President’s Choice Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection

Next from the President’s Choice pile is the Gourmet Belgian Chocolate Collection, the flagship of their 2010 range and biggest of the boxes. It might even have been a load-bearing box because the others kinda fell over once it was gone. It’s too late to go back now though.

Chances are they are made by the same people who made their Mousse Cups because they have the same kind of chocolate, right down to the palm and coconut oil. But just like the other box, the overall collection looks rather impressive in the box and offers equally impressive value for money considering there are 30 of them in there.

As the pictures show, there are six different varieties, all with truffle-like qualities and a similar ball-like shape. Running through the line up:

Speculoos – President’s Choice seem to be really keen on Speculoos biscuits this year; they used it in their Belgian Chocolate Mousse Cups too; and I don’t mind one little bit. It is the star of the show here, with its sugary, cinammony goodness being the perfect foil for the milk chocolate. The filling is a little nondescript by comparison.

Cappuccino – the obligatory entry from the coffee family of chocolates. Milk chocolate and coffee mousse and not much more. In its defence, the coffee is a bit stronger than I’d have expected for a cappuccino chocolate, so it isn’t without some personality.

Almond Praline – or at least allegedly. The centre is very light on flavour, and the fluffiness of it makes it disappear before it can make any kind of impression at all. Really disappointing.

Stragiatelli – the white chocolate dominates here, but not in the bad way that it usually does. Instead, it adds some nice creaminess to the sweetness, and some little bits of dark chocolate scattered throughout the help to punctuate the sweet.

Chocomousse – milk chocolate mousse, a white chocolate shell and dark chocolate drizzling. Or, to put it another way, lots of different chocolate tastes all hitting each other head on and it tastes unbalanced. Sweet clashes with bitterness and the whole thing is just confusing. Not a fan.

Chili Mousse – a pretty little chocolate thanks to the strands of safflower on the top, and a slight spicy aroma that suggests some bite. But the fluffy mousse inside is surprisingly restrained, with just enough heat to get its point across. It also sticks around for a while afterwards too. Not bad at all.

Apart from the Chocomousse, there wasn’t really anything I was upset about eating and the biggest issue I had with the box is the lack of texture. Apart from the crunch of the Speculoos, it is all smooth mousse fillings and not much else but not a bad little collection for the mass market. I’d accept another box, but I would also be more than willing to share.

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