August 11th: Hotel Chocolat Milk & White Fusion

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

Sunday night at Jim's house for the last few months seems to have officially become 'Hotel Chocolat' night...hey im not complaining, I have loved every minute of it and this week was no different.

This week I tried the 'Milk and White Fusion' - 'A swirling interplay of house milk and white chocolates'. The two 62.5g slabs looked stunning...quite how they got the swirl pattern into the chocolate I do not know - it looked mightily impressive anyway. Taking the slabs out of their plastic packaging they smelt delicious - a lovely fresh sweet milky smell emerged which just heightened my all ready sky high anticipation.

The taste didn't let down the magnificent presentation, this really was an amazing combination that worked on so many levels. The bar was designed perfectly - one end milk chocolate, the other white chocolate and the middle, a wonderfully swirled combination. The milk chocolate was of the 40% house recipe, which had a wonderful creamy cocoa flavour. As with the original bar it was delightfully textured and melted like butter on the tongue. The other side of the bar was comprised of the house white chocolate (28% cocoa 31% milk solids)...like found in last weeks White Praline bar. Again it was quite possibly the milkiest and most creamy of white chocolate I have ever tasted. It was sweet and heavily noted with vanilla and was just so incredibly moreish. Texturewise once melted it wasn't quite as thick as the milk chocolate, which was the slightest of disappointments. Separately both chocolate types where outstanding, but when mixed this bar really came into it's own. The fuller bodied cocoa taste of the milk chocolate, and creamy vanilla elements of the white combined for a simply outstanding synergy of flavours...the middle swirled parts of the bar were really to be savoured.

Overall this is yet another tremendous offering from Hotel Chocolat. There is no simpler way of putting this but the combination of the two types of chocolate was wonderfully executed - to near perfection. The bar not only looked fantastic but it's design was actually functional aswell. The ends of the slabs allowed the separate milk and white chocolates to be tasted in isolation, which gave the chance to appreciate both their different offerings in flavour...both were unique and simply exquisite. The middle of the slab with the fusion of both the chocolates simply provided a delightful experience...it had the creamiest and smoothest of flavours and had a texture that literally carassesed the mouth like silk...just heavenly!! I highly recommend this bar...as combinations go there really aren't many better.

9.2 out of 10