In almost two years of reviewing chocolate, I don’t think I have ever tackled anything from Thorntons, but when I saw this bar, I just had to give it a go. Not only is it 75% cocoa, nor is it just made from Tanzanian cocoa, but it’s the first bar I have ever seen which is made with balsamic vinegar. Any of those three traits would have piqued my curiosity, but I have to admit that the thought of trying a dark chocolate bar with balsamic vinegar set my mind to wondering just HOW interesting it might be.
The bar itself is rather attractive, bearing as it does a sort of abstract monogram type design in the top left corner, and a Thorntons logo further down.
As you can see, a couple of the ‘squares’ are oversized, putting me in mind of some of the Cocoa Bean chocolate I have reviewed in the past. The chocolate itself is dark and glossy, with a tangy, wood and leather aroma which bears a hint of the balsamic vinegar (which was added in powder form, apparently). It has a good ‘snap’ and a smooth, rich mouthfeel.
The overall flavour of this chocolate reflects its aroma quite well. It’s quite dark but with tangy, slightly tart high notes (obviously due in part to the balsamic vinegar). The vinegar tastes never overpower the cocoa flavours, and the overall taste is very much bittersweet, woody and slightly tart with a quite bitter aftertaste (due in no small part to the vinegar) – but in a really good way.
The blurb on the back of the box modestly claims that this is ‘the ultimate gourmet bar’. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that statement, but I have to say it is rather good. It’s another one of those flavour combinations which might put off the less adventurous palate, but equally it rewards the more intrepid chocolate eater with a great combination of tastes which are definitely aimed squarely at the more adult palate. Also, being Thorntons it isn’t hugely expensive, and it’s widely available. If I were you, I’d treat myself to a bar of this for Christmas.
It is always too easy to mock and dismiss Cadbury chocolate as it’s been around forever, is always affordable, predictable, safe and reliable and has about as much personality and flavour thrills as a bathroom tile.
Therefore, I wasn’t too excited when I saw their ‘Eight Moments’ 100g blocks, automatically dismissing them as a cynical way to repackage the same old same old product in the hope of earning them a few more pennies. However, like all true chocophiles, when something new and chocolatey is on special, it is always the right time to try them. Unfortunately, my Chocoboss Dom tells me that he’s already tried the UK version in Praline and Dark but hadn’t seen the ‘velvety milk’ one there.
Velvety Milk is essentially Cadbury Dairy Milk (24% cocoa content) with a softer, more buttery centre. But here’s the kicker – it really honestly truly does taste more, well, velvety, dissolving quicker than Amy Winehouse’s resolve.
There’s no fresh ‘snap’ that poncy choco-gourmands tell you to expect from top notch chocolate. Instead it’s more of a gentle ‘thock’ which told my less poncy taste buds that what was to come would be exceptionally soft and creamy. The taste too was slightly richer and creamier than their Dairy Milk, yet not wandering too far off the different taste spectrum but no, I don’t know why or what ingredient or amount they’ve changed to make it so melty and decadent. ‘Melty and decadent’, who ever thought that those two words would apply to Dairy Milk?
The Indulgently Praline initially interested me even less than ‘Velvety Milk’ because I’m just not a big hazelnut and milk chocolate fan. Dom’s review also stated that it had an undefinable fake taste that caused him to believe that there were better praline versions out there. Nevertheless, it too was half price and worth a try and boy, am I glad that I did. Inside is the expected buttery praline paste-like stuff available the world over, but this also had some finely chopped hazelnuts and tiny crunchy pieces of caramel coating which was very nicely done. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say that this is the nicest milk-n-hazelnut chocolate combination I’ve ever had. So there, Dom!
I’ve now learned that Cadbury still has the capacity to make something extra special and I shouldn’t automatically scoff and dismiss their stuff until I’ve given them a try. Well done Cadbury and I hope these two blocks stay in your range for a long time to come.
This is another from the stable of Camille Bloch and the European vacation.
Just like the Camille Bloch Kirsch, this was bought at a small Swiss railway station, when we had a bit of time to kill. Unlike the Kirsch, this one, was Youngest Son’s choice.
I had thought he was happy to leave it in the pile of euro-choc, waiting for his crazy father to photograph and review it. Imagine my horror, then, a couple of days ago to find the pack opened. When I asked about it, Youngest Son replied “WELL IT IS MINE!!”
I’ve begged a stay of execution for long enough to dash off a quick pic, though even this was fraught with danger. I wanted a photo with atmosphere: something to convey our southern hemisphere warmth and sunlight – what better than against the Rosemary in full bloom? Youngest Son promptly told me I was doing it all wrong, so the photo composition is his. Fair enough, I suppose, seeing as I managed to extract it from his clutches for a few moments.
The Torino is a “Fine Swiss Milk Chocolate with Truffle Filling”. Youngest Son thinks its pretty damn good. I found it to be very soft, and very sweet. There is a hint of nuttiness from the hazelnuts (7%) and almonds (4%). A check on the back of the pack shows sugar at the number one on the list, and it does show. The other one that stood out is “hardened vegetable fat”. This screams Compound Chocolate at me. And how is the vegetable fat hardened? I’ll forgive these transgressions, because it’s quite nice. But because of the sweetness, you really don’t need more than one or two pieces at a time. This is one for the kids, and for those who don’t like a dark chocolate.
For those readers in Europe who might have a chance of finding this, give it a go – you won’t find anything like it from some of the other big chocolate factories. It’s not something I’d want every day, but it does make a pleasant change.
Now I can undo the chains on Youngest Son and let him polish it off!
This competition is now closed.
Yes, it’s competition time again and this time we’re giving away not one, not two, but THREE boxes of rather delicious Plush Chocolates – one large (400g) box to keep for yourself and two smaller (165g) boxes to give to friends. Go and check out Simon’s in-depth review to see what we thought of these fabulous fair trade chocs!
All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning all this chocolate is to subscribe to the email version of our feed then complete the form below.
That means not only could you win all that delicious chocolate, but you also get Chocablog delivered to your inbox every day without having to lift a finger.
The competition is open to UK residents only, and please read all the rules before entering. Good luck!
Rules
- To enter, you must be subscribed to our email updates service and use the same email address in the entry form above. You can unsubscribe afterward if you like, but you must be on the list on the competition closing date for your entry to be counted.
- One entry per person only.
- Chocablog staff writers may not enter. You have enough chocolate already.
- The competition is open to UK residents only.
- The competition closes on Friday 9th January, 2009.
- The judges’ decision is final.
- Rules are subject to change without notice (if we’ve forgotten something because we’re a bit slow)
