Having fairly recently reviewed and enjoyed Charles Chocolates’s tea truffles, I was excited when I got the chance to try Hedonists’s take on the genre when they gave me a free box of their Spring Teas Truffle Collection.
Jasmine was beautifully painted with green swirls and green speckles. It tasted mostly of deep, dark chocolate with an aftertaste of dim sum tea that was lightly astringent, but not unpleasantly so. The jasmine flavor was more mild than Charles Chocolates’s interpretation, but it was still a great pairing.
Earl Grey was topped with a sprinkle of crisp, dry tea leaves. It had a dark and fruity undertone of “tea-ness.” Earl Grey is supposed to have citrus extract, but I thought it tasted more purple – if that makes any sense. Another lovely flavor pairing.
Lapsang Souchong was topped with a dry roasted almond. It tasted super whoa smoky, like liquid smoke smells. I wouldn’t seek it out over others in the collection, but I did enjoy tasting it.
I usually find chai chocolates to be overly flavored and/or sweetened, but Hedonist’s chai truffle was spot on. It had nice spice notes of mostly nutmeg. The chocolate flavor is the main player here, with a mild sweetness that’s nicely tempered by the nutmeg.
The green tea truffle had pretty green stripes with a cheery green ganache center to match. The green tea was a subtle flavor addition to a delightfully creamy filling.
I thought it had a mild grassy finish, but that could have been the green filling exerting undue influence on my taste bud interpretations. I found it deliciously intriguing, and it was my favorite of the bunch.
I love how thoughtful Hedonist’s truffles are. Instead of letting the flavor additions take over, they keep the chocolate in the starring role. The chai truffle in this collection was a great example of that. An OM as a whole, with a bonus G for the green tea truffle.