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Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???Last week I gave you all your first ChocolateMission Hotel Chocolat Summer collection review looking at the fantastic Hotel Chocolat Knickbocker Glory Neapolitan Truffles. In the feedback from that review I heard from plenty of readers enquiring whether I would be checking out the new slabs that have been made for 2011. Well ask and you shall receive :D (eventually haha!!). As part of my summer sampling box I was sent the Peepster Summer Collection box (See HERE) which you may have worked out is a product containing mini slabs of the new summer flavours. As you will have gathered from the post title, the first slab to get it's place in the ChocolateMission spotlight is the Lemon Cheesecake flavour.
All of the flavours in this Peepster Summer Selection came in 100.0g slabs that presented the usual Hotel Chocolat conundrum. The presentation of the single slab was gloriously appetising and unique with it's sleek pattern work, however the thickness of it made it incredibly difficult to break into smaller pieces as there were no grooves on the underside to help break it apart. This is a particular bug bare for my mother, who adores Hotel Chocolat chocolate, yet it is often frustrated by this issue. Those gripes aside all of us taking part in the taste test agreed that the chocolate smelt nice with the fragrant dairy and lemon smells enticing one and all.
On the packet this chocolate came billed as 'lemon white chocolate with cocoa cookie pieces and shots of milk chocolate' - a fair proposition for the flavour promised upfront. With full family in close proximity (surprise, surprise!!), we all set upon the 100.0g slab, breaking off mouth sized chunks (with a little difficulty haha!). After a few rounds of tasting it became apparent that this was a chocolate that had created a divide - half liked it, half thought it was 'nothing special'. Unfortunately I sat in the latter camp, and wasn't all that inspired by what I tasted. Personally, I thought that the base white chocolate didn't have the crispness or milky freshness of other Hotel Chocolat white chocolates I had tried previously. I felt the lemon influence, although real tasting in it's fruity delivery, somewhat muffled the white chocolate. Additionally, whilst I enjoyed the integration of the milk chocolate and cocoa cookie pieces to the fold texturally, when it came to the taste I thought a ginger biscuit option would have been more appropriate for the cheesecake theme. Ultimately I thought this was a chocolate not lacking in flavour, but I still didn't get the greatest amount of satisfaction from it.
Overall my description above may sound a little on the negative side, but it is really worth keeping front of mind the alternative view expressed by both my mother and father, both of whom thought this was a tremendous white chocolate. For all the reasons expressed above, I personally thought this was one of the weaker white chocolates I have tasted from them, and I think it could have executed a little better with the suggestions stated. If I had my way I might have possibly of had the score a little lower for this one, though I was told by my fellow taste testers that I was taking the high quality chocolate for granted. Putting some thought in to that I see their point to a degree, however I also see the flip side of the argument which I present to you in the form of the Eton Mess slab (See HERE)! The Eton Mess is similar in proposition (white chocolate with an added fruit!) and I think it is a far superior offering. My conclusion on the matter!??? ... Its just a case of each to their own :D
7.8 out of 10
Posts
63 comments:
Your relatives and friends must bloomin love you running this website. You seem very keen to share with people. Im not so sure I would be so kind as you lol. I would be expescially less giving if it was hotel chocolate I was being given.
They aren't invincible after all then. I think this is the first time in a long while you have had something from them you didn't rate all that highly. It reflects well on them that I say that I guess.
You never rate white chocs highly its so unfair.You should get someone else doing your white chocolate ratings for you cause you obviosuly aren't an expert on them.
Please can you try this banana slab at some point please Jim
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/cj/Go-Bananas-200g-Slab-P400029/
I haven't seen them do anything with banana apart from banoffee truffles.
I think their summer chocolates all look particularly good this year, I look forward to your review of the mud pie. I fancy getting one of the mega slabs of that one.
The peepster boxes are wicked giving as presents. I thought they would be a ton more expensive but I think £14 is a good price for four diff chocolates.
Are you going to review the eton mess again to see if they have changed it at all. Fingers crossed they haven't. I ended up buying a big slab of it last year after having a smaller one.
Fantastic review man, you always manage to do a superb job on the Hotel Chocolat ones.
The feedback I gave them when I tried this one for the tasting club was that they should have made it more lemoney. In the bit I had (I share with my partner!!) I thought that the lemon wasn't strong. I suggest some sort of lemon coolis
I want them to make white chocolate florentine chocs. The dark chocolate ones I had were nice before but I think the toffee biscuit and white chocolate combo would be out of this world.
Hey J
Did you catch the football at the weekend? Gosh weren't England rubbish lol. I thought watching Pool was bad enough this season but England took it to new levels. At least Liverpool looked like they wanted to win.
I'm loving all of these HC reviews in the last week. I just wish you could do them all the time so we get all the amazing photos. The slab looks well nice in the review today.
