Friday, December 24, 2010

Review: Amedei 9

Lindy's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerAmedei
bar9
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size50g ~ 1.8oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth, with text imprints and scoring
aromaearthy (musty), red fruit, licorice
snaphard
tasteroast (coffee), citrus, nutty, berry, cream, sweet (molasses)
meltsmooth
lengthminimal
finishfaint citrus, slightly acidic
Italian chocolate maker Amedei has made some of our favorite chocolates, including their Chuao, our current absolute favorite, and the only bar both Lindy and I rated ****. The Amedei 9 bar is made from the cacao of nine of their private plantations. Although a blend of multiple cacao varieties from multiple regions, Amedei considers this bar their "family treasure".

The color of the Amedei 9 was a bit darker than most artisan chocolates, though the tempering and surface texture was similar to other Amedei bars. The two aromas Lindy and I both noticed were earthy and red fruit. We clarified the earthiness as musty, but didn't get a handle on the red fruit aroma. I also smelled a licorice scent.

9 had a slow start, taking a while before melting and releasing its many flavors. Eventually we detected roast (which I thought was coffee), citrus (which Lindy experienced as a faint lime), nutty, berry, cream, and a sweetness I noticed as molasses.

Its melt was smooth. Unfortunately, the flavor lasted only a few seconds after the chocolate was gone. Although the final aftertaste was not bitter, this chocolate left a faint citrus taste and slight acidity in the mouth that wasn't as nice as it sounds.

Amedei does not have list prices, but their chocolate bars are typically quite expensive. You can purchase Amedei 9 for $10.00 at Chocolopolis.

After reviewing Amedei 9 and writing this blog post, I looked up the sticker on the wrapper and discovered that this bar won the Academy of Chocolate's 2009 Golden Bean highest award. While this 2010 production of the 9 bar was good, we did not find it anywhere near as remarkable as the 2009 apparently was.

UPDATE: Amedei 9 also won a Gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Review: Fresco 210

Lindy's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerFresco
bar210
regionJamaica
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year2010
size40g ~ 1.4oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate
texturelined with scoring
aromaearthy, floral, woody, bread, nut, fruit
snapmedium-hard
tasteroast, spice (allspice), sweet (brown sugar), nut, bread, woody
meltless smooth
lengthminimal
finishacidic, faintly spicy
Fresco is an independent chocolate maker in Lynden, WA, (a small town near the United States border with Canada) that produces small batches of chocolate bars. Each production run uses a different recipe of three simple ingredients: beans, cocoa butter, and cane sugar. Each recipe is based on the origin of the cacao beans, the percentage of cocoa solids, how the beans are roasted, and how the ingredients are conched (i.e., ground down and refined into smooth chocolate) before tempering.

Fresco generously shares much of that information with their customers by identifying each bar not only by recipe, batch numbers, and production date, but also with explicit documentation of the levels of roasting (light, medium, or dark) and conching (none, subtle, medium, long). Of course, they also include the traditional bean origin and percentage of cocoa solids. Fresco has a good web page outlining their chocolate making process.

The 210 bar was made from cacao beans from Jamaica, with 70% cocoa solids, using a dark roast and medium conching. The color was a medium dark brown, with each square lined in alternating vertical and horizontal directions that attracted the eye as ones perspective changed relative to the lighting (please see picture above).

The primary aroma of Fresco's 210 was strongly earthy, but aromas of floral, woody, bread, nuts, and fruit were also present. The floral scent seemed strong to me, but only faint to Lindy. The snap wasn't as hard as usual.

This chocolate had a roast flavor, a spice that Lindy tasted as allspice, nuts, and a sweetness of brown sugar. Lindy also noticed bread and I found it quite woody.

The melt was less smooth that Lindy perceived as almost, but not quite, grainy (perhaps due to the medium conche). Disappointingly for a chocolate with such a delicious flavor, the length was minimal -- gone in only a few seconds. The finish was great, though: acidic with a faint spiciness and no bitterness.

Lindy loved the flavor of this bar and wanted to give it ****, but with only moderate complexity, imperfect melt, and minimal length, she felt she could only rate it ***. Still, it was near the top of her *** ratings and easily made it into the ranks of her ten favorite chocolate bars. I liked Fresco's 210, too, but I didn't find it good enough to break into my ten favorites.

These bars are relatively small at only 40 grams, or 1.4 ounces, which makes them on the expensive side. Fresco does not document a list price for their chocolate bars, but until they run out, you can buy the 210 at Chocolopolis for $7.00.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Review: Hägeland Uganda

Lindy's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerHägeland
barUganda
regionUganda
plantation(blend)
cacao treesForastero
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids80%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colordark brown
texturesmooth
aromastrong earthy (mushroom), smoky, spice (not quite clove), hint of nuts
snapmedium-hard
tasteearthy, coffee, hints of smoke, ash, and fruit
meltsmooth
lengthminimal-short
finishslightly bitter

This Hägeland Uganda bar comes to us thanks to Phillip (who hosted our recent blind chocolate tasting). He found this bar at a Walmart store.

