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.