Not much that's new under the sun! Three varieties this season: "Buenos Dias" Weisse Mango Maracuja from Spring 2020 (7.5/10), "Hi There" Salted Caramel from Spring 2022 (8/10), and a new one.
"Hola Amigos" Crispy Banana: 8/10
It's crispy and it tastes like banana! Like real banana, it starts to get a bit monotonous if you eat too much of it in one sitting. But that's just a good reason not to eat too much of it in one sitting.
Bring on some new new varieties!
You know the pandemic must be coming to an end when, after quite some time, Ritter release a brand new range of spring flavours!
Before you get too excited, we’ve seen one of them before. “Buenos Dias” Weisse Mango Maracuja showed up in Spring 2020, just after lockdown began, and got a respectable 7.5/10. The other two are new, though.
“Hi There” Salzkaramell: 8/10
Ritter jumps on the salted caramel bandwagon with this one, and can’t be faulted for its effort: crunchy, salty and tasty.
“Konnichiwa” Kirsch Mandel: 9/10
I’ve discoursed at length on my love for the citrus varieties with a crunchy element. What else is there to say? This one is sweet, sour, and beautifully textured, all at the same time. 9 rather than 10 for using almonds, which are not my favourite nut.
Vegan Pur: 7.5/10
A little crumblier than most Ritter Sport varieties, but that might even be an illusion - you’d be hard pressed to tell this one was vegan if you didn’t have it marked on the packaging. Funnily enough, this reminds me of the Russian chocolate that Dad used to bring back from his trips abroad.
And before lockdown began I managed to snag two new varieties – not seasonal ones, though the second is only available for a short time.
Cranberry Nuss: 9/10
Fantastic combination of crunch, sweetness and acidity! It only misses out on the top spot because it's not quite identical to the ultimate dream combo of my own creation. But it does come close. Might be better with dark chocolate?
Don Schoko: 7.5/10
Limited edition, with the same colorful packaging as the summer varieties this year. I have no idea why it has a picture of a sloth on it, or why it's called Don Schoko. Points deducted for confusion. But it's a chunky 40% milk chocolate variety that is very satisfying to munch.
Three new Ritter Sport flavours! Two of them are old favourites: Spekulatius (mmm) and Gebrannte Mandel, both of which have been consistent winter features since 2017. I sampled all of them (you know, just to check whether standards were being upheld...) but the most interesting for present purposes is the new kid on the block, Kokosmakrone (coconut macaroon).
Kokosmakrone: 7/10
Anyone who knows me will know that coconut is something I don't like. So I don't know whether it's a change in me, or an inexplicable surfeit of goodwill, but I enjoyed this one surprisingly much. It's got that crunchy macaroon texture that helps to offset just how cloying coconut tends to be, and none of the mushy coconut texture. I wouldn't mind seeing this one again in future winters (perhaps as opposed to Gebrannte Mandel, which I could take or leave).
"Spring"? Well, these varieties were on the shelves on 1st February, so I guess so. The snow outside must just be an illusion.
We've had Johannisbeer-Streusel two years in a row, so no need to recapitulate its excellence (8.5/10). Buttermilch-Zitrone is also a well-known combo, though is more usually encountered during the summer months. Two new ones, though, one of which (Waffel) is not actually a spring variety, but a new addition to the regular line-up.
Haferkeks + Joghurt: 7/10
The crunch is very nice, but the yoghurt filling is not a favourite of mine, as it just tastes a bit too fake. So this one gets a compromise rating.
Waffel: 5/10
This one comes with a health warning: do not, under any circumstances, use the usual Knick-Pack technique to open this Ritter Sport. If you do, the whole package will explode, showering bits of waffle and chocolate everywhere. The structural unsoundness of this variety (plus the fact that I only ate about half of it, and the rest is still irretrievably lodged in dark corners of my sofa) contributes to my not-very-complimentary rating, which is probably unfair as far as taste and mouthfeel are concerned. Approach with caution.
Again with the recycling of varieties. Two of this year's three are exactly the same as last year's Winter-Kreationen (see this post from 2017). I can't complain, especially when one of them is Spekulatius, an all-time favourite with 9/10. The other is Gebrannte Mandel, which languishes in the bottom third of the rankings with a mere 6.5/10. There is at least one new one, though.
Nuss & Crisp: 6.5/10
This one has sugary hazelnut stuff, with tiny bits of hazelnut and rice crispies embedded in it. Again, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, but it doesn't taste hugely distinctive, and I much prefer the bigger, crunchier hazelnut ones if I'm feeling in a nutty mood.
The selection of Ritter Sport this summer is pretty uninspired, though it's not that they taste bad. Two of the three have been sampled before. One of them as recently as last summer:
"Eiskakao-Creme: 7/10
Nice, but it's pretty uninspired compared to the other two, and reminds me a lot of Eiscafé (which recurred in 2014 and 2016). Are Ritter running out of ideas?!!111"
Sadly, it would appear that the answer is yes.
