Review: Valrhona Gran Couva

Lindy's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Valrhona bar Gran Couva region Trinidad plantation Gran Couva cacao trees Trinitario year 2009 size 75g ~ 2.6oz cocoa solids 64% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla extract other ingredients (none) list price $7.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1518 Puce texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma roasted almond, smoky, sweet snap hard taste sweet (brown sugar, caramel), roasted nuts (almond, hazelnut) melt smooth length medium finish fade

This is our second review of the Valrhona Gran Couva bar. It was the first bar I reviewed upon starting this blog three months ago. This review is based on our experience of the same production year, 2009, during our recent blind chocolate tasting.

The medium brown color of the Gran Couva appeared somewhat different under the incandescent lights of the dining room of our host than it did under the fluorescent lights of my office. I've come to realize that even using PANTONE colors is problematic as they differ based on lighting conditions. So, please be aware that our color descriptions are typically determined under fluorescent lighting.

The Gran Couva had a nutty aroma of roasted almond along with a smokiness. Other scents noticed by our blind tasters were sweet and hints of vanilla and grass. The taste of this chocolate was dominated by flavors of sweetness and roasted nuts. The sweetness was clarified as brown sugar and caramel; the roasted nuts were clarified as almond and hazelnut. Flavor hints of nutmeg, some sort of liquor (perhaps bourbon or whiskey), grass, and pear were also detected.

The melt was smooth, the length in the low 20 seconds range, and the finish was a pleasant fade without noticeable bitterness. This chocolate profile is similar, but not identical, to our original review.

Both Lindy and I were much more aware of an excessive sweetness this second time around. She lowered her rating from **** to *** and we both lowered this chocolate in our overall rankings (dropping off Lindy's current favorite 10 chocolate bars, but remaining on mine).

Unfortunately, we did not take an opportunity to photograph the opened chocolate bars at the tasting, so I only have a picture of the wrapper.

UPDATE: As of 17 April 2013, the best price I found for purchase online in the U.S. was $6.99 from Caputo's.

Blind Chocolate Tasting Results

Yesterday evening's blind chocolate tasting was a success. The group was made up of six first-time chocolate tasters and Lindy and me. Unfortunately, one person had an upset stomach and did not participate, so only seven of us tasted.

We reviewed seven bars from different regions around the world, with no one other than me having any information beyond that of the chocolate maker of some of the bars due to imprints.

The seven bars we tasted (in order of overal average rating):

Chocolate Bar	Region	Cocoa Solids	average rating
Michel Cluizel Maralumi	Papua New Guinea	64%	3.4
Valrhona Ampamakia	Madagascar	64%	2.9
Valrhona Gran Couva	Trinidad	64%	2.8
Valrhona Palmira	Venezuela	64%	2.6
Republica del Cacao Los Rios	Ecuador	75%	2.3
Theo Costa Rica	Costa Rica	91%	2.1
Francois Pralus Ghana	Ghana	75%	1.9

The Republica del Cacao Los Rios bar was particularly notable, generating strong reactions to its intense fig flavor. A few people thought it must be a flavored chocolate, even though it is not. Two people gave it the top rating of **** and two gave it the lowest rating of *.

The winner of the tasting, though, was clearly the Michel Cluizel Maralumi 64%. It was liked consistently by everyone. Every rating was either *** or ****, and everyone ranked it first or second among the bars we tasted.

I will add links in the above table to individual reviews as I post them over the next several days.

All in all, everyone seemed to have a good time and enjoy themselves. One person was amused that he wasn't noticing most of the specific aromas and flavors that others were, and instead focused on comparing differences in intensity of sweetness, bitterness, and richness. Many thanks to Phillip and Chris for organizing and hosting this event!

However, two improvements for any future tastings will be to review fewer chocolates, perhaps 4, and to start earlier. We started around 6:30 p.m., and because no one had eaten since lunch (to have a clean palate for the tasting), by the time we reached the 6th chocolate bar about 2 hours later, most people were ready to eat dinner. The bits of bread and water between chocolates were not substantial enough after so much time since a meal.

First review: Valrhona Gran Couva

Lindy's Rating: 9.5 (previously ****)

Richard's Rating: 9.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Valrhona bar Gran Couva year 2009 cacao trees Trinitario region Trinidad size 75g ~ 2.6oz plantation Gran Couva cocoa solids 64% fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla extract other ingredients (none) list price $7.99

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, glossy surface aroma nutty, floral, bark snap hard taste rich, roasted nuts, toffee, caramel hint of tobacco melt less creamy length medium finish slightly bitter

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Valrhona Gran Couva

Note: updated 28 October 2010, so Lindy could taste and add her perspective. Also added PANTONE color.

This Valrhona Gran Couva was my golden ticket bar. I picked it out as my favorite among a tasting of about half a dozen Valrhona chocolate bars. The rich nutty chocolate flavor is wonderful. It's too bad that it doesn't last forever, and that the finish isn't as pleasant as the taste.

The melt of this bar is creamy, definitely beyond smooth, but not quite as creamy as the Amedei or Coppeneur Chuao chocolates. Lindy tasted multiple sweet flavors, including toffee and caramel.

Note that this review may be slightly distorted, as I opened the bar three days ago and tasted for the review from the half remaining this morning.

Please send any suggestions for improvements to content or format. Thanks!

UPDATE: As of 17 April 2013, the best price I found for purchase online in the U.S. was $6.99 from Caputo's. We also have a more thorough and recent review of Valrhona Gran Couva.

Surprise and delight!

About two months ago, Seattle's best artisan chocolate store, Chocolopolis, had their second anniversary. They celebrated with a week of daily free chocolate tastings of some of the great chocolate makers: Amano, Cluizel, Corallo, Pralus, and Valrhona.

I purchased several chocolate bars that week, and only yesterday opened the last of them, a 2009 Valrhona Gran Couva. To my astonishment and great delight, there was a golden ticket inside...

During their anniversary week of tastings, Chocolopolis placed three golden tickets in bars of chocolates they were selling. The winners are gifted each week for the year with their choice of any one bar of chocolate!

I'm so excited about going to their store today and picking out my first bar!

Artisan chocolates are quite expensive, typically $6 to $12 for a bar of only a few ounces of chocolate. As a result, I've been reluctant to purchase bars that I haven't already tasted, so this is a spectacular opportunity to try many different chocolates.