Ritz-Carlton (Norman Love) Chocolates

Chocolate.  Not something I have blogged about much lately, but, it is one of the first product types I ever reviewed regularly.  Bars, truffles, and such ... strangely I'm not super into chocolate desserts (although, yes, I love a great chocolate cake, a chocolate mousse, etc).  I used to run a chocolate tasting club in my office even.  So, yes, I'm kinda a chocolate girl, and literally start every day with either a truffle or decent sized hunk of chocolate alongside my coffee.  Every day.  Without fail.

Travel.  Pre-COVID, I travelled, for my job, a lot.  120+ nights a year on the road, and I learned quickly to join a hotel chain loyalty program (Starwood, now Marriott), and stay true to it, quickly earning high status, and enjoying all the perks that came along with it (if you travel that much, it really does matter!).  This past year, they gave all the high loyalty members a "gift".  The gift was $100 to spend ... at any of their boutiques.  

It turns out that $100 doesn't actually get you much at many of these boutiques - sure I could get a small travel sized bath product from any of their brands (and I do love the W Bliss products!) - or I could get some random kitchen dishes from Courtyard ... and that is what my "responsible" self almost did.  But my attention pretty quickly went towards the few culinary offerings.

"Indulge in the curated decadence of The Ritz-Carlton gourmet collection. Savor the flavorful taste of sustainably farmed caviar, gift our delicious chocolates, cake and exclusive coffee to a special someone or treat yourself."

The Ritz Carlton boutique has a couple "gourmet" options: their signature chocolate cake (which was sold out from the time I got the gift until it was set to expire, so not an option), caviar (way more $$$ than $100), branded coffee, and, chocolate collections (dark or milk & dark, 16 or 25 pieces).

So my choice was clear.  I was going to "splurge", and use my entire $100 gift just to ship myself a box of 25 very expensive chocolates - $59.99 for the chocolates, plus tax, plus required expedited shipping.  I knew there was no way this was maximizing the value, but hey, it was a gift, and I wanted chocolate.

The chocolates are branded as Ritz Clarton, but, a considerable bit of digging on my part lead me to the source: Norman Love Confections.  (The tip off?  One particular truffle with a very unique name allowed me to track these down).

"Norman Love has been producing beautiful handcrafted chocolate in Fort Myers, Florida since 2001. With an emphasis on artistry, premium ingredients, and innovative flavor combinations, the renowned chocolatier has earned significant national and international acclaim for his edible masterpieces."

I don't know much else about the chocolate maker, but Norman Love produces a large range of bars, "specialties", e.g. all sorts of flavors of malt balls, chocolate covered cookies, chocolate pops, chocolate caramels and toffee, hot chocolate, and more.

The Assorted Collection, 25 Piece: Packaging.

"Presented in a jewelry box-inspired package, each collection includes one piece each of 25 different flavors and designs.  Due to the required expedited shipping, this item will incur a $24.99 flat rate shipping fee."

As expected, given the price tag on these chocolates, they came nicely packaged, in a gift box with a silver satin-y bow.  I can't say I really felt it was "jewelry box inspired" though ....

The box was inside a cooler bag, with a (totally melted) ice pack.  At least they tried?  That is what my $25 expedited shipping got me ...

The Assorted Collection: Guide (2 Sided).

The included guide is two-sided, and mostly easy to match to the actual products.

Just looking through the guide made me pretty excited.  It really was an incredible assortment of white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate, with every type of filling you can imagine - creamy, sweet, nutty, fruity, spicy ...

I couldn't wait to get into this!  The good news? After tasting these chocolates, I completely understand why Norman Love has won so many awards.

The full lineup:

Milk Chocolate:

1. Caramel Macchiato
2. Dulce de Leche
3. Peanut Butter Marshmallow
4. Peanut Butter & Jelly
5. Sicilian Pistachio
6. Tahitian Caramel

Dark Chocolate

1. 80% Coueur de Guanaja
2. Coconut
3. Cookies 'N' Cream
4. Hot Dark Chocolate
5. Peanut Butter Cup
6. Raspberry
7. Tiramisu

White Chocolate:

1. Key Lime Shell
2. Yuzu Mango
3. Passion Panna-Cotta
4. Strawberry
5. New York Cheesecake
6. White Chocolate Raspberry

Truffle:

1. Sea Salt Caramel Truffle
2. Dark Chocolate Cream Truffle
3. Passionfruit Truffle
4. Roasted Almond Truffle
5. “Shot in the Dark” Truffle
6. Hazelnut Praline Truffle

You can probably guess which one lead me to the Norman Love brand name discovery ...

