Bombillow Vegan Chocolate Subscription Box Review

Take a scout through my list of chocolate subscription box services and you'll quickly notice that most of them feature single brands. Quickly and easily set up a subscription and you'll receive a monthly selection of products from a single company. That's great if you have a favourite brand of chocolate and want to be plied with box upon box of those brand-specific products.

But what if you're fussy - like me - and like a bit of everything? What if you love not knowing what you'll receive each month? Like Forrest Gump and his infamous chocolate box.

Thankfully, there's a couple of choices available to you, and today I'm taking you on a tour of one of these. Bombillow draws its products from artisan chocolatiers and chocolate makers, and they kindly sent me a box to sample.

Packaging

Delivered by Hermes, the colourful sleeve serves as both an introduction to the brand and as a protection through the postal network.

The green and orange packaging certainly stands out. The front lists the Bombillow name along with a chocolate molecule diagram. On the reverse, there's a definition of theobromine plus an explanation on how it became known as the 'food of the gods' in Mayan and Aztec civilisations.

Break the shipping label seal, slide off the sleeve, open the brown cardboard box, and peel back the black tissue paper to discover your artisan treats.

Depending on your subscription package, each month you can expect a varied assortment of chocolate products from a range of artisan brands. Importantly, each box differs each month, so your box next month won't look like mine. That's a great selling point as it keeps the range of products fresh and exciting, plus it also facilitates in the discovery of new gems.

Normally, when I sign up to same-brand subscription box services, I get bored with the selection after a couple of months. I like variety, and the excitement of a surprising selection. So far, this box delivers on that.

Bombillow Vegan Chocolate Subscription Box Review

Here's what is in my box:

1. A 50g bar of Pacari Esmeraldas 60% dark chocolate.
2. A teeny-tiny 2g single chocolate-covered physalis (otherwise known as a cape gooseberry or goldenberry) by Pacari.
3. A 10g Pacari Andean Mint dark chocolate taster bar.
4. A 45g bar of Aurosó's Vegan Rose Geranium Dark Chocolate.
5. A 60g pouch of Explore Chocolate's Berau Indonesian 76% Dark Chocolate flakes.
6. A cute 18g Dark Chocolate Raspberry Heart Lollipop by Cocoa Loco.
7. Four chocolate bonbons by Aneesh Popat, Anisa & Chocolate, and Tom's Bonbons.

1 Pacari Esmeraldas 60% Cacao Bar (50g)

• What is it? A 60% dark organic vegan chocolate bar made in Ecuador with Arriba Nacional cacao.
• Who made it? Pacari, Edinburgh.
• What's it like? This bar exhibits a rich, sweet aroma with notes of smoke, leather, raisins, and berries coming through. The bar has a good clean snap and at 50g, this will keep you going over several sittings. There's a surprising level of sweetness that comes through at the start for a 60% bar. There's bag-loads of creaminess that develops, but it's the fruity flavour, with notes of pineapple and apricot, that is the star here. These almost-tropical flavours develop nicely throughout the melt. Notes of cashew nut and honey briefly dip in briefly at the end. You're left with a sweet and satisfying fruity cocoa flavour that lingers into the aftertaste.

2 Pacari Chocolate-Covered Physalis (2g)

• What is it? A physalis (otherwise known as a golden berry or cape gooseberry) covered in organic dark chocolate.
• Who made it? Pacari, Edinburgh.
• What's it like? Blink and you'll miss it. This chocolate-covered ball is around the size of a Malteser but is world's apart from a mass-produced crunchy malt ball. Here, smokey and leathery notes from the chocolate tempt you in. Biting into the ball, it has a notably firm texture. The smokey qualities of the chocolate land first, but suddenly there's a burst of flavour. There's a citrus tang that develops into a sourness before revealing notes of red fruit. This tartness subsides to allow some of the darker cocoa notes to come back through. It's a small bite, and would be the ideal partner to a cup of coffee, which explains why this is part of Pacari's Coffee Match range!

3 Pacari Andean Mint Dark Chocolate Taster (10g)

• What is it? A small 10g serving of 60% dark organic chocolate infused with organic mint essence.
• Who made it? Pacari, Edinburgh.
• What's it like? The aroma of spearmint greets you when open the pack. It dominates the smokey, leathery cocoa notes that sit just beneath. Herbal, green, leafy flavours - spearheaded by mint of course - leads in the tasting, although it's more subtle than its fragrance implied. The clean mint flavour itself reminds me of spearmint with a mild peppery quality to it. The flavour dwarfs the smooth cocoa notes which hum away just below the surface. The chocolate imparts sweetness and creaminess together with a slight smokey edge, but this bar is all about that mint flavour. Into the aftertaste, the cocoa fades away as does much of the mint flavour, leaving just a thin strand behind for a short while.

4 Aurosó Vegan Rose Geranium Dark Chocolate Bar (45g)

• What is it? A 90% Madagascan dark chocolate bar perfumed with rose and geranium.
• Who made it? Aurosó Chocolate, Oxfordshire.
• What's it like? I've had the pleasure of sampling Aurosó Chocolate luxury low-sugar bars before, and it's one of my all-time favourite's in Catrin's collection. Peeling back the golden-coloured foil reveals wafts of a dark and rich Turkish Delight. In the tasting, the rich and fruity Madagascan chocolate comes through clearly and compliments the gentle red rose flavour. There's a slight floral edge to the flavour thanks to the geranium but it's the rose flavour that stands out the most. A mildly bitter finish compliments the fragrant rose aftertaste that lingers for a long time. This bar is rich, indulgent and deeply satisfying, especially if you adore Turkish Delight as much as I do.

