I’m finally getting around to reviewing the Orange & Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bar I bought from the William Curley chocolate shop in late February – it was just still in date. And I’m glad about that after shelling a princely £8 for this 150gm bar. Part of me bought this bar because I thought it’d make a good photo, but the other part of me did it because I love pistachios and I do like candied fruit – the fact that they were set in dark chocolate helped too!

You’ve got to admit this is a fine looking chocolate bar? From a distance it did look like it had a slice of tomato on it. But as you get closer you’ll realise that there are two large slices of candied orange and a whole heap of salty pistachios on the top. In itself the pistachios can be a bit dry, but when you combine it with a very slightly sweet dark chocolate it creates a taste sensation that is very welcome.

I just love breaking off bits of chocolate, but when it comes to trying to select a piece with the candied orange on, it became a bit of a battle. Now I’m not 5st weakling – I do have fairly decent sized biceps, but even I found creating a mouth-sized piece a bit of an effort. I suppose the best way to approach this bar is just to be a little less delicate with it and just bite suitable pieces off?

It is these orange mouthfuls that I enjoyed the most. Most orange chocolate tastes false, but with a real orange taking the place of flavourings, you get the real character of the fruit. Whilst the candied nature softens the inherent acidity and makes it a pleasant experience.

These rounded flavours are also matched with a very enjoyable texture and you may be lucky enough to have a mouthful with all three of the constituent parts in one go. Here you’ll get the velvety texture of the chocolate, the chewiness of the orange and the crunch of the pistachio! Delightful!

Overall I think this is a fantastic bar that gets you involved and hands on with enjoying it. You must get some if you like fruity, unusual chocolate.

Related posts:

1. William Curley Dark Chocolate Fruit & Nut Thins
2. William Curley Dark Chocolate & Chilli
3. William Curley House 70% Dark Chocolate

To be honest, I don’t know where I stand with fruity chocolates. I, like many, wiill probably be reminded of those tedious, cheap chocolates you get at Christmas filled with a sugary concoction laced with artificial flavourings. So when I opened up the padded envelope to review a box of English Fruit Cremes I was unsure if I’d like them. At the end of the experience I realised I did, but dark chocolate is still my thing.

As usual Charbonnel et Walker package their chocolates wonderfully. I’m never dissapointed with how their produce is displayed and adds that wonderful, luxurious feeling every time. and this time encases nine cremes of six varieties, which obviously means that three of them are there twice.

The first one I tried was the lemon. Completely by chance I managed to choose my favourite fruit that I like to have chocolate flavoured with first. The shell was fairly light which was perfectly soft and housed two layers of lemon delight. At the bottom there seemed to be a lemon confiture and lemon curd looking substance. For me this was absolutely spot on. It was very sharp, exceptionally lemony and fantastic. I very much doubt anyone would be able to handle a whole box, but a few more of these would be a treat! Actually, as the flavour subsides there’s a distinct taste of honey. So was that non-alcoholic amber nector on at the bottom?

My fruity mystical tour continued with the raspberry creme. What I noticed at first was how moist the centre looked, and how eager I was to sample it. And you really have to try this one. The centre is very smooth – there’s no denying that, but its the taste that is exemplorary. It is strong and powerful, just like the lemon one, but with a softer edge. It’s more flowery but still will tantalise your taste buds. I really, REALLY enjoyed this one, but I doubt anyone would want to eat a whole raspberry bon bon in one go.

And then on to this square mandarin chocolate which a complete and utter gooey mess after I’d broken it open to peer inside – fantastic. I’m sure these chocolates should be labelled as ‘chocolates for couples’ as they’re perfect for a bit of messy fun. I’m less fond of orange chocolates as they normally have a mild, uninteresting flavour; but this one is sweet and zingy. I did think it was fantastic – but very sugary!

And now we’re on to the apricot option. I think this is number four of my five a day and was a milder affair than the previous ones. This is like the sorbet of the collection as its rereshing, but not as soft. The flavour is very pervasive though. No part of your mouth is not tantislised by the creme. Nice.

But now I’m on to the strawberry creme. I don’t like strawberry flavoured chocolates so I’m not expecting to like it. It’s actually like the lemon one in that it was very gooey, but thankfully it doesn’t taste like the hideous strawberry cremes you get in tins of Cadbury Roses. This, again, had a slight honey flavour, but with it a less aggressive strawberry. In constrast, the fruity of this was muted in comparison to the suggary, sweet nature.