Hägeland is a Belgian chocolate maker that distributes their chocolate exclusively through Walmart in the United States. The bars are not presently available online, nor in all Walmart stores, and the prices vary by store. I phoned several local Washington State Walmarts until I found them currently available at the Federal Way Walmart Supercenter for $2.28 (usually $2.99).

Hägeland's Uganda bars are made from Forastero cacao beans from Uganda. The color of this bar was a dark brown and unleashed a strong earthy aroma that we decided was mushroom. Other aromas we noticed included a smoky roast, a spice we couldn't quite identify that seemed similar to clove, and a hint of nuts.

I found the taste similarly earthy, but Lindy found the flavor to be more of a roast that she experienced as coffee. We also both tasted hints of ash, smoke and fruit. The melt was average and the length was on the minimal side of short. The final aftertaste was a slight bitterness.

Overall, a good ** bar that we both found more interesting than what we consider the standard of **, the Lindt Excellence bars, and sometimes less expensive, too.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Ranking: Chuao Comparison

Chuao is a region of Venezuela renown for its extremely high quality cacao beans. The cacao trees in the plantations in Chuao are primarily pure Criollo, although there are some hybrid Trinitario as well. In any case, this is supposed to be the source of perhaps the best chocolate anywhere.

For several years, Amedei had an arrangement to purchase all of the cacao beans from several of the plantations there. This exclusive deal kept many others from producing Chuao bars. However, some have managed to do so, and the following is a comparison of the four Chuaos I've been able to get my hands on.

Apparently Pralus recently released a Chuao bar that I hope to buy soon. Based on one image on Pralus's website, it may be made of Trinitario cacao. In any case, I'll post an updated Chuao comparison once we try Pralus's bar.

Notes:
  • None of these bars use an emulsifier.
  • The color of all the Chuaos were close to the PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken, though two were medium browns and two were darker.
  • There isn't a list price for the Amedei or Bonnat, so I used pricing from Chocolopolis for them instead.

chocolate makerAmanoAmedeiBonnatCoppeneur
Lindy's rating**************
Richard's rating*************
cocoa solids70%70%75%70%
added fatcocoa buttercocoa buttercocoa butter(none)
sweetenercane sugarcane sugarsugarcane sugar
flavoringvanillavanilla(none)(none)
colormedium-dark brownmedium brownmedium-dark brownmedium brown
aromacoffee, earthy(musty), hint of coconutraspberryearthy(musty, soil), roast, hints of molasses and allspiceplum, sweet, berry
tastestrong blackberry, plum, hint of earthyinitial honey, strong cherryroast (smoky), blueberry, strawberryplum, tart, hint of ginger
meltless smoothcreamyless smoothcreamy
lengthshortmediumshortshort
finishslightly drymildly acidicfaintly fruitytart
size56g ~ 2.0oz50g ~ 1.8oz100g ~ 3.5oz50g ~ 1.8oz
price per bar$9.95$13.00$9.99$7.95
price per ounce$4.98$7.37$2.83$4.51

Overall, Lindy and I would both rank these excellent chocolates (in order from best to very good):
  1. Amedei
  2. Bonnat
  3. Coppeneur
  4. Amano

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Review: Rogue Hispaniola

Lindy's Rating: 10.0 (previously ****)
Richard's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerRogue
barHispaniola
regionDominican Republic
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size60g ~ 2.1oz
cocoa solids70%
added fat(none)
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$6.99

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate
texturesmooth
aromainitial berry, earthy, sour
snaphard
tastetangy, berry (cherry), citrus (orange, lime)
meltmore smooth
lengthmedium
finishtangy, slightly acidic
This is the second bar we've reviewed by tiny Rogue Chocolatier, and we liked it even better than the first one. We reviewed Rogue Piura in October and I'm already looking forward to reviewing Rogue's other two bars (Rio Caribe and Sambirano) next year.

Rogue Hispaniola is made from cacao beans from a small cooperative in the Dominican Republic. Like the Piura bar, Hispaniola is made from only two ingredients: cocoa beans and cane sugar. The appearance of the bar is simple, too: just a smooth bar of chocolate, without imprints or scoring.

This chocolate gave off an initial aroma of red berries, followed by an earthiness. I also smelled a sourness that I wasn't able to more specifically identify. The taste of Hispaniola was terrific: a tangy cherry with a citrus of orange and lime.

The melt was smoother than average for an artisan chocolate. The length was also a bit better than typical, with a flavor that consistently lasted around 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone; we only wish it was as long as the Piura. The finish was nicely tangy, too, and only slightly acidic with no bitterness.

Hispaniola was another favorite bar for both Lindy and I. That makes two for two for Rogue chocolates being among our respective ten favorite bars.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Review: Guylian Extra Dark

Lindy's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate makerGuylian
barExtra Dark
regionWest Africa
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size200g ~ 7.1oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium brown
texturetext imprints, lines, and scoring
aromamolasses, roasted nuts
snaphard
tasteroasted nuts, sweet, ashy
meltless smooth
lengthshort
finishslightly acidic
Guylian is a second generation Belgian chocolate maker that produces primarily chocolate pralines and truffles, and is famous for its chocolate sea shells. They also produce a few chocolate bars, including a no sugar line that uses Maltitol as a sugar substitute. Guylian currently makes only one dark chocolate bar, the Extra Dark. By the way, the company is named from a combination of the founders first names: Guy and Liliane Foubert.

