Chocolate in Chelsea
Impact
Presentation 3.2 / 5
vibes a wedding favor: cloud-white virgin box / sky blue ribbon; imprecise FF incl some scuffs & thumbprints on the satin finishes for that 'personal touch'; enrobed pieces at 1st blush appear to be all hand-jobs but they're not (entirely), though the simple piping of letters on the chocolates to identify flavors is... & gives it that 'down-home, we ghetto like that'
Aromas 3.8 / 5
spice girl set
Textures/Melt 9.7 / 10
| Shells: | w/ apologies to Bob Dylan: they snap just like a woman & break / collapse just like a little... |
| Centers: | plush pillows |
Flavor 39.2 / 50
neo-noir force: some of the most densely amped packages anywhere (the needles are both swinging way up & piercing deep down); dim-toned chocolate of thick & heavy tannins, often w/ fillings to match (for light & air, good luck escaping this dungeon); indelicate pieces occasionally at odds w/ themselves as couverture can sometimes be especially strident & strong medicine for hospital patients
Quality 23.6 / 30
A dichotomy twixt pillowy packaging & textures vs. stern flavor profiles. A fledgling line with a bold high-intensity, no-surrender/ take-no-prisoners attitude - gotta like that. Controversial, however, in a love 'em or leave 'em kind of way.
Sits squarely in the middle of the pack, yet still stands out from it.
Sits squarely in the middle of the pack, yet still stands out from it.
Selections
Classic Dark - metallic bite to its initial bitter then courses out on a fudge-brownie mix (cocoa pwdr) for 'pink' variation on a classic
Lemon-Basil - modern makers all rush to use basil but almost all struggle w/ it; here a successful combine of herb, citrus, & wood (provided by cacáo) if a bit overstated
Aztec - vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, chili, & viscous honey; the combined effect a very serpentine caramel... dim & claustrophobic; for the serious downtown Gothic hardcore & as much Greek as it is Aztec - think the original 'between a rock 'n a hard place' - Scylla & Charybdis
Burnt Caramel - grainy treacle fills a Bucky Fuller-shaped geodesic dome mold; practically indestructible both as a structure & a flavor
Mint - twisted out w/ lime (nice move) in an instance where elements fight in opposition & the overbearing couverture acts irreparably on the profile as if cognac then port
Hazelnut Praline - a smooth praline rather than the traditional crunch variety; the lone Milk in this set rings up some peanut tones along w/ filberts; again, issues over harmonizing as BIG sugar valiantly struggles to equalize discordance among classically compatible ingredients
Pecan Turtle - solid confectionery classic
Lemon-Basil - modern makers all rush to use basil but almost all struggle w/ it; here a successful combine of herb, citrus, & wood (provided by cacáo) if a bit overstated
Aztec - vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, chili, & viscous honey; the combined effect a very serpentine caramel... dim & claustrophobic; for the serious downtown Gothic hardcore & as much Greek as it is Aztec - think the original 'between a rock 'n a hard place' - Scylla & Charybdis
Burnt Caramel - grainy treacle fills a Bucky Fuller-shaped geodesic dome mold; practically indestructible both as a structure & a flavor
Mint - twisted out w/ lime (nice move) in an instance where elements fight in opposition & the overbearing couverture acts irreparably on the profile as if cognac then port
Hazelnut Praline - a smooth praline rather than the traditional crunch variety; the lone Milk in this set rings up some peanut tones along w/ filberts; again, issues over harmonizing as BIG sugar valiantly struggles to equalize discordance among classically compatible ingredients
Pecan Turtle - solid confectionery classic