First Impressions: The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club

First Impressions is a series that (re)introduces and reviews new brands to My Subscription Addiction, drawing from readers' requests for an insider's first look. Interested in seeing more reviews from this brand, or have another box in mind that you'd like to see reviewed? Let us know in the comments.

The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club delivers 1lb. of signature creations from a different world-class chocolatier each month. Subscribers will discover true artisanal chocolate crafted by hand in small batches with dedication to innovation and artistry. This may include masterpieces like Skelligs' Champagne Fizz Truffles and Vosges Haut Chocolat. Each monthly box also includes a newsletter featuring detailed tasting notes, chocolatier profiles, and serving suggestions.

ACTIVE DEAL: Limited Time Only! MSA12 - $12 off any prepaid 4-shipment membership; MSA17 - $17 off any prepaid 6-shipment membership; MSA33 - $33 off any prepaid 12-shipment membership
CODE: MSA12 or MSA17 or MSA33

This review is of The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club.

This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes).

What's Inside The Box

My first box from The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club introduced me to Mayana Chocolate! Launched by a husband and wife team in 2008, Mayana Chocolate rose to fame seemingly overnight. The company has been featured in several publications like Food & Wine Magazine and Epicurious and even won numerous awards from the Chicago Luxury Chocolate Salon. I was gifted a box of their 9 Piece Luxury Collection, a box of Salted Caramels and sampler of their Mini Candy Bars in four different flavors.

While it was tempting to test all of these by myself (for review purposes, of course), I decided to enlist my husband's help. Here's what we got!

9 Piece Luxury Collection

Up first was this elegant selection of hand-crafted chocolates completely unique to Mayana Chocolate. I got to try one piece of each of the following flavors: Paris Tea, Espresso Caramel, Dark Chocolate Caramel, Pistachio, Cookies n' Cream, Fleur De Sel Caramel, Pecan Caramel, Raspberry Lime, and Mayan Spice.

It was quite difficult to pick a favorite among this variety of fun flavors, but I'd say Espresso Caramel, Cookies n' Cream, and Raspberry Lime left the best impression. The Espresso Caramel was dark and decadent, whereas the Cookies n' Cream was smoothy and lightly sweet. As for the Raspberry Lime there was definitely a bit of tartness but it helped bring out the richness of the chocolate in a way I wouldn't have imagined.

P.S. The Mayan Spice is no joke—the ancho chilli and cayenne pepper are quite fiery together! Silly me thinking it was just a cute name...

Salted Caramels

Can't go wrong with a classic! These caramels made for wonderful tiny treats that my husband I enjoyed mid-day with some dark roast. The salt on top was a great finishing touch and the slow cooked caramel was oh so smooth. You could easily enjoy a few pieces at a time and not have to worry about them spoiling a meal.

Mini Candy Bars (Coconutty, Coffee Break, Monkey, and Space Flavors)

The third selection of chocolates I tried included a mix of award winning candy bars. I received four mini bars total, one of each of the following flavors: Coconutty, Coffee Break, Monkey, and Space. (The picture above shows them cut into halves.)

As the name implies, Coconutty was all about savoring creamy coconut flavor combined with salted peanut caramel. It was the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and smooth—plus a bit of chewiness from the caramel and nuts. I usually don't each much coconut, but I'd happily chow down these bars any day.

Up next was Coffee Break, which I'll admit I was most excited for among all four bars. Anything with coffee and dark chocolate has my name all over it, so I knew I was in for a treat. This bar featured coffee marshmallow, espresso caramel, dark chocolate, sea salt and even ground coffee. The marshmallow made this a bit chewier and thicker than I had anticipated, but man did the dark chocolate and espresso caramel make for a delectable duo. I savored every bite, but next time I'd probably cut this bar into quarters as it was quite literally a mouth-full when trying to eat in halves.

Monkey was on the menu after the first two bars and I realized that I had never eaten banana and marshmallow together. This mini bar featured banana rum caramel, vanilla bean marshmallow, and 66% dark chocolate. Wow, have I been missing out! This was a brilliant combination of flavors

And finally there was Space! This mini bar combined vanilla-bean nougat, toasted almonds, fleur de sel caramel, and Mayana Chocolate's own 66% custom-blend dark chocolate. I probably wouldn't repeat this bar due to its sheer volume and crunchiness—the intensive chewing was a bit distracting and made it hard to focus on the flavors.

The Verdict

What a treat! My husband and I had so much fun trying out The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club. We realized pretty quickly that we had no clue what true artisanal chocolate was like prior to this experience and loved every bite of Mayana Chocolate's selections. I can't wait to try more!