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Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???In due course you will all be getting exposed to my reviews of this years Hotel Chocolat 2011 Halloween and Christmas ranges, but before I give you them I feel the need to cover off a reader request I received a month or so ago from devoted JCM Matt. According to Matt's e-mail he first came across this slab a while back on a trip to one of Hotel Chocolat's own brand stores (the one in Birmingham), where he was given a sample and enjoyed it so much he subsequently bought the whole slab. Following his positive experience Matt insisted a Chocolate Mission review be conducted. A few e-mails later between Matt, myself and my pals at Hotel Chocolat and this quickly became a reality.
This Munch It - Crunch It slab came in a 200.0g format and has not long been in the Hotel Chocolate range. In terms of size I preferred this style of slab to the 100.0g chunkier ones as it meant it was far easier to break apart - this was something my Mother went on about no end! Looks wise it wasn't the prettiest slab I had ever had grace my gaze from the Hotel Chocolat crew, but hey, it looked nice enough and I liked the fact that the mini cookie pieces didn't fall off like so many other chocolates where they weren't as deep set.
Described as 'caramel flavoured milk chocolate decorated with cocoa biscuits and white chocolate' this sounded like like a very straight forward proposition and one none to dissimilar to several other Hotel Chocolat slabs I had reviewed previously - See HERE. Being a seasoned veteran of Hotel Chocolat caramel chocolate I was surprised by the depth of flavour greeting me when I got stuck in to this slab. Previous experiences had seen me describe the chocolate as having 'creamy burnt sugar notes' and that it delivered a 'cream based butterscotch taste'. With this slab, whilst these flavours were still pretty much there, I felt like they got diluted just a little bit by the sweetness coming the white chocolate. The cocoa biscuit pieces provided a nice crunchy element to the smooth melting chocolate, but as ever with these mini cookie bits I didn't feel like they would have been missed had they not been there. Aside from the looks, one positive element that I can say about the white chocolate was that it at least bought an element of vanilla to the taste.
Overall this was a slab that was liked by everyone I tried it with etc, but as you see from the scoring chart it didn't quite match up to some of the finer tasting chocolates I had reviewed previously. Hotel Chocolat's caramel chocolate is one of my favourite recipes of theirs, so to taste it and feel like it was being a little hampered by the other elements included on the slab was a touch disappointing. Reading this all back I hope no one takes out a negative sentiment towards this chocolate. It was still a cut above 90.0% of chocolates I try on a regular basis - just in the context of Hotel Chocolat there are a few I would recommend instead. To see which ones I suggest you head to the archives HERE and feast your eyes.
8.0 out of 10
Posts
64 comments:
OMG that slab looks soooooo nice. I want one i want one =) =)
I like the fact that hotel chocolat have never forgotton what made them great in the first place and continue to make slabs like this. Just a simple combination of caramel choc and biscuits can still go a long way. Its good they still understand theres no need to over complicate things and get too fancy.
Sweet. You cant beat a good HC monday. Thanks Jimbob.
Sorry but can you see how this blatantly showcases your greater affection for dark chocolate now? Its no big deal, this review does make it obvious though.
Its good to see a chocolate for once that has biscuit in it and where it actually does something.
More often than not the biscuits/wafers/cereal can just end up being there if you get me. I dont see the point of having it in there if it doesn't contribute or manage to overcome the chocolate.
I love biscuits and I love hotel chocolat chocolate. I dont see anything for me not to like here. Thanks for the review.
p.s. Did you watch the Japanese F1 yesterday Jimbo? Wasn't it good! I think it was because all the drivers felt like they could go for it cause the championship is over. If you didn't manage to see it I would watch the highlights dude.
Its not the highest mark we have seen awarded to HC but it looks/sounds delicious to me. Anythng that has white chocolate in is fine by me ;) Hotel Chocolat's is the best.
Its starting to get cold again Jim. Can you do some more reviews of the hot chocolates they make please.
Although they seem a bit more normal now I still remember back in the day when they just started making slabs like this. They came across as the most amazing things ever :) Its says a lot about their success since that they have become normal and I think its because so many people have attempted to copy them.
Why did they put on some of the caramel puddles just to make it look a little prettier. That would have been a simple but nice touch imo.
I just want to reach out and sink my teeth into that slab there. It looks so chunky and yummy mmmm.
Im starting to think you forget on purpose just to annoy me now ;) ...... it costs £7.50 before you start asking guys.
Im glad you remembered the wider context of things at the end. Not all of us have tried over a hundred hotel chocolat products you know ;) lol to most of us this would be very special still despite its simplicity.
You should just create their own scoring criteria because they still manage to beat most other chocoltes even when you think they aren't at their most impressive.
I've had this one! It came part as my milk peepster box that I got for my birthday. It wasn't my fave (rocky road won that!) but it was still bloody gorgeous. It wasn't like there was ever any threat that it wasn't going to be though lol.
