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The Christmas reviews are well underway here on JCM and I'm delighted to bring you my thoughts on this Artisan du Chocolat Christmas Pudding Couture Box today (Website See HERE). A few weeks ago one my contacts at Artisan contacted me saying they had some very special lines of chocolates lined up for Festivities this year. The sound of these 'Christmas pudding flavoured couture chocolates' certainly got my attention, and I was very pleased indeed to receive a box just over a week ago.
I'm sure to the disappointment of no one we have somewhat of a photo frenzy going on today. You guys can thank the 'Old Man' for that, he got very keen with snapping away with these and I can't say I blame him. If you take a peek at the score chart below you will see I have awarded Artisan a 10 out of 10 for their product presentation. These were nothing short of stunning looking and I can't say enough good things about the quality on show here. My whole family agreed that this was a beautiful box of chocolates - everything from the suave outer leather box, opening mechanism and the chocolates themselves just oozed class and sophistication of the highest order.
Once we built up the courage to disturb the elegantly packed box there was only one thing left to do and that was to run these milk and dark Christmas pudding flavoured chocolates through the JCM taste test. With expectations sky rocket high I have the disappointing news to report that I was totally underwhelmed with my first taste. Opting for one of the milk chocolates I was surprised at the total lack of flavour generated by the inner Christmas pudding centre. Not to be perturbed I straight away tried another, thankfully it was about a hundred times better - phew :D Yes indeed, like the first one I tried, their were no qualms with their chocolate whatsoever. It delivered a delightful fresh, crisp creamy cocoa flavour base and melted with a soft, flowing mouth feel. To my relief, with the second chocolate, the stodgy cake filling was packed with different festive flavours, with elements of cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet citrus fruits, nuts and salt providing a taste journey that was multi-depthed and compelling. The dark chocolate variety were heavily favoured by the 'Old Man' who said that even in the chocolates where the centre Christmas Pudding filling was more subdued, the richer, earthier cocoa flavours were more than compensatory.Overall this was a highly enjoyable box of chocolates and one certainly worth taking note of for Christmas this year. On the balance of things it was agreed by one and all that it's positive features in it's glorious presentation and unique Christmas Pudding concept, vastly outweighed it's only negative in the consistency of it's flavour strength delivery. There were definitely more chocolates packed to the brim with the desired Christmas Pudding flavours, but just as my unlucky first experience panned out there were instances where other chocolates in the box were equally as flavourless. This Russian roulette style flavour strength may suit other options better, but for a box of chocolates that is presented with such grandeur it would no doubt of been better if they had a little more consistency given just how wonderfully tasty they were at their best. So would I buy them? I sure would! Their looks sell them alone.
8.2 out of 10
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69 comments:
Are you going to be covering any cheaper options this year? Every xmas review so far has been about mega expensive chocs. It would be good if you managed to review some cheaper ones whilst you are at it.
You got me unawares with this curve ball. I was expecting Hotel C today!
Brill review though. Its nice seeing something from a different brand for once.
Oh dear i got all concerned when I read the part about the first one tasting useless. It would have been a gigantic shame if these were all poor tasting. I'm glad they pulled through in the end because they look so darling. Thanks for the review hun.
Rxxx
Give your Dad another pat on the back Jim cause those photos are sweet. They look so much like the ones on their official website if you mixed them up you wouldn't be able to tell whose was whose. Does your Dad use a posh expensive camera for these? Soz you got yourself a film geek here.
I really hate Christmas pudding so you can scratch me off your list of people wanting to try these.
COngratulations to Artisan Chocolat. Their attention to detail makes them look like they belong in the same eschlong as the likes of Hotel Chocolat etc. I'm very impressed.
I don't want to suck up but have you thought about writing like this for a living j?
There has to be some sort of company or publication who would have a blogger like you. You have a great style of writing you know, you've especially improved so much since I started reading years ago.
Thumbs up Artisan
Thumbs up Christmas pud chocs
Thumbs up your pictures
Thumbs up the review
:) Well done m8.
Do these people own shops or just retail online. Boo if it's the later one :( I don't like doing online buying.
Can I ask you review some of their chocolate covered nuts next please? They do that mixed box of them so they all come in one by the looks of it. I think it would be great to compare them with the HC ones you reviewed at the weekend to see whose are better. My money would be on artisane if they are anything like these.
Nom nom nom Christmas pudding. I cannot wait for the one time bowl of it I have after xmas din dins =) =) I'm not too sure whether I would like it in truffle form lol.
What an extraordinary looking box of chocs you have yourself there chocolate man. They looked so fancy pants I thought they were Hotel Chocolate for a minute there. It's nice to see they have some competition in your mind. You were getting awfully focused on just them for a bit.
Thanks heavens no one can see me right now. I'm drooling over my keyboard at these.
I have so many ideas for gifts now I'm running out of people I need to give them to. Lol I don't think there is ever going to be a time when I spend as much money on chocolate than Xmas this year. Everything you seem to review you bloody recommend :P Can you review some rubbish things next please.
