Kobasic's Candies (South Land Park)
food: 5/5
experience: 5/5
overall: 5/5
It's hard to make bad chocolate, especially when it's your specialty. Kobasic's got some good chocolate. Good enough to rival See's? Well, we shall see. I survived off this chocolate during quarantine because my beloved See's were all closed.
First box, in no particular order, we got:
Molasses seafoam: 3.5/5
This is the triangular one in the top corner. An interesting concoction. It's very crispy, almost like a giant Rice Krispie but made with molasses. It really is like foam inside. It's just sweet, not a very complex flavor. If you like that crispy texture though you'll like this.
Coffee toffee: 5/5
This is the bar next to the seafoam. The best of the toffees, though almond is also a contender. A layer of crunchy sweet coffee toffee, it tastes as it sounds. Similar to See's coffee lollipops. Good luck getting this stuff out of your teeth.
Cayenne caramel: 4/5
The dark rectangle on the right. This is a caramel with a little spicy kick aftertaste. It's simple but it is spicy, be forewarned. See's doesn't have any spicy chocolate and I'm a fan so Kobasic's gets the point on this one.
Chocolate peanut butter: 5/5
One of the milk chocolate bonbons. This is not the kind of PB you find at the store, this one's a lot creamier and a pleasure to bite into. PB and chocolate is and always will be a perfect pair. Now if they put actual chocolate chips in it it'd be even better.
86% dark peanut butter krisp: 3/5
The dark bonbon. This one's got Rice Krispies inside. I couldn't taste them that much and unlike the choco PB this one tasted quite bitter. Not sure what that's about.
Peanut butter honey: 4/5
Peanut butter potato chip krunch: 5/5
The last milk chocolate bonbon. Like a crispy peanut butter essentially. Now that I've had three I'm like pretty sure the peanut butter is mixed with cream cheeses. This is what the peanut butter crisp should taste like.
Amaretto caramel: 5/5
Wow, I'm glad I saved this one for last. Definitely the best of the bunch. It's a rich chocolate with a maraschino liqueur undertone that makes for a very well-rounded flavor.
After that nice little sampling I came back and got twelve more (with one repeat - the cayenne). To be sure, I still had not tried everything, and I was on a mission to do exactly that (or everything in some form or another). This time I went with all darks. Dark chocolate = real chocolate, for those who don't know.
(Top to bottom, left to right)
Cayenne caramel: still holding out at a solid 4/5
Cinnamon caramel: 5/5
If you haven't tried cinnamon chocolate I highly encourage it. It's not too spicy; it's more like cinnamon sugar chocolate. Combined with caramel it makes for a very eclectic flavor.
Plum wine: 5/5
A deliciously rich wine-infused truffle. Alcohol always makes chocolate better. This one's a bit pricier - probs due to the wine.
Lemon caramel: 4/5
These two odd bedfellows actually go together quite nicely. A simple caramel with a nice dose of lemon extract.
Amaretto kruffle: 5/5
Similar to the amaretto caramel above but allll chocolate. Yesindeedy.
Coffee kruffle: 5/5
Espresso + dark chocolate = divine. All that needs to be said.
Raspberry kruffle: 5/5
A rich raspberry chocolate interior which tastes like it has just a hint of amaretto in there.
Dark coconut kruffle: 5/5
A delightfully sweet combo of coconut and chocolate. Tastes like what it's supposed to. So, good.
Orange kruffle: 4.5/5
Orange and chocolate aren't usually seen together but this works. It's different. It's kinda like chocolate orange soda if you can imagine it.
Cherry rocky road: 5/5
A wonderful blend of maraschino liquid, marshmallow, and nuts. Oh yeah, and chocolate. Delicious chocolate.
Chocolate cherry kruffle: 5/5
Similar to the cherry rocky road but this one's just got the maraschino and the chocolate, plus a couple pieces of actual maraschino cherry in there. Cherry and chocolate is a solid combination.
Irish cream kruffle: 5/5
A rich Irish coffee cream mixed with chocolate. Like I said, coffee plus chocolate always wins. And if there's alcohol in there? Even better.
