Review: Moho Plain Dark 72%

Richard's Rating: 6.5

chocolate maker Moho bar Plain Dark 72% region Belize plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $7.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, scoring, adhered bits, scuffing, dimples aroma roast (smoke, tobacco), earth (must), fruit, spice snap very hard taste roast (coffee, cocoa), earth, sweet, nut, fruit (citrus, lime), ashy melt less smooth length medium finish tannin, somewhat sour, slightly bitter

New York chocolate maker Moho crafts bean to bar chocolate with single origin cacao beans from the Moho river valley of Belize. They source their cacao beans from Moho River Cacao, which ferments and dries the beans of small local farmers.

The current Moho Chocolate Company was previously Moho Cocoa. The Dark 67% we reviewed previously had the old Moho Cocoa label. The Plain Dark 72% reviewed here had the new label.

Plain Dark 72% had only three ingredients: cocoa liquor made from organic Belize cacao beans, sugar, and cocoa butter made from those same beans. The full 100 gram bar was scored into 28 pieces. It came wrapped in foil-sided wax paper inside a paper sleeve. There was no production or best before date.

The color of the chocolate was a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015), slightly darker with less red than Dark 67%. The surface was smooth, but scuffed, and there were many bits of chocolate adhered to it. In addition, there were small dimples at the scoring intersections. Except for the wear (presumably during transit), this bar looked much more professional than the earlier Dark 67%.

The snap was very hard, but not brittle. Plain Dark 72% had an aroma similar to Dark 67%, with scents of smoky tobacco roast and musty earth. The difference was the addition of an interesting combination of fruit and spice scents.

The taste of this chocolate was more complex, with flavors of roast, earth, sweetness, nuts, and fruit. The roast was a combination of coffee and cocoa, and the fruit a citrus that I experienced mostly as lime. The taste was also ashy. On a subsequent tasting, Plain Dark 72% reminded me of an oreo cookie.

The melt was less smooth. The length was medium, with the chocolate flavor lasting 20 to 25 seconds after the chocolate was gone. The finish was tannin, somewhat sour, and slightly bitter.

Overall, a good chocolate and an improvement over Dark 67%. The link to purchase Moho Plain Dark 72% online for $7.00 is no longer available. I'll update this posting when it is working again.

Review: Moho Dark 67%

Richard's Rating: 5.5

chocolate maker Moho bar Dark 67% region Belize plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 67g ~ 2.3oz cocoa solids 67% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $4.50

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, uneven shape, uneven sheen, scuffing aroma roast (smoke, tobacco), earth (must) snap hard taste roast (cocoa), sweet, earth, tannin, fruit melt less smooth length short finish tannin, slightly bitter, slightly ashy

Moho is a single origin bean to bar chocolate maker based in New York, but with strong ties to the Moho river valley of Belize. Not only do they source their cacao beans from small local farmers through Moho River Cacao, but Jeff Pzena also co-owns Cotton Tree Lodge there, which hosts educational chocolate weeks. Moho River Cacao handles all of the fermentation and solar drying of the cacao for quality and consistency.

The current Moho Chocolate Company was previously Moho Cocoa, and the Dark 67% reviewed here had the old Moho Cocoa label. Moho is in the process of phasing out these 2.35 ounce bars and instead making 100 gram bars. They make flavored chocolate bars in addition to their Dark 67% and Plain Dark 72% (which we'll review next).

As explained on their website, Dark 67% was crafted from 8 parts cocoa beans, 5 parts sugar, and 2 parts cocoa butter. Jeff confirmed that they make their cocoa butter from the same Belize cacao beans.

The 2.35 ounce bar came as a single slab wrapped in foil-sided wax paper inside a paper sleeve. There was no production or best before date.

Dark 67% had a medium-dark brown color that was slightly redder than Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The bar was uneven, with one side slightly wider than the other. The surface was smooth, but had an uneven sheen and some scuffing. The bar had a hard snap.

The aroma was roasted and earthy. The roast included both smoke and tobacco scents; the earth was musty.

The chocolate had a roast taste, too, but it was cocoa rather than smoky and tobacco. The taste was sweet and tannin, and had additional flavors of earth and fruit.

The melt was less smooth. The chocolate flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, giving a short length. The finish was tannin, slightly bitter, and slightly ashy.

It appears you can still purchase Dark 67% online for $4.50 on the Moho Cocoa website.