Lindt Fioretto

i figured that since these said new on the bag, and i had never seen them, that they must be a new product from Lindt, but apparently they've been around for awhile and just the package is new. anyways, they're new to me. and they're pretty good. i'm a fan of Lindt Lindor Truffles, so i was pretty excited to try these. there are three flavors available: cappuccino, caramel and hazelnut nougat. i went for the assorted bag because i want it all, and why shouldn't i get it? the distribution of flavors was pretty even - three each of cappuccino and hazelnut, four caramel.

Cappuccino

i can taste the cappuccino flavor immediately, kind of coffeeish, kind of milky. the center is firmer than i expected, i guess i was thinking it would be creamy like a Lindor Truffle. the crispies on the outside are the best, i'm glad they included them in all three kinds. this is actually my least favorite, but i would still eat it again.

rating: 5

Caramel

i assume this is the most popular, which is why they give you an extra one (unless it's arbitrary and i just got lucky). it's tying for my favorite right now with the hazelnut. the caramel is perfect, literally. it's gooey but not messy, rich and very buttery and so smooth. it's like a 100 grand if 100 grand was good. the crispies are the perfect juxtaposition to the creamy caramel and the chocolate is smooth and quite tasty.

rating: 9

Hazelnut Praline Nougat

this one threw me off at first. on the package it's just called "Nougat," but the actual candy specifies that it's Hazelnut Praline. naturally i thought this would be like Ferrero Rocher, and while it is reminiscent, it has its distinctions. the main difference would be the lack of actual hazelnuts in the filling. there's a strong hazelnut flavor, but no crunchiness. the filling is much creamier than the Cappuccino version and i definitely prefer it. i also don't notice the praline here, possibly because of the crispies, maybe they're distracting me or maybe it's just not a prevalent flavor. i'm also not sure about the nougat label, i don't see where that comes into play, unless there is some other thing called nougat that i don't know of. i'd say these remind me more of the Trader Joe's Hazelnut Delights, which is a good thing.

rating: 9