Next up: the last of the dark chocolates, plus a few whites. I think after this box we've covered just about all Kobasic's offerings now.
Lemon kruffle: 5/5
The white truffle with yellow on top. White chocolate and lemon make for a very refreshing combo. The next best thing to lemonade in chocolate form. Perfect for summer.
White vanilla kruffle: 4.5/5
The plain white. A very innocent-tasting wholesome vanilla buttercream that resembles French vanilla. See? Vanilla doesn't always have to mean boring.
Key lime kruffle: 3.5/5
The white truffle with green on top. If you know me you know I love my lime. This one just tastes way too artificial. It's almost like candy, or Fruit Loops or something. I'd like more of a sour flavor than a saccharine one.
67% dark chocolate kruffle: 4.5/5
The perfect amount of dark without being overwhelming. A dark chocolate for newcomers, if you will. Come to the dark side...
Balsamic vinegar kruffle: 5/5
The balsamic really enhances your chocolate experience here. It makes it very strong, not overly strong, but if you love lush-tasting chocolate, I highly suggest you try this unique combo. Nothing like this at See's, I have to say.
Pomegranate kruffle: 4/5
Hmmmm. Interesting combo for sure but I can't say it's anything special. It's good, but it just tastes like slightly tart chocolate.
Sweet dark cherry kruffle: 5/5
A distinct chocolate cherry taste. Not maraschino, just regular black cherry. Cherry and chocolate are as nice a combo as cherry coke. Tastes divine.
72% dark chocolate: 4/5
A rich dark chocolate to be sure. Great flavor, just a little one note. If you want a pure dark chocolate though, this is a good one.
Maple kruffle: 4/5
Not bad. Just a soft maple syrup base wrapped in chocolate. Simple.
Pistachio medley: 4/5
White cherry, coconut, cranberry, pistachio. All melt together to make a weird vague flavor that mostly just resembles coconut. It's good, sure, just wish I could taste the other stuff.
Port wine kruffle: 4.5/5
A rich red wine mixed with chocolate. Great choice for those who don't drink but still like the taste of vin. It really enhances the chocolate.
Boat house red: 4.5/5
Another rich red wine, this one's a little more subtle though. Not as strong as the port. It's not absent but yeah, just a little more toned down. Still a great flavor enhancer.
Dark mint kruffle: 4.5/5
Mint chip is my favorite ice cream flavor so I was excited for this. The mint here though is more like a peppermint. It's not as smooth. Has a distinct mint extract flavor to it which I do not care for that much. It's still good, just not as good as I was expecting.
White almond cherry kruffle: 5/5
Delicious blend of almond and cherry extracts. The interior resembles taffy a bit in flavor.
If you're a good customer you'll get rewarded with samples like these. You can get any chocolate as a sample. Of course, I always go with dark chocolate.
Salted English toffee: 4/5
Definitely not for the weak, this one's got a hefty measure of salt. A little bit too much, even for me. I can appreciate the whole chocolate pretzel concept but this was slightly overpowering. You can taste the chocolate still, and the toffee, but everything is full of salt.
Almond toffee: 4.5/5
Almonds in and out. They don't add a whole lot to the flavor, just give it another crunchy texture. Better than the plain English toffee I s'pose.
Kobasic's always has a bunch of specialty items out on display on the tables up front, especially during Easter. They have chocolate bark (including white chocolate chip - good shit), chocolate pretzels, chocolate-covered Oreos, brittle comprised of various nuts. If you ever see the cashew coconut brittle I urge you to get it.
I know it's just cashews, coconut, butter and sugar essentially but this brittle is more than the sum of its parts. Heed my call and try it. The closest flavor I can compare it with is those old Mother's taffy cookies they used to sell (and claim they do still but they changed the damn recipe so Mother's is banned from our household now).
Kobasic's also has a freezer section full of chocolate ice cream delights like Drumsticks and other Nestle et al creations. You know, because sometimes kids come in here... and so do people with no taste for the finer things.