5 Explore Chocolate Berau Indonesia 76% Dark Chocolate Flakes (60g)

• What is it? Chocolate flakes made using cacao from the Berau Regency in East Kalimanta, Indonesia. The 76% dark chocolate is hand tempered on granite then scraped into shards, ready for baking or making hot chocolates.
• Who made it? Explore Chocolate, Burton Latimer, Nottinghamshire.
• What's it like? The aroma of this chocolate is quite fresh for a 76% dark chocolate. I pick up notes of coconut, cream and vanilla in the fragrance. These chocolate flakes are versatile so can be used in a manner of ways, such as in baking, hot chocolate, or simply for snacking. In terms of flavour, these shards melt quickly and release notes of coconut and vanilla to begin with, which morph into sweeter notes of butterscotch towards the end. There's barely any bitterness here to distract from the smooth flavours. I opted to pop my flakes in my hot chocolate shaker with some milk to make a creamy, frothy mug of hot chocolate. Indulgent, rich and deeply satisfying, these make an intense and heady hot chocolate that's full of rich cocoa and brownie flavours.

6 Cocoa Loco Dark Chocolate Raspberry Heart Lollipop (18g)

• What is it? A whimsical lollipop by Cocoa Loco made using organic and Fairtrade cocoa from the Dominican Republic together with freeze-dried raspberry pieces.
• Who made it? Cocoa Loco, West Grinstead, West Sussex.
• What's it like? Smokey, earthy leathery notes perfume this chocolate lollipop, together with hints of red fruits from the dried raspberry pieces. On tasting, the raspberry immediately introduces tartness and zing, while the dark chocolate releases smokey notes. The raspberry flavour stays at the forefront throughout the melt, so the rich cocoa takes a back seat. There's a little bit of sweetness in there, which keeps any hint of bitterness at bay. The aftertaste is made up of chocolate brownie flavours blended with red fruits. A minor touch of bitterness sits in the sidelines and fades with the flavours.

7 Assorted Chocolate Bonbons (40g)

• What is it? A 70% dark chocolate shell hiding a smooth hazelnut praline with a marshmallow centre.
• Who made it? Aneesh Popat, Sandy, Bedfordshire.
• What's it like? A wonderfully rich, roasted nuttiness is the order of the day and Aneesh delivers this in droves here. The dark chocolate adds depth and richness but the star flavour is that of toasted hazelnut. The small and chewy marshmallow adds an interesting and playful textural contrast which I like.

• What is it? A dark chocolate shell boasting a layer of mint creme atop a layer of dark chocolate ganache.
• Who made it? Tom's Bonbons, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire.
• What's it like? This lively bonbon has a full-on peppermint flavour that sits front and centre. It comes from the sweet liquid fondant centre that pairs nicely with the rich, dark chocolate ganache beneath.

• What is it? A hand-painted heart made with 40% Columbian stone-ground chocolate heart filled with raspberry, coconut milk and white chocolate.
• Who made it? Anisa & Chocolate, Cambridge.
• What's it like? Coconut notes dominate the aroma of this pink heart-shaped chocolate, reflected in the flavour too. The flavours of raspberry and the white chocolate come through in the taste, but play second fiddle to the coconut.

• What is it? A hand-painted heart made with 70% St Vincent stone-ground dark chocolate with chai spices.
• Who made it? Anisa & Chocolate, Cambridge.
• What's it like? This is a lovely pairing of the smokey qualities of the St Vincent dark chocolate together with the subtle fragrances of the chai spicing. The chai flavour itself is relatively meek, such is the force of the dark chocolate, but the two distinct flavours swirl around harmoniously.

Is The Bombillow Vegan Chocolate Subscription Box Any Good?

Yes! I wasn't sure what to expect, but loved what I found inside the box.

The products inside aren't from a single brand, and they change each month so the likelihood of your boxes feeling stale after a while is considerably lower than with a traditional single-brand chocolate subscription.

Admittedly, this particular box is weighted towards Pacari and it features a lot of dark chocolate (unsurprisingly as a vegan-friendly chocolate subscription box). That said, there's a good mix of flavours and origins here, and I especially like the inclusion of bonbons and hot chocolate flakes alongside the bars. It's great to see something other than bars incorporated into a box like this. Curating a collection of bonbons is a lovely touch that sets Bombillow apart.

I also like the plethora of information Bombillow compiles about each product and producer. It's not a case of slapping products in a box and shipping them out. No, instead Bombillow curates biographies for each brand and explains in depth why they felt the products in your box deserved their places inside.

I can't fault its value for money either. At £17.95 plus delivery, it feels like it delivers exceptional value for money. There's a good assortment of products in a good range of sizes. Altogether, there's 225 grams of chocolate delights inside my box (remember each month will be different), in sizes that lend themselves well (in most cases) to sharing with a partner. Alternatively, you could always hide this box away from everyone else and dip into it over the course of the month ahead of your next delivery.

Where to Buy Online

Bombillow offers a trio of artisan chocolate subscription boxes across several price points.

The Classic Bombillow subscription box includes a selection of treats from artisan chocolate makers and chocolatiers made using milk, white and dark chocolate. Prices start from £17.95/month (plus postage) when you take out a six-month subscription. You can try a single box for £18.95 plus postage here.

The Vegan Bombillow subscription box is available at the same price points as the Classic box, but only includes vegan-friendly chocolates. It's available as a single-box order or as a three- or six-month subscription here.

The Gourmet Bombillow subscription box is the crème de la crème offering, and boasts a larger selection of artisan products. Prices start from £33.20/month plus delivery when you take out a six-month subscription, and it too is available as a single-box order or as a three- or six-month subscription here.

What do you think of the selection of products in this Bombillow chocolate subscription box? Let me know in a comment below.

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