I received the last two squares of a Guylian Extra Dark bar from a friend of mine to whom it had been given as a gift. He wanted to give us an opportunity to try this chocolate that isn't generally available in the US (thanks Edward!)

The Extra Dark appears to be typically distributed in 100 gram bars, but the one reviewed here was a 200 gram bar. According to the Guylian website, the cacao beans used to make this bar are a blend (of probably Forastero beans) from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. This medium brown chocolate had a gray surface, likely due to improper storage at some point during its journey to us.

The aromas revealed by the Extra Dark were that of molasses and roasted nuts. The taste was quite similar, with a less specific sweet, but the same general roasted nuts. I also noticed an ashy flavor.

This chocolate was brittle, and shattered when chewing pieces (again, perhaps related to storage). The melt was less smooth, but not at all grainy. While the chocolate flavor lasted only a short time, there was no bitter aftertaste as the flavor faded away, leaving only a slightly acidic finish.

We both rated this bar **, though Lindy liked the roasted nut flavor a lot, and would have considered a higher rating had there been a bit more complexity to the aroma or taste, a better melt, or greater length.

I couldn't find a list price for this bar, but there was a sticker on the wrapper indicating a regular price of $7.00 (and discounted price of $4.99). For 200 grams, the Extra Dark is inexpensive, roughly the same value as the Lindt Excellence bars, and just as good.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Review: Valrhona Gran Couva

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerValrhona
barGran Couva
regionTrinidad
plantationGran Couva
cacao treesTrinitario
year2009
size75g ~ 2.6oz
cocoa solids64%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla extract
other ingredients(none)
list price$7.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1518 Puce
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromaroasted almond, smoky, sweet
snaphard
tastesweet (brown sugar, caramel), roasted nuts (almond, hazelnut)
meltsmooth
lengthmedium
finishfade
This is our second review of the Valrhona Gran Couva bar. It was the first bar I reviewed upon starting this blog three months ago. This review is based on our experience of the same production year, 2009, during our recent blind chocolate tasting.

The medium brown color of the Gran Couva appeared somewhat different under the incandescent lights of the dining room of our host than it did under the fluorescent lights of my office. I've come to realize that even using PANTONE colors is problematic as they differ based on lighting conditions. So, please be aware that our color descriptions are typically determined under fluorescent lighting.

The Gran Couva had a nutty aroma of roasted almond along with a smokiness. Other scents noticed by our blind tasters were sweet and hints of vanilla and grass. The taste of this chocolate was dominated by flavors of sweetness and roasted nuts. The sweetness was clarified as brown sugar and caramel; the roasted nuts were clarified as almond and hazelnut. Flavor hints of nutmeg, some sort of liquor (perhaps bourbon or whiskey), grass, and pear were also detected.

The melt was smooth, the length in the low 20 seconds range, and the finish was a pleasant fade without noticeable bitterness. This chocolate profile is similar, but not identical, to our original review.

Both Lindy and I were much more aware of an excessive sweetness this second time around. She lowered her rating from **** to *** and we both lowered this chocolate in our overall rankings (dropping off Lindy's current favorite 10 chocolate bars, but remaining on mine).

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

UPDATE: As of 17 April 2013, the best price I found for purchase online in the U.S. was $6.99 from Caputo's.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Review: Pralus Ghana

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerFrancois Pralus
barGhana
regionGhana
plantation(blend)
cacao treesForastero
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price€4,00

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1518 Puce
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromaashy, smoky, spice, hints of vanilla, cherry, and coffee
snapmedium hard
tastecoffee, spice (cinnamon)
meltcreamy
lengthminimal
finishsomewhat bitter
Francois Pralus Ghana is a certified organic chocolate bar made from Forastero cacao beans in Ghana. It was one of the bars we tasted at our recent blind chocolate tasting. Although it was ranked lowest among the bars at that event, both Lindy and I felt it should have ended up somewhere nearer the middle.

The aroma of this bar was a bit weaker that the other bars at the tasting, but interesting none the less. People detected scents of ash, smoke, and spice, along with hints of vanilla, cherry, and coffee. The taste was experienced more consistently, with nearly everyone noticing coffee and spice. Lindy and one other person identified the spice flavor as cinnamon.

The melt of this bar was creamy and better than any of the other bars we tasted that evening. Sadly, the flavor disappeared quickly after the chocolate and left a somewhat bitter aftertaste.

