I’m half-Filipino and I’m on a mission to learn more about my Filipino heritage. As part of this project, I’m taste-testing treats from the Philippines. In this post, I’m reviewing Cloud 9.
What is Cloud 9
Cloud 9 is a candy bar manufactured by Universal Robina Corporation in Manila, Philippines. It is described as “luscious caramel, crunchy peanuts, and soft nougat wrapped in rich chocolate.”
In my opinion, if you are going to call a chocolate bar “Cloud 9,” it should have some sort of a slogan referencing being on Cloud 9, which means being in a state of happiness or bliss. Although it is unclear, some say that “cloud 9” is derived from Dante’s Paradise, which describes 9 levels of Paradise.
The slogan for this candy could be something like: “Bring on the bliss” or “A Piece of Paradise.”
But I am not the marketing person and no one is asking me.
What Does the Cloud 9 candy bar taste like?
The Cloud 9 bar tastes like someone had a Snickers and said, “I can make this.” Then they came up with a version that wasn’t quite right: Cloud 9 is a little milder in both flavor and size.
It is possible that this more mild take on Snickers is intentional though. American food is often criticized for being too sweet or too rich by foreigners. So perhaps the Cloud 9’s more mild favor is more to the like of the Filipino palate. But then again, the Philippines has really sweet spaghetti by even American standards, so it’s not like Filipinos dislike sweet, rich food.
The point here is that Cloud 9 is most comparable to a Snicker (or maybe even a Whatchamacallit). It just has a less intense flavor profile overall.
The Cloud 9 candy bar rated
I tasted tamarind and rated it using my proprietary hedonic food rating scale. My food rater scale rates foods from 1-10 based on presentation, smell, texture, taste, value in terms of calories, and value in terms of cost. Each variable uses the following chart:
Here’s a video of my taste test of the Cloud 9 bar:
Here’s how I rated Cloud 9 using my Food Rater scale:
| Presentation | 8 |
| Smell | 7 |
| Texture | 7 |
| Taste | 7 |
| Value in terms of Calories | 7 |
| Value in terms of Cost | 8 |
| TOTAL | 7.33 |
Based on my scale, a total score of 7.33 means Cloud 9 bars get an “I like it.”
Yes, in my video I gave Cloud 9 a 6. But I felt like I was being too picky when I did this video. That’s why I like taking the time to rate it using this Food Rater chart. I think it helps give a more accurate view of the food.
That being said, this is all subjective. If my Food Rater score doesn’t feel right, I will adjust it.
In this case, my Food Rater score feels better to me than my first take in the video. Everything is good about the Cloud 9 bar, but there’s also really not much that bumps it from “good” to “great.”