And now for the orange creme. This has a much firmer consitency but a similarly sweeter and sharper flavour. I wasn’t as fond of this one, it wasn’t the best of the bunch. But still nice. I can’t be expected to love them all I suppose.

They all had an agreeable milk chocolate coating, either a very sticky centre or a firm or fudge-like centre and I’d say they were all delicious, apart from the orange ones, but that’s just because I don’t like orange chocolate. But what I do know is that they’ll be fantstic for sitting out in the garden this summer – they’d be perfect for that!

Related posts:

1. Charbonnel et Walker White Chocolate Strawberry Truffles
2. Charbonnel et Walker Mint Truffles
3. Charbonnel et Walker Chocolate Profile

I can take or leave orange flavoured milk chocolate. It just reminds me of the Terry’s chocolate oranges which people often give as after-thoughts at Christmas. So when I opened up the box of goodies that Hotel Chocolat sent me, I had those flashbacks of orangey chocolate that was just too sweet to bare. Thankfully this is one of those dark chocolate gifts that was a million miles (in the right direction) from those insipid creations.

The good thing about dark chocolate is that it’s often suited for those that are looking for dairy free, milk free, suitable for vegetarian and suitable for vegans chocolate – and this ticks all those boxes. But it’s often very difficult to match an orange flavour with dark chocolate as it can often turn out to be overly acidic, just as the Melt Chocolates Dark Chocolate with Orange bar was. However, even at a third of the way the way through this 160g box of them I still want more.

Even at 74% dark chocolate they’re wonderfully balanced. Neither too sharp from the orange flavour and neither too astringent from the dark chocolate, they seem to offer a balance flavour that is sexy and delightful. Also, the orange notes are light and definitely play second fiddle to the premium chocolate so I wouldn’t be concerned if you’re not an orange flavour. It’s there, but it’s almost not.

One thing you should note is that these dark chocolate orange pieces obviously don’t have actual orange slices inside. As such, I believe that these chocolates would be a great introduction to dark chocolate for someone that firmly finds themselves in the milk chocolate camp.

I’m trying to work out if these orange dark chocolate slices would be perfect for either a hot summer’s day as today feels like, or a winter’s day. I just can’t make my mind up. I think perhaps these are more suited to being a dusk chocolate as they still do have a bitterness, which I prefer to have when it’s a bit cooler.

Related posts:

1. Hotel Chocolat Chocolate Log
2. Hotel Chocolat Fruit & Nut Dark Chocolate Slab
3. Hotel Chocolat Purist 65% Dark Chocolate Bar – 96hr Conch

I might not have been impressed with the Heart of Chocolates from Prestat last time I tried their chocolate, so I thought I’d give something else a go. And in my chocolate collection I found these Orange & Lemon truffles which were perfect as I just love citrus flavoured chocolate (see the Lemon & Lime Creams that Tipyn Bach made for me last year) and I thought these would be a nice change from Easter stuff.

Anyone that’s visited one of the Pestat stores will know that they’re not somewhere you’d want to go with a hangover. They’re incredibly bright places. Unfortunately I was disappointed with how the truffles looked after opening the box, even though, from the outside they looked great. Personally, I’d like them to be presented like the Melt Selection Box was. But, alas, no. They’re in a bag and surrounded by padding. Never mind.

When you do get them out of the bag you’ll see that there’s a good amount of them. In fact there are 14 to chew though. My only criticism is that they looked a touch “beaten up” with the edges and texture knocked off. It’s something that I’m sure most people won’t care about really though.

The important thing, however, is that what they taste like. The chocolate shell is thick, very thick and impervious with it. I’m sure it has to be this way to hold the contents in. When I buy truffles I never know what the centre is going to be like. And in this circumstance I can say that these shouldn’t be called truffles, in fact they should be called bon bons as the centre isn’t at all truffle like. In fact, it’s incredibly runny. I’m not complaining as I love messy chocolate, but this went everywhere.

The flavour is strange. There’s a sort of ‘Refreshers’, false quality to it that makes it very acidic. I can understand the acidity given its lemon and orange, but this is a strange acidity which reminds me of drain unblocker.

I do like it, though. Strangely it has a certain quality about it such as the flavoursome chocolate shell which was mild and complimented and mitigated the harsh, direct flavour of the comfit. The only problem is that I don’t think many of its target market will appreciate it. I’m sure that this is too much of an aggressive flavour for meek chocolate lovers. I could be wrong, however.

