I first tried these caramels at the Hotel Chocolat event I attended and boy were they different. The 90% seemed an unlikely candidate for a sweet caramel filling although the Ecuadorian chocolate should have been a fruity counterpoint I was dubious about how it would work.

Mostly I like Artisan du Chocolat sea salted caramels. I like getting them in the little plastic container like a cosmetics jar and indulging in a few every so often. So I was wondering if these could possibly be as good as those. The long plastic box houses 5 squares marked on the corner by a yellow dot reminiscent of the other caramel square they do.

The whole thing really needs to be eaten all at once as the caramel inside is quite runny and a little strong, coming through as a distinctive taste on the palette over the chocolate. As the chocolate melts it then floods the mouth with a strong but distinctively fruity flavour before combining with the sweet of the caramel and then leaving the flavour of the dark chocolate behind.

I’m not sure about these. I’ve eaten all of them and I’m still not sure if I like them. I think I’ll need to go buy some more and see if I like them. It might take 2 or 3 boxes to figure it out. Best head off to the shop in Oxford or the one near my office in London and grab some sharpish!

A little while ago I went to a whisky and chocolate pairing. I’m not a big whisky drinker as I always saw it as a very unfeminine, masculine drink. The few tastings I have been to including the lovely Compass Box and the recent Macallan tastings have changed my mind about this so much so that I assisted another woman at duty free choose a Macallan whisky to purchase.

Chocolate is something else I am passionate about and after helping her choose some Hotel Chocolat chocolates and The Macallan Whiskey Makers Select, I felt I had done my duty to a fellow discoverer of whisky and settled back for a long flight. I also finally found time to formally write up the multitude of notes I had taken on the night.

Something that most people may not be aware of is the extreme effort that goes in to pairing a chocolate and an alcohol. Gerard Coleman (the sexy accent seems to be a cross between Irish and French) and his colleagues from Artisan du Chocolat worked diligently on trying to find the right chocolate to pair with The Macallan whiskies to create the perfect truffle. They went through a large number of types of chocolate in an effort to pair them up and then invited chocolate experts, chocolate and whisky bloggers, and whisky experts to confirm their findings.

The evening started simply enough with this gorgeous array of whisky on the table. I sat under the image of a canopy of cocoa trees, as a table that looked like a giant chocolate bar. I must admit I was looking forward both to the sampling of everything and buying some more chocolate from Artisan du Chocolat whose sea salt caramels I have become somewhat addicted to. I was prepared to taste the whisky but worried it would again be too strong for me.  We had a delicious Cocoa Pulp Bellini which was apparently part of Artisan’s Chocolateria cocktail menu.  It was served to thirsty, hot and tired me in a champers glass with cocoa pulp topped up with prosecco.

We were educated brilliantly and expertly by both the Macallan expert Toby Shellard and Gerard Coleman himself from Artisan du Chocolat. The pairings weren’t always to my taste as I am not a fan of the stronger tobacco flavours (thus why I prefer the arriba nacional bean from Askinosie chocolate grown in Ecuador) nor the current penchant for using Tonka beans however the chocolate was both changed by, and changed the whisky. It was a fascinating sensation and one I didn’t realise was possible.

We tried several whiskies – Macallan 15, Macallan 12, Macallan Select Oak and Macallan Whisky Makers Special Edition.  Now, one thing you may not have known is that whisky is matured in different barrels and the previous occupants of those barrels is what can give whisky its distinctive and changeable taste.  For example – it wasn’t so much the age as the oak I loved in the Macallan 15 whereas the Macallan 12 was too dark for my liking having been matured in oloroso casks. We were given a glass of this on the table and the sweetness of it with the whisky just didn’t sit well with me.  I had always thought it was the water that it was made with but no – it is also the barrel it is aged in.

It would be interesting to get more women from my social circle involved in trying whisky and learning about it.  I wish I knew more and could have a bunch of friends around for an evening to try whisky out.  I’m fond of neat rum but whisky is probably wrongly overlooked by people who don’t understand it or like me, have tried the wrong ones and just need to be shown they don’t all taste like you wither drank the bottom of an ashtray or swamp water.  Some, like The Macallan and Compass Box, are wonderful.

In the end, I fell in love with the Select Oak and Orange Blossom and Orchid Milk chocolate from Artisan du Chocolat.  I’ll be reviewing some of the chocolate bars from that evening on their own. I really think that whisky needs to lose the exclusively guy drink image because it can be extremely pleasant. I might not choose it over a rum in a bar with a high quality selection of rums but I would definitely choose Select Oak over a mediocre rum – or to enjoy with chocolate In fact I fell in love with it so much, I made a point of buying some on a recent trip and convincing an American woman at duty free to buy some as well.

I bought this chocolate bar some time ago and finally got around to trying it out.

