Omnom Chocolate Bar Competition Haul Review

This Easter, Iceland's Omnom Chocolate ran a colouring competition to help encourage some creativity during the COVID-19 global lockdown. So, one sunny day, my son and I sat outside and coloured in geometric patterns based around their logo and Mr Carrots.

The surprise on my six year old's face as I told him he'd won his first ever competition was priceless. He'd poured all his creative energy into his competition energy and learned valuable lessons from the experience.

Fast forward to the middle of May and to a knock at the door where we found a bruised cardboard box that had navigated its way from Reykjavík to Cardiff. Beaming ear-to-ear, he excitedly tore open the box and salivated as he read out all the flavours.

Omnom Chocolate Haul

His prize bundle consisted of:

• Omnom Krunch Lakkrís and Sea Salt 120g
• Omnom Krunch Milk Chocolate 120g
• Omnom Tanzania 70% dark chocolate 60g
• Omnom Caramel and Milk chocolate 60g
• Omnom Lakkrís and Sea Salt white chocolate 60g
• Omnom Black n' Burnt white chocolate 60g
• Omnom Sea Salted Almonds and Milk chocolate 60g
• Omnom Sea Salted Toffee white chocolate 60g
• Omnom Madagascar 66% dark chocolate 60g
• Omnom Coffee and Milk white chocolate 60g

As you can see, it was a prize bundle full of colour and full of interesting and unusual flavour combinations.

A Brief Omnom Chocolate Review

I'm a chocolate blogger and you know me - I can't resist any opportunity to share my thoughts on new chocolate brands I come across. I worked stealthily to take photos and sneak a couple of bites of each of my son's chocolate bars without him noticing. Call me Ninja Dad! The things I do for you guys! Here's my thoughts on Omnom's chocolate.

Each bar is packed inside a brightly coloured box that unfolds to present the chocolate, clad in foil printed with the geometric Omnom logo. I'm sure you'll agree these designs look fabulous. I'm most fond of the Valentine's Day themed love swans on the Sea Salted Toffee box, which shimmers in metallic red foiled print.

All the bars use the same mould, scored with a geometric pattern. Most of the bars arrived broken into several pieces thanks to the not-so delicate handling by the Icelandic and British postal services. I can now understand why Mr Carrots isn't fond of flying around Easter.

Omnom Krunch Milk Chocolate

Omnom Krunch Milk Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, malt balls (wheat flour, sugar, wheat malt flour, wheat starch, barley malt extract, skimmed milk powder, salt), Icelandic milk powder, organic cocoa beans from Madagascar, sunflower lecithin (E322), polishing agent, colouring agent, sealing agent.

• What they say: Crunchy malt balls wrapped in a coat of organic Madagascan milk chocolate, with hints of citrus and berry.
• What I say: A very creamy, fruity, almost caramel-like aroma wafts from the bag. Think of these red-tinged balls as a next-level version of Maltesters, with a smooth Madagascan chocolate shell and a crispy malt ball inner. The crispy ball is crunchier than that of a Maltester, while the thin chocolate shell is creamy yet tangy, with a mildly bitter citrus edge to it.
• Verdict: A classy treat for in front of the telly, but be warned these are easy to eat and the bag won't last long.

Omnom Krunch Lakkrís and Sea Salt

Omnom Krunch Lakkrís and Sea Salt ingredients:
Organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, malt balls (wheat flour, sugar, wheat malt flour, wheat starch, barley malt extract, skimmed milk powder, salt), Icelandic milk powder, liquorice, sunflower lecithin (E322), salmiak (E510), polishing agent, colouring agent, sealing agent.

• What they say: Crunchy malt balls coated in salty liquorice chocolate.
• What I say: The closest I've got to visiting Iceland is the Nordics, and Nordic Lakkrís is like nothing else on Earth. It's a million miles apart from much of the cheap and nasty liquorice we get here in the UK. The spicy aniseed-like aroma of this bag instantly transports me back there, with creamy and fruity chocolate notes punctuated with the unmistakable aroma of Lakkrís. The Lakkrís comes through instantly on the melt of the chocolate, and intensifies throughout the crunch of the malt ball. There's an almost-spicy finish to the Lakkrís that lingers at the back of the throat. A little goes a long way with these golden balls.
• Verdict: If you love the crunch of Maltesers and the flavour of Nordic liquorice, you need to check these out! A couple at a time were enough for me to keep me going while feeling satisfied I'd indulged in something truly indulgent.

