Hotel Chocolat Dark Chocolate Advent Calendar
For years I’ve thought that dark chocolate lovers have been under-served when it comes to Advent Calendars, and this year seems no different than any previous. Divine aren’t doing this year for some strange reason (I’ve asked their PR team) so that basically leaves Hotel Chocolat, Montezuma’s and Green & Blacks – none of which are doing anything that will engender the requisite woops of joy. But what of this £17 calendar from Hotel Chocolat?
Of course you’re going to get something that looks good, but for almost £17 I’m sure most of us would appreciate excellent tasting chocolate to go with those good looks. But, to be perfectly honest, I don’t think you get that with this year’s offering. The chocolates behind each door are, in all intents and purposes, double what you’ll find in most advent calendars, but I just feel the chocolate isn’t actually all that special.
There’s a strange, almond-like quality to the chocolate which makes it taste like it’s got artificial sweetener in it, but of course it’s not adulterated by any such thing. Perhaps my taste buds have been abused by so much chocolate recently? There’s also a dry, brittle quality to the texture of the chocolate. At this stage I’d much prefer some of their Purist range which is excellent – but that’s no fun compared to opening up the doors of an advent calendar every morning.
And that brings me on to the ease of opening the doors. Perhaps I’m a little too excited and fumbled about a bit too much like a boy with his hands trying to undo a bra for the first time, but I did find it difficult prizing open the door in the first place and then piercing the metal foil afterward.
Behind those doors I found two rectangles for doors one and two and then a penguin behind the others. I expect there would be reindeers and Santas behind the other doors.
Overall I think £17 is a bit too steep for this advent calendar. But if you really want to get someone a dark chocolate variety and want it to look good, really you don’t have much choice.
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