2023
This is the YBC Noir Mini Mont Blanc (2023). It contained 0.4% chestnuts produced in Italy.
Each box comprised two foil-sealed bags, each holding 11 sandwich-style cookies measuring 2.5 cm in diameter and 1 cm in height. The chestnut cream layer was approximately half the thickness of the cocoa biscuits that enclosed it.
Upon opening, the cookies released an aromatic, coffee-like scent. The biscuits offered the same firm texture and unsweetened deep cocoa flavour found in the original Noir Black Cocoa. The chestnut cream—containing 0.4% chestnuts sourced from Italy—introduced an earthy richness reminiscent of candied chestnuts, with a sweetness well offset by the bitterness of the biscuit. While the aroma suggested the presence of coffee, none was listed. The interplay of textures and the layered flavour profile resulted in a product both nuanced and satisfying. A strong seasonal variation, with depth and clarity.
This Yamazaki Biscuits Noir Mini Mont Blanc contained 70 g (35 g x 2 bags). It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2023.
2024
This is the YBC Noir Mini Mont Blanc (2024). This revised edition featured a reduced chestnut content—0.2% powdered chestnut—and a more compact presentation. Each pack held 10 sandwich biscuits, approximately 0.9 cm thick. The cream layer comprised about one-third of the total height, flanked by two crisp, unsweetened dark cocoa biscuits.
The aroma on opening was more restrained, with mellow nutty undertones. On the palate, the biscuits delivered an immediate crunch, yielding to a smooth centre with sweet, rounded nuttiness reminiscent of mont blanc cream. Compared to the 2023 version, the chestnut presence was more subdued, with less of the earthy depth that defined the earlier formulation. Nonetheless, the balance between cocoa bitterness and cream sweetness remained carefully calibrated. Curiously, the combined flavour produced an espresso-like aftertaste, despite neither component carrying a distinct coffee note in isolation.
A subtle, more refined iteration with less chestnut-forward character but a sophisticated interplay of textures and residual flavour. Highly moreish and still worth revisiting, though the earlier version offered greater depth.
This YBC Noir Mini Mont Blanc contained 64 g (32 g x 2 bags). It was produced in Japan and purchased in Sydney, Australia in 2024.