Vanini Cherry milk chocolate

Whilst browsing Tk Maxx a while ago this Vanini bar caught my eye, mainly because of the stylish packaging as well as the picture of the cherries. I'm always a sucker for fruity chocolates so I had to give it a try.

The chocolate contains 49% cocoa solids and is described as "Fine milk chocolate with black cherries". It's made by Vanini, who are a relatively new Italian brand. They describe themselves thus: "Only the best cocoa bought directly from selected plantations. Long term partnership with the cocoa growers. Direct control of the whole process from cocoa beans to chocolate. Total commitment to excellence".

Opening the wrapper, the chocolate looked very impressive - clean, smooth and with the Vanini logo imprinted onto each block. There were some strong cocoa scents coming from the chocolate with a faint hint of cherries.

I want to say I enjoyed the taste of this bar, I really do... but I can't. That's because the dried cherries spoiled it, simply because they were coated in vegetable oil which must have gone rancid. The rancid taste permeated every bite of the chocolate and ruined the whole experience, which is a shame because from what I could taste, the chocolate itself was quite smooth and rich. I suspect this bar must have been heat affected during transport or something.

Overall, this Vanini Cherry was a disappointment, but luckily, I found another Vanini bar which was a much more pleasant experience, so please stay tuned for that...

Have you tried Vanini's chocolates before? If so what did you think?

Price: £1.69 at Tk Maxx.