Review: Valrhona Grand Cru Taїnori 64%

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Valrhona bar Taїnori region Dominican Republic plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 64% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla extract other ingredients (none) list price $6.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture matte, smooth flower, asymmetric scoring lines aroma roast (cocoa), floral, almond snap hard taste sweet, fruit (apricot), roast (cocoa), nut (almond), bread melt more smooth length medium finish slightly sour, slightly acidic

Valrhona made Taїnori as one of its Grand Cru chocolates. Taїnori has 64% cocoa solids from cacao of the Dominican Republic. The ingredients were cocoa beans, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and natural vanilla extract. The Taїnori bar was the thin 70 gram bar with asymmetric score lines that Valrhona currently uses for its Grand Cru line. The scoring results in 25 varied-size pieces. The surface had a matte texture with smooth imprints of a flower and the Valrhona name. The best before date on the bar we reviewed was October 2011.

The chocolate had a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and the bar had a hard snap. Taїnori had aromas of roast in the form of cocoa, a floral scent more typical of Ecuador than the Caribbean, and a nutty almond.

The flavor of Taїnori was sweet, and had a roast that tasted like toast to me and like cocoa to Lindy. We also both tasted fruit that we identified primarily as apricot. I experienced an almond flavor similar to that which we smeleed in the aroma. Lindy discovered a bread flavor as well.

As with most of the Grand Cru line, the melt was more smooth. The length was medium, with the flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was slightly sour. I also tasted a slight acidity.

You can purchase Valrhona Taїnori 64% online for $6.99 directly from Valrhona or for $5.65 from Chocosphere for delivery in the U.S. For delivery in the U.K. (and Europe), you can purchase it online for £3.55 from Chocolate Trading Co.