Of course, anyone who pops by this blog is likely to know that one of my deepest loves is chocolate. Therefore let’s take a look at two recent potential paramours courtesy of Vosges: one that I adored and another that I, in the fine words of Lano and Woodley, tolerated.
Vosges Gingerbread Toffee Bar
I expected to worship at the alter of this chocolate. Considering how much I adore dark chocolate, gingerbread, and the toffee that appeared in the Vosges Bapchi’s Bar, this chocolate should have been a home run. A slam-dunk. A… nope, I’ve run out of sports metaphors already. Could somebody please pass me my cross-stitch?
The unfortunate reality is that I was disappointed in this Vosges Gingerbread Toffee Bar. It was admittedly quite tasty… but only if thought of as a Vosges Salted Toffee Bar.
Gingerbread, Gingerbread, wherefore art thou Gingerbread? (Off doing the hankypanky with Rosaline is my guess.)
The aroma of this chocolate was devoid of spice or toffee notes, instead coming across as straight chocolate with a hint of cedar and vanilla. The flavour of the 65% dark chocolate and toffee came through well enough, with hints of hot fudge sauce, butter, and chocolate cake all present.
Surprisingly, though, the main flavour in this chocolate was salt flakes. Which, don’t get me wrong, did manage to perk up the butter toffee nicely.
But there was no gingerbread, and my heart wanted gingerbread. My mind expected gingerbread. My soul reached for gingerbread. Instead of the advertised allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, all I got was toffee and salt. Delicious, yet disappointing. In other words, a tolerable conundrum.
Vosges Creole Bar
Now this, my friends, is a chocolate worth dreaming of marrying. A chocolate worth doodling love hearts in your notebook for. A chocolate worth slipping into bed in your prettiest nightie in anticipation of cuddling.
The Vosges Creole Bar, made with 72% Sao Thome dark chocolate, cacao nibs, and New Orleans-style chicory coffee, is my new chocolate boyfriend. (I should admit that I’m very fickle with my chocolate boyfriends. You could even say I’m a man-eater when it comes to chocolate boyfriends.)
Deep dark chocolate with slight raspberry and burnt caramel notes, thrumming with the gorgeous taste of chicory coffee and intense woodsy smoky cacao nibs. Molasses, golden syrup, brazil nuts, rich and everlasting flavours lingering through and beyond the moment when the chocolate melts away on your tongue.
I think I need some alone time with this chocolate.
Question Time: Have you ever been to New Orleans? I hope to eventually show you a bit of my visit in 2007, if I ever get around to continuing my Time Warp series. Mmm, prepackaged slightly-stale sweet potato pie memories…
{ 74 comments… read them below or add one }
So where do I get a Vosges Creole Bar?
Do you have any friends travelling to America in the near future?
Sadly no, but I will be more attentive now.
Ah, not at all! I didn’t mention specifically this time that these were given to me by people who live/have recently travelled to the US
I’ve been to Baton Rouge, and to the Tabasco factory on Avery Island, but not to New Orleans. However, chicory coffee has my full interest.
What does not is the increasing amount of poor Vosges reviews out there, all saying the same things: that the chocolate is either flavorless, or hit-and-miss flavor, or not what the packaging describes it to be. Lame, Vosges. Spend some more time sending me beautiful decorative emails filled with cursive purple script everyday, why don’t you? Maybe then I’ll buy your pancake mix?
I think maybe they’ve gotten a bit big for their britches. However, I still like their chocolate – and prefer the darker percentage bars, by far;)
Oooh, do you get promotional emails from Vosges? You fancy celebrity lady you!
Alas, Vosges is much like the little girl who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead. When they are good, they are very very good (Creole, Red Fire, Naga), and when they are bad, they are bland and insipid and lame-o (‘most all the others).
That said, I will continue to yearn for every new flavour they bring out, because at least they’re innovative and exciting! We don’t really have many creative chocolate companies here in Aus.
