Review: Godiva 72% Dark

Lindy's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

Richard's Rating: 5.5 (previously **)

chocolate maker Godiva bar 72% Dark region (unknown) plantation (blend) cacao trees (unknown) year (unknown) size 100g ~ 3.5oz cocoa solids 72% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier soy lecithin flavoring (none) other ingredients (none) list price $3.99

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1015 Bracken texture smooth, text and image imprints, scoring aroma earthy (musty), roast (smoky), nut (roasted almond), fruit, sweet snap medium hard taste sweet, smoky, hint of coffee, roasted almond melt smooth length short finish somewhat smoky

Godiva is a chocolate maker that began with the opening of a store in the Grande Place in Brussels, Belgium, in 1926, and has grown to become a world-wide seller of quality chocolates. They began selling chocolates in the US in 1966, mostly in the form of filled chocolates. Godiva makes only a few varieties of chocolate bars, and the 72% Dark is their only 100 gram bar of dark chocolate.

From my childhood, I remember my father so visibly appreciating Godiva dark chocolates that giving him a pound box of them every year for his birthday became almost a tradition. It feels essential to include a Godiva chocolate among the artisan chocolates we're reviewing here.

This bar was a medium dark brown and smooth surface with detailed imprinting of their name and an image of Lady Godiva riding naked on her horse. The inspiring legend of Lady Godiva can be found on Godiva's FAQ page. The scoring separated this 100 gram bar into 10 pieces.

The earthy aroma of 72% Dark was musty, but we also quickly noticed a roast that was smoky and a nutty scent that Lindy identified as roasted almond. I also smelled some fruit and sweetness.

The taste was somewhat too sweet, with a smoky flavor and hints of coffee. Lindy again recognized roasted almond. The melt was smooth. The flavor lasted several seconds after the chocolate was gone, leaving a slightly smoky aftertaste that happily was not bitter.

Both of us found this chocolate superior to Lindt Excellence chocolates (our standard ** bars), and only a little more expensive. Please see our best chocolate values page for more detailed price and rating comparisons.