If you’re looking for an upscale but conservative box: La Maison du Chocolat’s Coffret Maison Dark and Milk Chocolate offering was a previous pick for anyone seeking a premium yet tame chocolate selection. The fillings are chocolate-heavy, and they don’t range beyond pralines and a couple of fruit-infused ganaches. And the packaging, reminiscent of brown pebbled leather, is luxurious but understated. In our latest test, we found that when it came to flavor and texture, these chocolates were outclassed by our current picks.
If you like a variety of flavors, but with a more subtle approach: The L.A. Burdick Signature Chocolate Assortment, which came in a wooden box, was well received. The square chocolates house a mix of French-inspired ganaches—including plenty of boozy options, like Macallan whisky and green Chartreuse. But they’re flavored with a lighter hand than some of our picks. These are safe, middle-of-the-road chocolates that are probably suitable as professional gifts. L.A. Burdick is based in New Hampshire, with stores in New York City, Boston, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it is best known for its chocolate mice, which are undeniably cute.
