Review: E. Guittard Nocturne

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker E. Guittard bar Nocturne region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 57g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 91% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $2.89

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with signature imprints and scoring aroma roast(cocoa), berry, floral(honeysuckle), earth(must) snap hard taste sour/tart, citrus, roast(cocoa), nut, vanilla, slightly ashy melt smooth length minimal-short finish sour, somewhat ashy

Etienne Guittard started the Guittard Chocolate Company in 1868 in San Francisco, and it remains owned and operated by the Guittard family. Nocturne is the darkest chocolate made by Guittard, with 91% cocoa solids. The two ounce bar reviewed here came wrapped in gold foil inside the black paper wrapper printed with a best before date of October 2012. Nocturne was scored into 12 pieces, each with an imprint of the "E. Guittard" signature.

Guittard Nocturne had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color. Breaking the bar gave a hard snap and released more aromas of roast in the form of cocoa, a red berry, a floral scent that Lindy identified as honeysuckle, and an earthy must.

The taste of this chocolate seemed sour to me and tart to Lindy, with flavors of citrus, the cocoa we smelled in the aroma, nuttiness, and some vanilla. It also tasted slightly ashy to me.

Nocturne had a smooth melt. The chocolate flavor left quickly after the chocolate was gone. The aftertaste was not bitter; instead we were left with a sour and somewhat ashy finish. Lindy could also continue to taste some of the nuttiness.

You can purchase Guittard Nocturne online directly from Guittard for $2.89, or from Chocolopolis for $2.99.

Review: Amano Montanya

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Amano bar Montanya region Venezuela plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo year (unknown) size 56g ~ 2.0oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $8.95

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma earthy (musty, grassy), hint of vanilla snap hard taste sweet, fruit (berry, cherry, apple, melon, apricot), roasted marshmallow, hint of tannin melt smooth length short finish slightly astringent

Amano Montanya is made from Criollo cacao beans from some remote farms in the mountains of northern Venezuela. The two ounce bar of 70% cocoa solids came wrapped in gold foil inside a glossy black package with the print of a painting of a cacao tree by Cary Henrie. The best before date was December 2012.

This Montanya bar was scored into 15 pieces, each with an imprint of "AMANO Artisan Chocolate" and their tiny emblem of a small branch of a cacao tree. The color of this chocolate was a medium dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317).

The aroma of Montanya was earthy, with clear musty and grassy scents. I also smelled a hint of vanilla. The bar had a hard snap.

As we tasted this chocolate, we noticed several fruit flavors after the obvious sweetness. After an initial bit of berry or cherry, apple and melon flavors seemed strongest, though it sometimes tasted of apricot, too. Underlying these fruits was the marshmallow advertised on the wrapper. Lindy clarified that flavor as roasted marshmallow. In addition, she tasted a hint of tannin.

Montanya had a smooth melt. The length of this chocolate was very short, just 5 to 10 seconds, exceeding the 5 second threshold of short duration, but not by much. The final aftertaste was slightly astringent. Lindy found it stronger than I did, and also experienced some of the roasted marshmallow taste remaining with her.

Lindy and I both rated this chocolate ***. Amano Montanya won a Silver in the bean to bar dark chocolate category at the 2009 Academy of Chocolate Awards. For reference, the Montanya bar we reviewed was from lot number 3/4/84C with a best before date of December 2012.

You can purchase Amano Montanya online directly from Amano for $8.95, or at Chocolopolis for only $8.25.

Review: Theo Ultimate Dark 85%

Lindy's Rating: 7.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Theo bar Ultimate Dark 85% region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 84g ~ 3.0oz cocoa solids 85% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $4.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with scoring aroma roast (smoke), earth, spice, fruit (cherry, dried apricot) snap hard taste roast (toast), fruit (citrus, cherry), somewhat bitter melt smooth length medium finish burnt, somewhat bitter

Theo Ultimate Dark is part of this chocolate maker's Classic Collection, which includes several flavored chocolate bars, a 45% milk chocolate, a 70% dark chocolate that we'll review soon, and this 85% dark chocolate. Ultimate Dark is USDA certified organic and IMO Fair for Life certified fair trade and socially responsible for nearly all of its ingredients. Only the ground vanilla bean lacked a fair trade certification. The 3 ounce bar came wrapped in silver foil and was scored into 6 large pieces.