The Assorted Collection. 25 Piece. $59.99 + $24.99 (mandatory) Shipping.

"Inspired by a life of travel and exploration, this curated collection for The Ritz-Carlton features hand-selected chocolate from plantations around the world. Superior ingredients, including spices and nuts, are paired with chocolate of varying degrees of intensity to create new flavor combinations. Color, shape and texture are given equal weight as taste, resulting in edible works of art."

The Ritz Carlton shop calls this "The Assorted Collection", and sells it for $59.99.  The same box is also known as "the Signature Collection" at Norman Love directly, which they sell for $52.50.  Just sayin'.

This comes out to ... $3.40 per piece if you include shipping, $2.40 if you don't.  Yes, these were expensive chocolates.

Milk Chocolate

My box included 6 each of the milk, white, and truffle varieties, and 7 of the dark.  I selected a piece on any given day just based on my mood.

Milk chocolate isn't really my "goto" chocolate, but Norman Love makes very high quality milk chocolate, and I found myself gravitating towards these frequently.

Caramel Macchiato.

"Rich caramel cream and fresh espresso are swirled with sweet white chocolate and captured in a milk chocolate shell."

This was ... ok.

The milk chocolate shell was fine, as with all the chocolates, not too thick, not too thin, and quality chocolate, creamy milk chocolate.

Inside was smooth, creamy caramel.  Not too runny, not too stiff.  But I didn't taste any espresso or coffee flavor, nor the white chocolate either, it just tasted like caramel.  Not quite as advertised.

So "fine", a quality piece, but, it didn't deliver on the macchiato front.

***.

Dulce de Leche.

"A sweet layer of dulce de leche covers a decadent caramelized white chocolate ganache."

This one took a while for me to try, as I usually approached my box in the morning, cup of coffee in hand, barely awake, and wanted something ... less sweet.  Finally though, it was time to go sweet.

And quite sweet this was, as I expected.

Lovely creamy milk chocolate shell that melted in my mouth.  And inside, just as promised, a sweet white chocolate ganache, with a layer of gooey, even sweeter, dulce de leche above it.

Creamy, creamy, creamy, and sweet, sweet, sweet.  But quite enjoyable, high quality piece.

***+.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow.

"“Mallow” out with a classic combination of marshmallow, peanut butter and white chocolate ganache."

Ooop!  I took this one thinking it was the Dulce de Leche, really in the mood for caramely flavor, and was quite surprised when I bit in.  Heh.

But once I reset my expectations, "uh, that seems like peanut butter ....", I really enjoyed.  Smooth, creamy, quality milk chocolate shell, and a lovely sweet smooth peanut butter center.  The ganache really was extraordinary, so smooth, and perfectly balanced - it was certainly sweet (although it didn't taste like marshmallow exactly), but it wasn't cloying, and the peanut butter was quite present, but not too rich.

A very nice piece, although if you really wanted to taste "marshmallow" I'm not sure you'd be happy with it.

****.

Peanut Butter & Jelly.

"Fresh strawberry jam and creamy peanut butter coated in Swiss milk chocolate bring out the child in everyone."

This was one of the very last pieces I tried, because, well, I intentionally tried to "save the best for last" in some ways.  I was fairly certain this would be a winner.  I mean, peanut butter and jelly ...

It was good.  But ... it turns out, I like peanut butter & jelly.  And I like peanut butter cups.  And I like chocolate coated strawberries.  But ... I think there is a reason we don't put the jelly/jam in with the peanut butter in chocolates normally.

The peanut butter was great, super smooth and creamy.  The jam was good - fruity and flavorful.  Of course they went well together.  They each went well with the creamy milk chocolate too.  But put it all together and ... sum was less than its parts.  

It really surprised me that this didn't come together in the way I hoped, but, it didn't.

Side note: They call it peanut butter & *jelly*.  But the description says *jam*.  Ahem.  Which is it, Norman Love? :)

**+.

Sicilian Pistachio.

"Say “Ciao” to your cravings with this pistachio and white chocolate ganache, covered in milk chocolate."

The most memorable thing about this piece was the lovely green color of the filling.  It really was just a vibrant and really nice color.  It was striking.

And everything else about the piece?  Not memorable, in any way.

The milk chocolate shell was creamy, but fairly lost amongst the generous filling, I didn't really taste chocolate much at all.  The filling was very sweet, creamy, thick, um ... green, but only had a subtle pistachio flavor (if any, really).  I could easily have believed it was just white chocolate.