Please excuse me for butting in here but … you’ve been to the Tabasco factory?! You are officially my hero of the day (and I must remember to add that to the one day in the future planned trip to the US).
That totally made me envious too! Didn’t even know it existed, but considering I even add tabasco to my peanut butter cookies…
At the time, I’d never even really had Tabasco, cause I couldn’t stand anything spicier than ketchup. But it was a nice short tour, they gave out three mini bottles of Tabasco and its offspring, and offered the opportunity to buy endless Tabasco merchandise (including cola and ice cream)!
I left with a serving tray and free bottle of Tabasco mustard. Score!!
But… but… ketchup is just sweet! (I guess that’s your point
) Okay, note to self: don’t add a metric tonne of chilli to meals when cooking for Emma. Wait until my serving is on my own plate.
I would be ALL OVER TABASCO ICE CREAM. Get in mah belly! xoxo
Heehee. I hope the xoxo is directed at the Tabasco ice cream:P
I’ve been working on my spice tolerance over the past three years, and I’m much better now [that I've killed a bunch of tastebuds]. So while maybe not a metric tonne, maybe an English ton? Ack, no, that’s heavier. Okay, a short ton, then!
Yes and no. I seem to be in a bit of a smoochy mood right now.
Maybe just a pinch?
I adore your flavor descriptions. Too bad about the lack of gingerbread flavor, though I do love anything salty and chocolate!
Aw, thank you Laura!
I would marry the gingerbread bar before the creole, even thought I agree it didn’t taste like gingerbread.
I mean, it’s like a guy who puts on a cover but opens up with just you…
This sounds good to me. You keep the Gingerbread, I’ll snaffle the Creole, and we’ll never have to worry about a man coming between us.
That harlot Rosaline, she maketh off with your gingerbread and cares not of your woe! I was just talking about New Orleans tonight as a matter of fact. It was fun when I was a teenager and found a White Russian Slushie to be a thing of wonder, and it was semi-fun as a young adult to take a better-than-expected vampire tour, but as a boring adult I just can’t hear When The Saints come Marching In on sax ten times a day and not lose it anymore. That Creole bar though, is one that I would have passed up by the package description, but now I must try it!
Oh how I’d love to be in that number!
I shall have to google this White Russian Slushie you speak of. Hmm, I enjoyed parts of New Orleans, but didn’t really get the whole experience as I was 20 years old and travelling alone (as a woman) (as opposed to the time I travelled as a man?!), and so didn’t really experience the whole bars/jazz clubs/music side of things. But I did hold a tiny and a bigger alligator on a bayou tour. Roar!
I had high hopes of the gingerbread chocolate too – well in my vicarious armchair way! But then I started to wonder what it was that made it a gingerbread chocolate rather than a spice chocolate if all it has is the spices of gingerbread – I had thought of little nuggets of gingerbread in it.
And you can have the chicory coffee – though I only know i dislike coffee and am less sure about chicory which I don’t think I have tasted despite a friend wanting to do an honours thesis on chicory history before she gave up her honours altogether!
I would *love* someone to make a chocolate with little pieces of gingerbread in it. Or pain d’epice.
I love hearing stories about people giving up honours. It makes me feel better about the whole PhD thing
I’ve only ever had chicory in the form of a slice that my grandma made with chicory syrup. Oooh, I need to find that recipe again!!
Fear not thou chocolate coated wayfarer. Rumour has it that a gingerbread man is hiding under your pillow tonight. Yes, tonight!
Well, that’s just going to give me nightmares now, isn’t it?!
This post really made me smile
I think you and the Creole chocolate make a great couple (for as long as you last 
) and I share your disappointment in the gingerbread bar. So much so that I hope a Vosges representative reads this post and changes the recipe to make it really taste of gingerbread, because I now want gingerbread chocolate quite badly. I didn’t know it existed until 10 minutes ago, but now its existence seems of utmost importance. Utmost.