Jim please please please do some reviews of these soon -
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/cj/white-halloween-chocolates-P300223/
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/cj/Horrif-Eyes-P111142/
http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/src/cj/spooky-chocolate-P400060/
I exchange halloween treats with my friends and we have a budget we have to adhere to. These all will be ok but I just need to know they are good first
I knew i shouldnt have come on here. im now browsing the xmas catalogue of theirs. This wont end well for my bank balance lol.
You obviously found it underhwhelming yet you still give it an 8. Sorry but when the bias is so in your face its hard to ignore.
Hey J
What did you make of the footie then m8?I know your going to think i was always going to say this but I think we deserved the win more than you guys did. We created lots more chances + made your keeper make a lot more saves than ours did. Its annoying we didnt get all the points but one will do I guess. It wasnt the best game I didnt think.
Lol loving your dads work with the photos again. They add so much to your reviews cause you can really see the greater detail to the chocolate and what you are describing. Im really looking forward to the Christmas coverage this year. I just know your going to make it a cracker ;) lol
Cheers
N
Jim you have to know you might have been doing this too long when you start feeling disappointed with hc's caramel choc. Personally I think its the nicest thing they do.
I love the name of this one =) Grab it Munch it fits the no nonsense sense you get with this one.
Forget this. Have you guys seen the Christmas collection this year?
There are so many things in there that just look so good.
They didn't do much to glam this one up did they? When they have two types of chocolate they usually try dress it up a little with some patterns etc.
Great review jim but you are cutting it close with the hallowen choc reviews. Im assuming you have some of their stuff to do right!? You said you had some weeks ago.
I swear one day you are just going to get to the point where you have tried absolutely everything that Hotel chocolate have made :-) You must be getting close, you have tagged nearly 130 ... yes 130 different posts with hotel chocolate before now. The most amaing thing is that must mean you have done over 150 chocolates of theirs because you have ones like last week where there are more than one chocolate in the post.
Theres a slab called the caramel crunch that looks alot better than this one. I think they just made this for people that have quite plain tastes. Im sure its probs v tasty but I would choose something with a bit more to it if I was buying a big slab.
I hope this is just a warm up for some epic halloween reviews mate. Im sure it must be.
Good review lovely. Does it say whether this one is ok for nut allergens? This is exactly the sort of thing the little ones might be allowed to have. You may just have done some important Christmas investigating for me.
If hotel chocolat was cheaper I would buy it so much more often but its just the price that puts me off a lot of the time. By the time you get to something that is substantially big you are normally talking £8+. I wish Icould afford that more often but I just have to save myself for special occasions or gifts most the time.
I thought we were getting 'special' posts this week? Hotel Chocolat on a monday aint anything we havent seen before.
These 200g slabs are the best size you can buy imo. They are big enough to look mega cool and impressive but they aren't too big like the 400g+ ones which go manky before you finish them.
Jim I cant express enough that you need to review the dark chocolate salt caramels. Im willing to go as far as saying they will go to the top of your winners board. Im that confident you will love them.
Im still astounded you are good enough to share with your friends and family. Theres no way on earth I would share anything I buy from HC. If im spending the money im bloody well eating it lol.
It sounds to me like you expect a lot from HC these days.
If a different a different chocolate maker had sent this to you I think you might have given a better mark for it. I could be wrong.
Call me boring or unadventurous but this is near spot on for me. Just one more thing like a fruit of some sort would make it perfect. Some strawberry flavouring might give it a lovely strawberry cheesecake effect nom nom.
xxxxx
Thanks for this Jim. You've given me a great idea for my mum's birthday which comes later this week. These and some flowers and thats that box ticked :) Cheers m8 you legend.
Jim we need a review of the caramel eye truffles asap. Please prioritise. These ones are what im talking about btw. http://www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/Horrif-Eyes-P111142/ They look and sound delish.
So you are another blogger that rings in the endorsements for Hotel chocolat then.
It appears they have quite the cult following on the internet. Im embarassed to say I haven't even tried any chocolate of theirs ........... yet lol.
Nice slab review Jim. You do some many reviews of their other bits and pieces that its easy to forget what made them famous in.
Lol a few years ago I would of thought this was the most amaing thing ever. Now it looks standard because all of the all bat shit crazy chocolates we have seen them make since.
@Ollie you know what the saying is m8 .... 'you have to pay for quality' ..... it wouldn't seem so special if it was as cheap as cadburys chocolate you know.
Hotel Chocolat Mondays = AMAZE <3 <3 <3 keep them coming love.
x
x
RIP DAN WHELDON
This one suits me down to the ground. My fave type of biscuit and my two fave chocs. Yumm-o!!!
Gr8 review m8. Always cool to see the latest hotel chocolat slab they have out there.
Seems ages since i left a comment lol
My sister wants HC again for her birthday, it does sound nice but no matter how much HC I try I still dont like it much lol. I think there is much nicer chocolate out there.