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Review: Theo Costa Rica

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerTheo
barCosta Rica
regionCosta Rica
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size84g ~ 3oz
cocoa solids91%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$5.00

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1518 Puce
texturesmooth with scoring, shiny
aromaearthy (soil), berry (cranberry, raspberry), roast (coffee)
snaphard
tasteburnt, citrus (lime), bitter
meltsmooth
lengthminimal
finishbitter
Theo is a small bean to bar chocolate maker in Seattle. It is certified as both organic and fair trade, the latter of which means they follows socially responsible practices in every aspect of their business. Theo is the only organic, fair trade, bean to bar chocolate factory in the United States. In the chocolate making industry, many businesses take advantage of the lower bean prices available by buying from cacao farms using child labor and poor working conditions. Fair trade chocolate businesses pay above-market prices in order to provide additional funds for improving the the lives and sustainability of cacao and sugar farmers.

At their factory in the Fremont district of Seattle, Theo gives daily public tours that include include a good overview of chocolate production, their company philosophy, and lots of chocolate tasting. By the way, the name Theo comes from the Greek name of the tree, Theobroma Cacao, meaning food of the gods.

Theo makes several interesting fantasy infusion bars, such as Bread & Chocolate and Fig, Fennel, & Almond, more traditional infusion bars, plus two "Good For All" bars in partnership with Jane Goodall and three single origin chocolates. One of those single origin bars is the Theo Costa Rica that we tried at our recent blind chocolate tasting. The other two are from the Dominican Republic and Madagascar, and we'll review them in the future.

At the blind tasting, everyone noticed the shiny surface of the Theo Costa Rica bar. The aromas included earthy, clarified as soil by two people, berry, clarified as cranberry by two and raspberry by two others, and roast, clarified as coffee by three people. The taste was burnt with a citrus flavor that both Lindy and I identified as lime. This chocolate had the highest cocoa content of the bars in the blind tasting, and everyone found it bitter.

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Review: Republica del Cacao Los Rios

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerRepublica del Cacao
barLos Rios
regionEcuador
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colordark brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromamint, coffee
snaphard
tastevery strong fig, hints of allspice and musty
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly acidic
The Republica del Cacao Los Rios bar drew strong reactions at the recent blind chocolate tasting. Two people loved the intense fig flavor of this chocolate, rating it **** and ranking it as their favorite, and two people hated it, rating it *, ranking it last, and remarking that it was the only bar they disliked.

Los Rios is made from Arriba cacao beans from the Los Rios province of Ecuador. Unfortunately, Arriba and Nacional are not always meaningful when applied to Ecuador cacao beans. Although both names have good reputations as quality cacao beans, there does not appear to be any control on their usage. Also, for its greater productivity, more and more Forastero cacao is being farmed in Ecuador and mixed with the Nacional cacao. Please see my discussion of cacao trees for more information about cacao varieties.

This chocolate had an unusual mint aroma with a suggestion of coffee. Similarly distinctive was its very strong fig taste, the flavor of which dominated this bar. Some people noticed hints of allspice and musty, and one person detected bourbon. However, it was the overwhelming fig flavor that was the focus of discussion about this bar.

All in all, an interesting and perhaps unique chocolate. We'll have to try some other Ecuador chocolates in the future for comparison.

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Review: Valrhona Palmira

Lindy's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 7.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerValrhona
barPalmira
regionVenezuela
plantationPalmira
cacao treesCriollo
year2009
size75g ~ 2.6oz
cocoa solids64%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$7.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromaearthy, berry (blackberry), spice (cinnamon, nutmeg)
snaphard
tastebrown sugar, honey, toffee, hint of nut, hint of floral
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly acidic
At the recent blind chocolate tasting, we tasted all three of Valrhona's single plantation bars as part of a comparison of seven cacao growing regions. The Palmira bar was the chocolate from Venezuela. According to a representative, the Palmira plantation has exclusively Criollo trees.

This chocolate had a lovely aroma: earthy, with a berry that I thought was blackberry, and a spice that some detected as cinnamon and others as nutmeg. Unfortunately, the high sugar content of this bar seemed to hide other potentially interesting flavors suggested by its aroma. Brown sugar, honey, and toffee were the most common descriptions. One person noticed something nutty, perhaps almond, and another something floral.

The melt was smooth and the length short. The final aftertaste of the Palmira, though, was surprisingly lacking in bitterness, leaving only a slightly acidic finish. As with all of the Valrhona bars, there was the consistent observation that this chocolate was too sweet.

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Review: Valrhona Ampamakia

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerValrhona
barAmpamakia
regionMadagascar
plantationMillot
cacao treesTrinitario
year2009
size75g ~ 2.6oz
cocoa solids64%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$7.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromaearthy (musty), spice, sweet, berry, vanilla, hint of citrus
snaphard
tastesweet, citrus (tangerine), berry (strawberry), buttery, vanilla
meltmore smooth
lengthshort
finishslightly bitter
At the recent blind chocolate tasting, we tried Valrhona's Ampamakia as a representative of cacao grown in Madagascar. Ampamakia is one of Valrhona's three single plantation bars (the other two being Gran Couva and Palmira). According to a representative, the Millot plantation where they grow the cacao beans for Ampamakia has exclusively Trinitario trees. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was February 2011.

The aroma of this bar was earthy, perhaps musty, with some spice. We could also smell its sweetness, along with berry, vanilla, and a hint of citrus. Upon tasting, the first thing nearly everyone noticed was its surprising sweetness for a dark chocolate bar, and then citrus, later clarified as tangerine, berry which Lindy concluded was strawberry, a buttery flavor, and some vanilla. Ampamakia had a smoother melt, short length, and slight bitterness of better chocolates.

