Review: Original Beans Piura Porcelana

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

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

chocolate maker Felchlin bar Piura Porcelana region Peru plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo year (unknown) size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with imprints and scoring aroma roast (cocoa), earth, fruit, (apricot, prune), sweet, spice snap medium hard taste fruit (citrus, lime, raspberry), roast, nut, slightly bitter melt more smooth length short finish roast, very slightly bitter

Original Beans Piura Porcelana was made from Porcelana cacao beans that they discovered in the Piura River Valley of Peru in 2006. Original Beans, under their "The Planet: Replant It" program, continues to help Cepicafe (the regional farming cooperative) replant this rare Criollo cacao with a subsidy from sales of this chocolate bar. Each bar sold results in an additional tree planted. You can read more about it by entering the tracking number from the back of the wrapper (P01347 0722, in this case) on their website.

Although Original Beans is not a chocolate maker, they closely oversee the production of their chocolate, which is made by Felchlin. Piura Porcelana was made with 75% cocoa solids from organic and fair trade cacao beans, cocoa butter, and organic cane sugar. Original Beans shared that they used a 72 hour conch in making this chocolate. The 70 gram bar was wrapped in silver foil and packaged in a black paper container. The bar itself was scored into 12 pieces, each with an imprint, as shown in the picture above. The best before date was December 2012.

The color of this chocolate was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) and the bar had a medium hard snap. The aroma was a clean cocoa roast with earth and dried fruit that Lindy identified as apricot and prune. I also noticed some scents of sweetness and spice.

Piura Porcelana tasted of fruit, including citrus (that I experienced as lime) and raspberry. There were also roast and nut flavors. Lindy found the taste slightly bitter.

The melt was more smooth. The length was short, with the chocolate taste dissipating in 10 to 15 seconds. The finish contained a roast flavor and was very slightly bitter.

While not as good as the Venezuelan Porcelana chocolates we've reviewed (all three of which are among Lindy's favorites, and two of which are among mine), this chocolate costs about half as much. Overall, we both liked it and rated it ***.

You can purchase Original Beans Piura Porcelana for $6.95 in the U.S. from Chocosphere or for £4.75 in the U.K. and Europe from Chocolate and Love.

Sale: 15% off Michel Cluizel, Domori, and Valrhona, 10% off everything

This week World Wide Chocolate has 15% off Michel Cluizel, Domori, and Callebaut chocolate (through June 27th). Use coupon code SPECIAL15 during checkout for this 15% discount.

They also have 15% off Valrhona chocolate for two days through June 22nd. Coupon code TODAY15.

They are still continuing their 25% off Zotter chocolate sale (coupon code ZOTTER25). Here is the complete list of their special offers.

World Wide Chocolate is also currently offering 10% off all orders with no minimum purchase (coupon code 1day10-0). Typically this all brand offer is only 5% or requires at least a $25 minimum order. Their other more or less normal offers are:

• 15% off orders over $100: 1day15-100
• 20% off orders over $225: 1day20-225
• 25% off orders over $575: 1day25-575

REMINDER: Only one coupon code is allowed per order.

Between May and September, World Wide Chocoloate also includes free warm weather packaging of a reusable frozen gel pack inside insulated container (usually an additional $6.99).

World Wide Chocolate only ships to United States, APO (military), and FPO (diplomatic) addresses. Currently shipping is free on orders over $200 (this used to be $150). Full information can be found at World Wide Chocolate shipping policies.

Review: Bonnat Trinité

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate maker Bonnat bar Trinité region Trinidad plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 75% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprint and scoring aroma floral, roast (coffee), earth (must), hint of sweet snap hard taste citrus (grapefruit), roast (smoke, coffee), earth, nut, bitter, hint of sweet melt more smooth length short finish bitter

Bonnat Trinité was made from cacao beans from Trinidad. They probably used Trinitario cacao beans, but I did not get any confirmation of this. Trinité was a typical Bonnat chocolate, made with 75% cocoa solids from cacao, cocoa butter, and sugar. Formed into their traditional 100 gram bar, with the "BONNAT Voiron" imprint in the center and scored into 32 other pieces around it, Trinité was wrapped in silver foil inside a white paper sleeve. The best before date was July 2012.

This chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. The aroma was a combination of floral, roast, and earth. We didn't identify the floral scent, but agreed that the earth was a must. I smelled the roast as that of coffee and also detected a bit of sweetness.

The taste included flavors of citrus, roast, and some earth. Some bitterness was also present, as well as a hint of sweetness. The citrus revealed itself over time as a yellow grapefruit flavor. I identified the roast as smoke and coffee. Lindy also tasted a roasted nut.

Trinité had a melt that was more than just smooth. However, Lindy found a hard, crunchy granule in each of the two pieces she tasted. The flavor lasted only about 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was bitter, and not just a little.

You can purchase Bonnat Trinité online for $7.85 in the U.S. from Chocosphere (though they are temporarily out of stock) or for £4.95 in the U.K. from Mortimer & Bennett.

