Chocolate Varieties Galore

Looking for unique chocolate flavors and textures?  Then the sample we received from Life's So Sweet may be just what you are looking for.  Shipped in eco-friendly packaging was this little gold box that held a lot of chocolate, ten different flavors to be exact.  These are preservative -free, so if you order them make sure to eat them within a few weeks or store them safely in the fridge so they remain fresher.  I did eat these within a few weeks, but this review is later -- aren't computers wonderful for scheduling things well in advance?

Let's begin with the largest piece in the box, two slices of mango partly covered in dark chocolate called "Chocolate Chili Mango".  The scent is complex -- sweet, spicy and cocoaey all at the same time.  That should have been my warning before I took a bite of the sticky chocolate covered fruit.  At first there was only the lovely bitterness of the dark chocolate, then the sweet mango and then the chili hit my tongue.  It filled my mouth with fire that faded back to cocoa again.  Very different, very unique and only for the spicy chocolate lover.

Because I was testing these at a weekend convention and there were ten different varieties, I only took pictures of a few individual pieces. The "Chocolate Chili Mango" was on the top layer along with these others in the photo to the left.  The very top rose-shaped chocolate was the "Logan Berry Wine," I believe, and it was less than an inch in diameter.  It had a fragrance that was both dark chocolate and sweet at the same time, much like I'd expect from a berry wine flavor.  Inside was a light pink center that refused to show up on my camera very well.  The taste matched the scent perfectly, being light, fruity, creamy and bitter at the same time.  An excellent truffle.

Our Coconut Acolyte had this to say about the "Ambrosia Twist" on the upper right hand side:  "This treat measures 1.5” in diameter and 0.5” tall. Toasted coconut is sprinkled on top, and as I take that first sniff, the scent is predominantly coconut. Biting into it, the confection is firm, and I realize the filling is of a jelly type, similar to what you’d find in orange slice candies. The filling is fruity, but I can’t identify the specific fruit either by taste or by scent. I waffle between orange and raspberry. The coconut provides a nice crunch to both the teeth and ears but no real flavor. The chocolate taste is very subtle. I don’t really taste it as much as sense the effect it has on the filling. It provides a sweetness that balances out the tanginess of the jelly. Even after biting it, the chocolate scent is still almost nonexistent. However, the chocolate adds a creaminess that counters the stickiness of the filling. A very unique blend of flavors and textures."

The final piece on this top layer was a large 1.5-inch white chocolate piece with a crosshatch pattern on top, called "Sweet Caroline."  This had a slight vanilla scent to it when I took in a breath of it but otherwise not much fragrance.  Again, the lighting I had available didn't do this truffle justice.  Inside a fairly firm shell was a light cream-colored center with a large nut of some type inside that I couldn't determine.  The white chocolate melted on my fingers as I tried to figure it out, but the inside was simply smooth and creamy with a vanilla hint.

The bottom layer of the box had six truffles of nearly the same size of about an inch across.  "Dark Decadence" starts us out on the upper left hand side.  This had a very light cocoa scent, which surprised me given its obvious darkness.  It made a slight snap when I took a bite, and inside was a smooth, creamy, yet heavy buzz-creating dark truffle center.  I adored this; it was undoubtedly my favorite of the box, but you know how much your Chocolate Priestess loves the darker versions of our Sacred Substance.

Across from it was the "Aztec Truffle," with flakes of chili or pepper on top of its dark shell. It had a definite spicy -- I'd say peppery -- scent but was mostly dark cocoa in fragrance.  This also had a dark but rather soft shell that made no sound when I took a bite.  Inside was a creamy center with a peppery kick to it, but it is not nearly as strong as the mango piece was, so I liked it better personally.  If you want more spicy flavor, though, go for the mango.

The white truffle here must be the "Lavender" flavor, and it was basically scentless.  However, under the medium thickness shell I found a light purple cream with a very full lavender essence.  This was a good match of white chocolate and a floral flavor, if you enjoy both.

"Big Red" has the red hot candy on top of it.  Since I know what red hot candies are, I wasn't surprised that a whiff of this revealed cinnamon and dark cocoa.  The shell made only a soft snap when I took a bite and revealed a semi-firm center with a sharp cinnamon essence that actually made my lips and tongue tingle.  This center had a slightly different texture, sort of grainy compared to other truffles in this box.  You need to really like cinnamon to like this flavor, but it didn't overpower the chocolate.

Two of the truffles were milk chocolate.  The first of these, with a honeycomb pattern on top of the milk chocolate truffle on the lower left hand side, was aptly named "Honey Pot."  This had a milk chocolate and sweet honey scent that I would have recognized without a name for this truffle.  The lower half of this shell is very thick, but the top 2/3 of it breaks easily when I take a bite.  Inside is a very soft, creamy, sweet center that blends smoothly with the chocolate.

The final piece was a unique "Root Beer Float" flavor that even the White Chocolate Acolyte enjoyed, for all his claims of disliking other types of chocolate.  This had a raised swirl pattern on the top of it and a definite root beer scent that overwhelmed the cocoa before I took a bite.  The scent did not match the taste, and the creamy tan center had a very light root beer flavor that let the milk chocolate strongly through to create an interesting flavor.  It would have never entered my mind to add chocolate to my root beer, but I might have to try that now after this piece.

This particular box of truffles we reviewed is very similar to their Ultimate Truffle Assortment, which is very, very reasonably priced and comes in several assortments and sizes.   Honestly, it is worth your time to give them a try, because you may discover some wonderful flavor combinations you have never thought of before.

Sisters and Brothers, may you, too, take the time to slowly appreciate what the Divine and human ingenuity have offered you in chocolate.