Ultimate Dark had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. It gave off a strong aroma, immediately permeating the area as soon as it was unwrapped. The scents included a smoky roast, some earthiness, a little spice, and some fruits that Lindy identified as cherry and dried apricot.

The flavors of this chocolate were primarily roast and fruit. Lindy experienced the roast as toast, and we both tasted fruits as a combination of citrus and cherry. I noticed a hint of spice, and found Ultimate Dark to be slightly bitter. Lindy felt the bitterness was substantial.

This chocolate had a smooth melt. After the chocolate was gone, the flavor lasted around 20 seconds, just barely giving it a medium length. The finish was nearly identical to the bitterness we experienced in the taste: Lindy found it bitter, and I found it slightly so. There was also an unpleasant flavor in aftertaste that Lindy identified as burnt toast.

Overall, Lindy rated Ultimate Dark a low *** and I rated it a high **. For reference, the Ultimate Dark bar reviewed here had a best before date of July 2012.

You can purchase Theo Ultimate Dark 85% online for $4.00 directly from Theo.

Review: Michel Cluizel Mangaro 65%

Lindy's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

Richard's Rating: 8.0 (previously ***)

chocolate maker Michel Cluizel bar Mangaro 65% region Madagascar plantation Mangaro cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 70g ~ 2.5oz cocoa solids 65% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring bourbon vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text and image imprints and scoring aroma roast (coffee, toast), spice, earth, fruit snap medium hard taste fruit (berry, blueberry, citrus), sweet (honey, caramel), tart melt more smooth length short finish slightly acidic

Michel Cluizel 1er Cru de Plantation Mangaro is made from 65% cocoa solids from the Mangaro plantation in the Sambirano river valley of Madagascar. The 70 gram bar came wrapped in gold foil and was scored into 15 pieces, and imprinted as shown in the photograph above. The best before date was 21 December 2011.

The color of Mangaro was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). The aromas of this chocolate included roast in the forms of coffee and toast, as well as some earthiness, some spice, and fruit. This bar had a medium hard snap.

Mangaro had tastes primarily of fruit and sweetness. The fruit flavor included berry in general, and blueberry specifically, as well as a citrus that was suggestive of lime. The sweetness seemed a combination of honey and caramel. Lindy also noticed some tartness in addition to the citrus flavor.

The melt of this chocolate was better than smooth, in the more smooth category. The flavor lasted about 15 seconds after the chocolate was gone, resulting in a short length. The final aftertaste was not bitter, leaving instead a slightly acidic finish. Lindy also found that she could still taste hints of roasted nuts and honey.

You can purchase Cluizel Mangaro 65% online for $6.99 at Chocolopolis.

For reference, the Mangaro bar reviewed here had a best before date of December 21, 2011. This chocolate won one star at the Great Taste Awards in 2008 and 1er Prix at the Paris Salon du Chocolat in 2003.

Review: Trader Joe's Fair Trade Swiss Dark Chocolate

Lindy's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker (unknown) bar Swiss Dark region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 71% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $1.99

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with lines and scoring aroma sweet (brown sugar, caramel), roast (cocoa), earthy, hint of berry snap hard taste sweet, fruit (pear), roast melt smooth length short finish slightly sour

Trader Joe's Fair Trade Swiss Dark Chocolate is made from 71% cocoa solids. The vanilla flavoring comes from vanilla bean pods. The wrapper has an Equitable Trade ("Fair Trade and Beyond") label on the back, but is not certified fair trade. The Equitable Trade website (http://www.equitabletrade.org) is not active. The 100 gram bar came wrapped in silver foil and was scored into pieces. The remainder of this bar (as photographed above) was given to me by my friend Phillip (thank you!)

Swiss Dark had a medium-dark brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015) color and a hard snap. The chocolate gave off aromas of sweetness in scents of brown sugar and caramel, roast in the scent of cocoa, and earthiness. There was also a hint of fruit that I think was some sort of berry.

The taste of Swiss Dark was quite sweet with a fruit flavor that we identified as pear. I also noticed a roast flavor. The chocolate melted smoothly, and when it was gone, the flavor lasted 10-15 seconds (a short length). The final aftertaste was not bitter, leaving only a slight sourness as a finish.

Lindy and I both rated this bar **. At $1.99, Trader Joe's Swiss Dark Chocolate is a bargain at the lowest price per ounce ($0.56) of all the bars we both rated ** (in contrast with the Amedei Toscano Black 70 we reviewed yesterday, which is the most expensive ** bar at $3.69 per ounce). You can see all of our chocolate ratings and relative prices on our Best Chocolate Values page.

