn’t exactly what I was expecting as a dessert, but I’ll certainly look out for any other flavours of Ambrosia Dessert Pots, as they made a nice sweet treat.

Fox’s Chewy Mints - Peppermint (Iceland) By @cinabar

It has been a long time since I last had Fox’s Mints. I used to associate Fox’s Glacier Mints with car journeys as a kid, as there would always be some boiled sweets in the car. I haven’t seen much in the way of new products from Fox’s for a while, so I was excited to see these new chewy mints, which are a complete change of format for them too.

 

Inside the bag are individually wrapped rectangular mints in a cute blue wrapper with polar bears and mints on them. The mints inside are white with blue speckles, a little bit of colour but fairly plain, really. I gave one a try, and it started off quite hard and then became chewy, but not good chewy. These mints were sticky and stuck to my teeth as I chewed. I guess this is the texture they are aiming for; I just don’t think it is my cup of tea. I prefer a Starburst type of texture, chewy but not so sticky. Flavour-wise, they are sweet and minty, the peppermint is nice and pleasant, but it isn’t as strong as Fox’s Glacier Mints. I liked the flavour, but the texture has put me off.

Fox’s Sugar Free Glacier Moments - Lemon, Mint and Elderflower (Co-Op) By @SpectreUK

It's not often I try boiled sweets these days. I'm usually into the biscuits or chocolates before I go anywhere near anything resembling sweets, boiled or otherwise. I do like gummies, and especially sour gummies, but I only seem to eat mints at work in case I have a meeting after lunch.

I've always loved Fox's Glacier Mints, so these Fox's Sugar Free Glacier Moments - Lemon, Mint and Elderflower should be good. They come in a perfect pocket sized pick me up breath freshener. At 8 calories per boiled sweet, they don't hit the bank balance particularly hard for my calories intake per day.

The only trouble is that the cardboard box doesn't seem to fasten shut when open, say like a box of tea, so I wouldn't want to jump around too much if they were open in my jacket. Not that I jump around that much at work anyway. I leave that to the younger ones.

On opening the box there was a fruity minty aroma to the yellow rounded boiled sweets inside. On first taste I thought instantly that these Fox's Sugar Free Glacier Moments - Lemon, Mint and Elderflower tasted a lot like a solid block of mouthwash. I know I said that I wanted my breath fresh, but not that fresh. Wow, they really aren't for me. Sorry.

Twirl Mint (Candy Mail) By @Cinabar

I know caramel is very much the in flavour at the minute, but take a look abroad, where they are increasing many interesting varieties of bars. I am particularly jealous of the mint flavoured goodies. I imported these bars from an import candy shop because I really wanted to give them a try, and limited edition UK Twirls aren’t very common here, unfortunately. This bar originated in Australia, but it does look much like the UK version, except for the addition of lovely mint.

I opened up the pack and found two Twirl Mint bars inside, with just a light mint and chocolate aroma. They do look smaller than the UK ones, but I’m not sure if that is my imagination. I gave one a try, and the bar was crumbly, but unlike a Flake, it held together thanks to the milk chocolate coating. Always a good texture with a Twirl, though. The flavour was a delight, creamy, sweet milk chocolate with a refreshing burst of peppermint all mixed in. It was well balanced in flavour and fresh, a proper delight to eat. I do like mint chocolate, and I realise I have to search around for it, especially as we seem to be in caramel season once again.

Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs (Tesco) By @Cinabar

My favourite things about food in general is a mix of textures. I like interesting textures, so aerated chocolate is always a winner for me. I like that it looks solid but bubbles and melts away when you bite into it. I also like the combination of mint and chocolate, so when I saw these Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs, I knew I was buying a bag. I know Easter is still a way off, but I do like the snack bags (and boxes) of chocolate eggs, just as a treat.

Inside the bag are very pretty-looking small eggs, half green and half milk chocolate. The colour split is horizontal rather than vertical. There are no annoying foil or wrappers around them either, which is a win, so why slow down the chocolate consumption?

They do taste just like an Aero Mint chocolate bar, with the same balance of mint and cocoa flavours. Admittedly, there is nothing new taste-wise, but they are a cute snack. Perfect for sharing while watching a movie; again, the lack of wrappers is a plus. All in all, I really enjoyed the Aero Peppermint Mini Eggs.

Candy Cane Peeps Marshmallow Chicks (Candy Mail) By @Cinabar

I think I may have mentioned it a few times on here, but I love that there are so many hot chocolates around right now. I can’t help stocking the cupboards because I drink this all year, and outside of the Christmas season, interesting flavours are hard to find. The other awesome thing about hot chocolate is marshmallow, and I couldn’t resist trying the Candy Cane Peeps Marshmallow Chicks.

 

Peeps are traditionally shaped like chicks, but they come in a variety of designs and flavours. These are traditional chicks, but they are speckled and mint-flavored, which makes them ideal. I layered a bed of cream on my hot chocolate and let one of the Candy Cane Peeps Marshmallow Chicks float on top. Because I love theming, the hot chocolate was also peppermint. I gave my marshmallow a try, and it was lovely. The mint was sweet and fairly strong; there was plenty of peppermint, but not enough to be overpowering. It was just the right amount, and it worked perfectly with the hot chocolate. These look super cute and very Instagrammable on top of a hot chocolate, but they are also tasty and well flavoured which is what matters when you are drinking it. I think these might be my favourite variety yet.

Mint Flavour Drinking Chocolate (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

So it turns out I have a hot chocolate problem. If you could see the shelves in my cupboard, you would understand that I have every flavour I can find. I have blonde cocoa, orange hot chocolate, gingerbread, you name it. High Street coffee shops have nothing on me.I know how much hot chocolate I already own, but guess what? I spotted a new flavour in Sainsbury's, and yeah, it ended up in my basket. Send help. 

In my defence, mint chocolate is one of my favourites, so how could I resist this tub of Mint Flavour Drinking Chocolate from Marks and Spencer? This is a drink made with milk, so I heated some up and stirred in 3 teaspoons; it mixed in really well without lumps. The flavour was sweet and minty and very well balanced. There is more mint here than in the Hotel Chocolat version, and I think this one has the edge. It is a sweeter, creamier chocolate too, which is perfect for these cold nights. This is one of the hot chocolates I will really miss when it disappears after Christmas. I’d go back and buy another tub, but frankly, the cupboard is already full! I should post a picture!