Hotel Chocolat “Peel Me An Orange” Dark

Posted by in Chocolate Reviews on October 13 2008 | Leave A Comment

It’s Hotel Chocolat time again, and this time we have an upmarket take on the classic (if a little naff) Chocolate Orange format.

Rather than attempt to create an actual orange shape, Hotel Chocolat have gone for a much more elegant box with 16 generously sized circular chocolates, each made to look like a slice of orange rather than an individual segment.

But the first thing you notice when you open the box is the aroma – it’s a subtle, natural orange smell and nothing like the almost overpowering orangeyness that hits you when you open a Terry’s Chocolate Orange. This is much more natural and appealing.

The chocolate here is 74% cocoa solids and has a smooth texture and rich taste. The orange flavour comes from Valencia orange oil and is very nice, but it’s also very subtle. So subtle in fact, that if you eat one quickly, it’s hard to detect at all. At times, the dark chocolate flavours seem to overwhelm it completely.

This is clearly another product made for sharing, but for my tastes, there’s just not enough orangeyness or sweetness. Hotel Chocolat do also do a milk chocolate version of this which I think I’d prefer. But what I’d really like to see is just like a little more of that Valencia orange oil in this dark chocolate version to give a bit more zing.

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Comments On This Post

  1. Andrea

    There ain’t nothing naff about a chocolate orange, Dom. Wash your mouth out!

  2. Dom (Chocablog Staff)

    Oops! Sorry Andrea. 🙂

  3. We were recently given a tin of those chocolate orange segments. They didnt’ last very long but went down well with everyone so I think the hotel chocolat treat “Peel me an orange” will have to go on my shopping list very soon.
    Strange name though that – I misread it as peel mean orange.

    I’ve had the hotel chocolat flavoured with their valencia orange from a box of chocs and you’re right about the subtle taste – if you eat them too quickly. But hotel chocolat are to be savoured and droooled over. My partner goes mad with me sometimes when I want to read the menu card and drool over them for ages.

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