Last year I taste-tested Sloane's 44% Posh Hot Chocolate. I also bought a couple of other varieties to review and squirrelled them away. Today's hot chocolate review turns things up a notch, by going dark and spicy. Specifically, I'm testing Sloane's Posh Hot Chocolate in 53% Dark chocolate with Turmeric.
Packaged in the same jar as the 44% blend I purchased, this hot chocolate features a higher cocoa content at 53% and is blended with the spice turmeric.
Packaging
As with the 44% blend, the 400g of hot chocolate beads arrived in a reusable plastic clip-lid jar, resembling a traditional mason jar but in a more lightweight format.
I loved the jar on the 44% blend and love it again here. It makes it so easy to store and dish out the beads when making hot chocolate, and it can be reused long after the hot chocolate nuggets have been devoured.
Again, a simple tag on the neck, affixed to a loop of elastic string, contained a brief set of recipe instructions, the ingredients list, and allergen information.
Sloane's Posh 53% Dark Hot Chocolate with Turmeric ingredients:
Cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, turmeric powder, emulsifier (soy lecithin), natural vanilla flavouring. Cocoa solids: 53% minimum.
There's no nutritional information on the tag, nor on their website as far as I can tell, but Amazon reckons° it contains 41% sugars.
This hot chocolate is suitable for vegetarians and vegans, and is gluten-free. Based on their recipe of 25g of chocolate beads per cup, a 400g drum should yield 16 servings. If you prefer your hot chocolate stronger or weaker, this figure would vary depending on how you make yours.
Sloane's Posh Dark Hot Chocolate with Turmeric Review
Once again, the Sloane's hot chocolate beads resemble those in the 44% blend in that they vary in shape and size, from tiny balls to chunky nuggets. Darker in colour (obviously), these nuggets also boasted a golden, yellow-hued sheen courtesy of the turmeric powder.
I followed the recipe to the letter, blending 200ml of hot semi-skimmed milk with 25g of hot chocolate beads. The recipe can be varied to use something like oat or soya milk to make a vegan hot chocolate. For the perfect result, I used the Hot Chocolate Shaker by The Chocolate Society. For reference, 200ml is the '7' marker on the Shaker. A mere 10 seconds of shaking the hot milk and chocolate beads created the perfect emulsion with a frothy head.
The aroma of the hot chocolate is rich, with a hint of earthy spiciness coming through. The spike of turmeric is clear to see in the colour too, as the hot chocolate more closely resembles a Caffè Latte than your standard hot chocolate shade.
The aroma translates into the taste too. The hot chocolate was thick, creamy, and rich, although the turmeric flavour masked the intricate flavour of the dark chocolate. The flavour of turmeric lingers longest, easily outlasting any hint of chocolate notes. The one quality the dark chocolate does impart is a gentle bitterness. It's not aggressive but it is noticeable, although I feel this works well with the turmeric flavour.
Learn from my mistake, though, and don't drink it all - leave a mouthful at the very end. Drink too far and you'll end up with a mouthful of gritty turmeric powder that spoils the finish of this hot chocolate.
Sloane's Posh 53% Dark Hot Chocolate with Turmeric Review
RRP: £11.00 | Sloane's Hot Chocolate | Shop now
A rich, creamy, and indulgent hot chocolate with an earthy flavour thanks to the turmeric. There's a slight bitter edge from the dark chocolate but it's not overly pronounced. Leave a little in your mug to avoid a mouthful of gritty turmeric powder right at the end.
Overall, I found this blend of hot chocolate to be nice enough, but I think I'd opt for the 44% blend in future. The turmeric adds a twist as does the darker chocolate, but this blend lacks either the all-consuming comforting hug or the uniqueness of flavour I like to experience in my hot chocolates. If the turmeric was blended with other spices, such as in Whittard's Mumbai Spice hot chocolate, I think that would lead to a more exciting proposition.
Where to Buy Online
Since purchasing my jar, the packaging has had a facelift. You can buy the Sloane's Posh Hot Chocolate Terrific Turmeric 53% 400g Gift Jar via their website (£11). It's also available on Amazon here°.
Do you prefer plain hot chocolate or hot chocolate with extra spices? Leave a comment below on what makes the perfect hot chocolate for you.
