Chocolate Box - Dark Orange Truffle

Price: $1.65 each

Comparative price: Unknown

Rating: 2 out of 5

Buy again: No.  Not for me.

This is the first time I've purchased individual chocolates from ever present chain of chocolate shops, The Chocolate Box.  My excuse was I needed a quick cocoa fix and I was walking past so thought I'd give it a go. 

My expectations started low, perhaps unfairly I haven’t always associated The Chocolate Box with quality, better than the supermarket brands, but definitely not top of range.  (Although they do sell Michel Cluizel.)  So it is here I find myself, standing in front of the self-serve 'premium' chocolates and I have to say the range was a little daunting.  It consisted less of small and delicate morsels in favour of large and commanding treats – but as us girls have always been told, size isn’t everything, and these looming sizes make me a little suspicious about quality. 

Another unusual thing I noted was the enormous number of milk chocolate and sickly looking white chocolate products (insert yummy looking white chocolate if you are a fan of the cocoa-less stuff).  Neither of these particularly appeal to me, and I wonder at the lack of dark chocolate products and what this suggests about the clientele, but this is my own snobby biases and I need to purchase which leaves me with the dark orange truffle as my first foray into The Chocolate Box.

The service was very good.  I mentioned to the lady serving me that this was my first purchase and she exclaimed how ‘quality is better than quantity’ – I was still to be convinced on quality.  But she kindly walked over the stand and explained her and the buying publics preferences for any future purchases I may wish to make.  I can’t fault her enthusiasm, but a bag would have been nice.  I had only purchased two truffles and I think she thought they were going straight in my mouth, but no, I need to return to my desk and write this before I consume.

Sight

So to the chocolate – it looks reasonably good, one of the better choices for aesthetic.  A good size, standard truffle textured look with a few orange lines over the top denoting its flavour.  No cocoa powder dusting here, which for me who struggles with the bitter, powdery stuff this isn't a bad thing.

Smell

To be honest it has the unfortunate aroma of cheaper chocolate.  This may be unfair as it may not be reflected in taste (I haven’t got that far yet) but there is no richness or intensity to the aroma.  So by now I am curious...

Taste and Texture

Flavour is a strong orange which is great for me as I love strong flavours but maybe a little artificial in taste.  And unfortunately the orange completely dominates, and aside from a slight bitter chocolate taste on the finish the chocolate is all but lost behind the citrus.  The chocolate appears to be devoid of any characteristics, or at least any that can hold themselves against the added flavours.

The filling is perhaps a little too soft for my liking, or at least when contrasted with the reasonably thick outer casing of chocolate. 

The centre almost has a liquor taste at one point, which confirms the sharp, strong flavour of this chocolate.  

Summary

A reasonably pleasant chocolate but nothing more and nothing less.  Better than a Cadbury roses and similar fare but would I buy again, probably not.  If I was in need of a fix and this was all that was about maybe, but I wouldn't seek it out.  There is better to be had at this price.  

Rating 2 out of 5

Reviewer: Shari

21 September 2009