A pair of prematurely Christmassy looking limited edition chocolate blocks have hit the shelves. Are they worth getting?
Strawberry and shortbread
I knew I’d be into this before I even opened it because “berries” and “biscuit” are two chocolate flavours I’ll happily reach for every time. This is basically berry and biscuit (or berry forest) for those who don’t like getting the jellies stuck in their teeth. In other words, a classier option, hence the skinny block and nicer packaging. I like it. / Mad Chapman
Having tried too many lacklustre limited-edition offerings from Whittaker’s, I kept my expectations low for the strawberry and biscuit. I needn’t have: this is simply delicious. The strawb tastes real, the texture of the biscuit is exquisite, and the milk choc, as always, is divine. I would not normally buy a strawberry-flavoured choccy but I will buy this and I will eat this. / Alice Neville
Immediate red flag: the packaging for this chocolate feels suspiciously Christmas-adjacent, which is something I do not like seeing in September. But on the chocolate itself, it falls into a category of being Just OK – the “berries” of it all taste a little too synthetic, and I kind of enjoy getting those jellies stuck in my teeth anyway. It feels like a chocolate for an elegant, high-brow kind-of person, and I am definitely not that. /Lyric Waiwiri-Smith
I do enjoy a bit of biscuit in a chocolate block, but for the biscuit to be shortbread? That never even crossed my mind. Not that you can really tell the difference, but a classy touch nonetheless. Naively I didn’t realise it was for review purposes when this block was handed around so I simply shoved it in my mouth without a second thought… if this is your snack style too, you won’t be disappointed. / Calum Henderson
This is nice chocolate, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy an entire block of it. It certainly tastes as advertised. Maybe I’m getting old or maybe I’m not the target market, but I think I’d rather just have an actual shortbread biscuit with a cup of tea. The biscuit adds a nice crunch and the strawberry isn’t cloyingly sweet you can sometimes get when combining dried fruit with chocolate. It’s not terrible, but it’s not amazing either. / Liam Rātana
This has great mouthfeel (a critical indicator of a good treat) thanks to the combination of shortbread and creamy chocolate. I usually hate a fruit inclusion, but this was so subtle that I wouldn’t say no to another piece – though I’d still go for a classic block of Almond Gold if it was my choice. / Emma Gleason
Peppermint and cocoa biscuit
Shit this is good. I enjoy a peppermint biscuit and a peppermint slice but don’t ever buy the Whittakers peppermint block due to gross goo. But this is basically a mint slice biscuit (Arnott’s, not Griffins) in thin chocolate form. Can’t believe they released two new flavours and nailed both of them, goddammit. / MC
Huge fan of peppermint chocolate over here – give me an after-dinner mint and I will be your best friend for ever – so I knew I’d like this one. And like it I did. Divine, as expected. Whittaker’s has absolutely knocked it out of the park this time, which makes me wonder: why didn’t they do these flavours years ago? / AN
A lot of people think it’s sick and twisted to enjoy the simple pleasure of a peppermint and chocolate fusion, but I am not one of those fools. I can wholeheartedly confirm that this shit banged, with those bikkie crumbs doing a lot of the heavy lifting, and a very pleasant aftertaste. As a connoisseur of this flavour combination, I’d say this is a refreshing addition to the inventory of mint chocolate. / LWS
My heart sank to the bottom of the ocean when I saw “Peppermint” on the packaging – to me peppermint chocolate is not reeeally chocolate and is eaten begrudgingly as a last resort (OK, maybe before dark chocolate). So peppermint choc heads maybe take it with a grain of salt when I say this is the nicest peppermint choc I’ve ever had! I reckon I could eat the whole block and not even feel bad about myself. / CH
I would never buy a peppermint block of chocolate. Not even if someone told me to buy it for them because it’s their favourite. Have a mint. Aaaanyway, this chocolate is very nice. It’s rich and dark but not bitter. The peppermint is the perfect strength. It hits you, but doesn’t take you over the edge. I still wouldn’t buy it but out of all the minty chocolate I’ve ever tasted, this one is definitely the nicest. / LR
Mint chocolate was the pinnacle of elegance to childhood me, and this tasted deeply nostalgic upon first bite (and second). A nice one to share around after dinner – take it with you to your next pot luck – this leans more on the chocolate side, so it won’t disrupt the palate too much. / EG