Yippie Kai Yay

Foodbuzz has a Tastemaker program where you can opt in to receive samples and review them, this sampling being for Cowgirl Chocolates. I got the package the day before my birthday, but I couldn't remember who sent it or why, and since it said 'Cowgirl Chocolates' on the mailing label I looked it up. Then I was reading emails and saw the Foodbuzz email and slapped myself upside the forehead and said, "OH, yeah!"

What makes Cowgirl Chocolates unique is their sweet & spicy approach to gourmet chocolates, featuring cayenne and habanero pepper. The ingredient list shows just how good the flavorings they use are, some being hazelnut butter, different fruit oils, and natural flavorings. Nothing sketchy on there.

Spicy

• Red ~ Raspberry Dark Chocolate: By far, one of my favorites. The raspberry flavor was really deep and it wasn't just a hint of flavor. At the end of the bite, a kick of heat hit the back of your throat. Of all the spicy truffles, this one had the most heat.


• Gold ~ Double Dark Chocolate: A nice, smooth dark chocolate with a bit of heat. The truffle filling was really smooth and melted well, just like all of the fillings, and a tiny heat sensation was at the end.


• Dark Blue ~ Hazelnut Milk Chocolate: You cannot go wrong with a hazelnut truffle, and mixed with a good milk chocolate you are always in for a treat. There was a bit of spiciness, but we didn't taste much.


• Copper ~ Cappuccino: This was my most favorite because I love all things coffee. The coffee flavor wasn't overwhelming and the spiciness, second highest of the lot, was a nice compliment.







• Brown Pillow ~ Habanero Dark Chocolate: A nice, smooth dark chocolate with a bit of heat. I couldn't detect any flavor undertones, but that didn't matter because the chocolate itself was good.


• Clear ~ Habanero Caramel: Slightly buttery, sticky, and the most spicy of them all, this was a really good caramel with nice flavoring, but not overly sweet.


Mild:

• Aqua ~ Double Dark Chocolate: Basically like the Double Dark Chocolate truffle, but without any spiciness at all. Again, a smooth filling and a good dark chocolate flavor.


• Silver ~ Milk Chocolate: Like above, but milk chocolate.







• Orange ~ Ivory Orange: A small shell of white chocolate enveloping what tasted like an orange creamsicle filling. This was another favorite of ours because it wasn't a regular orange flavor as we were thinking.


• Fuschia Red ~ Raspberry Lemon: This was my mom's favorite because she hadn't seen a flavor like this in a truffle before. The filling wasn't ganache like, but rather just a fruit-like filling. A nice, light raspberry flavor with undertones of lemon.

Overall, we thought the chocolates were very good, but the individual chili flavors weren't detectable, it was just the kick of heat that came at the end when you thought that it was over. My other thought was that the ratio of filling-to-shell could have been more, like the Lindt truffles. And really, I thought that Lindt truffles were just as good as these were, although I did enjoy eating them.

Would I buy them on my own? Maybe. Their offerings for truffle flavors and different candy alone would warrant a second-go, and would also make a lovely gift because the chocolates come with reusable boxes, such as their 'keepsake boxes'. Cowgirl Chocolates don't just pay attention to the truffles, but also the packaging and presentations, which goes a long way in my book.

Thanks again to Foodbuzz for giving us the opportunity to sample Cowgirl Chocolates!