The uttest of utmost, Kari! THE UTTEST.
Teehee, alas, my Creole boyfriend has already disappeared into nothingness. But gosh, we had a lovely fling while it lasted!
Do chocolate and gingerbread belong together? I’m not sure they do. I guess we’ll never know since your chocolate bar was lacking the gingerbread part.
It is a riddle that will plague us forever.
Or, from another perspective, it was never meant to be and we should leave well enough alone.
that’s the worst… when you have your expectations high and the taste is mediocre. i’ve been meaning to ask you, do you have a go-to dark chocolate bar?
The dark chocolate I always have on hand for daily afternoon snacking (without needing to stress about photos or tasting notes) is Lindt’s 85%. I’d probably say differently if I had other options, but here in Australia the only readily available/inexpensive chocolates in supermarkets are Lindt and Cadbury (EURGH), so I go for the darkest I can
Lul at your sport metaphors.
Reading your post makes me wonder how often (or even, if ever?) chocolate bars get put in the wrong wrapper. Like, maybe it was just salted chocolate and someone really stuffed up the label? I doubt it would really be the case, but fun to speculate.
I’m amazed I even knew two of them
I like your theory, but seeing as Vosges doesn’t make a salted toffee dark chocolate bar, and about 70% of their range completely fail at the flavours they’re meant to have… I think this once just sucks. 
Dude, I want that creole bar…. argh so bad. I want it to be my chocolate HUSBAND. Bummer on the gingerbread front, I too adore gingerbreag, love anything with that earthy molassey flavour
Ah, I don’t think I’d go so far as to make this my chocolate husband. I’ve heard that chocolate divorces are really messy.
I’ve tried Vosges’ Mo’s Chocolate Bacon Bar, but I’ve never had the flavors you’ve mentioned before. I need to try them, even the gingerbread one, since I’d rather try something for myself before writing it off.
Thanks for the review!
I’ve had the milk chocolate Mo’s more times than I can count, and have found it sometimes enticing, sometimes a bit dull. I remember being so excited by bacon chocolate back in 2007, when I first tried it, but now it seems rather boring!
I am just wondering why this happened. A lot of testing etc would have been done before the product was released. Bad batch? Or maybe the spices got mellow after sitting for too long? Or maybe you had spicy food just before and this muted the spices in the bar? Oops sounds like I am defending Vosges.
I’m sure Vosges is happy to have you defend them!
If I’d never had this happen with Vosges before, I’d be more kind, but at least half of their bars are completely lacking in the flavours they purport to have. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, which is another reason I’m quite critical!
Never ever been to the US, let alone New Orleans and keep hoping that LC will get a work trip there that coincides with us having:
* a healthy bank account
* school holidays (so that Sapphire can come too).
Gingerbread and chocolate is a divine pairing, so it seems out of character for Vosges to get that wrong.
Actually, sadly not out of character. I’ve found many of their flavours to be very insipid and bland, and yet others are wonderful. Is it possible for a chocolate company to have bipolar?
I hope you do get to New Orleans soon! Just think how warm it will be…
This bar sounds great! I have a soft spot for chocolate coffee bars anyway, and this sounds special.
I’ve never been to New Orleans, the only places I’ve visited in the US so far were Denver and California.
I’ve never ever had a Vosges bar to start with…
Me too; I’m a complete sucker for coffee and chocolate. Ah, you don’t need to feel too badly, as while some Vosges bars are fantastic, others are a complete disappointment.
you have sold me on the creole, i want some NOW!!!
Oh wooow… I don’t think I’ve ever eaten even close to half the chocolates you have in my lifetime! Not just that, the chocolates you show are always so far-fetched and interesting. I need to stop loitering in just the choc section of Big W and look past that for far better options out there lol.