Don't get me wrong, it was a tasty piece, but, chocolate and pistachio both did not come through.  Lovely green white chocolate ganache though!

***.

Tahitian Caramel.

"It begins with a layer of creamy milk chocolate and a buttery caramel center accented with the essence of vanilla beans."

Tahitian Caramel was the last milk chocolate piece I tried as it was simply the most boring, and not one I was ever inspired to select, until I had no other choice.

This was the third "caramel"-like piece I tried - the dark chocolate caramel machiato and the dulce de leche were essentially caramels as well.  And ... it truly was the most boring.

Yes, quality, creamy milk chocolate shell that kinda melted in my mouth.  Perfectly smooth creamy balanced caramel inside, not cloying.  But ... that was it.  I didn't taste the "essence" of vanilla, there was no pop of salt, just nothing particularly interesting, at all, about this piece.

Totally fine, a simple classic, but bo-ring.

***.

Dark Chocolate.

While I had 6 each of the other varieties, since there were 25 chocolates total, Norman Love had to include an extra of one kind, and I was pretty happy dark chocolate got the bonus piece.

80% Coueur de Guanaja.

"All chocolate to the very core, this intense dark chocolate ganache will satisfy your deepest cravings."

I actually saved this piece for last.  I was really excited for it.  Deep, rich dark chocolate ... yes!

It was a nice piece.  Dark, smooth, creamy ganache, with the hit of bitterness you want inside a real dark chocolate.  It tasted almost like cocoa.

I liked it, but didn't love it.  Not quite sure why.

***.

Coconut.

"Sweet coconut flake and rich coconut cream go into the white chocolate filling within this dark chocolate confection."

Aww, a shell, how cute.  Not sure what that has to do with coconut though.

Anyway, this was a nice piece.  Thin snappy dark chocolate shell, good quality, but a thinner style, so it was not dominant in any way.  This piece was all about the creamy inside.

Inside was sweet white chocolate ganache, subtle coconut flavor, and a tiny bit of coconut shred for texture.  Not quite as intense as some may want, but I liked it.

More of an indulgent, sweet, creamy piece than a "chocolate" one though, so it it didn't quite satisfy my chocolate craving.

***+.

Cookies 'N' Cream.

"The fine dark chocolate crunch and smooth white filling you’d expect from this all-time favorite gourmet treat."

Heh, ok, first, a confession.  When I tried this, I thought it was the coconut one - the guide lead me astray!  Turns out, expectations, uh, influence how we feel about things.

Here was my review:

This one let me down.

The dark chocolate shell was perfect, they really do nail the proper thickness, enough to really taste the quality, smooth dark chocolate, but easy to break through.  

The filling though was ... boring?  I expected to really taste coconut, I was even hoping for shredded coconut inside, and this was just ... smooth white cream, sweet ... and I really didn't taste coconut, at all.

A fine sweet truffle, but not coconut.  ***.

Well, yes, self, not coconut.  I clearly didn't detect the dark chocolate crunch either, but I did at least recognize that the inside was just smooth white cream?  Heh.  Oh well.  Disregard this review.

Hot Dark Chocolate.

"Intense dark chocolate infused with jalapeño pepper for a delightfully spicy sweet combination."

This was a nice piece.

Again, very high quality dark chocolate shell, smooth, creamy, perfect thickness, slightly sweet style.  And inside?   Yup, some slight heat - it wasn't crazy intense, but, the heat was there, mixed in with the dark chocolate ganache.  Slightly spicy, slightly sweet, but mostly just incredibly well balanced.

I'd even like more heat, but the level here was still quite enjoyable.

****.

Peanut Butter Cup.

"A pure American favorite in all its glory, creamy peanut butter mixed with smooth milk chocolate and encased in a thin bitter sweet shell."

I find there some days that are "peanut butter days".  You know, those days where you just really, really want peanut butter.  (This happens to other people right?).  When I woke up one morning, having one of those days, this piece finally jumped out at me.

I've had my share of "fancy" peanut butter cups - from brands featuring organic nut butters, from high end chocolatiers, etc (e.g. Unreal, Jer's Squares, Chocolove, Skinny Cow, Vosges, Lindt, and local favorite Cocotutti).  This concept was not new to me.

But this one still was quite memorable.  A very, very, very good peanut butter cup.

The shell of course was part of the success - high quality, snappy, smooth dark chocolate.  But it was the filling that really impressed me.  Sooo smooth.  Sooo creamy.  Truly, as the description said, "glorious".