Omnom Tanzania 70% Dark Chocolate

Omnom Tanzania 70% Dark Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cocoa beans from Tanzania, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin (E322).

• What they say: Dark chocolate with hints of apricot, raisin, and hazelnut.
• What I say: The punchy aroma of this bar is smokey and earthy. On tasting, a creaminess comes through at the beginning with hints of caramel and cherry. This deepens and develops into a quite a light and vibrant fruity character, with glimpses of plums and prunes. The fruity characteristics linger into the aftertaste, which is devoid of any bitterness.
• Verdict: A lovely characterful bar full of complex flavours that meld into one. There's so much going on in this bar you'll want to savour it thoughtfully.

Omnom Caramel and Milk Chocolate

Omnom Caramel and Milk Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cocoa beans, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, Icelandic milk powder, crunchy caramel pieces (sugar, glucose syrup, water, butter, cream, salt, raising agent (sodium bicarbonate)), sunflower lecithin (E322), colouring agent, polishing agent, glazing agent.

• What they say: Milk chocolate with a fudgy caramel flavour inside unicorn rainbow packaging.
• What I say: Who can resist rainbows and unicorns? The rainbow packaging protects a bar with quite a deep and dark aroma of rich molasses. The flavour of the milk chocolate took a while to come through and was complex in nature, with notes of Brazil nut and fudge dancing away alongside a distinct creaminess. Catch a chewy caramel nugget and you'll introduce this sweet flavour into the mix along with salty highlights.
• Verdict: A grown-up caramel toffee milk chocolate bar that's full of flavour, surprise, and delight.

Omnom Lakkrís and Sea Salt White Chocolate

Omnom Lakkrís and Sea Salt White Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, Icelandic milk powder, liquorice, Icelandic sea salt from Saltverk, salmiak (E510), sunflower lecithin (E322).

• What they say: Silky and salty liquorice chocolate.
• What I say: A creamy, buttery, almost toffee-like aroma greets you when you open the wrapper, with just the faintest hint of liquorice. As soon as you taste it, the fiery lakkrís comes through, initially in the background with toffee notes in the foreground but then it switches. The lakkrís takes over and sits centre stage, with a rich and creamy background. The lakkrís lingers long into the aftertaste.
• Verdict: If, like me, you believe lakkrís is a food of the gods, then you'll love this creative and unusual chocolate bar. The unmistakable flavour is front and centre. If you don't like liquorice, look away now!

Omnom Black n' Burnt White Chocolate

Omnom Black n' Burnt White Chocolate ingredients:
Cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, Icelandic milk powder, roasted barley malt, organic Icelandic barley, barley malt extract, activated charcoal, sea salt, sunflower lecithin (E322), polishing agent, sealing agent.

• What they say: Black chocolate topped with puffed, toasted barley and lava salt.
• What I say: The jet black colour of this bar makes it stand out, but so too does its use of barley and charcoal. The initial bready, malty aroma intrigued me. I picked up a slight saltiness to the black white-chocolate initially, before notes of warm malt came through. The salty, crunchy-yet-chewy puffed barley added a different texture to the mix. The flavour reminded me of a freshly baked pretzel, and that's the flavour that lingered into the aftertaste.
• Verdict: Fun, quirky, very different, and very distinctive. This was by far one of my favourites in this box in flavour and appearance.

Omnom Sea Salted Almonds and Milk Chocolate

Omnom Sea Salted Almonds and Milk Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, almonds, Icelandic milk powder, organic cocoa beans from Madagascar, sea salt, sunflower lecithin (E322).

• What they say: Organic Madagascan milk chocolate with hints of berry topped with sea-salted almonds.
• What I say: The sheer volume of sea-salted almonds atop of this bar meant the aroma was clearly dominated by this. So too is the initial flavour, as the toasted nutty flavours jostled away. The peanut-like flavour augments the rich, creamy chocolate flavour so this one tastes very much like an almond butter that you'd spread on your toast in the morning. I was worried the salt might taint the overall experience but it's used here to enhance the flavours without distracting from the core flavour. The almonds also help to add a pleasant texture near the end of the melt.
• Verdict: Another sophisticated chocolate bar here with the ingredients working harmoniously to create an experience that's very enjoyable. Think of a premium peanut butter chocolate bar but made with almonds, and you'll get the picture!