Review: Amano Cuyagua

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

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

chocolate maker Amano bar Cuyagua region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $8.95

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma fruit (fig), earth (soil), roast (cocoa), spice (mint, clove, vanilla), hint of sweet snap medium hard taste sweet, fruit (fig, apricot), tannin, spice (clove) melt smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

The cacao beans for Amano Cuyagua come from a secluded mountain valley of the same name. The two ounce bar was crafted from cacao beans, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and whole vanilla beans. It was scored into 15 pieces, each with an imprint of "AMANO Artisan Chocolate" and Amano's emblem of a cacao tree branch. Wrapped in gold foil, the bar was packaged in a glossy black paper container with a print of a painting by Marcia Baldwin of a cacao flower. The best before date was December 2012 and the lot number was 3/4/67B.

The color of Cuyagua was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a medium hard snap. Aromas from the chocolate included fig, an earthiness most remiscent of soil, and a rich cocoa roast. It also revealed several spices, including mint, clove, and vanilla, and a hint of sweetness.

In tasting this chocolate, Lindy noticed a brief bitterness at the beginning. The flavor included a mild sweetness, some fruit, substantial tannin, and a clove spice. The fruit was primarily the fig we smelled, with some apricot in addition.

The melt was smooth. The length was just barely into medium, with the flavor lasting about 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. Lindy experienced the finish as tannin; to me, the tannin seemed a bit less strong. In any case, that final aftertaste remained for a long time.

Overall, we both rated Cuyagua a low ***. We liked it, but not as much as some of Amano's other bars, such as Montanya.

You can purchase Amano Cuyagua online for $8.95 directly from Amano for delivery in the U.S. and Canada.

Review: Trader Joe's Swiss 72% Dark Chocolate

Lindy's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate maker (unknown) bar Swiss 72% Dark region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $1.99

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with floral reliefs and scoring aroma roast (smoke, cocoa), hint of floral snap hard taste sweet, roast, fruit (apricot, coconut) melt smooth length short finish slightly ashy, slightly tannin

Trader Joe's Swiss 72% Dark Chocolate was made from cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin and Madagascar vanilla. The 100 gram bar had 72% cocoa solids and came wrapped in silver foil inside a bright green paper container. Swiss 72% Dark was scored into 10 pieces, each with a floral relief. The best before date was May 2012.

The color of this chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar had a hard snap. The aroma was dominated by a strong smoky roast. The roast scent also included some cocoa. We smelled hints of something floral beneath the strong smokiness. Finally, I caught just a suggestion of banana.

Swiss 72% Dark had a sweet taste. There was some roast and fruit flavors that Lindy identified as apricot and coconut. The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted 15 to 20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving it a short length. The final aftertaste was slightly ashy and slightly tannin.

We both thought this was a good chocolate at a great price, and agreed it was the best bar we've tasted near its price point (better than the similarly named Trader Joe's Fair Trade Swiss Dark, but not quite as good as Endangered Species Supreme Dark, which costs almost 80% more, at $1/ounce). You can look over a summary of our reviews with price taken into consideration on our Best Chocolate Values page.

You can only purchase the $1.99 Trader Joe's Swiss 72% Dark Chocolate bars at Trader Joe's stores. Here's their store finder.

Review: Amedei Toscano Black 63

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

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

chocolate maker Amedei bar Toscano Black 63 region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Trinitario year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 63% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma floral, earth (moss), roast (cocoa, coffee), sweet, fruit (raspberry) snap hard taste sweet (honey), roast (hot chocolate), fruit (red berry) melt more smooth length long finish slightly sweet, very slightly acidic

Amedei makes their Toscano Black bars using blends of Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from plantations with which Amedei has exclusive relationships. Toscano Black 63 is made from cocoa mass, cane sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla, with a total of 63% cocoa solids. This 50 gram bar came in the standard Amedei shape: scored into 10 pieces, each with an "AMEDEI" text imprint and some lines. It came sealed inside yellow sided silver foil in a red textured paper container. The best before date was February 2012.

Toscano Black 63 had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. The chocolate had a terrific and complex aroma, with lots of scents. I first noticed something floral and some earthiness. Lindy clarified the earth as a moss. We smelled roast scents with both cocoa and coffee, though more of the former. There was also some sweetness and a red fruit aroma that Lindy identified as raspberry.

The taste immediately revealed a sweetness in the form of honey that was surprisingly nice, and not the excessive sweetness we anticipated. Following that was a roast flavor like that of a terrific hot chocolate, a great combination of cocoa and just the right amount of sugar. Finally, we noticed a red berry fruit.

This chocolate had a melt that was more smooth. The length was an impressive long, with the flavor lasting around a minute after the chocolate was gone. The finish was slightly sweet and very slightly acidic.

Overall, we both rated Toscano Black 63 a high ***. This chocolate surprised us both and made it onto our respective lists of favorites (click on the links in the top right Pages section to see them). It also won a gold at the Academy of Chocolate's 2011 Awards.

You can purchase Amedei Toscano Black 63 online for $6.50 in the U.S. from Chocolopolis, or for £3.95 in the U.K. from Chocolate Trading Co.