The Sip Advisor is a certified chocoholic. But, not everything that glitters is gold. In recognition of Valentine’s Day, I decided to look at some of the chocolate-based products I love and hate – or at least dislike, as hate seems too strong a word here. First, here are some of my favourites:

Snickers

When I have a Snickers, I feel like I’m having a complete meal. Between the peanuts, nougat, caramel and chocolate, there’s a lot to like. As one of their old slogans says, “it’s so satisfying”. Now, I just need someone to make me Snickers Salad, which consists of Snickers bars, Granny Smith apples and whipped topping, an apparent essential dish of potlucks and parties in the U.S. Upper Midwest.

Twix

As a cookie aficionado, how could I not fall in love with a chocolate bar that boasts a cookie crunch with each bite. Add in a delicious layer of caramel and you have yourself one hell of a combo. Mrs. Sip and I have been lucky to try some of the limited edition Twix offerings over the years, with Salted Caramel and Cookie Dough being particularly memorable.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

I have always enjoyed peanut butter cups, with the rare crunchy version being my favourite. I have also liked many of the recent Big Cup releases the Reese’s company has come out with, such as Potato Chip and Caramel. No matter what holiday is on the horizon, you can bet the Sip Advisor is tracking down the Reese’s offering for it, whether it be hearts for Valentine’s Day, eggs for Easter, pumpkins/ghosts/bats for Halloween or trees for Christmas.

Some honourable mentions include Oh Henry!, Wunderbar, Take 5 and Butterfinger. Now that I have your salivary glands watering, it’s time to reel you back in and down to earth with some not-so-pleasant chocolate bars. Here are a few the Sip Advisor dislikes:

Milk Duds

Whenever I have a Milk Dud, I immediately regret the experience, as I try to choke down the little ball of chocolate-coated caramel. Mrs. Sip loves adding Milk Duds to popcorn and often leaves me to pick this addition up for her – typically as we’re rushing to attend our show. Perhaps that has fostered the anger I have towards the product.

Hershey’s Milk Chocolate

These are so plain, boring and unappealing, one wonders how the company ever lasted as long as it has, with this as their core offering. As seen above, the Sip Advisor likes complex, ingredient-rich chocolate bars and this doesn’t jive with that. Same goes for Hershey Kisses, which despite their cute shape, don’t bring much to the taste game.

Whoppers/Maltesers

Another Mrs. Sip favourite that I don’t particularly appreciate in the same way. I think I overdosed on these malt balls one Easter, when in the form of Robin Eggs. Since then, I haven’t looked at the product the same and prefer not to have them around. Still, I’m an upstanding person and will let the Sipplings make their own choice regarding them.

Narrowly avoiding entry on this list and my venomous treatment are creations such as Nestle Crunch, 3 Musketeers and coconut-based bars like Almond Joy/Mounds/Bounty. Looking at the items above, apparently, I don’t like chocolate in ball form.

Love & Hate: Chocolate Obsession

• Decorate glass with Chocolate Syrup
• 1 oz Coffee Liqueur (I used Kahlua Vanilla)
• 1 oz Irish Cream (I used Bailey’s Red Velvet)
• 1 oz Raspberry Vodka/Liqueur (I used Tumbleweed Raspberry Moonshine)
• Top with Milk
• Garnish with Chocolate Sprinkles

I’ll admit, putting together a list of chocolate bars I don’t like was difficult, as I’m pretty lenient when it comes to treats. I’d say the ones listed aren’t horrible, but they would be my last resorts to feed any chocolate craving.