Ultimately, this chocolate was well liked, placing second overall in the blind tasting. The only complaint was a bit too much sugar.

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Review: Michel Cluizel Maralumi 64%

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerMichel Cluizel
barMaralumi 64%
regionPapua New Guinea
plantationMaralumi
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids64%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringbourbon vanilla
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromaearthy, roast (tobacco), red fruit, hint of citrus
snaphard
tastestrong berries, strawberry, almond, coffee
meltmore smooth
lengthminimal
finishsomewhat dry
Michel Cluizel's 1er Cru de Plantation Maralumi was the favorite at our recent blind chocolate tasting. All seven tasters rated it either *** or ****, and ranked it first or second among the seven bars tasted that evening.

This 64% bar from the Maralumi plantation is the second bar that we have reviewed from Papua New Guinea. It had a medium dark brown color. Three tasters observed tiny air bubbles in the break of their pieces after testing the snap.

The primary aroma that nearly everyone noticed was earthy, roast, or both. Lindy and I both smelled red fruit, and she detected a hint of citrus as well, while I thought the roast was tobacco. The Maralumi bar had wonderful strong red berry flavors that most people tasted. Lindy identified the berry as strawberry, another person did so as currant, and the rest of us only as fruit or berry. Several of us also experienced almond and/or coffee.

This chocolate had a great melt: smoother than average. Sadly, the length was minimal, but this was partially redeemed by a mild, dry finish, with only a very slight bitterness.

There isn't a list price for Maralumi 64%, but you can find it at Chocolopolis for $6.99.

Unfortunately, I did not have an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Blind Chocolate Tasting Results

Yesterday evening's blind chocolate tasting was a success. The group was made up of six first-time chocolate tasters and Lindy and me. Unfortunately, one person had an upset stomach and did not participate, so only seven of us tasted.

We reviewed seven bars from different regions around the world, with no one other than me having any information beyond that of the chocolate maker of some of the bars due to imprints.

The seven bars we tasted (in order of overal average rating):

Chocolate BarRegionCocoa Solidsaverage rating
Michel Cluizel MaralumiPapua New Guinea64%3.4
Valrhona AmpamakiaMadagascar64%2.9
Valrhona Gran CouvaTrinidad64%2.8
Valrhona PalmiraVenezuela64%2.6
Republica del Cacao Los RiosEcuador75%2.3
Theo Costa RicaCosta Rica91%2.1
Francois Pralus GhanaGhana75%1.9

The Republica del Cacao Los Rios bar was particularly notable, generating strong reactions to its intense fig flavor. A few people thought it must be a flavored chocolate, even though it is not. Two people gave it the top rating of **** and two gave it the lowest rating of *.

The winner of the tasting, though, was clearly the Michel Cluizel Maralumi 64%. It was liked consistently by everyone. Every rating was either *** or ****, and everyone ranked it first or second among the bars we tasted.

I will add links in the above table to individual reviews as I post them over the next several days.

All in all, everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoy themselves. One person was amused that he wasn't noticing most of the specific aromas and flavors that others were, and instead focused on comparing differences in intensity of sweetness, bitterness, and richness. Many thanks to Phillip and Chris for organizing and hosting this event!

However, two improvements for any future tastings will be to review fewer chocolates, perhaps 4, and to start earlier. We started around 6:30 p.m., and because no one had eaten since lunch (to have a clean palate for the tasting), by the time we reached the 6th chocolate bar about 2 hours later, most people were ready to eat dinner. The bits of bread and water between chocolates were not substantial enough after so much time since a meal.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Blind Chocolate Tasting

Taking inspiration from Bernt's blog, The Quest for the World's Best Chocolate Bar, I'm facilitating a blind chocolate tasting this evening.

Before everyone arrives, I will break up seven artisan dark chocolate bars, each from a different region of the world: Africa, Central America, Ecuador, Madagascar, South America, Southeast Asia, and Venezuela. The seven participants other than me will have no information about the chocolates (other than perhaps the chocolate maker, from any imprints). The chocolates will simply be numbered 1 through 7.

We'll review each chocolate in turn, using bread and water to cleanse our palates between them. To help identify various aromas and flavors, I put together a tasting reference, which I have added to this blog as a separate page.

I'll post the results of the blind tasting, as well as individual reviews of the various chocolate bars by Lindy and I over the course of the next several days.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Review: Bonnat Chuao

Lindy's Rating: 10.0 (previously ****)
Richard's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerBonnat
barChuao
regionVenezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromaearthy (musty, soil), roast, hint of molasses and allspice
snaphard
tasteroast (smoky), blueberry, strawberry
meltless smooth
lengthshort
finishfaintly fruity
Bonnat is a fourth-generation family chocolate maker in Voiron, France. In additional to many truffles and mixed chocolates, they make several pure regional chocolate bars, including this Chuao. The family motto is "What is good to the taste is great for the soul."