Related posts:

1. Milk Chocolate Sicillian Orange Truffles
2. Prestat Chocolates
3. Zotter Olive and Lemon Dark Chocolate Bar

Antonia from Ooh La La Chocolaterie dropped me a note on Twitter and asked if I’d like to try some of her seasonal chocolates? Well I’m not going to say “no” am I? Well, my “yes” was probably one of my most inspired decisions ever.

There’s one constant when reviewing chocolates from chocolatiers you’ve not come across before and that is that you never know what you’re going to get. But also, I know that every once in a while I’ll be totally amazed by what I try. And today was one of those days.

In the beautiful box which was adorned with a gorgeous ribbon you’ll find yourself sat, mouth gaping at the fantastically intricate chocolates before you. For me I was astounded by how delicate and gorgeous they looked. My eye was first of all drawn to the chocolate with the bee design and then they wondered over the selection of chocolates before me.

You’re left wondering what each chocolate could hold? Thankfully there’s a menu to help you guide yourself through the cornucopia of chocolate delight:

Doesn’t that selection make you slightly excited? Well it did me.

I started off with the bee design as it looked fantastic and was at a start of row so that’s always the best place to start reviewing chocolates as you’ll end up getting your notes in a tangle.

It was unmistakably full of honey taste. Rounded, sweet, sumptuous – it was everything you would want a chocolate to be. I can see this one being immensely popular! The texture was smooth and silky – I loved it!

The next I tried was the Lychee and rose chocolate. Having spent the first few years of my life growing up in South Africa I was accustomed to the Lychee flavour and could definitely recognise it. But, boy, does it go with the rose? Both flavours are very flowery with a slight sweet character and played off each other well.

This was great to have after the sweetness of the honey. The texture was a lot softer like the Gu Liquid Caramel Chocs, but much, much nicer!

The Ecuadorian dark chocolate was next and couldn’t be much further from previous in nature.

It was dark, punchy, aggressive, full of character and absolutely fantastic. Dark chocolate lovers will really like this one – as I did.

Next I tried the Baileys one – mmm mmm mmm!

I just love Bailey’s truffles as they’re sweet and have that lovely Irish cream taste that makes you want to go out and buy another bottle!

Recently I’ve really gotten into orange chocolate and the Seville orange truffle was next to hit my taste buds.

It was definitely zesty and a great “pick-me-up” and a nice simple chocolate. Again, I’d eat a good few of these if I had the chance.

Oooooh I love chilli chocolate, and almonds as well. This one was sent from Heaven (actually Hampshire, if you’re being picky!).

At first you’ll get a strong almond taste pushing through and then as that subsides you’ll get a strong chilli flavour that works from the back of your mouth to the front. Another exceptional chocolate!

And then came the elderflower chocolate, which just like the Honey chocolate, was adorned with a beautiful pattern.

It was deliciously soft in nature, which wrestled, and beat the dark chocolate coating. Another excellent chocolate which was full of character. What is also fantastic about this chocolate is its very long after-taste. If you have one, just let it settle on your pallet for a moment.

And then the Apricot chocolate. It looked fantastic, but was the odd one out as its a cup chocolate. But it stands out on its own for another reason …

It was filled with this lovely apricot confit which caught me unawares. This one is certainly sweeter and firmer and completely different in style to the others. Its also a nice one in that your taste buds are cleansed between the dark chocolates – worth trying.

Overall, this chocolate sensation was a pleasure. The flavours were original and delicious. Tehy were well packaged and presented. Basically if you love handmade chocolates then you should really give these a go!

Related posts:

1. Moko Chocolates Enters The Chocolates By Post Market
2. Free Chocolates – Paul A. Young Fine Chocolates Fourth Birthday
3. Lauden Chocolates 12 Mixed Box

When I found out from Mark & Pauline at My Chocolate Bar that I was being sent some Orange Honeycombe Crunch it instantly sent me back to my childhood. I used to love Crunchie Bars as a kid. But today I find them too sweet so I don’t buy them anymore.

Having recieved them and seeing how prominent the honeycombe was, I was concerned that it’d be just as overpowering. But, blow me – they’re awesome. The honeycombe is absolutely spot on. Its flavour is present but it pushes through with the right amount of force the amazingly soft and sumptuous organge flavour which wraps around you like a summer’s afternoon.

