Review: Hotel Chocolat Cookies and Chocolate Wreath

I was recently asked to do a review for Hotel Chocolat.  Although I tend to ignore anything even slightly Christmassy, I could not say no to free chocolate.  I've been given Hotel Chocolat Batons Selection before for Eid by my sisters and really, really enjoyed them.  In fact the last time I went shopping with hubby and my in-laws I got so fed up and sneaked of to their shop and bought myself a small pack of the batons and hid them in the baby's nappy bag to cheer myself up later.

Hotel Chocolat sent me their Cookies and Chocolate Wreath to try.  It came in the nice box below.

 

The wreath was a little smaller than I expected and a little darker.  It is 50% cocoa whereas most high street chocolate bars have around 25%.

The wreath came with this folded card.  I had seen this a few days earlier in one of their adverts which came through the post and thought that the artwork was pretty and would be nice in a collage or journal if it didn't have text across it.  As this was plain, I little Little Lady have it for her scrap book as she'd liked the original picture too..

The wreath is interesting to look at with lots of texture and different things to try.

I let the boys try it and neither were very keen saying it is bitter.  I would say that this is chocolate for grown ups.  It is quite hard and bitter, with a very intense chocolate flavour.  I originally had a little and thought that was enough and didn't want any more.  But after a little while, I kept finding myself going back for a little more.

Little Lady tried some and decided she liked it.  Funnily, Little Man originally wasn't keen, but then came back and asked for  a little more.  I liked the nuts and dark cookies, but my favourite were the florentines peeking through the top of the wreath.  I kept trying to think what the taste reminded me of and then realised it was the toffee-like Sohan halwa I buy for my mum now and again.
























Overall, not something I would have thought to try for myself, but enjoyable nonetheless and likely to last a bit longer because a little goes a long way.  The batons are still my firm favourite, but for those who like their chocolate not too sweet and with a bit of interesting texture, this is a good choice.