Dolfin - Apple, Peach & Apricot (Limited Edition) - 60%

Price $3.95 for 30g

Comparative Price $13.17 per 100g

Origin Unknown

Rating 2.5 out of 5

Buy again No, fun to try but the texture isn't for me, nor flavour

Dolfin released limited edition 'summer memories' bars (apparently known elsewhere as 'fruity escapades') in 2009/10, replicating a similar release the year before.  I stumbled upon these in The Essential Ingredient and my first purchase was a rather tasty Apple Crumble flavour.  Sadly I was too busy consuming this to review it and when I returned to purchasemore there were only a few lonely bars left for me to try.

 So that is how I ended up with the Apple, Peach and Apricot offering. 

Now anyone who knows my chocolate preferences will understand this is little experiment for me as I normally like my chocolate pure, just the notes of the bean with no flavours added (save for maybe a little vanilla).  But I was feeling daring and had a good experience with it's Apple Crumble cousin and so I found myself at home with a strange concoction of apple, peach and apricot chocolate.

Sight

The packaging is okay, and just through sheer virtue of its wee size rather cute.

The chocolate itself is very attractive and made up of four individual pieces, each of a good, satisfying size with a textured surface and proudly wearing the name of Dolfin.  The chocolate itself is a very dark brown with a hint of red.  The surface is textured so difficult to get a good sense of sheen, but looking underneath it has a few air bubbles which is maybe dissapointing, but overall not a bad looking chocolate.

Smell

I get more of a scent of the fruitiness rather than the chocolate - it doesn't make me think chocolate at all but more cake or something fruity.  But I am feeling daring...

Snap

No real snap, just a dull unenthusiastic squeek.  But to be fair it has been 43 degrees today (although not that hot in my flat and my much beloved chocolate is stored in a cool place).

Taste & Texture

The first taste one would expect is fruitiness, particularly given the aroma, however the first thing I taste is pepper that mingles with the chocolate leaving a slight spiceniness on my tongue.  The pepper continues, however the fruitiness starts to come to the forefront with flashes of sharpness.  However my focus is constantly hijacked towards the gritty texture - gritty thanks to the little pieces of (presumably) dehydrated fruit.  And I hate the texutre!  Annoyingly the texture of the chocolate itself is good but the gritty little pieces persist and hang about in my mounth and in my teeth.  Biting these deliver a little burst of sharp flavour but the whole experience is disjoinited, confused and not very pleasant.

There is no balance in the flavours, this is all about the fruit inclusions and not the chocolate.  It is at times reminiscent of christmas pudding, maybe a chocooalte christmas pudding but not enough chocolate for me.  I wouldn't say that I particularly taste any of the fruits individually, although I would say it has tones of fruit more like peach and apricot rather than apple.  Although at the end of the palette there is maybe a fresh, green apple taste.

Summary

Texture is horrid but if you can get past that the flavour is okay, but too sweet and too little about the chocolate for me.  If you like inclusions and don't mind the little floaty bits in your mouth at the end you may be okay, but this is not a chocoalte I sit back and enjoy but just consume - not least because of the sugar content.  I still get a lovely flash of christmas pudding fruitiness that works, but overall there is no plan, no consisntecy here.

It's okay, I won't be repeating the experience and I would rate it as 2.5 out of 5, losing at least half a point due to texutre.  Expensive for this mis-mathced concoction.  I must admit this was fun to try, and whilst I wouldn't buy this one again I would buy the Apple Crumble that I sadly didn't review.

Purchased: The Essential Ingredient, Prahran Market

Reviewer: Shari
Date: 11 January 2010