Another quick review from my swag at the La Chocolate Salon on Sunday in Pasadena. I came across this table at the end of the day and was drawn to it because I liked the simple yet cute package design, their logo and their name. Bootleg Chocolates- island inspired chocolates with flavor inclusions of hibiscus, guava, coconut and of course, rum! When I asked them to tell me a little bit about the chocolates, Amanda co-founder and chef told me about the origin of the name and how her granny used to tell her stories about prohibition on the islands. I tried digging into more info about the actual chocolates by asking about the ingredients and she highlighted the use of island fruits, spices and rums. She also assured me they use only quality ingredients but revealed no real info about the chocolate itself, which to me is the most important part. Unfortunately they were out of samples but I was intrigued so I purchased this 8pc box pictured above for 20$
Today I ate the whole box and after this I’m going to go on a bike ride to work it off! These chocolates at first glance are very attractive and attractive to photograph as well. I love the rustic look of the turquoise piece at right which is done with a combination of acetate texture sheets and cocoa butter paint. This technique fits very well into the island theme and I admire Bootleg’s ability to pull it off, as a perfectionist I would never be able to deal with the air bubbles. I do like where they are going with the flavors of the chocolate centers but many of them are lost in the grainy texture. The outer shells are much too thin which caused one of the domes to cave in on top and the “foot” sealing the bottoms are much too thick. A better ratio of chocolate coating is ideal in balancing not only the texture but the flavor of molded and cut chocolates. In general the caramels could have been smoother, the Goat Pepper & Balsamic Caramel wasn’t spicy on the tongue but spicy on the back of my throat, which was a bit odd and the balsamic lost.
I don’t usually like to post negative reviews of chocolate but I did spend money on these and I do believe in constructive criticism. I think this is a new company and if it were me I would really want to know how to better improve my chocolates.
Very balanced and honest review, as there’s always room for improvement! I do quite like the packaging. Good job Bootleg!
you sound like a cooking school instructor.