South of France: Compartes Lavender Chocolate Bar Review
There was a day not too long ago when I was in Winter Park, Florida, where I discovered lavender ice cream. I remember thinking: “this will be interesting”. It wasn’t interesting, it was AMAZING and it was downright delightful. I usually research everything. to. death. but this time I just popped into a local gelato shop on a whim. Ever since that day, I have been in pursuit of everything lavender flavored. When I made my Compartés x Velveeta chocolate order recently, I couldn’t resist ordering their lavender chocolate bar too! In this review, I’ll take you on a sensory journey, sharing my thoughts and impressions of this exquisite creation by Compartes.
South of France
From the moment you peel the gold foil away from the Compartes Lavender Chocolate Bar, the air becomes infused with a heady floral aroma. The scent of lavender lilted peacefully around the room and you could tell the taste would be strong. One thing I have noticed in so many lavender recipes and store bought treats, is that the flavor is often too subtle to taste. This was not the case with the Compartes chocolate bar.
Taste & Texture:
Compartés’ chocolate is well tempered and snaps like nobody’s business, and is smoother than butter as it melts. The velvety smoothness of the chocolate melts on your tongue, immediately releasing that distinct lavender flavor. The strength of flavor is almost like walking through a field of lavender, in fact I felt like the flavor was too strong, which is a very strange thing for me to say. I love strength in flavor, but there is a balance between too much and too little. The white chocolate background is perfect, it’s lucious, it’s sweet and to say it’s creamy is an understatement. The lavender was just too much for me; I am one of those people that only likes certain things based on the temperature outside. Pumpkin spice, cinnamon anything, hot chocolate, lavender when it’s not paired with something cold, is enough to overwhelm me. That’s not to say it’s not good, but the flavor is pronounced enough that it creates a sensory overload for me.
Packaging & Presentation
Each Compartes chocolate bar variety features unique artwork. The Compartes lavender chocolate bar features abstract artwork in purple hues that appears to have been done in oil pastel. The paperboard outer wrapper is charming enough to gift as it is or simply wrap a bow around it and tuck in a little note. The chocolate shipped to me from California to Mississippi and arrived perfectly intact!
Conclusion
The Compartes brand challenges everything when it comes to flavors and tradition and that alone makes me love the brand. One of my secret mottos is: challenge everything. When I see a maker, a brand, a company or anyone really, that defies the status quo, I can’t help but follow with intrigue. Though the lavender flavor was too much for me during the roasty summertime temps, I intend on trying each and every flavor that Compartes has to offer. I will probably try their lavender chocolate bar again when it gets cold later this year. If a pumpkin spice latte or hot coffee doesn’t overwhelm your senses during the summer and you love lavender flavors, then you will love this chocolate confection.
