Planète Chocolat Violette

I picked this block up in Planète Chocolat on our recent day out in Brussels.

It’s a square bar, very similar in size and shape to the Thorntons blocks, although this doesn’t have the weight printed on the label. It cost me €5 (about £4.50), which is perhaps a little pricey, but these are handmade and hand wrapped blocks, so I don’t think that’s entirely unreasonable.

The front of the bar is embossed with the Planète Chocolat and is rather attractive, if a little rough around the edges. I think that just adds to the handmade feel and makes it more appealing, although the lack of any ‘chunks’ makes it quite hard to break into bite-sized pieces.

This is a 74% dark chocolate, just like the VizioVirtù Viola bar that Simon picked up in Venice earlier this year. The violet takes a similar form as well. – small “crushed parma violet” pieces studded into the back of the bar – although I think the VizioVirtù bar is prettier.

The chocolate is delicious. I don’t know where in the world it’s from, but it has a rich, earthy flavour with plenty of coffee notes. But it’s also quite sweet and not at all bitter. That sweetness is helped by the violet pieces, which are quite pleasant, but just don’t add enough flavour for my liking.

Perhaps it’s just memories of scoffing whole packets of over-sweet parma violets as a child, but I was really looking for more of violet ‘hit’ here – as much as a delicate flowery taste can be a ‘hit’. It really is a rather nice chocolate, but I found myself wanting just a little more than it could deliver.

Posted by Dom on 09 Dec 2009 at 01:12 PM | 1 Comment
Filed in Reviews under belgium, dark, planete chocolat, violet