The chocolate coating is also delicious. It’s mild without being anonymous. It compliments without contradicting the other flavours. The two textures, both smooth and silky against the crunch and zip of the honeycomb work exceptionally well together. Each bite is different. Some you’ll get more chocolate than crunch and then the next will be a different experience. What comes to mind is a band playing in park in twilight of a hot sunny day. The flowers, the buzz of the bees and a nice pint of cider and not knowing which song will be next.

These things are exceptional. I suppose a lot could go wrong with them. The chocolate could easily be overpowered by the honeycombe which, in itself could be overly sweet and sticky. But its spot on.

I should have started with reviewing the appearance. I got distracted by the flavours and texture. I love pretty chocolate, don’t get me wrong. But I also love chocolate that says “judge me on my taste, forget everything else”. And the rustic presentation of the Orange Honeycombe Crunch does just that. The flavours, the crunch and the chocolate melt all play a part in making this an exceptional chocolate treat.

For £4.50 I’d expect a lot. I actually got a lot more than I could have wished for. If you don’t try them then you’re missing out. If any of you do, then I’d love to hear what you think of them.

Related posts:

1. Fox’s Chocolate Fudge Crunch Biscuits
2. Cadbury Dairy Milk With Apricot Crumble Crunch
3. Paul A. Young Caramel Crunch Milk Chocolate Bar

I’m not sure if these Milk Chocolate Rochers from Melt Chocolates are sublime or ridiculous! They’re gently roasted slices of almonds with candied orange peel and covered in milk chocolate.

Visually they’re very appealing. They come wrapped in clear packaging which is tied in an orange ribbon. This first impression is likely to be let down by your first taste of them. For me they’re a bit of a non-event. But, perhaps, its just me that doesn’t get them? They’re very light and curious things.

Only after a few hits of ones with a strong orange taste do you start to appreciate them. This orange flavour is a real one with mild tones and nothing at all like those Terry’s oranges which have nothing like a real orange taste. These rochers will keep you going back for more as you wonder what the next taste will be like.

Over time you start to appreciate them more. The almond flavour may be slight, but after each bite the flavours seem to build on one another and actually become very pleasant and moreish.

I do struggle to think they’re worth the £10. But that just might be the past generations of Scottish coming out of me. I did love their Milk Chocolate Bar with banana which was still a lot for what you got. And seeing as I didn’t like too much their orange milk chocolate bar, I’ve got to say that Melt is a bit hit and miss. Seeing as I’ve only tried three of their creations I believe it is a bit too early to judge their chocolates generally. I’ve got about 47 bars of chocolate left to review. When I’ve worked through them I’ll get some more Melt chocolates and try and get a better picture of what they have to offer. What I would appreciate is if any of you have tried their chocolates and loved them? If you have please leave a comment below.

Related posts:

1. Melt Chocolates Dark Chocolate with Orange
2. Melt Milk Chocolate with Banana
3. Melt Chocolates Truffles & Bon Bon Selection Box

I absolutely loved their milk chocolate bar with Banana I reviewed the other day, but today its the turn of Melt’s Dark Chocolate with Orange Bar.

And this time I’ll try one of their dark chocolate bars. This one is 66% cocoa so it should still be relatively mild and allow the flavour of the orange to come through.

The aroma is very acidic, which isn’t all that pleasant, unfortunately. And despite being only 66%, the dark chocolate flavour is very intense and only the higher notes of the orange come through at the end – at which point your mouth will be left with what feels like the vapour of orange zest and peel. You can even taste the little bits of orange in the bar which certainly does add to the experience. Although, I generally feel misses an opportunity to excite. I expected more orange, and all I got was a slightly zesty dark chocolate bar.

I’m not going to do a full rating on this bar as I was really dissapointed with it. It’s not often that I feel this deflated by a chocolate bar that’s supposed to be of high quality, and certianly after loving their banana bar, but I feel I’ll be overly negative. The price is too high, the flavour unbalanced and the texture the only positive I can take out of the experience. Overall I’ll give it a score of 55%.

Nutritional Information:

Related posts:

1. Melt Chocolates – Milk Chocolate Rocher
2. Melt Chocolates Truffles & Bon Bon Selection Box
3. Melt Milk Chocolate with Banana

I just love chocolate shopping at Ethical Superstore! Not because the prices are so damn reasonable, but you’ll often find new chocolate bars you’ve not seen before. And on my last visit I ordered quite a few chocolate goodies, including this Organic Seed & Bean Company Mandarin & Ginger Fairtrade Chocolate Bar which only set me back £1.79!

