Thursday, August 28, 2014

Review: The Chocolate Conspiracy Dark Bar

Richard's Rating: 6.0
chocolate makerChocolate Conspiracy
barDark Bar
regionPeru
plantationblend
cacao treesunknown
year2013
size56g ~ 2.0oz
cocoa solids74%
added fatcocoa butter
sweetenerwildflower honey
emulsifier(none)
flavoring(none)
other ingredients(none)
list price$9.00
colormedium-dark brown
PANTONE 19-1012
Dark Brown
appearancesmooth, text imprints, uneven sheen, bubbles
aromaearth, spice, fruit, floral, cocoa, sweet
snapmedium hard
tasteearth, nut, spice (cinnamon), fruit, coffee, sweet (honey), acidic
meltless smooth
lengthshort
finishacidic, slightly sour
The Chocolate Conspiracy made several changes to their Dark Bar since we reviewed it in 2012. The cacao beans for this chocolate now come from Peru rather than Ecuador. Vanilla beans are no longer among the ingredients. The Chocolate Conspiracy has new wrappers and shapes their bars in new molds.

A.J. Wentworth still crafts his chocolate raw, with the temperature never exceeding 105°F (41°C). The 74% cocoa solids of Dark Bar were cacao beans and cocoa butter, both of which were certified organic. The 26% sweetener was unfiltered wildflower honey.

Inside an outer paper wrapper, the unscored two ounce bar came wrapped in copper-colored foil-sided wax paper. The best before date was September 12, 2014.

The bar had a smooth surface, but the sheen was uneven and there were several bubbles around the text imprints. The chocolate had a medium-dark brown Dark Brown (PANTONE 19-1012) color.

Dark Bar had a medium hard snap. The aroma contained scents of earth, spice, fruit, floral, cocoa, and sweet.

An initial earthy taste developed additional flavors of nut, cinnamon spice, fruit, coffee, and honey. The coffee flavor grew dominant. The taste was acidic.

The melt of this chocolate was less smooth, with a slightly grainy texture. The length was short, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 15-20 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The final aftertaste was acidic and slightly sour.

Overall, I preferred the prior incarnation of this chocolate, but Dark Bar remains a good choice among raw or sugar-free chocolate.

You can purchase Dark Bar for $9.00 directly from The Chocolate Conspiracy.

No comments:

Post a Comment