Review: Amedei Chuao

Lindy's Rating: 10.0 (previously ****)

Richard's Rating: 10.0 (previously ****)

chocolate maker Amedei bar Chuao year 2010 cacao trees (unknown) region Venezuela size 50g ~ 1.8oz plantation (blend) cocoa solids 70% fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price N/A

color medium brown texture smooth aroma raspberry snap hard taste initial honey, then strong cherry melt creamy length medium finish mildly acidic

MORE RECENT REVIEW: Amedei Chuao

I decided to taste the Amedei Chuao as soon as possible, because it is reputed to be one of the best chocolate bars. It currently has the highest rating on the UK chocolate enthusiast site SeventyPercent.com.

Approaching our tasting with both hopeful anticipation and some skepticism, we were delighted to discover that the reputation of Amedei's Chuao bar is well-deserved. With a lovely aroma of raspberries, a creamy melt, multiple rich flavors of honey and later cherry, and a taste that lingered longer than any other bar we have tasted, this chocolate was superb. The wonderful flavor slowly and subtly faded away, leaving a mildly acidic finish.

Lindy raved about the surprising initial burst of honey transitioning to the strong cherry flavor, and I must agree: it was luscious. We each felt this bar deserved our first four star rating.

Note that the Amedei Chuao does not have a list price. This 50 gram bar is currently available at Chocolopolis for $13.00, and thus is the most expensive bar we've yet tasted. It is also the best.

UPDATE: As of 16 April 2013, the best price I found for purchase online in the U.S. was $14.50 from three places: Caputo's, Chocosphere, and World Wide Chocolate. We also have a more thorough and recent review of Amedei Chuao.