Omnom Sea Salted Toffee White Chocolate

Omnom Sea Salted Toffee White Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, barley malt, Icelandic whole milk powder, sea salt, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin). Contains minimum 40% cocoa butter.

• What they say: Toffee chocolate with hints of cookies sprinkled with Icelandic sea salt.
• What I say: I adore the red-foiled packaging on this one, and love the vivid, almost yellow, natural colour of this bar. The aroma is complex and deep, with rich and sweet buttery vibes. The saltiness comes through first in the flavour followed by malt and toffee notes. It's the toffee flavour that lingers into the aftertaste, developing a little further and becoming a little clearer.
• Verdict: A nice enough bar but I love the packaging more than I do this particular flavour. For me, the toffee flavour isn't strong enough upfront, and the flecks of salt distracts.

Omnom Madagascar 66% Dark Chocolate

Omnom Madagascar 66% Dark Chocolate ingredients:
Organic cocoa beans from Madagascar, organic cane sugar, cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin (E322).

• What they say: A floral dark chocolate with hints of citrus and berry.
• What I say: The bold and powerful aroma of this bar suggests hints of leather and tart red fruit. A slow melt eventually reveals notes of red wine and dried cherry. There's a gentle bitterness but it is careful not to overstep the mark. There's notes of leathery earthiness that runs alongside the flavour too, helping to ground the sweetness and tame the richness.
• Verdict: A lovely dark chocolate bar that's full of flavour and carefully tames the bitter notes that sometimes distract in other higher percentage chocolate.

Omnom Coffee and Milk White Chocolate

Omnom Coffee and Milk White Chocolate ingredients:
Cocoa butter, organic cane sugar, Icelandic milk powder, Rainforest Alliance coffee beans from Reykjavík Roasters, sunflower lecithin (E322).

• What they say: Coffee flavour chocolate with hints of waffles and popcorn.
• What I say: Rich notes of green bitter coffee emanate from this bar. On tasting, the same coffee notes dominate. Rich and robust in flavour, these don't carry the bitterness the aroma suggested, aided by the creamy backdrop. I don't instinctively pick up waffles and popcorn but can understand where Omnom were going with this description. Instead, for me, the flavour reminds me of an independent coffee shop where the coffee is served alongside a plate of rich, buttery pastries.
• Verdict: Flavourful, interesting, and absolutely delicious, this is a must for coffee chocolate fans.

Verdict

This was a diverse mix of chocolates from Omnom. I loved the packaging throughout, and am particularly fond of the red-foiled hearts and swans, as well as the rainbow unicorns. The artwork on each package is delightful to study, with a different creature immortalised in vector form. Inside, each bar is wrapped in the same wrapper and moulded to the same pattern, although they all differ wildly in colour, from a pale milk chocolate through to an almost copper yellow, ending in jet black.

The flavours of each bar are unapologetically pronounced, with each bar showcasing a handful of ingredients to perfection. There's a keen focus on Lakkrís and salt, although if you're not a fan of either, you can still find other chocolates with equally punchy flavours in the Omnom line-up.

Overall, I was very impressed with this collection of Omnom chocolates, even if I only managed to sneak a few bites of each bar. My favourites were the Coffee and Milk White Chocolate bar for its depth of flavour, and the Black n' Burnt White Chocolate bar for its sheer quirkiness. My son preferred the Sea Salted Toffee White Chocolate bar and the Caramel and Milk Chocolate bar, while we both voted the absolutely delicious Lakkrís and Sea Salt White Chocolate bar as the most exciting bar.

Where to Buy Online

You can buy these chocolate bars via the Omnom website - if you are in Iceland. Perhaps this decision will change in the future, but for Brits seeking Icelandic chocolate right now, selected Omnom bars can be found on Amazon°, Zeitgeist, and Cocoa Runners.

As a price guide, Omnom sells its bars domestically for between 790 and 990 Icelandic Króna (£4.60 to £5.80) each, and its Krunch bags for 690 Icelandic Króna (£4) each.

Omnom also has a factory shop just north of Reykjavík city centre that I very much look forward to visiting once the world conquers the Coronavirus pandemic.

Have you tried Omnom's chocolate? Do you have a favourite flavour combination? Let me know your favourites in the comments below.

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