The Awards for Best Caramels of 2021 Announced

We are proud to present the results of the 2021 CARAMEL AWARDS Competition.

The International Chocolate Salon Awards for the 2021 CARAMEL AWARDS are based on the combined total 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, and logo award merchandise.

• Phillip Ashley Chocolates Luxury Gemstone Caramels

• Brigadeiro Sprinkles Fleur de Sel Caramel
• Panache Chocolatier Spiced Pecan Caramel
• Sonoma Chocolatiers 8-piece Gourmet Caramel collection
• Delysia Chocolatier Caramelized stuffing chocolate truffle

• La Petite Occasion, LLC Coconut Raspberry

• Delysia Chocolatier Caramelized stuffing chocolate truffle
• Banyan Tree Chocolate, LLC St. Augustine Bourbon Cloud Caramel
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Brown butter mace caramel
• Panache Chocolatier Marnier Mule
• Sweet Nouveau Bourbon Maple Pecan

• Banyan Tree Chocolate, LLC St. Augustine Bourbon Cloud Caramel
• Sweet Nouveau Bourbon Maple Pecan

• Panache Chocolatier Spiced Pecan Caramel
• Sweet Nouveau Smoked Honey Walnut
• Delysia Chocolatier Spiced dulce de leche chocolate truffle
• Kwoka Caramel Mocha caramel
• Sweet Jules Gifts Chocolate Bananas Foster
• Sweet Jules Gifts Classic Vanilla Bean
• Kwoka Caramel Sea salt caramel

• Phillip Ashley Chocolates Luxury Gemstone Caramels

• Kwoka Caramel Mocha caramel
• Delysia Chocolatier Caramelized stuffing chocolate truffle
• Delysia Chocolatier Samoa espresso chocolate truffle

• Brigadeiro Sprinkles Fleur de Sel Caramel

• Delysia Chocolatier Spiced dulce de leche chocolate truffle
• Sweet Jules Gifts Cafe Italiano

• Sonoma Chocolatiers 8-piece Gourmet Caramel collection
• SELEUSS Chocolates Wien

• The Oakland Chocolate Company Brown butter mace caramel
• Panache Chocolatier Marnier Mule
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Pineapple curry caramel

• Sweet Nouveau Bourbon Maple Pecan

• Kwoka Caramel Mocha caramel

• Sweet Nouveau Bourbon Maple Pecan
• Kwoka Caramel Sea salt caramel
• Phillip Ashley Chocolates Luxury Gemstone Caramels
• Sweet Jules Gifts Cafe Italiano
• Kwoka Caramel Mocha caramel
• Sweet Jules Gifts Classic Vanilla Bean
• Marble & Steel Craft Chocolates LLC Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Bon Bon

• Sonoma Chocolatiers Dulce de Leche with candied almonds dark chocolate truffle
• Banyan Tree Chocolate, LLC St. Augustine Bourbon Cloud Caramel
• Panache Chocolatier Spiced Pecan Caramel
• Sonoma Chocolatiers 8-piece Gourmet Caramel collection
• Sweet Jules Gifts Chocolate Bananas Foster
• Panache Chocolatier Marnier Mule
• Sonoma Chocolatiers Salted Caramel
• Stella's Confectionery Caramel Crunch
• Sweet Nouveau Smoked Honey Walnut
• Urge Chocolates Inc London Fog Caramels
• Delysia Chocolatier Spiced dulce de leche chocolate truffle
• Grandpa Franks Candy Pecan Caramels
• Grandpa Franks Candy Bourbon Pecan Caramels

• Delysia Chocolatier Caramelized stuffing chocolate truffle
• Grandpa Franks Candy Coffee Caramels
• Petrova Chocolates Tonka Bean Caramel
• SELEUSS Chocolates Wien
• Brigadeiro Sprinkles Fleur de Sel Caramel
• Delysia Chocolatier Samoa espresso chocolate truffle
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Brown butter mace caramel
• La Petite Occasion, LLC Coconut Raspberry
• SELEUSS Chocolates Eden
• Banyan Tree Chocolate, LLC Raspberry-Scotch Cloud Caramel

• SELEUSS Chocolates Plzen
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Pineapple curry caramel