I suggest getting here a while after they open because at 10am they're still rolling out the goods. All the display items are still being made as well as the toffee. So stroll in around 11am and you'll get the best selection.
experience: 5/5
overall: 5/5
It's hard to make bad chocolate, especially when it's your specialty. Kobasic's got some good chocolate. Good enough to rival See's? Well, we shall see. I survived off this chocolate during quarantine because my beloved See's were all closed.
First box, in no particular order, we got:
Molasses seafoam: 3.5/5
This is the triangular one in the top corner. An interesting concoction. It's very crispy, almost like a giant Rice Krispie but made with molasses. It really is like foam inside. It's just sweet, not a very complex flavor. If you like that crispy texture though you'll like this.
Coffee toffee: 5/5
This is the bar next to the seafoam. The best of the toffees, though almond is also a contender. A layer of crunchy sweet coffee toffee, it tastes as it sounds. Similar to See's coffee lollipops. Good luck getting this stuff out of your teeth.
Cayenne caramel: 4/5
The dark rectangle on the right. This is a caramel with a little spicy kick aftertaste. It's simple but it is spicy, be forewarned. See's doesn't have any spicy chocolate and I'm a fan so Kobasic's gets the point on this one.
Chocolate peanut butter: 5/5
One of the milk chocolate bonbons. This is not the kind of PB you find at the store, this one's a lot creamier and a pleasure to bite into. PB and chocolate is and always will be a perfect pair. Now if they put actual chocolate chips in it it'd be even better.
86% dark peanut butter krisp: 3/5
The dark bonbon. This one's got Rice Krispies inside. I couldn't taste them that much and unlike the choco PB this one tasted quite bitter. Not sure what that's about.
Peanut butter honey: 4/5
Another milk chocolate bonbon. Basically just a peanut butter truffle. It's like the honey peanut butter you buy at the store but more mousse-like, like the previous truffle.
The last milk chocolate bonbon. Like a crispy peanut butter essentially. Now that I've had three I'm like pretty sure the peanut butter is mixed with cream cheeses. This is what the peanut butter crisp should taste like.
Amaretto caramel: 5/5
Wow, I'm glad I saved this one for last. Definitely the best of the bunch. It's a rich chocolate with a maraschino liqueur undertone that makes for a very well-rounded flavor.
After that nice little sampling I came back and got twelve more (with one repeat - the cayenne). To be sure, I still had not tried everything, and I was on a mission to do exactly that (or everything in some form or another). This time I went with all darks. Dark chocolate = real chocolate, for those who don't know.
(Top to bottom, left to right)
Cayenne caramel: still holding out at a solid 4/5
Cinnamon caramel: 5/5
If you haven't tried cinnamon chocolate I highly encourage it. It's not too spicy; it's more like cinnamon sugar chocolate. Combined with caramel it makes for a very eclectic flavor.
Plum wine: 5/5
A deliciously rich wine-infused truffle. Alcohol always makes chocolate better. This one's a bit pricier - probs due to the wine.
Lemon caramel: 4/5
These two odd bedfellows actually go together quite nicely. A simple caramel with a nice dose of lemon extract.
Amaretto kruffle: 5/5
Similar to the amaretto caramel above but allll chocolate. Yesindeedy.
Coffee kruffle: 5/5
Espresso + dark chocolate = divine. All that needs to be said.
Raspberry kruffle: 5/5
A rich raspberry chocolate interior which tastes like it has just a hint of amaretto in there.
Dark coconut kruffle: 5/5
A delightfully sweet combo of coconut and chocolate. Tastes like what it's supposed to. So, good.
Orange kruffle: 4.5/5
Orange and chocolate aren't usually seen together but this works. It's different. It's kinda like chocolate orange soda if you can imagine it.
Cherry rocky road: 5/5
A wonderful blend of maraschino liquid, marshmallow, and nuts. Oh yeah, and chocolate. Delicious chocolate.
Chocolate cherry kruffle: 5/5
Similar to the cherry rocky road but this one's just got the maraschino and the chocolate, plus a couple pieces of actual maraschino cherry in there. Cherry and chocolate is a solid combination.
Irish cream kruffle: 5/5
A rich Irish coffee cream mixed with chocolate. Like I said, coffee plus chocolate always wins. And if there's alcohol in there? Even better.
