Valrhona Dulcey 32% Blond Chocolate

I bought Valrhona's Blond chocolate in Marseille, enjoying it after my al fresco dinner at sea which consisted of a fresh baguette from the boulangerie,  a blue-veined cheese and a pork terrine. I wouldn't usually have chocolate I'm to 'review' straight after a meal, especially a meal of such flavour! I usually taste my chocolate in the quiet darkness of nighttime, if not, several hours after having anything flavourful. I enjoyed my Valrhona blond chocolate and just wished I could have had more... I had to share it with my parents you see. I came to the conclusion that it was best and only fair I try the chocolate again but with a fresh and pure palate. So I bought the bar again the following morning and had it on the 11am train to Cannes, having only had fruit a few hours prior

The flavour had a late start, but it was beautiful and very delicate. It was like a buttery toffee. Comparing to standard white chocolate, it wasn't really sweet but its relaxing, dark, soft sweetness made it just as rich. And unlike most white chocolate, "SUGAR" didn't spring to mind. It had a more buttery, caramelised and subtlety burnt flavour

The Dulcey Blond had a soft break, but snapped so intactly with my third bar (my third bar had the more interesting and defined scoring). My first bar had an immensely smooth mouthfeel but the second felt rather wet in the mouth, and with my third I felt more inclined to just chew. The unique tan colour was beautiful, it really reflects the flavour

my third bar

This chocolate, if I can call it chocolate by European standards, actually smelt better than it tasted. The aroma was like cooking and caramelising white chocolate on a stove whilst sitting on a cloud, watching the sun melt into the horizon and the red sky fade into darkness. (note to self: David Lebovitz' caramelized white chocolate recipe - I must try it!). Whereas the taste was, like I said, more delicate and seemed almost timid 

The short finish was buttery vanilla fudge, butterscotch and a salted feel and taste on the tongue. Valrhona note that their Dulcey tastes toasty and of shortbread. I very much agree. It certainly was toasty and I had a taste of shortbread biscuits dipping into a white chocolate fondue