McVitie's Dark Chocolate Digestives: 433g or the twin pack

Swapping milk chocolate for dark changes more than sweetness: it changes how the coating breaks, how much biscuit you can taste and even how long you should brew the tea. We stock it in two sizes, and the right one depends on how quickly your household empties a packet.

What dark does that milk does not

The switch to dark brings extra cocoa and less sugar, and cocoa is where the bitterness and much of the aroma come from. On the biscuit that means a coating that takes longer to soften in the mouth, feels drier and leaves cocoa behind once the sweetness fades. It sets harder too, so a bite breaks cleanly rather than smudging, which is exactly what people who find the milk version too sugary tend to like about it.

Beneath the coating, the wholemeal base gets more of a say, nutty and faintly savoury, with less sugar in the way. Set expectations, though: this is coating chocolate, made to sit on a porous biscuit, so anyone used to a high-cocoa bar will find it sweeter than they expect. Dark does not mean dairy-free here either; the published ingredient list names wheat, milk and soya.

The 433g pack or the twin pack

We stock this line two ways: a single 433g pack, and a twin pack that holds two sealed 266g packs, 532g altogether, in a single carton. Once opened, a digestive's porous base starts drawing moisture from the air, so the real question is how quickly your household gets through an open pack. A busy tin that empties in a few days suits the 433g; a smaller household is better served by the twin, where the second pack stays sealed until the first has gone.

The twin pack also means less outer carton for each biscuit than buying two single packs. Whichever you choose, fold the wrapper tight or move an open pack into an airtight tin, and store it somewhere cool but not cold. The fridge is the wrong place, since chilled dark chocolate is stubborn in the mouth and gives little back. We also sell the 266g pack on its own for anyone who wants a single smaller packet.

Brew it shorter, or try coffee

Tannin in tea and bitterness in cocoa both leave the mouth dry, so over-brewing the cup doubles the effect. Pull the bag after three or four minutes and add a generous splash of milk. For dunking, two seconds is the ceiling, chocolate side up, because the firmer dark coating does not soften the way milk chocolate does.

Coffee is a strong alternative. Roasted coffee and cocoa have a lot of aroma in common, so a black coffee of medium strength backs up the chocolate, whereas a very dark roast just piles on more bitterness. Redbush is the pick for an evening cup: gently sweet with little tannin, so it meets the dry cocoa finish without adding to it. Let it steep for five or six minutes, unsweetened.

The packs we stock

• McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate Biscuits, 433g (barcode 5000168208763)
• McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack Biscuits, 2 x 266g 532g (barcode 5000168034256)

What the label says

The published ingredient list for McVitie's Digestives Dark Chocolate Twin Pack Biscuits, 2 x 266g 532g (barcode 5000168034256) says it contains wheat (gluten), milk and soya. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.

Ingredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The pack in your hands is the final word.

What to drink with it

• Yorkshire Tea Original Loose Leaf Tea, 250g: a malty loose leaf pot you can control: three or four minutes and a good splash of milk stop it over-drying beside dark chocolate.
• Tetley Redbush Pure, 40 Tea Bags 100g: soft, gently sweet redbush with little tannin, which meets the dry cocoa finish without adding to it.
• Kenco Smooth Instant Coffee Paper Refill, 150g: a smooth instant coffee, taken black, that backs up the cocoa instead of piling on bitterness.
• Clipper Fairtrade Everyday Tea, 80 Pack 232g: a dependable everyday teabag for the twin-pack household, brewed on the short side with milk.

Elsewhere in the McVitie's range

• McVitie's Club Layers Orange, 39g
• McVitie's Club Mint Biscuit Bars Multipack, 7 Bars 154g
• McVitie's Club Orange Biscuit Bars Multipack, 7 Bars 154g
• McVitie's Club Salted Caramel Flavour Biscuit Bars Multipack, 7 x 22g
• McVitie's Dark Chocolate Digestive Biscuits, 266g
• McVitie's Digestive Pink Raspberry & Cream Flavour, Limited Edition, 232g

The full range is on the McVitie's brand page.

FAQ

Are dark chocolate digestives less sweet than milk? Yes, noticeably. The dark coating brings more cocoa and less sugar, so it finishes on cocoa and lets the wholemeal base come through.

Should I buy the 433g pack or the twin pack? Buy the 433g if an open pack disappears quickly in your house. The twin pack's two sealed 266g packs suit a slower household, since the second stays fresh until needed.

Do dark chocolate digestives contain milk? Yes. The published ingredient list for this barcode says it contains wheat (gluten), milk and soya.

How long should I brew tea to go with them? Three to four minutes with a good splash of milk. A longer steep adds tannin dryness on top of the cocoa.

What coffee goes with dark chocolate digestives? A black coffee of medium strength. It shares aroma with the cocoa, whereas a very dark roast only adds bitterness.

Curator's note: If the milk chocolate digestive has ever felt like too much sugar, this is the one to switch to. Brew the tea a touch shorter than usual and choose a medium coffee over a dark one. Lee, teas.co.uk, Tunbridge Wells.

In short: McVitie's Dark Chocolate Digestives: 433g or the twin pack

More from the tea wiki

• Tea and Biscuits
• Biscuit Dunking Physics: The Real Science
• Tea Pairing Principles: Reason, Don't Memorise
• Tea With Cake: The Pairing That Never Fails (If You Get It Right)
• Tea and Food Pairing: The Five Principles
• Tea with Chocolate: Pair by Cocoa Percentage
• Tea and Chocolate Pairing

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