The flavour is delicate and pleasant and not at all too earthy or leathery.  It was slightly flat in my mouth but it was still a smooth, delicious taste.

This is definitely a blended bar and that comes through in the interplay of flavours in the mouth.  The smooth, creamy taste is almost too creamy for a dark chocolate bar as though it is trying to compensate for something or balance out the darkness.

This is probably the kind of dark bar someone who enjoys milk chocolate might like.  It would be a smooth and easier introduction, without the sometimes sour, drying flavour some dark chocolate has.

I got these lovely chocolates because it gave me a little bit of everything to try.  The box contained several chocolates all of very different flavours and they seemed almost perfectly chosen for me.  The box was delightful wrapped in a ribbon and the whole experience was one of luxury.

Lumi – Perfumed ganache made with Iranian sun dried limes. The stencil of runic characters delighted me slightly more than the filling did.  It was very subtle and was the first I had tried because I suspected it would be difficult to taste. The flavour is there but it is subtle and difficult to find.

Jasmine Tea – another of the delicate ones in the box, I chose this second. It was much more strongly flavoured with the floral jasmine in the tea coming through quite strongly as it apparently has 5 times its weight in jasmine flowers. The ganache had a slightly grainy feel to it though which was a bit odd.

O Caramel – a flat round disk filled with caramel. The chocolate is delightful and the thin caramel filling just a bit tangy. Yummy enough to want to eat a whole box!

O Lychee & Rose – a flat round dark chocolate with a delightful filling but there just wasn’t enough filling to get the full effect I’m sure.  The filling was delightful and slightly floral but sweet with as delicate sour edge.

Moroccan Mint – I love the flavour of the fresh green mint in this delightful chocolate. It has such a different flavour from other mints it makes it a fun delight.

A South Sea gold pearl and a Tahitian pearl choc – these are cool coloured chocolates in a glistening coating. Brilliant concept and the chocolate is different in each and each is delightful in its own way. Pretty plain and the white chocolate isn’t overwhelming so a delightful treat.

Ginger – this chocolate was far too strong for me but for ginger lovers it’ll be a delight.

A dark chocolate bee bar that has a Turkish Delight flavour of rose.  It makes it not too floral and quite pleasant.  It’s like Turkish Delight without the chewy gooey bits.

The dark chocolate doesn’t stand out on its own and so the flavour of the chocolate is somewhat lost in the outstanding sweet rose flavour. It doesn’t taste too floral and so possibly rose damask essential oil was used in small quantities.

I’m not sure I could take too much of this bar as after a small amount all I can taste is that Turkish Delight rose flavour but as I do enjoy that flavour, I’m not complaining.

This bar makes a delightful unique change from usual dark chocolate bars and on top of which it is fun.  Why not pick this one and a few others up from Rococo and have a bit of a chocolate tasting at your place?

This lovely tasting box is intended to introduce you to the flavour of different chocolates and help you taste the difference between different kinds of chocolate.

Each chocolate square is a different chocolate from Manjari to Abinao each chocolate has a different flavour.  The point of the box it to take you the eater through each flavour and help you experience it fully.

The place to start is with the fresh and tangy flavour of the 64% Manjari.  Between this and the next square, take a sip of water and wait a minute.  Next move on to the Tainori 64% which is apparently fruity and intense but I didn’t quite taste it.  The Caraibe 66% was the nicest I thought and it is described as balanced and velvety.  Next on to the Guanaja 70 for a bittersweet but elegant flavour.  I thought it was just bitter.  The Alpaco is described as floral and oaky but I felt it was kind of leathery and the abinao 85% was intense and drying in my mouth.

I think this is an absolutely fantastic way to introduce someone to chocolate tasting and the wide varieties available.

When I met and interviewed Paul Wayne Gregory, I was gifted with a triad of his new popping candy, chocolate and sea salted caramel pops.  These were kindly gifted to me after a discussion about the sea salt caramel in my other box and chatting in general.  I have to admit some trepidation as I thought it might be too much but I was pleasantly surprised.

The layers of high quality chocolate make biting in to this pop a deliciously messy affair exactly as it should be.  Anyone who has ever tried to bite into a Tootsie pop knows how foolish that is.  Allowing the chocolate to warm as you gently nibble brings the chocolate to just the right temperature to gently bite.

The popping candy is the first experience.  I thought I would be put off by it and yet it was delicious.  It added to the experience by giving an initial kick then fading away.  Next is the salt quickly overwhelmed by caramel to be finished with a touch of salt.  That almost sour flavour balancing the sweet and the beautiful dark chocolate rounding it all out with the last vestiges of the popping candy still thrilling your taste buds.

So… nomnomnom… I suppose my verdict… nomnomnom… is that… *washes sticky hands* I really like it!

