Review: Cadbury Darkmilk Roasted Almond and Crunchy Cocoa Pieces

It seems strange to compare Cadbury chocolate with the word "luxury": since all of its chocolate is exactly the same (save for a few deviations for added unoriginality, such as orange or caramel), glamorous chocolate seemed an impossibility.

However, the launch of Darkmilk (a joint effort of milk and dark chocolate) suggested the Bournville bakers were going to plough ahead anyway. Originally launched under the guise of providing deeply sensual leisure and sophistication (apparently elderly pop Gods are the epitome of such pleasures), Cadbury Darkmilk saw a barrage of advertising.

Further additions to the expanding Darkmilk range of original and caramel are Roasted Almond and Crunchy Cocoa Pieces. The extension would appear to show an investment from Cadbury into a more original style of chocolate than simply relying on the historic might of its Dairy Milk.

Having succeeded for a long time with its Fruit and Nut, Cadbury’s Darkmilk Roasted Almond bar should have been a simple and impactful display. However, although it was clear that the affections of squirrels had been amply scattered throughout the chocolate bar, there wasn’t much in the way of enthralling taste. There were subtle, very light hints of nuts being present, but there was not a spectacular bang of flavour that should perhaps be expected from a quality chocolate creation.

The Crunchy Cocoa Pieces variation contained a similar problem. Once again, the crunch of the chocolate nibs was unmistakable, but this time the issue rather lay with too much flavour: the cocoa pieces overwhelmed the whole bar with the taste of dark chocolate, completely destroying the purpose of Darkmilk.

Undeniably for both bars was the supreme quality of the Darkmilk chocolate. Simply mushing together dark and milk chocolate may seem like a basic plan, but its effect is incredible. The chocolate cherished a flavour that was creamy and rich, providing a thick and long-lasting sensation. It was brilliantly moreish, balancing perfectly sweetness and bitterness. Cadbury has definitely found a winner with Darkmilk – it just needs to control its additional flavours more stringently.

Cadbury's venture into genuinely quality chocolate does seem to have paid off, thanks entirely to its Darkmilk milk-and-dark chocolate invention. However, without more enlightening flavours, it appears unlikely that the Darkmilk range will ever be able to overrule the superiority of its luxury rivals, such as Lindt, Guylian and Godiva.

(I am aiming to write at least one food review a week throughout 2021 in support of The Trussell Trust, a UK charity that fights food poverty by supporting community food banks and campaigning for national change: justgiving.com/FoodWriting).

Have you tried Cadbury Darkmilk?