8th Annual Hot Chocolate Awards
We are proud to present the results of the 8th Annual HOT CHOCOLATE AWARDS Competition.
The International Chocolate Salon Awards for the 8th Annual HOT CHOCOLATE AWARDS are based on the combined taotal number of votes received by each entrant from the Judging Panel.
The Judging Panel consists of National and Regional Magazines, Newspaper and Blog Editors, plus Topic Experts, Local Chefs and Food Gurus.
The award winners below have the honor of being able to display and use the Official Award Winner title and award logos, as well as use items (such as the Award Winner lapel pin), as well as use Custom Award Certificates, product label stickers, and logo award merchandise.
5.0 STARS
4.5 STARS
4.0 STARS
3.5 STARS
3.0 STARS
BEST TEXTURE
5.0 STARS
4.5 STARS
- Delysia Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate
- Delysia Cayenne Drinking Chocolate
4.0 STARS
- Delysia Peppermint Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Chai Hot Chocolate
- JARDI Chocolates Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bomb
- Ratza Chocolate Florida Roselle Drinking Chocolate
3.5 STARS
- nib mor Mint Organic Hot Cocoa
- Fresh Off Boat Company Holy Choc Dark Milk Drinking Chocolate Mix
- ALDI Inc. Winternacht Hot Cocoa Melting Chocolate Snowman
- Honduras Chocolate Company 100% Honduran Cacao!
- nib mor Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa organic hot cocoa
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Drinking Chocolate 67% Dark
3.0 STARS
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Hot Chocolate 35% Milk
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix with Marshmallows (marked “w/mm” on packet)
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix
BEST INGREDIENT COMBINATIONS
4.5 STARS
- Delysia Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate
- Delysia Peppermint Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Chai Hot Chocolate
4.0 STARS
- Delysia Cayenne Drinking Chocolate
- Ratza Chocolate Florida Roselle Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- nib mor Mint Organic Hot Cocoa
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Drinking Chocolate 67% Dark
3.5 STARS
- nib mor Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa organic hot cocoa
- Honduras Chocolate Company 100% Honduran Cacao!
- JARDI Chocolates Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bomb
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Hot Chocolate 35% Milk
3.0 STARS
- Fresh Off Boat Company Holy Choc Dark Milk Drinking Chocolate Mix
- ALDI Inc. Winternacht Hot Cocoa Melting Chocolate Snowman
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix with Marshmallows (marked “w/mm” on packet)
BEST TASTE
5.0 STARS
- Delysia Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate
4.5 STARS
4.0 STARS
- Delysia Cayenne Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Delysia Peppermint Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Chai Hot Chocolate
3.5 STARS
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Drinking Chocolate 67% Dark
- Honduras Chocolate Company 100% Honduran Cacao!
- JARDI Chocolates Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bomb
- nib mor Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa organic hot cocoa
- nib mor Mint Organic Hot Cocoa
- ALDI Inc. Winternacht Hot Cocoa Melting Chocolate Snowman
3.0 STARS
- Fresh Off Boat Company Holy Choc Dark Milk Drinking Chocolate Mix
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Hot Chocolate 35% Milk
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix with Marshmallows (marked “w/mm” on packet)
- Ratza Chocolate Florida Roselle Drinking Chocolate
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix
BEST RICHNESS
5.0 STARS
4.5 STARS
- Delysia Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Chai Hot Chocolate
4.0 STARS
- Delysia Cayenne Drinking Chocolate
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Drinking Chocolate 67% Dark
- Ratza Chocolate Florida Roselle Drinking Chocolate
- Delysia Peppermint Drinking Chocolate
- JARDI Chocolates Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bomb
- Fresh Off Boat Company Holy Choc Dark Milk Drinking Chocolate Mix
- ALDI Inc. Winternacht Hot Cocoa Melting Chocolate Snowman
3.5 STARS
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Hot Chocolate 35% Milk
- nib mor Mint Organic Hot Cocoa
- Honduras Chocolate Company 100% Honduran Cacao!
