Kit Kats - Wasabi, Sakura Nihonshu, Sakura and Roasted Soybean

Ever since I got my box of Kit Kats I've been fearing this day and alas it's finally here... the day I'm going to try the wasabi Kit Kat. I can stand some spicy foods, but the instant slap to your tastebuds that wasabi delivers can be a bit too much. I hope Kit Kat has realized this and dulls it down a bit, or maybe they'll go for the hyperrealism approach. If the worst-case scnario happens though, at least I'll get to cool down with some nice sakura flavors afterwards.

The wasabi Kit Kat seems benign from the outside, with its lovely light green color and creamy smell. But I'm not going to be deceived by that, no way. Wasabi itself has this same inviting color. I take a deep breath, and see if it's going to sting me the same way...

And surprisingly it doesn't burn at all. In fact the first thing I get is the creamy taste, which leaves me wondering if this is even the right Kit Kat. But then I get the taste. The familiar pungent taste that accompanied the quick fire that wasabi produces, but without any of the fire. How they did this I don't know, but it's a miracle and it's pretty wonderful. It's pleasant to eat and hides a complex flavor underneath it's simple creamy exterior. The Kit Kat creators must have been wizards to come up with this.

Rating: 9 - Arooooo!

While the wasabi Kit Kat's smell was fairly muted, this one is the complete opposite. From the moment I opened the package I got the bold taste of freshly poured sake. And considering the one I just ate was a sushi component, it only seems fitting. I get so much of the bold sake smell that I can barely smell the sakura, but I'm pretty sure it's there. Or that light pink color wouldn't make too much sense.

I wasn't too much a fan of the past sake Kit Kats, but this one seems a bit more composed and less in-your-face when I taste it. I do get the cherry blossom taste now, and it's evenly matched with the sake taste and blends so seamlessly. I'm actually amazed how well these flavors blend together because it seems like they wouldn't be able to, and it creates a pretty sweet, relaxing, and refreshing concoction. Just like the source material.

Rating: 7 - Aroof!

Now for a completely different take on sakura. The Sakura and Roasted Soybean Kit Kat looks and smells entirely different, and instead of sake we have kinako, which is a roasted soybean powder, as the main focus. The smell, as I've come to expect is a mix of sweet, earthy, and gritty. No sakura to be found though, but if it's anything like the last one, nothing to worry about here.

As I expected, sakura finds its way into the taste, as it blends with the kinako in a really nice way. In a way, the two almost form a completely different flavor when combined, weirdly enough that reminds me of an ice cream cone. It's a vary similar flavor palette, with a mix of gritty and solid and sweet, refreshing, and light goodness. Maybe I'm going crazy, but it almost doesn't taste like the two individual flavors at all. That doesn't make it not wonderful though, as I'm amazed at how well these unique flavors play into the Kit Kat form factor.

Rating: 8 - Rowf!