The Choccies – The Best Chocolate Of 2010
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This year has been a great one. I’ve tried some fantastic, and some not so fantastic chocolate. I’ve visited some exciting chocolate events and have enjoyed the company of so many in the chocolate industry. As the year comes to an end and we start to down tools, it’s a good time to reflect one the year gone by. As I’ve been so fortunate to try some of the world’s best chocolate, I thought I should my favourites of the year so you can try them.
Win your favourite chocolate: You could also let me know what your favourite chocolate experience of 2010 was by tweeting me or letting me know on the Chocolate Reviews Facebook group by the end of the year. My favourite answer will get that chocolate if I can buy it in the UK and its less than £50 and you also live in the UK.
- Best Seasonal Chocolate -
- Winner -
Paul A. Young Chateau Civrac 2006 Ganache Grapes
I just adore red wine combined with chocolate. The intensity of flavour of Paul’s Chateau Civrac Ganache Grapes and its richness just enveloped me whilst the beautifully soft ganache offered a duvet like texture that was sublime. To me this was the perfect Christmas treat. Who needs a Terry’s chocolate orange anyway?
- Highly Commended -
Chocolate Scotch Egg By L’Artisan du Chocolat
The imagination and skill that went into making these chocolate Scotch eggs was fantastic. As with real Scotch eggs there are a multitude of layers which were faithfully recreated. What’s more the detail with the little bits in the yolk were excellent. I loved getting messy with this one and I hope they do them again next Easter.
- Best Novelty Chocolate -
- Winner -
Rococo Jersey New Potatoes & Fresh Mint
I could just call this the Rococo category as they produce some fantastic chocolate art and novelty chocolates. I loved the obtuse flavour and the intense mint characteristic that these new potatoes delivered.
- Highly Commended -
Lucky’s Luxury Handmade Chocolate Cakes
These were so close to get to the top spot. The only reason I didn’t is that they’re incredibly rich and If I bought the box of six I’d need to eat them fairly quickly, and I just wouldn’t be able to do that. If you bought them to share then there isn’t much better a chocolate gift to be honest. Some may wonder why I’ve added these cakes in this category. The answer is simple, the whole experience of these delights is novel: the rabbit theme, the people, the flavour, the detail, the richness, the delivery, it’s all novel to the extreme. No one else does chocolate and cake like this, so how else could you categorise them?
- Best Selection Boxes -
- Winners -
Geert Vercruysse Selection
Geert may not be so well known in this country, well probably no-one here would of heard of him. But I absolutely adored the ganaches he created, the variety of the flavours and the passion that he exhibits. Visit Belgium – if only for his chocolates.
There are several keys to a great chocolate selection box. They include the presentation which has to excite even before you’ve tasted anything; they also have to be incredibly fresh to allow the flavours to come through; they have to be natural because you can easily taste artificial preservatives and they don’t taste nice; the flavours have be imaginative and evocative and Paul’s House Selection certainly does that. In fact, in the House Selection I tried, Paul excelled at all of these criteria and produced an incredibly memorable experience.
- Highly Commended -
Pierre Hermé Signature And Classics Assortment Box
I loved the orange packaging, the effort that Pierre went to with the delivery conditions where he added a cool pack in the box, the appearance and flavours were wonderful as well. The fact that delivery costs may be high and he won’t send them out at the height of summer all lend to an exclusivity that many people crave.
Cocoa Mountain Chocolate Truffles
The Cocoa Mountain truffles were like when you find a wonderful restaurant down a back-alley that you thought would just be like any other. In fact, for chocolatiers as distant from the mainstream you can get, they produce some utterly delicious, yet rustic, truffles and gianduja. Definitely put in an order if you can.
- Worth A Mention -
Melt Chocolates Truffles & Bon Bon Selection Box
I loved how these Melt Chocolates were presented, the variety of flavours and how they tasted. They may be pricey, but if you fancy buying some luxury chocolates online then see what takes your fancy.
Matcha Chocolat Emperor’s Selection
Katie has done a grand job and works incredibly hard on her product line. I know they may be a touch mild for some which might not like the tea-flavours, but you can’t always have chocolates that assault your taste buds, these just tickle them nicely.
The selection box offered by Patrick Roger was intense and wonderfully presented. They weren’t cheap, however, and you will need to import them.
- Best Dark Chocolate -
- Winner -
Pralus Chuao 75%
The journey this bar of dark chocolate takes you on is absolutely sensational. As you taste the bar you’ll get a wide range of flavours including a burnt chocolate edge which was utterly delightful. I certainly haven’t tried a better dark chocolate bar this year.
- Highly Commended -
This was my first encounter with the French chocolatier and I paid a pretty penny to get a few bars sent over, and I’m so glad I did. This bar was fantastic – its appearance reminded me of antique furniture whilst the flavour was reminiscent of marmite. It might not be a mass-appeal bar, but connoisseurs would love it.
