Lindt are very good at keeping their range fresh and interesting, and the Excellence block range is no exception.
Introduced to the Australian market within the last couple of weeks, the Passion Fruit Intense block joins other popular flavours in the Excellence range, such as Blueberry and Sea Salt. Unlike some of the other flavours, Passion Fruit also includes pieces of almond dispersed throughout the 49% cocoa solid dark chocolate block. (I must reveal to my readers here that I am neither a fan of passion fruit nor nuts. Still, in the interests of providing a balanced and interesting blog, review I must!)
It's a warm day here in Melbourne as I begin the review, perhaps a little too warm for chocolate. As I tear open the well-sealed matte foil surrounding the block, I'm greeted with a strong, almost alcoholic scent, though it doesn't have distinct notes. On closer inspection, the passion fruit scent is clear - strong, bold and sweet, clearly the dominating flavour. Despite not liking passion fruit, the chocolate smells delicious!
The back of the block is gently rippled with hints of almond slices, more than I expected. The block breaks with a mild thunk - it's definitely too warm to be reviewing chocolate - and in the seams I can see pieces of almond, big pieces and small, that promise to provide an interesting texture.
In the mouth, despite the strong passion fruit scent the rich heady chocolate notes pop up first, before quickly being replaced with the bold and summery flavours of the passion fruit. Amongst the pieces of almond I can feel tiny little pieces of what must be the 'passion fruit preparation' listed in the ingredients. When I bite them I get a strong taste of what makes me think of Passiona if it were paired with vodka.
As with all Lindt chocolate, the melt is soft and creamy, interrupted with the sharp, thin pieces of almond. Despite the summery flavour, this isn't a block that should be scoffed a la Cadbury Dairy Milk, but a few pieces should be savoured on mild summer evenings.