Vosges Exotic Caramels

On our Las Vegas vacation this summer, my husband sat in his first real Texas Hold 'Em tournament. The stakes were pretty low (none of that televised business), but he's always wanted to try a Vegas tournament. This meant he would be at that casino for several hours, so after watching the first hand and wishing him luck, I embarked on a shopping trip.

Of course, I found myself at the Vosges store inside the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, and after sampling three different chocolates and exploring the store, I couldn't shake my curiosity about their Exotic Caramels. Since I couldn't limit myself to just one or two flavors, I bought the whole set.

The box was a colorful smorgasbord of caramels, nine varieties in total. Vosges is always a splurge, and at $29 US, this set was no exception. Maybe it was just the Las Vegas spirit that compelled me to buy it. I'm not a big gambler - at least when I go shopping, everyone wins. Reading the flavor descriptions alone was worth at least a dollar. 

I forgot to photograph each one individually, but let's start in the lower left corner of the picture above. Canadian maple sugar + maple syrup + walnuts + dark chocolate didn't seem that exotic to me. The maple wasn't very strong, but the rich caramel still reminded me of pancakes. It was smooth and a little salty with a nice crunch from the walnuts. Dark chocolate was a good match, and the coating was smooth and mild. The salty-sweet balance was nice, and this one would please even a timid palate.

The next caramel to the right was Blood orange + Campari + dark chocolate + hibiscus powder. That's more like it! Campari is an Italian bitters made from fruit and herbs, and I've never tried it, but Wikipedia says it is bitter, spicy, and sweet. The red coating was lovely and had a sour, floral flavor. The caramel was very soft and fruity with a citrus finish that reminded me of lemonade or jelly fruit slices. It was quite complex, and complemented by the dark chocolate coating.

Rounding out the bottom row was Aboriginal anise myrtle + dark chocolate, and I did manage to photograph this one. After a bad experience tasting Absinthe, I lost my liking for anise, so I was wary, but the flavor in this caramel was very pleasant. The bitter chocolate stood out, but the mild licoricey anise was noticeable especially in the mid to end notes. It was surprisingly tasty, despite my distaste for anise and it being the last caramel I sampled (two months after buying the box). The chocolate sagged a bit over time, but the flavor still wowed me, so I doubt any real damage occurred.

The leftmost caramel in the middle row was Hawaiian red sea salt + milk chocolate + li hing powder. Again, Wikipedia was required: li hing powder is a red powder that covers dried salty li hing mui (plums). Despite not knowing what it would taste like, the li hing was easy to detect. The sea salt combined with the li hing gave this caramel a complex salty-sour-sweet flavor. The milk chocolate was on the sweeter side, but it helped to balance the extremely salty finish.

In the center, Mexican guajillo chilies + licorice root + dark chocolate + organic pumpkin seeds had the longest name. It smelled woodsy, and the dark chocolate felt deep and smooth. The pumpkin seeds were dispersed throughout the melty caramel, giving it a tender crunch. The chilies gave it a nice heat on the finish. I didn't get a sense of the licorice root, but it was still a standout piece.

To the right was the strangest caramel in the collection: Tupelo honey + milk chocolate + bee pollen. It was the first one I tried because it seemed the "most" exotic. The pollen beads were floral, slightly bitter, and maybe a little waxy. The honey felt warm and was not overly sweet. It seemed very filling compared to the other caramels!

Rose water + pink peppercorns + dark chocolate + red rose petal was in the upper left corner, and I loved the rose petal garnish. It was aromatic and floral, but the peppercorn gave it an intense kick! It was unexpected and delicious. The rose was delicate but easy to detect, and well matched to the subtly sweet caramel.

In the upper middle, Brazil nuts + South American cocoa nibs + dark chocolate had the most crunch of any of the truffles. Brazil nuts have an earthy flavor that I have never enjoyed on its own, but when mixed with sweet and creamy caramel, I had no objections. The cocoa nibs added a hint of bitter fruitiness to the nutty flavor, and all together it was comforting and easy to eat. This caramel seemed firmer than the others.

Finally, Argentine dulce de leche + Costa Rican cashews + milk chocolate was one of my favorites. Although the sources of the ingredients are exotic, this one didn't push and flavor boundaries; it was just extremely well executed. The milky caramel was refreshingly simple, with the slightly bitter nuts at the front of the flavor. It was rich and creamy, and neither too salty not too sweet.

