Review: Snake & Butterfly Benjamin's 62% Blend

Lindy's Rating: 7.5

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Snake & Butterfly bar Benjamin's 62% Blend region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.75oz cocoa solids 62% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane juice emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $5.00

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1431 Fudgesickle texture smooth with text and image imprints, scoring, bubbles, uneven sheen aroma earth, roast (smoke), fruit snap medium hard taste fruit (dried fruit, raisin, berry, yellow), sweet (butterscotch), roast, tannin melt smooth length medium finish slightly tannin, very slightly acidic

Snake & Butterfly makes primarily flavored chocolate now, but they still make unflavored two bars, Benjamin's 76% Blend reviewed earlier and this one, Benjamin's 62% Blend. Although their bars are not certified, they use fair trade cacao beans and organic ingredients.

Just like 76%, Benjamin's 62% was made from cacao beans, evaporated cane juice, and cocoa butter, with no added emulsifier or flavoring. The 1.75 ounce bar was scored into four large pieces, with alternating imprints of the company name and a stylized branch with a cacao pod.

The bar came wrapped in black-sided foil inside a paper sleeve. There was neither a production date nor a best before date for the chocolate we reviewed.

The color of this chocolate was a medium brown Fudgesickle (PANTONE 19-1431). The surface was smooth with some bubbles, and the sheen was uneven. The bar had a medium hard snap.

Benjamin's 62% had a strong earth aroma. Secondary scents included a smoky roast and fruit. Lindy found the strong earthiness unusually pleasant.

At the start, the chocolate tasted of a dried fruit that was clearly raisin. Then we tasted sweetness and roast as other fruit flavors developed, including berry and a yellow fruit. The sweetness reminded me of butterscotch. Lindy also tasted a slight tannin flavor.

This chocolate had a smooth melt. The length was medium, with the flavor lasting about 30 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was slightly tannin and very slightly acidic.

Although sweeter than most chocolate I like, we both slightly preferred 62% to 76% due primarily to the interesting fruit flavors and the reduced tannin aftertaste.

You can purchase Benjamin's 62% Blend online for $5.00 directly from Snake & Butterfly for delivery to the continental U.S. or Canada.