Amano Ocumare 70% Dark Chocolate
I actually preferred this bar to their much-idolised Chauo as the texture was everything I’d want from a bar of artisan chocolate – it was soft, velvety and sexual. Whilst the melt was as long as a bank holiday and the flavour mild but with an sensuous edge.
The Friis Holm brand was new to me but is now a firm favourite. The snap was crisp, the mouth feel ‘divine‘, and with an intoxicating flavour that comes out of nowhere. Definitely worth a try if you can get hold of some.
- Worth A Mention -
To my mind this is true chocolate, there’s nothing fake to it. There’s no ego, but there is a heap of experiment and comical modesty. This all leads to a delicious bar that will make you question whether you’d want to try mass-produced chocolate again.
The Chocolate Cafe 70% Dark Chocolate
The Chocolate Cafe may be fairly new to the chocolate scene, but I absolutely loved their dark chocolate bar. Many have said I’m mad, but I’m sticking to my guns on this one.
- Best Milk Chocolate -
- Winner -
Pralus Barre Infernale Lait
Perhaps I shouldn’t put this bar in the milk chocolate category as it’s adulterated with praline? But actually the praline gives it delicious texture and sweetness that managed to restrain itself without being too strong – which much mass-produced milk chocolate unfortunately is.
- Highly Commended -
Amano Jembrana 30% Milk Chocolate
This Amano may have been sweet but was wonderfully counter-balanced by a milky edge. It does come at a cost, but if you do want to try artisan milk chocolate, it’s worth starting here.
Thorntons Tonka Bean Milk Chocolate Bar
Thornton’s have worked incredibly hard over the last couple of year to break out of the ‘Continentals’ market and into exciting a much wider audience, and they produced a milk chocolate bar full of character. What’s more, it can be bought in your local high street, unlike most of the chocolate listed here.
- Best White Chocolate -
- Winner -
Strawberry White Chocolate With Black Pepper
I’ve not really tried a lot of white chocolate this year, and will buy the Amedei, Venchi, and Michel Cluziel bars next year to review, but my favourite of 2010 was the strawberry white chocolate bar from The Chocolate Cafe. It was very sweet and that’s the exact reason people buy white chocolate, but came with a wonderful pepper edge.
- Chocolate Personality -
- Winner -
Kate Johns
Kate has been a great help not only to me, but other chocolate bloggers, producers, journalists, and other personalities – basically everyone in chocolate. Even, fair, encouraging, passionate, connected, patient – they’re all words that could be used to describe her. Most of the country’s chocolate events would never happen without her.
- Highly Commended -
Anne has been instrumental in the phenomenal growth that Artisan du Chocolat has achieved in 2010. If you want to learn how to grow a chocolate business, use Anne as your blueprint.
Running a chocolate business in this economic climate can’t be easy. But somehow Paul has managed to grow his business into some fantastic places (I’m not sure how much is public knowledge yet) and has kept a smile on his face all the time (even when he got a parking ticket at Chocolate Unwrapped). What’s more, Paul is helping me give chocolate to 56 foster kids too. Even with the challenges he faces, he’s still generous. More people in the chocolate industry should be like Paul
- Tipped For Greatness In 2011 -
- Winner -
Matcha Chocolat
What Katie has achieved so far is nothing short of remarkable. She decided to make chocolate that dosen’t follow the well-trodden path the large chocolate companies have gone down. Instead she has created her own market for tea-infused ganaches and fruity chocolate shards. What’s more, she’s a really nice and generous person too.
- Highly Commended -
Purely for the reasons above.
- Worth A Mention -
Matt has always been willing to send chocolate over to review and the company, from top down, has been incredibly generous, not only to me, but to other chocolate bloggers as well.
Competition rules – there always has to be a touch of small print.
- Only one entry per household.
- The competition closes on 31st December at 12 noon.
- Only open to those 18 or over on 31st December 2010.
- I’ll choose 1 lucky winner from those submitted using the Twitter format or Facebook by the end of the day. The winner will be the most interesting chocolate experience of 2011. I’ll then either tweet you or message you asking for the address you’d like the chocolate to be sent and where I can buy it from.
- Only available to UK addresses.
- No cash alternative available.
- Your details won’t be passed onto anyone else, unless you’re the winner and then I’ll have to use it with your chosen shop (if its online)
- I may have to change the rules as I can be forgetful. But I’ll post any changes here.
Lee McCoy
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http://www.matchachocolat.com katie
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http://www.matchachocolat.com katie
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http://kaveyeats.com Kavey
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http://www.patisserievercruysse.be Vercruysse Geert
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Vicky Rock