Black Thunder – Premium Cream
Another chocolate bar from Black Thunder is on the docket for today. The good thing about these is that they are relatively easy undertakings, with this one coming in at just 28g. As I’ve mentioned before, I’m gearing towards quality over quantity. I’ll get the privilege of determining where on the spectrum this bar is going to fall on.
Similar to the previous Black Thunder Hokkaido bars I tried, this one has added Hokkaido cream. It also has a bit of Cognac VSOP infused into it. I won’t pretend to know what all that really means for me, other than that there is 0.2% alcohol content in this bad boy. Keep away from children! I guess it also makes sense why it’s marketed as the “adult” version of the Black Thunder bar. This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had chocolate that supposedly has alcohol in it. In my experience the alcohol added tends to not add a whole lot, and on some occasions adds a strange, play-doh like taste to it. I’m hoping that’s not the case with this one. I’m not expecting to get tipsy or anything, so this should be good.
I’ve never been a fan the summer. I’ve always been more of a winter baby, and prefer cooler climates. I guess while not a big contributor, another strike against the hotter temperatures is the effect it has on chocolate and ice cream, things that I hold very near and dear to my heart. Sadly, the heat got to this chocolate as well, though not nearly as bad as some of the other chocolates I received. Curse you, sweet summer child!
This thing looks and smells like a really rich chocolate brownie. Splitting the bad boy in half shows that even the inside is reminiscent of a brownie. The inside looks like they changed up the typical cookie and crisped rice center to a softer looking, but bigger piece of cookie. If there’s any crisped rice in there, I don’t really see it. The alcohol in this is barely noticeable. I honestly doubt a kid would be affected by this at all. It’s probably more to enhance the flavour of the chocolate, which is not uncommon.
In terms of flavour, it tastes like a chocolate brownie. I can’t really perceive any alcohol, but I do notice the chocolate is a bit creamier. The bar itself is also a bit softer, and not quite as crunchy as the typical bar. The inside is definitely more dense though, and the overall experience is more of a rich treat than the more textural experience of the standard bar. This is definitely not yo average bar! I can see how this is more of a “grown up” flavour, as it does indeed feel more nuanced and has more going on, to the point where you would want to slowly experience it instead of just chewing through and inhaling them as you would the normal bar. Not that I would do that either. Maybe.
While it is advertised as having all these extra features that make it the “adult” version of the bar, I don’t know that it’s really that noticeable, if you were to view it as a standalone bar without comparing to their regular offering. I’m sure a lot of it comes down to preference, but I kind of like the classic Black Thunder bar with a crumblier cookie inside with the crisped rice. That being said, this is “premium” in the sense that it’s around 20 yen more expensive than the standard bar. As a percent, I guess it’s a noticeable difference, but in absolute values, it’s still a good deal. I’d say it’s still worth it if you want to change things up and go for a more chocolate brownie texture, which is softer and doesn’t have as much crunch to it, but a richer flavour. As a stand alone, it’s still a solid bar, and I would do it again, assuming it’s not too expensive.
