Vosges Blood Orange Caramel Bar

Posted by Edmund in Chocolate, Featured Articles, Gourmet Chocolate Bars, USA | 0 comments

Composition: Hibiscus Flowers, Blood Orange Caramel, Campari, 70% Dark Chocolate
Region of Production: USA.
Price: $7.50 from Vosges’ site.

This bar looks very clean, with its sleek, intense black color. As always, the packaging too impresses, though this one even more so than usual with its wild display of blood oranges. My bar unfortunately came broken into two pieces—something not too surprising given the thinness of the chocolate, which overflows with caramel. There was also a small crack, and the caramel had started to leak through slightly. I do like the easy snap, though.

Flavor-wise, though, this bar astounds. The caramel simply tastes extraordinary. As I took a small lick of it from the sides of the chocolate, I immediately got a rich, dense caramel, with the traditional, pronounced caramel sweetness. That taste, however, soon faded into a very fruity, slightly floral mix of the bittersweet blood orange and the hibiscus. The hibiscus undertone especially helps add some nuance, leaving a refreshingly fragrant aroma on the mouth. A slightly dry bitter-herby quality kicks in too as the palate picks up the Campari alcohol.

The 70% dark chocolate adds the necessary backdrop to balance out those flavors and provide one of the strongest, seemingly clashing, yet entirely harmonious, chocolate experiences I can remember. At first, 70% seems almost too much, as the chocolate comes intensely smoky, leaving a deliciously bitter, though slightly floral aroma on the mouth. That smokiness, however, not only provides for a fantastic aftertaste that blends very well with the bitterness of the blood orange, but it also balances out the caramel, which almost feels too sweet in larger quantities. The chocolate will outlast the caramel eventually, but thankfully the chocolate is so delicious that it’s not a problem.

Moreover, unlike some of Vosges’ other bars, here the chocolate lasts and lasts. Expect the dry smokiness for at least 10 minutes. It may be too strong or bitter for some, but I’m personally a huge fan.

The texture feels great, too. The bar comes overloaded with rich, gooey caramel that goes down extremely smoothly, without ever clinging to the mouth. Added to that is a crispy thin chocolate shell that literally cracks as you bite in. That shell melts quickly, especially given the high cocoa percentage. It may feel slightly waxy at the very end, but the waxiness is not too noticeable.

Final Word: This bar is simply one of the most complex flavored dark chocolate bars I can remember having. It begins caramel-y sweet, becomes fruity and floral, picks up a more natural fruity sweetness, and ends dry, bitter, and smoky. Far too many sensations to list or describe—it’s something you have to eat for yourself.

Disclaimer: This bar was a gift from Vosges Haut Chocolat. I have tried to keep the review as fair and objective as possible. Take the scores for what you will.

Scores

Presentation: 3.0/5.0. 4.0/5.0 without the cracks.
Taste: 4.7/5.0
Texture/Melt: 4.5/5.0
Flavor: 4.9/5.0
Length: 4.5/5.0
Value: 4.5+/5.0
Scores:  4.7/5.0