Another one, Buttermilch-Zitrone, has actually come up twice before: once in summer 2016 and once the year before in summer 2015. It's down on the list with two different ratings: the earlier version with an English name and a higher score.
"Buttermilk & Lemon: 7/10
With a smooth, consistent tanginess, this too is nothing to write home about, but nevertheless a pleasure to suck on. Given that the original Lemon (which is one of my all-time least favourites, and which I haven't seen in a while) was so poor, I don't quite know how they could have got this so right, but the fact remains that they did. White chocolate worked just nicely here."
"Buttermilch Zitrone: 6/10
This one's certainly flavoursome - in fact, a bit too much so for me. The lemon packs a punch and overwhelms the softer taste of the buttermilk, except for the fact that the whole combination is also a little bit too sweet. Recommended if you want to give your tastebuds a spring clean, or need waking up."
I feel like both earlier versions of me were rather harsh. This is a really enjoyable one and I'd rate it more highly - maybe even 8. But I'm nothing if not inconsistent.
The third Summer 2018 variety is at least a new one, and is labelled as such.
Himmlische Beere: 8/10
Very, very sweet. But also powerful, and crunchy. A solid all-round contender for those with a sweet tooth (and if you don't have one, why are you eating Ritter Sport?).
Sampling these was extremely challenging, as I am currently on a diet that allows strictly no chocolate. I hope you all appreciate how I've deliberately forced myself to go against my own wishes for the sake of my adoring public.
Zitronen-Waffel: 7.5/10
Very potent, and has a creamy-sugary component to it too. Actually the waffle itself is largely lost in the noise, but does provide a not unpleasant crunch. The most annoying part of this one is that it tends to fall to bits when you try to eat it. Half a point off for that.
Johannisbeer-Streusel: 8.5/10
Didn’t we have this one recently? I don’t really care, since it’s excellent. Sharp, creamy, crunchy. Mmmm.
Honig Crisp: 7/10
Maybe I'm growing picky, but this one didn't quite do it for me. Is it possible for a Ritter Sport to be too sweet? If so, that's what's going on here. The crispiness isn't quite salient enough somehow. Not that I didn't enjoy eating it at all, of course.
Rejoice, for winter is upon us! Or, at least, Ritter Sport's Winter-Kreationen are upon us, and it didn't take me long to get hold of them.
Spekulatius: 9/10
It's amazing that this one didn't exist before (well, I've never seen it). It's basically a variant on Knusperkeks, except that the giant biscuit in the middle is a speculoos, with its signature cocktail of spices. I'd rate it just as highly as the original Knusperkeks.
Weisse Zimt Crisp: 6/10
This one is absolutely bursting with flavour: you open the packet and an explosion of cinnamon assails your nostrils. Unfortunately for me, that is a rather traumatic experience, as it brought back memories of the time a friend knocked a jar of cinnamon powder off the shelf in my kitchen and it smashed, showering cinnamon everywhere. I had to live with the consequences for months. So maybe it's just me, but I can't quite deal with how cinnamonny this is. It's also an extremely sweet combination, with nothing to cut the inherent cloyingness of the white chocolate, though the crunchiness is good.
Gebrannte Mandel: 6.5/10
Meh. Tasty enough, good and crunchy, but more or less just works like any other version with tiny smashed up nuts in it - not very distinctive.
Vollmilch Laktosefrei: 9/10
The reason this one is easy is that it literally tastes exactly the same as its non-lactose-free, non-gluten-free counterpart. If only it were always this straightforward! (NB: apparently this one contains no more than 0.1% lactose.)
Brombeer Joghurt: 9/10
This one definitely does it for me, to the point of being one of my all-time favourites. When you open the pack, the blackberry flavour just bursts out at you, and it's well-balanced in terms of sweetness and sharpness. Pity it isn't going to stick around.
Pink Grapefruit: 4.5/10
I'll admit: I'm biased. I don't think anything should ever be grapefruit-flavoured, and I don't think I'm alone in that. So the main saving grace of this one is that the grapefruit flavour is fairly moderate, rather than overwhelming as in the Brombeer Joghurt. White chocolate was a nice touch, but can't save it.
Eiskakao-Creme: 7/10
Nice, but it's pretty uninspired compared to the other two, and reminds me a lot of Eiscafé (which recurred in 2014 and 2016). Are Ritter running out of ideas?!!111
Now that I'm back in Germany for good, it's time to get serious about Ritter Sport. The last time I summarized my 'findings' was back in 2013, so it's high time I do so again. But first, some brand new reviews:
Weisse Joghurt-Mousse: 7.5/10
This one reminded me so much of my first Magnum that I couldn't help but be swept away to Carlisle in my childhood, where I was treated to one by my dad as part of a steam rail excursion. Mmmm. Still, it was better cold.
