RJ's Candy Coated Licorice Chocolate Balls product reviews

I am a big RJ's fan - I don't think I've come across a product of theirs I don't like. When I'm searching for something sweet, it often ends up being one of their raspberry chocolate logs. In my last review parcel I received the strawberry version of this product and absolutely loved it (and a few of my workmates have commented how amazing they are) so I was very keen to give the black licorice version a go, as I do enjoy a nice bit of black licorice now and then.

I love that the RJ's packaging follows a theme, but all in different colours. It really does help when looking on the shelf as I am easily able to identify the RJ's products. This particular product has a clear window on the front which I also love as it lets me see the actual product. Sometimes you can be disappointed when you buy something new and realise it's not as big as you thought it was, or it didn't look quite like how you thought it would. With this product there is no chance of being disappointed in the look of them as you can easily see them. It also helps to give you a clear view on how much there is in the packet. Another factor that gets a big thumbs up for me is the resealable bag. I do try not to eat an entire bag of lollies in one go, and this means it is easy to do it up and put it in the cupboard without having to put into another bag or find a way to seal the bag. I am all for convenience!

Opening the packet I was met with the unmistakable scent of RJ's black licorice. Mmmmm! It smelt so good! I picked up one of the balls and decided to eat it whole. I popped it in my mouth and was soon met with the crunch of the candy coating before getting through to the soft chocolate and licorice piece on the inside. I can be fussy with textures of food but these are just amazing - the crunch is perfect, the smooth creaming chocolate and then the licorice. The second one I had I decided to bite in half so that I could see all of the layers. It was a little tricky biting it in half, they are certainly best eaten whole, but I was able to get a good look at the inside. There is a cute little piece of licorice in the middle surrounded by the chocolate. In my opinion each layer is the perfect thickness, you wouldn't want any more or less of either of the flavours. If you are a black licorice fan I think you would absolutely love these, if not then it wouldn't be a product for you. Thank you RJ's for another amazing product!

I am a huge RJ's fan and Licorice fan, so seeing licorice coated with chocolate I was ready for a yummy treat, I requested to give these a go as they intrigued me. When I read the ingredients I was actually pleased to see wheat in it, meant I didn't have to share or feel bad for not sharing with children.

The packet was actually really easy to open sadly I struggled to close it back up with the easy ziplock designed into the packet. The packet is pretty nice to look at kinda gives you an idea what you will be opening it up to see. The packet says candy coated licorice, but when I pulled one out and popped into my mouth I was a little thrown off. I couldn't find the licorice taste, so I had to have another one. The next one I bit it in half leaving the center bit intact still so I could see the layers and peel it open.

The outer shell is a hard candy but not too hard, its easy enough to break which goes into a soft chocolate and into that in a small piece of licorice which I reckon is the size of a M&M. Sadly the licorice is a very weak taste to my liking and after getting my partner to taste he reckons its weak too. There is so much chocolate around it, which is nice but I think it takes some of the flavour away which a lot of people would like, as its not strong. The balls are generally the same size and round, I did get one odd shape ball that seemed pretty big and it turned out to be a double licorice center which was pretty cool.

I would normally get a whole bag of lollies or chocolate in one sitting but these I didn't, they stayed on the bench and I would take one or two at a time to munch on, because taking a few and putting all in your mouth at once doesn't work. They are nice, and I would be happy to buy them again, just wish there was a little stronger taste of licorice, but all in all they are good.

Having loved other flavours of the RJ's chocolate balls, I quickly requested these to try - after all - you have to know your lolly treats well, before you dish them out to your children, right?! I was delighted to find both the black licorice variety and the strawberry ones in my review box and honestly felt spoiled for choice for which to try first, but decided on these ones.

The packet itself is appealing with the distinctive silver black and white colours of the RJ's brand, and the fact that every packet also has a picture of what the product is - in this case even a cross section, means you know exactly what you should expect when opening the bag. The nutritional information is on the back and well set out - showing ingredients and also allergen warnings - always good to be aware of. I love love love that the packet is resealable - this is a great thing for lolly packets - meaning, hopefully - less chance of eating all of the treats in one go, well, in theory.....

The outside shell of the ball itself is quite like that of a jaffa - quite hard and crunchy. As with the little red treats - I prefer to suck these, making that candy shell soften, to get to the chocolate inside. I do like the fact that you can hand these to a child without them getting all melty and messy! I did notice that the colour of the outer shell is more of a dark slate grey than a black, but to be honest, do not believe it affects the flavour in any way, it is purely aesthetic.