Cheers
N
The best lemon white chocolate things you can get are the lemon meringues truffles that Thorntons do. They have small packs of three of them now that you can buy, I recommend them ppl.
Fair play getting the Hotel Chocolat posts in. Its better you tell us all about the new stuff before it sells out on the website. A few times like last christmas they had sold most it before you got your reviews out :) We can never have too many hotel chocolat reviews in my opinion anyways.
This sounds so lush. I know you dont like white choc that much Jim so I'm assuming this is better than you would have us believe. I'm not having a pop at you, I understand we all have different tastes etc.
By the looks of things someones been a lucky boy getting all this hotel chocolate. I hope you realise how much this would all cost if you had to buy it lol. You must get hundreds and hundreds of pounds worth of chocolate from them.
Hey Jim sorry I haven't commented in the last week or so. I was on holiday in corfu and had no internet.
I see I have managed to miss three hotel chocolat reviews :-) Are you back in their good books or something? You hadn't reviewed anything from them for ages up until last monday.
How did they make the lemon flavouring in the chocolate? Did they use flavourings or did they use proper lemon.
Im on a health kick at the moment to only eat natraul foods. Its no easy thing to do what with the amount of additives etc about these days. If you take the time to look at the foods we eat these days you would be mega surprised by the amount of unatural things put in our foods.
You parents should be your full time white chocs scorers. This can't have been as bad as you say.
Even more Hotel Chocolat :) Did they send you the whole lot of summer chocs or something. Lol I wouldn't be surprised if they did :P Its not like you ever have anything bad to say about them (j/k).
I still wish to disbelieve that there is someone out there being sent hotel chocolat chocolates for free just to give their opinion on them. Its mental, I would do anything to be in the same position.
I've never thought white chocolate goes with citrus fruits that well. When the fruits are acidic I always find they take away some of the creamyness. Its so much better with fruits like strawberrys and blueberries I find.
Im so tired of seeing all these HC chocolates I can't buy.
I'm so poor at the moment I barely afford to buy a freddo. Its just depressing seeing chocs like this beauty.
Oh no if this is going to continue then I'm going to have to ban myself from here for a while.
I have a wedding coming up in two weeks and there is no hope in hell I will fit into my dress if you keep tempting me with these hotel chocolate goodies :P
Thanks for the review Jim. You know there is no better way to start off a week but with an HC review, keep them coming.
I wish they would do more white chocolates than they do at the moment. I would of thought summer time would have been the perfect time to increase the amount they are doing. The Eton Mess was amazing when I had it last year, I think I might have to stick with it if this lemon one is that only new one they have. I'm not a lemon lover you see :)
LOL they have only gone and picked the worse cheesecake of them all haven't they.
I always have such a go at my mum when she buys lemon cheesecake. I think sometimes she does because she knows its the one I don't like so she and my dad get more.
The blueberry cheesecake you get from asda is where its at. They should have seen if they could have replicated it.
Its good seeing you don't always award top marks to HC for everything. They make great chocolates but they aren't perfect. No company is.
I don't think they chose the best four flavours for this peepster box if you ask me.
They shouldn't have put that tiramisu one in, I think that is too niche as most people hate coffee.
I sorta wondering why they didn't put the new cherry slab they have in there!? Do you think they thought that would have been overkill with the fruits with the eton and this lemon one?
How gorgeous do these look
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/cj/The-Sleekster-Summer-Desserts-Selection-P260519/
Please tell me we are getting a full blown review of this new collection Jim. I know its got ones in there you have done before but it also seems to have a few new ones.
I want to see the rest of the reviews for the knockerblock things.
I hadn't noticed there was a new peepster box out. It looks well nice. I like it that they kept the eton mess in there. It would have been well annoying if they had got rid of all the old flavours and not kept the best ones.
I thought you might con us out of an Hotel chocolat review this week because you did two last :) Im glad to see you haven't.
I love the idea of these peepsrer boxes, do you know of they are online exclusive or do they get sold in their shiop also?
Is it me or are the slabs starting to be made plainer and simpler than in years before.
If you compare what you used to be able to buy to what we have now the differences are obvious.
Rocky road etc
Hmmm im not sure about a whole slab of lemon flavoured white chocolate. I would imagine it would get a little boring after a few big chunks. I do like the sound of some of the other flavours in that set of four though.
Lemons never going to be a first choice of flavouring for me but at the the same time its not something I would say I completely dislike.
There are just a lot of other HC chocolates I would choose before this one.
Are you going to update your leadboard anytime soon. Its well out of date now.
Why didn't they put a dark chocolate slab in there? They normally go the all bases covered route with these selections. Not this time by the looks of things.
You gotta stop doing this to me mate. My girlfriend is a religous reader of yours. Everytime you showcase anything white chocoalte from Hotel Chocolat I always end up out of pocket you b******.
