Cailler Swiss Chocolate

Cailler is a Swiss Chocolate maker, dating all the way back to 1796.  They claim to be the oldest chocolate maker still in existence, although, if you dig into the history, exactly when the brand started is a bit debatable.  In 1929, they got acquired by Nestlé, which I've reviewed before for their US products.

Anyway, you likely don't care about the history of their chocolate.  Nor do I really.  I just like to taste chocolate, particularly new ones.

If you visit Switzerland, you can go to their chocolate factory castle.  I didn't visit, but a co-worker did, and of course, brought back goodies to share.  He brought back minis, which gave me the opportunity to try many, many varieties.  Even better :)

Lait Noisettes.

"Milk chocolate with whole hazelnuts".

This was very creamy milk chocolate, with little bits of hazelnut inside.  The hazelnuts seemed like they were perhaps sweetened?  It was fine, but, I'm not a huge fan of hazelnut.

Lait Almandes.

"Milk chocolate with an almond praline".

The almonds were very finely chopped, much tinier bits than in the hazelnut bar, barely noticeable. They also didn't seem sweetened like in the hazelnut.  I liked this more than the hazelnut, but still not one I'd go back to.  They also make a version with whole almonds rather than chopped.

Chocmel.

"Milk chocolate with almonds and honey".

Decently creamy smooth milk chocolate, although there was a slight bit of bitterness from the ground almond, which also added texture.  But then there was honey on the finish for sweetness.  It was a strange mix of bitter and sweet, and the texture was somewhat gritty since the nuts were so finely ground.  Not my favorite.

Dessert.

"Milk chocolate with a gianduja praline".

Again, smooth milk chocolate, with a slight hazelnut taste.  It reminded me of Nutella, and, I just don't generally care for the taste of hazelnut, so it was not a winner for me.  I appreciated how smooth and creamy the milk chocolate was though.

Crémant.

"Extra fine dark chocolate".

This was a beautiful dark chocolate!  Super smooth, really rich deep flavor with fruit undertones.  My favorite by far.  Hands down better than the rest.

Blanc.

Basic white chocolate.  It tasted sorta like plastic.  The sort of white chocolate that gives white chocolate a bad name :(

Branche: Noir Intense.

"For something bittersweetly different, the Branche Noir Intense contains 70% cocoa solids and a dark chocolate filling with cocoa chips."

I liked this! Besides the dark chocolate bar, this was my second favorite.

The form was a bit strange, a roundish roll, but I liked the crunch from the chips, and the smooth chocolate filling inside the outer chocolate.