Sugar Savvy

For years, the York Peppermint Pattie has been the lone “convenience” mint candy on the market, but recently, Mars has introduced the 3 Musketeers Mint to compete. Which will win in a head-to-head battle? Well, I personally think we can all just get along, so I’ll just describe the 3 Musketeers Mint for you. Besides, I don’t have a York Pattie on hand.

The 3 Musketeers Mint is a thick layer of whipped-up minty candy covered in a thin layer of dark chocolate. Like the original 3 Musketeers, it is advertised as a lighter candy option. According to the wrapper, it’s “a lighter way to enjoy mint chocolate.” With 150 calories and 5g of fat, I’d say that’s a fair assessment. And because it isn’t a single bar, but two smaller bars, it is perfect for sharing or portion control. One smaller bar has only 75 calories, a pretty guiltless treat. I like it when a candy lives up to its claim.

The mint is sweet and works well with the dark chocolate. The texture reminds me of something between an after dinner mint and a dense marshmallow. The mint flavor is mild, much less intense than a York Pattie. Some people will prefer this, others won’t. It does have an odd aftertaste, which I can only describe as salty. It’s strange, but I rather like it.

One of the bars served as an evening sugar-fix. It was surprisingly satisfying, so I decided to experiment and put the other bar in the freezer overnight. The next day I found quite a treat. The cold really brings out the mint flavor, and the texture was great. It would be a fantastic frozen treat on a hot day.

While this doesn’t overtake the York Pattie in my book, I can certainly see myself alternating between the two.