JUDGES' FAVORITES

• Everything Delysia
• Phillip Ashley and Sweet Nouveau
• The Phillip Ashley Collection was beautiful, unctuous, and delicious. The chocolate enrobing was top quality.
• Kwoka Mocha Caramel stands out most to me as caramels. But several ran very very close.
• Panache’s Spiced Pecan Caramel was attractive and tasty
• Sweet Nouveau Maple Pecan + Honey Walnut. Sweet Jules. Delysia
• Delysia Chocolatier Dolce Leche Truffle
• If I were watching the Olympic 100 meters final and comparing the finish to the top eight that I liked I would have a difficult time
• picking the best. However, I will say that the Petrova just melted in my mouth while my taste buds asked for more.
• Sonoma Chocolatiers 8-Piece Gourmet Caramel Collection - great flavors, amazing variety and creativity
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Pineapple curry caramel - really unique and lots of fun, wish I had more!
• London Fog Caramel by Urge Chocolates
• Stella’s
• Delysia Chocolatier Caramelized stuffing chocolate truffle

JUDGES' COMMENTS

• beer may not be the best ingredient in caramel
• Seleuss: The three submitted caramels were very well made, but the different beer flavorings might have a limited audience.
• Grandpa Frank's:Your Coffee Caramels, Bourbon Caramels and Pecan Caramels are wonderfully flavored, but perhaps a little less corn syrup would improve their texture, which I found to be a bit plastic-y in comparison to others made primarily with butter, sugar, and cream.
• Kwoka: Great job! Could enjoy your caramels every day. Love the pure butter taste and excellent ingredients.
• Please label your entries so we know what to expect: Marble & Steel, Petrova, Phillip Ashley
• All wonderful choices... All of the Delysia's were excellent! Also Panache.. all choices were fabulous! Loved the Sonoma Chocolatiers' choices, too. Oakland Chocolate Company Brown Butter Mace was a great chewy caramel.
• Banyan Tree - what a great collections of flavors and "mouth feel" The Laphroaig Scotch was such a mouth watering flavor . Delysia has such strong flavors and a wide variety of choices. I think of Delysia as being a calming and enjoyable caramel. La Petite Occasion just brought the essence of raspberry to my taste buds. Marble and Steel was as beautiful to look at as to enjoy. Both Panache samples ere exquisite. Petrova was the star for me. Sonoma Chocolatiers created some powerful flavors and combinations . If Forrest Gump had started with this box of 8 he might have devoured it all. I could taste the essence of rum and bourbon. So easy on the palate. The Oakland Chocolate Company brown butter mace was just a rollicking good old fashioned chewy caramel.
• The Sonoma Chocolatiers 8-Piece Gourmet Caramel Collection expertly covers a wide range of luscious caramel options - even, daringly, saffron! ... The Oakland Chocolate Company continues its brave pursuit of unusual flavor-elements, creating very 21st-century caramels! ...
• Banyan Tree Chocolate, LLC Raspberry-Scotch Cloud Caramel striking shape, you know you're in for a treat, m+ scotch flavor, liquid center too thin;
• Brigadeiro Sprinkles Fleur de Sel Caramel visual treat, futuristic shape, trad flavors, butterscotch;
• Delysia Chocolatier Caramelized stuffing chocolate truffle sage, thyme, balanced, dark shell, good for wine pairing;
• Delysia Chocolatier Samoa espresso chocolate truffle lacks intensity, cinnamon dominates, overly sweet;
• Grandpa Franks Candy Bourbon Pecan Caramels paper sticks, artificial bourbon flavoring;
• Grandpa Franks Candy Pecan Caramels classic, excellent pecan flavor, m texture;
• Kwoka Caramel Sea salt caramel classic, salty, buttery, tender;
• La Petite Occasion, LLC Coconut Raspberry raspberry jam, good combo, soft;
• Marble & Steel Craft Chocolates LLC Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Bon Bon pretty, tender, balanced to salt/sweet, good intensity;
• Panache Chocolatier Spiced Pecan Caramel perfect spice balance to sweet, tender bite;
• Petrova Chocolates Tonka Bean Caramel quite soft, tropical, tonka-liscous, more please;
• SELEUSS Chocolates Eden 2-tone shell, center like spun honey, delicate;
• SELEUSS Chocolates Plzen sweet, simple m intensity raspberry;
• SELEUSS Chocolates Wien complex lager flavors, lovely texture, creamy;
• Sonoma Chocolatiers 8-piece Gourmet Caramel collection unique combos, saffron, dried mint were super, almost liquid centers, top marks ;
• Sonoma Chocolatiers Salted Caramel full-flavored, dark caramel, vibrant salt garnish;
• Sweet Jules Gifts Cafe Italiano m coffee flavor through finish, firmer texture;
• Sweet Jules Gifts Chocolate Bananas Foster artificial flavor, m intensity;
• Sweet Nouveau Smoked Honey Walnut not smokey, black walnuts? tasty, lovely texture;
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Brown butter mace caramel timut pepper-like flavors, best of the classic caramels;
• The Oakland Chocolate Company Pineapple curry caramel m texture and flavor, good combo;
• Urge Chocolates Inc London Fog Caramels m-intensity, quite stiff;