It’s time to revisit chocolate + nuts, as I’ve tried a few more since my last review.
First up is Ritter Sport milk chocolate with whole almonds — smooth chocolate and the chunky almonds are FAB. The whole mixture is perfect. Not too sweet, not too almond-y. I loved how chunky the bar was. It was almost as if it were a filling, healthy snack instead of a yummy treat. And how great would that be if it were actually healthy?!
Next is Ritter Sport dark chocolate with whole hazelnuts — WOW. This is a perfect combo. The chocolate is so rich and satisfying that I would eat only two squares at a time. (Each square was less than an inch wide and there were 18 to the bar, so yeah I definitely got my money’s worth.) And the big chunky hazelnuts had so much flavor. YUM. I’ll definitely be buying this one again.
But today’s post is not all about Ritter Sport chocolates. I also did some, ahem, research on Green & Blacks milk chocolate with whole roasted almonds. Another YUM. This chocolate was smooth and mild, but not too sweet. The almonds were definitely high quality and added both flavor and texture to the overall package. It was slightly less satisfying than other chocolates, but milk chocolate tends to have that effect on me.
Finally, I also tried Vosges Chocolate‘s Barcelona Bar. I think I might be in love. Unfortunately, it’s an expensive love — probably more of an occasional fling — as this one was the most expensive of the bunch (around $7 per bar). The Barcelona is hickory smoked almonds and sea salt in a deep milk chocolate (actually, milk and dark blended). The overall effect was so good that it nearly brought me to my knees. But then I remembered how effing expensive this treat was (but at least I ate it over several servings) and I stabilized my knees so that I wouldn’t drop expensive chocolate on the floor. That would have been a terrible waste.
That’s all I have for you today. Let me know if you have any suggestions for future research.
Jen is not employed by any of the companies mentioned, nor was she paid in any way for these reviews.
Where did you get these wonderful chocolates at? I have never heard of any of them.
I’ve seen the Ritter stuff…may have to get me some of that!
I made the mistake of looking at the Voges website and now there is drool all over my keyboard.
Love love love love love all of it. Chocolate and nuts….mmmm…..
I really need to try the Vosges chocolate. I remember you mentioning them before as having salt in them. I keep checking at my local Whole Foods but they just don’t have that particular one. I’ll keep looking thought!
sheeet. I’ve got a Vosges Barcelona bar in my kitchen cupboard rihgt this minute. Purchased when I went on my Mo’s Bacon bar shopping spree at Berkeley Bowl West (where Vosges chocolate bars are a full $2.00 cheaper per bar than Whole Foods!)
I will go sample, and get right back to ya.
Love,
Julie
O EM GEE.
So glad you brought up the Barcelona Bar. It would have sat in my cupboard until I had run through the 4 Mo’s Bacon Bars (at least 2 more months) I have. . .
I LOVE THE BARCELONA BAR!!!
I like how it says “deep milk chocolate” on the front of the package, too. Very cool. Normally you either get milk or dark, but this is deeeeeeep chocolate. And very very good chocolate at that.
I delighted in how much sea salt there was in the square I ate too. Just enough.
It will be my go-to sea salt/chocolate treat, that’s for sure. I normally buy Fran’s sea salt/chocolate/caramel candy, but I have been getting a wee bit tired of it lately. That favorite candy run ran close to 5 years now, so I think I’m just at the end of the line for loving my Fran’s.
I’ve not got 2 (count ‘em TWO) favorite Vosges chocolate bars. And it’s true, Whole Foods (at least here in Northern CA) do not always carry them. I will also include them in my grocery run to Berkeley Bowl West (coffee, bread, yogurt, milk, produce only) giving me that much more reason to make the trek to Bezerkeley! Ya-hoo!
I actually bought 2 other Vosges chocolate bars to try, the first one is the Calindia Bar (indian green cardamom, organic California walnuts, dried plums, Venezuelan dark chocolate-65%) and the other is the Red Fire Bar (mexican ancho y chipotle chilie, ceylon cinnamon & dark chocolate-55%) that I have not tried yet. Sounds intriguing, maybe you could give it a taste test and report back on these before I get to them?
I only eat one Vosges square at at time, and not every day at that, so it may be awhile until I get to these next 2 bars, as I havfe a Mo’s Bacon Bar just opened, and now the Barcelona Bar. . .
Bon apetit!
Love,
Julie