Wow… I cannot tell you how long I have coveted this box.  Oh the joy! This box of chocolate showcases chocolates from when Thorntons started in business 100 years ago and also includes a selection of the newest most modern collection.

This collection is delivered in a really heavy faux lacquer-ware box with 2 further matching trays that once you’ve eaten the chocolates from within it will make the perfect show-off serving dishes. The design is gorgeous and absolutely stunning.  For any Thorntons fan this will be a treasure. A forever keepsake once the chocolates are gone.

The collection has only 28 chocolates in it with a block of chocolate.  The box though is massive and weighs a ton. You really are paying for the box which will last forever and has the centenary artwork inlaid into it.  I decided to go through each chocolate from the past and the present and see whether I liked it.

The chocolates  from 100 years ago:

Caramel Cup – This was quite sweet and I have to admit I guess I wasn’t in a sweet mood as it was a bit too much for me. It was OK but the milk chocolate and sweet caramel was a bit too sweet for me to have more than one

Almond Rocher – I loved this one. It was delightful. I loved that there wasn’t too much chocolate, lots of slivers of nut and fresh, fresh, fresh! I loved this one and could have done with more than 2

Lemon Manon – this is really interesting – really lemony and zingy but slightly sweet for me possibly because it is white chocolate. I did like it though I could only manage a half a one.

Grand Marnier – This is apparently truffle centre and with the darker chocolate it is nice. The taste of the Grand Marnier is extremely strong and I think that the dark chocolate is slightly sharp for me after all the sweet.

Rio Butterscotch – I’m not sure what I think about this one… It is really kind of nice and weird and crunchy and nutty but well balanced. I like it I think but I’m not 100% sure if I love it. But I definitely do like it and I think I’d buy it as a one-off.

Noisette– this apparently has Marc de Champagne mousse encased in dark choc finished with white choc and a sprinkle of croquant granules. This one was a bit sweet for me but overall I think there is a theme of sweet in here.

Crudo Chocolate block – this is apparently how chocolate would have tasted 100 years ago – gritty and intense with vanilla notes, cinnamon, and intense nutmeg. Not unpleasant but not my personal favourite.

Chocolates from today:

Raspberry and Rose – an award-winning chocolate this had raspberry jam with raspberry ganache and subtle hints of rose. Absolutely delightful. The perfect balance of dark chocolate flavours, sharp acidic flavours and sweetness.

Mango and Orange Creme – zingy mango with a sweet orange it has a distinctly mango flavour which overpowers the orange until the end when you are left with a lingering orange hint.

Lime & Chilli  – a dense chocolate with a strong immediate flavour of lime which lasts before you get a light warming hint of chilli. I liked it though it was a bit dense – I might have liked something a bit smoother – more ready to melt.

Crunchy Salted Praline – apparently this was a hazelnut praline with Cornish sea salt and croquant topped with a whole hazelnut. I’m not a huge fan or praline so this was not a favourite. It is well flavoured though and I think a praline lover is going to love this.

Nougatine Tile Gianguja –this had cool nougatine circular tiles which are propped around a gianduja of almond and hazelnut meaning I liked this one more. I liked the sweetness and the nuttiness but one was enough.

Crunchy Caramel Praline – Apparently pralines are the most popular form of chocolate at Thorntons. I’m not a huge fan. Since this has crunchy bits of caramelised sugar I tried it and liked it but again it was a bit too much for me.  Again I’m thinking praline fans are going to dig this one!

Cut Praline – hazelnuts, toasted almond flakes, orange peel and waffle pieces. What’s not to love? This is going to be a praline lovers delight but again as I’m not a massive fan I was finding my hand once again hovering over the Rio Butterscotch…

Strawberry and Balsamic Ganache – the balsamic vinegar is layered into the strawberry jelly making it a really interesting flavour treat. It is unique and different and I liked it despite kind of feeling worried about the balsamic vinegar. It has the flavour but not too strongly making it a pleasant chocolate.

Was it worth it?  For a Thorntons fan this is going to be worth every penny as for years to come they will have a memory of the delightful chocolates. On a per chocolate basis, these are quite expensive but they are special and as a numbered limited edition I have to admit had I not received one I would have been sorely tempted to buy my own box.  Want one of your own? Go to the Thorntons site and special order one fresh! It is really expensive though at £100 so really only someone special will receive one.

As a North American 9proudly Canadian) whenever I hear Lemonade I still think Old Tyme Lemonade that was sweet but tart, still not fizzy and yummy.  Over here in the UK it just isn’t – it’s just Sprite really.  So when I got three of these bars I thought I would give them all away but decided to try one just in case.

