An epiphany can come about through meditation, a chance encounter, a life-changing moment or, of course, a box of chocolates. More specifically, Epiphany Fine Chocolates. Through handmade chocolate creations, the company’s mission, according to its website, is: “to introduce you to indulgent and surprising flavors, as well as inspire you to try new adventures, meet fascinating people, experience unexpected places, and contribute to our world.”
Now the question is: does this chocolate indulgence in fact cause an epiphany?
Having been sent a generous portion of samples, I’d have to answer both yes and no. From the moment I opened to packaging, I was impressed with the brown keepsake boxes that resemble cigar boxes. I found the color palette and branding to be appealing and was very excited to see the candies.
First I opened the Double Ohhh Seven sample, a box containing three pieces of Swiss mint fudge enrobed in chocolate and topped with a green dollop of (what I think was) chocolate. A hearty bite revealed a mild mint flavor—just enough to please. The fudge-like center and bites of mint cookie bits were also delightful. But I was not a fan of the milk chocolate coating. The texture wasn’t creamy enough and tasted like the store-brand chocolates you get at Walmart on Easter.
Next up was The Crowd Pleasers sampler box of 10 assorted fudge and caramel chocolates. Initially, I was impressed by the apparent detail that went into making each chocolate and at the overall presentation. Though two were the the same, the box contained nine different chocolates—each with its own color, texture, shape and personality.
And I was excited to see one of them was white chocolate and one dark amidst a sea of milk chocolates. The dark chocolate appeared to be old though. My guess is that it started to melt and then harden again because there were white dots on it.
As I took a bite of each candy, I used my paper guide and the website descriptions to aid me in identifying what I was eating. The delicately crafted copy writing led me to believe I was going to experience pleasant, unique flavor explosions and the clever names were inspiring. But as I ate each one, I found most to be lacking in flavor.
The Berry White was a mixed-berry fudge. I just found it to be super sweet with a hint of berry.
La Vida Mocha is a lumpy mocha fudge with shortbread cookie bits, topped with a coffee bean. Perhaps it’s because I’m a coffee lover, but I was wondering where the coffee flavor was.
Golden Girl, a butterscotch caramel with gingersnap cookie bits, was decent in taste but very hard to chew. Obviously, caramel makes it as such…so I wasn’t too bothered by that. This one tasted like gingerbread and I definitely picked up on the flavor combination.
Wendy Darling is peanut butter fudge with crunchy puffed rice, according to the description. I was let down at the lack of peanut butter flavor and found this one to leave a bad aftertaste.
Next was the Yum & Yang, which is vanilla toffee caramel. The caramel was good but I could not taste any trace of vanilla.
The Cocoa Chanel is a milk chocolate fudge with pecans. I found the chocolate to taste concentrated. It was almost as if I’d purchased a piece of fudge and dipped it in chocolate syrup. Not a fan.
I think the next one I ate was Queen B, butter toffee fudge, but I really couldn’t even tell. No flavor.
The Grande Diva is dark chocolate with fudge and pecans. Again, lacking in flavor.
Last was the Holly Woods, sea salt caramel and cashews coated in chocolate, then topped with a cashew. This one was my favorite. I could taste each flavor and was pleased with the texture.
Overall, the drawbacks are that these candies don’t seem to live up to their looks, descriptions or photos. I think the chocolate tastes cheap and the flavor balances are off. Sometimes there is total absence in flavor. Even though they are homemade and crafted with good intention, it seems like the price point of $8 for a three-piece box and $26 for a 10-piece box is too high for the quality of the product.
The perks are that I actually enjoyed eating three of the candies – Golden Girl, Holly Woods and the Swiss Mint Fudge – which leads me to believe that the chocolatier has the potential to make better ones. I also was entertained by the names of the chocolates and their well-written descriptions. The packaging and branding are super cute. The keepsake box is a great idea. The chocolates are kosher, a plus for anyone who has this preference. And the overall look of the chocolates was good.
In the end, I didn’t really have any kind of epiphany except that perhaps I’m a chocolate snob.
Candy Addict® received this product as a sample from the manufacturer. No payment was received for this review and all opinions represent an unbiased view of the product.
Bummer, they looked so promising.
May 30th, 2012 at 1:08 pmhi this is noah, 6th grade,will u answer question about the science fare that i have concerning to the geyser of soda. For instance:
How do i measure how hi the soda goes and which size of soda can can i use
January 27th, 2013 at 12:40 am