Sale: 25% off Gnosis Chocolate in September

Gnosis is running a 25% off promotion that is valid on everything they sell through the end of September. They have many raw chocolate products in addition to the two unflavored dark chocolate bars we've reviewed (Dazzling Dark and Simplicity). Here's their full online store.

Use coupon code SEPT-25 at checkout for the discount.

Review: Gnosis Simplicity

Richard's Rating: 5.0

chocolate maker Gnosis bar Simplicity region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener agave, coconut palm emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $9.25

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, image imprints, bubbles aroma smoke, earth, tobacco, spice, hint of floral, hint of sweet snap medium-soft taste sweet, roast (coffee, cocoa, tobacco), earth, bitter, fruit melt less smooth length short finish coffee, bitter

Gnosis makes organic raw chocolate and has the trademark The World's Most Nutritious Chocolate™. They make 24 different chocolate bars, as well as several other chocolate products, and donate 10% of their profits to environmental causes. The Gnosis raw chocolate product line won a Gold Award in 2011 from Best of Raw. They make two unflavored dark chocolate bars: Dazzling Dark and Simplicity.

All Gnosis chocolate is processed below 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48°C). Although the bars are not certified fair trade, founder Vanessa Barg has taken trips to farms in Belize, Grenada, Mexico, and Indonesia to verify fair labor practices. Note that Gnosis is in the process of switching their sweeteners from agave nectar and coconut palm nectar to coconut palm sugar.

Each Gnosis bar has a theme, and the theme of Simplicity was Energy. Simplicity was USDA certified organic and made from 70% cacao beans and 30% agave nectar and/or SweetTree™ [coconut] palm nectar. The thick two ounce bar was scored into six pieces, each with an imprint of Vanessa's stylized dove. The bar came sealed in a clear biodegradable wrapper inside a recycled paper box. The best before date printed on the box was 20 December 2012.

The color of Simplicity was slightly redder than a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The surface was smooth with several bubbles. The bar had an unusual medium-soft snap.

The chocolate gave off an aroma similar to that of Dazzling Dark. It was strongly smoky, with scents of earth, tobacco, and spice, along with hints of floral and sweetness.

Simplicity had an underlying taste like that of Dazzling Dark, but it unlike that chocolate, this one was dominated by sweetness. The sweeteners used in this bar are stronger than cane sugar, so this chocolate was much sweeter than a typical one with 70% cocoa solids. The other flavors I tasted were coffee, cocoa, and tobacco roast, along with earth, bitterness, and fruit.

The melt was less smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted 10 to 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was a coffee flavor with some bitterness.

This chocolate would be good for someone who likes the sweetness of milk chocolate and doesn't mind some bitter flavor, but wants the health properties of organic raw chocolate and increased cocoa solids.

You can purchase Simplicity online for $9.25 directly from Gnosis or for $8.49 from Premium Organic Cafe either directly or on Amazon.com. All three sites appear to ship internationally.

Review: Gnosis Dazzling Dark

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker Gnosis bar Dazzling Dark region Indonesia, Ecuador, Peru plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 90% added fat (none) sweetener agave, coconut palm emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $9.25

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, image imprints, bubbles, adhered bits aroma earth, smoke, tobacco, spice, floral, nut snap medium taste roast (coffee, cocoa, tobacco), earth, hint of fruit, sour, bitter melt less smooth length short finish coffee, bitter

Vanessa Barg began making chocolate as Gnosis in 2008. She defines the name Gnosis as knowledge of intuition, experience, and heart. Based in New York, Gnosis crafts raw organic chocolate with low glycemic sweeteners and adds nuts, fruits, and medicinal herbs. They now make two dozen different chocolate bars, as well as several other chocolate products, and donate 10% of their profits to environmental causes. The Gnosis raw chocolate product line won a Gold Award in 2011 from Best of Raw. We'll be reviewing the two chocolate bars that are unflavored: Dazzling Dark and Simplicity.

All Gnosis chocolate is processed below 118 degrees Fahrenheit (48°C). Although the bars are not certified fair trade, Vanessa has taken trips to farms in Belize, Grenada, Mexico, and Indonesia to verify fair labor practices. Note that Gnosis is in the process of switching their sweeteners from agave nectar and coconut palm nectar to coconut palm sugar.

Each Gnosis bar has a theme. The theme of Dazzling Dark (formerly Dazzling Darkness) was Intensity. The bar was USDA certified organic and made from 90% cacao beans and 10% agave nectar and/or SweetTree™ [coconut] palm nectar. The thick two ounce bar was scored into six pieces, each with an imprint of a stylized dove with a spiral in its wing and a fleur-de-lis tail (that golden dove, also seen on the box label above, is Vanessa's personal symbol). The bar came sealed in a clear biodegradable wrapper inside a recycled paper box. The best before date printed on the box was 18 October 2012.

The chocolate had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. The surface was smooth with several chocolate bits adhered to it. There were some tiny bubbles. The snap was medium.

The aroma of Dazzling Dark contained earth, smoke, tobacco, and spice. I smelled additional scents of floral and nut.

Surprisingly for a raw chocolate, the primary taste was roast. The roast flavor consisted of coffee, cocoa, and tobacco flavors. Earth, a hint of fruit, sour and bitter flavors were also present.

The melt was less smooth. The length was short, with the chocolate flavor lasting about 5 to 10 seconds after the chocolate was gone. This was more difficult than usual to determine, as the finish was very similar to the ending taste. The finish had the same coffee flavor with more evident bitterness, and lasted for a long time.

You can purchase Dazzling Dark online for $9.25 directly from Gnosis or for $8.49 from Premium Organic Cafe either directly or on Amazon.com. All three sites appear to ship internationally.

Raw Chocolate

One of the steps in making traditional chocolate is roasting cacao beans, which subjects them to high temperatures that reduce antioxidants and other beneficial health properties of the cacao. Raw chocolate typically minimizes processing and maintains the cacao and other ingredients at low temperatures throughout.

At present, there is neither an accepted temperature limit for raw chocolate nor third-party certification for it. The raw food community seems to generally use a threshold of 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), though some go as high as 49°C (120°F).

Raw chocolate has a reputation for being healthier than, but not tasting as good as, chocolate made from roasted cacao beans. The taste of raw chocolate, however, has been improving and a few makers seem to be crafting chocolate just as delicious as that made from roasted beans.

Over the next month, we will be reviewing raw chocolate bars from the Chocolate Conspiracy, Fearless, Fine & Raw, Gnosis, Pacari, and Stirs the Soul.