Any food lover would enjoy this set. It was such a pleasure to taste, and there is not a single bad caramel in the bunch. Words like delectable, delightful, savory, and complex easily spring to mind. Am I gushing? Yeah. Is this set worth $29? Without a doubt.

A

Vosges website

Vosges Black Salt Caramel Bar

Looking back at my recent (and infrequent - sorry about that) reviews, it seems I've been into chocolate bars lately. Trying different chocolate brands and types is one of my favorite things about running this blog; I love looking for little differences in flavor and texture.



Vosges is not a brand I buy often, simply because it's expensive. This bar, for example, was $5.99. Despite the price, when I went on a recent chocolate buying spree (seems like this happens a lot these days), the Black Salt Caramel bar called out to me. The Bapchi's Caramel Toffee bar I tried last year was so delicious, I thought another caramel bar from Vosges would be a sure bet.





If you were wondering, the unbroken bar looks like this, but it was important for me to show you how this bar broke, because it completely dominated my overall impression of the bar. It was such a mess, even by caramel standards! The bar just wouldn't break at the "perforations" for me. The chocolate just kept cracking, leaving an oozy, sticky pile of caramel I had to lick off the wrapper (I'm not ashamed). Maybe it's just because I'm very neat, but this really bothered me.



The bar didn't have a strong scent, just a mild hint of cocoa. The 70% cocoa chocolate was slightly bitter, but it had a dreamily smooth melt. The runny liquid caramel was intensely sweet, but it did carry a hint of salt along with a toasty, slightly earthy flavor. The caramel really needed the dark chocolate to balance the bite, but since the caramel kept leaking out, that goal was hard to accomplish. When I did manage to keep it together, the bites along the borders of the pre-formed squares were more appealing; bites from the middle were just too sweet because there wasn't enough chocolate to offset the caramel.



Vosges does dark chocolate very well, but I could have done with less caramel. Don't eat this bar in the car, or at least try to have a moist towelette on hand if you do. This review is based on the entire consumption experience - if the bar hadn't been so messy, I would have rated it higher based on flavor alone, but as much as it pains me, I've got to account for my frustration. I still love you, Vosges!



Please read other reviews at The Candy Enthusiast and The District Chocoholic for some different perspectives on this bar.



C+



Vosges website

Vosges Bapchi's Caramel Toffee Bar

Technology never ceases to amaze me! Right now, I am writing this entry from cruising altitude on my way to Las Vegas. Thanks to Google, Delta's on-flight internet service is free this month. So, it seemed a good of a time as any to break my lazy blogger streak.

Vosges is not an indulgence I often allow myself to make. It's one of the more expensive chocolate brands available at stores in my area, but when I saw this new flavor, I couldn't resist. It was placed next to a mint flavor for the Holidays, but Caramel Toffee sounded better.


The bar was a little beaten up, but it had an amazingly complex scent and taste. It smelled of rich, browned butter toffee with a hint of something that reminds me of rum. The flavor was at first sweet cocoa, then the salt hit the tongue, and finally, it was nutty and full of rich, incredibly buttery toffee.

There were several textures at play - smooth, rich 45% cacao chocolate (just dark enough to offset the sweetness), crisp and chewy toffee, and meaty nuts. This is definitely the best bar I've tried all year. It reminded me of chocolate caramel corn, only much more refined. It was so hard to put this bar down, but after talking it up so much, I had to save some for my husband.

A+

Vosges Black Pearl Bar

I've been eating so much chocolate recently, but I haven't gotten tired of it. It's hard to get tired of Vosges! The only bar of theirs I haven't liked was the bacon bar, and I'm not a bacon enthusiast to begin with.

When stores only offer a few Vosges bars, Black Pearl is almost always among the ranks. At first glance, wasabi chocolate doesn't sound too appealing, but the whole flavor palette here is pretty interesting. I love sesame seeds and ginger and wish they were used more in chocolate. Like the Red Fire, it's another barely dark bar at 55% cacao.


It was easy to see and feel the sesame seeds from the bottom of the bar. The chocolate smelled earthy and roasted, with the ginger and sesame seeds in the background. The chocolate tasted fantastic and had a delightfully smooth melt, and the sesame seeds added to the texture.

The wasabi flavor wasn't strong, but that's probably for the best. The ginger stood out much more. As expected, the flavor progression was interesting. The bar started savory and sweet (full of umami), then toasty, with a mild wasabi/ginger finish. Overall, it was a complex bar, and I enjoyed it.