As with the other Chuao bars we've reviewed, the Bonnat Chuao had the same PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken coloration, perhaps with a hint of Mustang (PANTONE 19-1217). It was a slightly darker brown (as with the Amano, and in contrast with the medium brown of the Amedei or Coppeneur).

The aroma of this bar was quite complex, with a predominantly earthy scent of soil and mustiness. I also smelled something roasted, but couldn't identify anything more specific. We also found hints of many other aromas: sweet, allspice, molasses, and berry.

This chocolate had an initial roast flavor, that was clearly smoky to me, but Lindy experienced it simply as roast. The melt was less smooth, again similar to the Amano and nothing like the lovely creaminess of the Amedei or Coppeneur Chuaos. As the chocolate melted, two berry flavors were revealed: blueberry and strawberry.

A short delay after the chocolate disappeared, we were left with a faintly fruity flavor. This fruity finish was remarkable in that it was so unlike the mild bitterness, acidity, or dryness typical of nearly all dark chocolates.

Bonnat Chuao is the fourth chocolate bar we've reviewed made exclusively from cacao from the Chuao region of Venezuela. We were happily surprised as it exceeded our expectations and was second only to Amedei's spectacular bar. It's also the most affordable Chuao chocolate, at only $2.83 per ounce. Lindy rated it 4 stars and placed it 4th among her ten favorite bars so far. I placed it 3rd among mine.

There isn't a list price for Bonnat Chuao, but you can find it at Chocolopolis for $9.99.

UPDATE 20 November 2012: As of today, the price at Chocolopolis has risen to $21.75. The lowest price I found today for purchasing Bonnat Chuao online is $15.90 at Chocosphere.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Review: Amano Chuao

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerAmano
barChuao
regionVenezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao treesCriollo
year(unknown)
size56g ~ 2oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$9.95

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromacoffee, earthy, musty, hint of coconut
snaphard
tastestrong blackberry, plum, hint of earthy
meltless smooth
lengthshort
finishslightly dry
Amano is a small U.S. chocolate maker founded by Art Pollard in Orem, Utah. They only began publicly selling chocolate bars in 2006, and released their first bar made exclusively from Criollo cacao beans from Chuao, Venezuela, just this year.

The first thing we noticed about Amano's Chuao bar is that it is a darker brown than the other Chuao bars we've reviewed. Breaking the pieces to test the snap revealed a couple of air pockets in the chocolate, indicating imperfect tempering.

This chocolate had a surprising coffee aroma, with an earthy background we decided was musty, and a hint of coconut. The taste of the Amano Chuao was an intense blackberry, some plum, and yet also just a bit earthy. The melt was less smooth, but not grainy; just not as smooth as other comparable chocolates. Sadly, the flavor didn't last long, but the finish left no bitterness -- we were left with only a slight dryness.

Overall, we were both a little disappointed by Amano's Chuao bar, having had high expectations from this respected chocolate maker using top quality beans. We both ranked this bar in our respective top 10, but it was noticeably below the other Chuaos we've tasted.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Review: Ghirardelli Twilight Delight

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerGhirardelli
barTwilight Delight™
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids72%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$3.95

colordark brown
PANTONE 19-1217 Mustang
texturesmooth with text and image imprints, scoring
aromasoil, smoky, coffee, vanilla, spice
snaphard
tasteraspberry, brown sugar, earthy (all mild)
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishslightly bitter
Ghirardelli's Twilight Delight™ is one of three unflavored chocolate bars in their Intense Dark™ line of chocolates. It has 72% cocoa solids; the other bars are Evening Dream™ with 60% and Midnight Reverie™ with 86%. Note that Ghirardelli has trademarked the many names of their chocolates.

Given our past experiences with Ghirardelli chocolates, Lindy and I had low expectations for this chocolate bar, but we were both pleasantly surprised.

The aroma of the bar was smoky and earthy soil, with coffee, vanilla, and spice. The taste was mild, with the flavors of raspberry, brown sugar, and earthiness. Twilight Delight™ had a smooth melt and short length, and left a slightly bitter aftertaste.

This chocolate wasn't especially remarkable, but Twilight Delight™ is a reasonable choice for an unexpected chocolate craving (along the lines of Lindt Excellence or Green & Black's Organic Dark bars).

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Review: Trader Joe's 72% Dark Chocolate

Lindy's Rating: 3.0 (previously *)
Richard's Rating: 4.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker(unknown)
bar72% Dark Chocolate
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size500g ~ 17.6oz
cocoa solids72%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$4.99

colordarkest brown
PANTONE 19-1217 Mustang
textureridged top, smooth sides, scoring
aromaallspice, sweet, earthy
snaphard
tastebrown sugar, roasted
meltsmooth
lengthminimal
finishslightly acidic or bitter
Trader Joe's Pound Plus Belgian chocolate bars are so big that they probably shouldn't be considered bars. At 500 grams, they weigh more than a pound, and are 5 to 10 times bigger than a typical artisan bar. For the price of only $4.99, these Pound Plus bars are a fantastic bargain, and top our Chocolate Value chart at only $0.28 per ounce.

