I love hunting out good deals, especially so when they pertain to chocolate products. Today's review is courtesy of a "reduced to clear" offer on the 37g Cadbury Caramilk chocolate bar in my local Tesco.
Launched a while ago, Cadbury Caramilk is golden white chocolate made with caramelised milk powder.
While I'd normally opt for a larger format bar (this one's also available in a 90g size), this 37g snack bar (normally available as part of sandwich Meal Deals) was on offer.
Packaging
This snack bar may be miniscule, but it still manages to cram in the essence of the larger 90g packaging.
The Cadbury Caramilk logo takes centre stage, with a graphic of a segment to the right hand side. The background is a combination of iconic Cadbury purple and golden swirls.
A Cocoa Life logo appears on the front as well as the reverse, where it is joined by the Fairtrade Foundation logo.
The ingredients list sits to the left, followed by the nutritional information.
Cadbury Caramilk Chocolate Bar ingredients:
Sugar, cocoa butter, caramelised milk powder (skimmed milk powder, whey powder, sugar, butter, natural flavouring), whey powder, skimmed milk powder, milk solids, emulsifier (soya lecithin).
Brace yourself for a shocker in this mass-produced budget-friendly white chocolate bar - the sugar content is 63% in this bar! Nearly two-thirds of it comprises of sugar.
The bar contains dairy ingredients as well as possible traces of nuts and wheat.
The packaging still carries Cadbury's royal warrant for HM Queen Elizabeth II as cocoa and chocolate manufacturers.
The film wrapper is not recyclable yet, which is disappointing given Nestle and other manufacturers are trialling recyclable alternatives to film wrappers.
Cadbury Caramilk Chocolate Bar Review
As expected for a snack bar, it contains a single 37g portion, which is larger than the recommended portion of six chunks (30g) in the bigger 90g bar. This 37g bar contains 201kcal, which is a sizeable 10% of an average adult's recommended daily intake.
Designed to be easy to snap into pieces than looking especially appetising, the bar more closely resembles Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar° than a traditional chocolate bar.
In terms of aroma, it vaguely reminds me of rice pudding. It's got caramel and lactic notes with a touch of vanilla. As with the appearance, I'm not convinced it's particularly appealing.
As a mass-produced white chocolate bar with a high sugar content, it's unsurprising that the snap is dull and muffled.
In terms of flavour, immediate creamy caramel flavours come through. There a hint of banana vibes in there too. It's especially sweet all through the melt, and the flavours remain constant throughout.
The flavour reminds me of Nestlé's Caramac, but with a Cadbury spin, of course. There's an astringency that develops after eating a couple of chunks.
Caramel notes dominate the aftertaste, and if you're like me, you'll need to reach for something savoury or salty to combat the overwhelming sweetness.
As a snack, it's a sweet treat that will fuel you to carry on. As a treat, it leaves me wanting more. I'll happily chow down a bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk, but this one is difficult to enjoy.
Cadbury Caramilk Chocolate Bar Review
RRP: £0.75 | Cadbury | Shop now°
I think this has potential, but it's far too sweet for my tastes, and the caramel flavours aren't strong enough. Perhaps as a coating for something savoury, like salty pretzels, it would work well, but on its own, it's something I struggle to enjoy.
Where to Buy Online
I purchased my 37g bar of Cadbury Caramilk in Tesco at a "reduced to clear" price of 38p. Other larger pack sizes are available, as are Cadbury Caramilk Buttons, Cadbury Gifts Direct here°.
Cadbury Caramilk vs Nestle Caramac - which do you prefer? Let me know in a comment below.