A-

Vosges Haut-Chocolat

Vosges Red Fire Bar

Although work has kept me busy, I have continued to work through my chocolate stash. I received some Vosges Haut Chocolat bars from my in-laws, and this is the first of two reviews.

I love all things spicy, and while I've only had one bar that was really hot, when it comes to chocolate, less is more. The heat has to compliment the chocolate, not overwhelm it.

The chocolate smells fantastic, with sweet and toasty notes. At 55% cacao, it's not a very dark chocolate, but the flavor and texture of the chocolate is fantastic. It has a wonderful, smooth texture and a creamy melt.

The flavor progression is also lovely. It started smokey and toasty, then the chocolate emerged, full of flavor. Towards the end, the heat kicks in, and it's a nice chili bite that was just right for me. I loved this bar, and always had to stop myself from eating too much at once. This is probably my favorite Vosges bar.

A

Vosges Haut-Chocolat

Vosges Mo's Bacon Bar

I was on vacation for most of this week, so I haven't done a review in a while. Last night, I remembered that I still had this Mo's Bacon Bar from the last time I went to Whole Foods several months ago. I was worried that it would be bloomed (because these things are not cheap), but the airtight packaging saved the day and the bar was still in great shape!

I'm not a huge fan of bacon. I like it by itself or on a BLT, but I don't like it on pizza...or in chocolate. So I'm not really sure why I bought this. It was hard to pass up such a weird flavor combination, though, and my husband was interested in it, too.


When I opened this, it was hard not to notice the strong, overpowering smell of bacon. I could hardly smell chocolate at all. The chocolate has a great texture, as expected from Vosges. The taste was milk chocolate all the way, and for how much it smelled like bacon, I could hardly taste anything but chocolate. The bacon mainly added a weird texture and lots of saltiness.

It was good, but it smelled more like bacon than it tasted like it. That's probably a good thing. The aftertaste was very salty. My husband remarked that this must be what dog treats taste like for dogs. The bacon really didn't add much here, and I prefer the other Vosges bars I've tried.

C+

Vosges Haut-Chocolate

Vosges Matcha Bar

I can't remember where I got this, but There are places that sell Vosges chocolate bars for less than $8. Of course, $6 is still expensive, but it feels a little better.

In any case, I love matcha, so I had to try the Vosges Matcha Bar. It's delicious. At 41% cacao, it isn't super dark (and I love dark), but it was very rich. the bar was very easy to savor for this reason, and one square at a time was satisfying. It was really some of the best chocolate I've had, but I don't pretend to be a chocolate expert. The texture was very smooth and glossy (sorry about not having a picture), and it had a nice snap. There are tasting instructions right on the box, in case you wanted the full experience.

The matcha flavor is delicious and not too strong, so it should please more people than something like the Meiji Rich Matcha bar. Although I love matcha more than most people, I didn't wish this bar had a stronger flavor. It's very good as it is.

In the end, I think Vosges makes delicious chocolate, but it's definitely not worth buying often. There's plenty of less expensive chocolate that is right up there as far as taste and flavor originality. I knocked the rating down just a tiny bit because of the price; even matcha chocolate imported from Japan is cheaper, and yet still delicious.

A-

Vosges Haut-Chocolate

Vosges Naga Bar

This might be the most expensive candy bar I've ever eaten. This little thing was $3.50 at Whole Foods, but I've always wanted to try curry chocolate, so I just couldn't say no. The full size was something like $7.50 so I went with the little one. It was supposed to come with tasting instructions, but I didn't see any.


This was some smooth chocolate. The milk chocolate base was as silky as I've ever tasted, and the coconut added a nice grittiness. The curry was not how I expected, but I was pleased. I suppose I thought it would be more present, but it instead provided a bit of background heat and a nice spiciness. I am a huge fan of spicy foods, and spicy sweet is a fantastic combination.

OK, I lied, I have had this expensive stuff before. A few years back, my husband's parents gave us the Black Pearl (ginger + wasabi + black sesame seeds + dark chocolate) and the Red Fire (Mexican ancho & chipotle chillies + Ceylon cinnamon + dark chocolate) bars in a Christmas gift and they were very similar to this one; really high quality chocolate base and background heat.

The aforementioned Vosges chocolates are definitely something special, and although they aren't five alarm spicy, they definitely aren't for people with low heat tolerance. I can't really say it'd be worth the money for me to buy them often for myself, but as a gift, sure, bring them on!

B+

Vosges Haut-Chocolate