Oh well at least it's her birthday next week so her present is going to be easy to buy for her lol.
Yowza! I didn't see this average score coming here. Is this score factoring in your mum and dads scores? If it is you must have given it an appalling score. Did you really think it was that bad Jim?
Dx
lol HC Monday morning and already 40 comments :) I would definitely try this because I love citrus in chocolate (and in cheesecake). Just shows how good HC are that 7 is a respectable rating for most bars and a dire one for them. That photo is so good it makes this bar look like a 10.
@Hayley I think they still have rocky road in store, I saw one not too long ago
@Anonymous I absolutely agree with you that more experts are needed to help rate the chocolate, such as me ;)
Oh dear sounds like this wasn't too great. I'm a bit iffy with Hotel Chocolat's white chocolate, sometimes it's a bit too rich for me. Maybe the mistake they made here was having it taste of lemon, maybe they should have had lemon flavoured biscuits or something instead.
I had a truffle version of this, which included a layer of salty caramel and likely a higher milk chocolate:white chocolate ratio. I enjoyed it quite a bit, I fear that in bar form, I'd consume 100 g in one sitting, though this bar doesn't sound quite as good as the truffles
Am v glad you reviewed this slab Jim as was hoping that you would! Even though you didn't rate this that highly I was still salivating - a combo of the HC effect & your great pics! ;) Can't wait for the reviews of the rest of 'em! x
I'm starting to wonder - when it comes to Hotel Chocolat, how do you choose what assortment boxes to review? By now, most of them contain something you have already reviewed - not surprising, given that you have 116 Hotel Chocolat reviews. I got curious so I looked at the tags :) - only Cadbury (155) & Nestle (129) got more.
Just like Vhahri, I'd really like to see a review of the Sleekster Summer Desserts Selection (especially because of that Lemon & Passion Fruit Tart which sounds so tempting), but I feel weird asking for one, when I clearly recognize some of the chocolates (Summer Pudding, Brownie, Eton Mess) in the picture they have for this product. Same goes for the Sleekster Truffles Selection.
But I don't think you've reviewed the Neapolitan Nibble Slab yet - any chance of that?
The Cherry Pop Slab and the Fizzy Lemonade Slab both look beautiful, but I see they're made with popping candy, which I know you're not too crazy about (me neither, but those pictures are so tempting...)
Today's slab... well, I usually love chocolate + lemon combinations, but my last white chocolate + lemon experience wasn't a memorable one (it wasn't bad either, but considering it was a bar from Blanxart and even more expensive than Hotel Chocolat bars... I think it was disappointing for the amount I paid). And I cringe when I see the word cheese... So I'll wait for the Mississippi Mud Pie review.
sounds like they forgot about the cheesecake component.
Hi All,
I had forgotton how Hotel Chocolat Mondays generate so much instant feedback - thanks again for all the interesting comments you have left today.
One thing I'm going to investigate in the coming weeks is the possibility of getting another interview with a Hotel Chocolat representative to answer some of your questions.
Please have a think about anything you may wish to ask them - it would be a great opportunity for you to get some inside information. Updates on that will be given when possible.
DAVID - If I didn't share I would be over my head in samples haha!
ANON - I don't consider myself an expert on any chocolate let alone the white stuff. All I do is write about it.
GARY - Request noted.
NIGEL - I actually missed msot of the football. It sounds like you enjoy watching England play as much as I do. United > England all day.
SARAH - I seem to remember I awarded them a superb rating when I reviewed them.
ROBERT - The reviews come in spats determined on when they send sampling packages. That is why you get big blocks of them.
NEIL - I believe it was naturally implemented through the use of Lemon Oil. I believe they don't use flavourings.
GOLDEN - Less of those accusations please :D There is no Hotel Chocolat bias on this site.
FIONA - Lemon cheesecake the worst? No way!
PATRICK - I think you hit the nail on the head there. If they put the cherry one in also it would have been massivelly skewed towards people that like fruity chocolates. Personally I like them, and I think it is one of things that Hotel Chocolat do best so I wouldn't of had a problem with it. I don't think it should have come in at the expense of the triamisu slab though :D
VHAHRI - I indeed will be reviewing the H-box version of those chocolates.
ANON - Request noted.
MARY - They sell the Peepster both online and in their flagship stores.
HAYLEY - I wouldn't say that no. I think if you look at slabs like the Tiramisu and the Mississippi Mud Pie you might rethink that.
ANON - One day when I get the time I will sort out the leader board yes.
TIM - No idea chap. Like you say it is a bit of an oversight isn't it. I think some people might argue that dark chocolate isn't really summer themed.
MARTIN - Funniest post of the day :D Sorry chap!
DAISY - Indeed the score is based on a little on the input I got from my M+D.
