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Can we tell the difference between Black Thunder and Black Thunder Excellent chocolate bars?

Master Blaster Jun 8, 2025
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It doesn’t get any better than this Black Thunder.

Being the hard-hitting reporters we are and constantly on the go covering Pac-Man’s visit to Krispy Kreme and buying five large fries from McDonald’s for research, we often have to eat as we move. I’m probably not alone when I say Black Thunder chocolate bars are a great choice when you need a sugar boost that you can discretely keep in your bag or pocket if it isn’t too hot out.

That may also have been why our writer Snufkin found herself at the Black Thunder section of a 7-Eleven. However, it was here that she found a Black Thunder unlike any other. These surprisingly delicious little bars occasionally come in “Premium” flavors, but this was even beyond that… It was Black Thunder Excellent!

You don’t see many products with “Excellent” in the name, probably because it doesn’t really leave any room for improved versions in the future. Nevertheless, Black Thunder has dared to dream and released this version of the classic chocolate flavor for more than twice the price of a regular Black Thunder bar. Considering a regular bar is only about 35 yen, the Black Thunder Excellent still isn’t terribly expensive at 95 yen ($0.65) each at 7-Eleven stores where they’re exclusively sold.

In front of the box holding the Black Thunder Excellent bars was a challenge: “Can you tell the difference?” This is because these excellent bars are made mostly in the same way as regular ones, but with high-quality cocoa beans for what they call a “rich and luxurious absolute chocolate sensation.”

Snufkin fancies herself a Black Thunder aficionado and was certainly up for the challenge of distinguishing gourmet bars from regular ones, so she picked up one of each and took them home.

She decided to start with a visual inspection and the moment she opened the wrapper of the Black Thunder Excellent, she was hit with a scent unlike any Black Thunder she ever had before. It was like chocolate with a high cocoa content.

The rich cocoa could be seen in the bar as well with a darker and denser appearance. On the surface, it might look like the regular bar has more cookie crunches in it, but checking inside they seemed about the same, it was just that the Excellent bar had thicker chocolate over top.

Snufkin chose the regular Black Thunder to start with and was filled with the comforting feeling of its familiar chocolatey flavor and crumbly texture.

With that out of the way, it was time to partake of the Black Thunder Excellent. Taking a bite there was no question this bar was built different, but surprisingly she felt the original Black Thunder was more delicious the moment it touches the tongue with its strong sweetness. When she first bit into Black Thunder Excellent she momentarily thought it didn’t taste like anything.

However, that was Black Thunder Excellent’s gambit. It starts off weak and takes its time as the rich cocoa aroma gradually fills the mouth. It’s a fragrance so fine that it doesn’t need the simple sweetness of sugar to delight the taste buds. Its texture was a little harder too, but that had more to do with the higher chocolate content than the cookies.

In conclusion, the sign’s doubt that everyone would be able to tell the difference turned out to be unnecessary, because it was all too easy to do so. Black Thunder Excellent reminded Snufkin of those fancy chocolates found in department store food sections and for just 95 yen, that’s a pretty sweet deal on some not-so-sweet chocolate.

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[ Read in Japanese ]