Yes, yes you do. Get out of the absymal chocolate hell-hole that is Big W’s fake confectionary aisle RIGHT NOW. (Except for the Whittaker’s they sell. You’re allowed to eat that.)
Although it must be said that most of the awesome and inventive chocolates I talk about her come from The Overseas!
I was in New Orleans briefly back in 07 or 08. I wasn’t a fan but the Gods were not working in my favor. Lost luggage started off the day….but to each their own, I know a ton of people who love the city!
I like imagining that we were there at the same time
I was there just before New Year’s in 2007… I didn’t fall in love with it, but I do want to return to do it “properly”, i.e. actually see some music!
sadly we ran out of time during our recent US adventure and we didnt get to New Orleans
But you got to see many, many equally amazing places
Yup, I’ve been to NOLA! Most recently this past August, but that was only for a day… before that we went 2 years ago and spent 4 days there. It was great!
Well, you are a *little* bit closer…
Chocolate boyfriends! Haha! I think I tend to go through them pretty quickly as well…better not till Brad….!
I love the little imprints on the chocolate, tres cute.
I think as long as you keep returning to Brad, he shouldn’t mind about your sweet bits on the side too much
Oh I would have been so disappointed by that gingerbread one – don’t lead a girl on with promises of gingerbread and not deliver!
New Orleans is so on my list of places I must visit. One of these days maybe.
Yep, that bar was a terrible chocolate tease.
I was just blogging about how much I love Blue Bottle coffee. The coffee I most often get is New Orleans style with the chicory flavor. It is to die for. Now I must try the creole chocolate!!!
I’m so envious!! I’ve never had real chicory coffee. *dreams of travel and coffee…*
GASP – no gingerbread to be tasted amongst all that chocolate! That’s disappointing.
hahaha! Did you end up gettin some alone time with the 2nd bar? It does sound amazin…I’d likely need some alone time aswell.
I had so much alone time that now there’s none left.
Time to find a new chocolate boyfriend! 
Have not been to New Orleans but when you tire of your new guy do wrap him up well and pop him on the plane to Venice please. Or does he have a big brother?
Hmm… the only big brother I can think of would be the Oaxaca Bar… it’s darker, spicier, hotter…
Oh!! He sounds hot to trot!
*sob sob* I want my own Vosges stash (but maybe a version with more gingerbread please!).
Switch you my remaining bars for one of your 5-star hotel stays?
Ohhh it’s a shame when the gingerbread chocolate
it’s always disappointing when they don’t meet your expectations.
But I really want to get my hands on the second bar ~Where can you get Vosges chocolates in Australia?
Alas, you can’t.
All of my Vosges chocolates have come from my own travels in America, from my brother visiting America, or American friends posting it to me.
I love the sound of the creole bar. I’ll be off later seeking it out!
omg gingerbread toffee chocolate?! Be still my heart! And New Orleans is totally on my bucket list. I had plans to visit but then Hurricane Katrina hit
One day!
How dare nature so rudely delay your New Orleans adventuring! Bah, humbug!
Luckily, though, even that bastard of a hurricane can’t destroy the New Orleans spirit or their obsession with beignets
I can’t wait to read about your eventual traversing, Helen!
Oh yes it’s all about the beignet. How did you know?
Because our friendship was meant to be.
And because if even I tried one, then I know they’d be on your bucket list too
*like*
Sadly I didn’t make it to New Orleans on my trip to Houston last year. We planned to go for a weekend, but there was a stupid Hurricane in the way, and couldn’t go. I wish I had found that gingerbread toffee bar, even if it was a bit disappointing. Of course I have no interest at all in the creole.
Stupid nature and its problematic travel disruptions! I’ll eat your share of the Creole
Cedar! That’s that flavor I hate in low-quality cinnamon! Thank you for helping me figure that out. And yes, I have been o new Orleans, once. It was a marvelous two days of eating nothing but delicious food!
*bows* I am ever at your service, dear Camille.