I tried this in store too :) and went back twice to get more free samples...very sneaky :)
can't wait for the christmas reviews!!! hope they start soon... i LOVE christmas...
I think you should review the Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Almonds by Hotel Chocolate...they are on my to buy list whenever I next get to go somewhere that isn't work :P
Hope you're having a good day Jim! xxx
Well, it's certainly not the best looking HC chocolate, but it still looks very nice. It's a pity you say that the flavours got diluted because of the sweetness of the white chocolate - I know I like the flavours in my chocolate to be a bit more intense.
I've just looked at their Christmas Gifts and there is something new and very nice looking in that range: Winter Desserts - Petit Four Chocolates (Caramel Pecan Pie, Christmas Mess, Chocolate Souffle and Apple Strudel) - any chance of a review?
Hi All
I hope everyone is doing well on this fine Monday :D Hopefully my review today has managed to bring some sort of enjoyment to your first working day of the week.
Looking at the feedback there is quite a bit of mixed reaction to this one today. To answer a lot of your comments in one swoop I can confirm that the HC halloween reviews are booked in to start later this week after another feature post that will run from Weds-Friday. I wouldn't want to spoil anything but SOTW looks like a good place to start things off :D
JUSTIN - I did see it. I Sky+'d it so I didn't have to get up especially early though.
RICHARD - The pricing info is your job chap :D You wouldn't have anything to moan/talk about it if I included.
STACEY - Requests noted.
NIGEL - Of course I saw it :D Yeah we were a bit lucky to get the draw I admit. I'm glad you are looking forward to the Christmas reviews but please stop inflating the ego of my old man. He seems to think he has a cult following now haha :D
LINDA - I haven't got the packaging so I'm not 100% sure. If you look on the website it should spec out whether or not it would be safe for you.
KELS - Request noted.
MICHAEL - Request noted.
ANON - "Now it looks standard because all of the all bat **** crazy chocolates we have seen them make since" ... please can you watch your language.
ANON - "RIP DAN WHELDON" ... Indeed.
ALAN - Good to see you back, I nearly sent out the search parties :D
JESS - Haha I'm sure they get that a lot with their instore sampling :D I have taken note of the request for the cinnamon almonds. I will have to submit my sampling requests soon so I will make sure they are on their. I checked out your blog by the way. Keep it up I will continue to read.
ANA - Another face that hasn't been around for a while. Like the others I have noted your request :D I was also really impressed by the sound of them so have put them on the list. Its good to see you still around :D
Thanks for the comments and feedback guys and girls. You know that myself and HC love hearing from you all so please feel free to keep piling in with your opinions.
JIM
Theres no need for hotel chocolat to dress their chocolate up all fancy. All they need to do is exactly what they done here. One massive slab of it, no fuss, just pure chocolate to enjoy. Great stuff.
Lol at the people saying this is going to be plain! Have you people ever even tasted Hotel Chocolat chocolate before? They dont do plain chocolate trust me.
I have had a slab remarkably similar to this called cookie madness. It was delicious like you say this one was. Good review.
Hotel chocolat just prove that if you have good quality chocolate to begin with you dont need to put crazy things in it to spice it up.
I think Thorntons can be guilty at times doing this. They should rely on the quality of their chocolate more to speak for itself. If you look at some of their recent blocked chocolates they are coming out with ridiculous flavours and needn't do so.
Why do you always take the professional looking photos for Hotel Chocolat and not any of the others? Its unfair they get more of your attention and care making them look nice imo. I swear to god you work for them. One day you will admit it and it will all make sense.
As a company how are HC doing? Are they struggling to keep afloat like thorntons or are they doing better?
Luxury chocolates arent something I would expect to do well in times like these.
Try get an interview and ask them Jim.
Hotel Chocolat pumping out the quality again. Why am I not surprised ;)
I was expecting some halloween reviews but this was nice to see instead.
Their slabs are what they are renowned for so they are always what I revert to when I buy HC for other people. After all you instantly want people to know straight away that its hotel chocolat you bought them.
If I was buying a slab this size it would be the lemonade one I think. This would come above the cherry one for me though. The cherry one just has no appeal to me whatsoever.
Is anyone here a member of the tasting club? Im so tempted to buy a subscription for my family but I don't want to sign up for somethign that isn't worth it.
What about you Jim would you recommend it?
This would be a good one to get for someone you didn't know what chocolte they liked. I seriosuly cant think there can be many people in this world that could say they dont like the chocolates or biscuits this one has.
You would be uberfussy if you complained about this one.
I can't help but laugh at the people saying this is plain!!! Are we looking at something different or something?Two types of chocolate + biscuit? That doesn't sound plain to me.
Surprise surprise! Hotel chocolate once again proving that they are the UKs best.
If you review one thing this xmas jim make sure you do the 'alternative minced pies' that they have up there. Im very curious about those.
Can we just rename the site Jim's Hotel Chocolate Mission?
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