For reference, the Swiss Dark bar reviewed here had a best before date of June 30, 2012.

Review: Amedei Toscano Black 70

Lindy's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 6.0 (previously **)

chocolate maker Amedei bar Toscano Black 70 region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees Criollo, Trinitario year (unknown) size 50g ~ 1.8oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth with text imprints and scoring aroma spice, earthy, floral, roast (tobacco), sweet snap hard taste fruit (cherry), sweet, roast melt smooth length short finish slightly acidic

Amedei Toscano Black 70 is unsurprisingly made from 70% cocoa solids. They use only Criollo and Trinitario cacao beans from farms producing exclusively for Amedei. The bar came wrapped in yellow foil inside a folded black paper container in the standard shape for Italian chocolate maker Amedei. The 50 gram bar was scored into 10 pieces, each with an Amedei text imprint and some lines.

The color of this Toscano Black 70 bar was a medium brown Bracken (PANTONE 19-1015). It had a hard snap. The aromas of the chocolate were spice, floral, and earth. Lindy also detected some sweetness and I smelled a tobacco roast.

Toscano Black 70 had a strong cherry flavor that was somewhat too sweet, and a roast that I thought hinted of coffee. The melt of this chocolate was smooth. After the chocolate was gone, the flavor lasted 10-15 seconds, giving it a short length. The final aftertaste was slightly acidic. Lindy was also left with just a hint of cherry that didn't seem to go away.

As you can see from the sticker on the package in the picture at top, Toscano Black 70 won one of the gold awards for best bean to bar chocolates at the 2009 Academy of Chocolate. Unfortunately, Lindy and I didn't like this bar anywhere near as much as the judges liked the bar two years ago in 2009. Lindy rated Toscano Black 70 ** and I agreed, though it was a high ** for me. Amedei does not have a list price for Toscano Black 70. However, you can purchase it online for $6.50 at Chocolopolis. At that price it is currently the most expensive ** bar on our Best Chocolate Values list.

Review: Domori Chuao Hacienda San José

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

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

chocolate maker Domori bar Chuao region Venezuela plantation San José cacao trees Criollo year (unknown) size 25g ~ 0.9oz cocoa solids 70% added fat (none) sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with text imprints aroma earthy (musty, straw), floral, nut (roasted almond), spice, berry snap hard taste fruit (tropical, pineapple, papaya, raisin), honey, tart, cream, hint of nut melt creamy length short finish very slightly acidic

Domori Chuao Hacienda San José is another chocolate bar made from Criollo cacao beans from Venezuela. It is a plantation bar, with all of its beans coming from Hacienda San José. The chocolate has only 70% cocoa solids and 30% cane sugar for ingredients. It comes in a tiny 25 gram bar (less than an ounce) that is scored into 4 pieces, each with a Domori imprint.

The color of this chocolate was different from the other Chuaos we've reviewed (they were all different shades of Bracken). Domori Chuao was closer to Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) in color. The bar had a hard snap.

Chuao San José gave off a complex aroma, with scents of earthy must and straw (or perhaps hay), something floral, nuts in the form of roasted almond, spice we didn't identify, and non-specific berry.

The flavors we tasted were similarly interesting, including tropical fruits that Lindy identified as pineapple and papaya. I noticed some honey and cream. Lindy found some tartness. We both also experienced raisin and a hint of nut.

This bar had a wonderful creamy texture as it melted. The flavor lasted about 15-20 seconds after the chocolate was gone, leaving it near the middle of a short length. The finish was minimal as the flavor just faded away, leaving only a very slightly acidic aftertaste.

Lindy and I both like Chuaos, and this was no exception. In comparison with the other Chuaos we've reviewed, Domori fits in as 4th:

1. Amedei
2. Bonnat
3. Coppeneur
4. Domori
5. Amano

Overall, we both rated Domori Chuao a high ***, and it made it onto our respective lists of 10 favorite bars: 10th on Lindy's and 8th on mine. As Lindy put it, "If I liked the flavor more, this would be ****."

Domori does not provide a list price for Chauo Hacienda San José. This bar costs $6.99 at Chocolopolis. It is not currently listed in their online catalog, but I'm confident you could order it from them by phone at (206) 282-0776.