A Milk Chocolate Taste Test

Six years ago, we featured a sample of dark chocolate bars. At the time, one reader commented, “The best dark chocolate is milk chocolate.” It was a very passionate opinion, and I agreed with it. So I thought it was time to do another experiment…

What better panel of judges could there be than five 7th graders with a sweet tooth and strong opinions. Anton’s friends came over after school and challenged him to evaluate 11 popular milk chocolate brands in a blind taste test.

Contestants:
It contained only plain milk chocolate (no nuts, fillings, or flavors).

Methodology:
Following Jenny’s carefully calibrated protocol, I was the host and Joanna joined as the publicist. I prepared the samples ahead of time, kept the brands “blind” as much as possible (I turned the ones with stamped logos upside down), and also had soda water and unsalted crackers for palate cleansing between samples. Each sample was numbered and I was the only one with a key to the corresponding brand.

I asked my testers, Nick, Anton, Sienna, Juliet, and Ella, to taste each sample at the same time and rate characteristics such as sweetness, chewiness, creaminess, and flavor. Then I asked them privately Rank each sample on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best). We also asked them to refrain from making any guesses about the brand of chocolate so as not to influence each other. Did they follow the last two instructions? No, not for a second. (Future scientists beware: middle school students can’t do it) do not have Please talk to each other). But did they take the task of vetting and ranking these chocolates very seriously? Yes, 100%.

Once the tests were completed, we collected the score sheets and averaged the rankings for each sample. In retrospect, I should have told it to round to the nearest whole number to avoid a ranking like 4.12595982484636456467. But again, this is a flaw in my own procedure and I can’t blame the kids for doing it correctly.

In the end, it didn’t matter anyway. When I ran the numbers and confirmed my observations, the results were very clear. Our findings include: Scroll down to see the overall winners.

the creamiest
Lindt classic recipes & cadbury dairy milk:4.8
These two received high scores overall (the only samples with a tie), and both were noted for their extremely smooth and creamy textures. One tester described Cadbury as having a ‘pure milk’ flavour, and several agreed that Cadbury was the ‘milkiest’ milk chocolate. Everyone also liked the slender but not too slender shape of the Lindt bar.

best taste
milk boy:4.44
chocolate love: 4.3468
These two were also overall crowd pleasers (and even a little Identifiable by taste – no one knew what brand it was). Milk Boy elicited the biggest response in terms of flavor, with testers saying they tasted notes of raspberry, almond, and even mint. Chocolove was known for its fruity sweetness, which is pleasant but not overpowering. And everyone really liked the square dome shape.

best shape and texture
pigeon:4.5
Ritter Sport Fine Milk Chocolate:4.38
whole foods 365: 4.182
What’s the clear takeaway from this taste test? Shape matters. Similar to Chocolove, the Dove bar is divided into small domed squares. That alone raised its score a bit, making it one of our unexpected favorites (though some found it a bit too sweet). Another surprise was the Whole Foods 365 bar, which was praised for its texture. One person described it as “waxy and very good.” (I agree. The “waxiness” creates a satisfying chew.) The hefty, square Ritter Sport is highly praised for its shape, texture, and pleasant meltability. And while official testers weren’t surprised, it’s worth noting that the Ritter Sport was by far an adult favorite (Joanna and I tried it before the kids arrived and kept our mouths shut during the test).

outlier
trader joe’s: 4.2682
endangered species:3.84
One tester declared the Trader Joe’s sample a 5/5 right off the bat. There were no notes, but I liked everything about it. The rest of the testers responded with an audible “meh.” A similar thing happened with Endangered, with many testers thinking the dark chocolate was added by accident (it has a high cocoa content and could definitely be confused with dark chocolate). One tester liked it, but others (including myself) found it too difficult, too bitter, and too intense. No one asked for a second bite.

What I hate the most
Hershey’s Symphony Bar:3.8
ah! symphony birds fancy chocolate? Times have changed. These kids were not impressed. “It tastes like s’mores.”

big winner
tony’s chocolate lee:4.98
It wasn’t even close, guys. Tony’s won and everyone loved it. Although the least appreciated anything — not creamy, sweet or anything — I actually think that worked in its favor. The balance was just right. Another big advantage is size and shape. Tony’s is obviously a chunky chocolate bar, but when you break it apart it becomes an uneven mass that’s oddly satisfying. Brand recognition was definitely a factor here (“I got the lucky part!” said one tester, picking up the small coin-shaped piece in the center), but I think this would have been a winner either way. Tony’s is both delicious chocolate and fun chocolate. And really, what more could you ask for?

Thank you to our wonderful judges Anton, Nick, Juliet, Ella and Sienna. Are there any other milk chocolate fans out there? Do you have a favorite?

PS I’ll be sampling more, including the best vanilla ice cream and my favorite pasta sauce.