The color of the 72% Dark Chocolate bar was an extremely dark brown. It gave off a clear aroma of allspice and sweetness, with a somewhat less obvious earthy scent. The taste was dominated by a brown sugar sweetness, and also had a roasted flavor. The melt was smooth.

Unfortunately, the chocolate flavor disappeared within seconds, providing only minimal length. The finish was slightly acidic to me, and somewhat bitter to Lindy.

Overall, I found this to be a decent chocolate, and certainly an exceptional value. Lindy enjoyed it, but felt there wasn't enough chocolate flavor. Both of us think this bar, like the 54% bar, is too sweet.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Chocolate Value

As you've probably noticed, we do not consider price as a criterion in evaluating chocolate on this site. Our ratings and rankings are independent of price. However, we recognize that price is relevant and have always posted a list price for any chocolates that have them. For those that don't, we include a reference price for purchasing them online in the text of the review.

I thought it might be interesting to separately look at the relative prices of some of the chocolates we've reviewed. To that end, I added a best chocolate values page to this site that we will maintain as we continue to review chocolate bars.

Trader Joe's chocolates are, by far, the best deal, with the Pound Plus bars coming in at a mere 28 cents ($0.28) per ounce and the others well under $1 per ounce. At the other extreme is Domori's Porcelana bar, priced at almost $8 per ounce.

You can find the best chocolate values page by clicking the Chocolate Value link in the Pages section on the top right of the home page.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Review: Pralus Papouasie

Lindy's Rating: 6.5 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 6.5 (previously **)

chocolate makerPralus
barPapouasie
regionPapua New Guinea
plantation(blend)
cacao treesTrinitario
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price€3,79

colordark brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromaearthy, musty, allspice
snaphard
tastesmoky, sweet cinnamon, hint of orange
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishvery slightly bitter
As suggested by the name of this bar, which is French for Papua, Francois Pralus's Papouasie is made from Trinitario cacao beans from Papua New Guinea.

Papouasie is another dark brown chocolate from Pralus, but Bracken in color rather than the Dark Red Brown of Le 100%. The appearance of the bar is otherwise quite similar to Le 100%, with identical scoring and imprint. This bar had a hard snap that caused tiny pieces of chocolate to flake off at the break, so it was slightly messy.

The aroma was earthy, which we later clarified as musty, along with the scent of allspice. Note that the musty aroma was not unpleasant at all, just the most specific description we thought of to reflect the earthy smell.

The taste of this bar was interesting. There was an overall smoky flavor, along with what Lindy identified as a sweet cinnamon with a hint of orange. We both liked the taste, though were disappointed that the flavor disappeared so quickly (short length). There was little finish, with only a very slight bitterness.

Ultimately, we both enjoyed this chocolate enough to add the bar to our respective top ten rankings.

Pralus Papouasie is available at Chocolopolis for $9.50.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Review: Pralus Le 100%

Lindy's Rating: 7.5 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerPralus
barLe 100%
regionMadagascar
plantationPralus
cacao treesCriollo
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids100%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetener(none)
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price€4,00

colordark brown
PANTONE 19-1526 Dark Red Brown
texturesmooth with text imprint and scoring
aromacocoa, floral, mint, red fruit
snapmedium-hard
tastewoody, burnt, not bitter!
meltcreamy
lengthlong
finishslightly acidic
MORE RECENT REVIEW: Pralus Le 100%

Francois Pralus's Le 100% is the first artisan bar we've reviewed made of 100% cacao beans. We had mixed feelings about tasting a chocolate without any added sweetener. I wanted to love it and we both feared it might taste like the awful, intensely bitter, unsweetened baking chocolate squares bought at the grocery store that we remembered from our childhood.

The cacao beans that Pralus uses are from their private plantation of Criollo trees on the island of Nosy Be, Madagascar, where they are grown, harvested and fermented. They are then transported to their factory in Roanne, France, where they are roasted, conched, etc., and made into chocolate.

Le 100% is certified organic (with the French Agriculture Biologique, which is recognized as meeting all EU regulations for organic food). Now, on to the review!

The thick bar was surprisingly easy to break, and the snap was softer than we expected, perhaps due to the warmer than usual temperature that day. This pure chocolate smelled of cocoa, but there were also aromas of something floral, mint, and red fruit. The melt was nicely creamy, probably as a result of the added cocoa butter.

As for the taste, I found it woody and Lindy experienced it as a flavor of burnt ashes (but not ashy). Both of us were surprised by the complete lack of bitterness. Lindy noticed some acidity. The length was long, as we could still taste the flavors a minute after consuming the chocolate. The finish was slightly acidic, but again, not bitter.

Overall, neither of us especially liked the taste. Lindy found it unpleasant, and it wasn't something I would seek out. I don't think there is anything lacking with this chocolate; it's just that neither of us have yet acquired a taste for 100% chocolates.

