Academy of Chocolate Gold Award Winning Filled Chocolates

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Academy of Chocolate awards ceremony to see all the winners I helped pick receive their certificates. It was a brilliant evening but even more brilliant was the goodie bag which conveniently contained some of the winners. Since I want to try and review as much award-winning chocolate as possible, I’ve decided to review them here.

Now, I did not judge all of these and I have particular tastes as does everyone and so while I give my opinion here, it may or may not match the other judges 😉

Melt Chocolates Pear tatin – this is a visually stunning chocolate. There were points awarded for appearance and so you can clearly see this chocolate won top marks. Lots of gold leaf on the top instead of a tiny bit means this is already a lush looking chocolate in a beautiful box. Top marks for appearance. The chocolate has the most delicious scent and so full marks there and just look at that interior! The delicious flavour of the pear just bursts through in a rather scrumptiously juicy explosion in your mouth. The flavour is strong but not overpowering and finishes nicely in your mouth. Top marks!

William Curley Tarragon & Mustard – The thought of this chocolate scared me slightly. It has a perfect finish and so on appearance it gets top marks from this box. Not as exciting as the Melt chocolate but still really clean, shiny and well done. The scent of the chocolate is divine but as you cut into it the scent of the filling assails your nostrils and lets you know something extremely interesting is going on inside. The interior is extremely tarragon with the mustard more of a backdrop. Not knowing the filling I doubt I would have guessed it on my own but it is very interesting. The finish is clean and smooth and overall it is a pleasant chocolate!

William Curley Muscovado caramel – Best overall filled chocolate – This chocolate again is beautifully moulded with a delightful smell but it is when you cut into it and eat it that the chocolates true beauty shines through. It is one of the lush-est caramels I have ever tried. It is a deep caramel flavour with dark molasses tones, strong sugar and sweetness. The caramel is thick and not runny but still gooey and not at all solid. The dark chocolate absolutely compliments the filling. I could just see myself indulging in these quite frequently. The finish is delightful, clean and with the lasting flavour of the chocolate.

Lauden Single origin – always a beautiful chocolate Lauden is a chocolatier I always mean to buy something from but never had the chance. That is a shame because this chocolate has not only a great appearance and scent but the flavour is great. This single origin chocolate activates, for me, just the right areas of the mouth but is perhaps not as robust in flavour as others I have tried. It is slightly sweet but this perhaps even this isn’t a bad thing. The chocolate has a really nice flavour and certainly has a great finish and so ticks all the boxes. I can understand why it won gold and I can see how the judges would score it highly on appearance, taste, finish, scent and more.

Lauden Salted Caramel – mmmmmm yummy! While it is clear this will score well on appearance and scent, the flavour of the caramel is deep and dark and delicious with body and depth and just the right amount of salt to make it irresistible. I can taste the dark sugar balanced off by the sea salt as the thick but runny interior melts in my mouth before the chocolate melts into a delicious concoction in my mouth.

All in all this selection is stunning!