The Organic Seed & Been company do a variety of organic & Fairtrade chocolate bars such as their 72% bar with no additional flavourings, to one with Lavender and others including Lime, Mint and Rose. I plumped for this Mandarin & Orange bar and the Rose one which I’ll review soon.

The aroma is intensely ginger with undertones of the mandarin which combine to give it quite and acidic nature. Its certainly not unpleasant, but certainly different to the Melt Chocolates Banana Bar I’ve just reviewed.

When it comes to flavour, the taste is bright, zippy and full of character which worms very well with the slightly jammy cocoa flavour. It’s got a personality you could get lost in. It’s like an old country house that you walk down the corridor and find more and more rooms filled with curios. I really do like this 72% dark chocolate bar. Its certainly novel and one I’d definitely wish to try again. The flavours are perfect for a winter’s night with the fire on and a sleeping dog while listening to Rod Stewart singing “The Very Thought Of You”:

Rating:

Taste: 75% – complex, fruity and definitely one for the bitter dark chocolate lovers.

Texture: 70% – slightly granular, but had a great break.

Appearance: 75% – the outer packaging is appealing, but similar to those from Conscious.

Nutritional Information: 75% – Its a bit difficult to read with the white text on the orange. But there’s a great deal of information there!

Price: 85% – At £1.79 a bar its exceptionally good value!

Overall: 76%

You can buy direct from Ethical Superstore.

Also check out A Lot Of Chocolate

Nutritional Information:
Fairtrade Cocoa mass*; Fairtrade Cane sugar*; Fairtrade Cocoa butter*; Emulsifier: soya lecithin (non GM), Mandarin essential oil*,Ginger essential oil*. Minimum 98% Fairtrade ingredients certified to International Fairtrade Standards.
*: Organically grown and certified Organic Certification UK5

Related posts:

1. Co-Op Target Huge Fairtrade Chocolates With Truly Irresistible Sales Growth
2. Thorntons Fairtrade & Organic White Chocolate Bar
3. Co-Op Truly Irresistible Fairtrade Belgian Milk Chocolate Hand Dusted Marc de Champagne Truffles

I’ve been conscious of the fact that I’ve not reviewed enough white chocolate so I’ve gone overboard and ordered a few bars of various sorts from Thorntons as a start and then I’ll work through some other brands.

What I love about the 80g chocolate squares from Thorntons is that they’re a really good price at just £1.99. I know 80g isn’t a great deal but when you consider that you’ll be asked to pay £3 for 50g for the William Curley dark chocolate bars then this is pretty much a bargain.

I’m trying to place if these chocolate squares are meant as gifts as the packaging isn’t all that imaginative, or they’re just mean for personal use as they’ve got a wide range of ganaches and other assortment boxes. What I suppose they’re attempting is to have these at a price-point where people would consider buying 4 or five of them for the price of some of their cheaper collections. So if you’re looking to buy a birthday present or some Christmas chocolates then these blocks are probably a very good idea.

This Thorntons Fairtrade & Organic White Chocolate is also free from artificial colours and flavours, has GB Organic Certification 5 and is FairTrade where they even pay over the odds to give the local producers more money to reinvest – good work Thorntons.

The first thing I thought of when I tried this white chocolate bar was it reminded me very much of the white chocolate lollies within the Hotel Chocolat Halloween Chocolates in their You Pick Me Up pack. It’s very sweet, soft and crumbly and should be very well suited to the average white chocolate lover.

I wouldn’t say this Thorntons version of white chocolate is anything out of the world, there’s a very slight peppery note that gives it a bit of an edge, but there’s nothing that will blow your mind.

All I can say is that its a very reasonable white chocolate bar.

Rating:

Taste: 65% – nice, but nothing exceptional.

Texture: 75% – I actually liked the very soft and creamy texture to the bar.

Appearance: 65% – the packaging design is part of an overall theme for the blocks. They’re nothing special but the colour-coded nature of them will help some.

Nutritional Information: 70% – There’s loads of information available such as the typical nutritional values, the ingredients, that it contains both milk, soya and nuts and that it is also suitable for vegetarians, is gluten free and has no alcohol in them.

Overall: 68.75%

Nutritional Information:

Related posts:

1. Thorntons Organic Truffle Collection
2. Mandarin & Ginger Fairtrade Chocolate Bar
3. Co-Op Target Huge Fairtrade Chocolates With Truly Irresistible Sales Growth