Peppermint Patty Showdown

Before Christmas, I stumbled upon a box of Ganong Pepts at a discount store. I hadn't seen them in years, so naturally I had to buy them. And then during Christmas, I received a package of Waterbridge Mint Creams and York Peppermint Patties. The logical next step? A peppermint patty showdown. 

All three contenders use dark chocolate and all three contain real chocolate to greater and lesser degrees. Both the Waterbridge and the York brands employ peppermint oil to flavour the fondant centre, while the Ganong does not specify beyond "natural and artificial flavour." The Waterbridge and Ganong patties are the same size, and the York is slightly larger. On the surface, they all look the part. 

Up first: Waterbridge. $1.97 for 90g. The chocolate enrobing the centre is thicker than expected (particularly on the top of the patty) and provides a little resistance as you bite through it. The peppermint is present, but not overpowering. The flavour and cooling effect linger for several minutes after eating. A solid peppermint patty. 

Next: Ganong. $1.25 for 100g. The outer shell is thinner than the Waterbridge, giving way to the centre easily. It is also visibly a shade lighter than the dark chocolate shells of the Waterbridge and York -- and you can taste that when you eat it. It's certainly not milk chocolate, but it isn't as dark as the Waterbridge. The cream inside is softer than the Waterbridge and the peppermint is very mild. The flavour and cooling effect dissipate relatively quickly. For mouthfeel, an excellent peppermint patty.  

Finally: York. $3.28 for 136g. The outer shell is very thin with no resistance when biting into the patty. The peppermint fondant is the firmest and thickest of the three -- more chewy than gooey (almost crystallized like fudge). The peppermint flavour is the strongest of the three, aided partly by the fact that there's just more cream in the York patty than the others. The flavour and cooling effect have a very short finish compared to the Waterbridge. An average but unremarkable peppermint patty.

And the winner is...

L: Waterbridge. C: Ganong. R: York.

In my opinion, Ganong takes the prize both for mouthfeel and flavour. The thin, slightly lighter dark chocolate shell combined with the creamy gooey centre is delicious. The Waterbridge is a close second. The York comes in last, primarily because of the chocolate to fondant ratio, which just seems off, and the firmer texture. 

Do you have a favourite?