Popping candy (pop rocks) is fun.  I remember many an afternoon spent with pop rocks in my mouth, mouth open, just to make an EVEN LOUDER FIZZING NOISE.  And let me tell you – when one of those big ones went off you sure as heck knew all about it!  Given my recklessness with life and limb and choking hazards, I’m often shocked I made it to adulthood.  I certainly had an angel on my shoulder as I added two or more bags of pop rocks to an already fizzing head, tilted back.

There is an interesting flavour of lemon here I can actually taste.  The white chocolate is such god quality it had stated to soften in the heat.  You won’t find your Milky Bar softening at the same temperature I’ll bet   The lemon does come distinctly through and the popping candy just adds a lovely fizz like fizzy lemonade.  This is actually kinda cool!  I’m actually really enjoying this bar.

Defo a candy bar and wow – look at that I have two of these bars left.  So leave a comment or tweet “I’d like a cloudy lemonade bar like this http://bit.ly/o9Ub4T from @mostlyaboutchoc KPLSTXBAI” and I’ll pick a winner on Sunday!

Binky & Dolly Faraday win!

I’m Canadian and as such, I don’t really have the kind of experiences others have with Bakewell Tarts.  My experiences are all around my mom’s pecan tarts and butter tarts.  Mom has always made her own pastry and I just love how she leaves out the raisins for me – YUMMY!

But given that, I haven’t had much experience with Bakewell Tarts and having no real love of marzipan or maraschino cherries, I have never really ventured to the tart side.  Give me a nice home-made brownie any day or even better – my mom’s baking.  So I’m a bit of a Bakewell Tart virgin.  I know the theory however and so loving chocolate and having had a positive experience with marzipan in my chocolate with the Coppeneur Ocumare, I decided to give it a go.

The instant marzipan flavour with intense cherry before crunching in to tiny biscuit pieces and raspberry seeds is quite the experience.  It is quite overwhelming and while most of the time the chocolate seems like a transition vehicle for the cacophony of flavours, it comes through on its own after the initial burst.  Keith here has chosen a 37% Costa Rican milk chocolate and it does show through during the full frontal assault on your taste buds.

This is not a bar for the meek.  This is a bar for someone who loves Bakewell Tarts and wants that instant hit of full frontal flavour without any of the mucky crumbs and with an added chocolate hit. Fun and nicely done – one to ship to the rellies overseas me thinks!

Today I thought it would be a good day to post the review of the Thorntons Rose chocolate bar.

Of course, when this review goes live the news about the closure of 180 stores will have hit the news and there will have been stories of the demise of Thorntons and the like. What I think is sometimes lost is how Thorntons survived two world wars and times of severe austerity. They have had to make some difficult decisions and refocus but they are trying to survive. I hope they make it.

Thorntons are celebrating 100 years of being in business with this bar and their £100 100th anniversary box of chocolates but I feel that the term ‘box of chocolates’ kind of does it a disservice. It is red beautifulness in chocolate… But we’re here to discuss rose chocolate.

The chocolate here is 80g of 64% Peruvian cocoa milk chocolate. It is slightly sweet but not as sweet as others I have tried. It is nice and enjoyable and while it isn’t Duffy’s it doesn’t try to be. It is a delightful milk chocolate though and has been tamed. By tamed I mean it isn’t some sickly sweet disgusting confection but a yummy, very edible milk chocolate which is slightly darker than you might be used to.

The rose in the chocolate is in pieces – it is not rose flavoured chocolate. The rose is sugared and it is likely why the milk chocolate is not overly sweet – the rose petals in the chocolate are sugar-coated and sweeeeeeeet. There is no noticeable rose flavour to me though but I was having these in the afternoon and I can taste more subtle flavours in the morning. The sugared petals did combine with the chocolate and it made it much sweeter.

All in all this is a decent milk chocolate and nothing to be sneezed at. It is delicious and delightful and is a really fun celebration of 100 years of chocolate. This is not some Turkish delight chocolate flavour but a really nice take on the traditional English rose. Don’t get it if you want sickly sweet artificial chocolate – this is a bar for someone looking for more sofistication.

A master chocolatier is crowned in the UK by the Academy of Chocolate based on the number of gold award winning chocolates they produce. As a judge I have tried the best and worst that 2011 had to offer and I remember distinctly one of these chocolates which stood out to me as I was judging. We didn’t know who had made it so imagine my surprise when it turned up on my doorstep (at work – I then had to hide it).

I was a tough judge. If I was anything, I was the archetypical “Russian judge” who looked for and demanded technical perfection. Instead I often got mediocrity and once… I just don’t want to have to remember that… But perhaps I was too tough though conversations with other judges led me to believe I wasn’t overly tough and was probably just right

But to the chocolate. How awesome to get these chocolates! They are a small subset of the new £100 gift box which I covet. It is this beautiful liquor-wood-style nestling box of one larger box and inside there are two smaller boxes, each holding one old and one new selection. I saw one at a show and fell in love. Who would have ever thought that *I* would fall in love with a box of Thorntons chocolates?!?