This was peanut butter cup perfection, I don't think it gets any better than this.

****+.

Raspberry.

"The yin and yang of flavor pairings, fresh tart raspberries lend a luxurious berry flavor to this irresistible dark chocolate confection."

Fruity chocolates aren't usually my go-to, but I was really in the mood for something fruity, and I was really in the mood for dark chocolate, so this looked perfect.  Chocolate and berries.  Classic.  

As with all the truffles, the shell was quality, smooth, shiny dark chocolate, not too thick, good snap, fairly deep flavor.  Inside was fruity dark chocolate ganache (no seeds), sweet and fruity, and a touch sour even.

It was a fine truffle, but not particularly memorable.

***.

Tiramisu.

"Ciao down on creamy vanilla mascarpone and rich espresso ganache enrobed in a dark chocolate shell."

Snappy dark chocolate shell.  Creamy vanilla ganache layer at the base.  Espresso infused biter ganache on top.  

Check, check, check.  A lovely piece, very balanced between sweet and bitter.  Only mild complaint is that I didn't taste mascarpone, and I wouldn't identify this as "tiramisu" rather than any other espresso based truffle, but I loved the very very bitter deep espresso flavor, and the complimentary creamy sweetness.

****.

Truffles

I really enjoyed many of the "regular" filled chocolates, but was eager to dive into the truffle collection too - all round, all filled with flavorful ganaches.  Most of the best pieces of the box were truffles.

Passionfruit Truffle.

"Travel to the tropics with the vibrant flavor of passion fruit, mixed in a milk chocolate ganache."

Passionfruit.  I *love* fresh passionfruit.  When I'm somewhere it grows locally, that is.  In the US ... yeah, not so much.  And passionfruit "flavor" things usually let me down big time.  Just sweet, usually fake tasting.

But one day I really, really wanted a fruity truffle, and so the passionfruit jumped out at me.

I loved it.

The milk chocolate shell was smooth and creamy, actually *good* milk chocolate.  The kind the melts in your mouth, if you take the care to eat slowly.  And inside, a fruity, milk chocolately ganache.  Incredible smooth and rich, light chocolate flavor, plenty of fruitiness.  It didn't taste fake, it was the right level of sweet, and, most of it, it actually tasted like passionfruit.

I was quite surprised by this piece, every element of it alone was perfectly executed, and together it was a delight.

****+.

Dark Chocolate Cream Truffle.

"A 49% dark Venezuelan chocolate made from Criollo beans and blended with cream and butter."

This was the first truffle I tried, and I was very, very impressed.

The shell was smooth, shiny, snappy quality dark chocolate, as with the dark chocolate pieces, not too thick, not too thin.  Quality.

Inside was lovely.  Thick yet creamy, beautiful chocolate ganache.  Soooo smooth, so rich, and full of deep dark chocolate flavor.

I savored every moment of eating this piece.

****+.

Hazelnut Praline.

"Pure and delicious Hazelnut praline is better than ever in this luscious milk chocolate truffle."

This was a good version of a pretty "standard" flavor these days.  Creamy milk chocolate and hazelnut isn't really novel at this point, and there wasn't anything extraordinary about this, but the inside was creamy smooth milk chocolate ganache, with little caramelized bits of hazelnut praline, lovely, um, Nutella-like flavor.  All coated in their standard quality milk chocolate shell.  

I'll give an extra point for the crunchy bits of hazelnut on top too.

Solid, fine, but less special than other flavors. ***.

Shot in the Dark.

"Power up with extra shot of espresso and coffee-infused cream in this intense dark chocolate filling."

This one delivered on its promise.  Unlike others that may have had subdued flavors, there was *no* denying the espresso in this one.  Smooth snappy dark chocolate shell, and creamy espresso filling.  It was bitter in a good way, and, well, tasted like coffee.  No, like espresso.

It truly was an espresso shot ... wrapped in dark (chocolate).  Well named, Norman Love.

***+.

Roasted Almond Truffle.

"This milk chocolate truffle is sweet perfection from the milk chocolate shell to the creamy milk chocolate and almond center."

Wow, yum.

This was the last truffle I tried, as I wasn't particularly excited for it.  It turned out to be lovely.

Very smooth, creamy milk chocolate shell.  The milk chocolate shells in general seem a bit thicker than the dark, resulting in a creamier mouth feel, vs the snappier dark chocolate.

