Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Butterscotch Crunch (GB Gifts) By @SpectreUK

Always a big fan of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate I hate to sound predictable, but I reckon I'm also going to be a big fan of this limited edition Cadbury's Dairy Milk Butterscotch Crunch.

Butterscotch has always been a favourite flavour of mine. I can never seem to find it anywhere. Of course, I love caramel and other sweet flavours such as honey and also Golden Syrup. I must admit that I haven't had a Butterscotch flavoured Angel Delight in years, and it's my favourite flavour!

Anyway, this Cadbury's Dairy Milk Butterscotch Crunch is recommended in two bite size 18g chunks at 95 calories each. Of course, I'm not going to eat one without the other. It's only sensible. I'm also going to wash this chocolate treat down with my favourite white hot chocolate drink. It's only fair since I've completed two boring reports in two days at work, and even after so much procrastination.

On opening the packet there was a bit of a beaten up chocolate bar inside. I'm not sure how it got here and by what means, but I definitely know where it's just about to go. On first crunchy taste the flavour of Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate washed around my mouth with its usual milk chocolaty creaminess. There was a slight crunch and sweetness from the added butterscotch crunchy pieces mixed in with the milk chocolate. I'd have preferred a slightly stronger flavour of butterscotch to be honest, but what flavour I did have I certainly enjoyed!

Information on the packet; Per 100g there are 525 calories, with 27g of fat, and 60.6g of sugar. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Hoisin Duck Quarter Pounders (Iceland) By @Cinabar

I spotted these new Hoisin Duck Quarter Pounders on the Iceland website and ordered some to try for tea. Spectre is fussy when it comes to burgers, I like to try different meats (I love both chicken and fish burgers) but Spectre likes beef burgers and usually won’t be swayed. I asked him if he fancied trying these Hoisin Duck Quarter Pounders and to my surprise he said yes so I bought a packet to try out.

These burgers grill/fry but on a sunny day would barbecue too. As it was raining we had them inside, served in a wholemeal bap with a bit of salad. Once cooked they looked much like beef burgers but the difference is all in the flavour. These are rich and meaty enough for Spectre to enjoy but they have that delicate duck taste too with a good helping of aromatic hoisin, they were a total success. I liked the definition of the flavour and thought they worked really well. I’m not sure what the right dressing is for them on a burger, we had a little mayo and a touch of chilli jam to add a bit of spice but I think they work well on their own too. Definitely one to get for a barbecue with friends/family if you want to impress (restrictions willing). They also passed the Spectre test as he said he would happily have them again, so that says a lot!

Shloer Pineapple and Lime (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Shloer is one of my favourite soft drink brands for a treat. They are a posh pop but they are quite pricey if they aren’t on special offer so I always keep a look out for a discount. I make an exception for a new flavour and this Spring they have brought out this new Shloer Pineapple and Lime which sounds wonderfully tropical.

As with all Shloer drinks the base flavour is still grape in this case white grape and this one is blended with tropical fruits. I poured some into glasses and it had a good fizz when it was opened. I gave the drink a try and found the flavour to be quite delicate. The predominant flavour was still the grape and the pineapple and lime were in the after flavour. I liked the taste it was refreshing and light but I wish the acid of the lime had been a little stronger as it could have given the drink more of an edge. Or the pineapple could have added a little more sweetness. I think past previous limited editions have been a lot stronger from Shloer and I as much as I like the idea of pineapple and lime I felt this was too mild to be interesting. A few years back they brought out a Mango and Passionfruit edition which was spot on in terms of depth of flavour, to be honest I’d rather have that back.

Tenzing - Original Flavour - Natural Energy Drink Purely From Plants (but basically nicer Vegan RedBull) @NLi10

 I like unusual 'sports' drinks in fact I was one of the first people to get massively behind RedBull that I know of (we had to buy it from the vending machine in the sports section of the union and then take it to the bar ourselves for the first term).  1997 was a very long time ago though, and we've moved past pouring isostar dust into vodka to get our kicks.

In a rare occurrence we had something on TV that contained adverts (possibly Taskmaster) and this popped up.  I hurridly took a picture and then completely forgot about it.

Carbon negative? Named after the first person to conquer Everest and full of plants?  Sounds fantastic!

Energy drinks have been 'Monstered' a lot recently and frankly that's not my scene anymore.  I don't want to game all night anymore (unlike 10 years ago) - I just want to get on and have a little bit more swing in my step.

And they showed up in the Co-op in Bearwood so I couldn't resist.

It's got tea in it (like Kombucha), it's got green coffee in it (which I'd not heard of but want), and a few of the usual stimulants (but from plant sources).  At only 48 calories it doesn't actually have much energy, but it does have a lot of motivation.  I guess it's like Sherpa Tenzing encouraging you to get to the summit.

Electrolyte drinks have a habit of looking the same coming in as going out - this one is no exception - but the fruity scents and sparkling water taste are really refreshing and welcoming on a hot day.

Unlike the RedBull style drinks there is no chemical aftertaste - although it could maybe be a little more botanical in taste for me (but then I love intense flavours).  I don't think it's one I'd actively seek out, but if I was in the market for a drink while out at didn't want the full Kombucha style hit, and needed a little oomph to get me back to base then I think this is a very suitable companion.

Brel Belgian Style IPA (Aldi - William Brothers Brewing Company) By @SpectreUK

I'm not sure why this Belgian Style IPA from William Brothers Brewing Company in Scotland is called Brel. There seems to be a bar in Glasgow called Brel, but also and possibly more likely there was a Belgian singer, songwriter, actor and director called Jacques Romain Georges Brel, who died in 1978. Perhaps the bar is also named after him...?

Anyway, a Belgian style India Pale Ale generally has a fruitiness and spiciness from its Belgian yeast, and is generally amber or copper in colour. Brel also has American yeast added to slightly counter the fruitiness and give a crisper flavour. Strong American hops have been mixed with milder European hops to add to the fruitiness. Orange peel and coriander were also added in the brewing, which should go very well with my fish and chips we're getting delivered from the local Chippy in the next few minutes...

On opening the can there was indeed a strong spiced yeasty smell with a fruitiness at the back of the aroma, and a little sweetness from the malts. Brel has a deep amber colour and poured with a fluffy head. Complex in flavour Brel has a deep spicy flavour to begin with, followed by fruitiness from the mixture of yeast and hops. Then there are sweet pale malts into the aftertaste. There is also a little coriander and a smidgen of orange peel mid flavour. This adds to the spices in this craft Belgian IPA, and a touch of citrus from the orange peel.

This is a very flavoursome beer indeed and I shall enjoy it with my battered fish, battered sausage, and chips. I've just heard a knock on the front door, so I'm really looking forward to my takeout and beer meal. Yum!