Plima Double IPA (The Garden Brewery) By @SpectreUK

I have a curry takeaway tonight. A treat for a hard few days. One mom is still in hospital after 9 weeks from a fall and various infections, and my own mom has a habit of falling over in her flat. She has an alarm necklace, but my sister worried when she didn't answer a regular call, and also many calls later, so out we went around midnight last night. She's okay, just really hard of hearing, and was in bed asleep. The mind can spiral terribly to every worse case scenario.

I reckon this Plima Double IPA will help to cheer me up and wash down my Lamb Rogan Josh with chips. At 7.4% in volume the front of the can mentions citrus and berry hops, with creamy flavours of coconut. Produced by The Garden Brewey, in Croatia, Extra Pale, wheat flakes, wheat malt, and oat flakes, were used in the brewing, as well as Citra, Amarillo, and Sabro hops were used, and also JuiceMachine yeast.

On opening the can this hazy pale ale poured with a frothy excitable head. There was a strong predominant berry smell that I wasn't familiar with from other India Pale Ales, with a slight citrus aroma as well as wheat and malted barley.

On taste Plima Double IPA had a warming spicy berry bitterness to begin with that was perfect against the frosty frozen landscape outside. A little citrus hops followed all those berries, with body from the oats, and sweetness from the pale malts and wheat.

Gorgeous with my Lamb curry and chips the spices and berries in Plima really complemented all the lamb spicy goodness. I'd definitely have this again.

Snickers Fruit and Nut Bar (Asda) By @Cinabar

While browsing the aisles of Asda, I stumbled upon the Snickers Fruit and Nut Bar. Positioned near the cashier, it caught my eye as a potential treat to reward myself after a tiring day. Its packaging suggested a new twist on the classic Snickers bar, but my curiosity quickly turned into scepticism as I unwrapped it at home.

The familiar aroma of peanuts and chocolate greeted me as I opened the bar, it had a hint of the traditional Snickers. However, its appearance told a different story. About one whole peanut adorned the top, accompanied by a smattering of other peanut bits. The base was coated with a thin layer of chocolate, with a drizzle over the top, but it was clear this wasn’t the Snickers we all know.

A closer inspection of the ingredients revealed why. Snickers bars are famed for their indulgent combination of chocolate, caramel, peanuts, and nougat. This bar, however, was decidedly different. The caramel and nougat were missing entirely, replaced with a base primarily made of dates. Yes, dates! Not exactly what I associate with the fun Snickers brand.

The texture was pleasant enough, with the dates providing a chewy base and the peanuts adding a bit of crunch. There was just enough chocolate to keep things sweet, and the overall flavour was enjoyable. However, it didn’t feel like a treat in the way a classic Snickers does. Instead, it leaned heavily into the “health bar” territory, more suitable as a snack for those looking to curb a sweet tooth while staying in the January spirit.

In conclusion, the Snickers Fruit and Nut Bar is a tasty option if you’re seeking a healthier alternative, but it falls short of delivering the indulgence promised by the Snickers name. The branding feels slightly off for a bar that’s more health-conscious than indulgent, and while it’s pleasant enough, it doesn’t quite live up to the expectations set by its famous predecessor. Have you tried this bar? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Jaffa Cake - Special Cola Bottles Edition [@NLi10]

 McVitie's long ago realised that only the smallest of changes to the Jaffa Cakes recipe was needed to get us to pick a box up.  And we buy them all - they even have their own category on this site. Gradually they are straying further from the hallowed ground of the Orange to other Citrus Fruits, then other fruity things, and now technically I guess nut flavoured things.  

Well natural flavourings approximating the cola nut I assume.  Mr Whiskers is interested eitherway.

Only 10 in a pack now - that's another gradual change

And they still seem to be shrinking.

But - a fresh-from-the-pack official Jaffa Cake is still a thing of great beauty, and a less acidy flavour like Cola means you can happily eat a portion of 3 without batting an eyelid

Less 'jaffa' than before too - but all things in balance.

These taste like a weak cola bottle on a jaffa cake base, which is still plenty good enough.  Gone are the days when I'd get through a box of 36 Tesco own brand Jaffa Cakes in a week, so I'll settle for having these decent quality ones in a variety of flavours every so often.

Golden Wonder Fully Flavoured Sausage & Tomato Crisps By @SpectreUK

At the beginning of December I was supposed to have a promotional Golden Wonder Advent Calendar. I was really excited about that, as I love Golden Wonder crisps. However, something happened along the way and sadly the advent calendar was not available. Golden wonder sent us a big box of different flavours of crisps to make up for that. Of course, they didn't have to.

In amongst those crisps were these Golden Wonder Fully Flavoured Sausage & Tomato. I haven't had these before, though the Fully Flavoured Salt & Vinegar and also Cheese & Onion flavours in the big box were really flavoursome, so I had to try these Fully Flavoured Sausage & Tomato crisps.

On opening the packet these Golden Wonder Fully Flavoured Sausage & Tomato crisps smelt like a good meaty pork sausage with added sage, and there was the smell of paprika spice covering the orange coloured crisps, followed by a good tomato ketchup aroma.

On first crunchy taste these Golden Wonder Fully Flavoured Sausage & Tomato crisps packed a spicy tomato punch to begin with, followed by pork sausage and a little sage. Gorgeous and flavoursome, these crisps were definitely Fully Flavoured, and I'd have them again.

Information on the packet; The 32.5g bag had 167 calories, with 9.4g of fat, 0.8g of sugar, and 0.45g of salt. Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans, and with no artificial preservatives or colours, please see photograph for the ingredients.

Popcorn Flavour Maltesers Bunny (Sainsbury’s) By @Cinabar

Maltesers Bunny chocolates have become a familiar sight over the years, much like the Cadbury Creme Egg. I’ve always enjoyed them as a smaller treat, perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up. This year, alongside the regular Maltesers Bunny, we have a new twist: the Popcorn Flavour Maltesers Bunny, which sounded intriguing.

Upon opening the packet, the Bunny looks identical to the regular version, with no obvious hints of its unique flavour, aside from a subtle aroma. Breaking off a piece, the popcorn scent became a little more noticeable.

Taste-wise, I found the Popcorn Flavour Maltesers Bunny rather delightful. The thick, creamy chocolate shell was just as satisfying as always, and the filling retained the classic malty taste. The popcorn flavour complemented it surprisingly well, adding an almost nutty note that I really enjoyed.

However, there’s a twist, small bits within the filling attempt to replicate the sensation of eating popcorn, hopefully without it getting stuck in your teeth! While I’m not sure I needed that level of authenticity, the overall experience was still lovely.

These are definitely worth a try for anyone who loves a playful twist on a classic chocolate treat.