11.29.03

Every Burger Cookies (bourbon)

Posted in 3.5 Wasabi Pea Rating, Cookie, Sweet at 10:12 am by Boo

These are strange but cute little critters. Again, because I still do not know Japanese, I have no idea what they are save the printing on the back which hails them as ‘Bourbon Every Burger Cookie’ so that would work for a name if you like. Rob translated the Japanese on the box and said it says ‘Every Burger’, except the way he said it sounded more like “Ev-a-ur-ie Bu-gar” so pick your poison. They are little burger looking cookies that may or may not have every bourbon in or part of them.
Every Burgers (bourbon) have three layers: A graham crackery “bun”, a chocolaty “burger” and a bourbony “cheese” or maybe “lettuce” or whatever else may be on your every burger that is not the bun or burger and is a ivory white color. I vote for cheese but the packaging does show lettuce so…

I taste tested the burgers two different ways: as a whole and in parts. As a whole they are crunchy bite size chocolaty cookie bits with a smacking of something alcoholic and are really fun to eat. Mmmm, crunchity, mmmmm, crunchity. These things were built for continual snacking and they are cute! TheMan’s first words when he saw them were “Oh! Look at the cute little burger cookies!” and then he started popping them into his mouth. It’s easy to do. Sometimes you can even forget the slight chemical aftertaste they have lingering about.

Yeah, unfortunately these great bite sized cookie burgers have a slight lingering of “BOURBON FLAVORING 243A” taste that really puts a damper on the chocolaty crunchity enjoyment. The graham cracker like buns and smooth chocolate go down so well and then…something…just…doesn’t taste like it ought to. It hints of processing.

The only way to figure this out, I thought, was to eat them in layers and that is what I did (I’m a martyr for your Japanese Snack Food Review junkies). The buns are really interesting. They are like a graham cracker in taste, but not quite as sweet and with a bit more oaty flavor, and they are somewhat like a Chips Ahoy cookie in texture. Whether they have actual sesame bitlits on the top or if the crumblets are just more of the same cookie material remains to be discovered. I didn’t taste anything much like sesame until TheMan told me “I think these might be actual sesame bits on the buns!” and at that point I thought I might taste the faintest nutty flavor, maybe. However, nothing on the package says that it contains sesame so if it does, it’s really hard to distinguish unless you are looking for it. All in all, the cookie buns complement the chocolate well and there is no processed taste anywhere to be had; top or bottom bun. Onto the chocolate!

The chocolate is your standard dollop of smooth yet firm chocolate. You might find such a thing in a Hershey kiss (save this chocolate is a bit smoother and softer) or on an E.L. Fudge cookie (but not as waxy). It’s good, it’s chocolate, it does not taste like anything is amiss. That then would leave the bourbon layer. Bingo! The bourbon layer is softer still than the chocolate and has an equal part alcohol and chemical taste. Without the dollop of bourbony not-so-goodness, these burger cookies would be really tasty. With it they are good but…eh.
They did have an amusing blurb of Engrish, which I shall share with you.

Yup. Bourbon every buger. Maybe that’s why it has a funny taste?

Engrish aside, I am having a tough time deciding on a rating for these. On one hand, I did not so much like the chemical taste, even though it wasn’t overwhelming. It was enough to make me go “Hmmmm. Odd. Tasty, yet…hmmmm” which would knock it out of the 4 rating and most likely into the 3.5 range (even though they are really cute!). TheMan was not bothered as much by the weird flavor so he pushed for a 4. They are awfully cute, and cookie like and they have chocolate and they look like tiny burgers! Oh wait, I’ve mentioned that already, haven’t I? Aesthetically I’d give them a 4.5 because they are cute and the crazy Engrish made me laugh (bonus points there) but that aftertaste. I dunno.

If I was all about the small fractional ratings, I’d go with 3.75 but I think half points are small enough. Ergo, on a personal “Not so fond of that chemical aftertaste” bias, I’m going to give Every Burger Cookies (bourbon) a

Rating of 3.5 Wasabi Peas out of a possible 5.

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