Nibblette 12-Piece Chocolate Selection Box Review

I'm obsessed with pretty-looking chocolates. My Instagram home screen is awash with the most divine looking chocolate bonbons, from all four corners of the globe.

I also have a penchant for unusual flavour combinations or creative applications of flavours to showcase something old in a new way.

When Shaoni Nandy of Nibblette got in touch to see if I'd like to try a selection of her beautiful award-winning filled chocolates, I practically bit her hand off.

Shaoni trained to become a pastry chef and then attended the Barry Callebaut Academy to hone her chocolate skills. She then took courses with Ecole Chocolat and even took up residency in France to attend L'ecole Valrhona. She draws on the key flavours and memories of her traditional Indian upbringing to curate a diverse selection of really interesting flavour combinations through the medium of chocolate.

Packaging

The chocolate bonbons arrived inside a sleek white linen-textured board box, sealed with a golden ribbon.

The Nibblette logo shone in copper foiled print, which added a lovely touch to my first impression. You can't help but want to pull on the ribbon to reveal what is hidden inside.

A sticker on the rear of the box affixed the ribbon, with a master list of ingredients for all possible flavours printed upon this. While it looks lengthy, this list covers all 18 flavours in the current range.

Nibblette Filled Chocolates ingredients:
White chocolate (cocoa butter, sugar, whole milk powder, dried skimmed milk, whey, butter, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla extract), milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, cocoa beans, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla extract), dark chocolate (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla extract), sugar, whipping cream, butter, glucose syrup, invert sugar, oat cream (water, oats, rapeseed oil, emulsifier (E472e), stabiliser (xanthan gum), iodised salt), pineapple puree (pineapple (90%), sugar (10%)), cocoa butter, coconut nectar sugar, loose leaf Assam tea, Monsoon Malabar coffee beans, coconut, coffee liqueur, coconut liqueur, yoghurt powder (yoghurt powder (48%), sugar, malic acid, citric acid, yoghurt flavour), pectin jaune, rose water, screwpine essence, pink Himalayan salt, lime zest, spices, colours. Cocoa solids: 46% minimum (milk chocolate); 66% minimum (dark chocolate). Cocoa butter: 32% minimum (white chocolate).

Nibblette sustainably sources its high quality couverture chocolate from Valrhona, Casa Luker, and Original Beans, pairing milk, white and dark chocolate with a diverse and often surprising selection of ingredients.

Nibblette 12-Piece Chocolate Selection Box Review

Inside the box were a couple of layers of cushion pads to protect the chocolates while they were in transit. There was also a colourful double-sided menu card with the various mouthwatering flavours, so I knew exactly what I was devouring without having to constantly refer to the website. This is especially handy if you are giving this box of chocolates as a gift.

As I lifted out the cushion pads, I was greeted by a stunning collection of chocolates beaming back at me. With remarkably shiny mirror-like exteriors, these chocolates twinkled and danced in the light.

Shaoni had put together a bespoke set of six flavours for me to try, including a mix of award-winning chocolates as well as some of her signature flavours.

Here are my thoughts, in the order I tasted them in.

Lemon & Cardamom

• What they say: A white chocolate shell with a sweet, light lemon ganache and a hint of cardamom.
• Features: Gluten-free
• My thoughts: Lovely and summery, this was a vibrant and zesty bonbon. It reminded me of the flavour of a rich and indulgent lemon meringue pie. Right from the start, the creamy lemony aroma matched the fragrant lemon that livened up my palate. The white chocolate shell added creaminess into the mix along with sweetness that helped to balance the citrus tartness perfectly. I struggled to pinpoint the flavour of cardamom until right at the very end, as it was dwarfed by the fresh summery flavour of lemon. Even then, it sat right at the bottom of the aftertaste as the creamy lemon flavour lingered for some time.
• Verdict: A lovely taste of summer, with fresh zesty flavours balanced against the creamy white chocolate.

Double Raspberry

• What they say: A dark chocolate shell containing a layer of sweet raspberry jelly and a layer of smooth raspberry ganache.
• Features: Gluten-free, naturally vegan, and award winning too.
• My thoughts: The shell exhibited a dark fruity aroma. This bonbon piled raspberry on top of raspberry, and that paired beautifully with the fruity, ever-so-slightly-bitter dark chocolate shell. The raspberry flavour was tart and vibrant yet clean and rounded. I liked the pairing of the jelly and silky ganache textures which added an interesting dynamic into the mix. The dark chocolate introduced a slightly bitter edge which worked well to tame the tartness. The finish was clean, with rich cocoa notes lingering in the aftertaste at the forefront, with delicate raspberry notes behind.
• Verdict: There was no mistaking this was a raspberry dark chocolate bonbon. It cleverly balanced tartness and bitterness with just enough sweetness, together the benefit of multiple textures. The result was a perfectly rounded flavour that was deep and rich.

