Ghirardelli Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Square - Target

Ghirardelli Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Square - Target

Here's another quickie pumpkin review! I still think that chocolate and pumpkin spice might not be the best combination, but maybe this will be able to change my mind. Just like my last review, there's not much to this packaging, so I'll get through this really quick.

The plastic wrapping is covered in a mixture of the usual Ghirardelli gold and a rich brownish-bronze. This is one of those grocery store candy companies that likes to look really high end, and I think they do a good job of it. Ghirardelli's shiny wrapping looks a lot more elegant in candy dishes than normal Hershey Kisses, and the colors are festive without being obnoxious. Not only are they pretty, but they function well too! Each individual candy has nutritional information and ingredients printed on the back, which I love. I'm the kind of person who has candy dishes in almost every room of the house for guests. Now, instead of Googling when asked about food allergens or ingredients, they can check it out for themselves. (I'm lazy.)

Inside the plastic wrapping is a perfectly molded chocolate square. I took a whiff to see if this smelled any different from normal milk chocolate, and there is a hint of a slightly spiced aroma. It's fairly weak, but it kind of smells like you left your chocolate sitting in a bowl with spiced jelly beans. I'm not too sure how I feel about that...

I took a bite, and the chocolate was sweet and milky. Although Ghirardelli markets itself as a fancier candy, I thought this was only a slight step up from other grocery store chocolates like Hershey's or Lindt. The chocolate has that slightly spiced flavoring, similar to it's scent, but it's no where near as strong as the chocolate spiced orange/pumpkin I reviewed.

As for the caramel, on it's own, it does have a lovely spiced flavoring. I wouldn't say it's especially strong, or very obviously pumpkin spice, but it is enjoyable. If I had to guess what this was on it's flavoring alone, I'd either think it was a cinnamon caramel or some kind of generic fall themed candy.

Out of all the pumpkin spiced chocolate I've reviewed in the last three years, I think this is the most successful, but the spiced flavoring is pretty weak. I am still a firm believer in the fact that chocolate and pumpkin just can't mix, but I'm still willing to try and sweets I come across. who knows, one of them could prove me wrong one day.

On a Pumpkin Scale of 1-5 (5 being the most pumpkin-y) I’d give this a 2. If you try the caramel center of it's own, the pumpkin spices are definitely present and flavorful, however, the chocolate shell does overwhelm the filling. If you really like caramel filled chocolates, this might be a fun seasonal switch, but I wouldn't say it is worth seeking out next year. (I like the normal caramel filled chocolates More.) Although this flavor is more fall than winter, but it's still being sold in their winter/holiday variety bags that you can buy at Staples, Target and a few other shops.

© Maria Smith http://poison-and-antidote.net

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