Once you reach the chocolate inside, you discover a little "blob" of licorice, roughly the size of a smartie lolly. I was a bit rude and spat it into my hand to see exactly what it was and it looked like a smaller log cut into pieces in the middle of each of the balls. The balls themselves were for the most part the same shape and size, but there were a few "odd" ones - which my children liked best of all!!

Each of these balls does take a little while to eat - which I see as a good thing, as they are not "chuck a few in your mouth at a time and munch through them" kind of treat. In fact we made these last nearly a week by having 2 or 3 at a time.

I really enjoyed these, and found them to be a nice change to sweet sweets, if you know what I mean - something different to buy and eat for a treat!

On my very rare day off from work I like to sit down in the sun and do puzzles in the magazines. Now, it is impossible to do without a Chocolate Log purchased at the same time from that dairy - I have tried and I can swear there is no way around it, I must have a chocolate log! Today though I had the perfect substitute these RJ's Licorice chocolate balls they are the perfect item to suck on and occasionally eat why putting my brain to the test.

Opening the packet is a breeze and I love that you can reseal it afterwards. I also like that the packet has a see thru patch so you know how much you have left before you need to go out and buy some more. The smell you receive upon opening it smells just like licorice and is so heavenly I could sit there for ages and just smell. The balls are an off coloured black and are pretty much the same size, you can either suck on them or bite straight into it for the chocolate and licorice surprise. The chocolate is nice and creamy and then the centre has a small rectangle shape of black licorice which is absolutely perfect.

I have been brought up eating licorice from my nana who always has a jar full of them. This has been followed by my mum and aunty and now my cousins and of course myself. I have a shelf in the fridge dedicated to licorice and I will now make sure I have these in the fridge at all times on standby as they are the perfect snack size. They have so much flavour contained in the small ball that you only need one or two at the very most to satisfy that ping of hunger. They have quickly become a family hit and my girls have fallen in love with them. If anything I can say, 'I will not be buying the chocolate logs as long as I have these in the house!'

RJ's is a brand I've know my whole life, it was a product well loved by my father and as it brings out new products and combinations it's becoming a household product for my own family. These morsels promise a hard candy shell, some lovely milk chocolate and a small chunk of licorice in the centre. The packet has a small window so you can see what you're getting and the back showss what it will look like when you bite into it. I did see that this uses palm oil but happily it contributes to the production of sustainable palm oil which is fabulous.

These are a decent size and feel nice and hard in your hand. Biting into it can be a bit difficult at first but the stuff inside is worth it, all the flavours go well together. However, if you're more interested in taking your time, you can pop the whole thing into your mouth and let it soften and melt. So this is great if you want a quick sugar hit or something to enjoy a little bit longer. My kids have all had this and loved it, which is especially big when Mr 10 has never liked black licorice before, and they e all requested we buy more when this pack is finished. My mum liked the Jaffa feel to it and would happily eat more. This was a big hit and will be on our shopping list again.

I don't normally eat milk chocolate, so this product surprised me. I had intended to have only one to test it out, then share the rest with the family and rely on them for feedback. In fact, I was amazed to find that I was not eating dark chocolate because the licorice imparts a completely different flavour to the chocolate within, reducing the sweetness and cutting through the milky aftertaste that I don't usually like.

The outer shell is quite hard but, as you suck on it, it melts into the chocolate inner. This is a great treat if you are travelling on a hot day; because the chocolate is contained, it does not melt so there is no mess in the packet. Once the shell is breached, the chocolate inner is soft just like any other chocolate, but the licorice flavour persists so the "dark chocolate" effect remains.

Inside the chocolate is a little cylinder of hard licorice - not a shell like the outer, but solid nevertheless, chewy and delicious. This took some processing, so I estimated that it would take several minutes to eat one lolly. That is useful as it means you are not tempted to eat them too quickly. There is a good-sized helping in a packet, plenty to last six of us on a two-hour road trip - and that was true even after I decided I liked them after all so insisted on having my share! In fact, the packet states that it contains eight servings, so call us greedy! (But it was quite a long trip.)

When we reached our destination, my friends went straight to the supermarket and discovered this product on sale, so they bought another packet to share on the way home. Just in case, of course, I needed more comments for my review. I don't know who they were kidding, but we all felt we could force ourselves to repeat the experience next day. Even me, the person who does not like milk chocolate... Nobody will believe me after this.

Finally, I like the clean lines of the packaging and the graphic which shows you a cross-section of the lolly so you know exactly what you are getting. It makes it easy to spot on a supermarket shelf. The ziplock closure meant we did not drop any in the car - always a hazard when you are travelling - and the information on nutritional content and allergen warnings is easy to read. Altogether an attractive and moreish product.