Tom's Holly Original

I sure hope the nougat won't be too hard

The Attraction

It was from Denmark and I wasn't planning on going there anytime soon.

The Review:
One of the many amazing things about summer besides outdoor fun and shedding our jackets all together is free snacks from co-workers that go on vacation! In this case, I had a coworker that went to Denmark and brought back a snack pack of these Holly Original candy bars.

I have never heard of this chocolate bar previously, but upon looking at the picture on the wrapper, it looks like this "Holly Original" resembles something between a Milky Way and a Snickers. Both candy bars that I respect. When I say respect, I mean candy bars that I have consumed many times over in my life. One deviation I can already see is that in lieu of the peanuts that are found in a Snickers, Holly Original uses hazelnuts. What is it with Europe and hazelnuts?

Suddenly, I feel hungry.

I peel back the wrapper to reveal a smooth, milk chocolate coating. In my hand, it felt light, so I had a feeling that the nougat would be on the airy side versus a denser filling. I take a bite and as I suspected, the nougat yielded without much effort, however to my surprise, I taste hazelnut, but my bites have yet to encounter the crunch of any. As I look closer at the bar after my initial bite, I can see a layer of hazelnut between the nougat filling and the top layer of milk chocolate. Aside from the hazelnut flavor, it is very similiar to a Milky Way. Perhaps a shade lighter nougat is used in this bar.

"OK, I get this is a snack-size, the hazelnut could be at the end of the bar", I think to myself. I take my final bite and brace for a hazelnut crunch that never comes. What I do get is the slightest chip of hazelnut that might be the equivalent of what small piece of nut that gets lost in your mouth after eating an actual hazelnut. You know, that piece that hides between your teeth and gums? Or better yet, that piece that makes an appearance when you are brushing your teeth at night. Yes, people, that wimpy piece.

There is a hazelnut top layer,

but where are the actual hazelnuts?

The Sweet:
If you like a Milky Way, you are in luck.

The Bitter:
Where are the hazelnuts?

Conclusion:
The big hook for me with these "Holly Originals" were supposed to be the hazelnut variation, however, there were very little actual hazelnuts to be found in this bar. The picture on the wrapper was outright deceptive! However, I did enjoy the hazelnut flavor with the nougat filling.

Here's the thing; it's all about managing expectations. I really had no idea what to expect with this snack, but by simply looking at the picture on the wrapper, it set my expectations for something this snack could not deliver, ergo it essentially shot itself in the foot.

Don't promise a woman you will bring her roses and show up with flowers that only SMELL like roses. Those are two very different things. You should try it sometime and see the reaction you get. It'll probably look a lot like my reaction to this candy bar.

Video of the Week

This is only the beginning

Jenna Marbles, of Youtube fame, decided to film a video of her putting on 100 layers of makeup. At first it was passable, then it turns slightly club kid-ish, then eventually downright scary. I don't know why, but I watched every minute of this video. Then I went to go watch the paint dry.