Born on the 1st of July 2008, Xococava is one of the newer chocolate shops to hit Toronto.  Located in Deslie Court just north of the St Clair subway station, this ideally located chocolate shop brings some of the most innovative chocolates to Toronto.  From the perennial salted caramel favourite – a popular chocolate in the shop – to the exotic churitzo including real meat, this shop pushes the boundaries of chocolate making to a higher art form.

Laura White, a former pastry chef and 5 year expert chocolate maker, invents some of these innovative chocolate flavours at the front of the shot in full view of the window to the outside tables where people sup on home baked cookies with some of the finest chocolate chips nestled in excellent dough.

Utilising Tuscano Amedei chocolate in her creations, Laura balances the flavour of the base chocolate against the exotic fillings.  Often utilising Belgian style chocolate as a carrier for her more exotic flavours, Laura uses her knowledge of flavour and chocolate to balance flavours off.  Marrying tea and coffee both with chocolate but in very different ways, she is committed to creating delicious and innovative chocolate.

I found her sea salt caramel to be one of the flavours of hers I liked best.  The chocolate did not seem to be the highest quality but the sea salt caramel was lovely. The Earl Grey tea was way more intense than I was used to but it didn’t detract from the overall experience.  The chocolate covered almond dragees were nothing I hadn’t enjoyed elsewhere in the UK but I have a feeling they are a rarity in Toronto.  As such it is nice to see these lovely roasted almonds with caramelised sugar covering them before the delicious chocolate and powered cocoa finishes it off.

Pop by and try the chocolates.  They are yummy and unique and fun at a dinner party.

This small box of chocolates which you can pick up for £12 arrived at my home in a giant box.  Delving in to the bubble wrap was fun, but not as much fun as the chocolates themselves were.

There were 2 each of 5 different flavours, one worrying labled “olive”.  Having tried an olive oil chocolate before I was worried about it but decided to try it anyway… last.  Apparently they were inspired by the flavours of Province.  So adventurously I tried to place them in a logical order for tasting and tried them all –

Soledad – Dark and robust chocolate ganache. This chocolate has a mild flavour which does not challenge the palette.  The ganache has a slightly fruity flavour but melts well in the mouth (unlike other La Maison Du Chocolat chocolates I have tried).

Limonelle – dark chocolate ganache infused with fresh zest of lemon peel.  From the first bite you can taste the lemon within the dark chocolate.  It is quite strong and yet quite pleasant and there seem to be little bits of lemon peel in the ganache which probably helps keep that sense of lemon flavour so strong.

Olbia – compote of apricots from the Rhone Valley wrapped in milk chocolate.  The milk chocolate is sweet and the compote overwhelming. It’s a bit like fruit leather chopped up and covered in sweet milk chocolate.

Amelo – Almond paste from Provence. I found this sweet with an almost fruity edge to it.  I’m sure lovers of almond paste will love this chocolate but I’m starting to think perhaps almond paste and I aren’t the best of friends.

Oulivado – an almond and nut praline made of Berugette olive oil which is apparently made from black olives. This chocolate is extremely interesting in flavour with crunchy bits. The flavour of the black olives is extremely faint but there – especially at the end.

Overall an interesting mix of flavours.  These chocolates were better than the ones I tried in the shop leading me to wonder if the shop chocs may have been past their prime.  I’m glad I had the chance to try these chocolates and think that maybe as a gift or a dinner party selection they would be great with their diverse flavours.

While in the famous Fassbender & Rausch shop, I picked up some of the Kleines Konfekt miniature dessert chocolates.  With a solid chocolate base and whipped chocolate body in a plastic cover, they were too cute to ignore.  I chose Latte Macchiato and Chocolate Praline versions of these chocolate delights.

Petit Petit Chocolate Praline – this chocolate delight seems to be topped with real cocoa bean with a sweet chocolate top to the chocolate base.  It’s a bit like a cross between a lush dessert and a naked chocolate.  In fact naked chocolate is the best way to describe it.  There is a slight hint of alcohol flavour to it and it is pleasant and as these are not too expensive they are a delightful party gift.  As this one was quite sweet perhaps one each would be enough.

Petit Petit Latte Macchiato – this is mainly white chocolate and so far too sweet to me but with the most lovely coffee flavour.  Oh if only this had been done in regular chocolate my husband and I would be in heaven.  The coffee flavour though is spoiled for me by the extreme sweetness of the white chocolate.  Despite a layer of milk chocolate, it tasted like sugar candy.  I’m sure for many people who love white chocolate this would be utter heaven.

They don’t travel though as mine got squished and my chocolate one was hard to free from the plastic.  I ended up licking the plastic (so I did enjoy it) and it really made the chocolate one feel like a naked chocolate to me.  I’d love to try others though and next time I am in erlin I fully intend to go back to Fassbinder & Rasusch.