Saturday, October 2, 2010

Review: Green & Black's Dark 85%

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

chocolate makerGreen & Black's
barDark 85%
region(unknown)
plantation(blend)
cacao treesTrinitario
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids85%
fatcocoa butter
sweetenercane sugar
emulsifiersoy lecithin
flavoringvanilla extract
other ingredientscocoa powder
whole milk powder
list priceN/A

colormedium brown
texturesmooth
aromavanilla, grapefruit, hint of red fruit
snaphard
tastemalted, grapefruit, some bitterness
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishbitter
Like the Organic Dark 70%, Green & Black's Organic Dark 85% bar is certified organic, is made from Trinitario cocoa beans, and uses organic whole milk powder as an extra ingredient. It also adds organic fat-reduced cocoa powder to increase the chocolate flavor and uses less sugar and possibly more vanilla than the 70% bar.

The aroma was similar to the 70%, with the addition of an elusive hint of red fruit. The taste, though, was quite different: a malted flavor was strongest, with the grapefruit more in the background. There was also some bitterness. The melt was a little smoother than the 70%. The length was short, but the malted flavor lasted longer than the grapefruit of 70%. The finish was definitely bitter.

The increased bitterness of the 85% bar made it distinctly less enjoyable, and overall we both liked the 70% better. Lindy liked both the Lindt 85% and 70% better than the Green & Black's. I liked the Green & Black's 70% better than both Lindt bars, but found the Lindt 85% better than the Green & Black's 85%.

As I wrote before, there is no list price for the Green & Black's bars, but I found them in the organic section of our local grocery store for $4.49.

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