Next up: the last of the dark chocolates, plus a few whites. I think after this box we've covered just about all Kobasic's offerings now.
Lemon kruffle: 5/5
The white truffle with yellow on top. White chocolate and lemon make for a very refreshing combo. The next best thing to lemonade in chocolate form. Perfect for summer.
White vanilla kruffle: 4.5/5
The plain white. A very innocent-tasting wholesome vanilla buttercream that resembles French vanilla. See? Vanilla doesn't always have to mean boring.
Key lime kruffle: 3.5/5
The white truffle with green on top. If you know me you know I love my lime. This one just tastes way too artificial. It's almost like candy, or Fruit Loops or something. I'd like more of a sour flavor than a saccharine one.
67% dark chocolate kruffle: 4.5/5
The perfect amount of dark without being overwhelming. A dark chocolate for newcomers, if you will. Come to the dark side...
Balsamic vinegar kruffle: 5/5
The balsamic really enhances your chocolate experience here. It makes it very strong, not overly strong, but if you love lush-tasting chocolate, I highly suggest you try this unique combo. Nothing like this at See's, I have to say.
Pomegranate kruffle: 4/5
Hmmmm. Interesting combo for sure but I can't say it's anything special. It's good, but it just tastes like slightly tart chocolate.
Sweet dark cherry kruffle: 5/5
A distinct chocolate cherry taste. Not maraschino, just regular black cherry. Cherry and chocolate are as nice a combo as cherry coke. Tastes divine.
72% dark chocolate: 4/5
A rich dark chocolate to be sure. Great flavor, just a little one note. If you want a pure dark chocolate though, this is a good one.
Maple kruffle: 4/5
Not bad. Just a soft maple syrup base wrapped in chocolate. Simple.
Pistachio medley: 4/5
White cherry, coconut, cranberry, pistachio. All melt together to make a weird vague flavor that mostly just resembles coconut. It's good, sure, just wish I could taste the other stuff.
Port wine kruffle: 4.5/5
A rich red wine mixed with chocolate. Great choice for those who don't drink but still like the taste of vin. It really enhances the chocolate.
Boat house red: 4.5/5
Another rich red wine, this one's a little more subtle though. Not as strong as the port. It's not absent but yeah, just a little more toned down. Still a great flavor enhancer.
Dark mint kruffle: 4.5/5
Mint chip is my favorite ice cream flavor so I was excited for this. The mint here though is more like a peppermint. It's not as smooth. Has a distinct mint extract flavor to it which I do not care for that much. It's still good, just not as good as I was expecting.
White almond cherry kruffle: 5/5
Delicious blend of almond and cherry extracts. The interior resembles taffy a bit in flavor.
If you're a good customer you'll get rewarded with samples like these. You can get any chocolate as a sample. Of course, I always go with dark chocolate.
Salted English toffee: 4/5
Definitely not for the weak, this one's got a hefty measure of salt. A little bit too much, even for me. I can appreciate the whole chocolate pretzel concept but this was slightly overpowering. You can taste the chocolate still, and the toffee, but everything is full of salt.
Almond toffee: 4.5/5
Almonds in and out. They don't add a whole lot to the flavor, just give it another crunchy texture. Better than the plain English toffee I s'pose.
Kobasic's always has a bunch of specialty items out on display on the tables up front, especially during Easter. They have chocolate bark (including white chocolate chip - good shit), chocolate pretzels, chocolate-covered Oreos, brittle comprised of various nuts. If you ever see the cashew coconut brittle I urge you to get it.
I know it's just cashews, coconut, butter and sugar essentially but this brittle is more than the sum of its parts. Heed my call and try it. The closest flavor I can compare it with is those old Mother's taffy cookies they used to sell (and claim they do still but they changed the damn recipe so Mother's is banned from our household now).
Kobasic's also has a freezer section full of chocolate ice cream delights like Drumsticks and other Nestle et al creations. You know, because sometimes kids come in here... and so do people with no taste for the finer things.
I suggest getting here a while after they open because at 10am they're still rolling out the goods. All the display items are still being made as well as the toffee. So stroll in around 11am and you'll get the best selection.
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