The pearlescent aqua box is an eye-catcher, calling you over to investigate its contents. Everything about the presentation is nice - the embossed box is sealed with a unique strip of tape that says FRESH in matching aqua. All the labels are meticulously placed and provide information about what type of candy is in the box. For this review I sampled a 2 small sets of four truffles and four caramels costing $6.95 and 5.95 per box respectively.

Unfortunately with these small boxes, there is no guide included to describe the flavors. The first one I bite into is immediately and obviously orange, both in the intense color of the filling and the taste. The filling is very smooth and soft, but a little sweet for my taste. The dark enrobing, albeit not original, is a nice compliment to the center. Nestled in the matching aqua foil is a milk chocolate mint truffle, which I admit I wish was dark chocolate. The mint and the milk chocolate pair well, neither one overwhelming the flavor of the other which can happen with these. The other milk chocolate truffle is a bit of a mystery to me. When I bite into it, I am not sure what the flavor was supposed to be, as nothing stands out. It is grainy and has an almost brown sugar flavor mixed with chocolate. The fourth one is my favorite of the box - dark chocolate with a smooth almond butter center. While I prefer my peanut centers to have a bit of crunch to them, this one had a good salty overtone and strong roasted nut flavor. I would prefer the consistency to be a bit thicker, but mixed with the nice dark Belgian couverture, this is a tasty mouthful to savor.

The caramels are presented nicely, each with a different design of chocolate accent. I did not notice much taste difference between the different nuts associated with each one. The chocolate they are partially dipped in is very soft and of good quality. The caramels are also very gooey and a bit sticky. The level of sweetness is good, and the flavor is very mellow with none of the distinctive burnt sugar flavor some have.

Carefully constructed and presented, V Chocolates are certainly in the top tier of commercially available chocolates. They spell out their use of quality ingredients such as Grade AA creamery butter and fresh dairy cream, which comes through in the taste. I purchased these at a small candy store in San Diego though they are based primarily in Utah. Nothing terribly innovative in the flavor selection, but sometimes it's nice to enjoy a chocolate that is just what you expect, satisfying, sweet and chocolatey.

Maker Notes:

Lovely Inside and Out
Which is more wonderful ?the velvety insides of our caramels and truffles, or their pure Belgian chocolate shells? Thanks to clever engineering on our part, you'll never have to find out. Because with chocolates, it's what's inside and outside that counts.
Our Truffles and Caramels come in assorted flavors and mixtures hand selected by our Master Chocolatier in Light, Dark, and Assorted Light and Dark Belgian chocolate.