You should rename the site to Jim Jnr + Snr's Chocolate Mission :-) LMAO your Dad is just as popular with us all than you are now Jim. Your a dream team together. In a minute you will probably tell us your mum writes the thing, rendering you totally useless to us lol. Only joking of course.
These are expensive but if you say the good ones are as nice as you say so then I could see how they could be worth it.
Do you think they could have been better with a dash of brandy Jim? I love brandy butter with my christmas pudding so I think a touch of it in these would make them even better. What you make of that then?
You need to start hiring tasting assistants to help you out with these reviews Jim. Its only fair.
Lol I hate Chistmas pud. I insist my Mum always buys something like a Yule roll for my dessert.
Oh what a hard job you have here. It must be so bad having to try all these glorious looking chocolates Jim. I feel for you ... I really do :P
I don't like the sound of how inconsistent these taste. When you pay £15 for something you would expect consistently high quality. It probs would have narked you more if you paid for them jim. Im assuming they didnt make you right?
They do some mega sweet stuff these lot and its not ust their Christmas ones. Did they send you anything more to review Jimbob?
<3 <3 <3 that box. Uber amounts of love for these.
Noice. These actually look like they are proper chunks of cake in chocolate :-) Thats a simple butgreat idea!
I can see why your Dad got handy with the camera action Jim. These do look stunning I have to say.
I think these are one of the poshest sets of chocolates I've ever come across. I would feel guilty eating them if I were you, they look so perfect as a complete package.
God I cannot stand Christmas cake it's terrible stuff. Please keep it well out of my choccies thank you. There's no need to spoil perfectly good choco like that.
Jim did you not douse these in brandy and set light to them before you ate them? Maybe that's why you didn't get the amount of flavour you wanted from some of them? You obviously didn't eat them in their correct condition did you :)
Excellente review Jimbo. You keep giving us the goods with these wonderful reviews of yours I'm loving them so far.
These look sooooooooo good. I'm put off by the price but if I could afford them I would be all over them. You can tell they are something special just looking at them.
You covered these well Jim thumbs up my man.
One thing though, I thought you were a dark chocolate man not a milk chocolate one. You've said it a few times on a few recent reviews that you've liked milk chocolates better than dark chocolates (the marzipan one last week you said it aswell). Whats going on? Is it just luck or are you starting to think they are better?
Hi J,
RIP Gary Speed.Thats all i want to say about footie today :( :( Its so sad isn't it.
Great chocolate review mate. More great pics.
Cheers
N
Another excellent review J. I never doubted it wouldn't be ;)
I've seen quite a few brands try to make chocolate pudding truffles now. The most famous ones I tried were the ones from Thorntons last year. They aren't doing them this year which doesn't surprise me. They were pretty terrrible, I don't imagine for one minute they sold very well.
Your a lucky dude. Most of us wont get near chocolates this posh this Christmas. I think I'm going to be lucky to get a cadburys selection thing judging by my famalies finances.
I wasn't even aware of who they Artisan people were before reading this. Its right what they say you learn something new everyday =)
I've had a box of chocolates like these b4 where some have been tasteless and and some have been the complete opposite. I had that with some champagne truffles which I bought from a posh choccie counter abroad. In a way it was fun seeing which of the two they were going to be but yeh at the same time it was hella disappoingting because they cost alot of $$$. I'm not sure I would buy these reading this.
Jim if you want more artisan suggestions can I go for these please
http://www.artisanduchocolat.com/xmas-couture-box-12pieces.html
They say they've put a tobacco flavoured one in there :) Watch out you don't get hooked ;)
Dx
Speaking of chocolate christmas cake are you going to be reviewing Heavenly Cakes's new one? I'm desperately awaiting your review on it before hitting the order button.
I know thats silly because I know you are just going to say it's gr8 but still having the JCM approval first will make me feel loads better. So whats the deal with that Jim? Yay or nay?
I still can't believe it's nearly xmas time again. It feels like it's all come around again in no time at atll.
I'm not sure about these. I would hate it to turn up and them all be like the 1st one you got. How many out of them all would you say were duffers?
I never even think about artisan du chocolate when I need to buy presents but something is telling me I should start doing so :-)
Epic review buddy. These look like the perfect sort of thing to be given as a present before Christmas and not actually on the day. Lol no one I know eats christmas pudding or cake in the days after the 25th. You get sick of it by then
The only ADC chocolates I've ever had are their salted caramels that you recommended to us Jim. I remember being disappointed with tbh with you. After all of the build up they gave them about being award winning and such and such I was remember just not thinking as much of them as I thought I was going to. The price might have been something to do with it because I don't remember them being cheap thats for sure.
J I don't want to be rude like that idiot above but are you planning on doing anything that asses how good some of the cheaper options are? Its lovely seeing all of these wonderfully expensive things but being realistic most of us would also like to see what you think of some of the cheaper cakes and chocs that the mass producers are doing. I hope you can do something looking at them before long.
