FINALLY I found a block of the new Cadbury Old Gold ‘Toffee Crunch’ that some readers, commenters and emailers have already been talking about. It took about a month for it to reach my local Coles or Safeway and I haven’t seen any form of advertising for it anywhere.
Old Gold is as much of a Cadbury classic as Dairy Milk is. It contains a fairly paltry 45% cocoa solids, so it’s certainly not a strong version of dark chocolate unless you select their 70% Old Gold block. The website says: “Legal Description: The original taste of Cadbury® Old Gold® dark chocolate with crunchy toffee pieces.” Crikey, who knew you needed lawyers to describe the flavour of a family block??
Despite the crumbs scattered on the top as a result of being hidden in the shopping trolley under a bag of oranges, then jostled in a green shopping bag, rolled on the backseat, lugged from the car and flung onto the kitchen counter before being ripped open, the squares had a nice sheen and the usual sweet smell that is associated with Old Gold.
According to the ingredients, the block consists of 9% of crunchy toffee pieces (sugar, milk solids, salt, flavours, emulsifier 322) and whilst they are clearly visible and I could certainly feel their crytallised slivers get stuck into my teeth, they didn”t taste like anything much. I was hoping for a much more discernible buttery toffee flavour – especially considering that milk solids are included – but could only detect sugar.
Sapphire and Love Chunks adored it, both proclaiming it moreish and delicious, and were quite puzzled at my lukewarm reaction of ‘Plain Old Gold with bits in it.’ I think that the ultra-sweetness of the dark chocolate might override the actual ’toffee’ in the ‘crunch’ a bit too much and wonder what it would taste like in either the 70% or Dairy Milk (one extreme to the other).
For those of you who have tasted it, what do you think?
I’ll have to disagree on this one because I love it! The small hint of toffee is just enough to add some interest to old gold which is rather plain by itself, but not so much that it over powers it. I think it goes well with a fruity red wine or a glass of port, because there is a good balance between dry bitterness and sweetness. I consider this to be something a bit more special than reliable but boring old cadbury usually produces.
That’s fair enough, Margo – my husband and daughter are firmly on your side as well. And maybe….I should try it again, tonight, with a glass of fruity red wine… just to be thorough…
You know what I think from my blog review – sweeeeeeeeeeeeet. So sweeeeeeeeeeet. I.E. ugh-sweet.
I haven’t tried this, but I’m convinced this definitely wouldn’t work in a milk chocolate. Too much sweet.
I tried it a while ago, thinking/hoping it would be an alternative to the G & B’s butterscotch, I *think* I could taste the toffee, but after a while it was just “dark chocolate with bits in” for me too… not that I didn’t like it, it was just … OK.
I quite liked it. A bit like a dark choc version of G&B’s butterscotch choc. Wish it came in smaller blocks though.
looks good – thanks for the heads up I will have to look for it in the stores
This is okay. G&B’s Butterscotch is better – suits Milk Chocolate better I reckon.
On the subject of Cadbury new lines – anyone tried the Clusters? Bit weird…
I’m with youse – G&B Butterscotch hits this one for six (over the neighbour’s fence and out, if you’re playing cricket in the backyard at home).
Ben, I have got a bag of the — (rushes off to find it) —- Clusters, which sort of look like sultanas and cornflakes covered in Dairy Milk but I haven’t tried them. Yet…..
I saw the clusters in the supermarket on the weekend but resisted temptation. Looking forward to seeing your review on them…
I just took one of these in to the office where I was giving a presentation, and slapped it on the table.
By the end of 3 hours there was barely a row left, so the slavering hoards obviously thought it was OK. I got to try a little from the end of it.
My conclusion: its Ok. I’d not cross a busy road to get it, the chocolate is darkish (45%), and the toffee could really be a bit more caramelised to get a deeper flavour. It fits into OK but not outstanding. To make it better – less sugar in the chocolate, higher cocoa, and toast up them toffees a bit, then it would be something to write home about. The green & blacks is better.