Chocolate of the Day
Hotel Chocolat
Serious Dark Fix "H-Box" Collection (assortment box)
Good + - Good ++ (varied with piece)
Weight: 3.53 oz. (100 g.) / 5.46 oz. (155 g.) in total box of 14 pieces
Calories: 583 calories in 100 g. serving (tastes of all flavors)
Cost: 18.50 Euros / ($18.50 (estimate) USD) for 1 box
Purchased from: The Loop (shop), Dublin Airport (Collinstown, Ireland)
Welcome to Day #7 of Chocolate and Ireland Theme Week.
Today's Serious Dark Fix "H-Box" collection was from Hotel Chocolat (London). In 2017, the company opened its first shop in Dublin, Ireland.
This assortment included: Gin, Dark Rum, Praline 80%, Dizzy Praline 70%, Chilli, Honduras Pistachio Praline, Colombia Almond Praline, 70% Dark Macaron, Simple Dark, Hazelnut and Ginger, 70% Dark Baton, and Gianduja Bombe.
Below are some brief notes on this dark chocolate collection:
- Gin - boozy, bright citrus and authentic juniper, botanical and light floral notes
- Dark Rum - dark chocolate with authentically boozy, dark rum notes
- Dizzy Praline 70% - dark chocolate filled with a thick, creamy, lightly nutty center
- Chilli - very smooth with a slow burn that kicks in gradually
- Honduras Pistachio Praline - flavorful single origin dark exterior, filled with a nutty, slightly caramelized filling.
- Colombia Almond Praline - Smooth, flavorful dark chocolate with a soft, nutty (finely chopped almond) center
- Hazelnut and Ginger - authentic hazelnut and ginger (crunchy whole nuts, spicy sweet ginger pieces, dark chocolate)
- Dark Chocolate Baton - Sweet, smooth, dark, chocolate-y
- Gianduja Bombe - (round) dark chocolate + gianduja (hazelnut) paste - fully incorporated/blended in a rich, delicious thick center
My three favorites were: Gin, Hazelnut and Ginger, and Gianduja Bombe. The English and Irish know how to do chocolates infused with Gin and other spirits.
And yes, I could tell the difference(s) when single origin chocolates were used. These chocolates were a bit more flavorful. The Honduras chocolate was a bit more "dark"/intense with balanced earth notes. The Colombian cacao-based chocolate was smoother--with a bit more flavor range than the standard dark couverture/blends.
Ingredients: Cocoa solids (cocoa mass, cocoa butter), sugar, HAZELNUT paste, sweetened hazelnut paste (HAZELNUTS, sugar, emulsifier (sunflower lecithin)), butter oil (from MILK), full cream MILK powder, roasted HAZELNUTS, stabilisers (sorbitol, gycerol), ALMOND NUTS paste, glucose syrup, ginger pieces (dextrose, ginger, glucose syrup, sugar), pistachio nuts paste (PISTACHIO NUTS, rapeseed oil), rum, whipping cream (cream from MILK), stabiliser (carageenan)), skimmed MILK powder, vegetable fats (coconut, shea, sunflower), nibbed HAZELNUTS, gin, emulsifiers (SOYA lecithin, sunflower lecithin), cream (from MILK), dextrose, cocoa powder, flavourings, concentrated whey (from MILK), neutral alcohol, lactose (from MILK), natural colours (beetroot, annatto, carotene), MILK protein, Habanero chili powder. Dark chocolate contains minimum 70% cocoa solids.
Allergen-related information: "For allergens, including cereals containing gluten, see ingredients in BOLD. All chocolates in this box may contain tree nuts, peanuts, milk, soya, gluten, wheat, egg, sesame. Suitable for vegetarians. Contains alcohol. No artificial flavours. Caution: Although every care has been taken to remove nut shells, some may still remain."