However, Le 100% is an organic pure chocolate made from Criollo cacao beans, so if you're interested in trying a 100% chocolate, this is probably a good one (and it might be nice with a full-bodied red wine ;)

Pralus Le 100% is available at Chocolopolis for $7.99.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Review: Divine 70% Dark

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)
Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate makerDivine
bar70% Dark
regionGhana
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$3.60

colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1518 Puce
texturelined with scoring
aromavanilla, floral
snapmedium-hard
tastevanilla, molasses or brown sugar
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishvery slightly bitter
MORE RECENT REVIEW: Divine 70% Dark

Divine Chocolate is 45% owned by the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative of Ghana cacao farmers. All of their chocolate products are fair trade certified. You can read more about Divine Chocolate, its interesting history, and their fair trade chocolate on their website. Divine makes several chocolate bars and other chocolate products, but the 70% Dark is their only unflavored dark chocolate.

The Divine 70% Dark bar gave off an immediate aroma of vanilla, with an added floral scent. Lindy also noticed some sort of spice, perhaps clove. This chocolate also tasted strongly of vanilla and sweetness. Lindy experienced the sweetness as molasses; I did as brown sugar.

The melt was smooth, though for me it was a bit less smooth. The flavor of the chocolate disappeared quickly, lasting just long enough to give it a length of short rather than minimal. The finish was minimal, with just a very slight bitter aftertaste.

Divine 70% Dark is available online directly from Divine at the price of 3 bars for $10.79, as well as at over 1100 retail stores in the U.S. and hundreds in the U.K., Canada, Europe and Japan. You can use Divine's StoreFinder application to find a retail outlet in the U.S.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Criterion: Color

You may have noticed that we recently started using standard PANTONE colors rather than our previous light, light-medium, medium, medium-dark, and dark brown descriptions of color.

Lindy and I were both a bit frustrated using the darkness of browns as our description of the color of chocolates. We wanted to find a standard to use instead. We decided to choose a book rather than a website, because it is difficult to adjust monitors to display colors accurately.

We had high hopes that the PANTONE standard colors in The PANTONE Book of Color would provide complete and accurate color descriptions that could be referenced by anyone.

However even with this reference book, we found that the colors of chocolates do not often have exact matches among the standard colors. We're choosing what we think is the closest color, but as a result, multiple chocolates that have somewhat different colors end up labeled with the same standard color. Still, we feel the addition of PANTONE colors is definitely an improvement on our previous descriptions, and hope you think so, too.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Review: Bonnat Porcelana

Lindy's Rating: 9.5 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 8.5 (previously ***)

chocolate makerBonnat
barPorcelana
regionVenezuela
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids75%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list priceN/A

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth with text imprints and scoring
aromastrawberry, spice
snapvery hard
tastebutter, toast, raisin or grapes
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishashy, slightly bitter
MORE RECENT REVIEW: Bonnat Porcelana

The Bonnat Porcelana is the third bar made from Venezuelan Porcelana cacao beans that Lindy and I have reviewed.

The aroma of this Bonnat Porcelana bar was fairly typical of chocolate made from Porcelana cacao, smelling of strawberry and spice, similar to Domori's bar. The chocolate tasted of butter, bread, and something roasted, which we combined to describe as toast. I also noticed a flavor of raisin. Lindy detected a flavor of grapes.

Unfortunately, the flavor of this chocolate faded relatively quickly, lacking the length of both the Domori and Amedei Porcelanas.

Like the other Porcelana bars, the Bonnat is expensive. However, given its substantial 100 gram size, it is certainly less costly by weight than Amedei's 50 gram bar and Domori's 25 gram bar.

Bonnat Porcelana is available from Chocolopolis for $19.99.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Review: Rogue Piura

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)
Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate makerRogue
barPiura
regionPeru
plantationJuan Tirado
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size60g ~ 2.1oz
cocoa solids75%
added fat(none)
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$8.99

colormedium brown
PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken
texturesmooth
aromafloral, clove, roast, red fruit
snapvery hard
tastegrapefruit, earth, hint of nuts
meltless smooth
lengthlong
finishtangy
Rogue is a tiny independent U.S. chocolate maker in Minneapolis, MN. The founder, Colin Gasko, is passionate about the chocolate he produces and goes to great lengths to ensure quality in every step of the process from cacao tree to shipping the resulting chocolate bars.

Rogue's Piura bar was made from four bags of cacao beans that he purchased from Juan Tirado's small organic farm in Piura, Peru. Fewer than 4,000 bars are being sold.

The ingredients of the Piura bar were simply cocoa beans and cane sugar. The texture was similarly simple: smooth and without any imprints or scoring, suggestive of its production by a small, low-volume chocolate maker. The color was a medium brown with an orangish tint.

This chocolate gave off a floral aroma, with scents of clove and a red fruit, perhaps cranberry. Rogue's Piura had an unusual and interesting flavor that we both liked: a citrus that Lindy perceived as grapefruit and I thought might also have some lime, as well as a hint of nuts. Lindy found the taste somewhat tart.

The melt was smooth, but less so than most other chocolates with a smooth melt. The flavor of this chocolate lasted quite a while: almost a minute for me, and more than a minute for Lindy. Unlike many chocolates, there was no final bitterness; instead there was a pleasant tanginess left from the citrus taste.