Baileys Chocolates review

Festivus is approaching fast, and we've got another review to make you happy on those cold winter nights. Today we're looking at Baileys Chocolates.

Yes liquor filled chocolates have long been enjoyed over the holidays. As a kid I'll always remember getting that weird foreign chocolate box with like 2 rum filled chocolates. It was always exciting to get a liquor filled chocolate, despite the fact that it never really tasted that good. It just seemed like I was getting away with something. Ah yes... my love for alcohol started at an early age. Anyhow, as I posted last week Turin, and Italian chocolatier that I'm not particularly familiar with, has come out with a line of alcoholic chocolates, and they've got some pretty great licenses. Baileys sits alongside Grand Marnier, Kaluha, and probably the second most interesting of the lot... Malibu. Today though we're looking at Baileys Chocolates so lets get into it.

I'll say this about the packaging: it doesn't beat around the bush. Yes Turin is branded all over the place, but even more prominently here is the Baileys logo. This chocolate, and their entire line of alcohol chocolates is much more about the liquor than the chocolate. People are buying this for the novelty... and that has me a bit worried. However I do love Baileys and once you add a "hint" of caramel I'm sold.

The box, also has this rather long winded explanation of who they are on the side. Its mostly superfluous stuff, but I like the part about a "unique luscious experience"... lets just see about that.

I like the box, its actually resealable on the back and I don't think I've ever seen this design before. Inside the box there are some 7 candies unceremoniously wrapped in cellophane. That's not too classy... but I suppose it had to be done. Inside that the individual chocolates manage to stand out nicely. They're about the size I expected, not too big, but decent. I'm glad I got so many in the box, I was worried I'd only get 4 so this is a bit of a bonus.

The chocolate itself does definitely smell like Baileys Irish Cream. With that though I'm really not exactly sure what Bailey's is... I suppose its a liquor. Baileys is not exactly coffee flavored, and not exactly chocolate flavored, but it definitely has elements of both in it. I'm actually not sure what to call it... I do believe they bottle a caramel infused Baileys nowadays though. Anyhow, the chocolate smells good and alcoholic. I like the touch of the Turin logo on the top. Its probably also a good idea  for Turin to get their branding in there where they can.

 Lets get into this though. Biting into the chocolate is a bit of a layered experience. First there's the liquid alcohol. Like most alcohol filled chocolates the alcohol is a bit too liquidy and more or less falls out of the chocolate as soon as its open. I know this is supposed to be mixed with the caramel, but let me tell you this is NOT blended well. this is a case of first the Baileys, then the caramel, then the chocolate as an after-taste.

The overall effect is pretty lousy actually. Although the alcohol is definitely Irish Cream, I'm not happy how seperate it is from the rest of the experience. Every piece of this equation suffers from the relationship to the others. The alcohol is bad because of the poor caramel mixing, the caramel tastes all alcoholly, and the chocolate... I'm sorry, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt that this might be good chocolate but I can't. Its not good. The chocolate is chalky, and has a sour after-taste in an already alcohol soaked mouth.

This is one you should  definitely pass on. I hope Turin did a better job with their other alcohol chocolates, because this is pretty lame.

Walking the Candy Aisle rates Baileys Chocolates - 2 / 5

From more on this please check in with Turin's website here, or the Baileys site here.