Freelance Lady: Hand-Crafted Premium Chocolates from Choclatique

Ah, chocolate—perhaps the most widely accepted sweet treat on the planet.

I am a huge chocolate lover—a fan of the varying tastes as well as the benefits that chocolate has to offer when enjoyed in moderation. For example, did you know that the smell of chocolate increases theta brain waves which, in turn, increases relaxation? Perhaps this explains why so many look to chocolate as a soothing comfort food when they're feeling down.

* Product and/or service provided for review without cost. As always, all opinions are my own.

My love for chocolate is the reason that I couldn't say no when I was offered the chance to try premium chocolate courtesy Chocolate.org. I immediately agreed after browsing the extensive collection that Chocolate.org has to offer.

There was, however, one particular set that caught my eye. That set was from Choclatique.com.

The box that I chose was the Epitome Collection.

What drew me to this box of chocolates was the description from Choclatique.com:

Embark on the ultimate chocolate truffle journey highlighting the pure flavors of the ingredients enhanced by our custom semisweet chocolate. Inspired by the growing demand for fine, dark, heirloom chocolate, Epitome is the exemplification of them all—delicious, gourmet chocolate truffles made with Choclatique's (76% cacao) award-winning, ultra-premium, indulgent, dark semisweet chocolate. Each hand-crafted chocolate truffle is an experience not to be forgotten. You've never tasted dark chocolate truffles like Epitome!

I have never had the chance to experience a true gourmet chocolate truffle and I've always wanted to. The fact that the Epitome box also contained several different flavors was yet another reason this set stood out to me.

In the box were eight gorgeous pieces of chocolate, each hand-crafted:

Dark Chocolate Butter Truffle
Spanish Blood Orange
St-German
Tahitian Island Vanilla Bean
Hazelnut
Remy Martin XO French Cognac
Roasted Almond Marzipan
Italian Nougat

After I put in my order, I anxiously waited on the arrival of the chocolates and once I received them, I was highly impressed.

Why?

Well, first of all, I didn't expect such a beautiful presentation.

The is absolutely beautiful—packaged in a chocolate brown leatherette box with a hand-tied, chocolate-colored satin bow.

There was even a small envelope attached, addressed to me. Inside was a note, which added a personal touch to the box of chocolates—a touch which I was very fond of.

Seriously, though. This box is stunning! Let's have one last look at it in it's splendid glory.

After admiring the box for quite some time, I finally decided to open it. Inside was a pamphlet showcasing the different chocolates that Choclatique.com has to offer, as well as some additional information about proper storage.

Removing the pamphlets to reveal the chocolate underneath was the moment that I had waited for. This is the delicious goodness that I was presented with.

Before I tell you about these stunningly gorgeous chocolates, let me first say that the Epitome set contains absolutely no preservatives, artificial flavors, or artificial colors. There is no corn syrup and no GMO ingredients. The chocolates are gluten-free, Artisan made, hand decorated, and hand packaged.

Now, let's get to the even better stuff.

I was incredibly excited to try several of these pieces and also invited my husband and children to try some as well.

We sat together, each taking a bite of one while the others looked on. My husband, who prefers more simple chocolates, was impressed by the Spanish Blood Orange included in the Epitome set. He enjoyed the way that the flavors came together—the sweet orange with the more bitter chocolate.

My son loved the Butter Truffle, whereas the Italian Nougat was my favorite piece in the box. Choclatique.com certainly has an award-winning set of chocolates with the Epitome set. We were all highly impressed and somewhat sad once all of the chocolate had been eaten.

At only $20 for an eight-piece set, I think that it is totally worth it, whether you're sending a box as a gift or to enjoy for yourself.

This was my first time trying chocolates from Choclatique.com and I am happy to say that my first impression was a positive one. I look forward to trying additional chocolates from the company and will look to them whenever I need to send a box as a gift.