The three we got in our special box are as follows:

Crunchy Praline – I’m not a praline fan but it is nicely crunchy, has a not too overwhelming flavour. The praline was smooth, complimented nicely by the crunchy feullitune in there and despite myself I found that I enjoyed it. I used to scorn praline and now I have to admit I’m OK with it. It isn’t bad and as a praline non-lover I have to admit I’d eat the second one… oh, wait… I already have

Vanilla Caramel with Cornish Seasalt – I have to admit I’m not as much of a fan of vanilla as others and this could explain why on some bars I get harsh with ones that have added vanilla (among other reasons). I liked this caramel but must admit my tastes have swung more to the more heavily sea salted caramel as the additional sea salt seems to tone down the sweetness. Add to that the milk chocolate shell (or sweet lighter dark chocolate) and it was slightly too sweet for me but still extremely good. I’m not at all surprised that it achieved a gold award.

Raspberry & Rose – Awesomeness in a chocolate. Look at that sexy indent with the red and white speckled against it. I remember this one so well and seeing it not it brings flooding back the memories of the day plus how I enjoyed this chocolate. I could not wait to eat this one and I think if they ever have it at the counter loose near where I live I will gain even more weight as I buy more of them. They are a bit Turkish Delight-ish but still – sexy!

All in all I did enjoy them. With Thorntons doing such great award-winning work I have to admit I’m surprised there is such low awareness in the shops about this great work and also in general. I hope they get more awareness and recognition of the great work they are doing.

Before Easter (as evidenced by the photos) I attended the launch of the Thorntons Chocolate Liquor. Now, I am a veteran of chocolate alcohol and I know just how badly wrong it can go. Trust me when I say you *want* to read this review.

Chocolate liquors are nothing new. I remember the first one I became aware of I gave a bottle to my mom thinking it excellent as it was white chocolate combined with alcohol. I mean, how could that go wrong? I was young in my defence and hadn’t tried it. It was rank. Vile just doesn’t encompass how foul that stuff was.

Next I tried another attempt – a brown one this time. I mean, it said it was chocolate but I guess it resembled chocolate as much as a candy bar does. That is in colour and scent but not in taste. BLEURGH! GAH! How can you possibly get chocolate *that* wrong by adding booze? Surely it should make it better.

Godiva bought a chocolate liquor I had tried before and the mental scars have never left me and so I declined to buy some. If they invite me to a launch party for something and I can try it there then I will otherwise I just can’t justify subjecting myself to that horror once again. Then along come Thorntons and I get invited to their launch… and I go.

Now you, intrepid readers, may be questioning my sanity at this point. Sure it is Thorntons and sure it is a launch event and sure it is alcohol but given my past experience how can I possibly risk it? Well, I did. I got to the launch late and by that time the demos of how to cook with it (well, make desserts) had finished. I was ushered to the back and given a shot over the rocks. A generous shot of this alcohol. And then it all came flooding back. The horror, the fear, the trepidation all threatened to make me bolt as I picked up that glass and took my first sip…

… at this point I’ll pause a minute and just reflect on the horrors that had gone before. Now, given my past experience I can assure you that it can get worse. Melt some Hershey’s and add alcohol. There you go, worse. Now here I am standing, talking to Kate with a generous slug of this chocolate alcohol in my hand about to find out whether or not this is better or worse.

Once I let the alcohol-infused chocolate drink pass my lips I can say shock and awe ensued. It was a smooth, liquid velvet which was both extremely chocolaty and not too thick. It was like a chilled hot chocolate with vodka and it was so nice I immediately asked where I could buy it. Asda is the first wave of launch stockists as well as some bars and lounges. It’ll go into Sainsbury’s later and as someone with only an Asda warehouse near me and not an actual shop, I cannot wait until it comes into my local Sainsbury’s. The launch is local, not global and it is delicious. While not currently available in Thorntons high street shops, I remain hopeful that it will be because this is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, I hope it also makes it into World Duty Free so I can take some back to Toronto with me and show friends and family that chocolate liquor can be BEAUTIFUL!

Imagine what something that looks like this must taste like. Imagine what something with these swirls of chocolate must taste like as you break pieces off something as big as a rugby ball. Imagine the increased delight of getting a box of chocolates with four trays of chocolates, all different with it.

I had received this egg from Thorntons after a particularly difficult three weeks. I got back to the office to find a huge box with this egg inside of it waiting for me. I extracted it from the box and it drew immediate attention from everyone. There were “oooo”s and “aaaaaa”s all around – this egg made an immediate impact – and that is with the office used to me getting chocolate all the time.

