Review: Green & Black's Dark 70%

Lindy's Rating: 4.0 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate maker Green & Black's bar Dark 70% region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees Trinitario year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 70% fat cocoa butter sweetener cane sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring vanilla extract other ingredients whole milk powder list price N/A

color medium brown texture smooth aroma vanilla, grapefruit snap hard taste fruity, grapefruit melt smooth length short finish somewhat bitter

Green & Black's Organic Dark 70% bar is certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), one of the 97 USDA Accredited Certifying Agents. In addition to being certified organic (for every ingredient other than soy lecithin), this bar is also the first to have organic whole milk powder as an ingredient. It's also notable that Green & Black's call out the use of Trinitario cocoa beans on the front cover.

Lindy and I both had a difficult time identifying aromas beyond the scent of vanilla. I noticed something that seemed to be grapefruit; Lindy clarified the vanilla scent as that of a liquor. The taste revealed a fruity flavor with a hint of citrus, that I experienced as grapefruit. Both of us found the length short, but for Lindy it was nearly minimal. She also found the finish to be more bitter than I did.

There is no list price for the Green & Black's bars, but I found them in the organic section of our local grocery store for $4.49.

Because we tasted the Green & Black's Dark 70% and Dark 85% bars after reviewing the Michel Cluizel Vila Gracinda bar, I retasted them again this morning to confirm our findings, and the grapefruit aroma and taste were even clearer (or perhaps just easier to notice since I was seeking them :)