Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Review: Divine 70% Dark

Richard's Rating: 5.5
chocolate makerDivine
bar70% Dark
regionGhana
plantation(blend)
cacao trees(unknown)
year(unknown)
size100g ~ 3.5oz
cocoa solids70%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenersugar
emulsifierlecithin
flavoringvanilla
other ingredients(none)
list price$3.99
colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1015
Bracken
texturesmooth, scoring, lined, scuffing
aromaroast (tobacco), earth, spice, vanilla, coconut
snapmedium hard
tasteroast (cocoa, hint of tobacco), sweet (molasses), vanilla, fruit, hint of earth
meltsmooth
lengthshort
finishvery slightly bitter
Divine Chocolate is part-owned by the Kuapa Kokoo cooperative of cacao farmers in Ghana. They make fair trade chocolate and two unflavored dark chocolate bars: 85% Dark and this one: 70% Dark. Both are single origin chocolates made with cacao from Ghana.

This chocolate contained 70% cocoa solids and had ingredients of cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin, and vanilla. The 100 gram bar was scored into 24 pieces, each imprinted with horizontal and vertical lines separated in half with a diagonal line. It came enclosed in brass-colored foil inside a black paper wrapper covered with gold Adinkra symbols. The best before date was February 2013.

70% Dark had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth with some scuffing. The snap was medium hard.

The aroma of this chocolate was a tobacco roast with earth. Scents of spice, vanilla, and coconut were also present.

The chocolate tasted of a cocoa roast, with little of the tobacco or earthiness of the aroma. There was a sweet molasses flavor as well as vanilla and some fruit I didn't identify.

70% Dark had a smooth melt. The chocolate flavor lasted about 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was very slightly bitter.

Overall, 70% Dark was superior to 85% Dark, lacking the bitter flavor and much of the bitter aftertaste. It's one of the better chocolates at the $1.25 per ounce and under price points, as you can see on our Best Chocolate Values page.

You can purchase 70% Dark for $3.99 in the U.S. directly from Divine USA or for £2.00 in the U.K. directly from Divine.

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