Le Belge Chocolatier

At some point, I don't remember why, I was gifted a box of chocolates from Le Belge.   

"Le Belge Chocolatier, a name that connotes an inventive redefined approach to the art of fine chocolate making. Our chocolates offer distinctive contemporary style for an indulgent experience that inspires the palate."

 It sure did sound upscale, French.  And "contemporary"?  Sure, I was in.

Fancy Box.

I opened my box feeling quite fancy.  Tissue paper, logos, cursive ... I wanted to find out more about this fancy French chocolate!

"Handcrafted in the heart of Napa Valley, Le Belge Chocolates are created in the French chocolate making tradition by award winning Master Chocolatier Chef Sebastian Beline of Paris. Known for producing distinctive chocolates of exceptional quality, Chef Beline has perfected a balance of flavor and texture to produce a chocolate experience that is unparalleled."

Ah, ok.  So not really French, the company is actually based in Napa Valley, CA and ... just uses the "tradition" of an award winning French chef?  Hmm.  I'm still not really sure what this means, except that they use a "European chocolate layering technique".  

Le Belge makes an assortment of Grand Cru bars with unique flavors like almond & fennel, lavender basil & black currant, raspberry & hibiscus, basic "tablets", "Signature" bars with more basic flavors and wine stained wrappers (because, Napa), "Heritage" bars that kinda seem the same but without the wine soaked labels, and then the the "Bijou" bars which have items like toffee bits or almonds hand placed "like a hidden jewel".  I didn't have any of the bars, but instead was gifted truffles.

Truffles 

"Le Belge truffles are the perfect indulgence for the true chocolate connoisseur. Handcrafted in the French chocolate making tradition, incorporating a variety of contemporary and traditional techniques, our truffle selections represent the finest in quality. Intense blends of ganache and sophisticated flavors combine to create a range of rich, creamy truffles with a delicious French accent. We invite you to experience our truffles and experience the taste of pure luxury."

Much like the bars, Le Belge offers a slew of product lines for the truffles, that don't really make all that much sense.  "Sublime" ones are, um, sublime, "Studio 761" are the latest "flavor trends" (and each one is numbered, like "No 1: Red Velvet Cake"),"Pearl" ones come in a fancier box, Eclipse ... yeah, I dunno.  Like I said, I don't really understand the product lines, nor do I have any clue which mine came from.

Mystery Box.

My box came with no guide, and I wasn't able to determine what they all were from looking up online.  My guesses from my research, post trying them all (from top left, clockwise):

• Hazelnut Orange Peel
• Dark Sea Salt Caramel?
• Citron
• Tiramisu?

Milk Chocolate Truffle
(Tiramisu?)

I started with this one randomly.

The shell was fairly mediocre milk chocolate.  It looked fancier than it tasted.

Milk Chocolate Truffle (Tiramisu?): Inside.

I was surprised when I bit in to find a filling.

 I wasn't sure what the filling was.  It seemed a bit like caramel.  But not quite.  I couldn't really find more information online either, but one photo guide I saw looked like it could be ... tiramisu?  Maybe the "not quite caramel" was a sweet coffee infused mascarpone cream?  I'm not sure.

In any case, it wasn't particularly good, my least favorite of the box.

**+.

Citron.

Next, I went for the pretty one.  I didn't know what it was either, but, my post-consumption research says "Citron".

It was a smooth dark chocolate shell, with a chocolate caramel-like inside.  The filling had a flavor to it I didn't quite like.  I think it was indeed citrus, but just not something I cared for.  The chocolate shell was unremarkable, although it had a nice snap.

Overall, unremarkable, although it looked pretty.

***.

Hazelnut Orange Peel.

Another one that I didn't know what it was before eating it, but quasi-figured it out after.

As I tasted, I detected salt (yes!) and some hints of something interesting I couldn't quite identify on top.

But it was the inside that was interesting.  I *almost* tasted peanut butter, and there was a slight (pleasant) grittiness to it all.  But it wasn't strongly enough peanut flavored for me to be convinced it really was a nut flavor.

After careful consideration, I believe this was the hazelnut orange peel, which, makes total sense.  Nutty filling that wasn't quite peanut butter was actually hazelnut, and it had some hints of pop from the orange peel.

My favorite of the chocolates.

****.

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel?

Again, no idea what awaited me until I bit in.

Outside, another smooth dark chocolate shell that wasn't particularly remarkable.  And then, a surprise inside.

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel: Inside.

A smooth, fairly runny, caramel.  Classic caramel.  Decent flavor, decent texture, and some saltiness.

My second favorite of the box, but again, not particularly great.

***+.