Candy Review: Divine Chocolate Holiday Line

Friday, November 14, 2008 - by Monica

I love Christmas. I am a fool for all things holiday. I celebrate September, October, and November 25th as 3 months, 2 months, and 1 month until Christmas, respectively. The tree goes up and the carols come out as soon as the turkey is finished, and December 26th is the darkest day of my year.

To reiterate, I love Christmas. And, have no doubt, that all-encompassing amour most certainly extends to holiday candy, be it candy canes and red and green M&M’s or gourmet assortments with appropriately hued ribbons. So I was Deck-the-Halls, All-I-Want-For-Christmas-Is-You happy to get into the spirit of things a little early this year, in order to preview and review Divine Chocolate’s holiday line of treats for 2008. As I did for my review of their standard products, I again enlisted my chocolate-covered-Christmas loving pals for opinions, and here’s our take on their seasonal goods:

Milk Chocolate Gelt

Kosher certified for Chanukah/Hanukkah/ Hannuka/Chanuko (did you know that there are actually sixteen different ways to spell it? And at least one of them involves the letter X?) and sporting metallic gold and copper wrappers, these pretty much look like your standard chocolate coins. Featuring Divine’s signature milk chocolate, they don’t have a detectable aroma, but their thin nature makes for a decent little “snap.” They’re a simple product, so there’s not a lot to elaborate on, but the milk chocolate is very thick and creamy with a mild cocoa flavor that coats the tongue. I thought the size and shape of the coin actually balanced the intensity of the creaminess quite well, and my co-tasters agreed, inhaling a virtual treasure chest’s worth of these and bestowing them with the title “Most Likely To Purchase.”

Milk Chocolate Advent Calendar

This Advent Calendar features the characters of the traditional nativity set in a stylized African market, with 24 little milk chocolate hearts hiding behind 24 little doors to help children and adults alike count down the days until Christmas. The hearts reminded me of Dove Promises, approximating their size and lovely curved edges, only the Divine milk chocolate made them, we thought, far more decadent. The exceedingly thick chocolate, combined with that distinct heart shape, will bring you as close as a human being should come to French kissing a piece of candy. I don’t see how, in any proper Candy Addicted household, these gems could last 24 days.

Dark Chocolate After Dinner Mints

Described as 70% dark chocolate wrapped around creamy peppermint fondant, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect of these. They’re delicate squares about the size of a Ghirardelli single that smell minty, but subtler than, say, an Andes and, broken in half, the interior reveals a very thin layer of mint a la a York Peppermint Pattie. (The wrapper states that the chocolate and mint breakdown is 65% and 35%, respectively, but this insider can tell you that it’s unevenly distributed, with the center actually displaying proportions more like 20% mint, 80% chocolate, and the outer edges boasting a 1/3 mint to 2/3 chocolate ratio.) But beyond the specs, the candy is very nice. Refreshing. Like a delicate, gourmet York with right angles. The mint provides a slight chewiness to the chocolate and the textures blend very well, unlike those in the debacle that is known as the Divine Mint Dark Chocolate bar. Though one taster thought there could be more mint inside, overall we also gave these our “Would Definitely Buy” approval.

So, even though the merriment started particularly early in my house this year, you can all take comfort in knowing that whenever you do finally commit yourself to the 2008 holiday season, Divine Chocolate has some excellent choices out there for the crazed Christmas fanatics (such as myself), the translationally cursed Xanuka/Chanuqa (oh, that’s right) celebrants, and even your run-of-the-mill chocolate-loving Pagans. Happy Holidays to all!

• Divine Chocolate Website

Buy Divine Chocolate Online:

• at SERRV.org