THEA - The morning the reviews are published the comments always fly in quickly as that is when the review appears on all the RSS feeds. My Iphone goes beserk letting me know there are comments to authorise.
PHIL - Haha your mentioning of lemon flavoured biscuits casted my mind back to those dire Thorntons ones. My word were they awful.
VICTORIA - No this doesn't sound as nice as those truffles. What selection was that partiuclar one included in?
ROXY - You wont have to wait long don't worry.
ANA - Hotel Chocolat send the samples I just review what they send. I have reviewed an awful amount from them haven't I :D lucky me!! Funny you should mention that Lemon & Passion Fruit chocolate ... there is a funny story behind my sampling of that particular truffle (you will hear about it in the upcoming review haha!) I have noted your requests to see those others reviewed. I will see what I can do.
RODDY - Believe me it wasn't chap. The white chocolate was a little cheesey which is why I wasn't that keen on it. It just didn't taste right.
Thanks for the comments and nice words everyone. Hotel Chocolat Mondays always seems to go down well with you guys.
Keep the feedback coming.
JIM
What a pity this didnt really live up to its billing.. personally I dont think it sounds an awful lot like lemon cheesecake lol. As you say, ginger wouldve been a nice touch, the chocolate elements are wrong I think. A big shame!
Ive just tried teh Flake Allure too so I'll let you know what I think on that one lol
I had this one down for potentially getting a really special score. It wasn't to be apparently, I might have to get a second opinion lol
I was eyeing up the big version of this slab but I think I might give it a miss now with the score not being that high. Are you going to review the cherry pop? That was the other that took my fancy.
Shock horror!!!! Surely we can't have something from HC getting lower than 8. That just isn't allowed is it.
I would of thought there was a high likelyhood of some of these being very gimmicky. Its always hard to imagine they can pack all the flavours of a dessert into a chocolate bar. I guess Lindt have shown they can do it well with their petits desserts range before but some of those are pretty rubbish aswell.
If your opinion is anything to go by it doesn't sound like this is much better than their tarte au citron.
Me and my sister are planning on buying this peepster box together and sharing the chocolates out inside. I think she will end up taking this one and the eton mess becuase she loves fruity chocs and hates coffee (rules out the triarmisu for her then). I will still try nick some off her so I can give you my thoughts on it though mate. I'm sure she will just give me a bt anyway.
This sounds a solid chocolate but it wouldn't be one I would buy on its own.
The mississippi(i love writing that out) mud pie slab just sounds lush.
Nope never understood the whole lemon and chocolate thing myself.
I wouldn't say that its because they don't go together, I think its more that other fruits are just so much better.
Strawberrys and the like just make more sense.
I'm not down with lemon at all. Sorry but this would never be one for me.
@jack are you serious? This chocolate looks boring???? You need to look at what all the brands around them are doing at the moment. Tell me this is less exciting than something boring like that crappy new flake man.
Well this is a turn up for the books. A chocolate from Hotel Chocolat that dont rate as amazing.
Lol I happen to think they are the best at making white chocolate so it likely I wouldn't share your average score.
Their vanilla white chocoalte is the best I've ever tasted I think.
Jim when you started this blog did you really think it was going to go on for this long? I just realised your site is over 3 years old. That is a long time to be eating chocolate. Have you put a ton of weight on?
I wish I would afford these things :(
I love the reviews but most the time I just jealous because I know I wont be getting to eat them myself. I think I need to start a chocolate blog lol.
This was one that they convinced me to buy in the shop lol. I was given a teenie bit of it by one of the assistants and ended up leaving with one of the large slabs of it. It was expensive but soooooo worth it. I wish I still had some left.
I think you are right about ginger biscuits being the better option. I'm sure the the shortcakes bits do a fair enough job of things but it just would have been nice to have seen something a bit different. Hotel Chocolat always use the same biscuit pieces when they put them in. A different type would have nice to see.
Lol I think I know which one of these you are going to like best in this new selection.
Is it me or have the prices of Hotel Chocolat gone up? An example are the boxed chocoaltes used to be £18 but are now £20. They seem to be putting up their prices just like every other chocolate.
ALAN - It wasn't the most reminiscent of cheesecake on the whole. The cheesey effect they tried to create for the chocolate didn't work for me. I just wish they had kept it as normal so the taste was crisper and fresher.
ANON/GARETH - I award marks not based on who makes something but on how nice it tastes. HC just happen to make a lot of very good chocolates!
GAMER - No I didn't think it would go on for this long. No I haven't put a ton of weight on at all. I eat a very balanced diet thanks :D You have to if you want to run a site like this and live haha :D
RICHARD - Their prices have gone up a bit you are right. This is probably a consequence of them being able to charge more because they are more well known + the costs of their raw materials have gone up (cocoa + sugar!)
JIM
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