I’ll be the first to admit that it is not easy for people to gift me a treat I can safely eat without getting sick due to my Celiac disease, and it’s more difficult to find gluten-free treats that actually taste good. I touched base with the team at Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier, and although their chocolates are made on the same surfaces that wheat products have touched at some point, they were more than happy to send me their innately gluten-free 17-piece Karl Bissinger Collection. I’ve tasted my fair share of chocolate before, but after experiencing Bissinger’s, it is clear to me that there is “chocolate,” and there’s the good stuff that’s worth the price of entry for a truly luxurious taste.
Karl Bissinger Collection – 17 PC Gift Box
What Is Bissinger’s?
In a nutshell, the Bissinger family has been crafting chocolates for over 350 years with their most prestigious clients including the King of France and other European nobles. Karl Bissinger brought his family’s candy-making techniques to America in 1845.
There are a trio of Bissinger’s boutique stores in Missouri with more to come. The brand has won many awards over the years for their chocolatey innovations, and while I suggest buying online, you can find their chocolate bars, gift boxes, and more in thousands of retail locations across the United States.
Specifications
- Number of pieces: 17.
- Allergen Information: Contains milk, soy, egg, pecans, and almonds.
- Piece types: French fondant crème, European truffles, Caramels, Toffee, Solid chocolate, Mints, and more.
Pros
- Speedy shipping.
- Impressive summer/heatproof packaging.
- Attractive presentation.
- Impressive array of treat types.
- Decadent, rich, flavorful, and all-around superior chocolates.
Cons
- Admittedly expensive, but you get what you pay for.
- Bissinger’s does not currently offer an all-Milk Orange French Crème collection.
Premier Shipping and Presentation
Although I was excited to sample Bissinger’s best, they sent me a deluxe chocolate gift set to me in August, the height of Florida’s molten-hot summertime. While I promised I’d be watching for the box to arrive like a hawk, my contact at Bissinger was unafraid, and for good reason.
I’ve tested perishable items many times before, and Bissinger’s has the best heat-resistant packaging I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving. Between the airtight box, cluster of wrapped icy-cold gel packs, and how my order was cradled in the center, I am positive I could’ve been away from home for half a day and returned to a set of beautiful chocolates.
I asked a representative for more information about hot weather orders, and she filled me in on the finer details of shipping to tropical locations like mine: “Bissinger’s shipping department uses coolers and ice packs to ship our delicate chocolates in the warm weather months. This year, we are providing this to you at NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE. Please NOTE: Warm Weather Season is defined when temperatures exceed 72 degrees. At that point, we will use complementary Coolers & Ice Packs to ensure your orders arrives in perfect condition. During Warm Weather Season, product CANNOT sit in transit over the weekend, so we will elect to hold orders until the following Monday.” Talk about going the extra mile for your customers!
The royal purple and gold Karl Bissinger Collection sports a classy presentation as well, with each box plastic wrapped for freshness, and a handy visual guide noting which piece is which. While that may mean a stringent “this flavor is in this place in the box” for the average box of chocolates, I was impressed at how Bissinger’s gave chocolates that wouldn’t be easy to identify at a glance a “Signature Stripe” that distinguishes it from the others. I find this added detail brilliant, as it is a snap to select the Milk Orange French Crème from the rest due to its wide circular swirl, as opposed to the distinct V-shape of the Versailles Vanilla Caramel’s stripe. It certainly beats tentatively biting other chocolates until you track down the taste you were hoping for!
Five Standout Chocolatey Flavors
We all gravitate towards our own personal tastes, however I wanted to give five of the seventeen pieces in the Karl Bissinger Collection a special note:
As someone who absolutely loves citrus flavors, the Milk Orange French Crème was easily my favorite of the box. Decadent and with a distinct natural orange tang that melts in your mouth, I implore Bissinger to consider making an all-fruit crème assortment in the future.
The rich dark chocolate is lovely as ever, but the Vanilla Butter French Crème’s burst of strong vanilla flavor without the distinct artificial taste of cheaper chocolates won me over.
I am not normally a fan of caramels, however Bissinger’s Versailles Vanilla Caramel demonstrated that I have not had good caramel before. Buttery soft, flavorful, and yielding, the caramel pieces in this box were both tasty and a pleasure to chew.
The Dark Raspberry Truffle is certainly an eye-catcher with its magenta lattice of drizzle, but its explosion of sweet, gooey, and fresh raspberry filling makes it another standout piece.
I instinctively hesitated for a moment to sample the White Chocolate Truffle, but after a bite, I was reminded that white chocolate is not bad, it merely needs to be done right. Inside the white chocolate truffle sphere is deliciously creamy icing-like chocolate ganache, making it the best surprise in the collection.
Premium Ingredients, Premium Chocolate
I’ll spare you a reposting of the ingredients used to make this 17-piece of chocolates, but perhaps the most standout aspect of Bissinger’s treats is the bold and nuanced natural flavors infused into each piece. I loved how everything tasted real without the telltale hint of artificial flavorings. I am sure that using real fruit and vegetable juices, cinnamon, orange oil, and other real ingredients helps to explain the price, but if you are a seasoned sweet tooth counselor, you will certainly notice a vast difference between these chocolates and what you are used to.
Karl Bissinger Collection – 17 PC Gift Box
In My Expert Opinion
Sure, $36 per box is not cheap, but neither are the chocolates themselves, and if you are shopping for a sweet treat for yourself or someone special in your life who could use an exceptional dessert, I highly recommend taking the plunge. The Karl Bissinger Collection is a top-tier gift that chocoholics will deeply appreciate.
