I came across Alderman’s of Vermont on Etsy while I was looking for small chocolate stores to support. The chocolate shop is relatively new. It was established in 2017 by Darcee Alderman in Monkton Ridge, Vermont. It’s a unique chocolate shop because, until today, Darcee still makes all chocolates by hand. She tempers her own chocolate, pours them into molds, and packages all the chocolate by hand.
The Alderman’s of Vermont Truffles
I bought the Marbled Assorted Milk Chocolate Truffles 15 Piece Set from the chocolate store. I had my eyes on the truffles because they were so eye-catching, each of them so colorful and beautifully crafted like a work of art.
Packaging
The truffles came in a beige textured box with the Alderman’s of Vermont logo on a printed sticker and wrapped in a cream-colored elastic ribbon. The packaging wasn’t perfect, the sticker isn’t centered and the sticker looks like it was running out of ink but the flaws add to the handmade feel of the chocolate box and the ribbon was a nice touch. The truffles were each wrapped in individual liners that kept the truffles in place and protected the truffles well during shipping. The packaging was very similar to Truffle Hills Chocolate‘s Premium Truffles box.
Appearance
The hand-painted chocolate truffles themselves were so artsy and ethereal like little planets. They looked even better in person than in the pictures. The truffles had a nice shine to them from the cocoa butter used on the mold before the chocolate is poured.
Flavors
Alderman’s of Vermont had many different flavors of milk chocolate truffles like plain milk and dark, peanut butter, coconut almond, buttered rum, mocha, cappuccino, key lime, Irish cream, raspberry, strawberry, cherry, black cherry, mint, creme de menthe, maple, lemon, orange, amaretto, bourbon, English toffee, blueberry, brandy, sparkling wine, pecan, lavender. The assorted truffle box I bought could contain any of these flavors.
The box came with a flavor sheet of possible flavors and their respective colors and while some are easy to identify, it was still pretty hard figuring out what flavor some of the truffles were from the colors. It would be great if the truffles are labeled with their flavors on the bottom of the liners. Some of the truffle flavors feature alcohol like rum, brandy, and sparkling wine. However, none of the truffles contain actual alcohol, instead, Alderman’s of Vermont uses non-alcohol base flavoring oil for these truffles so they are safe to eat for people who abstain from alcohol.
Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy the flavors of the truffles as much as I enjoyed their appearance. While a handful of the truffles were delicious, like the plain milk, buttered rum, black cherry, and amaretto truffles, most of them smelled and tasted very synthetic with a chemical aftertaste. This is probably due to the LorAnn flavoring oil used to flavor the ganache centers of the truffles.
The blueberry and key lime particularly smelled so strongly of chemicals that I couldn’t finish them. It was like eating perfume.
Conclusion
Overall, even though these are personally not for me, I still really appreciate the creativity and thought that was put into them. They are gorgeous handmade truffles and if you don’t mind artificial flavoring, and are looking for non-alcoholic chocolate truffles, these would be great for you!
Chocolate Scorecard
| Packaging | 3/5 | Textured beige box with elastic ribbon Expiration on individual liners Truffle liners protected the truffles well during shipping No flavor labels, ingredients, allergens, or nutrition facts on the box |
| Appearance | 4/5 | Shiny cocoa butter coating Gorgeous, colorful, artsy appearance |
| Flavor | 2/5 | Great variety Strong, unique flavors but synthetic/ artificial tasting |
| Mouthfeel | 4/5 | Great variety of textures Some fillings were a strange texture and consistency |
| Quality | 3/5 | Definitely better than grocery-store chocolate but cannot compete with high-end chocolate truffles |
| Ethics | 3/5 | No mention of ethics or charities or source of cocoa on their website |
| Overall | 3.2/5 |
Where can you buy Alderman’s of Vermont Chocolates?
Alderman’s of Vermont Chocolates Website, Etsy
Should you buy Alderman’s of Vermont Chocolates?
Yes, if you don’t mind artificial flavorings and are looking for non-alcoholic truffles.
Chocolate Information
Brand: Alderman’s of Vermont
Description: Our handmade truffles in bite size!
Chocolate Type: Milk chocolate
Cost: $24.99
Made in: USA
Ingredients: NA
Allergens: Made in a facility where Milk, Dairy, Soy, Wheat, Eggs, Peanuts, and Tree Nuts are used
Nutrition Facts NA
Have you tried anything from Alderman’s of Vermont before? How was your experience? What other chocolates would you like me to review? Let me know in the comments below.