Mishti Doi (Indian Baked Yoghurt)

• What they say: A sweet yoghurt flavoured ganache inside a caramelised white chocolate shell.
• Features: Gluten-free, and a signature Nibblette bonbon.
• My thoughts: There was not a particularly strong aroma from this bonbon, and the flavour was curious too, with caramel notes dominating throughout. It kicked off with a slight tang at the beginning before becoming all about the caramel. There were lactic notes towards the end along with a slightly tart finish, and a creamy caramel aftertaste.
• Verdict: I was not sure about this one. Yoghurt isn't a particularly exciting flavour on its own, so I can see why it was paired with the caramel shell, which goes on to dominate the overall flavour. It was enjoyable, but after the vibrancy of the lemon bonbon and the zing from the raspberry one, this bonbon felt like it was missing something - another flavour perhaps, or some spicing?

Assam Masala Chai

• What they say: A dark milk chocolate shell contains an Assam tea ganache, spiced with cardamom, cassia, clove, ginger and black pepper.
• Features: Gluten-free, and an award winning signature Nibblette bonbon.
• My thoughts: This was a remarkably light and delicate bonbon. The flavours did indeed evoke images of a steaming cup of Masala Chai tea, but the spices were used in a very subtle way. There was bag loads of richness and creaminess here but served up in a way that felt dainty. It worked in harmony with the spices and chocolate, creating a light, well-rounded bite. There was a mild warmth created by the spices that developed throughout the aftertaste.
• Verdict: Very elegant and sophisticated, this bonbon didn't ram Masala Chai down my throat, but instead lead me on a delightfully slow meander. The flavour of the spices developed through the tasting and into the aftertaste, which is where it all came together.

Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

• What they say: An aromatic ganache with cardamom, rose water and pandan flower water inside a caramel white chocolate shell.
• Features: Gluten-free, and an award winning signature Nibblette bonbon.
• My thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect here, as my own rice pudding recipe is miles away from the Kheer recipes I found online. The caramel aroma didn't give anything away either. Like the Assam Masala Chai bonbon, this one took me on a journey. It started off quite heavy, with the caramel flavour dominating, before it became lighter as the delicate flavour of rose developed. I also picked up a flavour that resembled lychee, which worked beautifully with the rose. The creaminess intensified as I got closer to the finish, and the caramel flavour just edged its way back in. The aftertaste was light and creamy, with a delicate floral side to it.
• Verdict: There was a lot going on in this one bite. There was a dense creaminess that contrasted against the light floral highlights. There was the dainty flavour of rose that fought its corner against the caramel notes. This bonbon was creatively compiled, and drew potentially strong and independent flavours together in harmony.

Tandoori Pineapple, Coconut & Lime

• What they say: A spiced pineapple jelly sits on top of a coconut and lime ganache all wrapped inside a dark milk chocolate shell.
• Features: Gluten-free, and a signature Nibblette bonbon.
• My thoughts: This was the one that intrigued me the most, so I saved it until last. Richly spiced, this bonbon started off with the zing of lime. Then, fresh coconut flavours developed midway, along with a noticeable creaminess, before it passed the baton to the pineapple. All the while, the subtle curry spices developed, leading to a pleasing warmth at the end. The aftertaste is a mix of all the various flavours, that harmoniously danced away for a long while afterwards.
• Verdict: Wow! Just wow! There was a lot going on in this one but each element built upon the last, leading to a crescendo of spices, that simply enhanced rather than dominated. Expertly done, this bonbon fused fresh tropical flavours and delivered a subtle, gentle spicy twist that enhanced everything that came before it.

This was a delightful box of chocolate bonbons to feast upon. The pretty designs paired with expertly matched flavours. Spices were used throughout in a gentle way so as to enhance rather than hijack the overall results.

There was certainly a lot on display here, and I can see why the award winners are the best in class. But for me, it was the signature chocolates that shone the best here, drawing inspiration from Indian dishes to create unusual but wonderful flavour combinations.

Where to Buy Online

You can buy 12-, 18- and 24-piece chocolate boxes directly on the Nibblette website here, with prices ranging from £19 to £32, depending on the number of pieces you opt to buy.

There are several selection boxes to choose from, so you can choose the award winners, the fragrantly spiced collection or the signature collection.

A special collection of vegan-friendly chocolates is also available on their website for the same price. Right now, that includes the Mango and Passion Fruit, Monsoon Malabar Spiced Coffee, Raspberry and Pistachio, Ecuadorian Dark, Dark Hazelnut Praline, and Double Raspberry bonbons.

Which flavour in this box has you salivating at the mere thought? Let me know in a comment below.

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