Delux Milk Chocolate has stood in Black Thunder’s shadow for 30 years.
Black Thunder has long been the king of B-grade chocolate, though that label is really misleading as the quality of these two-bite sized bars is outstanding for their rock-bottom prices starting at 35 yen (US$0.23). The way they balance exquisiteness with affordability even made them a favorite of the late Shinzo Abe.
They’re also known for their bold and wacky promotional stunts like getting into a war of words with Godiva or envisioning a future of Valentine’s Day where crabs are given as gifts. So our writer Daiki Nishimoto was very surprised to scroll through all the Black Thunder varieties on the website of their maker Yuraku Confectionery to find a very low-key and demure-looking item called Delux Milk Chocolate.
Sure, “deluxe” is kind of spelled wrong, but this chocolate seemed to exude a sense of elegance that Black Thunder usually scoffs at. Daiki looked into it and found that Delux Milk Chocolate actually predates Black Thunder by 15 years, having been first released in 1979.
It’s strange that such a long-running product from such a major company would be so unknown, but according to the website, it was never really advertised by Yuraku and was only sold at the company’s own stores in Tokyo and Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture. Luckily, it’s also sold online so Daiki wasted no time getting a box.
Looking at Yuraku’s two brands side by side was like night and day. The tiny Black Thunder’s package crammed in as much text as possible, even replacing the “Thun” part of “Thunder” with “3” or “san” in Japanese which sounds like “thun” in a pun and signifies the 30th anniversary of the brand. In contrast, the Delux Milk Chocolate uses a font that looks like it hasn’t changed since the ’70s and just has a brown splotch that kind of looks like Akita Prefecture.
This year ought to be Delux Milk Chocolate’s 45th anniversary, which is a pretty special number too, but in the product’s classic modesty, the package shows no sign of this milestone at all. The box cost 1,252 yen but is also much larger than a Black Thunder with 330 grams (11.6 ounces) of chocolate. Pound for pound, this makes Delux Milk Chocolate about three times more expensive than the equivalent weight of Black Thunder.
While the Black Thunder bar itself is a fully packed party of textures and tastes, Delux Milk Chocolate is again the opposite in its simple uniformity and smoothness.
Seeing it made Daiki feel like he was seeing the candid, genuine side of someone who always acts like a joker in public. This was Yuraku the chocolatier rather than Yuraku the maker of weird pizzas. It was a lonely yet dignified chocolate.
When our writer took a bite, a thick sweetness spread through his mouth. This chocolate clearly had milk thoroughly blended into it for a richness that smoothly and fully permeates the taste buds. There was nothing unusual about the taste. It was just pure chocolate enjoyment even as it smoothly made its way down his throat.
Whether this is a result of refinements made over 45 years or the original recipe that made Delux Milk Chocolate such a stalwart is unclear since Daiki only learned of its existence recently. Regardless, it is an excellent milk chocolate that is worth trying. Unlike Black Thunder, where you’re enticed to gobble it up quickly, this chocolate is best savored bite by bite.
Daiki’s only regret was that he discovered this chocolate so late, but better late than never. It’s like a lone copper rod in the Yuraku catalog that stands stoically as it grounds the raging Black Thunder around it.
Related: Yuraku / Delux Milk Chocolate
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