3.0 STARS
- nib mor Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa organic hot cocoa
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix with Marshmallows (marked “w/mm” on packet)
MOST UNIQUE
5.0 STARS
4.5 STARS
- Delysia Cayenne Drinking Chocolate
- ALDI Inc. Winternacht Hot Cocoa Melting Chocolate Snowman
- Panache Chocolatier Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
- Ratza Chocolate Florida Roselle Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Chai Hot Chocolate
4.0 STARS
- Delysia Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate
- JARDI Chocolates Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bomb
- Delysia Peppermint Drinking Chocolate
- Honduras Chocolate Company 100% Honduran Cacao!
3.5 STARS
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Drinking Chocolate 67% Dark
3.0 STARS
- Fresh Off Boat Company Holy Choc Dark Milk Drinking Chocolate Mix
- nib mor Mint Organic Hot Cocoa
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Hot Chocolate 35% Milk
- nib mor Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa organic hot cocoa
BEST OVERALL
GOLD
- Delysia Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate
SILVER
- Delysia Cayenne Drinking Chocolate
- Mink Chocolates Hyperdried Drinking Chocolate 67% Dark
- Panache Chocolatier Gingerbread Hot Chocolate
BRONZE
- Delysia Peppermint Drinking Chocolate
- ALDI Inc. Winternacht Hot Cocoa Melting Chocolate Snowman
- Ratza Chocolate Florida Roselle Drinking Chocolate
- Panache Chocolatier Chai Hot Chocolate
HONORABLE MENTION
- Honduras Chocolate Company 100% Honduran Cacao!
- nib mor Traditional Organic Hot Cocoa organic hot cocoa
- Fresh Off Boat Company Holy Choc Dark Milk Drinking Chocolate Mix
- Beaumont Hot Cocoa Mix with Marshmallows (marked “w/mm” on packet)
- JARDI Chocolates Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bomb
JUDGES COMMENTS
- Mink Dark Drinking Chocolate - rich, delicious, full of flavor without being too sweet!
Delysia- best overall cocoas. So many choices, each delicious, and unique. - Aldi's Hot Cocoa Melting Snowman was almost too cute to melt!
- Amazing flavors and richness from Panache Chocolatierl on their hot chocolate entries!
- Loved the richness and full flavor of Delysia's Golden Dark Drinking Chocolate.
- Ratza Chocolate has a very nice package and presentation.
- Heating the milk and mixture led to better texture
- Delysia has the best trio and were the kinds of cocoa I could imagine drinking in an après-ski location. They were satisfying, not overly sweet and somewhat nostalgic. Both of the Panache samples were delicious. The gingerbread brought in other holiday flavors. The Honduras Chocolate company provided a rich and smooth experience. It was a solid choice. Following the instructions, I whisked the Ratzu sample and it was quite satisfying. I don't know if I could single out the Florida Roselle hibiscus, but the overall flavor was satisfying. While the Holy Chocolate was good.adding it to some coffee made the coffee experience so much better. I enjoyed the less sweet nib Mint organic hot cocoa.
JUDGES RECOMMENDATIONS
- list all ingredients; more precise instructions; note if you can sub water for milk
- For those who added a lot of sugar to their mixes, please remember that less is more. Sweetener can always be added, but it can't be taken out.
- I'm preferable to dark cocoa, but good to try the milk chocolate cocoas. Great choices.
- Delysia peppermint, please grind the peppermint into a powder as well. The natural peppermint is great, but makes the last sip chewy. Great ingredients, maybe a little too natural .
- Melting Snowman too sweet. Less glucose fructose sugar please."
- The Ratza roselle chocolate was better without the topping.
- While reading the label Melting Snowman I notice beef gelatin in the list of ingredients. It was not something I expected. I do like white chocolate and this was an unusual. extra. Overall the flavor was good.
