Sigh.
Well, time to embrace it. Let’s talk mint chocolate now. Mint chocolate like this Hotel Chocolat mint crisp bar, which has a 70% cacao dark chocolate base with essential oil of peppermint and mint crisps both mixed in.
The bar has a clear mint aroma (Really? You don’t say.), but what is notable is that this aroma is natural and not at all artificial, resembling fresh mint leaves more than mint extract.
The chocolate is a bit dry, but the melt is buttery in nature with a subtle mint flavor throughout and a very slight hint of coffee. The mint crisps are very small, and are not intrusive but don’t really add much to the bar. The mint addition is refreshing, and the bar is balanced, but it’s not one of my favorite Hotel Chocolat creations – really, the Lemon Cheesecake bar is much better.
Not that I wouldn’t eat another one of these bars tomorrow. Or Friday.
Does mint chocolate remind you of Christmas?
Ok, I'm seriously going to have to go to Hotel Chocolat when I'm in Boston next month!
ReplyDeleteIve not tried their mint crisp before, but I can imagine that it would be quite tasty, mint chocolate does remind me of christmas haha! It reminds me because of after eights..if you have them? Everyone always has them in around xmas!
ReplyDeleteMinty things normally remind me of Christmas actually! That sounds excellent-I like pure mint leaves but I'm not a fan of mint extract. I'm not sure how to explain it.
ReplyDeleteNope, should it?! I've never associated mint with Christmas!
ReplyDeleteMmmm cheesecake.
I love mint chocolate, so a high quality bar would probably blow my mind. I'm stocked up on After Eight Mints - more mint than chocolate but they're a favorite of mine for Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it ever did until Starbucks got on the train. Now it does, although not as much as cinnamon. As soon as it gets cold out, I love to drink mint tea, but that still hasn't happened yet!
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