Jimmmmmmmmmm I have to give my Christmas list to my parents tomorrow and you aren't making this any easier on me. I agree with the other person you should stop reviewing all these tasty things and find some you think are rubbish to have a go at :P
How long ago was it you started eating these Christmas chocs Jim? You are reviewing so many you must have started absolutely ages ago. You must be sick of them all by the time Christmas comes around.
Awesome post Jim. I love what artisan did with the box and the two chocolates here. I've see pudding flavoured chocolates before but I've never seen a review where they have been reflected on so positively. I think I might have to 'gift' a pack of these lol. I'm so nicking loads.
I can't help myself staring at those cross sectioned pictures of those chocolates. They look so lush.
Talk about paying attention to detial. These are a bit more classy than the Dairy Milk I'm currently chowing on he he <3
If you judged everything by just looks you do you think these would be the best choolate ever?
The only thing I don't like about Christmas pudding is the fruit bits so I'm disappointed to hear they are still in these :( :( It sounds stupid but its the texture of raisins that make me quiver I just can't stand them. brrrr.
These look very nice evben thoug I dont like Christmas pudding lol. Im not sure Id wanta whole box of one flavour though, maybe they couldve created several chritsmas type flavours.. mince pies, christmas cake, christmas pudding etc. That might have made it more interesting. They look great though! :)
interesting that the chocolate differed so much, you would think that these are mass produced so I'm wondering what accounts for the discrepancy.
Hi All
Great to hear from you all regarding this one but you have been way too kind about the photography work here.
The Old Man's head is growing by the day with all the praise you keep sending in his direction :D
Apologies to any of you expecting a Hotel Chocolat Monday. You needn't worry, by the time I've posted all my Hotel Chocolat reviews this year you will be sick of seeing them haha!!
MYSTERIO - They will be covered in my upcoming buyers guides.
PAUL - Me writing? No I don't think so.
NICK - Request noted.
ANDREW - You do realise how much he is going to love you saying that right!?
RICHARD - No I didn't pay for them.
XEN10 - I somehow think setting light to them wouldn't have improved matters.
NATHAN - I don't prefer one over the other. It depends on who is making it, what it's being paired with etc.
NIGEL - Indeed rip Gary Speed. Legend of the game.
STEVE - Heavenly Cakes? Check the site on Wednesday if I were you!
PETER - I Started around September/October time. It's been a long haul!
ALAN - That would have been good wouldn't it. Perhaps a little hard to differentiate them considering they are all the same sort of thing though don't you think?
Thanks everyone.
JIM
I know what you mean but I think they could be made sufficiently different to be different. They could use a variety of flavours and spices and textures to make them interesting. I like Christmas cake but hate christmas puddings and mince pies so they cant be that similar lol
I never thought we were going to see chocolates more expensive than Hotel Chocolate. These are the same price as one of the big boxes of HC truffles so I think I know which one I would go for. With Hotel Chocolate you know what you are getting is going to be consistently high quality. It doesn't appear like these can promise that.
I hope you didn't throw that box away it would be such a waste to just send it to rubbish tip. You could use it for all sorts its lovely.
Its not long ago you know that chocs like these would have been unthinkable. You youngsters don't appreciate how much these have changed over recent years. People appear to be becoming a lot more adeventurous with all the different chocolate flavours they are trying and it looks like chocolatiers are obliging in more and more crazy ways.
Hand on heart I have to admit that I have never heard of these people before. From what I see though they look like they make some decent chocolates. Thank you for introducing me to them J.
Nomnomnom Christmas Pud. I'm getting way too excited for Xmas already :)
Woah @Daisy Tobacco flavoured choc? I've heard about people getting addicted to chocolate before but never in that way. Maybe it would be a good way weening people off real cigarettes lol.
It's a bit different when you are buying chocolates for yourself but I think when you are buying them for other people its just as important that what you are buying looks impressive aswell as tastes good. You wouldnt ever give something to someone that looks like a dogs dinner would you. On the other side you wouldn't give something that tastest horrid but looks great. Its about finding a balance of the two.
Great review Jim. Lol I laughed at the bit about your dad getting trigger happy with the camera. I say he should do that more often ;)
The more photos we get the better in my opinion. They enhance your words that little bit more than just them alone.
Christmas Pudding flavoured? Why has no reputable brand tried this before!!!!??? Its such a good idea.
Why do you keep gagging us at the weekends Jim?
Is it actual proper christmas cake in the middle or is it like a truffle creme that is flavoured with all those things you say.
Looking into your review + those photos it looks like they are proper cake. if that's right then that is so good.
God these look terrific. I love the detail they have obviously gone into on each of the chocs. Does the gold stuff taste of anything or was it there for pure decoration?
I've tried a few chocolates like this previously and I can't remember one thats managed to pull off the christmas pudding thing to great success.
These sound like they may fair a little better by the sounds of it. If they weren't so bloomin expensive I would have treated myself. Lol I don't want to sound a cheapskate but do they ever have sales on.
I'm sorta surprised they didn't choose to do them in white chocolate you know. I thought that would have been a grand opportunity to play off the idea of snow being on top of the Christmas pudding but maybe they just wanted to be different. By the sounds of things the milk and dark chcoolate they used wasn't a let down lol.
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