Bourbon – Milk Tea Chocolate Mochi
Not to sound like a snob, though I probably will regardless, there are certain foods I will not consume if they come packaged, or if I know they aren’t fresh. Mochi for example, is a delighted snack that I enjoy, but typically only when it’s fresh. I’ve had a few bad experiences where I had not-so-fresh mochi and I don’t intend on repeating those mistakes. Sure some of it was my fault, but as a fiver year old how was I supposed to know you can’t leave mochi out without it drying up and turning hard? Live and learn I guess.
In a previous review, I gave packaged mochi a try and was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it was the fact that I went into it with no expectations, but it far and away exceeded what I had expected from something packaged. It’s also why I’m reviewing yet another packaged mochi product. It just so happens that this is also a limited flavour and is another example of Japan fully embracing the milk tea revolution. And it only took about 10 – 15 years.
As odd as it sounds, the first thing I smell when opening one of these packs is a sweet smelling, alcohol-like aroma. It could just be how they keep the mochi skin soft and from sticking together. I don’t really smell chocolate or milk tea at all. But most mochi are good at capturing all the filling and sealing it all in, so I’m not too surprised.
The mochi is very soft and squishy the touch. You’d have some difficulty trying to squish it though, as the chocolate in the centre is quite firm. It’s not a solid piece of chocolate, but more like a ganache. Biting into it is a treat – the mochi skin is just as it feels to the touch, and is very soft, chewy but not sticky enough to get all up in your teeth. The chocolate is a somewhat firm ganache, which has a fairly nice melt to it and makes for a perfect filling. It kind of reminds me of what ice cream would be like, if it didn’t melt at room temperature. I imagine sticking these in a fridge or freezer might make them too hard and firm to enjoy through chewing though.
The flavour is mostly coming from the chocolate filling. If the mochi itself has a flavour, I can’t really tell as it’s very mild and it’s mostly providing texture. As with most milk tea flavoured snacks from Japan, they really capture the essence of the black milk tea flavour well. It has the pleasant parts of the black tea without the bitterness or acidity, which is largely offset by the milk cutting it smooth. It’s hard to find another way to describe what makes this so great, as I’m not exactly a tea connoisseur. I could throw random words like oaky, or smoky, or berry aftertaste, but none of them would make sense to you or me, so I’m just going to say it tastes very much like a black tea with milk. The flavour finishes very nicely, and doesn’t leave much of an aftertaste. I’m convinced that even if you don’t like milk tea, you’ll enjoy this mochi.
At the end of the day, I think this is a great flavour by Bourbon. While it may not have mass appeal like their standard flavours like chocolate, I think this makes for a great seasonal, limited flavour. I would highly recommend buying this if you can find it, though I doubt you’ll be able to outside of Japan. In that case, just buy their standard chocolate flavour. I’m fairly confident you’ll enjoy it.