Honig & Crisp: 5/10
On the basis that anything less than 5 I actively disliked, I'm giving this one a 5. It doesn't taste of anything very much other than some sugary mush in a chocolate bar. Certainly not honey, certainly not crisp. Very disappointing.
Johannisbeer Streusel: 8.5/10
See, this is exactly the kind of Ritter Sport that does it for me: sweet, citrus, with chocolate, and a great texture. Happy George.
Schokobrownie: 8.5/10
Another one that falls into the category of 'uncanny'. Very tasty, very brownie-esque. One of the big fat mousse varieties, but cunningly constructed.
Macadamia: 8/10
I usually don't get hugely excited about the nutty ones these days, but this was a nice surprise. No-nonsense dry nuts and happy creamy chocolate makes a great team.
And here's the run-down:
Cherry & Mini Smarties: 10/10
Caramel Orange: 9.5/10
Rhubarb, strawberry and yoghurt: 9/10
Milk Chocolate: 9/10
Alpine Milk Chocolate: 9/10
Knusperkeks: 9/10
Caramel & Nut: 9/10
Kakaosplitter: 9/10
Coffee & Hazelnuts: 9/10
Mixed Fine Nuts: 8.5/10
Corn Flakes & White Chocolate: 8.5/10
Cookies & Cream: 8.5/10
Johannisbeer Streusel: 8.5/10
Schokobrownie: 8.5/10
Nougat: 8/10
Cappuccino: 8/10
Hazelnut (milk chocolate): 8/10
Hazelnut (dark chocolate): 8/10
Edel-Bitter: 8/10
Rum, Raisin & Nut: 8/10
Orange & Marzipan: 8/10
Amarena Kirsch: 8/10
Eiscafé: 8/10
Baiser Nuss: 8/10
Brombeer Joghurt: 8/10
Macadamia: 8/10
Fruits of the Forest & Yoghurt: 7.5/10
Peach & Passionfruit: 7.5/10
Bourbon & Vanilla: 7.5/10
Himbeer-Cranberry Joghurt: 7.5/10
Erdbeer Vanille-Waffel: 7.5/10
Strawberry & Mint: 7.5/10
Weisse Joghurt-Mousse: 7.5/10
Marzipan: 7/10
Blood Orange: 7/10
Raisin & Nut: 7/10
Coconut Batida Liqueur Truffle: 7/10
Vanilla Liqueur Truffle: 7/10
Knusperflakes: 7/10
Stracciatella: 7/10
Vanilla Cookie: 7/10
Waldbeer Joghurt: 7/10
Crema Catalana: 7/10
Vanilla Mousse: 7/10
Chocolate Mousse: 7/10
Edel-Bitter mit Edel-Kakao aus Ecuador: 7/10
Buttermilk & Lemon: 7/10
Vanilla Chai Latte: 7/10
Milk & White Chocolate: 6.5/10
Alpine Cream & Praline: 6.5/10
Hazelnut & Almond Crumble: 6.5/10
Sunny Crisp (sunflower seeds): 6/10
Espresso Crunch: 6/10
Half Dark Chocolate: 6/10
Marc de Champagne Truffle: 6/10
Amaretto Truffle: 6/10
Whole Peanut: 6/10
Hazelnut (white chocolate): 6/10
Raisin & Cashew: 6/10
A la Crema Catalana: 6/10
Nusskipferl: 6/10
Buttermilch Zitrone: 6/10
Nut in Nougat Cream: 5.5/10
Dark chocolate with Creme a la chocolate mousse: 5/10
Jamaica Rum: 5/10
Kakaocreme: 5/10
Peppermint: 5/10
Bourbon Vanille: 5/10
Honig & Crisp: 5/10
Whole Almond: 4/10
Golden Peanut: 4/10
Yoghurt: 4/10
Napolitaner Waffel: 4/10
Lemon: 3/10
Egg Liqueur Truffle: 3/10
Coconut: 2/10
Diet Half Dark Chocolate: 1/10
I ate some more chocolate - summer varieties 2016 this time. Here is the outcome.
Buttermilch Zitrone: 6/10
This one's certainly flavoursome - in fact, a bit too much so for me. The lemon packs a punch and overwhelms the softer taste of the buttermilk, except for the fact that the whole combination is also a little bit too sweet. Recommended if you want to give your tastebuds a spring clean, or need waking up.
Brombeer Joghurt: 8/10
This is a much better balanced offering, though would have been better with dark chocolate. Crunchy, warm and comforting, it was quite a pleasure to munch. What exactly the crunchiness is supposed to represent is unclear, though it does add to the combination.
Eiscafé: 8/10
Another solid that tastes like a drink. Ritter's powers of chocolate-making now verge on the uncanny!