To talk about the chocolate of an Easter egg is slightly unfair sometimes I think. While Pierre Marcolini, Soma, William Curley, Paul A Young and others are creating chocolate eggs where the chocolate stands front and centre, this is an egg made for those who just want to enjoy them without caring whether that slight peanut scent comes from an additive (no) or the flavour of the bean (which it does).

This is an egg for someone who knows that on Easter morning the delight in the eyes and on the face of the person receiving this egg will be worth a thousand words. This is the kind of egg for those who want to shun the cheap chocolate from questionable sources and buy good chocolate from a company who hired a professional artisan chocolatier to create new chocolates like their key lime and chilli cocoa pod chocolate. This is a chocolate Easter egg for someone who knows Thorntons is still a high street brand many view as luxury. This is an Easter Egg filled with chocolate and the promise of more.

The promise of more chocolate comes in the form of the box of four trays of chocolates, including eight special chocolates celebrating the 100 years Thorntons has been around. There is a mix of chocolates in here I have reviewed before, plus these new ones and a few I have not yet reviewed but this is all about Easter and so the best way for you to learn about this egg is to buy it and enjoy the milk chocolate goodness with all the unique chocolates inside.

If you’d like to buy this chocolate egg with its extra box of lush chocolates, hustle your butt down to your nearest Thornton’s shop or visit them online.

There has been a movement of late in the chocolate industry to use chocolate as a way to give back to various communities.  Divine, Demarquette and Thorntons are all chocolate producers who are committed to helping give back to communities.

This delicious milk chocolate bar from Thorntons gives pretty much everything to “Save The Children”.  That is, £0.91 of every £1.79 bar is donated to the charity.  That seems to me to be an excellent way to give to charity.  In fact, I hope you’ll all join me in giving a tenner to charity because it helps in another way – the beans are from Haiti providing valuable trade to help Haiti continue to rebuild its infrastructure.

Why buy it?  The hint of vanilla in the chocolate is the first note to hit your palette.  Then you get a slightly darker but sweet milk chocolate flavour before the mango becomes dominant in your mouth as you chew the lovely pieces.  There is a slight almost molasses flavour coming through as though the sugar was slightly less refined but I’m all for less refined sugar

There is a slightly tart edge to the mango which is lovely in the milk chocolate.  It balances everything out making this a really nice, not at all challenging bar anyone would enjoy.  From granny through to the wee ones, this chocolate bar will be a firm favourite and will please everyone and I hope that means more sales since just one of these bars could buy seven notebooks or 10 pens for a classroom in Haiti.

This is a really great all-rounder and at my next conference, provided you’ve let any for me in the shops, this will be my chocolate giveaway so I can both donate and share the joy.

I’ve been down the shops and LOOK at what I found to give away!  HALF A KILO OF CHOCOLATE!  Well, there’s nothing like a STACK of Thorntons chocolate to delight and warm and make you want to share.

Funnily enough, that’s just what I did with my large box of Thorntons Classic flavours – I shared it.  Yep – I shared chocolate and I’m going to be sharing even more with you all and I’ll be starting with this hamper of milk chocolate!

To WIN this hamper, leave a comment of a new years resolution, leave a facebook comment of a new years resolution or tweet “My New Year’s Resolution is to read the @mostlyaboutchoc blog more http://bit.ly/hFyW1I ” and I’ll draw a random winner on Sunday!

Once this hamper is gone, I’ll be starting a different contest each week for people following me on different systems.  For example, I’ll be giving away the ENTIRE Green and Blacks range of 15 chocolate bars – 1.5 KILOS of CHOCOLATE – to someone who is on the mailing list.  Not on it yet?  Just sign up here before the contest:

I’ll also be giving away a rare Chuao bar, some crazy flavours and more to people following on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.  Just make sure you’re following the blog there and you’ll get the details to win!  The mailing list is keyed to the blog so that’s all you’ll get there (no spam), Facebook I’m a little more chatty on, Twitter I’m very chatty on and YouTube I’m pretty silent on so you can pick your level of chattiness and the chocolate you want to win!

WINNER!!!  @kohsamuirosie from Twitter has WON the chocolate!

The smell of lemon is the first thing that hits you as you open the bag in the box.  That and the HUGE size of these cookies.  This is the fourth kind of cookie in the new range of Thorntons biscuits (cookies).

The lemon is quite pronounced and it seems to have been slightly enhanced in the mixture but that isn’t really detracting from the cookie itself.  The base cookie is a fairly standard cookie dough which has had added to it a lemon flavouring and white chocolate covered meringue pieces kind of like a reverse lemon meringue pie.

Mmmmm… piiiieeeeee…. *drools*

While this is a hard cookie, it didn’t seem as hard as the triple chocolate chunk cookies.  This means its extra thickness doesn’t impact on teeth I had trouble tasting the meringue in the white chocolate but did find it less sweet than the praline cookie.

I’d buy these for a party!