And inside, sweet, smooth, creamy, almond ganache.  I thought there would be almond bits, but there were not.  Just smooth and luxurious, which worked really well.  The "roasted almond" flavor was quite nice.

Complex flavors in this one, and truly enjoyable.

****.

Sea Salt Caramel Truffle.

"This perfectly balanced dark chocolate truffle is filled with sweet golden caramel and topped with red and pink sea salts."

A very classic truffle, perfectly done.  Same dark chocolate shell - snappy, not too thick, slightly sweeter dark chocolate style.  The sea salt on top amped up the overall flavor, and even provided a tiny bit of texture.

The caramel inside was quite sweet, but buttery, and had quite a depth of flavor.  Far more than I expected.  It was not a runny style per se, but it was not thick either.

You definitely need to be in the mood for a sweet piece,  but the quality of the caramel in particular made this standout.

****+.

White Chocolate

And finally, white chocolate.  Not "real chocolate", but, sweet, creamy, and yes, I like white chocolate too.  It just has a different place in my life, not for mornings alongside my coffee, but rather for afternoons, or evenings, when I want just one more bite of something sweet.

Key Lime Shell.

"This tangy classic is made with fresh key lime juice for a feeling of Florida sunshine with each bite."

I know, how many times have I mentioned that I don't like lemon, lime, etc in desserts?  Key lime is *never* something I go for.

And yet, one day, this piece jumped out at me.

And ... I liked it.  

The tangy, slightly sweet, lime filling was delightful.  The white chocolate shell I thought was actually a bit too thick, the first time I've ever thought a ratio was off in a Norman Love piece, as the white chocolate took over.  I wanted more lime, less shell!

Tangy lime, who knew.  I guess I was in the mood ...

***+.

Yuzu Mango.

"Exotic yuzu jam and sweet mango blend beautifully in this creamy white chocolate ganache."

This was the first white chocolate I tried.  After the success of the "real" chocolate based truffled, I had high hopes that Norman Love would do white chocolate justice - not just sweet and waxy, and, indeed, they did.

Yes, the shell was sweet white chocolate, but it was smooth and creamy.  Inside was bursting with what I think was a mango liquid, and a yuzu ganache.  A tiny hit of acid from the yuzu, sweetness from the mango, and creaminess from the white chocolate.  All in one little bite.  And then it was gone.

I guess that means it was a success.  ***.

Passion Panna Cotta.

"A light buttermilk ganache layered with passion fruit and vanilla jam covered in white chocolate."

Sooo not a piece I'd ever normally select, but, after the success of the other passion fruit piece (the truffle), I was actually excited to try it one evening when I was in a "I want something sweet and fruity!" mood.  Plus, I obviously love panna cotta ...

This was not as good as the truffle, by any means - the passion fruit in particular had a bit of the "fake" taste to it.  And I didn't really love the white chocolate shell either.  BUT the buttermilk ganache was fabulous  - it really, truly, tasted like a panna cotta.  I didn't distinctly find any "vanilla jam".

Overall, a bit eh, but that buttermilk tang was pretty great.

***.

Strawberry.

"A heavenly couverture saturated with fresh strawberries make a creamy filling ripe with temptation."

For some reason, I was expecting a juicy, fruity filling.  I'm not sure why, but I was surprised when I bit in and nothing came gushing out.  Instead, it was a smooth, thick, sweet filling.  It tasted ... nothing like strawberries.  No fruitiness.  Just smooth, creamy, white chocolate.  Fine, but boring.

I was really surprised by this one, even with reset expectations, as, well, it literally tasted like ... nothing but white chocolate.  

The only dud of the entire batch.

**.

New York Cheesecake.

"Rich, freshly baked New York Cheesecake is blended into a white chocolate ganache for big city flavor."

Yum.  That is about all I have to say about this one.

The white chocolate-cheesecake ganache was delightful - sweet, creamy, tangy from the cheesecake aspect.  The white chocolate shell was certainly sweet, but it too was so smooth and creamy.  Together?  Just, well, tasty.  Sorry, I don't have a better word for it, but this was just good.  Simply put.

****.

White Chocolate Raspberry.

"This popular flavor from our Valentine’s Day collection has taken a permanent place in our hearts with its delicious combination of tart fresh raspberries swirled into sweet creamy white chocolate."

My very last piece.

It was a lovely piece.  I was in the mood for sweet, and white chocolate, and this was everything I wanted.  Smooth creamy white chocolate, both inside and outside, with a hint of raspberry in the filling.  So sweet, lightly fruity, and, well, just really what I was craving.

****